Helicobacter pylori genotypes identified in gastric biopsy specimens from Jordanian patients

BACKGROUND: The genetic diversity of Helicobacter pylori can be analyzed at two different levels: the genomic variation between strains originating from different individuals, and the variation in bacterial populations within an individual host. We reported for the first time the H. pylori genotypes in Jordanian patients with gastrointestinal diseases. METHODS: Upper endoscopy was performed on 250 patients with symptoms of gastrointestinal diseases. Multiple gastric biopsy specimens were taken from the antrum. All the biopsies were tested by PCR for the H. pylori virulence genes vacA, cagA, and iceA, and 151 were tested by histology. RESULTS: The biopsies positive for H. pylori by PCR were 110/250 (44%), and by histology 117/151 (77.5%), and these results were highly associated (P < 0.02). Analyses of virulence genes revealed that iceA2 (73.6%) was the predominant genotype, the vacAs2 allele was more frequently identified than the vacAs1 allele, while the cagA genotype was low (26.4%). The presence of certain genotypes might be associated with each other, but the presence of certain genotypes was not significantly associated with the age, or gender of the patient. CONCLUSION: The results illustrate the geographic nature of the genetic diversity of H. pylori, as the identified genotypes are similar to those reported in neighboring countries. This study provides a baseline data of H. pylori genotypes identified in gastric biopsy specimens from Jordan, serving as a powerful epidemiological tool for prospective investigations to better understand the genetic diversity of this pathogen

High Serum Erythropoietin and Ferritin Levels in Conjunction with Anemia Response in Malignant Lymphoma

Anemia is a common finding in lymphoma. There are few data available regarding the erythropoietin (EPO) levels in conjunction with ferritin in lymphoma patients. We prospectively evaluated 55 patients diagnosed with malignant lymphoma during the period between November 2006 and March 2008 at the King Abdullah University Teaching Hospital, Jordan. Our data showed that 74.4% of lymphoma patients were anemic. Furthermore, serum EPO and ferritin levels were higher in lymphoma patients compared with the healthy controls (P=0.001). The observed versus predicted EPO ratio showed also significantly higher levels in anemic lymphoma patients compared to healthy controls (p=0.03). There was an improvement in the Hb level in lymphoma patients who were treated with at least 3-cycles of chemotherapy as compared with newly-diagnosed patients. An adequate increase of EPO levels was observed in anemic lymphoma patients and notably associated with higher ferritin levels and improvement of Hb (p<0.001)

Xanthogranulomatous Pyelonephritis: Analysis of 18 Cases

ObjectiveTo review and evaluate patients with a clinicopathological diagnosis of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XGP) with emphasis on the diagnostic methods and the effect of socioeconomic status on disease severity.MethodsData compiled from the previous history of the patients, clinical, laboratory, radioimaging findings, preoperative, operative, histopathological diagnosis and postoperative follow-up period were analysed. On the basis of presentation, XGP was classified as complicated and simple.ResultsThere were 18 cases of XGP. The clinical characteristics included: calculi or obstruction in the urinary tract, and damage to the kidney, complication of urinary tract infection, anaemia, increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate and liver dysfunction. All patients had diffuse XGP. Associated pathological findings such as psoas abscess, nephrocutaneous fistula, renocolonic fistula and paranephric abscess were found in 33.3% of cases. Eleven of 14 patients (78.6%) who were evaluated by computed tomography (CT) had the correct diagnosis made prior to nephrectomy. Urine culture was positive in 88.9% of patients and Proteus mirabilis was the most common organism.ConclusionOur experience with a small number of patients demonstrates that low socioeconomic status could be a risk factor in the development of complicated cases of XGP. CT is considered to be the best radiological test for correct preoperative diagnosis and evaluation of XGP. Nephrectomy and removal of all surrounding affected tissue proved to be curative for XGP

The Helicobacter pylori Genome Project : insights into H. pylori population structure from analysis of a worldwide collection of complete genomes

Helicobacter pylori, a dominant member of the gastric microbiota, shares co-evolutionary history with humans. This has led to the development of genetically distinct H. pylori subpopulations associated with the geographic origin of the host and with differential gastric disease risk. Here, we provide insights into H. pylori population structure as a part of the Helicobacter pylori Genome Project (HpGP), a multi-disciplinary initiative aimed at elucidating H. pylori pathogenesis and identifying new therapeutic targets. We collected 1011 well-characterized clinical strains from 50 countries and generated high-quality genome sequences. We analysed core genome diversity and population structure of the HpGP dataset and 255 worldwide reference genomes to outline the ancestral contribution to Eurasian, African, and American populations. We found evidence of substantial contribution of population hpNorthAsia and subpopulation hspUral in Northern European H. pylori. The genomes of H. pylori isolated from northern and southern Indigenous Americans differed in that bacteria isolated in northern Indigenous communities were more similar to North Asian H. pylori while the southern had higher relatedness to hpEastAsia. Notably, we also found a highly clonal yet geographically dispersed North American subpopulation, which is negative for the cag pathogenicity island, and present in 7% of sequenced US genomes. We expect the HpGP dataset and the corresponding strains to become a major asset for H. pylori genomics

Polymorphisms of arylamine N-acetyltransferase2 and risk of lung and colorectal cancer

The arylamine N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) enzymes detoxify a wide range of naturally occurring xenobiotics including carcinogens and drugs. Point mutations in the NAT2 gene result in the variant alleles M1 (NAT2 *5A), M2 (NAT2*6A), M3 (NAT2*7) and M4 (NAT2 *14A) from the wild-type WT (NAT2 *4) allele. The current study was aimed at screening genetic polymorphisms of NAT2 gene in 49 lung cancer patients, 54 colorectal cancer patients and 99 cancer-free controls, using PCR-RFLP. There were significant differences in allele frequencies between lung cancer patients and controls in the WT, M2 and M3 alleles (p < 0.05). However, only M2 and M3 allele frequencies were different between colorectal cancer patients and controls (p < 0.05). There was a marginal significant difference in the distribution of rapid and slow acetylator genotypes between lung cancer patients and controls (p = 0.06 and p = 0.05, respectively), but not between colorectal cancer patients and controls (p = 1.0 and p = 0.95, respectively). Risk of lung cancer development was found to be lower in slow acetylators &#91;odds ratio (OR): 0.51, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.25, 1.02, p-value = 0.07&#93;. No effect was observed in case of colorectal cancer. Our results showed that NAT2 genotypes and phenotypes might be involved in lung cancer but not colorectal cancer susceptibility in Jordan

Soft Tissue Sarcomas: A 16-Year Experience of a Tertiary Referral Hospital in North Jordan

Background and Objectives: Sarcomas are rare malignant tumors of mesenchymal origin. Their low prevalence and histological heterogeneity make their diagnosis a challenging task. To the best of our knowledge, the epidemiology of soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) was not well studied in Jordan. This study thus aimed to determine STS epidemiologic trends at King Abdullah University Hospital (KAUH); a tertiary hospital that provides cancer healthcare for 70% of the population in Irbid Governorate, North Jordan. The findings of this study will provide a good reference point of the burden of STSs in Jordan and the Middle East region. Materials and Methods: All cases with confirmed STS diagnoses who attended KAUH from January 2003 until December 2018 were included in the initial analysis. Bone sarcomas, gastrointestinal stromal tumors and uterine sarcomas were not included in the study. Information collected from the pathology reports and electronic medical records was used to determine STS prevalence, incidence rate, age and gender distributions, histological types and anatomic location. Cases were reviewed by three pathologists with interest in soft tissue tumors. The findings were compared with literature. Results: In total, 157 STS cases were reported (1.9% of cancers diagnosed at KAUH during the 16-year study period). Crude annual incidence rate (IR) per 100,000 person-years ranged from 0.48 in 2015 to 1.83 in 2011 (average = 1.04). Age-standardized IR (ASR)(World WHO 2000–2025) was 1.37. Male:female ratio was 1.3:1. Median age was 39 years. Age ranged from Conclusion: STSs are rare in North Jordan. A slight increase in their incidence was identified during the study period similar to global trends. The collection of relevant data on established risk factors along with a broader scale evaluation of the epidemiology of STS in the Middle East region is recommended to better evaluate disease burden and trends

mucosal damage

A novel approach for quantitative assessment o