Validation of the ELAN-HF Score and self-care behaviour on the nurse-led heart failure clinic after admission for heart failure.

AIM: To validate the predictive value of the European coLlaboration on Acute decompeNsated Heart Failure (ELAN-HF) score, and to assess the effect of self-care behaviour on readmission and mortality in patients after admission with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). DESIGN: Quantitative, prospective, single centre, cohort study. METHODS: N-Terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels were measured on admission and discharge, and were used together with clinical and laboratory parameters to calculate the ELAN-HF score. Patients were stratified into four risk groups (low, intermediate, high, very high) according to their ELAN-HF score. The performance of the ELAN-HF score was evaluated and compared to the original study. Self-care behaviour was assessed by the European Heart Failure Self-care Behaviour Scale (EHFScBS-9). Survival analysis was used to estimate the association between both scores and re-admission for HF and/or all-cause mortality within 180 days. RESULTS: 88 patients were included. The median age of the study population was 75 years (IQR 69-83), 43% was female. NYHA III/IV functional class was present at discharge in 68 patients (85%) and 27 patients (34%) had a left ventricular ejection fraction < 40%. Complete data and 180 day follow up was available for 80 patients. 55% reached the endpoint of readmission and/or all-cause mortality. There was a significant association between the ELAN-HF score and re-admission and/or mortality < 180 days (HR = 1.25, 95% CI 1.08-1.45, p = 0.003). The median EHFScBS-9 score was 68.1 (IQR 58.3 - 77.8). There was no significant association between the EHFScBS-9 score and readmission and/or mortality < 180 days (HR = 1.01, 95% CI 0.99-1.03, p = 0.174). CONCLUSION: This study confirms the validity and therefore the potential of the ELAN-HF score to triage patients with ADHF before discharge. Using this score may optimize the follow-up treatment on the nurse-led heart failure clinic in order to decrease readmission and mortality. Self-care behaviour was non-significantly associated with readmission and/or mortality in our study population. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study has been registered with the ethics committee MEC-U (Nieuwegein, The Netherlands), registration nr: V.160999/W18.208/HG/mk.

Awareness and Perception Toward Obesity and Knee Osteoarthritis and Their Preventive Measures Among the Adult Population in the Northern Borders Region, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee poses a significant public health challenge, with its prevalence escalating globally. This study addresses a critical knowledge gap by investigating the awareness and perceptions of knee OA in the Northern Borders Region, Saudi Arabia, focusing on demographic factors that may influence community perspectives. STUDY AIM: The primary aim of this cross-sectional study is to comprehensively examine the awareness and perceptions of knee OA, exploring the influence of demographic variables, including region, gender, age, nationality, and educational levels. METHODOLOGY: A total of 501 participants from various cities in the Northern Borders Region, Saudi Arabia, were enrolled in this study. Demographic characteristics, including region, gender, age, nationality, and educational levels, were documented. A structured survey instrument was utilized to collect data on awareness and perceptions of knee OA. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression to explore associations. RESULTS: Demographic insights revealed a predominance of participants from Arar (37.50%) and Rafha (36.50%), with a nearly equal gender distribution (52.90% male, 47.10% female). The majority fell within the 31-45 age group (37.50%), and 97.60% were Saudi nationals. Educational levels varied, with 55.30% holding a bachelor's degree. Awareness levels indicated that 75.40% recognized obesity as a significant factor in knee OA. Significant associations were found between gender and acknowledgment of obesity (p = 0.021), as well as between age and awareness of obesity (p = 0.040). Non-Saudi participants exhibited a higher awareness of knee injury as a reason for arthritis (p = 0.028). Educational levels demonstrated significant associations with awareness of rheumatoid arthritis (p = 0.012), growing old as a reason for knee arthritis (p = 0.002), and various preventive measures and treatment options. CONCLUSION: This study provides a nuanced understanding of knee OA awareness and perceptions in the Northern Borders Region, Saudi Arabia. The high recognition of obesity as a risk factor, coupled with demographic variations, highlights the need for tailored health education interventions. Addressing gender-specific, age-related, and educational disparities is crucial for promoting effective community-wide initiatives to prevent and manage knee OA.

Evolution of cerebral perfusion techniques in type a aortic dissection surgery: a single center experience.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of using antegrade selective cerebral perfusion (ASCP) with moderate hypothermia on hospital mortality after surgery for acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD). METHODS: Between January 1998 and December 2008, 142 consecutive patients were operated on for AAAD. Patients were divided into two subgroups: the cohort of patients operated on from January 1998 until December 2003 (without ASCP) (P1998-2003, n=64) and the cohort operated on from January 2004 until December 2008 (with ASCP)(P2004-2008, n=78). RESULTS: The difference in hospital mortality was statistically significant (P1998-2003: 42.2%; P2004-2008: 14.1%, p<0.0005). Survival rates were 51.6±6.2% vs. 75.1±5.5% and 45.9±6.2% vs. 69.7±7.3% for one and four years, respectively (p=0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that ASCP was the only independent protective factor of hospital mortality (p=0.047). CONCLUSION: In patients operated on for AAAD, antegrade selective cerebral perfusion with moderate hypothermia is a significant factor in decreasing hospital mortality.

In vitro antifungal and antibacterial potentials of organic extracts of Avicennia marina collected from Rabigh Lagoon, Red Sea Coasts in Saudi Arabia.

Mangrove shrub Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh was used to test the antifungal and antibacterial activities of aerial fractions in vitro. Aspergillus sp, Candida sp and Gram positive bacteria have all been found to be sensitive to mangrove extracts, whereas Gram negative bacteria have been found to be resistant to them. Agar disc diffusion and well-cut diffusion were employed to conduct antifungal and antibacterial activities. The MICs (minimum inhibitory concentrations) for each assay have been established. Several extracts from Mangrove reduced fungus growth (diameters fluctuated between 11 and 41 mm). The Ethyl acetate fraction showed particularly strong inhibition of C. tropicalis, C. albicanis, and A. fumigatus. They had 41, 40, and 25 mm-diameter inhibition zones, respectively. Nesoral, a synthetic antifungal medication, showed no significant changes in its MICs compared to different extracts. Enterococcus faecalis and Bacillus subtilis were inhibited by Petroleum Ether extracts at MICs of 0.78 and 0.35 mg/mL, respectively. It is possible that A. marina extracts may be exploited as a viable natural alternative that may be employed in the management of various infections, notably nosocomial bacterial infections, as anti-candidiasis and as anti-aspergillosis agents.

Drought stress enhances the efficiency of floral dip method of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation in Arabidopsis thaliana.

The Agrobacterium-mediated floral dip protocol is the most extensively used transformation method for a model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Several useful methods for Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformations of Arabidopsis are existing, but they are time consuming and with low transformation efficiency. Here, we developed a transgenic Arabidopsis lines TET12p::TET12-RFP in a short period of time and enhanced transformation efficiency by using a modified transformation method by applying drought stress after floral dip. In this protocol, Agrobacterium cells carrying TET12p::TET12-RFP recombinant vectors were resuspended in a solution of 5% sucrose, 0.05% (v/v) silwet L-77 to transform female gametes of developing Arabidopsis inflorescences. Treated Arabidopsis were then applied with different levels of drought stresses to stimulate plants for the utilization of maximum plant energy in seed maturation process. The applied stresses achieved the fast maturation of already treated inflorescences while stopped the growing of newly arising untreated inflorescence, thus decreased the chances of wrong collection of untransformed seeds. Consequently, the collected seeds were mostly transgenic with a transformation frequency of at least 10%, thus the screening for positive transformants selection was more advantageous on a selective medium as compared to a classical floral dip method. Within 2-3 months, two hundred of individual transgenic plants were produced from just 10 infiltrated plants. This study concludes that application of drought stresses in a specific stage of plant is a beneficial strategy for achieving the transgenic Arabidopsis in a short period of time with high transformation efficiency.

Epidemiology of urinary tract infections and antibiotics sensitivity among pregnant women at Khartoum North Hospital.

BACKGROUND: Urinary tract infections (UTI) can lead to poor maternal and perinatal outcomes. Investigating epidemiology of UTI and antibiotics sensitivity among pregnant women is fundamental for care-givers and health planners. METHODS: A cross sectional study has been conducted at Khartoum north teaching hospital Antenatal Care Clinic between February-June 2010, to investigate epidemiology of UTI and antibiotics resistance among pregnant women. Structured questionnaires were used to gather data from pregnant women. UTI was diagnosed using mid stream urine culture on standard culture media RESULTS: Out of 235 pregnant women included, 66 (28.0%) were symptomatic and 169 (71.9%) asymptomatic. the prevalence of bacteriuria among symptomatic and asymptomatic pregnant women were (12.1%), and (14.7%) respectively, with no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.596), and the overall prevalence of UTI was (14.0%). In multivariate analyses, age, gestational age, parity, and history of UTI in index pregnancy were not associated with bacteriuria. Escherichia coli (42.4%) and S. aureus (39.3%) were the commonest isolated bacteria. Four, 2, 2, 3, 4, 2 and 0 out of 14 E. coli isolates, showed resistance to amoxicillin, naladixic acid, nitrofurantoin, ciprofloxacin, co-trimoxazole, amoxicillin/clavulanate and norfloxacin, respectively. CONCLUSION: Escherichia coli were the most prevalent causative organisms and showing multi drug resistance pattern, asymptomatic bacteriuria is more prevalent than symptomatic among pregnant women. Urine culture for screening and diagnosis purpose for all pregnant is recommended.

[The solid pseudopapillary tumor of pancreas: two cases and literature review]. / Tumeurs pseudopapillaires et solides du pancréas: deux observations et revue de la littérature.

Solid pseudopapillary tumor (SPT) of the pancreas is a rare exocrine pancreatic tumor behaving in a low-grade fashion, with limited local invasion risk and a rare metastatic evolution. We report SPT in two young females, revealed by abdominal pain and an epigastric mass. The diagnosis of a cystic tumor was based on abdominal ultrasound and CT data in the first case and on MRI in the second. A distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy were successfully performed in the first case and a central pancreatectomy in the second. Histological study confirmed the diagnosis of SPT of the pancreas.

Association between IL-37 gene polymorphisms and risk of HBV-related liver disease in a Saudi Arabian population.

Interleukin-37 (IL-37) has recently been recognized as a strong anti-inflammatory cytokine having anti-tumor activity against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected patients. HCC is a typical inflammation-related cancer, and genetic variations within the IL-37 gene may be associated with the risk of HBV infection. Identification of the allelic patterns that genetically have a high disease risk is essential for the development of preventive diagnostics for HBV-mediated liver disease pathogenesis. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the IL-37 gene and disease sequelae associated with HBV infection. We genotyped ten IL-37 SNPs in 1274 patients infected with HBV and 599 healthy controls from a Saudi Arabian population. Among the selected SNPs, two SNPs (rs2723175 and rs2708973) were strongly associated with HBV infection, and six SNPs (rs2723176, rs2723175, rs2723186, rs364030, rs28947200, rs4392270) were associated with HBV clearance, comparing healthy controls and HBV infected-patients respectively. A suggestive association of rs4849133 was identified with active HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) carrier and HBV-related liver disease progression. In conclusion, our findings suggest that variations at the IL-37 gene may be useful as genetic predictive risk factors for HBV infection and HBV-mediated liver disease progression in the Saudi Arabian population.

The Correlation Between Hepatitis B Virus Precore/Core Mutations and the Progression of Severe Liver Disease.

Viral mutations acquired during the course of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are known to be associated with the progression and severity of HBV-related liver disease. This study of HBV-infected Saudi Arabian patients aimed to identify amino acid substitutions within the precore/core (preC/C) region of HBV, and investigate their impact on disease progression toward hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patients were categorized according to the severity of their disease, and were divided into the following groups: inactive HBV carriers, active HBV carriers, liver cirrhosis patients, and HCC patients. Two precore mutations, W28* and G29D, and six core mutations, F24Y, E64D, E77Q, A80I/T/V, L116I, and E180A were significantly associated with the development of cirrhosis and HCC. Six of the seven significant core mutations that were identified in this study were located within immuno-active epitopes; E77Q, A80I/T/V, and L116I were located within B-cell epitopes, and F24Y, E64D, and V91S/T were located within T-cell epitopes. Multivariate risk analysis confirmed that the core mutations A80V and L116I were both independent predictors of HBV-associated liver disease progression. In conclusion, our data show that mutations within the preC/C region, particularly within the immuno-active epitopes, may contribute to the severity of liver disease in patients with chronic hepatitis. Furthermore, we have identified several distinct preC/C mutations within the study population that affect the clinical manifestation and progression of HBV-related disease. The specific identity of HBV mutations that are associated with severe disease varies between different ethnic populations, and so the specific preC/C mutations identified here will be useful for predicting clinical outcomes and identifying the HBV-infected patients within the Saudi population that are at high risk of developing HCC.

[Pyogenic abscess of the breast: clinical and therapeutic aspects]. / Abcès du sein à pyogènes: aspects cliniques et thérapeutiques.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this retrospective work was to study the clinical aspects and the principles of management of the abscess of the breast in order to determine a convenient and recent therapeutic attitude. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Our retrospective survey concerns 114 cases of breast abscess collected in a surgery department over a period of 14 years, from 1990 to 2003. All patients have been operated and the diagnosis confirmed through the operation. The puerperal abscesses have been noted in 31 cases. RESULTS: One hundred and four women and ten men were concerned, with a sex-ratio of 0.1. The medium age was 33 years old for the women and 42 years for the men. The diagnosis was based on the clinical criteria, confirmed by the ultrasonography in 11 cases out of 16 and by the mammary puncture in 15 cases out of 22. Two non-puerperal abscesses have revealed an infiltrating canal carcinoma. The Staphylococcus aureus was the germ the most frequently met, concerning 8 cases out of 16. The surgical biopsies carried out in 52 cases revealed a fibrocystic mastopathy in six cases, a canalar ectasia in two cases and an infiltrating canalar carcinoma in two cases. The surgical treatment, performed in any case, was associated to an anti-staphylococcus antibiotherapy. The recurrence of the abscess has been observed in four cases. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The frequency of pyogenic abscess of the breast, particularly the puerperal abscesses, has considerably decreased. The non-puerperal abscesses often pose a differential diagnosis problem with the very aggressive inflammatory cancers. The percutaneous ultrasonography guided drainage must be proposed in first intention to treat the abscesses of the breast. However, surgical treatment is still valid with an abscess either relapsing or chronic, or else the failure of the non-operative processes.

Chemical composition and in vitro antifungal and antioxidant activity of the essential oil and methanolic extract of Teucrium sauvagei Le Houerou.

The chemical composition and the in vitro antifungal and antioxidant activity of the essential oil and the methanolic leaf extracts of Teucrium sauvagei Le Houerou, an endemic medicinal plant growing in Tunisia, have been studied. More than 35 constituents having an abundance >or=0.2% were identified in the oil. beta-Eudesmol, T-cadinol, alpha-thujene, gamma-cadinene, and sabinene were the prevalent constituents. Results of the antifungal activity tests indicated that the methanolic extract inhibited the in vitro growth of seven dermatophytes, whereas the essential oil showed average inhibition against only three dermatophytes. In vitro antioxidant properties of the essential oil and the methanolic extract were determined by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)) assays and compared to those of the synthetic antioxidant Trolox. Due to their antifungal and antioxidant properties, the essential oil and the methanolic extract of T. sauvagei may be of use as natural preservative ingredients in food and/or pharmaceutical industries.

The effects of general anaesthetics on glucose and phosphate transport across the membrane of the human erythrocyte.

A study has been carried out into the effects of clinically important general anaesthetics, althesin, thiopentone and propanidid, on the transport of glucose and phosphate across the membrane of the human erythrocyte. In general these three substances all inhibit both transport processes but with characteristic inhibition profiles and varying degrees of efficacy. Glucose transport was more sensitive to the hydrophobic steroids and phosphate transport to propanidid. Some hydrophobic agents, e.g., iodobenzene and its azide, were not inhibitory. Removal of cholesterol to some extent augmented the inhibitory effects of most of these compounds (not propanidid). It is argued that these effects are due to the penetration of the anaesthetics into the lipid bilayer and either subsequent disruption of the lipid annuli surrounding the integral membrane proteins and/or direct anaesthetic-protein interaction.

[The evaluation of mental health among Tunisian students]. / Evaluation de la santé mentale des étudiants Tunisiens.

Universal studies are an important source of stressor. Students are at high risk for mental disorders. In this study, we seek for psychological distress among Tunisian students, using GHQ (general health questionnaire).

Perturbation of the fluidity of the erythrocyte membrane with ionophoric antibiotics and lipophilic anaesthetics.

The fluidity of the rat erythrocyte membrane was evaluated by measurement of excimer fluorescence of an intra-molecular forming fluorophore, 1,3-di(1-pyrenyl)propane. The polyene ionophoric antibiotics, amphotericin B and nystatin, were found to fluidize the erythrocyte membrane, as assessed by the increase in the excimer/monomer fluorescence intensity ratio, by 42 and 13%, respectively, compared with control samples. In contrast, of the peptide ionophoric antibiotics, valinomycin demonstrated about twice the effect which gramicidin A had on depressing the fluidity of the erythrocyte membrane. On the other hand, the general lipophilic anaesthetics, propanidid and althesin, led to an increase, by 70 and 32%, respectively, while the local anaesthetic, procaine, led to a decrease by 20%, in the fluidity of the erythrocyte membrane. These results were explained in the light of the partition coefficients determined for these drugs in decane and native membranes, their affinities for specific membrane components and the changes which they induce in the permeability properties of erythrocyte and other biological membranes.

Closed versus open mitral commissurotomy in pure noncalcific mitral stenosis: hemodynamic studies before and after operation.

Controversy persists regarding whether the efficacy of closed instrumental mitral commissurotomy compares well enough with that of open commissurotomy to warrant its continued use. The purpose of this study was to compare the results of operation as determined by catheterization studies in 63 patients with pure, severe, and noncalcified mitral stenosis. The patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: thirty-two patients were operated on by the closed technique (group I) and 31 by the open technique (group II). All patients underwent left-sided and right-sided catheterization before and 4 months after operation. Preoperatively the two groups were statistically similar with regard to major clinical data and hemodynamic findings. There were no deaths at operation or systemic embolism in the two groups. The prevalence of surgically induced mitral regurgitation was similar in the two groups (12.4% versus 12.9%). Pulmonary arterial pressure and arteriolar and total pulmonary vascular resistance decreased significantly in the two groups. Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure decreased from 23.3 +/- 8.5 to 15.8 +/- 7 mm Hg in group I (p less than 0.001) and from 23.7 +/- 6 to 14 +/- 5.8 mm Hg in group II (p less than 0.001). Cardiac index increased from 2.86 +/- 0.84 to 3.14 +/- 0.78 L/min/m2 in group I, but this increase did not reach statistical significance. In group II cardiac index increased from 2.89 +/- 0.6 to 3.6 +/- 0.6 L/min/m2 (p less than 0.005). The mean and end-diastolic transmitral pressure gradients decreased significantly in the two groups, but the decrease was statistically greater in the open mitral commissurotomy group (p less than 0.001). Mitral valve area increased from 0.82 +/- 0.18 to 1.4 +/- 0.40 cm2 in group I (p less than 0.01) and from 0.84 +/- 0.15 to 2.14 +/- 0.53 cm2 in group II (p less than 0.001). The mean increase in mitral valve area was 0.61 cm2 in group I and 1.34 cm2 in group II (p less than 0.001). At exercise, in patients with resting pulmonary capillary wedge pressures of 18 mm Hg or less, cardiac index increased by 36% in group I (23 patients) and 48% in group II (24 patients), because of a smaller mitral valve area in group I (1.61 +/- 0.39 cm2) than in group II (2.45 +/- 0.65 cm2). Thus open commissurotomy improved hemodynamic values to a greater extent than closed commissurotomy at both rest and exercise.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Inhibition of erythrocyte membrane ATPases with antisickling and anaesthetic substances and ionophoric antibiotics.

A study has been carried out into the effects of clinically important antisickling and anaesthetic substances and ionophoric antibiotics on the activities of (Na+, K+)- and (Ca+2, Mg2+)-ATPases of the human erythrocyte membrane. In general, these drugs, with the exception of nystatin, inhibit both types of enzymic activities but with varying degrees of efficacy. (Ca2+, Mg2+)-ATPases was more sensitive to the lipophilic anaesthetics and (Na+,K+)-ATPase to the ionophoric antibiotic, amphotericin B. These results are explained in the light of the partition coefficients of these drugs in erythrocyte membranes, their effects on the fluidity of the erythrocytes membranes, the changes they induce in the permeability properties of erythrocytes and the subsequent effect of procaine on sickling of erythrocytes, and their potential interaction with specific membrane components.

Amphotericin B: an update.

Amphotericin B is the most important clinically and best defined chemically of the macrolide heptaene antibiotics. A fermentation product of the soil actinomycetes Streptomyces nodosus, amphotericin B binds selectively to ergosterol in the cell membrane of susceptible fungi, inducing changes in permeability that can produce lethal cell injury. Available since 1960, amphotericin B remains the treatment of choice for most serious systemic fungal infections. This review highlights some important aspects of the physicochemical properties of amphotericin B and their utilisation in its quantitative determination in biological fluids. Its mechanism of action is re-appraised in the light of recent results with regard to its effects on the physical and functional properties of synthetic and natural membranes. Attempts to reduce its toxic effects to host cells and to improve its therapeutic index are evaluated. In addition, the therapeutic values of amphotericin B, apart from its antibiotic activity, are discussed.

[Evaluation of the degree of mitral stenosis : reassessment of the M mode echocardiographic index]. / Appréciation du degré de la sténose mitrale : réévaluation des index échocardiographiques en mode M.

Fifty consecutive patients (32 female and 18 male) with mitral stenosis aged 11 to 60 years underwent cardiac catheterisation and echocardiography to determine the value of M mode in assessing the degree of stenosis. Mitral stenosis was pure in 47 cases; isolated in 31 cases; associated with minimal aortic regurgitation in 11 cases, with mild mitral incompetence in 3 cases and with tricuspid incompetence in 5 cases (all patients underwent aortography and left ventriculography). Mitral valve surface area (MSA) calculated from the Gorlin formula correlated well with the anatomical mitral valve area (r = 0.88) in the 30 operated patients and enabled the patients to be divided into three subgroups : Group I : 36 patients with severe mitral stenosis; MS less than 1.3 cm2 including 29 with very severe stenosis : MS less than 1.0 cm2; Group II : 9 cases of moderate stenosis (1.3 cm2 less than MS less than or equal to 1.8 cm2), and Group III : 8 cases of mild mitral stenosis (MS greater than 1.8 cm2). The indices correlating with haemodynamic MSA were, in decreasing order of significance : EF slope of early diastolic closure of the anterior leaflet (r = 0.74); maximal EE' diastolic separation of the two leaflets (r = 0.57); the ratio of left atrium/aortic root dimensions (r = 0.39) and the Q-mitral closure interval (r = 0.31). The left atrial emptying index, the mitral valve closure index and changes in the rapid phase of left ventricular filling did not correlate with the degree of stenosis. An EF slope of less than 15 mm/sec had a sensitivity of 77% and a specificity of 93% and was a satisfactory method for distinguishing patients in Group I from those in Group II.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Contribution of immunocytochemical stainings for galectin-3, CD44, and HBME1 to fine-needle aspiration cytology diagnosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma.

In cytology practice some papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) cases have indeterminate diagnoses and overlapping cytological features with benign lesions. This study was undertaken to find out if immunocytochemistry using Galectin-3, CD-44 and HBME-1 could be of help in such situations. Forty-six cases consisting of 22 malignancy (PTC) cases, 7 suspicious of (S/O) PTC, 1 follicular neoplasm, 5 follicular lesion of undetermined significance (FLUS), and 11 benign (colloid goiter) cases diagnosed by FNA were included in this study. Staining reactions were graded in a sliding scale of -, 1+, 2+, 3+, and 4+. In an assessment of 100 cells, each cell with weak, and moderate to strong positive reaction were assigned a score of 1 and 4, respectively. Staining reaction of ≥+2 and scores >100 were considered positive. Frequency of cases with ≥+2 reaction, and scores >100 for each of Galectin-3, CD-44, and HBME-1 were significantly higher in PTC or combined PTC and S/O PTC cases as compared with FLUS and benign cases taken together (P = 0.01744 to 0.00000). When the cases were compared according to histological malignant and benign diagnoses, the difference was also significant in respect of ≥+2 reaction, and scores >100 for Galectin-3 and CD44 (P = 0.04923 to 0.00947); however, there was no significant difference, when these parameters for HBME1 were compared. Galectin 3, CD 44, and to some extent HBME 1 are useful immunocytochemical parameters with potential to support FNAC diagnosis of PTC, especially in situations with difficult differential diagnoses.