Renoprotective effect of red grape (Vitis vinifera L.) juice and dark raisins against hypercholesterolaemia-induced tubular renal affection in albino rats.

BACKGROUND: Red grape juice (RGJ) and dark raisins (DR) are rich in polyphenols and antioxidants. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of RGJ and DR in protec- ting the renal tubules against hypercholesteraemic-induced pathological changes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty albino rats divided into four groups (n = 10) were utilised in this study. They included the control, high cholesterol diet (HCD)-fed, HCD+RGJ-fed, and HCD+DR-fed groups. Body weight gain, food and water in- take, blood and insulin levels, lipid profile and kidney functions were assessed at the start of the experiment and after 12 weeks. The right kidney was dissected out and processed for both light and electron microscopic examination. Desmin and cytokeratin antibodies were utilised as histologic markers to assess the integrity of the proximal (PTs) and distal tubules (DTs) of the kidney. RESULTS: Administration of HCD resulted in hypercholesterolaemia in rats as evi- denced by the lipid profile. The PTs of hypercholesteraemic rats appeared dilated with hyaline casts and mitochondria in most of the tubular cells were affected. Immunohistochemical assessment revealed affection of both PTs and DTs. Both RGJ and DR, when administered along with the HCD for 12 weeks, improved the lipid profile, kidney functions as well as the histologic and cellular changes-induced by hypercholesterolaemia in the rats. The effect of raisins was superior to RGJ which might be due to its high contents of fibres and proteins. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlighted the importance of supplementation of red grape and raisins in protection against the harmful effects induced by deposition of fat on the renal tubules' structure and function.

A comparative study of the mechanical behaviour of thermally oxidised commercially pure titanium and zirconium.

The objective of this study is to compare the mechanical behaviour of thermally oxidised commercially pure titanium (CP-Ti) and commercially pure zirconium (CP-Zr). For this purpose, these two bio-metals were thermally oxidised under the same condition (650°C for 6h) and the oxidised specimens were characterised using various analytical and experimental techniques, including oxygen uptake analysis, layer thickness and hardness measurements, scratch tests, dry sliding friction and wear tests and tribocorrosion tests in Ringer's solution. The results show that under the present thermal oxidation condition, 4 times more oxygen is introduced into CP-Zr than into CP-Ti and the oxide layer produced on CP-Zr is nearly 6 times thicker than that on CP-Ti. Thermally oxidised CP-Zr possesses a higher hardness, a deeper hardening depth and better scratch resistance than thermally oxidised CP-Ti. Under dry sliding and tribocorrosion conditions, thermally oxidised CP-Zr also possesses much better resistance to material removal and a higher load bearing capacity than thermally oxidised CP-Ti. Thus, thermally oxidised Zr possesses much better mechanical behaviour than thermally oxidised Ti.

Outcome of microsurgical testicular sperm extraction in familial idiopathic nonobstructive azoospermia.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the sperm retrieval rate by microsurgical testicular sperm extraction (TESE) in familial idiopathic nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA). One hundred and nineteen patients with idiopathic NOA who underwent microsurgical TESE over the past 5 years were included. Patients were then divided into two groups; Group 'A' with familial idiopathic NOA (11 families with two brothers in each family, 22 patients) and Group 'B' with nonfamilial idiopathic NOA (97 patients). Clinical data as well as data of microsurgical TESE were recorded. In Group 'A', the sperm retrieval rate was 9.1% (2/22 patients) compared to 45.4% in Group 'B' (44/97 patients) (P ≤ 0.05). The two patients in Group 'A' with successful sperm retrieval belonged to one family. The histopathological diagnosis was the same in the brothers in each family. It can be concluded that the testicular sperm retrieval rate in familial idiopathic NOA is significantly lower than in nonfamilial idiopathic NOA.

Tumour necrosis factor receptor II polymorphism and juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a complex polygenic disorder. The encouraging outcome of anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) treatment, as well as serological studies, has implicated TNF and its receptors (TNFRI and TNFRII, or TNFRSF1B) in the pathogenesis of JIA. The purpose of this study was to investigate the exon 6 TNFRII single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in a well-defined UK cohort of JIA patients, using case-control association analysis. METHODS: A total of 435 patients, spanning seven JIA subgroups, and 261 healthy individuals were screened for the polymorphism using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed between the SNP allelic or genotypic frequencies of patients and controls, or between JIA subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: This TNFRII exon 6 SNP does not seem to be associated with susceptibility to JIA.

Genetic susceptibility in Dupuytren's disease. TGF-beta1 polymorphisms and Dupuytren's disease.

Dupuytren's disease is a benign fibroproliferative disease of unknown aetiology. It is often familial and commonly affects Northern European Caucasian men, but genetic studies have yet to identify the relevant genes. Transforming growth factor beta one (TGF-beta1) is a multifunctional cytokine which plays a central role in wound healing and fibrosis. It stimulates the proliferation of fibroblasts and the deposition of extracellular matrix. Previous studies have implicated TGF-beta1 in Dupuytren's disease, suggesting that it may represent a candidate susceptibility gene for this condition. We have investigated the association of four common single nucleotide polymorphisms in TGF-beta1 with the risk of developing Dupuytren's disease. A polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method was used for genotyping TGF-beta1 polymorphisms. DNA samples from 135 patients with Dupuytren's disease and 200 control subjects were examined. There was no statistically significant difference in TGF-beta1 genotype or allele frequency distributions between the patients and controls for the codons 10, 25, -509 and -800 polymorphisms. Our observations suggest that common TGF-beta1 polymorphisms are not associated with a risk of developing Dupuytren's disease. These data should be interpreted with caution since the lack of association was shown in only one series of patients with only known, common polymorphisms of TGF-beta1. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a case-control association study in Dupuytren's disease using single nucleotide polymorphisms in TGF-beta1.

Characterization of a prolactin gene polymorphism and its associations with systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: Hyperprolactinemia is associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but the mechanism is unknown. Prolactin is expressed in T lymphocytes and is under the control of an alternative promoter region. We characterized a G/T single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at position -1149 of this promoter and assessed its prevalence in patients with SLE. METHODS: Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) were performed to determine DNA protein complex formation in the prolactin promoter. Transient transfection of reporter gene constructs containing the G/T promoter alleles into the Jurkat T cell line were used to determine transcription activity. Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) were treated in vitro with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) to determine levels of prolactin messenger RNA (mRNA). RESULTS: EMSAs indicated that binding of a GATA-related transcription factor was altered by the G/T SNP at position -1149. Transient transfection studies in Jurkat cells showed that the G allele consistently produced higher promoter activity. PHA treatment of PBLs in vitro induced a greater increment of prolactin mRNA from patients with the GG(-1149) genotype than from those with the TT(-1149) genotype. Disease association studies in a cohort of SLE patients demonstrated an increased frequency of the prolactin -1149 G allele compared with control subjects. CONCLUSION: We found a functionally significant polymorphism that alters prolactin promoter activity and mRNA levels in the lymphocytes. Altered local prolactin production by immune cells may contribute to disease progression by affecting T cell function.

Two novel polymorphisms in the human transforming growth factor beta 2 gene.

We have identified two novel polymorphisms in the transforming growth factor beta 2 (TGFbeta2) gene; an insertion in the 5'-untranslated region (5'UTR) and a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in exon 1. A 895-bp fragment was analysed covering part of the 5'UTR and exon 1. Single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products was performed to detect sequence variations. This was followed by the sequencing of samples demonstrating distinct banding patterns. A 4-bp insertion (ACAA) in the 5'UTR and a SNP (G > A) within exon 1 was identified. The 5'UTR polymorphism was found to be common in three Caucasian populations from Spain, Turkey and the UK. Exon 1 polymorphism is rare and results in an R to H amino acid substitution in codon 91. Both polymorphisms may prove useful for investigating possible associations of TGFbeta2 with disease.

Association of the A561C E-selectin polymorphism with systemic lupus erythematosus in 2 independent populations.

OBJECTIVE: E-selectin is expressed on cytokine stimulated endothelial cells and plays an important role in leukocyte-endothelium interactions and inflammatory cell recruitment. The gene for E-selectin is located at chromosome 1q 23-25 within the linkage area for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The best characterized polymorphism in E-selectin molecule is A561C, which codes for Ser128Arg. We studied the prevalence of the A561C E-selectin gene polymorphism in patients with SLE and controls from 3 different ethnic populations. METHODS: Three cohorts of patients with SLE (1987 American College of Rheumatology criteria) and matching population controls were studied. These consisted of Caucasians of British Isles descent, Caucasians of Spanish origin, and Caucasians of Turkish origin. We used polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism to genotype patients and controls. RESULTS: The numbers of patients and controls in each group were: UK (113 and 148), Spanish (145 and 179), and Turkish (93 and 96), respectively. The C allele occurred more frequently in UK and Spanish patients (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.03-3.0, p = 0.037; and OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.1-3.09, p = 0.019), but not in Turkish patients (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.55-1.97, p = 0.91). CONCLUSION: In 2 of 3 populations studied, the E-selectin C allele was significantly more common in SLE than in controls. E-selectin may be a susceptibility gene to SLE in these populations. Its role in disease expression and longterm outcomes such as accelerated atherosclerosis requires further study.

The seroprevalence of cystic hydatidosis in Oman.

The presence of antibodies against Echinococcus granulosus in sera from 306 humans and 390 camels in Oman was investigated by indirect haemagglutination assays. Only one of the human and five of the camel sera gave positive reactions. The reactivities of the human sera were confirmed by ELISA. These results, together with isolated reports of hydatid cysts, indicate that E. granulosus is endemic in Oman, although with a low prevalence.

Value of image-guided needle aspiration cytology in the assessment of thoracolumbar and sacrococcygeal masses.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate tumors and nontumorous processes in the thoracolumbar and sacrococcygeal region by the noninvasive method of needle aspiration cytology (NAC) and whether such preoperative assessment is useful in deciding between conservative and radical management. STUDY DESIGN: NAC was performed under computed tomographic guidance on 22 patients suspected of having a thoracolumbar-sacrococcygeal mass. Cytologic examination was performed on site after staining smears with the Papanicolaou method. In addition, air-dried smears, fixed smears, filter preparations from needle washings and cell blocks were studied. The NAC diagnosis in all cases was supported by examining cell blocks, which illustrated the reliability of histologic architecture; further support was obtained with a tissue biopsy in eight cases. Additionally, immunoperoxidase and/or histochemical studies were done in cases with a NAC diagnosis of chordoma and some cases of metastatic carcinoma. RESULTS: Five cases were diagnosed as inflammatory/degenerative lesions, and in one case NAC diagnosis of neurofibroma was made. In 14 cases a variety of metastatic tumors were diagnosed, while in two cases a NAC diagnosis of chordoma was made. Immunohistochemical staining results were useful in supporting the cytohistologic diagnosis. CONCLUSION: NAC, as the first line of investigation, is not only useful in the diagnosis of space-occupying lesions of the thoracolumbar-sacrococcygeal region but can also save the patient from a radical surgical procedure to obtain tissue for diagnosis. Also, histologic architecture from cell blocks can be correlated with cytology, and such material can be used for histochemical and immunomarker studies.

Undiagnosed retroperitoneal mass. Report of a case in which needle aspiration cytodiagnosis led to investigation and timely management.

Needle aspiration cytology of an undiagnosed retroperitoneal mass was performed on a 37-year-old male. The cytologic findings were highly consistent with a seminoma. In the differential diagnosis the possibility of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, melanocarcinoma and metastatic adenocarcinoma was considered. The cytologic features in the aspirate included uniform, single to loose groups of malignant cells with round nuclei and prominent nucleoli and pale cytoplasm with occasional vacuoles. A variable number of lymphocytes were intermingled with the neoplastic cells. On immunostaining, the markers for lymphoma, melanoma and epithelial malignancy were negative, while alpha-1-antitrypsin was positive in malignant cells, and alkaline phosphatase activity was weakly positive in the cytoplasm. In view of the cytologic diagnosis, a clinical examination of the testes was undertaken and followed by an ultrasound examination, which demonstrated a well-demarcated tumor in the left testis. It was removed and diagnosed as a typical seminoma. This case is of interest since needle aspiration cytodiagnosis not only suggested the correct diagnosis in an otherwise-undiagnosed retroperitoneal mass but also led to a timely investigation and correct management.

Aspiration cytodiagnosis of clear cell hepatocellular carcinoma in an elderly woman. A case report.

The cytohistologic features of a clear cell hepatocellular carcinoma are described. The case occurred in an elderly woman. An aspirate was obtained from a solitary mass in the right lobe of the liver. The liver carcinoma was found to be the clear cell type, with infrequent bile and hyaline (Mallory body-like) bodies in the cytoplasm. The fact that clear cell type hepatocellular carcinoma possesses specific cellular characteristics and immunocytochemical features renders this case report useful in establishing a correct cytohistologic diagnosis, especially since this tumor variant shows a striking resemblance to "clear cell" tumors that originate in other organs and that may cause a diagnostic dilemma.

Needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of pancreas. A study of five cases with an emphasis on utility and differential diagnosis.

In this study, our experience with five cases of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of the pancreas is described, which was seen over a 13-yr period. The diagnosis in four of the cases was made from aspirated material that was obtained under computed tomography (CT) guidance and, in one case, following an intraoperative aspirate. In four cases, the tumor was found to be in the head of pancreas, whereas in one case, the neoplasm was located in the tail. All the cases were elderly male patients. As a result of our study, it is believed that aspiration cytodiagnosis of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma (a rare subtype of pancreatic carcinoma) can be made with confidence when performed intraoperatively or with imaging assistance. Also, aspiration cytology is a sensitive, specific, and relatively simple procedure that provides adequate material on which a confident diagnostic interpretation can be made of this uncommon neoplasm.