Assessment of metal pollution impacts on Tilapia zillii and Mugil cephalus inhabiting Qaroun and Wadi El-Rayan lakes, Egypt, using integrated biomarkers.

Qaroun and Wadi El-Rayan lakes are exposed to a huge amount of discharges from different sources and numerous anthropogenic activities. Therefore, the present work aimed to evaluate the impacts of metal pollution on two wild fish species; Tilapia zillii and Mugil cephalus collected from lake Qaroun (eastern and western parts) and Wadi El-Rayan lakes (upper and lower lakes). Accumulation of metals (Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) in water, sediment, and five vital tissues as well as metal pollution index (MPI), contamination factor (CF), and pollution load index (PLI) were integrated as metal pollution biomarkers. Generally, these integrated endpoints had the same trend and indicated that the eastern part of lake Qaroun was the most polluted site followed by the lower lake of Wadi El-Rayan. To assess the environmental genotoxicity, the percentage DNA damage in different tissues of both fish species was estimated using the comet assay technique. The percentage of DNA damages showed tissue-, species- and site-specification. Hazard index (HI) has been used as an evaluation index for human health associated with fish consumption at the studied sites. This index showed that all metals were in the safe limits at normal consumption levels while adverse health effects are expected to occur at the subsistence consumption level. The safe HI for each metal at normal consumption level does not neglect that the combined cumulative risk impact of all metals is a sign of warning and the health of fish consumers nearby contaminated sites is threatened.

[Eyelid molluscum contagiosum: a case report]. / Molluscum contagiosum palpébral: à propos d'un cas.

Molluscums contagiosum (MC) are benign skin lesions caused by Molluscipoxvirus, primarily affecting children and young adults. They manly involve the skin and rarely the mucous membranes. Clinical diagnosis is easy, confirmed by histological examination of the lesion. However there is no consensus regarding therapy. Eyelid molluscum contagiosum is rare, posing a problem of differential diagnosis especially when it is isolated as well as a therapeutic problem given the proximity of the eyeball. We report the case of a 7-year old girl with isolated eyelid lesion. The patient underwent lesion excision. Anatomopathological examination showed molluscum contagiosum. This study aims to describe the clinical, therapeutic and evolutionary features of this rare localization of molluscum contagiosum.

Risk assessment and toxic effects of metal pollution in two cultured and wild fish species from highly degraded aquatic habitats.

Lake Qaroun is an inland lake at the lowest part of El-Fayoum depression, Egypt. It receives agricultural and domestic non-treated drainage waters, which are also used for aquaculture in Qaroun area. The results of the present study aimed to provide comparable data between wild (collected from Lake Qaroun) and cultured (collected from Qaroun fish farms and the reference site) Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus and mullet Mugil cephalus, as indicators of natural and anthropogenic impacts on aquatic ecosystem as well as to evaluate the human hazard index associated with fish consumption. Metal concentrations in fish tissues showed a species-specific bioaccumulation pattern. Statistically significant differences were observed in the mean metal concentrations with lower bioavailability in M. cephalus compared with O. niloticus in internal vital organs (liver, kidney, and muscle) but much higher in external organs (gill and skin). Histopathological alterations and evident damages were observed in gill, liver, and kidney of both species collected from Lake Qaroun and Qaroun fish farms compared with those from the reference site. The results showed significant increase of plasma aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase activity as well as creatinine and uric acid concentration in both fish species from polluted locations. The human health hazard index showed that the cumulative risk greatly increases with increasing fish consumption rate, thus yielding an alarming concern for consumer health.

Genotoxic effects of metal pollution in two fish species, Oreochromis niloticus and Mugil cephalus, from highly degraded aquatic habitats.

In Egypt, Lake Qaroun and its neighbouring fish farms are in a serious environmental situation as a result of pollution by agricultural sewage and domestic non-treated discharges. The present study aims to evaluate genotoxic effects of toxic metals in cultured and wild Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus and mullet, Mugil cephalus collected from these contaminated aquatic habitats, in comparison with fish from a non-polluted reference site. Heavy-metal concentrations (Cu(2+), Zn(2+), Pb(2+), Fe(2+) and Mn(2+)) in water and sediment samples were recorded. The condition factor (CF) was taken as a general biomarker of the health of the fish, and genotoxicity assays such as the micronucleus (MN) test and a DNA-fragmentation assay were carried out on the fish species studied. In addition to micronuclei, other nuclear abnormalities (NA) were assessed in fish erythrocytes. Degradation of the studied aquatic habitats revealed species-specific effects. A significant decrease in CF values associated with a significant elevation in MN and NA frequencies was observed in fish collected from the polluted areas compared with those from the reference site. Moreover, mixed smearing and laddering of DNA fragments in gills and liver samples of both fish species collected from the polluted areas indicate an intricate pollution condition. Results of the present study show the significance of integrating a set of biomarkers to identify the effects of anthropogenic pollution. High concentrations of heavy metals have a potential genotoxic effects, and genotoxicity is possibly related to agricultural and domestic activities.

Mutational analysis of the RB1 gene in Moroccan patients with retinoblastoma.

PURPOSE: Retinoblastoma (RB), the most common intraocular tumor occurring in infancy and early childhood, is most often related to mutations in the RB1 gene. In this study, we screened the RB1 germline mutations in 41 unrelated Moroccan patients with retinoblastoma, 25 heritable cases, and 16 sporadic unilateral cases. METHODS: After complete ophthalmic examinations were performed and consent obtained, DNA was extracted from peripheral blood, and screening of RB1 mutations was performed with PCR direct sequencing of the promoter and the 27 coding exons of the RB1 gene. RESULTS: We identified ten germline mutations in 10/41 (24.39%) unrelated patients, among which three had not been previously reported. The mutation detection rate was 40% (10/25) in the heritable cases and 0% (0/16) in the sporadic unilateral cases. Of these mutations, six were nonsense, and three were frameshifts, all associated with severe phenotypes resulting in bilateral and multifocal tumors. One splice site mutation was found in a familial case associated with a low expressivity phenotype resulting in unilateral and unifocal tumors. Moreover, eight intronic variants were identified, three of which were novel. CONCLUSIONS: This first report of RB1 gene screening in Moroccan patients with retinoblastoma shows a comparable mutational spectrum to those reported previously, which has evident importance for managing patients with retinoblastoma and their families.

3-day treatment with azithromycin 1.5% eye drops versus 7-day treatment with tobramycin 0.3% for purulent bacterial conjunctivitis: multicentre, randomised and controlled trial in adults and children.

AIM: To compare the efficacy and safety of Azyter, azithromycin 1.5% eye drops, for 3 days with tobramycin 0.3% for 7 days to treat purulent bacterial conjunctivitis. METHODS: This was a multicentre, randomised, investigator-masked study including 1043 children and adults with purulent bacterial conjunctivitis. Patients received either azithromycin 1.5% twice-daily for 3 days or tobramycin 0.3%, 1 drop every two hours for 2 days, then four times daily for 5 days. Clinical signs were evaluated and cultures obtained at D0, D3 and D9 (where D refers to "day"). Primary variable was the clinical cure at the Test-of-Cure (TOC)-visit (D9+/-1), for patients with D0-positive cultures. The cure was defined as: bulbar conjunctival injection and discharge scores of 0. RESULTS: Among 471 patients with D0-positivity in the per protocol set, 87.8% of the azithromycin 1.5% group and 89.4% of the tobramycin group were clinically cured at the TOC-visit. Azithromycin was non-inferior to tobramycin for clinical and bacteriological cure. Clinical cure was significantly higher with azithromycin 1.5% at D3. The safety profile of azithromycin was satisfactory with a good patient and investigator's acceptability. CONCLUSIONS: Azithromycin 1.5% for 3 days was as effective and as safe as tobramycin for 7 days. Furthermore, more azithromycin than tobramycin patients presented an early clinical cure at Day 3. Due to its twice daily dosing regimen for 3 days, azithromycin represents a step forward in the management of purulent bacterial conjunctivitis, especially in children.

Telemedicine in the service of peace.

Ophthalmology is well suited to telemedicine, since optical and imaging devices provide the basis for virtually all ophthalmic patient evaluations. We established the Middle East Ophthalmology Network among ophthalmologists working in 10 major ophthalmology centres in Israel, Jordan, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority and Tunisia. The project offered some 50 physicians around the Middle East the opportunity to benefit from sharing clinical consultation for diagnosis and management decisions beyond physical and political boundaries. In the first year, over 100 consultations took place. The system overcame some of the constraints imposed by the uneven distribution of medical resources and expertise in the region, reduced professional isolation, encouraged more collaboration between physicians and offered peace dividends from cooperation between physicians across the political divide.