Advanced methods for missing values imputation based on similarity learning.

The real-world data analysis and processing using data mining techniques often are facing observations that contain missing values. The main challenge of mining datasets is the existence of missing values. The missing values in a dataset should be imputed using the imputation method to improve the data mining methods' accuracy and performance.

Th17 and IL-17 as Predictors of Hepatic Inflammation in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection and Treated With Direct Antiviral Therapy.

Limited data exists on the role of Th17 cells in chronic HCV infected patients, particularly with regard to hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. We aimed to investigate the relationship between circulating and intrahepatic frequency of Th17 cells and IL-17 serum level and degrees of hepatic inflammation and fibrosis in chronic HCV patients, as well as to evaluate the effect of successful anti-viral therapy on these parameters. This nested longitudinal case control study included 30 treatment-naïve chronic HCV patients and 20 healthy individuals as control.

Caspase-Cleaved Cytokeratin 18 Fragment M30 as a Potential Biomarker of Macrovascular Invasion in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background And Aim: Extremely poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with progressing disease was denoted by vascular invasion. Cytokeratin 18 (CK18) has been shown to be overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma so it is a valuable tumor marker; however, its role in vascular invasion is still unclear. This study aimed to predict CK18 as a predictive marker for macrovascular malignant invasion.

Relationship between vitamin A deficiency and the thyroid axis in clinically stable patients with liver cirrhosis related to hepatitis C virus.

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) and altered thyroid function are commonly encountered in patients with liver cirrhosis. The link between vitamin A metabolism and thyroid function has been previously identified. The aim of this study was to explore the association between VAD and the thyroid axis in clinically stable patients with cirrhosis related to hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Human leukocyte antigen class I alleles can predict response to pegylated interferon/ribavirin therapy in chronic hepatitis C Egyptian patients.

Background: Racial differences and broad spectrum response to anti-hepatitis C (anti-HCV) therapy suggest a possible role for host genetic diversity in treatment outcomes. We aim to determine the association and predictive value of certain human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I alleles with either susceptibility to viral clearance or persistence following pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) plus ribavirin therapy in chronic hepatitis C (HCV) genotype 4 patients in Egypt. 

Methods: This study included 200 unrelated chronic HCV patients who received Peg-IFN plus ribavirin therapy [112 patients with sustained virological response (SVR) and 88 non-responders (NR)].

Colorectal schistosomiasis: Is it still endemic in delta Egypt, early in the third millennium?

Background: Several governmental efforts have been exerted toward controlling schistosomiasis during the last decades in Egypt. This work was designed to study the prevalence of colorectal schistosomiasis in patients with different gastrointestinal symptoms.

Materials And Methods: Patients presented to the gastroenterology unit with different gastrointestinal symptoms were endoscopically examined, where three to six tiny biopsies were taken from those with visible, suspected schistosomal lesions for histopathological examination and two additional rectal biopsies were taken from the apparently normal colonic mucosa.