The tunica albuginea (TA) is the outer covering of the corpora cavernosa (CCs) and corpus spongiosum (CS) of the penile shaft. The different histoanatomical patterns of the TA, as well as the mode of attachment of the ischio-/bulbo-cavernosus muscles (ICM, BCM) to the TA, were studied, aiming at elucidating their role in the mechanism of erection. Twenty-eight cadaveric specimens (18 adults, 10 neonatal deaths) were studied morphologically and histologically after staining with hematoxylin and eosin and Verhoeff-van Gieson stains. The TA consisted in 20 specimens of 2 layers: inner circular and outer longitudinal, in 6 specimens of 3 layers: inner circular, longitudinal and outer circular, and in 2 of only one longitudinal layer. The CS TA was formed of one layer of longitudinal fibers. The mode of cavernosus muscles insertion into the TA revealed 3 patterns. The conjoint BCM and ICM formed a fibrous belt over the CCs in 18 specimens, a muscular belt in 6 and no belt in 4. The functional role of the variations in the TA morphological structure is not exactly known. We hypothesize that the 3-layered TA gives more penile rigidity than the double and single layers. Considering the type of cavernosus muscles insertion into the TA, it appears that the fibrous belt exerts more CC compression than the other 2 types of insertion.

There is evidence that eosinophils are involved in inflammation in asthma, a correlation having been observed between blood eosinophil (B-EOS) count and pulmonary function. It has been suggested that eosinophils, and its product, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), can serve as markers of disease activity. This paper examines this hypothesis. B-EOS count, serum ECP level, and peak expiratory flow (PEF) were estimated in two groups of asthmatics and controls at three visits in 4 weeks. The mean B-EOS count in acute and stable asthmatic groups was higher than in controls at presentation; the difference was statistically significant (p<0.02). Similarly, mean ECP was higher in the two groups than in controls, but with no statistically significant difference. The B-EOS count and serum ECP level within the groups fell between week 0 and week 4 because of treatment. There was positive correlation between ECP and PEF and also between B-EOS and ECP and PEF. The findings reveal that blood eosinophils reflect some degree of activity in asthmatic patients in the acute and chronic state.

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Background This study aimed to measure the serum and synovial interleukin (IL)-37 levels in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients compared to patients with primary knee osteoarthritis (PKOA) and healthy controls and to detect its relation to RA disease activity. Results This cross-sectional study included 50 RA patients with a mean age of 40.24 ± 8.62 years, 50 patients with PKOA with a mean age of 56.69 ± 4.21, and 40 healthy controls with a mean age of 41.75 ± 7.38 years. The mean serum IL-37 level in the RA patients (382.6 ± 73.97 pg/ml) was statistically significantly (P < 0.001) the highest among the studied groups; however, it showed a non-significant difference between the PKOA patients (70.38 ± 27.49 pg/ml) and the healthy controls (69.97 ± 25.12 pg/ml) (P > 0.94). Both serum and synovial IL-37 levels were significantly positively correlated with disease activity scores (r = 0.92, P< 0.001 and r = 0.85, P < 0.001), tender joint counts (r = 0.83, P < 0.001 and r = 0.82, P < 0.001 ), swollen joint counts (r = 0.72, P < 0.001 and r = 0.60, P < 0.001), visual analog scale (r = 0.82, P < 0.001 and r = 0.82, P < 0.001), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r = 0.75, P < 0.001 and r = 0.65, P < 0.001), and C-reactive protein (r = 0.93, P < 0.001 and r = 0.79, P < 0.001), respectively. Conclusion Serum and synovial IL-37 were significantly elevated in the RA patients, and they were closely correlated. Being less invasive, the serum IL-37 could be a marker of disease activity and could reflect the effective disease control by drugs. Having an anti-inflammatory effect could not suggest IL-37 as the key player to control inflammation alone, but its combination with other anti-proinflammatory cytokines could be investigated.

Background Asthma is still considered a major chronic respiratory disease that affects a large number in the world. The association between COVID-19 infection and asthma was studied in different ways focusing on hospital-admitted patients. This study aimed to assess the outcome of patients with asthma and/or COVID infection in adults attending outpatient pulmonary clinic over three successive months from clinical and laboratory point of view. Patients and methods The current study was a retrospective observational study involving 898 patients attending the outpatient pulmonary clinic of a Saudi Arabian private hospital over three successive months from the 1st of December 2020 to the end of February 2021. Patients were divided into three groups: group 1—COVID-19 infected with asthma (312); group 2—COVID-19 infected with no asthma (286); and group 3—COVID-19 non-infected with asthma (300). Results and conclusions Results showed the best patient’s outcome was seen in asthmatic patients without COVID-19 infection followed by asthmatic patient with COVID-19 infection. There was a significant statistical difference in eosinophil count between COVID-19-infected patients with asthma and COVID-19 infected without asthma. Also, it was shown that the most common cause of hospitalization in asthmatic patients with COVID-19 infection was pneumonia followed by gastroenteritis and not an asthma exacerbation.

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Catheter related blood stream infection (CRBSI) is a common complication with the use of central venous catheters (CVC) in hemodialysis patients. The study was designed to evaluate the effect of implementation of surveillance cultures (SCs) on the rate of CRBSIs. Method: This prospective cohort study was done over a period of 6 months on hemodialysis patients with internal jugular vein catheters. Catheter related blood stream infection rates (BSI) were measured and compared in the 2 included groups, the study group (15 patients) and the control group (15 patients). In both groups, conventional infection prevention and control measures were applied. Patients in the study group were checked for intraluminal microbial colonization every 2 weeks by SCs. According to SCs results, patients were classified into 4 groups, then according to the group they were managed with antibiotic lock therapy (ALT) with or without systemic antibiotics. Results: Of the collected 140 SCs from the study group, 108 (77%) were negative and 32 (23%) were positive. Eighteen cases in groups 2 & 3 received ALT and 6 patients in group 4 received ALT and systemic antibiotic. SCs succeed to eliminate intraluminal microbial colonization in all positive cases except for 1 case in group 2 and 3 cases in group 4. The CRBSI rate was 2.14 per 1,000 catheter days in the study group compared to 5.57 per 1,000 catheter days in the control group (P=0.037). Conclusion: This study shows that the implementation of periodic SCs is associated with a significant reduction in the CRBSI rates in hemodialysis patients.