Value of urinary survivin as a diagnostic marker in bladder cancer.

Objective: To study the value of urinary survivin as a diagnostic marker for diagnosis of bladder cancer as compared to urine cytology.

Study Design: This study was carried out on 40 patients presenting with bladder cancer and 20 patients presenting with benign urological disorders.

Results: For bladder cancer diagnosis, urine cytology has lower sensitivity, accuracy, and negative predictive values as compared to survivin, while it has higher specificity and positive predictive value than survivin.

Significance of serum leptin and adiponectin levels in Egyptian patients with chronic hepatitis C virus associated hepatic steatosis and fibrosis.

Aim: To study serum levels of leptin and adiponectin in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection genotype-4 (HCV-4) related steatosis and fibrosis.

Methods: We prospectively studied 45 untreated men with chronic HCV-4, with proven steatosis (group I, 30 patients), and fibrosis (group II, 15 patients), on liver biopsy. In addition, 15 healthy men (group III), matched for age, and body mass index were included.

Serum resistin in acute myocardial infarction patients with and without diabetes mellitus.

Aim: Human resistin is an adipokine, with a possible link to coronary heart disease, and the relationship between serum resistin, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains controversial. Therefore, this study assessed serum resistin in patients with acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), with and without T2DM.

Methods: Between June 2009 and July 2010, 55 subjects were recruited into three groups: 20 non-diabetic patients with acute STEMI (group 1), 20 diabetic patients with acute STEMI (group 2), and 15 healthy controls (group 3).