Many studies reported cognitive and behavioral abnormalities with recurrent seizures in adult brains. Similar evidences from the pediatric population are few and controversial. We aimed to investigate the effect of recurrent seizures on the developing brains. Included were 42 children with recurrent untreated uncomplicated epilepsy (generalized or focal) with mean age of 14.1 years and 30 healthy children for comparison. Intelligence (IQ) and cognition were examined using Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-III) and Stanford Binet subsets test (SBST4). Serum levels of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and S100B proteins, sensitive markers of neuronal and glial cells damage were measured. Compared to controls, patients had lower mean score of full scale IQ (FSIQ) of WISC-III (P=0.045) particularly performance IQ (PIQ) scores (P0.01), and comprehension, pattern analysis, quantitation, bead memory and memory for sentences of SBST4 (P=0.045; P=0.013, P=0.007, P=0.002; P=0.035), but not for NSE or S100B. Significant correlation was observed between FSIQ and duration of illness (r=-0.430, P=0.035) and number of seizures (r=-0.580, P=0.005) but not with S100B or NSE levels. Lower intelligence and poor cognitive performance are common with recurrent childhood epilepsy. Dysfunction in brain connectivity but not structural brain injury may likely be the cause.

Severe septic illness is often associated with cerebral manifestations such as disturbed consciousness and delirium. Little was known about its effect on the CNS. This is the first study in children that assessed the direct mediators of brain inflammation and injury with sepsis. The serum and CSF concentrations of soluble intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) (marker of endothelium-leukocyte interaction), nitric oxide (NO) and lipid peroxide (LPO) (markers for lipid peroxidation) and S-100B protein (marker of astrocytes activation and injury), were measured in 40 children with sepsis of whom 40% had moderate to severe septic encephalopathy. Serum from 25 normal children was used for comparison. Serum values of sICAM-1, NO, LPO and S100B were elevated in patients compared to controls. The greater elevation of CSF: serum albumin ratio suggests loss of blood-brain barrier integrity. After normalizing for CSF:serum albumin ratio, we demonstrated significant intrathecal synthesis of NO, LPO and S100B. Patients with encephalopathy had elevated serum and CSF levels of sICAM-1, NO, LPO and S100B compared to sepsis only. This study indicates that the brain is vulnerable in children with sepsis. It also suggests that coordinated interactions between immune system, vascular endothelial cells, blood-brain barrier, astrocytes and brain lipid peroxides, may contribute to septic encephalopathy.

Meat and meat products have been implicated in outbreaks of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in most parts of the world. A total of 75 samples including 25 samples each of frozen chicken breast fillets, frozen chicken legs and minced frozen beef were randomly collected from retail supermarkets in Assiut, Egypt. In addition, 28 stool cultures collected from hospitalized children admitted in Assiut Pediatric University Hospital with history of diarrhea or fever. All were screened for the presence of E. coli especially E. coli O157:H7. E. coli was detected in 7 (28%), 9 (36%), 7 (28%) and 2 (7.14%) of chicken frozen fillet, chicken frozen leg, minced frozen beef and children stool samples, respectively. Two strains of E. coli O157:H7 were isolated one from each of chicken frozen fillet and chicken frozen leg samples, while it could not be detected in any of minced frozen beef or children stool samples. The two isolated strains were tested for antibiotic resistance. They were found to be resistant to seven antimicrobial agents (cephalexin, doxycycline, erythromycin, nalidixic acid, penicillin G, polymyxin B and rifampicin). The public health significance of this pathogen and consumer's safety were discussed.

Introduction and purpose: The vomeronasal organ (VNO), through detecting pheromones, has an important role in many social and sexual behaviors in mammals. It also mediates defensive behaviours through detection of protein pheromone homologs. This work provides detailed morphological description of the developing "non sensory" epithelium (NSE) of the rabbit VNO. Tools and method: Histological, immunohistochemical and morphometric techniques were used to study the NSE of the VNO in developing female rabbit. The following postnatal ages (five animals each) were used: new born, one week, two weeks and one month. Result and interpretations: The rabbit NSE of VNO consisted of pseudostratified columnar partially ciliated epithelium. In addition to basal cells, it contained ciliated and three types of non ciliated columnar cells; dark, light and pale. Mitotic and apoptotic figures were observed during the first week. At birth, the dark cells which were the commonest type showed primary cilia extending from their surfaces. The light cells possessed large nucleus and numerous lysosomes. The pale cells had electron lucent cytoplasm. Their apexes projected above the surface and had constrictions like the olfactory knobs. They were found extending processes around the cells invading the epithelium which included neutrophils, lymphocytes and macrophages. Presence of subsurface mitochondria and clear vesicles in their cytoplasm suggested their involvement in ionic transport. Nucleolus-like bodies were observed in the cytoplasm of dark and basal cells up to two weeks postnatal. Scanning electron microscope revealed ciliated cells to be arranged singly, in clumps or in dense populations of cells. The structural features of growth of the rabbit VNO-NSE reflected a peculiar structure which consequently would reflect a peculiar function.

Introduction and purpose: The vomeronasal organ (VNO), through detecting pheromones, has an important role in many social and sexual behaviors in mammals. It also mediates defensive behaviours through detection of protein pheromone homologs. This work provides detailed morphological description of the developing "non sensory" epithelium (NSE) of the rabbit VNO. Tools and method: Histological, immunohistochemical and morphometric techniques were used to study the NSE of the VNO in developing female rabbit. The following postnatal ages (five animals each) were used: new born, one week, two weeks and one month. Result and interpretations: The rabbit NSE of VNO consisted of pseudostratified columnar partially ciliated epithelium. In addition to basal cells, it contained ciliated and three types of non ciliated columnar cells; dark, light and pale. Mitotic and apoptotic figures were observed during the first week. At birth, the dark cells which were the commonest type showed primary cilia extending from their surfaces. The light cells possessed large nucleus and numerous lysosomes. The pale cells had electron lucent cytoplasm. Their apexes projected above the surface and had constrictions like the olfactory knobs. They were found extending processes around the cells invading the epithelium which included neutrophils, lymphocytes and macrophages. Presence of subsurface mitochondria and clear vesicles in their cytoplasm suggested their involvement in ionic transport. Nucleolus-like bodies were observed in the cytoplasm of dark and basal cells up to two weeks postnatal. Scanning electron microscope revealed ciliated cells to be arranged singly, in clumps or in dense populations of cells. The structural features of growth of the rabbit VNO-NSE reflected a peculiar structure which consequently would reflect a peculiar function.

Clinical diagnosis of neonatal sepsis is difficult even in the most sophisticated settings. Many technical pitfalls raise questions regarding blood culture reliability in diagnosis of neonatal sepsis. Detection of microbial DNA rather than the microorganisms themselves is a new era has been introduced in diagnostic microbiology that allows effective and rapid diagnosis of many diseases; it is suggested to represent a rapid and sensitive method in diagnosing bacterial sepsis in neonates. Aim of the study: To evaluate the role of Broad Range 16 S rDNA PCR in diagnosis of sepsis in newborn infants and to compare the results of PCR with the conventional blood culture. Patients and Methods: 58 newborn infant with clinically suspected sepsis were included in the present work. Complete blood picture and C-reactive protein level were done. Concomitant blood culture and 16S rDNA gene PCR amplification were done to all newborn infants included in this study. Results: blood cultures were positive in only 28(48.2%) of cases. With the molecular method of broad range 16S rDNA PCR, the detection of bacteria in this study was improved to 38 (65.5%) of these patients. Compared to blood culture, the diagnosis of bacterial sepsis in the newborn by PCR revealed 96.4% sensitivity, 66.6% specificity, 72.9% positive predictive value and 95.2% negative predictive value. Out of 58 newborn infants included in this study 41 patients had suspected early onset sepsis (EOS) ( 7 days) and 17 patients had suspected late onset sepsis (≥ 7 days). The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of PCR for the diagnosis of EOS were similar to those of late-onset sepsis. Of the patients with suspected EOS, 16 (39%) mothers had received antibiotics within 72 hours before delivery and maternal antibiotic drug use did not alter the performance of PCR. Conclusions and Recommendations: The benefit of PCR is its rapid availability of results with a high negative predictive value. As a tool to ‘rule out sepsis’, PCR can be easily incorporated into the hospital setting for newborn infants admitted to the NICU for sepsis evaluation. PCR seems to perform well in patients either with suspected EOS or late onset sepsis, irrespective of antibiotic drug use in the mother. Future studies are needed to incorporate PCR to provide us with additional valuable information regarding identification of definitive bacterial species and guide the clinical antibiotic selection. Key words: Neonatal sepsis, Broad Range 16 S rDNA PCR