IntroductionLimited data is available regarding the clinical manifestations and pattern of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) in Sudan. This study aimed to determine the clinical manifestations and Antinuclear Antibodies (ANA) profile among Sudanese adults with SLE and lupus nephritis (LN).MethodsA descriptive study was conducted in Omdurman Military Hospital, Sudan. It included all adults with SLE and on regular follow-up during the study period (December 2012 to May 2013). These were investigated regarding their demographic details, clinical features, and immunological profile (ANA, anti-double stranded DNA, and ANA profile 3 levels). Patients with LN had their pattern of renal involvement described; furthermore, associations between the various SLE reactive antibodies and the histological diagnosis of lupus were studied.ResultsSixty-two Sudanese adults with SLE were included, their mean age was 31 ± 10.9 year. Females made 93.5% of patients. A clear predominance of those of Arab ancestry was seen, with most patients being from the Ja'alin and Shaigiya ethnic groups accounting for 29% and 12.9%, respectively. Arthritis was the dominant clinical manifestation seen in 85.5%, whereas renal involvement was seen in 66.1% of patients. Lupus nephritis class III was the dominant histological lesion, seen in 39% of patients. On correlating the ANA profile to the histopathological diagnosis of LN, anti-Nucleosomes and anti-AMA-M2 autoantibodies were found to be significantly associated with LN class IV and class VI, respectively (P values < 0.05).ConclusionFurther epidemiological studies regarding SLE and its ANA profile remain essential as they might help predicting the clinical patterns of the disease and its prognosis.

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Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is the most toxic mycotoxin that was proven to be deleterious to human and several animal species. Current work aimed at evaluating the sex-based differential hepatic genotoxic effect and the antioxidant activity as implications of subchronic aflatoxicosis B1. Albino rats were used that comprised two equal AFB1treated groups with AFB1 contaminated olive oil (50µg/kg) and a control group for each gender that received the vehicle only. Parts of animals' livers were homogenized for gene expression assessment using quantitative RT-PCR and antioxidant activity analyses. Caspase-3 immunohistopathological examination was concomitantly undertaken. Results showed that AFB1 induced significant overexpression in cell cycle proliferation (ODC1), apoptosis (Aen), and antioxidant heme oxygenase (Hmox) genes in males alongside Bax (Bcl2-associated protein) under-expression. Meanwhile, female rats showed significant overexpression for (Hmox) and under-expression of Bax and Tnf (Tumor necrosis factor). Concomitant total hepatic antioxidant activity of liver homogenates showed a reduction in males, contrasting females. Degenerate vacuolated hepatocytes, polymorphic nuclei, cellular infiltration with concomitant Caspase-3 positive cells were profound findings in male rats. Hence, AFB1 is deferentially genotoxic at the given dose especially to male rats towards carcinogenicity, oxidative stress and apoptosis compared to a brief but compensated oxidative stress in females.

Background: This work aimed to study nitroglycerin effect through inhalation route on pulmonary hemodynamics in children complaining from pulmonary hypertension associated withs noncyanotic congenital heart defects candidate for diagnostic cardiac catheterization. Methods: This prospective study had been carried out in Cardiac CatheterizationCentre at El-Shatby Pediatric Alexandria University Hospital after approval of the medical ethical committee. Each parent had received verbal and plain language written explanation of the research protocol and informed consent had been taken from their parents. Eighteen children below twelve years old complaining noncyanotic congenital heart defects and left to right shunt with pulmonary hypertension who required diagnostic cardiac catheterization had participated Medicine Updates Faculty of medicine October 2020,volume 3, issue 3 https://muj.journals.ekb.eg

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