Hamdy Ibrahim, Safwat Abdel Maksod, Magdy Khorshed, Hanan Rady, Ahmed Alsisi, Adel Mohamed, Nasser Fouad, Ayman Hamed, Mohamed Hosny, Alaaa Al Amir
{"title":"Successful treatment of multiple intracerebral aspergillosis with voriconazole alone in an Egyptian diabetic patient with autoimmune hemolytic anemia","authors":"Hamdy Ibrahim, Safwat Abdel Maksod, Magdy Khorshed, Hanan Rady, Ahmed Alsisi, Adel Mohamed, Nasser Fouad, Ayman Hamed, Mohamed Hosny, Alaaa Al Amir","doi":"10.1186/s43162-023-00254-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s43162-023-00254-9","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Aspergillosis is a common fungus that lives in soil and decaying vegetation. Inhalation of the spores causes infection mostly in immunocompromised patients. Invasive aspergillosis has an extremely high mortality, and a definitive diagnosis requires histopathological evidence of deep tissue invasion or positive culture; however, this evidence is often difficult to obtain due to the critical nature of the patients in these situations. The sensitivity of culture in this setting is also low. The galactomannan test is a recent antigen–antibody serologic test that depends on detecting an antigen which is a molecule found in the cell wall of aspergillus species. A positive result supports the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis. We present a case of multiple intracerebral brain abscesses in an immunosuppressed patient due to an aspergillus species diagnosed by the galactomannan test with an excellent response to the treatment with the novel voriconazole alone, without any surgical intervention, and the purpose is to alert the physicians, neurologists, and infectious disease specialists to consider the intracranial aspergillosis among the differential diagnosis of the acute onset encephalitis especially in immunocompromised patients as early diagnosis and treatment may be life-saving.","PeriodicalId":22465,"journal":{"name":"The Egyptian Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135695640","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ahmad AlShomar, Idris Sula, Waleed Al Abdulmonem, Nazmus Saquib
{"title":"Evaluation of the prevalence of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in Al-Qassim region of Saudi Arabia","authors":"Ahmad AlShomar, Idris Sula, Waleed Al Abdulmonem, Nazmus Saquib","doi":"10.1186/s43162-023-00255-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s43162-023-00255-8","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Background Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, an X-linked disorder that is more common in males, is the most prevalent blood enzyme deficiency, affecting 5% of the population worldwide. Its prevalence in Saudi Arabia varies greatly from one region to another (4.7% to 12%), and no related data are available for the country’s Al-Qassim region. Methods This was a retrospective medical record-based study. Eligible patients were those who visited Dr. Sulaiman Al-Habib Hospital in Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia, between June 2021 and November 2022, and underwent the test for G6PD enzyme deficiency. The study sample consisted of ( n = 313) randomly selected Saudi patients. G6PD enzyme activity was evaluated using spectrophotometry. Results The prevalence of G6PD deficiency was 2.9%. The proportion of male patients (100%) was significantly higher than that of female patients. 88.9% of patients with G6PD deficiency experienced episodes of acute hemolysis and reported a history of favism, whereas 77.8% of the patients had a family history of favism. Conclusion The prevalence of G6PD deficiency was low in Al-Qassim region of Saudi Arabia.","PeriodicalId":22465,"journal":{"name":"The Egyptian Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135895651","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploring the prevalence and factors associated with post-acute COVID syndrome in Egypt: a systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Ahmed Azzam, Heba Khaled","doi":"10.1186/s43162-023-00252-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s43162-023-00252-x","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Background Post-COVID-19 survivors may experience long-term symptoms known as Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS). The PCAS symptom spectrum includes a wide range of symptoms affecting different organs. The prevalence and risk factors of PACS may vary across different regions, and a meta-analysis focused on Egypt can help understand the national prevalence and unique population-specific predictors. Methods A comprehensive literature search was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines to identify studies published in Egypt that documented symptoms, signs, and post-COVID-19 outcomes in patient cohorts. The results were reported, based on the random effects model, as proportions (%) and odds ratios with 95% CI. Results A total of 16 studies with 3097 COVID-19 survivors and an age range of 3 to 94 years were included in the analysis. The pooled prevalence of COVID-19 survivors experiencing at least one persistent symptom, regardless of hospitalization status, was high at 78.3%. A total of 54 clinical symptoms or conditions were reported among the survivors. The most commonly reported symptom was fatigue, which affected approximately half of all survivors (48.1%). Bone ache or myalgia, anorexia, anxiety, dyspnea, and depression were also among the most frequently reported symptoms at 32.9%, 32.8, 31.5, 19.9, and 19.5, respectively. The pooled prevalence of Post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis (PCPF) among hospitalized Covid survivors was 40%. The study found that female sex, severe COVID, and the presence of any comorbidity were independent risk factors for PACS ( P < 0.05). Conclusion This meta-analysis of 16 studies conducted in Egypt highlights the high prevalence of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome. The high prevalence of Post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis and psychological disorders, particularly anxiety and depression, is a cause for concern. There was also a single report on post-COVID diabetes mellitus, stroke, migraine, and coagulative ocular disorders that need further investigation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic review and meta-analysis conducted at a national level to determine the prevalence and predictors of post-COVID syndrome. Larger studies with a longer follow-up period are still needed to confirm these findings and explore other potential risk factors and modifiers of the Post-COVID syndrome.","PeriodicalId":22465,"journal":{"name":"The Egyptian Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135536996","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nour Mohammed Rasheed, Howaida Attia Nounou, Soad Mohamed Eltabakh, Nahla A. M. Hamed, Ayman Ahmed Darwish
{"title":"Assessing the expression of differentiation antagonizing non-protein coding RNA (DANCR) in newly diagnosed Egyptian acute myeloid leukemia patients","authors":"Nour Mohammed Rasheed, Howaida Attia Nounou, Soad Mohamed Eltabakh, Nahla A. M. Hamed, Ayman Ahmed Darwish","doi":"10.1186/s43162-023-00251-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s43162-023-00251-y","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Background Role of Long non-coding RNAs in cancer research in the recent years have been highlighted with evidence to their involvement in cancer disease pathogenesis and progression. One of these emerging long non-coding RNAs is differentiation antagonizing non-protein coding RNA (DANCR). DANCR distinct expression in different cancers and implication in tumor signaling pathways made it a promising therapeutic target for cancer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate DANCR expression in de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients and to assess DANCR expression in relation to cytogenetics and French American British (FAB) AML classification as well as correlate DANCR expression with patients’ response to treatment. The present study included 60 newly diagnosed AML patients and 30 healthy subjects as controls. Relative DANCR expression was done using real time qPCR method. Results DANCR was significantly downregulated in AML patients compared to controls ( p = 0.038). In addition, DANCR showed significantly lower expression in M4 and M5 compared to M0, M1, and M2 groups ( p < 0.001). Furthermore, DANCR expression was significantly downregulated in cytogenetically normal AML patients compared to the controls ( p = 0.011). Conclusion Significant downregulation of DANCR in AML suggests a potential tumor suppressor role and variable expression of DANCR among AML subtypes suggests that DANCR action may be different among AML subtypes. Also, M1 subtype patients with higher DANCR expression were less refractory to treatment and therefore less resistant to cytarabine.","PeriodicalId":22465,"journal":{"name":"The Egyptian Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135152311","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hayder M. Al-kuraishy, Ali I. Al-Gareeb, Majid S. Jabir, Salim Albukhaty
{"title":"Effects of metformin on fibroblast growth factor 21 in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: faraway but so close","authors":"Hayder M. Al-kuraishy, Ali I. Al-Gareeb, Majid S. Jabir, Salim Albukhaty","doi":"10.1186/s43162-023-00238-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s43162-023-00238-9","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by insulin resistance (IR) and hyperglycemia. The development of inflammatory disorders in T2DM triggers the activation of different growth factors as a compensatory mechanism to reduce IR and adipose tissue dysfunction in T2DM. Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) which is involved in the regulation of glucose homeostasis is attractive to be a novel therapeutic target in the management of T2DM. FGF21 has poor pharmacokinetic profile as it rapidly degraded; therefore, FGF21 analogs which are more stable can be used in T2DM patients. However, FGF21 analogs are tested pre-clinically but not approved in clinical settings. Therefore, searching for anti-diabetic agents who enhance FGF21 expression is mandatory. It has been shown that metformin which used as a first-line in the management of T2DM can positively affect the expression of FGF21, though the underlying mechanisms for metformin-induced FGF21 expression are not fully elucidated. Therefore, this review from published studies aimed to find how metformin improves insulin sensitivity through FGF21-dependent pathway in T2DM. In conclusion, metformin improves FGF21 signaling in T2DM, and this could be a novel mechanism for metformin in the amelioration of glucose homeostasis and metabolic disorders in T2DM patients.","PeriodicalId":22465,"journal":{"name":"The Egyptian Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135735859","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ahmed E. Mansour, Rasha O. Abdelmoniem, Ayman M. Elbadawy, Walaa M. Ibrahim
{"title":"The utility of estimation of glomerular filtration rate by serum cystatin C as a predictor of diabetic kidney disease in both type I and type II diabetic patients: a single center study","authors":"Ahmed E. Mansour, Rasha O. Abdelmoniem, Ayman M. Elbadawy, Walaa M. Ibrahim","doi":"10.1186/s43162-023-00243-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s43162-023-00243-y","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Background Diabetic kidney disease is a major microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus and is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease all over the world. The general recommendation for the subjects with DM is to perform kidney function as screening: in T1DM, 5 years after diagnosis, and in type 2, at the time of diagnosis. The early diagnosis of diabetic kidney disease depends on the albumin excretion ratio; however, the albumin excretion ratio (AER) does not correlate with the severity and progression of the disease. Methods The subjects in this study included thirty patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and thirty patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were recruited from the outpatient clinic and inpatient in the Internal Medicine Department at Benha University Hospitals in the endocrinology unit from January 2022 to January 2023 as cases who were subground according to albuminuria into two groups (normoalbuminuria less than 30 mg/24 h urinary collection) and albuminuric group more than 30 mg/24 h urinary collection; all patients were subjected to thorough history including baseline characteristics, examination, and related laboratory investigations. Results Serum cystatin C level at a cutoff value of 82 was associated with sensitivity (81.4) and specificity (82.4), and it was negatively significantly correlated with BMI, duration of diabetes mellitus, albuminuria, blood urea, and serum creatinine, and it was positively significantly correlated with e-GFR creatinine. Conclusion Serum cystatin C can be used as an early marker of diabetic kidney disease in both type I and type II diabetic patients better than AER and serum creatinine.","PeriodicalId":22465,"journal":{"name":"The Egyptian Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135979641","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hamdy Ibrahim, Safwat Abdel Maksod, Magdy Khorshed, Ahmed Alsisi, Nasser Fouad, Hanan Rady, Alaaa Al Amir, Adel Mohamed, Mohamed Hosny
{"title":"Meningococcal meningitis, a life-threatening disease with a dangerous skin rash: two case reports","authors":"Hamdy Ibrahim, Safwat Abdel Maksod, Magdy Khorshed, Ahmed Alsisi, Nasser Fouad, Hanan Rady, Alaaa Al Amir, Adel Mohamed, Mohamed Hosny","doi":"10.1186/s43162-023-00249-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s43162-023-00249-6","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Meningococcal meningitis (MM) is a medical emergency that progresses rapidly to cause life-threatening organ failure, and a high level of suspicion is required for early diagnosis and intervention with antibiotics and fluid resuscitation. Herein, we present two cases of meningococcal meningitis in an adolescent boy and a young female child who presented with fever and rash; the purpose is to alert the emergency physicians about this life-threatening condition as early disease recognition and management is highly important for the patient’s survival.","PeriodicalId":22465,"journal":{"name":"The Egyptian Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135980476","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Uncovering the link between celiac disease and hypopituitarism: a case report and review of literature","authors":"Hameed Haidar Khan, Imran Ullah, Javeria Rufaq, Qaiser Wadood, Imad Majeed, Salman Khan","doi":"10.1186/s43162-023-00246-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s43162-023-00246-9","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":22465,"journal":{"name":"The Egyptian Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47961150","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
W. Pangkanon, N. Leelaviwat, S. Saowapa, En-Dien Liao, J. Payne
{"title":"Paraspinal myositis in a patient with COVID-19 infection: a case report","authors":"W. Pangkanon, N. Leelaviwat, S. Saowapa, En-Dien Liao, J. Payne","doi":"10.1186/s43162-023-00248-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s43162-023-00248-7","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":22465,"journal":{"name":"The Egyptian Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41712544","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Agranulocytosis: a rare complication of the thionamides","authors":"H. El-Shareif","doi":"10.1186/s43162-023-00245-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s43162-023-00245-w","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":22465,"journal":{"name":"The Egyptian Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44058532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}