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Biomedical subjects

A Mahmoud

Publications and source records attributed to A Mahmoud.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Vernix caseosa: an unusual cause of post-cesarean section peritonitis.

Surgeons should be aware of a very unusual cause of post-cesarean section peritonitis. This rare form of peritonitis is caused by the spillage of vernix caseosa material into the peritoneal cavity. The exact mechanism of the development of peritonitis in these few cases is unknown. Clinically, vernix caseosa peritonitis should be considered in the post-cesarean section acute abdomen after excluding the more common causes of peritonitis such as appendicitis and perforated viscus. Intraoperatively, the presence of cheese-like yellow patches limited to the serosal layer of visceral organs is the most characteristic feature. Histopathological examination of these serosal patches reveal the desquamated anuclear squamous cells confirming the diagnosis. Postoperative treatment with antibiotics should be continued. The addition of steroids (only after confirming the diagnosis pathologically) has a significant effect on improving the clinical outcome.

Abdomen, Acute↗
PubMed1997

Homohemodialysis: a technique of dialysis for the uremic animal.

As an alternative to kidney transplantation in conditions of renal failure, an in situ kidney of a healthy individual may be used. The present study utilizes the kidney of a healthy rabbit as a hemoperfusion unit for another, uremic, animal. The study comprised 17 experimental models, each of which consisted of 2 adult New Zealand rabbits. One animal of each model was rendered uremic by means of bilateral nephrectomy. The blood chemistry (urea, creatinine, sodium, potassium, pH and base deficit) was examined pre- and 4-hourly post-operatively. When after 48 hours post-nephrectomy, the blood chemistry had reached a level sufficient to endanger the animal's life, homohemodialysis was performed. The anticoagulated blood was circulated from the uremic animal to the normal one and then back to the uremic animal through the femoral vessels using a tube system. The blood chemistry was determined every 10 minutes and pH and base deficit every 30 minutes. All animals died or were sacrificed within 21 hours after shunting was started, and autopsy was done. Serum sodium was the first to normalize within the first 10 minutes post-shunting, followed by serum potassium and pH in 30 minutes. Blood urea and creatinine reached normal levels in 40 minutes and base deficit in 60 minutes post-shunting. The pathologic examination of specimens from the vital organs of both the normal and uremic animals showed different degrees of cellular damage probably due to hypotension or acute effects of the unbalanced animal homeostasis. The cellular damage was much less in the normal than in the uremic animals. In conclusion, homohemodialysis proved to be effective in normalizing the concentrations of the different substances retained in the blood of uremic animals within only 60 minutes of dialysis.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

COFS syndrome with familial 1;16 translocation.

We report on an Egyptian girl with phenotypic abnormalities of cerebro-oculofacio-skeletal syndrome. She had microcephaly, bilateral congenital cataract, nystagmus, long ear pinnae, camptodactyly, prominent heels, coxa valga, kyphosis and flexure contracture of the elbows and knees. CT scan showed bilateral symmetrical intracranial calcifications. In addition, she had an apparently balanced translocation: 46,XX,t(1;16)(q23;q13) in all cells transmitted from a phenotypically normal mother with a similar balanced translocation mosaicism. We suggest that genes for COFS syndrome could be located on chromosome 1q23 or 16q13. We recommend chromosomal analysis and DNA studies in cases with COFS manifestations.

Bone and Bones↗
PubMed1996

New approaches to the Budd-Chiari syndrome.

Recent research has led to an improved understanding of the aetiology of Budd-Chiari syndrome in some patients. Fresh approaches and technical developments within methods of radiological intervention have added more effective options to its treatment. In this editorial we aim to summarize our understanding of the role of new aetiologies and new therapeutic approaches in the Budd-Chiari syndrome.

Budd-Chiari Syndrome↗
PubMed1996

Critical evaluation of the effectiveness of different modes of treatment of male infertility.

Among cohorts of couples treated for infertility due to a male factor it is the effective cumulative rate of successful deliveries and the cost per delivery that must be considered in assessing the value of different modes of treatment. The 'wait and see', timed coitus, or counselling approach has a low success rate (about 15% in 12 months), and a relatively high cost per delivery because of the cost of control visits and of tests for the prediction of ovulation. The high success rate of varicocele treatment (35% in 12 months, between 60 and 80% after 24 months), and the moderate cost of retrograde venography and embolisation results in a low cost per delivery. This cost is the lowest in anti-oestrogen treatment of idiopathic oligozoospermia, with a 20-30% effective cumulative pregnancy rate in 6 months. Three months of intra-uterine insemination (IUI) of Percoll gradient selected spermatozoa has a higher effective cumulative success rate than conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) applied in cases with similar sperm characteristics, and the cost per successful delivery of the former is eight times lower than that of the latter. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection can successfully be applied in cases with more severe sperm deficiency; it has a higher success rate than conventional IVF, and is slightly more cost-efficient. However, the effective cumulative pregnancy rate remains relatively low (about 45% in 12 months) because of the high drop-out rate and long time interval between treatment cycles among unsuccessful couples.

Cohort Studies↗
PubMed1995

Comparison of different methods for the investigation of antisperm antibodies on spermatozoa, in seminal plasma and in serum.

Since there is no gold standard for the diagnosis of immunological infertility, comparison between different methods and of their results with biological tests for the detection of antisperm antibodies must be used in defining the most reliable and clinically relevant method. We have evaluated the results of direct (n = 100) and indirect tests in serum (n = 140) and seminal plasma (n = 100) using the SpermMAR and Immunobead (IB) techniques for the detection of sperm antibodies of the immunoglobulin (Ig) classes G, A and M, and we have compared the results with those of the tray agglutination test and the adenosine triphosphate release cytotoxicity test. Results indicate the higher specificity and sensitivity of the SpermMAR results for IgG and IgA, as compared to the outcome of the IB test. It appears that the IB test for IgA may detect non-specific antibodies in serum. Little information is obtained from the tray agglutination test in seminal plasma, and the indirect SpermMar test for IgG in seminal plasma was the only independent variable associated with the outcome of the former test. Since the SpermMAR tests for IgG and IgA are more accurate and biologically relevant, as well as easier to perform than the respective IB tests, the former must be considered the method of first choice.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMed1995

Relationship between resazurin reduction test, reactive oxygen species generation, and gamma-glutamyltransferase.

The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from spermatozoa has been measured by chemiluminescence in the two fractions of a Percoll gradient column (47 and 90%). Chemiluminescent signals were recorded in each fraction after addition of luminol and horse-radish peroxidase (basal state), and after stimulation with formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenyl-alanine (FMLP) and phorbol ester (PMA). We found an inverse correlation between the reducing capacity of the semen as estimated by the resazurin test, and the production of ROS by the spermatozoa, especially after stimulation with PMA (r = 0.51, P < 0.001). gamma-glutamyltransferase activity of seminal plasma was inversely correlated with ROS (r = -0.47, P < 0.01) and the resazurin test result (r = -0.43, P < 0.001) suggesting a possible role of prostatic secretions in the protection of spermatozoa against oxygen radicals. The resazurin test has a positive predictive value of 92.5% at a criterion value of colour scale 4 to discriminate between normal and excessive ROS production by spermatozoa, with sensitivity 79% and specificity 74%. In addition, at criterion value of colour scale 3, the resazurin test could distinguish between samples with normal or low activity of gamma-glutamyltransferase, with sensitivity 57% and specificity 93%. It is concluded that the result of the resazurin test can be influenced by the oxidative stress of spermatozoa and by prostatic function.

Horseradish Peroxidase↗
PubMed1994

Longitudinal bone mineral density changes in early rheumatoid arthritis.

A prospective longitudinal study of patients with early RA was performed to examine the influence of disease duration, disease activity and physical activity on bone loss. Sixty-seven patients with non-steroid treated RA of less than 5 yr duration, including 16 patients with disease duration less than 6 months, had BMD measurements of the femoral neck and the lumbar spine over a 12-month period using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. The BMD changes were compared with values from 72 control patients and were also correlated with serial measurements of disease activity (measured by the Stoke Index) and disability [measured by the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) score], at 3-monthly intervals over the 12-month period. No significant differences in BMD changes were found between RA patients and controls overall. Patients with disease duration of less than 6 months had significantly greater loss of BMD at the femoral neck (-3.9%, S.E.M. 1.5) than the remainder of the cohort (-0.2%, S.E.M. 0.7) (P = 0.02) and controls (-0.8%, S.E.M. 0.6). Lumbar spine BMD changes correlated with the initial Stoke Index (Rs-0.373, P = 0.01) but not mean Stoke Indices. There was no correlation of BMD changes with age or HAQ scores. These findings suggest that significant bone loss occurs within the first few months of disease in patients with RA.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Bone mineral density in nonsteroid treated early rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether significant reduction in bone mass is detectable in early disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to examine the possible influences of disease activity and physical disability on bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine (LS) and femoral neck (FN). METHODS: LS and FN BMD values were measured and Z scores determined in a cross-sectional study of 104 patients with RA of less than five years duration. BMD values were also compared between a subgroup of 64 patients and a normal control group matched for age, sex, menopausal status and body mass. BMD values and Z scores were correlated with disease activity, measured by the Stoke Index, disability, measured by HAQ score, and disease duration. RESULTS: Premenopausal female patients with RA had significantly reduced mean FN Z scores (-0.62, 95% CI -0.30 to -0.94) which correlated with HAQ scores (Rs 0.358, p = 0.05) and age (Rs 0.397, p = 0.03). There were no significant changes of BMD in males or postmenopausal females. Disease duration and disease activity did not correlate with BMD changes. CONCLUSION: BMD is reduced in premenopausal female patients with early RA possibly related to the attainment of peak bone mass. No significant reduction of BMD was found in males or postmenopausal females with early disease. Physical disability but not disease activity appears to play a role in the reduction of FN bone mass.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Uptake and kinetics of Tc-99m hexakis 2-methoxy isobutyl isonitrile in benign and malignant lesions in the lungs.

Kinetics of Tc-99m MIBI uptake was studied in 19 patients with lung lesions (6 benign, 13 malignant). Two dynamic studies were acquired after the I.V. injection of 10-15mCi (370-550 MBq); the first was every second for 60 seconds, followed by a second one every minute for 30 minutes. Delayed images were acquired at two and three hours. By assigning regions of interest (ROI) over the lung lesions (TR), contralateral normal lung (NL) and the heart (Ht), time activity curves (TAC) were generated and time to peak activity was calculated as well as the ratios of TR/NL, Ht/TR and Ht/NL. The Ht/NL ratio was also assessed in five patients referred with diagnosis of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) for myocardial imaging. There was a localized increase of Tc-99m MIBI uptake in ten patients with untreated malignant tumours of the lung. No localized uptake was found in one patient with untreated poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma, two treated lung cancer and four patients with non-malignant lesions of the lungs. Two patients with fibrosing alveolitis showed diffuse increase lung uptake. In all positive studies peak tumour was reached within the first minute. There was no statistical difference in the ratio of Ht/NL between all groups except in patients with fibrosing alveolitis. There was no significant difference between the ratios TR/NL, Ht/TR and Ht/NL at 5-10 minutes and 25-30 minutes. The ratio of TR/NL at 25-30 minutes was 1.58 +/- 0.36 in the positive cases versus 1 +/- 0.22 in the negative ones.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Role of thallium-201 in the diagnosis of solitary bone lesions.

Thallium-201 is known to accumulate in malignant tumours. In this work we are evaluating the role of thallium in differentiating benign from malignant solitary bone lesions in 28 patients with solitary bone lesions on 99Tcm-MDP bone scans. Lesions' uptake of 201Tl was evaluated using visual assessment and lesion to background ratio. We found significant uptake with a mean lesion to background ratio of 4.27 in malignant lesions and no or faint uptake with a mean lesion to background ratio of 1.37 in benign lesions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Experience with thallium-201 imaging in head and neck cancer.

TI-201 chloride was used for tumor imaging in patients with head and neck cancer. It is of value in detecting the extent of tumor involvement, the presence of residual tumor after radical courses of treatment, and the presence of local recurrence and distant metastases.

Adolescent↗