BACKGROUND: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the common complications that occur during pregnancy. Early intervention is essential to prevent the development of the disease in the nonpregnant state but also helpful in preventing the occurrence of GDM. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of aerobic exercises on insulin sensitivity and fasting plasma glucose level in pregnant women with risk for gestational diabetes mellitus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty multigravidae women between 20-24 weeks of gestation with risk for GDM were randomly selected (age range was 25-35 years), body mass index ranged from 30-35 kg/m². Women were divided into two equal groups: intervention group (A), which followed an aerobic exercise program in the form of walking on treadmill, three times weekly until the end of 37 weeks of gestation in addition to diet control. Control group (B) which received diet control with usual care given by obstetricians and midwives. Evaluation of the women in both groups was carried out before and after treatment program through assessment of fasting blood glucose and insulin levels. RESULTS: There was a highly statistically significance decrease in fasting blood glucose level, fasting insulin level in both groups where the p value was 0.0001 favoring group (A). CONCLUSION: Moderate intensity of aerobic exercises were effective in reducing fasting blood glucose level and fasting insulin level in pregnant women with risk for gestational diabetes mellitus.

Background and aim of the work : Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of mortality in men and women. Acute coronary syndrome (ACS), is a major reason for hospitalization in our country. The great majority of ACS patients have at least one major risk factor. Dyslipidemia has been identified as one of the most important modifiable risk factors for CAD. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and pattern of dyslipidemia , its relation to other modifiable risk factors in patients admitted with ACS to Medical ICU in Zagazig University Hospital, Egypt within a period of 11 months. Subjects and methods : The study included two groups; group one included 150 patients with ACS classified according to clinical presentation, the findings on the admission electrocardiogram (ECG) and the results of serial cardiac troponin levels, into myocardial infarction(MI), either ST-elevation or non ST-elevation MI, and unstable angina(UA) subgroups. The other group included 20 healthy subjects as controls. All subjects participated in this study were subjected to history, clinical examination routine investigations, lipid profile including total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL), low desity lipoprotein (LDL) and triglycerides (TG) and lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)]. Cardiac troponin and 12 leads ECGs were performed for diagnosis and follow up of the patients. Results: In patients with ACS, high levels of TC (> 200 mg/dl) were found in 60.67% ,high levels of LDL (> 130 mg/dl) were found in 58%, high levels of TG (> 150 mg/dl) were found in 63.33% and high levels of Lp(a) (> 30 mg/dl) were found in 62%, however, low levels of HDL (< 40 mg/dl) were found in 66%. There was a statistically significant elevation in TC, LDL, TG and Lp(a) serum levels in patients with ACS compared to control subjects (p<0.05) while the HDL was significantly low in ACS patient compared to control subjects (p <0.05). TC/HDL > 5 and TG/HDL > 4 were significantly higher in patients with ACS than controls. There was no significant difference between MI and UA patients regarding all lipid profile parameters. TC, LDL, TG and [Lp(a)] were significantly higher in males than in females while HDL was significantly higher in females compared to males. Also TC/HDL and TG/HDL ratios were sigificanly higher in males compared to females. All lipid components were significantly more prevalent in males than in females except TG where there was no significant difference between males and females The Lp(a) values were significantly elevated in diabetic and in smoker patients with ACS (p<0.05) while the high values in hypertensive patients were insignificant (p=0.167). Stepwise regression analysis of lipid parameters revealed that TC/HDL and TG/HDL ratios were independant risk factors for ACS. Conclution: Dyslipidemia is one the major risk factors which is widely prevalent in patients with ACS and is more prevalent in males than in females. High Lp (a) is widely prevalent amoung patients with ACS. specially those with diabetes mellitus and smokers...

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The aim of this study was to determine whether detection of prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) expression in BPH might be associated with the subsequent presence of Prostate cancer (PCa) and also to determine whether detection of PSCA expression has potential for prognosis in PCa. This study was comprised of 112 PCa patients, 111 BPH patients and 120 control subjects. We employed reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect PSCA mRNA-bearing cells in peripheral blood. PSCA mRNA was detected in the peripheral blood of 71.4% PCa patients and in 13.5% of patients with BPH by RT-PCR. PSCA was positive in 80% of high-grade diseases compared with 20% of low-grade diseases (P = 0.01). Whereas only 38.8% of prostate-confined diseases were PSCA positive, 61.2% of extraprostatic diseases were PSCA positive (P < 0.001). Patients with a lymphovascular invasion of tumor emboli tended to be PSCA positive (P = 0.02). BPH patients with RT-PCR PSCA positive were significantly more likely to develop prostate cancer (OR = 16, 95% CI = 8.1-31.6, P < 0.001). In conclusion, RT-PCR PSCA positivity is significantly associated with the Gleason score, LV tumor emboli and whether or not the tumor was organ confined. In this study, RT-PCR PSCA detection may be a promising tumor marker of diagnostic and metastasis detection for patients with prostate cancer. Also, it may be an important test for predicting BPH patients who are at high risk of subsequent cancer development.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), an inducible isoform of cyclooxygenase, has been reported to be correlated with tumorigenesis, tumor progression, and metastasis. We aimed to evaluate the association between COX-2 (rs2745557) polymorphism and prostate cancer (PCa), benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) risk. We also assessed the influence of other risk factors such as obesity, smoking, diabetes in modulating the risk of PCa in Egyptian men. COX-2 (rs2745557) was genotyped in 112 PC patients, 111 BPH and 120 subjects as a control group. COX-2 and PSA levels were measured by ELISA. We found that GG genotype was associated with a 17-fold increased risk for PCa and 20-fold increased the risk for BPH more than AA genotype. Also, G allele carriers of COX-2 were associated with metastatic cancer (OR = 1.3, P < 0.05) and disease aggressiveness (OR = 3.5, P < 0.001). The coexistence of obesity, smoking, or diabetes with GG genotype may lead to increasing the risk of developing BPH (OR = 3.3, 4, and 2.7, respectively) and of developing PCa (OR = 2.9, 4.9, and 3.2, respectively). Our results showed evidence suggesting the involvement of the COX-2 (rs2745557) polymorphism and its protein in PCa or BPH initiation and progression. Also, the coexistence of COX-2 (rs2745557) and obesity, smoking, or diabetes may lead to the development of PCa or BPH.