Diagnostic evaluation of hepatopulmonary syndrome in Egyptian children with chronic liver disease.

Unlabelled: There are few data on prevalence of hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) in children with chronic liver disease (CLD). This prospective study evaluated the prevalence and diagnostic procedures of HPS in Egyptian children with CLD. One hundred twenty (120) children with CLD were subjected to room-air pulse oximetry in supine and upright position, contrast enhanced echocardiography (CEE) and technetium-99m-labeled macroaggregated albumin (99mTc-MAA) perfusion lung scan.

CD14 C(-260)T promoter polymorphism and prevalence of acute coronary syndromes.

Background: Inflammation and infection have been implicated in atherosclerosis and its complications. The CD14 receptor mediates monocyte activation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Gram-negative bacteria. The aim of this study was to assess whether the C(-260)T polymorphism in the promoter of the CD14 receptor gene is associated with a higher prevalence of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and severity of coronary atherosclerosis.