Rupture of the bronchus: Case report of successful resection and anastomosis in a 13-month-old infant

An unusual case of rupture of the bronchus in a 13-month-old child is reported. It is believed that this is the youngest reported case of successful repair and it is documented by an 11-year follow-up.     

HLA-Class II Alleles in Egyptian Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is linked to environmental, dietary, and life style factors. Its incidence and distribution vary widely among ethnic groups, sex, and geographic regions. HBV and HCV Infection, liver cirrhosis, male gender, and old age are important risk factors of HCC. Variability in outcome following exposure, and the clustering of HCC within families raise the possibility that genetic factors are also involved in susceptibility to HCC. The Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) plays a key role in anti-virus and tumor defense. HLA polymorphism is implicated in conferring genetic susceptibility to a large number of immune-mediated diseases, including some cancers. The association between HLA class II antigen and HCC in different ethnic populations that has been reported is controversial. Therefore, the aim of this work was to study the association between HLA class II-DRB1 and DQB1 polymorphism and HCC in Egyptian patients and to investigate their role as risk factors for the development of HCC. Methods: HLA-class II (DRB1 and DQB1) typing was done by SSP for 100 subjects; 50 patients suffering from HCC (45 males and 5 females) with age range 40–64 years (51.16 years (y)?±?6.16); and 50 normal healthy control subjects. Results: 1. A significantly increased frequency of DRB1*04, and DQB1 *02 in HCC patients versus control group (p?=?0.016, and 0.032, respectively) was found; 2. A significantly decreased frequency of DQB1*06 (p?=?0.032) was found; 3. A significantly increased frequency of DRB1*07 (odds ratio (OR)?=?4.929) was found; and 4. A significantly decreased frequency of DRB1*15 (OR?=?0.316) was seen. In conclusion, while some alleles are significantly associated with HCC (DRB1*04, DQB1*02) and others are not associated (DQB1*06); therefore, it can be concluded that the DRB1*04 and DQB1*02 alleles might be risk factors for the occurrence of HCC (OR?=?4.373 and 3.807, respectively), and DQB1*06 may be a protective allele (OR?=?0.259).     

The value of quantitative uptake of (99m)Tc-MDP and (99m)Tc-HMPAO white blood cells in detecting osteomyelitis in violated peripheral bones

Our objective in this study was to evaluate whether measurement of quantitative uptake of (99m)Tc-methylene diphosphate (MDP) and (99m)Tc-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (HMPAO) white blood cells (WBCs) is useful in detecting osteomyelitis in peripheral bony lesions. METHODS: Twenty-four patients (12 men and 12 women; age range, 25-72 y) were referred for imaging because of clinically suspected osteomyelitis. They had a traumatic fracture (n = 10), knee prosthesis (n = 5), hip prosthesis (n = 2), diabetic foot (n = 4), or chronic osteomyelitis (n = 3). Three-phase bone scanning and (99m)Tc-HMPAO WBC studies were performed on all patients within the same week. Regions of interest were drawn over the abnormal bony sites and the contralateral normal sites, and the abnormal-to-normal uptake ratios (A/N ratios) were obtained for both studies. RESULTS: All patients had abnormal findings on 3-phase bone scanning, whereas 17 (71%) had abnormal findings on (99m)Tc-HMPAO WBC studies, of which 15 were confirmed to be true-positive. In those 15 patients, the mean A/N ratios for (99m)Tc-MDP and (99m)Tc-HMPAO WBC were 3.0 +/- 1.6 (range, 1.3-6.2) and 1.8 +/- 0.3 (range, 1.4-2.2), respectively. In the other 9 patients, whose scan results were clinically confirmed to be true-negative, the mean A/N ratios for (99m)Tc-MDP and (99m)Tc-HMPAO WBC were 2.1 +/- 1.2 and 1.2 +/- 0.2, respectively. In the group with a (99m)Tc-MDP A/N ratio greater than 2 (n = 15), 87% (13/15) had a high (99m)Tc-HMPAO WBC A/N ratio (>1.5), including 2 that were false-positive. In the remaining 2 patients, one with chronic osteomyelitis and the other with a recent hip prosthesis, (99m)Tc-HMPAO WBC ratios were normal. In the group with a bone A/N ratio of less than 2 (n = 9), only 4 patients (44%) were true-positive for acute osteomyelitis. CONCLUSION: (99m)Tc-MDP bone scanning alone, with an A/N ratio of more than 2, is useful in detecting osteomyelitis in violated bone except in the case of a recent hip prosthesis or chronic osteomyelitis.     

HLA-DRB1* alleles in Egyptian children with post-streptococcal acute glomerulonephritis

To investigate the association between HLA-DRB1* alleles and post-streptococcal acute glomerulonephritis (PSAGN) in Egyptian children, 32 unrelated patients with PSAGN and 380 healthy individuals from the same locality were typed for DRB1* alleles using the polymerase chain-reverse hybridization technique. Patients with PSAGN had significantly increased frequency of both DRB1* 03011 (46.9 vs. 19.2% in controls, P  = 0.00025) and DRB1* 1105 (31.1 vs. 15.6% in controls, P = 0.0097) alleles. However, after correction of P values, only the difference for DRB1* 03011 allele remained significant (Pc = 0.025). Their relative risks were significantly high (3.71, confidence interval [CI] = 1.8–7.8, and 3.57, CI = 1.4–8.9 respectively). No significant differences in the frequency of the two alleles were observed among patients with different grades of hypertension or proteinuria. In conclusion, DRB1* 03011, and possibly 1105, alleles confer susceptibility to PSAGN. However, the severity of the disease is not determined by these two alleles.     

Functional polymorphisms in <Emphasis Type="Italic">XRCC</Emphasis>-<Emphasis Type="Italic">1</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">APE</Emphasis>-<Emphasis Type="Italic">1</Emphasis> contribute to increased apoptosis and risk of ulcerative colitis

Objective  

The present study was designed to investigate the role of X-ray cross-complementing group 1 (XRCC1) and apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) polymorphisms in apoptosis and the risk of ulcerative colitis (UC).