The role of varicocele sclerotherapy in men with severe oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia

The aim of this study was to verify the role of antegrade scrotal sclerotherapy for the treatment of varicoceles in infertile men with severe oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia (OAT). The 59 patients with severe OAT in this study underwent antegrade scrotal sclerotherapy for the treatment of varicoceles. The outcome was assessed in terms of improvement in semen parameters and spontaneous conception rate. Semen parameters and reproductive hormones were evaluated before antegrade sclerotherapy (AS) and 6 months after AS. After an average follow-up time of 34.83.2 months, significant improvement was noted in the mean sperm concentration, motility and morphology in 36 patients (61%). Spontaneous pregnancy occurred in nine couples (15%). Six months after treatment, inhibin B levels were significantly higher (P<0.04), whereas follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were significantly lower (P<0.001) than before treatment. Antegrade internal spermatic vein sclerotherapy can significantly improve seminal parameters and hormonal parameters in men with severe OAT and may even result in spontaneous pregnancy in couples who would otherwise be candidates for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)

Association of trinucleotide-repeat-containing 9 (TNRC9) SNP with the risk of breast cancer in Egyptians

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disorder for which the underlying genetic basis remains unclear. The current study was conducted to evaluate the possible association between trinucleotide-repeatcontaining 9 (TNRC9) genetic variants and breast cancer risk in Egyptian women. Genotyping of the rs12443621 polymorphism of the TNRC9 gene by real time PCR (RT-PCR) on 100 female breast cancer patients and 80 healthy female controls was done. Breast cancer patients have significantly decreased age at menarche compared to control. Breast feeding and parity are associated with reduced breast cancer risk. The homozygous GG genotype and G allele were more frequent in the breast cancer group than in control subjects. The GG genotype frequency was associated with 2.8 times higher risk of breast cancer than AA genotype, also the G allele was associated with 1.9 times higher risk of breast cancer than A allele. The distribution of the TNRC9 rs12443621 polymorphism was significantly associated with both estrogen and progesterone receptor status. The combined AG and GG genotypes were not significantly associated with the presence of metastasis and Her2/neu status (P=0.89 and 0.49, respectively). From this study, it could be concluded that, a significant association was found between the GG genotype of TNRC9 rs12443621 and elevated breast cancer risk and signifies the TNRC9 rs12443621 G allele as being a potential risk factor for breast cancer. Further larger population-based studies are needed to confirm the prognostic value of this polymorphism in Egyptian women.Keywords: TNRC9 gene, Her2-neu, real time PCR, breast cancer

STUDY OF SERUM HAPTOGLOBIN LEVEL AND ITS RELATION TO ERYTHROPOIETIC ACTIVITY IN BETA THALASSEMIA CHILDREN .

Background  :Serum haptoglobin (Hp) is a reliable marker for hemolysis regardless the inflammatory state.  Objective: We investigated the possible relation between Hp depletion and hemolysis severity, hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and iron load in β-thalassemia children. Methods: Twenty  two β-thalassemia major (TM) ,20 β-thalassemia  intermedia (TI) children with 20 age and sex matched healthy controls were involved. Pre-transfusion hemoglobin level was considered . Serum ferritin , Hp  and transferrin receptor  levels (sTfR)  (by ELISA ) , alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and  aspartate aminotransferase (AST)  (by colorimetric method) were assayed. Markers of hepatitis C virus  (HCV)  were done by PCR. Results:  The mean Hp levels among the studied groups were as follows; 8.02 ± 0.93 (mg/dl) , 8.6 ±0.72 (mg/dl)  and 122  ± 18.5(mg/dl)   for TM ,TI and the controls respectively . Both patient groups had significantly lower Hp level compared to the controls (P<0.0001)  with significant lower level in TM compared to TI  children ( P= 0.034)  .Significant inverse correlations were  found between serum Hp and sTfR levels in thalassemia children combined and in each group (TM and TI) as well as among HCV infected children. STfR   was the only significant independent predictor for  serum Hp level (t= -5.585 , P<0.0001) . Among  HCV infected patients , no significant correlation was found between serum Hp and serum transaminases  .Conclusion:  Serum Hp depletion in thalassemia had significant relation to disease severity and correlated   well with their erythropoietic activity, as assessed by the measurement of  sTfR without significant relation  HCV infection . Large sample  multicenter studies are  recommended

Serum hepcidin level and disease course of acute leukemia in children

Acute leukemia (AL) is a heterogeneous group of hematopoietic neoplasms and it is the most common   childhood malignancy. Many patients with AL develop severe anemia that requires multiple blood transfusions. Hepcidin expression may play a role in anemia which is often seen in these patients. The  aim of this study is to evaluate the role of hepcidin in acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children in Egypt. 60 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 20 age and gender matched healthy children,  taken as control group, were included in the study. Complete blood count (CBC), Serum ALT and serum AST were measured by colorimetric methods. Serum hepcidin and ferritin were measured by ELISA. The  study showed a significant difference between newly diagnosed ALL cases and other groups regarding all CBC parameters. There was a significant difference in serum levels of hepcidin and ferritin between  studied groups. A significant negative correlation was found between serum level of hepcidin and ferritin and each of hemoglobin level and reticulocytic count %, while significant positive correlation was found  between hepcidin and ferritin serum levels. From this study, it could be concluded that serum hepcidin level is elevated in ALL children patients at time of diagnosis and correlates with the disease extent. Hepcidin may be one of the serum markers that accounting for anemia associated with ALL in children.Key words: Hepcidin, ferritin, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, ELISA. From master degree thesis submitted to Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, by Shaimaa E. Genena, 2014

The predictive value of immunohistochemical markers in untreated Wilms' tumour:are they useful?

<p>This study reevaluates the potential role of different tumour markers as prognostic indicators in untreated nephroblastoma.</p><p>Expression of a broad panel of tumour markers was investigated by means of immunohistochemical analysis in 43 WT patients. Patients were treated by radical nephrectomy and had a mean follow-up of 11.9 years.</p><p>Generally, all the tumour markers studied were expressed in normal kidney tissue and at variable levels in the three cell types of WT (blastema, epithelium and stroma). Immunoreactive blastemal (Bcl-X, Bcl-2 and CD44s) and epithelial (Bcl-X, Bcl-2 and MIB-1) cells were present in the majority of tumours. No correlation was found between their expression and pathological stages. Univariate analysis showed that blastemal WT-1, TGF-alpha, VEGF, MIB-1 and p27 Kip1 were indicative for clinical progression. In a multivariate analysis, WT-1 protein expression by blastemal cells was an independent prognostic marker for clinical progression.</p><p>The blastemal WT-1, TGF-alpha, VEGF, MIB-1 and p27Kip1 expression correlate with clinical progression in untreated nephroblastoma. Therefore, their expression may be of value in identifying patients with a high propensity to develop distant metastases.</p>