Comparing Effectiveness of Hyaluronic Acid-Chitosan Nanoparticles Encapsulation Versus Hyaluronic Acid Monotherapy in Osteoarthritis Rat Model: Microarray Screening for miR-140.

Osteoarthritis is a debilitating, progressive joint disease linked to lower quality of life and higher health care costs. This study compared hyaluronic acid-chitosan nanoparticle encapsulation to hyaluronic-acid monotherapy in a rat model of knee osteoarthritis. Four groups of 40 adult male albino rats were designed.

Role of trace elements in pityriasis Alba.

Background: Pityriasis Alba (PA) is a common skin disorder affecting the children and it has multiple risk factors.

Objectives: To assess the serum levels of trace elements (copper, zinc, and magnesium) and hemoglobin (Hb) level in patients with PA.

Method: This is a case control study; 110 participants (55 cases and 55 controls) were recruited from pediatric dermatology and family medicine clinics, Cairo university hospitals.

The cellular selection between apoptosis and autophagy: roles of vitamin D, glucose and immune response in diabetic nephropathy.

Background And Aims: Apoptosis, autophagy and cell cycle arrest are cellular responses to injury which are supposed to play fundamental roles in initiation and progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN). The aims of the present study is to shed light on the potential effects of vitamin D analog 22-oxacalcitriol (OCT) on different cell responses during DN, and the possible interplay between both glucose, immune system and vitamin D in determining the cell fate.

Method: All rats were randomly allocated into one of three groups: control, vehicle-treated DN group and OCT-treated DN group.

Malondialdehyde; Lipid peroxidation plasma biomarker correlated with hepatic fibrosis in human Schistosoma mansoni infection.

Schistosomiasis is a debilitating parasitic disease, affects large number of host species. Currently affects 250-300 million people in tropic areas. Schistosoma pathogenic impact is hepatic periportal fibrosis; the parasite-induced inflammatory cellular activation promotes oxidative stress, resulting in lipid peroxidation (LPO), with subsequent increase in inflammatory mediators as malondialdehyde (MDA).

Study of the effects of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor on the promotion of hepatic tumorigenesis in rats fed a high fat diet.

Background/objective: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide. The highest prevalence of hepatitis is an important risk factor contributing to development of HCCs. However, an increasing number of cases are associated metabolic disease and steatohepatitis.

Noninvasive assessment of hepatic fibrosis in Egyptian patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

Aim: To evaluate the accuracy of specific biochemical markers for the assessment of hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

Methods: One hundred and fifty-four patients with chronic HCV infection were included in this study; 124 patients were non-cirrhotic, and 30 were cirrhotic. The following measurements were obtained in all patients: serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), albumin, total bilirubin, prothrombin time and concentration, complete blood count, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), HCVAb, HCV-RNA by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, abdominal ultrasound and ultrasonic-guided liver biopsy.

Can we consider the right hepatic lobe size/albumin ratio a noninvasive predictor of oesophageal varices in hepatitis C virus-related liver cirrhotic Egyptian patients?

Background: The current guidelines recommend the screening of all cirrhotic patients by endoscopy, but repeated endoscopic examinations are unpleasant for patients and have a high cost impact and burden on endoscopic units. The aim of this study is to evaluate the optimal liver lobe size/albumin ratio and to compare this ratio with spleen size, platelet count and platelet count/spleen diameter ratio as potential noninvasive predictors of oesophageal varices in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related liver cirrhosis in Egyptian patients.

Methods: This prospective study included one hundred patients with HCV-related liver cirrhosis.

A comparative study between three noninvasive predictors of oesophageal varices in post hepatitis C virus liver cirrhosis in Egypt.

Background And Aim: The prevention of variceal bleeding is very important. The current guide lines recommend screening of all cirrhotic patients by endoscopy, to identify patients at risk of bleeding in whom prophylactic treatment should be started. Repeated endoscopic examinations are unpleasant for patients, and carry a high cost impact and burden on endoscopic units, while only 50% of cirrhotic patients have esophageal varices, 30% of whom have large varices.

Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation underestimates glomerular filtration rate in Egyptian kidney donors.

Objectives: Inulin clearance and radioisotope studies are the most accurate means of measuring glomerular filtration rates (GFRs). The Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative guidelines recommend estimating GFRs with the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) or the Cockcroft- Gault equation. We examined the accuracy of the MDRD equation and creatinine clearance based on 24-hour urine collection to predict GFRs in a group of healthy donors.