Adel Attia

Fibroblast Growth Factor-23 and Hypophosphatemia in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients

Fibroblast Growth Factor-23 and Hypophosphatemia in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients Impaired serum phosphate levels may contribute to respiratory muscle weakness that further negatively impacts Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients. Recently, Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 (FGF-23) has been shown to play an important role in the regulation of body phosphate. The current study includes 2 groups: 70 COPD patients and 34 control subjects. Blood samples were taken for a panel of routine lab tests. FGF-23 was measured using a commercially available ELISA kit. Plasma FGF-23 levels were significantly higher in the patient group compared to the control group (P=0.000). Tubular maximum absorption of phosphate was significantly reduced in COPD patients compared to the control group (P=0.04). Plasma FGF-23 negatively correlated with FEV1 and serum albumin. Elevated plasma FGF-23 levels found in COPD patients correlated with disease severity and may represent an additional factor causing low serum phosphate. Faktor Rasta Fibroblasta 23 i Hipofosfatemija Kod Pacijenata sa Hroničnom Opstruktivnom Bolešću Pluća Poremećeni nivoi fosfata u serumu mogu dodatno oslabiti respiratorne mišiće, što negativno utiče na pacijente sa hroničnom opstruktivnom bolešću pluća (HOBP). Nedavno je pokazano da faktor rasta fibroblasta 23 (FGF-23) ima važnu ulogu u regulisanju nivoa fosfata u telu. Ova studija obuhvatila je dve grupe: 70 pacijenata sa HOBP i 34 kontrolna subjekta. Uzeti su uzorci krvi za panel rutinskih laboratorijskih testova. FGF-23 meren je pomoću komercijalnih ELISA testova. Nivoi FGF-23 u plazmi bili su značajno viši u grupi pacijenata nego u kontrolnoj grupi (P=0,000). Maksimalna tubularna apsorpcija fosfata bila je značajno snižena kod pacijenata sa HOBP u poređenju sa kontrolnom grupom (P=0,04). FGF-23 u plazmi bio je u negativnoj korelaciji sa FEV1 i albuminom u serumu. Povišeni nivoi FGF-23 u plazmi kod obolelih od HOBP u korelaciji su sa stadijumom oboljenja i možda predstavljaju dodatni faktor odgovoran za nizak nivo fosfata u serumu.

Effects of feeding sugar beet pulp and Avizyme supplementation on performance, egg quality, nutrient digestion and nitrogen balance of laying Japanese quail

The major goals of this study were to determine the impact of sugar beet pulp (SBP) levels and Avizyme® 1500 (xylanase, protease and amylase) enzyme addition on productive and reproductive performance as well as egg quality, apparent digestibility of nutrients and nitrogen (N) balance in laying Japanese quail between 12 and 20 weeks of age. The experimental design consisted of a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement with three levels of SBP (0, 20 and 40 g kg−1 diet) and three concentrations of Avizyme (0, 1 and 2 g kg−1 diet). There were no differences in feed consumption, feed conversion ratio, egg number, egg weight nor egg mass caused by the treatment. Final body weight was significantly (P ≤ 0.01) decreased by increasing SBP levels. Increasing SBP level from 20 to 40 g kg−1 in the diet of laying quails led to significant reduction in fertility percentage by 2.67 and 7.01 and 4.60% during periods 12–16, 16–20 and 12–20 weeks of age, respectively. Hatchability percentages (from fertile eggs) elevated gradually with decreasing SBP levels in the diets during the whole period. Different levels of SBP and Avizyme, or their interaction, insignificantly affected the external and internal egg quality of the laying quails during the overall experimental period (12–20 weeks of age). Meanwhile, the different levels of SBP had a significant effect on all the digestion coefficients of the nutrients except for the N digestibility. The N consumption (g d−1), N in egg (g d−1), N excretion (g d−1), N faecal, N intake and N retention were not significantly affected neither by SBP inclusion nor by Avizyme supplementation. The overall results indicated that inclusion of SBP and Avizyme in quail diets did not affect productive performance, egg quality criteria and nitrogen balance but reproductive parameters and digestibility of the nutrient statistically decreased with increasing SBP up to 40 g kg−1 diet throughout the overall period (12–20 weeks of age).

Impacts of distiller’s dried grains with solubles as replacement of soybean meal plus vitamin E supplementation on production, egg quality and blood chemistry of laying hens

Abstract The present investigation aimed to study the effect of the partial replacement of distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) instead of soybean meal (SBM) with or without vitamin E supplementation in laying hen diet on egg quality criteria, egg analysis, blood chemistry and productive performance traits. A 4×2 factorial design experiment was carried out involving four substitution levels of DDGS (0, 25, 50 and 75%) and two levels of vitamin E (0 and 250 mg /kg diet) through 22-42 weeks of age. No significant differences were noticed between the control and 25 or 50% DDGS substitution in the percentage of eggs produced and egg output. The fewest number of produced eggs and the lightest egg output were observed in 75% DDGS group. Yolk index, shell percentage, and Haugh unit scores were affected (P>0.01) by DDGS levels. Albumin percentage showed increase (P>0.01) in vitamin E treated groups. The impact of the combination of DDGS and vitamin E was significant (P>0.01) on all egg quality traits excepting shell percentage. The 75% DDGS diet gave the highest values of egg nutrients. Vitamin E had a positive effect on egg crude protein, ether extract, and nitrogen free extract which increased by 10.39, 10.28 and 7.85%, respectively. The combination of vitamin E addition and DDGS levels was highly significant (P>0.01) on all egg nutrients. Hens fed the 50% DDGS diet had more concentrations of lipids profile in their blood than those fed control and other DDGS diets. All serum lipid profile inclined to increase due to vitamin E supplementation. The interaction between DDGS and vitamin E had significant (P>0.05 or 0.01) influence on all serum metabolites excepting calcium. It could be concluded that vitamin E could enhance nutrient content of eggs and preserve blood lipids from lipid peroxidation. The interaction between 75% DDGS replaced SBM with 200 mg vitamin E/kg diet accomplished the best results regarding nutrient content of eggs.

Utility of Total Desmosine as Biomarker for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients

Matrix degradation is a key feature of COPD, leading to lung destruction, emphysema and impaired pulmonary function. Desmosine and isodesmosine are elastin-derived cross linked amino acids whose urine levels are considered representative of elastin breakdown. However, there is a lack of biomarkers to measure disease activity and disease progression in COPD. Aim: This study was done to determine the utility of urine and blood desmosine as a biomarker in diagnosis of COPD patients and to evaluate their relationship with lung function parameters. Methods: The urine and blood desmosine levels were measured using validated isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry methods in 151 subjects including 101 COPD patients and 50 healthy control subjects. Results: The COPD patients had higher levels of u-desmosine and b-desmosine compared with healthy smokers and non-smokers. There was statistically significant difference in the mean levels of u-desmosine and b-desmosine between the different severity groups of the COPD patients. After adjustments for age, sex, and BMI; the concentrations of u-desmosine and b-desmosine were significantly correlated with FEV1s% and DLCO% (p<0.05) among the COPD patients. The elevation of b-desmosine levels above cutoff of 0.30 ng/ml was not specific for COPD and was found in 69% of all COPD patients. This cutoff value had a diagnostic sensitivity of 71% and specificity of 53%. Conclusions: This study has demonstrated that both u-DES and b-DES levels were significantly elevated among COPD patients. Also, u-DES or b-DES levels are correlated with COPD severity and some lung function parameters.

Mediastinal endodermal sinus tumor associated with fatal hemophagocytic syndrome.

The association of endodermal sinus tumor, known also as yolk sac tumor, of the mediastinum with hemophagocytic syndrome is exceedingly rare with only a few cases on record. We report a 24-year-old male who had a large mediastinal germ cell tumor, proven to be an endodermal sinus tumor on biopsy. The patient developed pancytopenia and coagulopathy related to associated hemophagocytic syndrome, with a fatal outcome. A brief review of the relevant literature is presented as well.

Malignant Rhabdoid Tumor of the Lung in the Young Adult: A Case Report

Malignant rhabdoid tumor (MRT) is one of the most aggressive and lethal malignancies in pediatric oncology. Malignant rhabdoid tumor was initially described in 1978 as a rhabdomyosarcomatoid variant of a Wilms tumor because of its occurrence in the kidney and because of the resemblance of its cells to rhabdomyoblasts. The absence of muscular differentiation led Haas and colleagues to coin the term rhabdoid tumor of the kidney in 1981, Haas et al..

Multimodality Management of Extensive Tuberculous Bullous Disease of Lung With Bilateral Pneumothorax

Diffuse bullous disease of the lung in miliary tuberculosis associated with bilateral pneumothorax is a rare entity with grave prognosis. We describe the case of a 24-year-old woman in her first trimester of pregnancy with extensive bilateral pulmonary infiltrates as seen on computed tomographic scan of the lung. She had simultaneous bilateral pneumothorax that was managed with antituberculous therapy, steroids, and surgery for failure of lung expansion.

The impacts of dietary Nigella sativa meal and Avizyme on growth, nutrient digestibility and blood metabolites of meat-type quail

The present study was performed to evaluate the effect of varying proportion of Nigella sativa meal (NSM) in the diets with or without Avizyme supplementation on growing Japanese quail performance. A 4 × 2 factorial experiment was conducted including four levels of NSM (0%, 10%, 15% and 20% of the diet) and two levels of dietary Avizyme supplementation (0 or 0.5 g/kg diet) through the growing period (1–6 weeks of age). A total number of 600 unsexed 1-week-old Japanese quail chicks were randomly distributed into eight treatment groups. The effects of NSM inclusion levels were highly significant (P < 0.01) on the values of live bodyweight, daily bodyweight gain and daily feed intake at all periods studied. The incorporation of 10% NSM of the diet recorded the best values of live bodyweight and daily bodyweight gain compared with the Control and other NSM levels. Quail fed diets contained 10% or 15% NSM had higher (P < 0.01) daily feed intake than those in the Control, but feed conversion ratio was not statistically affected at all studied ages. All carcass traits studied were significantly (P < 0.01) affected by feeding the NSM diet. The digestion coefficients of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, ether extract and nitrogen-free extract were significantly (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05) increased in chicks fed diets containing 10% NSM as compared with the Control. Quail fed diets including 10% or 15% NSM had increased serum concentrations of total protein, albumin and a higher A : G ratio. All serum lipid constituents except high density lipoprotein were at lower (P < 0.01) concentrations in blood serum of quail fed diets containing NSM. Using NSM at level of 20% of the diet had a negative impact on growth, carcass characteristics, and nutrient digestibility. Neither Avizyme supplementation alone nor the interaction between NSM and Avizyme had any statistically impact on all studied parameters. It can be concluded that NSM could be included in growing quail diets up to 15% without any Avizyme supplementation to support growth performance and feed utilisation, however higher NSM levels negatively affected performance, carcass traits and nutrient digestibility.