Investigate the Presence of HBV Surface Antigen in Pregnant Women, Cairo City in Egypt

Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver, and hepatitis B is a common and dangerous liver disease caused by the Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) of the DNA hepadnavirus family. In 2010, the World Health Organization (WHO) considered hepatitis B infection a major health problem worldwide. One way of transmitting this disease is a transmission from a carrier mother to a child. This study aimed to investigate the presence of HBV surface antigen in pregnant women referred to Kasra Al-Aini Hospital in Cairo. This study was a cross-sectional descriptive study that was performed on pregnant women. One thousand pregnant women were selected with their consent to participate in this study, and after preparing a blood sample, an Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay kit, used for Hepatitis B Virus surface antigen detection, a questionnaire containing questions about socio-individual characteristics. Among 1000 samples, 13 samples were equal to 1.3% had HBsAg positive. No significant relationship was found between the prevalence of HBs Ag in the city and rural location, education, occupation, age, and history of abortion in pregnant women. History of dialysis in pregnant women, tattooing, and type of job of the pregnant woman was not considered risk factors. However, injection drug users, history of previous surgery, and blood transfusion can be considered suspicious factors (P≤0.05). The prevalence of hepatitis B infection in pregnant women in Cairo was 1.3, which is lower than the study statistics in most parts of the world. However, to evaluate this amount more accurately, there is a need to conduct a study with a higher sample size.

Pathological, Immunological, and Hematological Parameters Associated with Experimental Infection of Citrobacter Freundii in Rabbits

Citrobacter freundii is one of the most important nosocomial opportunistic pathogens, which causes sepsis, as well as different gross and histopathological lesions in various internal organs in humans and animals, especially dogs and fish. This study aimed to investigate the hematological parameters, immunological responses, and pathological effects of the infection induced by the virulent strain of C. freundii on rabbits. A total of 42 rabbits (local breed; male and female), with a mean weight of 1.5-2 kg, were housed under controlled environmental conditions (20±2°C, 14:10 h light: dark cycle) and allowed ad libitum access to food and water. After two weeks of adaption, the rabbits were divided randomly into three groups of 14 animals per group. Group one (G1) received 3×10⁸ CFU/ml of the virulent isolate (intraperitoneally [IP]) of C. freundii. Group two (G2) was injected subcutaneously (SC) with 3×10⁸ CFU/ml of the virulent strain of C. freundii, while group three was IP injected with phosphate buffer saline and considered a negative control group. Results showed the variable gross pathological effects which included hemorrhage, edema, and congestion of visceral organs. Furthermore, the microscopic lesions showed pneumonia due to inflammatory cells infiltration, mainly neutrophils, macrophages, plasmacytes, and lymphocytes, severe interstitial and intra-alveolar edema, extensive pulmonary hemorrhage, emphysema, and atelectasis. The recorded data from the liver samples revealed hepatitis which was characterized by perivascular and periportal leukocyte cuffing, marked centrilobular with periportal necrosis, extensive hepatic edema, and periportal edema in addition to extensive fibrosis in interlobular septa and periportal fibrosis with severe interstitial hemorrhage. In the kidneys, there were severe renal edema, mixed inflammatory exudation, mainly neutrophils, macrophages, plasmacytes, lymphocytes, fibroblast infiltration in renal parenchyma and renal cortex, extensive renal hemorrhage, edema, as well as fibrosis and severe renal tubular necrosis. In addition, enteritis appeared in the intestine with mucosal edema, especially in lamina propria; moreover, necrosis of entire villi, epithelial necrosis, mucosal and submucosal hemorrhage, and fibrosis were observed. The present study revealed a significant increase in total leukocytes count and the concentration of TNF-α in the infected groups. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is considered the first attempt aimed to detect the pathological effects of C. freundii on visceral organs in rabbits. It is concluded that this bacterium could induce a significant pathological, hematological, and immunological changes in the infected animals.