Role of influenza Virus as A causative agent of acute upper respiratory tract infection in Port Said

Two hundred patients diagnosed clinically as having acute upper respiratory illness [URl] together with 30 normal healthy individuals as controls were the subject of this study, Influenza viruses were detected in 86 [43%] patients, none of the controls showed isolation of influenza viruses. As regards the relation between influenza viruses and different respiratory syndromes, our study revealed that the commonest respiratory syndrome was nasopharyngitis [46.55] followed by common cold and laryngitis accounting for 34.9% and 18.6% respectively, Studying the causative strains of influenza viruses, it was found that 17 out of the 22 tested specimens reacted with antisera against influenze type A/Bangkok/1/79 [H[3]N[2]] and 5 specimens with antisera against influenza type A/Brazil/78 [H[1]N[1]]. None of the specimens showed reaction with antisera against influenza type B/Singapore/78

role of bacterial allergens in nasal polyposis and chronic perreneal allergic rhinits

Thirty six patients of chronic nasal polyposis and 30 patients of chronic allergic rhinitis as wall as 20 apparently healthy control subjects underwent tests for the presence of bacterial-specific I[g]E antibodies in the serum using the radioallerge-sorbent [RAST] assay. Twenty-two chronic polyposis patents exhibited a positive [mean titre of 5000 +/- 1249], prevalence rate of 61% [P< 0.001]. The mean bacterial specific I[g]E titre in chronic rhinitis group was much lower [2500 +/- 850], it was also statistically higher than the control group [P< 0.01]. This study indicates that allergy to bacterial antigens may play a significant role in the induction and development of chronic nasal polyposis