Comparison between autologous serum eye drops and punctal occlusion for treatment of dry eye syndrome

Background: Dried cornea condition characterized with mispreception regarding eye coat because of slit insufficiency otherwise unreasonable vanishing that makes harm to dried surfaces also visual shell which related to manifestations regarding visual inconvenience.Purpose: Comparing efficiency and safety of AS eye drops and Punctal occlusion for management of dry eye syndrome.Patients and Methods: A prospective study was conducted in, (Al-Hussein and Bab-Elsheryia hospitals), a sum of 40 eyes of 40 patients suffering from Dry eye (24 males, 16 females) were recruited in this study. The first group contain 20 eyes that undergo AS eye drops. The 2nd group contain 20 eyes that undergo Punctal occlusion.Results: The visual acuity in the first group before treatment was 3.5/9.3 ± 1.91/9.2 (mean ± standard deviation) and after treatment in the second visit was 5.25/10 ± 3.75/10 (P < 0.01) with standard improvement 2 Snellen lines. In the second group visual acuity before treatment was 2.85/9.1 ± 2.04/9.2 and after treatment in the second visit was 4.65/9.2 ± 4.37/10, the normal increase is 3 visual letters. The VA become better in both groups Conclusion: In summary, both two methods of management have similar efficiency in reducing discomfortable sensation in dry eyes, and almost have equivalent and improve in subjective symptoms. Punctual occlusion shows many benefits in conserving natural tears and enhancing tear quality and seemed to be better on tear film stabilization. AS eye drops and punctual occlusion improved BCV

Solutions of Some Difference Equations Systems and Periodicity

In this article, analysis and investigation have been conducted on the periodic nature as well as the type of the solutions of the subsequent schemes of rational difference equations with a nonzero real numbers initial conditions

Case Report: Multiple pterygium syndrome with marked pterygia of the fingers and MRI changes in the spine

We report a two years old Egyptian girl, the first birth of consanguineous marriage with clinical findings consistent with the diagnosis of the autosomal recessive multiple pterygium syndrome (Escobar) (growth retardation, craniofacial dysmorphism, multiple pterygia, kyphoscoliosis, multiple joint contractures especially affecting the lower limbs). What characterizes out patient was the extensive pterygia of the fingers which kept them permanently flexed, while they were very mild in the neck, axillary folds and knee joints. Our patient suffered also from mental retardation although mentality is commonly reported to be normal in this syndrome. MRI of the spine revealed widened spinal canal and engorged intraspinal vessels, which were not reported before.Keywords: Multiple pterygium syndrome; Joint contractures; Kyphoscoliosis; Autosomal recessiv

Maternal risk factors in young Egyptian mothers of Down syndrome

Introduction: We investigated the possible maternal risk factors that mayincrease the incidence of Down syndrome (DS) in young Egyptian mothers(younger than 35 years) especially methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase(MTHFR) enzyme C677T polymorphism.Subjects and Methods: The study included 200 mothers of karyotypicallyascertained non-disjunction DS attending Genetics clinic, Children’s hospital, Ain Shams University (100 mothers were < 35 years and 100 mothers ≥ 35 years). 50 mothers of none-DS children served as a control group. For all cases, history was taken laying stress on: Parental ages at conception, maternal grandparent’s ages at conception of mother, DS birth order, history of oral contraceptive use 6 months before conception, genital infection, vitamin supplementation and smoking or exposure to irradiation.Results: MTHFR C677T mutational analysis was done to twenty DS motherswith ages ≤ 35 years revealed that 35% of young mothers had C677T mutation (10% had homozygous mutation and 25% had heterozygous mutation). MTHFR C677T polymorphism was found to be a possible maternal genetic risk factor for DS although statistically non-significant.Other maternal risk factors included the use of oral contraceptive pills (OCP) 6 months before pregnancy which was significantly higher only in DSmothers ≥ 35 years. on the other hand, parental consanguinity, maternal grandparents’ ages, the presence of genital infection and birth order did not show a significant difference between young and old mothers of DS.Conclusion: MTHFR C677T could not be considered as a maternal risk factor in young Egyptian mothers of DS. The risk effect may depend on gene-environment interaction between the genotype and dietary intake in particular folic acid consumption which should be further studied on a larger scale population including other MTHFR polymorphisms and environmental factors. Other risk factors may include the use of OCP in older mothers. Parents consanguinity, paternal age and maternal grandparents’ ages were not found to be risk factors in DS in this study.Keywords: Down syndrome, risk factors, mothers, MTHFR

Chicory abrogates oxidative stress, inflammation and caspase-dependent apoptosis in acute hepatic injury model induced by acetaminophen in rats

In this study the protective effect of chicory leaves hydroalcoholic extract (CIE) against acute liver injury induced by a single dose of acetaminophen (700 mg/kg, i.p.) was investigated in rats. The CIE and silymarin treatment (standard reference) were given in a dose of (100 mg/kg, p.o.) for 3 days before and at 1 and 12 h following acetaminophen administration. Treatment with CIE significantly reduced the levels of serum ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, total cholesterol, triglycerides, urea, creatinine, TNF-α and hepatic contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide, caspase-3 and hydroxyproline, with significant increases in serum total protein, albumin, HDL- cholesterol and hepatic activities of reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) as compared with the acetaminophen group. The histopathological alterations mediated by acetaminophen were ameliorated by CIE. It was concluded that CIE protects rat liver against acetaminophen hepatotoxicity, most probably through abrogation of oxidative stress, inflammation and caspase-3 dependent apoptosis