Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T and A1298C polymorphism and susceptibility to acute lymphoblastic leukemia in a cohort of Egyptian children.

This case-control study was planned to investigate the possible role of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T and A1298C polymorphisms as a risk factor for the development of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in a cohort of Egyptian children. Typing of MTHFR C677T and A1298C polymorphisms was done using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) for 100 children with ALL and 100 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. No significant differences were found between patients with ALL and controls for the frequency of MTHFR C677T and A1298C alleles, genotypes, combined genotypes or haplotypes. The C677T and A1298C genotype frequency was different from that in Korean and Chinese populations (p < 0.5) and was similar to that in British, French-Canadian and German-Caucasian populations (p > 0.5). Our findings suggest that MTHFR C677T and A1298C polymorphisms are unlikely to affect the development of childhood ALL in an Egyptian population from Delta.

Effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication on ulcer recurrence after simple closure of perforated duodenal ulcer.

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to elucidate the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in patients with a perforated duodenal ulcer and to determine whether eradication of H. pylori prevent ulcer recurrence following simple repair of the perforation. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Eighty-three patients with perforated duodenal ulcer (68 males); mean age was 47.8 years+/-7.2. Antral mucosal biopsies (to determine the status of HP by rapid urease test, culture and histological examination/staining) were obtained during laparotomy by passing a biopsy forceps through the perforation site. H. pylori positive patients who had undergone patch repair were randomized into the eradication group who received amoxicillin, metranidazole plus omperazole and the control group was given omeprazole alone. Follow-up endoscopy and antral biopsies were performed at 8 weeks, 16 weeks and 1 year to show ulcer healing and determine H. pylori state. RESULTS: Of 77 patients in the study, 65 patients (84.8%) had H. pylori. These patients were randomly divided into the triple therapy group (34 patients) and the control group (31 patients). Eradication of H. pylori was significantly higher in the triple therapy group than the control group and initial ulcer healing was significantly better in the eradication group. After 1 year, ulcer recurrence was (6.1%) in the eradication group vs. (29.6%) in the control group (P=0.001). CONCLUSION: H. pylori was present in a high proportion of patients with duodenal ulcer perforation. Eradication of H. pylori after simple closure of a perforated duodenal ulcer reduced the incidence of recurrent ulcer.