Therapeutic effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in a rat model of carbon tetrachloride induced liver fibrosis.

Background: Liver fibrosis is a major medical problem with high mortality and morbidity rates where the formation of regenerative nodules and cirrhosis leads to loss of liver function and may result in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) have drawn attention as a novel approach for treatment of liver fibrosis. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of BM-MSCs on the liver structure in carbon tetrachloride (CCl) induced liver fibrosis in male rats relative to resveratrol and Silybum marianum as standard drugs derived from herbal plants.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration in patients with psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis and its association with disease activity and serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha.

Objective: To assess vitamin D status in psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and to study whether it was associated with disease activity, inflammatory markers, and serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α).

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Riyadh National Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between March and September 2012. It included 43 patients with plaque psoriasis, 55 RA patients and 40 healthy controls matched for age.