Sensitivity and specificity of various tests for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori in Egyptian children.

Objectives: Many noninvasive methods (using breath, blood, and stool samples) are available to diagnose Helicobacter pylori. However, because the noninvasive tests are proxy measures of the infection, they need validation before use. Factors that may affect test validity include patient age, gender, and geographic location.

Prevalence of low positive anti-HCV antibodies in blood donors: Schistosoma mansoni co-infection and possible role of autoantibodies.

Patients infected with schistosoma frequently show a high seroprevalence of anti-hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) antibodies. The aim of this study was to find the underlying reason for this phenomenon, and to examine a possible involvement of autoantibodies. Out of 2,400 Egyptian blood donors, 192 (8%) were anti-HCV positive by ELISA.

Acousto-optic, point receiver hydrophone probe for operation up to 100 MHz.

This work describes the results of initial evaluation of a wideband acousto-optic hydrophone probe designed to operate as point receiver in the frequency range up to 100 MHz. The hydrophone was implemented as a tapered fiber optic (FO) probe sensor with a tip diameter of approximately 7 microm. Such small physical dimensions of the sensor eliminate the need for spatial averaging corrections so that true pressure-time (p-t) waveforms can be faithfully recorded.

Calcium channel blockers for preventing acute tubular necrosis in kidney transplant recipients.

Background: The incidence of delayed graft function in cadaveric grafts has increased over the last few years due in part to the large demand for cadaveric kidneys necessitating the use of kidneys from marginal donors. Calcium channel blockers have the potential to reduce the incidence of post-transplant acute tubular necrosis (ATN) if given in the peri-operative period. However, there is controversy surrounding their use in this situation with no consensus as to their efficacy.

Smart fabrics: integrating fiber optic sensors and information networks.

"Smart Fabrics" are defined as fabrics capable of monitoring their own "health", and sensing environmental conditions. They consist of special type of sensors, signal processing, and communication network embedded into textile substrate. Available conventional sensors and networking systems are not fully technologically mature for such applications.

Universal high-level primary metronidazole resistance in Helicobacter pylori isolated from children in Egypt.

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on 48 isolates of Helicobacter pylori recovered from Egyptian children undergoing routine endoscopies. The isolates were universally highly resistant to metronidazole, but resistance to other tested antimicrobial agents was rare (4% for clarithromycin, erythromycin, and azithromycin resistance versus 2% for ciprofloxacin and ampicillin resistance). Use of metronidazole for the treatment of H.

Calcium channel blockers for preventing acute tubular necrosis in kidney transplant recipients.

Background: The incidence of delayed graft function in cadaveric grafts has increased over the last few years due in part to the large demand for cadaveric kidneys necessitating the use of kidneys from marginal donors. Calcium channel blockers have the potential to reduce the incidence of post-transplant acute tubular necrosis (ATN) if given in the peri-operative period. However, there is controversy surrounding their use in this situation with no consensus as to their efficacy.

Changes in some blood constituents of Barki ewes during pregnancy and lactation under semi arid conditions.

A study based on 12 pregnant and six dry Barki ewes was carried out to examine the changes in blood constituents during pregnancy and lactation periods. The blood parameters were blood hemoglobin, packed cell volume percent (PCV%), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), glucose, aspartate aminotransaminase (AST or GOT), alanine aminotransaminase (ALT or GPT), total plasma protein, albumin, globulin, albumin to globulin ratio (A/G), urea and creatinine. During pregnancy all these parameters started to increase significantly, but in different stages, reaching maximum values at parturition.

Kerosene stove as a cause of burns admitted to the Ain Shams burn unit.

Kerosene stoves are in widespread use for cooking and warming water in underprivileged areas in Cairo. These stoves are dangerous and lack safety measures; they are often a cause of fire incidents and burn injuries. During the period from May 1995 to December 1996 the number of patients who presented to the burn unit of Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt was 759, of whom 304 (40%) sustained the injury as a consequence of kerosene stove fires.

V-Y dorsal metacarpal flap: a new technique for the correction of syndactyly without skin graft.

A new technique for web reconstruction in congenital syndactyly is described. Twenty-one web spaces in 12 patients were treated using this method. The dorsal metacarpal flap was used as an island V-Y advancement to cover the newly created web space, thus avoiding skin graft in this space.

T and B cell reactivity to a 42-kDa protein is associated with human resistance to both schistosomiasis mansoni and haematobium.

Egyptian subjects living in areas endemic for Schistosoma mansoni or Schistosoma haematobium were selected on the basis of their apparent extremes of resistance or susceptibility to schistosomiasis and examined for T and B cell responses against the major electrophoretically resolved protein species from soluble adult worm extracts. A 42-kDa band was specifically recognized by a significant majority of subjects resistant to schistosomiasis. The 42-kDa species (p-42) from S.

Management of tissue breakdown and exposure associated with orbital hydroxyapatite implants.

A new surgical approach for the management of tissue breakdown and exposure of an orbital hydroxyapatite (HA) implant is presented. The implant was placed after evisceration of an atrophic globe. Tissue breakdown and exposure developed 3 weeks after implantation.

Instrumented forceps for measurement of nerve compression forces.

Compression (or crushing) is used to induce nerve injury in test rats to study nerve degeneration and regeneration. The compression forces could be applied using a variety of techniques developed by several investigators. The lack of precise control of the applied compression may be the source of significant variations among observations.

Progressive interstitial fibrosis and nephrotic syndrome associated with antituberculous therapy.

We describe a patient who developed renal failure during antituberculous therapy. The condition was characterized by an initial phase of acute tubular necrosis and nephrotic syndrome which ultimately progressed to end-stage renal disease with severe interstitial fibrosis, despite adequate period of drug withdrawal. At that time, tuberculous infection was inactive and there was no evidence of amyloidosis or renal vein thrombosis.

Surgical anatomy of the pudendal nerve and its clinical implications.

A study of the surgical anatomy of the pudendal nerve (PN) was performed in 13 female and 7 male cadavers. The knowledge of the precise anatomy and anomalies of this important nerve would help in better localization of the nerve and its roots and branches for neurostimulation or for pudendal canal decompression in pudendal canal syndrome. Two routes were used in the dissection: gluteal and perineal.

First dorsal metacarpal artery flap in hand reconstruction. II. Clinical application.

The first dorsal metacarpal artery flap was used in 23 patients for coverage of soft tissue hand defects. This flap was used as a fasciocutaneous flap or as a fascial flap. Vascularized periosteum or tendon can also be raised with the flap.

First dorsal metacarpal artery flap in hand reconstruction. I. Anatomical study.

Twenty-one human hands were dissected to study the anatomy of the first dorsal metacarpal artery (FDMA). The artery was found in all the dissected hands. It constantly gave three fascial branches: a radial branch, an ulnar branch, and an intermediate branch.

The plastic envelope method, a simplified technique for culture diagnosis of trichomoniasis.

Although culture of Trichomonas vaginalis is more sensitive than wet mounts in the diagnosis of trichomoniasis, the lack of convenience of culture prevents it from being widely used. To improve the acceptability of diagnosis by culture, a plastic envelope method (PEM) was devised. PEM permits both immediate examination and culture in one self-contained system.

Natural cytotoxic cell activity in the snake Psammophis sibilans.

Thymocytes, splenocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of the snake Psammophis sibilans consistently killed the human erythroleukemic cells K562 in a 4 h assay as judged by lactate dehydrogenase enzyme release. PBMC and splenocyte natural cytotoxicity (NC) increased proportionally with increase in the effector/target cell ratio. Spontaneous killer cell activity was consistently 2-3 times higher in peripheral blood (PB) than in spleen.

Identification of sensory neurons supplying receptors in lingual muscles of the rat: histochemical and retrograde labeling study with horseradish peroxidase.

Sensory innervation of lingual musculature was studied in young adult Wistar rats using retrograde labeling by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and combined silver impregnation and acetylcholinesterase (AchE) methods. Intra-lingual injection of HRP resulted in labeling of neuronal somata in the trigeminal, superior vagal, and second cervical spinal (C2) ganglia. When HRP was directly applied to the proximal stump of severed hypoglossal nerve, labeling occurred only in the cervical and superior vagal ganglia.

The effects of alloy surface treatments and resins on the retention of resin-bonded retainers.

This study evaluated the effects on retention of three metal surface textures and four resin luting materials by measuring the magnitude of the force required for the removal of resin-bonded fixed partial denture retainers. The results of the study indicate that a retainer air-abraded with 250 mu aluminum oxide, used with any of the resins tested, should provide sufficient retention for single pontic posterior resin-bonded fixed partial dentures.