Background: In 1997 Transfusion Transmitted Virus (TTV) was isolated from the serum of a patient with post transfusion hepatitis of unknown etiology, in Japan. It's considered as a causative agent of non A to G hepatitis. Objective: To assess the prevalence of TTV infection among patients with liver diseases compared with healthy controls and the significance of TTV infection in patients with liver disease. Study design: This investigation was conducted on 76 patients with liver diseases, classified into four groups: Acute hepatitis group (20 patients), chronic liver diseases (30 patients), Liver cirrhosis (18 patients) and hepatocellular carcinoma (8 patients). In addition to the patient groups, the fifth group of 24 healthy blood donors as control group was included within the study. All patients and control groups were examined for the detection of TTV DNA by PCR. Thirty seven had history of blood transfusion and 23 patients were subjected to surgical manipulation. Results: TTV DNA was detected in 57.9% (44/76) of patients with liver diseases and in 45.7% (11/24) of healthy blood donors. The prevalence of TTV in the studied groups were 60%, 46.7%, 66.7% and 75% in acute hepatitis, chronic liver diseases, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma respectively. Conclusion: TTV is commonly present in patients with liver disease attended to Assiut University Hospitals as well as in blood donors. High prevalence of TTV in blood donors may indicate other routes of transfusion of this virus such as fecal-oral and sexual routes beside transfusion of blood and blood products. The blood transfusion and operative intervention are a major risk factor for transmission of TTV.

Background: In 1997 Transfusion Transmitted Virus (TTV) was isolated from the serum of a patient with post transfusion hepatitis of unknown etiology, in Japan. It's considered as a causative agent of non A to G hepatitis. Objective: To assess the prevalence of TTV infection among patients with liver diseases compared with healthy controls and the significance of TTV infection in patients with liver disease. Study design: This investigation was conducted on 76 patients with liver diseases, classified into four groups: Acute hepatitis group (20 patients), chronic liver diseases (30 patients), Liver cirrhosis (18 patients) and hepatocellular carcinoma (8 patients). In addition to the patient groups, the fifth group of 24 healthy blood donors as control group was included within the study. All patients and control groups were examined for the detection of TTV DNA by PCR. Thirty seven had history of blood transfusion and 23 patients were subjected to surgical manipulation. Results: TTV DNA was detected in 57.9% (44/76) of patients with liver diseases and in 45.7% (11/24) of healthy blood donors. The prevalence of TTV in the studied groups were 60%, 46.7%, 66.7% and 75% in acute hepatitis, chronic liver diseases, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma respectively. Conclusion: TTV is commonly present in patients with liver disease attended to Assiut University Hospitals as well as in blood donors. High prevalence of TTV in blood donors may indicate other routes of transfusion of this virus such as fecal-oral and sexual routes beside transfusion of blood and blood products. The blood transfusion and operative intervention are a major risk factor for transmission of TTV.

Background: In 1997 Transfusion Transmitted Virus (TTV) was isolated from the serum of a patient with post transfusion hepatitis of unknown etiology, in Japan. It's considered as a causative agent of non A to G hepatitis. Objective: To assess the prevalence of TTV infection among patients with liver diseases compared with healthy controls and the significance of TTV infection in patients with liver disease. Study design: This investigation was conducted on 76 patients with liver diseases, classified into four groups: Acute hepatitis group (20 patients), chronic liver diseases (30 patients), Liver cirrhosis (18 patients) and hepatocellular carcinoma (8 patients). In addition to the patient groups, the fifth group of 24 healthy blood donors as control group was included within the study. All patients and control groups were examined for the detection of TTV DNA by PCR. Thirty seven had history of blood transfusion and 23 patients were subjected to surgical manipulation. Results: TTV DNA was detected in 57.9% (44/76) of patients with liver diseases and in 45.7% (11/24) of healthy blood donors. The prevalence of TTV in the studied groups were 60%, 46.7%, 66.7% and 75% in acute hepatitis, chronic liver diseases, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma respectively. Conclusion: TTV is commonly present in patients with liver disease attended to Assiut University Hospitals as well as in blood donors. High prevalence of TTV in blood donors may indicate other routes of transfusion of this virus such as fecal-oral and sexual routes beside transfusion of blood and blood products. The blood transfusion and operative intervention are a major risk factor for transmission of TTV.

Background: In 1997 Transfusion Transmitted Virus (TTV) was isolated from the serum of a patient with post transfusion hepatitis of unknown etiology, in Japan. It's considered as a causative agent of non A to G hepatitis. Objective: To assess the prevalence of TTV infection among patients with liver diseases compared with healthy controls and the significance of TTV infection in patients with liver disease. Study design: This investigation was conducted on 76 patients with liver diseases, classified into four groups: Acute hepatitis group (20 patients), chronic liver diseases (30 patients), Liver cirrhosis (18 patients) and hepatocellular carcinoma (8 patients). In addition to the patient groups, the fifth group of 24 healthy blood donors as control group was included within the study. All patients and control groups were examined for the detection of TTV DNA by PCR. Thirty seven had history of blood transfusion and 23 patients were subjected to surgical manipulation. Results: TTV DNA was detected in 57.9% (44/76) of patients with liver diseases and in 45.7% (11/24) of healthy blood donors. The prevalence of TTV in the studied groups were 60%, 46.7%, 66.7% and 75% in acute hepatitis, chronic liver diseases, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma respectively. Conclusion: TTV is commonly present in patients with liver disease attended to Assiut University Hospitals as well as in blood donors. High prevalence of TTV in blood donors may indicate other routes of transfusion of this virus such as fecal-oral and sexual routes beside transfusion of blood and blood products. The blood transfusion and operative intervention are a major risk factor for transmission of TTV.

Background: Boron is a naturally occurring agent and an essential trace element of human, animals and higher plants. It is released in the form of boric acid (BA) that is water soluble and biolologically available. Its largest uses are in glass, detergents, agriculture, leather tanning industries, cosmetics, photographic materials, soaps and cleaners. Human consume daily few milligrams in the water, fruits and vegetables. High doses of boron had been recorded to be developmental and reproductive toxin in animals. Only few studies on human had investigated the health effects associated with exposure to boron. Vitamin C is a major water soluble non-enzymatic antioxidant, acts to overcome the oxidative stress. Aim of the work: However , the liver is exposed to toxic substances that are absorbed, degraded or conjugated there were little information exists about the effects of boron that it would specifically have in the liver tissue of experimental rats. So the present work aimed to study the effects of long-term boron ingestion on histological structural of the liver of adult male albino rats and to evaluate the protective role of vitamin C against induced changes. Materials and Methods: 30 adult male albino rats were divided into 3 equal groups; Group I: control, Group II: recieved drinking water containing 55x10-6 gm boron/liter for 90 days and Group III: recieved vitamin C (200mg/Kg.B.W) orally concomitant with boron for the same period. liver specimens were processed for light and electron microscopic(TEM) study. Results: Examination of the liver sections of group II revealed foci of severe dilatation and congestion of central and portal veins with mononuclear cellular infiltration and hepatocellular vacuolation. Increased collagen deposition specially around the portal areas. Marked electrolucent areas in the cytoplasm, heterochromatic nuclei and destroyed organelles of the hepatocytes. Apoptotic cells were observed and decreased lipid content of ito(fat storing cells) cells. In Group III the co administration of vitamin C improved most of the structural changes of the hepatocytes, Ito cells, increased binucleated cells and decreased collagen fibers deposition. Conclusion: Thus, the long term exposure to boron, induced histological changes on the structure of liver. The co administration of vitamin C improved most of these structural changes.

Background: Keloids cause significant physical and psychological morbidity. Intralesional cryosurgical technique has been shown to bring about significant improvement in keloids, but its mechanism is unclear. Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of intralesional cryosurgery on keloid fibroblast proliferation by immunohistochemical assessment of cell proliferation before and after treatment and its relation to therapeutic response of keloids. Materials and methods: Keloids from 10 patients were treated with intralesional cryosurgery and sessions were repeated at 3-week intervals according to clinical response. Biopsies were obtained from the lesions before and 3 weeks after the second treatment session. Immunohistochemical detection of the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in lesions was done to assess changes in keloid fibroblast proliferation after treatment. Results: The results showed complete flattening in 8 lesions and significant volume reduction (> 75 %) in 2 lesions. Considerable decrease in PCNA expression was detected in keloid tissues after treatment. Conclusion: The inhibition of keloid fibroblast proliferation could be one of the mechanisms for the therapeutic effect of intralesional cryosurgery in keloids.

Background: Keloids cause significant physical and psychological morbidity. Intralesional cryosurgical technique has been shown to bring about significant improvement in keloids, but its mechanism is unclear. Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of intralesional cryosurgery on keloid fibroblast proliferation by immunohistochemical assessment of cell proliferation before and after treatment and its relation to therapeutic response of keloids. Materials and methods: Keloids from 10 patients were treated with intralesional cryosurgery and sessions were repeated at 3-week intervals according to clinical response. Biopsies were obtained from the lesions before and 3 weeks after the second treatment session. Immunohistochemical detection of the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in lesions was done to assess changes in keloid fibroblast proliferation after treatment. Results: The results showed complete flattening in 8 lesions and significant volume reduction (> 75 %) in 2 lesions. Considerable decrease in PCNA expression was detected in keloid tissues after treatment. Conclusion: The inhibition of keloid fibroblast proliferation could be one of the mechanisms for the therapeutic effect of intralesional cryosurgery in keloids.

Background: Keloids cause significant physical and psychological morbidity. Intralesional cryosurgical technique has been shown to bring about significant improvement in keloids, but its mechanism is unclear. Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of intralesional cryosurgery on keloid fibroblast proliferation by immunohistochemical assessment of cell proliferation before and after treatment and its relation to therapeutic response of keloids. Materials and methods: Keloids from 10 patients were treated with intralesional cryosurgery and sessions were repeated at 3-week intervals according to clinical response. Biopsies were obtained from the lesions before and 3 weeks after the second treatment session. Immunohistochemical detection of the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in lesions was done to assess changes in keloid fibroblast proliferation after treatment. Results: The results showed complete flattening in 8 lesions and significant volume reduction (> 75 %) in 2 lesions. Considerable decrease in PCNA expression was detected in keloid tissues after treatment. Conclusion: The inhibition of keloid fibroblast proliferation could be one of the mechanisms for the therapeutic effect of intralesional cryosurgery in keloids.