Combined therapy was superior in decreasing the D. folliculorum count in all groups and in reducing the mite count to the normal level in rosacea and in anterior blepharitis. On the other hand, the two regimens were comparable in reducing the mite count to the normal level in acne and peri-oral dermatitis lesions.
Cryptogenic epilepsy is a group of epilepsy syndromes where aetiology is unknown but an underlying brain disease is suspected. Increased seropositivity for Toxocara and Toxoplasma gondii have been observed in epileptic patients with sparse data about their seropositivity in cryptogenic epileptic patients. Therefore, we investigated the probable relationship between seropositivity against T. gondii and Toxocara with cryptogenic epilepsy. We examined patients who had cryptogenic epilepsy and healthy non epileptic controls for seropositivity for Toxocara and T. gondii antibodies by ELISA. Out of 132 cryptogenic epileptic patients, 80 (60.6 %) and 64 (48.5%) were seropositive for T. gondii and Toxocara immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies respectively. The seropositivity in the control group was 26 (43.3%) and 28 (46.7%) for T. gondii and Toxocara IgG respectively. We found a significant association between chronic T. gondii infection and cryptogenic epilepsy while the association between Toxocara infection and cryptogenic epilepsy was insignificant. Our findings indicate that toxoplasmosis may be a cause of cryptogenic epilepsy. We recommended both promoting health education to prevent such infection and screening children for toxoplasmosis which would help early treatment and so decreasing the incidence of epilepsy.
Background
Schistosomiasis is one of the most prevalent helminthic infections worldwide. Praziquantel (PZQ) resistance poses a possible danger to the disease’s ability to be controlled. Little is known about the role of Ziziphus spina-christi leaf extract (ZLE) in the treatment of hepatic schistosomiasis. However, no study has explored ZLE’s anti-angiogenic and anti-proliferative activity as a possible mechanism for reducing hepatic injury in this context. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of ZLE as an anti-angiogenic, and anti-proliferative agent in hamsters infected with S. mansoni.
Methods
Fifty hamsters were used and divided into 5 groups (10 hamsters each); noninfected untreated (controls), noninfected treated with ZLE, infected untreated, infected treated with PZQ- and infected treated with ZLE. Anti-angiogenic and anti-fibrotic effects of the drugs were assessed pathologically through the immunohistochemical expression of VEGF, Ki-67, and TGF β1 in liver sections. Some oxidative stress parameters were measured in hepatic homogenates (NO, GSH, GST, and SOD), and serum liver enzymes were also assessed.
Results
A significant decrease in worm burden, granuloma size, granuloma area, and numbers in the ZLE- and PZQ-treated groups compared to the infected untreated group, and the decrease in granulomas number and tissue egg load was significantly lower in PZQ treated group compared to ZLE treated group (p<0.05). ZLE exhibited significant anti-angiogenic and anti-fibrotic effects on granulomas, illustrated by significantly lower expression of VEGF and TGF-β1 than infected untreated and PZQ-treated groups. ZLE exhibits antiproliferative activity evidenced by a significant reduction of positive Ki-67 hepatocytes percentage compared to the infected untreated group. Moreover, ZLE exhibits potent antioxidant effects evidenced by a significantly lowered NO and conservation of hepatic GSH, GST, and SOD in hepatic homogenates compared to infected untreated and PZQ-treated groups (p<0.05).
Conclusion
Our results point to ZLE as a promising hepatoprotective therapeutic tool in the treatment of schistosome hepatic fibrosis as it has anti-angiogenic, anti-proliferative, anti-fibrotic, and antioxidant effects in hamsters infected with S. mansoni, providing scientific support for its use in conventional medicine.
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