Prediction of renal recovery in hydronephrotic kidneys

Urine produced by obstructed kidneys was analysed in 35 cases. In the absence of infection by urea splitting organisms, estimation of urinary pH of hydroephrotic kidneys was found to be a reliable method for determination of recovery potential. After removal of obstruction, radiological recovery was almost complete when the pH was lower than 6. Obstructed kidneys producing urine with a pH between 6-7.1 showed only partial radiological recovery after surgical correction. All kidneys that showed no function on IV urography and those found at operation to possess only a very thin shell of cortex to justify nephrectomy were found to have urinary pH near 7.3 or more, implying inability of those kidneys to acidify urine. Urinary specific gravity and sodium concentration of obstructed kidneys were not reliable in prediction of renal recovery.

Salivary amino acids and proteins in normal and malnourished Egyptian infants and young children

Amino acids and proteins in whole saliva of normal and malnourished Egyptian infants and young children were investigated. 16 amino acids, 7 of them are essential, could be detected in saliva of normal infants. Electrophoretic analysis revealed the existence of 10 protein components in saliva of either normal or malnourished infants. In oedematous cases, salivary aminoacids, particularly the essential ones, were increased as well as most of the protein components. In non-oedematous cases, the pattern was more or less normal, but in 3rd grade marasmus, amino acid and protein components of saliva were somewhat increased. The conclusion was drawn that such increase is mainly due to tissue degeneration which is more marked in oedematous than non-oedematous form of the disease.

Uric acid lithiasis in the Sudan

Fifty-seven per cent of Urinary Calculi in the Sudan contain Uric Acid, 20 per cent in the pure form and 37 per cent mixed with other constituents mainly calcium oxalate. The peak age presentation of urolithiasis is 30-40 years with more prediliction to males than females. An earlier study documented a high incidence of hyperuricaemia in Sudanese people. It is probable that "voluntary dehydration" and hyperuricaemia acting together may help in the formation of uric acid stones on the surface of which other crystals mainly calcium oxalate may be deposited to form the bigger calculi which are commonly encountered in this country.

Complications of repeated operations to control esophageal reflux (esophagogastrocutaneous and esophagogastropericardial fistulas)

Iatrogenic injury to the distal esophagus and gastric cardia with subsequent fistula formation may occur at times following repeated direct operative attempts to control reflux esophagitis. At re-operation when this problem occurs, the indirect operative procedure of Roux-en-Y diversion is a safe, effective and preferable method to control persistent reflux esophagitis.

Clinical, biochemical and histochemical studies on infants with Acrodermatitis enteropathica chronica

7 infants diseased with Acrodermatitis enteropathica and 10 normal controls were included in this study. The values of anthranilic acid glucuronide, 6- aminohippuric, anthranilic acid, N-acetyl Kneurine, Kneurine and 30 H Kneurenine, were estimated in mg/24 hours urine, both basal and after tryptophane load. In addition, histopathological and histochemical studies for lactase, succinic dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, and alpha-non-specific esterases activities were done for the intestinal mucosal biopsies. All the previous investigations were then repeated after two months treatment with 500 mg/day diiodohydroxyquinoline. The tryptophan metabolites were significantly low in the diseased infants, both basal and after tryptophan load. Moreover, the intestinal enzymes activities were altered. After 2 months treatment with diiodohydroxyquinoline the diseased infants became clinically improved, tryphtophan metabolites became normal, but the activities of the intestinal enzymes were not altered. The biochemical and histochemical findings were discussed, giving the possibility of competitive inhibition of the diiodohydroxyquinolines and the by-product 8 OH Quinololic acid resulting in more degradation of Kneurine and 3 OH Kneurenine to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide.

Absence of the alpha-thalassaemia syndromes in Egyptian Arabs

An investigation was undertaken to find the incidence of α-thalassaemia in Egypt. Blood was collected from the umbilical cords of 550 newborns and from 630 adults from central hospitals in Cairo that drain patients from all over Egypt.

Starch gel electrophoreses at both pH 8·6 and 7·0, and brilliant cresyl blue incubation revealed the absence of haemoglobins Barts and H in the blood specimens examined.

Seminal Fructose Concentration in Different Types of Azoospermia Cases

The results of biochemical and clinical investigations of a number of azoospermia cases are presented. It was found that serious testicular complaint is usually accompanied by a reduction in the volume and a disturbance in the concentration of the constituents of the accessory gland secretion.

Statistical analysis of the fructose concentration indicated that the minimum fructose average was that of the Klinefelter.