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Papers by Said Abdou

The Egyptian Journal of Chest Diseases and Tuberculosis

© 2019 The Egyptian Journal of Chest Diseases and Tu Context Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) i... more © 2019 The Egyptian Journal of Chest Diseases and Tu Context Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a heterogeneous disease. Most patients with lung cancer present with inoperable advanced stage and cannot tolerate chemotherapy, so they need targeted therapy, with high effectiveness and less toxicity. Aim The aim of this study was to identify the genetic variations of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and mesenchyme to epithelial transition (MET) genes in patients with NSCLC and their clinical significance in such cases. Settings and design This is a cross-sectional study. Patients and methods This study was conducted in the chest department and genetic signature center, Tanta University Hospital, on 60 patients of NSCLC who underwent tumor biopsy taking and then DNA isolation, but only 20 patients could continue the study after assessment of their samples for DNA quality. TruSight NSCLC panel was used for detection of different variants in two genes (EGFR and MET). Some patients with NSCLC were subjected to anti-EGFR target therapy. Results Overall, 25% of the patients with NSCLC had EGFR mutation (60% of these mutations are exon 19 deletions, 20% had exon 21 mutation in form of single base mutation, and 20% had exon 20 insertion mutation). Moreover, 10% had MET mutation, in the form of exon 14 mutation, and 5% had both EGFR and MET mutations. Conclusion EGFR and MET are important oncogenic targets for personalized target therapy in NSCLC, so genetic and molecular testing is mandatory for NSCLC cases.

Clinical and Experimental Medicine, 2022

Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association, 2021

Background Screening of β thalassemia among close relatives is more feasible in highly prevalent ... more Background Screening of β thalassemia among close relatives is more feasible in highly prevalent countries with limited resources. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of β thalassemia carriers and iron deficiency anemia among relatives of β thalassemia patients in Mid Delta, Egypt. Methods This is a cross-sectional multi-center study conducted on 2118 relatives of patients with β thalassemia from different Egyptian governorates in the Mid Delta region. They were subjected to history taking with precise determination of geographic location, general examination, and the following investigations: complete blood counts, serum ferritin for those who showed microcytic hypochromic anemia, and high-performance liquid chromatography for those who were not diagnosed as iron deficiency anemia. Results The total prevalence of iron deficiency anemia among close relatives of confirmed β thalassemia patients in the Nile Delta region was 17.19%. The highest prevalence of iron d...

The Egyptian Journal of Bronchology, 2020

Background Cancer development is associated with deregulated microRNA (miRNA) in body fluids incl... more Background Cancer development is associated with deregulated microRNA (miRNA) in body fluids including serum, plasma, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Early diagnosis and early treatment of lung cancer improve survival and response to treatment. So, finding an easy detectable biomarker is crucially important to improve the disease outcome. So, we analyzed the differential expression of miRNA using microarray both in serum and BAL of 37 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and 30 healthy control subjects (15 non-smokers and 15 smokers). Results A total of 32 miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed in serum of NSCLC patients versus controls (13 up-regulated and 19 down-regulated), whereas 14 miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed in BAL of NSCLC patients relative to control (12 upregulated and 2 downregulated). The accuracy of MiRNAs to detect lung cancer patients versus control was 94.3% with a specificity of 97.8% and a sensitivity of 92.3%. Conclusion...

Lymphatic research and biology, 2018

Up till now, there is no satisfactory treatment for lymphedema. The aim of this study is to evalu... more Up till now, there is no satisfactory treatment for lymphedema. The aim of this study is to evaluate stem cell therapy in lymphedema. This prospective randomized study includes 40 patients with chronic lymphedema divided randomly into two groups: group I (stem cell therapy group) and group II (control group). In group I, bone marrow was aspirated and mononuclear cells were separated and then transplanted into the patients. In group II, patients compression therapy alone was applied. Group I included 20 patients (12 males and 8 females), their age ranged from 18 to 38 years with a mean age of 24.8 ± 6.39 years, whereas group II included 20 patients (10 males and 10 females), their age ranged from 18 to 36 years with a mean value of 25.6 ± 8.18 years. In group I, there was a decrease in the mean circumference at ankle after 6 months, which was statistically significant (t = 3.250, p = 0.014). This was associated with marked improvement of pain and walking ability. Whereas in group II,...

Immunopharmacology and immunotoxicology, 2018

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer diagnosed in children. The precise m... more Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer diagnosed in children. The precise mechanism behind the relapse in this disease is not clearly known. One possible mechanism could be the accumulation of immunosuppressive cells, including myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and T regulatory cells (T) which we and others have reported to mediate suppression of anti-tumor immune responses. In this study, we aimed to analyze the numbers of these cells in a population of B-ALL pediatric patients. Peripheral blood samples withdrawn from B-ALL pediatric patients (n = 45 before, during and after the induction phase of chemotherapy. Using multi parametric flow cytometric analysis. MDSCs were identified as LinHLA-DRCD33CD11b; and Tcells were defined as CD4CD25CD127. Early diagnosed B-ALL patients showed significant increases in the numbers of MDSCs and Tas compared to healthy volunteers. During induction of chemotherapy, however, the patients showed higher and lower numbers o...

Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2018

Management of alopecia areata and androgenetic alopecia is often challenging as patients may be r... more Management of alopecia areata and androgenetic alopecia is often challenging as patients may be resistant to currently available modalities of treatment. The use of stem cells may be a novel option for resistant cases. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the use of autologous bone marrow derived mononuclear cells (including stem cells) as compared to follicular stems cells for the management of resistant cases of alopecia areata and androgenetic alopecia. This study included forty patients (twenty alopecia areata patients and twenty androgenetic alopecia patients), all patients were treated with a single session of intradermal injection of autologous SCs therapy. They were divided into four groups according to the applied modality [either autologous bone marrow derived mononuclear cells (BMMCs or autologous follicular stem cells (FSC)]. Six months after stem cell therapy injection, there was a significant improvement, confirmed by immunostaining and digital dermoscopy. The mean improvement in all groups was "very good". There was no significant difference between both methods in either type of alopecia. No serious adverse events were reported. Autologous BMMCs and FSC seem to be a safe tolerable and effective treatment for the management of both resistant alopecia areata and androgenetic alopecia.

Clinical Cancer Investigation Journal, 2015

Reduction in the numbers of CD33 + myeloid population in Egyptian children with B-linage acute ly... more Reduction in the numbers of CD33 + myeloid population in Egyptian children with B-linage acute lymphoblastic leukemia and its recovery after induction of chemotherapy are diagnosed as B-cell ALL. [2,3] The most immature cells (blast cells) in BALL mainly express B-cell markers such as CD19; the typical marker of normal B-cells. [4] It is particularly involved in B-cell development, activation, and differentiation. Alterations in the intensity of CD19 which are seen in some B-cell lymphoid neoplasms including BALL enable to distinguish between reactive and neoplastic cells. [5]

Clinical Cancer Investigation Journal, 2015

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is considered as one of the most common cancer in ... more Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is considered as one of the most common cancer in pediatric malignancies. Among ALL, B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL) represents 80% to 85% of the childhood ALL. Problem: Although anti B-ALL chemotherapy kill B-ALL, it associates with alteration in the numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells, and thus impacts the overall immunity. Aim: To evaluate the impact of anti B-ALL on the numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells in correlation to the numbers of CD10+ B cells in B-ALL pediatric patients. Materials and Methods: Peripheral blood samples were drawn from previously diagnosed B-ALL before (n = 10 cases) and after (n = 10 cases) chemotherapy as well as from healthy controls (n = 10 cases). The numbers of CD4+, CD8+ T-cells and CD10+ B cells were measured in these samples by flow cytometry. Results: As expected, the numbers of CD10+ B-cells were increased in B-ALL patients before chemotherapy which were associated with increases in the numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. Chemotherapy of B-ALL patients, during the induction phase, induced dramatic decreases in the numbers of CD10+ B cells, which were associated with decreases in the numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. Tin spite of this alteration, the ratio of CD4/CD8 in B-ALL patients were remained similar before and after chemotherapy as compared to those in healthy controls. Conclusion: Anti B-ALL chemotherapy induces alterations in the frequencies of T-cell subsets. Given the importance of these cells in anti-tumor immunity, our data may lead to further studies to investigate the different subsets of these cells, in particular regulatory T-cells.

Journal of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 2012

Objectives: Thalassemic children with repeated blood transfusion are at higher risk of suffering ... more Objectives: Thalassemic children with repeated blood transfusion are at higher risk of suffering transfusion related infections including hepatitis B virus (HBV). HBV vaccine immunogenicity in several studies showed variable response rates. The aim of this study is to evaluate the immunogenic effect of hepatitis B vaccine in thalassemic children at different age groups.

Clinical Medicine Insights: Oncology, 2012

Objectives To detect relative frequency of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK-1) gene abnormality in... more Objectives To detect relative frequency of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK-1) gene abnormality in diffuse large cell lymphoma (DLCL) using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and correlate its presence with clinicopathological features which may be useful for choice of therapy and predict survival in newly diagnosed cases. Patients and Methods A prospective study was done between March 2004 and October 2009. Fifty patients newly diagnosed with DLCL were enrolled into the study. Immunophenotyping was done and detection of ALK-1 gene abnormalities were carried out by immunohistochemically (IHC) and FISH. Patients that proved to be ALK-1 positive were treated with standard cyclophosphamide –hydroxydaunorubicin-oncovin-prednisone (CHOP) protocol. Results All ALK +ve patients achieved complete remission (CR) vs. 93.5% CR and 6.5% partial remission (PR) for ALK –ve patients respectively. Disease free survival (DFS) at 24 months was 81.8% in the CHOP-14 group (ALK-1−) vs. 100% for t...

Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2013

Transfusion dependant patients are at a higher risk of acquiring bloodborne infections even under... more Transfusion dependant patients are at a higher risk of acquiring bloodborne infections even under conditions of safe transfusion. This study was designed to determine sero-prevalence of hepatitis C infection and possible associated risk factors in thalassaemic children. One hundred and twenty five children with β thalassaemia major (β-TM) were recruited from the Haematology/Oncology Unit, Paediatric Department, Tanta University Hospital, Egypt, between April 2010 and October 2011. Patients underwent history taking, full clinical examination, routine investigations and venous blood sampling. Serum was stored at -20°C till tested for hepatitis C (HCV Ab) and B (HBsAg) by ELISA. HCV Ab positive cases were confirmed by PCR. All patients were HBsAg negative. HCV Ab ELISA was positive in 76%, negative in 20% and equivocal in 4%. Fifty patients (40%) had positive PCR for HCV. PCR showed low viraemia in 78%, moderate viraemia in 20% and high viraemia in 2%. A positive family history of HCV, history of minor operative intervention and/or dental procedures were significantly associated with higher frequency of HCV infection in thalassaemic children, while amount and frequency of transfused blood, age at transfusion and chelation state were not. HCV infection is highly prevalent in children with β-TM in Egypt despite strict pre-transfusion blood testing. This should arouse the attention for environmental and community acquired factors. Quality management to insure infection control in minor operative procedures and adding more sensitive tests for blood screening are recommended.

International Journal of Laboratory Hematology, 2010

International Journal of Laboratory Hematology, 2010

During haematopoiesis, a complex network of differentially expressed genes controls the steady st... more During haematopoiesis, a complex network of differentially expressed genes controls the steady state of dormant multipotent haematopoietic stem cells, highly proliferating progenitor cells and differentiated mature blood cells. Alterations in the expression of genes belonging to signal transduction pathways as well as transcription factors are known to be implicated in the process of leukomogenesis (Scheijen & Griffin, 2002; Baldus et al., 2003). Many of these genes have been identified based on their involvement in chromosomal rearrangements, and aberrant expression of these genes has been linked to leukemia transformation (Downing, 2001). The characterization of these genes and their underlying pathways could potentially aid discriminating between the prognostically different subsets of acute myeloid leukemia

Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2014

Abstract Background: Acne scar is a very distressing and difficult problem for physicians and pat... more Abstract Background: Acne scar is a very distressing and difficult problem for physicians and patients. Management of cutaneous scarring from acne can be challenging and confusing. The available modalities may be effective, having considerable morbidity and long downtime. Besides, they may not have the same efficacy in different skin types or acne scar types. Objective: To evaluate the short-term safety and efficacy of autologous bone marrow (BM) stem cells (SCs) in treating atrophic acne scars. Methods: Fourteen patients with moderate to severe atrophic acne scars were included. All patients were subjected to single session of autologous BMSCs therapy. Each patient received 5 μg/kg/day granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) as a single subcutaneous dose for 2 successive days before BM aspiration. The SC-containing solution was injected under each scar intradermally. The scars of the patients were clinically assessed both qualitatively and quantitatively before and after 6 months. The patients were given a preformed questionnaire Cardiff acne disability index (CADI) before and after treatment. Results: After 6 months of the injection, there was significant improvement in the qualitative grading, quantitative grading and CADI scores. All types of scars showed significant improvement. No significant adverse effects were reported in any patient. Conclusion: Autologous BMSCs seem to be a safe and effective treatment option for the management of all types of atrophic facial acne scars.

The Egyptian Journal of Chest Diseases and Tuberculosis

© 2019 The Egyptian Journal of Chest Diseases and Tu Context Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) i... more © 2019 The Egyptian Journal of Chest Diseases and Tu Context Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a heterogeneous disease. Most patients with lung cancer present with inoperable advanced stage and cannot tolerate chemotherapy, so they need targeted therapy, with high effectiveness and less toxicity. Aim The aim of this study was to identify the genetic variations of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and mesenchyme to epithelial transition (MET) genes in patients with NSCLC and their clinical significance in such cases. Settings and design This is a cross-sectional study. Patients and methods This study was conducted in the chest department and genetic signature center, Tanta University Hospital, on 60 patients of NSCLC who underwent tumor biopsy taking and then DNA isolation, but only 20 patients could continue the study after assessment of their samples for DNA quality. TruSight NSCLC panel was used for detection of different variants in two genes (EGFR and MET). Some patients with NSCLC were subjected to anti-EGFR target therapy. Results Overall, 25% of the patients with NSCLC had EGFR mutation (60% of these mutations are exon 19 deletions, 20% had exon 21 mutation in form of single base mutation, and 20% had exon 20 insertion mutation). Moreover, 10% had MET mutation, in the form of exon 14 mutation, and 5% had both EGFR and MET mutations. Conclusion EGFR and MET are important oncogenic targets for personalized target therapy in NSCLC, so genetic and molecular testing is mandatory for NSCLC cases.

Clinical and Experimental Medicine, 2022

Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association, 2021

Background Screening of β thalassemia among close relatives is more feasible in highly prevalent ... more Background Screening of β thalassemia among close relatives is more feasible in highly prevalent countries with limited resources. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of β thalassemia carriers and iron deficiency anemia among relatives of β thalassemia patients in Mid Delta, Egypt. Methods This is a cross-sectional multi-center study conducted on 2118 relatives of patients with β thalassemia from different Egyptian governorates in the Mid Delta region. They were subjected to history taking with precise determination of geographic location, general examination, and the following investigations: complete blood counts, serum ferritin for those who showed microcytic hypochromic anemia, and high-performance liquid chromatography for those who were not diagnosed as iron deficiency anemia. Results The total prevalence of iron deficiency anemia among close relatives of confirmed β thalassemia patients in the Nile Delta region was 17.19%. The highest prevalence of iron d...

The Egyptian Journal of Bronchology, 2020

Background Cancer development is associated with deregulated microRNA (miRNA) in body fluids incl... more Background Cancer development is associated with deregulated microRNA (miRNA) in body fluids including serum, plasma, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Early diagnosis and early treatment of lung cancer improve survival and response to treatment. So, finding an easy detectable biomarker is crucially important to improve the disease outcome. So, we analyzed the differential expression of miRNA using microarray both in serum and BAL of 37 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and 30 healthy control subjects (15 non-smokers and 15 smokers). Results A total of 32 miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed in serum of NSCLC patients versus controls (13 up-regulated and 19 down-regulated), whereas 14 miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed in BAL of NSCLC patients relative to control (12 upregulated and 2 downregulated). The accuracy of MiRNAs to detect lung cancer patients versus control was 94.3% with a specificity of 97.8% and a sensitivity of 92.3%. Conclusion...

Lymphatic research and biology, 2018

Up till now, there is no satisfactory treatment for lymphedema. The aim of this study is to evalu... more Up till now, there is no satisfactory treatment for lymphedema. The aim of this study is to evaluate stem cell therapy in lymphedema. This prospective randomized study includes 40 patients with chronic lymphedema divided randomly into two groups: group I (stem cell therapy group) and group II (control group). In group I, bone marrow was aspirated and mononuclear cells were separated and then transplanted into the patients. In group II, patients compression therapy alone was applied. Group I included 20 patients (12 males and 8 females), their age ranged from 18 to 38 years with a mean age of 24.8 ± 6.39 years, whereas group II included 20 patients (10 males and 10 females), their age ranged from 18 to 36 years with a mean value of 25.6 ± 8.18 years. In group I, there was a decrease in the mean circumference at ankle after 6 months, which was statistically significant (t = 3.250, p = 0.014). This was associated with marked improvement of pain and walking ability. Whereas in group II,...

Immunopharmacology and immunotoxicology, 2018

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer diagnosed in children. The precise m... more Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer diagnosed in children. The precise mechanism behind the relapse in this disease is not clearly known. One possible mechanism could be the accumulation of immunosuppressive cells, including myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and T regulatory cells (T) which we and others have reported to mediate suppression of anti-tumor immune responses. In this study, we aimed to analyze the numbers of these cells in a population of B-ALL pediatric patients. Peripheral blood samples withdrawn from B-ALL pediatric patients (n = 45 before, during and after the induction phase of chemotherapy. Using multi parametric flow cytometric analysis. MDSCs were identified as LinHLA-DRCD33CD11b; and Tcells were defined as CD4CD25CD127. Early diagnosed B-ALL patients showed significant increases in the numbers of MDSCs and Tas compared to healthy volunteers. During induction of chemotherapy, however, the patients showed higher and lower numbers o...

Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2018

Management of alopecia areata and androgenetic alopecia is often challenging as patients may be r... more Management of alopecia areata and androgenetic alopecia is often challenging as patients may be resistant to currently available modalities of treatment. The use of stem cells may be a novel option for resistant cases. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the use of autologous bone marrow derived mononuclear cells (including stem cells) as compared to follicular stems cells for the management of resistant cases of alopecia areata and androgenetic alopecia. This study included forty patients (twenty alopecia areata patients and twenty androgenetic alopecia patients), all patients were treated with a single session of intradermal injection of autologous SCs therapy. They were divided into four groups according to the applied modality [either autologous bone marrow derived mononuclear cells (BMMCs or autologous follicular stem cells (FSC)]. Six months after stem cell therapy injection, there was a significant improvement, confirmed by immunostaining and digital dermoscopy. The mean improvement in all groups was "very good". There was no significant difference between both methods in either type of alopecia. No serious adverse events were reported. Autologous BMMCs and FSC seem to be a safe tolerable and effective treatment for the management of both resistant alopecia areata and androgenetic alopecia.

Clinical Cancer Investigation Journal, 2015

Reduction in the numbers of CD33 + myeloid population in Egyptian children with B-linage acute ly... more Reduction in the numbers of CD33 + myeloid population in Egyptian children with B-linage acute lymphoblastic leukemia and its recovery after induction of chemotherapy are diagnosed as B-cell ALL. [2,3] The most immature cells (blast cells) in BALL mainly express B-cell markers such as CD19; the typical marker of normal B-cells. [4] It is particularly involved in B-cell development, activation, and differentiation. Alterations in the intensity of CD19 which are seen in some B-cell lymphoid neoplasms including BALL enable to distinguish between reactive and neoplastic cells. [5]

Clinical Cancer Investigation Journal, 2015

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is considered as one of the most common cancer in ... more Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is considered as one of the most common cancer in pediatric malignancies. Among ALL, B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL) represents 80% to 85% of the childhood ALL. Problem: Although anti B-ALL chemotherapy kill B-ALL, it associates with alteration in the numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells, and thus impacts the overall immunity. Aim: To evaluate the impact of anti B-ALL on the numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells in correlation to the numbers of CD10+ B cells in B-ALL pediatric patients. Materials and Methods: Peripheral blood samples were drawn from previously diagnosed B-ALL before (n = 10 cases) and after (n = 10 cases) chemotherapy as well as from healthy controls (n = 10 cases). The numbers of CD4+, CD8+ T-cells and CD10+ B cells were measured in these samples by flow cytometry. Results: As expected, the numbers of CD10+ B-cells were increased in B-ALL patients before chemotherapy which were associated with increases in the numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. Chemotherapy of B-ALL patients, during the induction phase, induced dramatic decreases in the numbers of CD10+ B cells, which were associated with decreases in the numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. Tin spite of this alteration, the ratio of CD4/CD8 in B-ALL patients were remained similar before and after chemotherapy as compared to those in healthy controls. Conclusion: Anti B-ALL chemotherapy induces alterations in the frequencies of T-cell subsets. Given the importance of these cells in anti-tumor immunity, our data may lead to further studies to investigate the different subsets of these cells, in particular regulatory T-cells.

Journal of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 2012

Objectives: Thalassemic children with repeated blood transfusion are at higher risk of suffering ... more Objectives: Thalassemic children with repeated blood transfusion are at higher risk of suffering transfusion related infections including hepatitis B virus (HBV). HBV vaccine immunogenicity in several studies showed variable response rates. The aim of this study is to evaluate the immunogenic effect of hepatitis B vaccine in thalassemic children at different age groups.

Clinical Medicine Insights: Oncology, 2012

Objectives To detect relative frequency of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK-1) gene abnormality in... more Objectives To detect relative frequency of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK-1) gene abnormality in diffuse large cell lymphoma (DLCL) using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and correlate its presence with clinicopathological features which may be useful for choice of therapy and predict survival in newly diagnosed cases. Patients and Methods A prospective study was done between March 2004 and October 2009. Fifty patients newly diagnosed with DLCL were enrolled into the study. Immunophenotyping was done and detection of ALK-1 gene abnormalities were carried out by immunohistochemically (IHC) and FISH. Patients that proved to be ALK-1 positive were treated with standard cyclophosphamide –hydroxydaunorubicin-oncovin-prednisone (CHOP) protocol. Results All ALK +ve patients achieved complete remission (CR) vs. 93.5% CR and 6.5% partial remission (PR) for ALK –ve patients respectively. Disease free survival (DFS) at 24 months was 81.8% in the CHOP-14 group (ALK-1−) vs. 100% for t...

Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2013

Transfusion dependant patients are at a higher risk of acquiring bloodborne infections even under... more Transfusion dependant patients are at a higher risk of acquiring bloodborne infections even under conditions of safe transfusion. This study was designed to determine sero-prevalence of hepatitis C infection and possible associated risk factors in thalassaemic children. One hundred and twenty five children with β thalassaemia major (β-TM) were recruited from the Haematology/Oncology Unit, Paediatric Department, Tanta University Hospital, Egypt, between April 2010 and October 2011. Patients underwent history taking, full clinical examination, routine investigations and venous blood sampling. Serum was stored at -20°C till tested for hepatitis C (HCV Ab) and B (HBsAg) by ELISA. HCV Ab positive cases were confirmed by PCR. All patients were HBsAg negative. HCV Ab ELISA was positive in 76%, negative in 20% and equivocal in 4%. Fifty patients (40%) had positive PCR for HCV. PCR showed low viraemia in 78%, moderate viraemia in 20% and high viraemia in 2%. A positive family history of HCV, history of minor operative intervention and/or dental procedures were significantly associated with higher frequency of HCV infection in thalassaemic children, while amount and frequency of transfused blood, age at transfusion and chelation state were not. HCV infection is highly prevalent in children with β-TM in Egypt despite strict pre-transfusion blood testing. This should arouse the attention for environmental and community acquired factors. Quality management to insure infection control in minor operative procedures and adding more sensitive tests for blood screening are recommended.

International Journal of Laboratory Hematology, 2010

International Journal of Laboratory Hematology, 2010

During haematopoiesis, a complex network of differentially expressed genes controls the steady st... more During haematopoiesis, a complex network of differentially expressed genes controls the steady state of dormant multipotent haematopoietic stem cells, highly proliferating progenitor cells and differentiated mature blood cells. Alterations in the expression of genes belonging to signal transduction pathways as well as transcription factors are known to be implicated in the process of leukomogenesis (Scheijen & Griffin, 2002; Baldus et al., 2003). Many of these genes have been identified based on their involvement in chromosomal rearrangements, and aberrant expression of these genes has been linked to leukemia transformation (Downing, 2001). The characterization of these genes and their underlying pathways could potentially aid discriminating between the prognostically different subsets of acute myeloid leukemia

Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2014

Abstract Background: Acne scar is a very distressing and difficult problem for physicians and pat... more Abstract Background: Acne scar is a very distressing and difficult problem for physicians and patients. Management of cutaneous scarring from acne can be challenging and confusing. The available modalities may be effective, having considerable morbidity and long downtime. Besides, they may not have the same efficacy in different skin types or acne scar types. Objective: To evaluate the short-term safety and efficacy of autologous bone marrow (BM) stem cells (SCs) in treating atrophic acne scars. Methods: Fourteen patients with moderate to severe atrophic acne scars were included. All patients were subjected to single session of autologous BMSCs therapy. Each patient received 5 μg/kg/day granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) as a single subcutaneous dose for 2 successive days before BM aspiration. The SC-containing solution was injected under each scar intradermally. The scars of the patients were clinically assessed both qualitatively and quantitatively before and after 6 months. The patients were given a preformed questionnaire Cardiff acne disability index (CADI) before and after treatment. Results: After 6 months of the injection, there was significant improvement in the qualitative grading, quantitative grading and CADI scores. All types of scars showed significant improvement. No significant adverse effects were reported in any patient. Conclusion: Autologous BMSCs seem to be a safe and effective treatment option for the management of all types of atrophic facial acne scars.