Cisplatin (CDDP) is an effective chemotherapeutic drug that has been used successfully in treating various tumors. Although its higher antineoplastic agent activity, CDDP exhibited severe side effects that limit its use. CDDP-induced toxicity is attributed to oxidative stress and inflammation. Apocynin (APO) is a bioactive phytochemical with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, pharmaceutical experts face significant hurdles due to the limited bioavailability and quick elimination of APO. Therefore, we synthesized a chitosan (CTS)-based nano delivery system using the ionic gelation method to enhance APO bioactivity. CTS-APO-NPs were characterized using different physical and chemical approaches, including FTIR, XRD, TGA, Zeta-sizer, SEM, and TEM. In addition, the protective effect of CTS-APO-NPs against CDDP-induced nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, and cardiotoxicity in rats was evaluated. CTS-APO-NPs restored serum biomarkers and antioxidants to their normal levels. Also, histopathological examination was used to assess the recovery of heart, kidney, and liver tissues. CTS-APO-NPs attenuated the oxidative stress mediated by Nrf2 activation while it dampened inflammation mediated by NF-κB suppression. CTS-APO-NPs is a potentially attractive target for more therapeutic trials.

background: There is a rise in the importance of evaluating the negative impact of illnesses on quality of life from the patient’s perspective. The burdens of refractive error (RE) on perceived visual functions have not been yet explored among Egyptian youth. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of self-reported RE and its association with perceived vision-related quality of life among Egyptian university students.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 821 students at Assiut University, Upper Egypt. Data was collected using a questionnaire filled by students. It composed of personal criteria, a self-report of RE and its type, the used visual aids for RE, and the visual function questionnaire (VFQ -25). Ishihara’s test was used for the assessment of color vision.
Results: About 25% reported having a refractive error, and the most reported RE type was myopia. Among students with RE, nearly 76% used visual aids, and eyeglasses were used by most of students for their visual aid (90.6%). Adjusted by age and gender, RE significantly predicts low scores of perceived general health, ocular pain, mental health, dependency, role difficulties, both near and distant activities, and peripheral vision. No significant association was detected between RE and social functioning, driving ability or colored vision.
Conclusions:
Refractive error is a prevalent illness especially myopia among Egyptian university students. RE negatively affects vision-related quality of life. Accurate correction of RE and provision of subsidized visual aids may help to mitigate the adverse effect of RE on the perceived visual functions.

Background

Inadequate acute postoperative pain control after modified radical mastectomy (MRM) can compromise pulmonary function. This work aimed to assess the postoperative pulmonary effects of a single-shot thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) and erector spinae plane block (ESPB) in female patients undergoing MRM.

Methods

This prospective, randomized comparative trial was conducted on 40 female American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) II-III, aged 18 to 50 years undergoing MRM under general anesthesia (GA). Patients were divided into two equal groups (20 in each group): Group I received ESPB and Group II received TPVB. Each group received a single shot with 20 ml volume of 0.5% bupivacaine.

Results

Respiratory function tests showed a comparable decrease in forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume (FEV1) from the baseline in the two groups. Group I had a lower FEV1 …

This study compared the clinical outcomes of the two main neurophysiological types of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). Sixty-two GBS patients were examined clinically at onset using Medical Research Council (MRC), Hughes disability scales (HDS), and nerve conduction studies were evaluated in four limbs. The Modified Erasmus GBS outcome score (MEGOS) was assessed 2 weeks after onset. Outcomes were measured after 3 months using MRC and HDS scores. According to electrophysiological data two main groups identified acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP = 31 cases) or acute axonal GBS including inexcitable forms (26 cases). The number of days between onset of weakness and admission was significantly shorter, and gastrointestinal symptoms were significantly higher among the axonal type than AIDP. MRC sum scores at onset and at nadir were significantly worse in the …

N-acetyl cysteine can blunt metabolic and cardiovascular effects via down-regulation of cardiotrophin-1 in rat model of fructose-induced metabolic syndrome

CD10 is widely expressed in various tumor types and their surrounding cancer associated fibroblasts; and correlate withpoor prognosis. In present study CD10 immunohistochemical expression in stromal fibroblasts surrounding urothelialcarcinoma and its relationship with clinicopathological parameters were investigated.

Patients and Methods

Formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissue sections from 106 urothelial cancer specimens werestained with CD10 antibody using immunohistochemistry technique. Expression of CD10 in the stromal cells was thenanalysed to evaluate its association with different clinicopathological variables.

Results

Stromal CD10 expression was significantly associated with each of high grade (P<0.001), invasive tumor,advanced stage (P<0.001), squamous differentiation of tumor cells (P=0.02) and papillary architecture (P<0.001). Therewas no significant association between stromal CD10 expression and, and patient age, sex and tumor size.

Conclusion

Increased expression of CD10 in cancer associated fibroblasts was strongly correlated with tumorprogression and invasion

Background:

CD44 is an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) surface receptor that regulates the interactivity between the cells and the extracellular matrix, thereby promoting cell migration. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family is a trans-membrane kinase-related protein. It regulates cell adhesion proteins, which may promote cell proliferation and invasiveness. Mesenchymal epithelial transition (MET) is another EMT receptor that stimulates cell proliferation, invasion, survival, and angiogenesis. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic impact of CD44, EGFR expressions, and MET gene amplification in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

Methods:

This is a retrospective cohort study, including 85 cases of EOC. CD44 and EGFR expressions were evaluated in both epithelial and stromal cells by immunohistochemistry. Tumor cells also underwent a cytogenetic analysis using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) to detect MET gene amplification.

Results:

High CD44 expression in tumors was significantly associated with serous subtypes (P=0.001), peritoneal deposits (P=0.002), and advanced stage (P=0.002). EGFR high tumor expression demonstrated a significant association with lymph node metastasis (P=0.038) and the advanced stage of EOC (P=0.016). Increased copy number of the MET gene was significantly associated with partial therapy response (P=0.030). CD44 and EGFR tumor high expression was associated with poor overall survival (OS). In addition, MET gene gain in tumors was associated with a shorter OS (P=0.000).

Conclusion:

EMT biomarkers (CD44 and MET) and EGFR expression in EOC are independent prognostic factors for OS. MET gene increase copy number was detected in cases of serous neoplasm and associated with poor survival and minimal therapy response.

Background and aim:

CD10 is expressed in urothelial carcinoma cells and cancer associated fibroblasts (CAF). In the current study, CD10 immunohistochemical staining (IHC) and CD10 mRNA expression in urothelial carcinoma of bladder (UCB) were assessed, and its relationship with tumor progression and prognosis was investigated.

Patients and Methods:

In this study, 106 formalin fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue of UCB, obtained through radical cystectomy specimen, and 10 matched normal tissue samples were included.CD10 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and real time PCR techniques.

Results:

CD10 expression in tumor cells and associated stromal fibroblasts was significantly associated with high tumor grade and advanced stage. Significant correlation was found between CD10 tumor expression and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) (P<0.001) as well as perineural invasion (PNI). CD10 expression in stromal fibroblasts was significantly associated with squamous differentiation of tumor cells, lymph node metastasis (LNM), and tumor necrosis. Positive CD10 expression in both tumor cells and associated stromal fibroblasts was associated with shorter OS . CD10 mRNA was overexpressed in tumors in comparison with the matched normal tissues. CD10 mRNA was significantly higher in invasive tumor, advanced stage tumor, and high grade tumor. There was significant correlation between CD10 mRNA tumor expression and LVI, PNI, and tumor recurrence.

Conclusion:

Increased expression of CD10 in the tumor and CAF was strongly correlated with tumor progression, invasion, metastasis, shorter OS, and RFS in urothelial carcinoma patients. CD10 mRNA showed significantly higher expression in tumor tissue than in matched normal tissue. CD10 mRNA was associated with depth of invasion, TNM stage, tumor grade, vascular tumor invasion, and tumor recurrence.

Background and objectives: Pediatric lymphoma is known to be associated with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection. The objectives were to detect the frequency of EBV infection in pediatric lymphomas in our locality and to study its relationship with the clinicopathological characteristics of the patients.

Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, we examined 78 consecutive cases of pediatric lymphomas for the presence of EBV in tumor cells by realtime Polymerase Chain Reaction on paraffin blocks for latent membrane protein-1 (LMP-1) over 3 years (January 2012 –January 2015). We collected data of the patients with pathology-proven primary lymphoma including age, sex, histologic subtype, and risk stratification.

Results: The most common subtype of pediatric lymphomas was NHL (52/78, 66.5%), while HL was diagnosed in 33.5%. EBV LMP-1 gene detection was found in 38.5% of HL, and 28.8% of NHL cases. EBV infection was significantly related to age, gender, and histological subtype in NHL cases; however, it was related to age only in those with HL. The overall difference in EBV LMP-1 gene detection was statistically significant regarding the age at presentation (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: The frequency of EBV infection in pediatric lymphomas in our locality is higher compared to Western countries, but it is lower than in endemic areas. Younger age at diagnosis was the most significant factor associated with EBV infection.