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Biomedical subjects

R Faris

Publications and source records attributed to R Faris.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Persistence of human leishmanial antibodies in an endemic area of visceral leishmaniasis in El Agamy, Egypt.

In an endemic area of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), individuals with leishmanial antibodies that reacted in the radioimmunoassay (RIA) were retested to determine duration of leishmanial antibody retention. One fourth of adults retained antibodies for at least 10 months. At least 2/3 of asymptomatic children retained leishmanial antibodies for 5 to 7 months after detection. 2/3 of children treated for VL retained leishmanial antibodies for 5 to 7 months after treatment, while 1/3 retained antibodies for over a year. These data modify conclusions that can be drawn from a single serosurvey. Since leishmanial RIA antibodies can persist in humans for at least two transmission seasons, incidence estimates require serial serosurveys.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Human cutaneous leishmaniasis in two communities in eastern Sinai, Egypt.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) (L. major) has been documented in soldiers of the Multinational Force in the Sinai as well as in visitors to the area. However, little is known about the prevalence of this disease in the local populations. We identified 2 villages in northeastern Sinai near the infected camps of the Multinational Force and, in a population-based study, measured the prevalence of CL. Populations studied included residents in 2 towns as well as a Bedouin family living on the village periphery. Leishmanial parasites were identified from smears taken from cutaneous lesions. Three of 90 residents in 1 village and 3 of 8 Bedouins had CL. None of 43 residents examined in the second town had CL. Two of 6 individuals had multiple lesions, and at least 1 had recurring ulcers. Five of the 6 affected individuals were males and the 6 represented all age groups. The 6 infected individuals came from 3 families. Infected individuals had traveled outside of the village more frequently than uninfected individuals, suggesting that transmission was more common outside of residential areas.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

The epidemiology of human visceral leishmaniasis in El Agamy (Alexandria Governorate), Egypt: serosurvey and case/control study.

In Alexandria Governorate, Egypt, 27 cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) were detected from 1982-1985 through active and passive case detection. Twenty-two were located in El Agamy, a resort town of 50,000 residents located 15 km west of the City of Alexandria. To describe the disease focus, eight areas of 100-200 households in El Agamy were mapped and censused. All individuals were examined clinically, and blood was obtained by finger stick to measure leishmanial antibodies by radioimmune assay. Two case/control studies were carried out in the mapped areas. In one study, case households were more often found near open garbage containers than were control households. In a second case/control study, houses with cases of VL or seropositive individuals were found more likely to face open areas. These results demonstrate that characteristics of houses which could increase exposure to reservoir hosts can be associated with VL or leishmanial seropositivity. This suggests that control programmes should improve garbage disposal and should focus on houses located in peripheral areas of the community.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Immunosuppressive medication associated with leishmanial antibodies in adults residing in an endemic focus of infantile visceral leishmaniasis--a case/control study.

In a focus of infantile visceral leishmaniasis in Al Agamy (Alexandria), Egypt, adults were found by radioimmune assay to have leishmanial antibodies. This finding was unexpected, and an explanation was sought. Seropositive adults and age- and sex-matched seronegative controls were interviewed to ascertain possible predisposing risk factors. Ten of 16 seropositive individuals were taking corticosteroids compared to one of 22 seronegative individuals (P = 0.0002). Two seropositive individuals (one woman and one man) were taking phenylbutazone, and two women were taking female sex hormones. The association between immunosuppressive medication and leishmanial seropositivity suggests that acquired changes in host population immunocompetence may significantly alter age-specific seroprevalence of leishmanial antibodies.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Changes in myosin isozyme distribution induced by low doses of isoproterenol.

The Ca2+-activated myosin ATPase activity in isoproterenol-induced hypertrophied left ventricle increased by 20-30% while in Goldblatt rats hypertrophy occurred with a decreased myosin ATPase activity. In non-dissociating (pyrophosphate) gel electrophoresis isoproterenol treatment showed decreased V2 and V3 myosin isozymes; at the higher dose of isoproterenol (0.5 mg/kg body weight) only V1 was present. In contrast a shift toward the V3 isozyme is present in the ventricles of Goldblatt rats. One group of rats was treated with toxic doses of digitoxin: no hypertrophy occurred but there was a disappearance of V1 and V2 isozymes and a 50% decrease in Ca2+-activated ATPase activity. Thus low doses of isoproterenol produce hypertrophy with an isozyme pattern similar to that found in young (approximately 4-6 weeks old) rats. The results with digitoxin show that shifts in the cardiac isozyme distribution can occur without hypertrophy.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1982

An epidemiologic approach to occupational health problems in Egypt.

Industrialization started in Egypt on a large scale only 20 a ago. This process resulted in a shift of a large proportion of the agricultural workers to industrial work. The health insurance for industrial workers is enforced by law for certain industrial groups. Although preplacement and periodic medical examinations should be provided for the insured groups, they are not yet properly carried out and are deficient both qualitatively and quantitatively. For a reliable view of the occupational health situation an epidemiologic approach is a must. As a start, a computer-assisted pilot plan has been developed using data of one of the periodic medical examinations for a group of miners in Egypt.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Malignant melanoma and oral contraceptive use among women in California.

Women who had used oral contraceptives, particularly long-term users, were found to have higher rates of malignant melanoma and of a past history of skin cancer than those who had never used oral contraceptives. This excess was confined to lesions of the lower limb. The association between oral contraceptive use and melanoma was noted in 3 separate sets of data, although it was statistically significant only in one. The possibility that this relationship is indirect because, for example, oral contraceptive users are more likely than never-users to be exposed to sunlight and thus to develop malignant melanoma, cannot be excluded.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

A comparative clinical evaluation of a new topical steroid 'halcinonide' and hydrocortisone in steroid-responsive dermatoses.

Fifty patients with symmetrical, bilateral lesions of psoriasis, eczematous dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, or neurodermatitis participated in a double-blind paired comparison study in which 0-1% halcinonide (in a cream formulation containing also neomycin and nystatin) was applied to the lesions on one side of the body and 1% hydrocortisone cream to those on the opposite side for two to three weeks. The number of excellent responses to therapy showed the halcinonide combination to be significantly superior (p less than 0-01) to the control cream in all diagnostic categories if considered collectively, and in psoriasis if the responses were grouped according to diagnosis. No adverse reactions occurred during the trial.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1976

A double-blind comparison of a new combination (halcinonide-neomycin-amphotericin) and active controls in cutaneous candidiasis and steroid-responsive dermatoses.

One hundred patients participated in the studies of cutaneous candidiasis and steroid-responsive dermatoses. Seventy patients with the former diagnosis were treated with either halcinonide-neomycin-amphotericin or hydrocortisone-iodochlorhydroxyquin ointment combinations on a double-blind parallel comparison basis. Similar results were obtained after both therapies. Thirty patients with symmetrical bilateral lesions of steroid-responsive dermatoses were treated with halcinonide-neomycin-amphotericin cream on the lesions on one side of the body and hydrocortisone-iodochlorhydroxyquin cream on the opposite side. A double-blind design was used in directly comparing the response to each of the two drugs. Considering the results of all dermatoses together the test combination was statistically superior to the control cream (p less than 0-05). However, while numerical superiority of good responses to the halcinonide combination was recorded in psoriasis, no statistical significance could be derived due to the limited number of cases. No side-effects occurred with any drug combination use. In the opinion of the authors halcinonide-neomycin-amphotericin cream and ointment are safe and effective in the treatment of cutaneous candiasis and steroid-responsive dermatoses.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Community diagnosis of Bancroftian filariasis.

The objective of this study was to find the best tests for efficiently estimating the true prevalence of Bancroftian filariasis in endemic areas. The study population comprised 427 people over 10 years of age in an endemic village in Egypt. Four tests were evaluated; a standardized clinical examination, night blood examinations for microfilariae (50 microL thick films and 1 mL membrane filtration), and a test for circulating filarial antigen. 191 subjects (44.75%) had at least one positive test and were considered to have filariasis. The sensitivities of clinical examination, thick films, membrane filtration and antigen testing for filariasis were 16%, 50%, 64%, and 88%, respectively. Relative to membrane filtration of night blood, the filarial antigen test had a sensitivity of 97.5%, a positive predictive power of 71%, and a negative predictive power of 99%. None of the blood tests was a sensitive indicator of clinical filariasis; 69% of clinical cases were negative in all 3 blood tests and would have been missed if clinical examinations had not been done. Therefore, we recommend a combination of clinical examination and the filarial antigen test (with optional examination for microfilariae of those with positive antigen tests) for community diagnosis of Bancroftian filariasis in endemic areas.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Efficient assessment of filariasis endemicity by screening for filarial antigenaemia in a sentinel population.

We have previously reported that a monoclonal antibody-based antigen detection assay (AD12) is sensitive and specific for Bancroftian filariasis in Egypt. The purpose of the present study was to demonstrate the use of this assay in a sentinel population as a means of efficiently screening for filariasis endemicity. Antigen testing was performed with finger-prick blood collected during the day from 743 schoolchildren (ages 11-16 years). The school draws students from 5 villages in Qalubia Governorate, 35 km north-east of Cairo, Egypt. The prevalence of filarial antigenaemia in the school was 17.2%. Antigenaemia rates in children from the 5 villages were 29, 20, 18, 17, and 10% (non-uniformity significant by chi 2 analysis, P = 0.02). These data agree with Ministry of Health rankings of relative endemicity for these villages based on prior night blood surveys. The village with the highest antigen prevalence in children was surveyed one year before the present study. Prevalence rates of antigenaemia and microfilaraemia at that time for a different sample of children aged 11-16 years were 33% and 22%, respectively. We conclude that antigen detection in schoolchildren of this age group is an efficient means of assessing filariasis endemicity in Egypt.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A polymerase chain reaction-based assay for detection of Wuchereria bancrofti in human blood and Culex pipiens.

Human blood samples and indoor-resting Culex pipiens were collected in 33 randomly selected houses from different sectors of a village in the Nile Delta of Egypt which was endemic for Wuchereria bancrofti. Blood was also collected from subjects with no history of living in filarial endemic areas. Human blood samples were divided and assessed by both membrane filtration and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Similarly, mosquito samples were assessed by both dissection and PCR. Blood pools representing each household were tested by PCR. If a pool gave a positive result, then individual blood specimens were also tested by PCR. Of the 33 houses tested, both membrane filtration and blood pools assayed by PCR identified 14 (42.4%) 'infected houses'. PCR detected parasite deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in blood pools from an additional 3 households that gave negative results by membrane filtration. Of 178 endemic blood samples tested by membrane filtration, 22 (12.3%) had microfilariae and all were individually positive by PCR. Although microfilaria counts were lower in blood collected during the day than in night-collected blood, the PCR results were consistent, regardless of time of collection. All non-endemic blood samples were negative by PCR. Among the 33 houses rested, mosquito pools assayed by PCR identified 17 (51.5%) as 'infected households'. Of these, 8 houses (47%) contained at least one microfilaraemic resident. One 'infected household' was identified by mosquito dissection. We concluded that PCR is a powerful epidemiological tool for screening villages for the prevalence of W. bancrofti. PCR detection of W. bancrofti DNA in blood-fed mosquitoes could be used initially to locate endemic areas with transmission of bancroftian filariasis. PCR detection of W. bancrofti DNA in blood collected during the day could then be used to assess W. bancrofti infection rates.

Animals↗