Assessment of Serum Vitamin D and Irisin Levels in Obese Patients.

25-hydroxyvitamin D and irisin have been found to be involved in the pathogenesis of obesity. The aim of the study is to assess the serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and irisin in obese patients and to determine the association of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and irisin levels with anthropometric parameters. The study was carried out on 300 obese patients in addition to 156 healthy age and gender matched subjects as a control group.

MTP genetic variants associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver in metabolic syndrome patients.

This study was performed for investigation the relationship between variants of MTP gene polymorphism and the development of NAFLD in patients with and without MS. The study was included 174 NAFLD patients (106 with MS and 68 without MS), and 141 healthy control subjects. The 493 G/T polymorphism of MTP gene was evaluated by PCR-RFLP method.

Evaluation of Biomarkers in Egyptian Patients with Different Grades of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a silent disease; its spectrum includes simple steatosis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and fibrosis. Pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines play roles in the pathogenesis of NAFLD and insulin resistance (IR). Moreover, plasma cell antigen-1 (PC-1) is related to IR and associated with NAFLD progression.

Hepatobiliary Schistosomiasis.

Schistosomiasis is an ancient parasitic disease that has afflicted Egyptians since the time of the pharaohs. The disease is caused by lodged schistosome eggs in the host liver, evoking an immune response and leading in some patients to the development of hepatic granuloma and fibrosis. Here, we review the epidemiology, immunopathogenesis, and clinical profile of schistosomiasis.

Diagnostic value of fibronectin discriminant score for predicting liver fibrosis stages in chronic hepatitis C virus patients.

Background: Several noninvasive predictive models were developed to substitute liver biopsy for fibrosis assessment.

Aim: To evaluate the diagnostic value of fibronectin which reflect extracellular matrix metabolism and standard liver functions tests which reflect alterations in hepatic functions.

Material And Methods: Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients (n = 145) were evaluated using ROC curves and stepwise multivariate discriminant analysis (MDA) and was validated in 180 additional patients.

Changes in adipocytokines and insulin sensitivity during and after antiviral therapy for hepatitis C genotype 4.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, especially genotypes 1 and 4, is associated with wide metabolic disarrangements.

Aim: To assess whether host metabolic factors influence sustained virological response (SVR) in patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 4 (HCV-4) treated with peginterferon / ribavirin and to evaluate the impact of antiviral therapy on insulin resistance (IR) and serum levels of adipocytokines.

Methods: Changes in levels of adiponectin, leptin, TNF-α and the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) on antiviral combination in patients with HCV-4 were analyzed and effect on response was studied.

Insulin resistance impairs viral dynamics independently of ethnicity or genotypes.

Background And Aim: Data concerning the influence of insulin resistance (IR) and ethnicity on early phases of viral kinetics after initiation of peginterferon plus ribavirin in treatment-naive, chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients are limited.

Methods: A total of 263 nondiabetic CHC patients treated with peginterferon plus ribavirin were enrolled for analysis from an Egyptian and Spanish center. IR was evaluated by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA)-IR.

Serum lipids and chronic hepatitis C genotype 4: interaction and significance.

Background & Aim: Metabolic abnormalities are common in chronic hepatitis C infection (CHC). However, the genotypic differences of these disarrangements in patients infected with CHC genotype 4 (HCV-4) and its association with liver histology and viral loads remain unknown.

Material And Methods: We consecutively enrolled 183 HCV-4 patients and 106 healthy matched controls; to compare metabolic profiles and assess pattern of association of HCV RNA levels as well as histological factors with the serum lipid profile.

Effects of PEG-interferon-alpha-2A on Schistosoma mansoni infection in mice.

In some regions of the world, co-existence of schistosomiasis and hepatitis C (HCV) infection is common. Because the morbidity in human schistosomiasis is primarily due to host cell-mediated immune response, it was of interest to determine the effects on Schistosoma mansoni infection of an immune stimulator used in the standard treatment of HCV infection. Schistosoma mansoni -infected mice were treated with PEG-interferon-alpha-2a (PEG-IFN-alpha) by subcutaneous injection.

Pioglitazone improves virological response to peginterferon alpha-2b/ribavirin combination therapy in hepatitis C genotype 4 patients with insulin resistance.

Background & Aim: Insulin resistance (IR) affects sustained virological response (SVR). The use of insulin-sensitizing agents has been proposed to improve therapy outcome. The safety and efficacy of pioglitazone on insulin sensitivity and SVR in treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) genotype 4 with IR receiving standard antiviral therapy were evaluated in a randomized-controlled study.

Host susceptibility to schistosomes: effect of host sera on cell proliferation of Schistosoma mansoni schistosomula.

To determine effects of the sera on cell proliferation, schistosomula of Schistosoma mansoni (20-days-old) were incubated in medium containing fetal calf serum plus hamster (highly susceptible host) portal or peripheral venous serum, or rat (poorly susceptible host) portal or peripheral venous serum in the presence of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). Compared with schistosomula cultured in presence of control medium containing fetal calf serum alone, BrdU labeling indices (BLIs) were increased by 39% in the presence of portal, but not in peripheral, serum of hamsters. In contrast, no significant differences were observed in the BLIs in rat portal, or peripheral, sera or in control media.

Immunodetection of collagen types I, II, III, and IV for differentiation of liver fibrosis stages in patients with chronic HCV.

The current study is aimed at evaluating serum collagens and other serum biochemical markers as useful, non-invasive markers of hepatic fibrosis associated with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). Collagen types I, II, III, and IV were detected in serum using ELISA and Western blot techniques. The ELISA levels of collagen I, II, III, and IV increased significantly with the progression of fibrosis staging.