Bladder stone disease in children in Afghanistan

Of 132 children with bladder stones seen in 1 year, 94% were boys and 73% were aged between 1 and 5 years. Significant malnutrition and evidence of vitamin deficiency were absent. Wheat bread was the dietary staple, while the intake of milk and dairy products, eggs and meat was very low. Analysis of 29 stones showed them to consist mainly of calcium oxalate and uric acid, with small amounts of calcium phosphate and magnesium ammonium phosphate in some cases. The composition of the surface and central parts of the stones, examined in 20 cases, was usually different. The nucleus was formed almost entirely of calcium oxalate and uric acid in four and three cases respectively, whereas the surface layers were composed of other ingredients. In another case the nucleus was composed entirely of xanthine, which indicated a diagnosis of xanthinuria.     

毛菊苣降糖有效部位的筛选研究

目的筛选出毛菊苣降糖有效部位并通过动物实验验证其降糖效果。方法利用蛋白酪氨酸磷酸酯酶1B体外筛选系统,对多种毛菊苣组分进行细致筛选,观察到毛菊苣的CGSL50N组分对PTP-1B有很好的抑制作用,结合其生产工艺可行性,确定其为降糖活性部位。选取该组分灌喂由高脂饲料及链脲佐菌素(STZ)联合诱发糖尿病的雄性Wistar大鼠,来进一步验证该组分对糖尿病大鼠血脂血糖的疗效。结果连续服用100 mg/kg剂量的毛菊苣提取物可以明显降低糖尿病大鼠的血糖,并明显减少血液中游离脂肪酸含量,改善糖尿病大鼠的症状。结论毛菊苣醇提取物对高血糖高血脂有一定的治疗作用,具有降低血清游离脂肪酸和调脂的作用,对机体整体代谢有较好的调节作用。     

一测多评法测定藏茴香中异绿原酸A、新绿原酸、绿原酸、隐绿原酸、异绿原酸B、异绿原酸C

目的 建立一测多评法（QAMS）测定藏茴香中6种咖啡酰奎宁酸类成分含量,并验证该方法在藏茴香质量评价中应用的可行性与适用性。方法 取藏茴香粉末（过三号筛）0.5 g,精密加入70%甲醇 20 mL ,超声处理（250 W、频率 53 kHz）30 min,制备供试品溶液;采用Phenomenex GeminiR C₁₈（250 mm×4.6 mm,5 μm）色谱柱,以乙腈-0.1%甲酸水溶液为流动相,梯度洗脱,检测波长为 330 nm,体积流量 1.0 mL·min^-1,柱温 30 ℃,进行专属性、供试品提取条件、检测波长选择、色谱条件、线性关系、精密度、重复性、稳定性、加样回收率方法学考察,建立异绿原酸A、新绿原酸、绿原酸、隐绿原酸、异绿原酸 B、异绿原酸 C成分含量检测的 HPLC法;以异绿原酸 A为内参成分,分别计算新绿原酸、绿原酸、隐绿原酸、异绿原酸B、异绿原酸C 5种成分的相对校正因子,分别采用3种不同色谱仪和3种色谱柱进行相对校正因子、相对保留时间耐用性考察,对藏茴香样品同时采用外标法与 QAMS 测定 6 种成分的质量分数,比较 2 种测定方法结果的差异。结果 建立的6种成分的HPLC检测方法的专属性、供试品提取条件、检测波长选择、色谱条件、线性关系、精密度、重复性、稳定性、加样回收率均符合要求;新绿原酸、绿原酸、隐绿原酸、异绿原酸B、异绿原酸C的相对校正因子平均值分别是 1.362、1.257、1.335、1.470、1.134,3种不同色谱仪和 3种色谱柱对相对校正因子、相对保留时间均无明显影响;QAMS与外标法2种方法测定3批藏茴香样品中6种成分得到的结果之间无显著差异。结论 建立的QAMS简便、准确、可靠,可用于藏茴香中6种咖啡酰奎宁酸类成分——异绿原酸A、新绿原酸、绿原酸、隐绿原酸、异绿原酸B、异绿原酸C的定量分析。     

Effect of cytokine gene polymorphism on histological activity index, viral load and response to treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 3

AIM: To investigate the association between cytokine gene polymorphism and disease status in chronic hepatitis C genotype 3 by liver biopsy, ALT, HCV RNA levels and response to treatment. METHODS: Patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 3 were analyzed for single nucleotide polymorphisms of interleukin (IL)-10, IL-1 beta, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) by polymerase chain reaction using sequence-specific oligonucleotide primers. Liver biopsies were assessed by modified histological activity index (HAI) scoring system using a scale of 0-18 for grading the necro-inflammatory activity and 0-6 for staging the fibrosis. HCV RNA levels were determined by bDNA assay. The patients were treated with interferon alpha and ribavirin for 6 mo. Sustained virological response was assessed 6 mo after the completion of the treatment. RESULTS: Out of the 40 patients analyzed, 26 were males. Mean age was 40.5±12.5 years (range 18-65 years). The frequencies of different dimorphic polymorphisms based on single nucleotide substitution were as follows: IL-10-1082 G/A 85%, A/A 12.5%, G/ G 2.5%; IL-10-819 A/C 87.5%, C/C 10%, A/A 2.5%; IL-10-592 C/A 72.5%, C/C 27.5%; IL-1 C 90%, U 10%; IFN-874 T/A 50%, T/T 27.5%, A/A 22.5%; TNF-308 A/G 95%, GIG 5%; TGF-10 T/C 52.5%, C/C 35%, T/T 12.5%. The mean grades of necro-inflammatory activity of different genotypes of IL-10 at promoter site -1082 were A/A = 3.6, A/G = 5.0, and G/G = 10.0 and the difference was significant (P = 0.029). The difference in the stage of disease at a scale of 0-6 was A/A 0.8, A/G 2.3, and G/G 4.0 (P = 0.079). The difference in the HAI seemed to be related to the presence of allele -1082G. For IL-10 -819 genotypes, mean scores of fibrosis were A/A = 6.0, A/C = 2.2, and C/C = 1.0 (P = 0.020) though the inflammatory activity was not much different. No significant differences in HAI were noted among polymorphisms of other cytokines. Moreover, ALT and HCV RNA levels were not significantly different among different cvtokine polymorphisms. There was a significant correlation of HAI and HCV RNA levels with the duration of disease. TGFBBB -10 genotype CC patients had a better end of treatment response than those with other genotypes (P = 0.020). Sustained virological response to the treatment was not influenced by the cytokine polymorphism. No effect of other factors like viral load, degree of fibrosis, gender, steatosis, was observed on sustained virological response in this population infected with genotype 3. CONCLUSION: There is no significant correlation between cytokine polymorphisms and HAI except for the polymorphisms of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, which may influence hepatic inflammatory activity and fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 3. Sustained virological response in this genotype does not seem to be influenced by cytokine gene polymorphisms.     

Ki67 expression in breast cancer: Correlation with prognostic markers and clinicopathological parameters in Saudi patients

Objectives:

To evaluate Ki67 immunoexpression pattern in Saudi breast cancer (BC) patients and investigate any possible predictive or prognostic value for Ki67.

Methods:

This is a retrospective study designed to quantitatively assess the Ki67 proliferative index (PI) in retrieved paraffin blocks of 115 Saudi BC patients diagnosed between January 2005 and March 2015 at the Department of Pathology, King Fahd Hospital, Al Madinah Al Munawarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Ki67 PI was correlated with individual and combined immunoprofile data of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/neu) with their clinicopathological parameters.

Results:

Ki67 immunoreactivity was highly expressed (>25% of the tumor cells were positive) in 85 (73.9%) patients. The Ki67 PI was significantly associated with poor prognostic clinicopathological parameters including old age (p<0.02), high tumor grade (p<0.01), lymph node metastasis (p<0.001), and Her-2/neu positivity (p<0.009). However, the association with ER positivity, PR positivity, tumor size, and lymphovascular invasion were not statistically significant. The Ki67 PI was significantly associated with BC molecular subtypes that were Her2/neu positive (luminal B and HER-2) subtypes compared with the Her2/neu negative (luminal A) subtype (p<0.04).

Conclusion:

The Ki67 PI is significantly higher in Saudi BC patients comparing with the reported literature. Ki67 PI was highest in the HER-2 and luminal-B molecular subtypes. Along with other prognostic indicators, Ki67 PI may be useful in predicting prognosis and management of Saudi BC patients.Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common malignancy in the world.1 Although in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the incidence of BC is much lower than in the Western world; it is still the most common malignancy in the Saudi women. According to the Saudi Cancer registry,2 BC accounted for approximately 23% of all the newly diagnosed female cancers. An additional significant fact on BC in KSA is its special presentation; as it predominantly affects the younger population, frequently presents as higher histological grades and in advanced clinical stages.2-4 Apart from the problem of its being highly prevalent globally and locally; BC has also shown its divergent nature with regards to its clinical course, response to treatment, and prognostic outcomes. Thus, the new molecular classification of BC has emerged on the basis of biomarkers. In the initial stages, the hormones namely, the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2) played their roles. It was only 15 years ago, that the molecular classification of BC was proposed by Californian scientists, initially there were 4 major classes: luminal-like, basal-like, normal-like, and Her2 positive.5 Consequently, a fifth class was added, dividing one of the major luminal class to luminal A and luminal B classes.6-8 Ki67 had been known to be an important proliferation biomarker since 1980s. It has recently become an essential component of routine biomarker profile for BC, along with ER, PR, and Her2, to assist the oncologists in delivering optimum treatment to BC patients. Its role as a poor prognostic biomarker is well established, and a number of studies have found a significant correlation between Ki67 positivity with that of histological parameters such as nuclear grades and mitotic figures.9 Recent studies have also proved its predictive role in both the antihormonal therapy and chemotherapy for the efficacy of the treatment. The aim of this study is to examine the Ki67 biomarker in the BC patients and the immunohistochemically on the paraffin embedded blocks. Subsequently, to correlate the Ki67 findings with individual and combined immunoprofile data of ER, PR, and Her2/neu, as well as with their clinicopathological parameters to identify any specific differences in our BC cases as compared with western cases. This is may be important in investigating any predictive or prognostic role of Ki67 in managing BC patients in KSA population.     

Molecular docking,pharmacophore based virtual screening and molecular dynamics studies towards the identification of potential leads for the management of H. pylori

The enzyme pantothenate synthetase panC is one of the potential new antimicrobial drug targets, but it is poorly characterized in H. pylori. H. pylori infection can cause gastric cancer and the management of H. pylori infection is crucial in various gastric ulcers and gastric cancer. The current study describes the use of innovative drug discovery and design approaches like comparative metabolic pathway analysis (Metacyc), exploration of database of essential genes (DEG), homology modelling, pharmacophore based virtual screening, ADMET studies and molecular dynamics simulations in identifying potential lead compounds for the H. pylori specific panC. The top ranked virtual hits STOCK1N-60270, STOCK1N-63040, STOCK1N-44424 and STOCK1N-63231 can act as templates for synthesis of new H. pylori inhibitors and they hold a promise in the management of gastric cancers caused by H. pylori.

Computational approaches such as pharmacophore modeling, virtual screening and MD simulations were explored to find the potential hits as H. pylori specific panC inhibitors for the management of gastric ulcers and gastric cancers.