ABOUT US

Field of Research:

Pathology research aims to clarify the underlying pathogenesis and etiology of various endemic diseases prevalent in our country mainly affecting different body systems and organs (as GIT, liver, genito-urinary system). The strategy thus contributes in clarifying pathogenesis and establishing diagnosis of diseases as well as offering follow up for prognosis and guiding treatment and therapeutic strategies in many diseased cases. The pathological evaluation is the end station upon which therapy is dependant and planned. The strategy aims also at:

1-    Prediction of early neoplasia as well as exploring chromosomal and gene aberrations associated with different diseases using specific molecular pathology techniques.

2-    Establishing a standardized pathological evaluation for future organ transplantation including kidney and liver transplantation.

3-    Stem cell research: Establishing standardized tissue evaluation for proper tracing of the different transplanted types of stem cells (autologus bone marrow, umbilical cord blood) into their targeted diseased organs and to find out their differentiation in both tissue cultures and transplanted organs.

 Main Achievements:

1- The pathogenic characteristics of hepatic schistosomiasis from early acute to chronic stages that got complicated by hepatic fibrosis were studied with the following achievements:

(1) Defining and immunolocalization of different hepatic collagens and (non collagenous glycoproteins with the conclusion that the reversible collagen type III is the first collagen type deposited in early granulomatous lesion followed by the other irreversible types.

(2) Detecting the distribution of different immuno-globulins within schistosomal granuloma.

(3) Semiquantitation of hepatic collagenous content which helped in judging efficacy of tested antifibrotic drugs.

2- Pathological evaluation of the efficacy as well as the toxic and side effects of many chemotherapeutic drugs

a- Antischistosomal drugs

b- Anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic chemotherapeutic agents

c- Anti-oxidants

3- Detection of hidden schistosomal infection on tissue sections.

4-Experimental studies on vaccination against Shistosoma mansoni infection

5-Experimental studies on hepatic regeneration following partial hepatectomy, ischemic reperfusion injury, extra hepatic vascular occlusion (hepatic artery or portal vein occlusion), or toxaemia in bilharzial and non bilharzial liver to assess efficient procedure to enhance hepatic regeneration after partial hepatectomy for focal hepatic lesions.

6- Pathology research topics on chronic viral hepatitis focus on clarifying the etiological factors, scoring of necro-inflammatory activity and stages of fibrosis, localization of different tissue markers involved in its pathogenesis, and prediction of progress into cirrhosis or its complication to precancerous or hepatocellular carcinoma with the following achievements:-

• Detection of HCV RNA and HBV DNA in hepatic tissue by in-situ hybridization technique, with sensitivity of 52.6% and 27.3%, and specificity of 97.5% and 96.6% for HCV and HBV affection.

• Immunohistochemical localization of tissue markers as:

1)    Inflammation associated markers as CD3, CD20, myeloperoxidase, ICAM, COX-2, iNOS, CK18. It was found that their increased tissue expression correlated with grade of disease activity and stage of fibrosis.

2)    Apoptotic markers

3)    Antiapoptotic markers as Bcl2.

4)    Natural killer cell markers

5)    Hepatic stellate cell activation markers

6)    Growth factors as transforming growth factor beta 1, basic fibroblast growth factor.

7)    Angiogenic markers

8)    Proliferation markers

9)    Mitogenic markers

10)           Oncogenic markers

11)           Histone mRNA by in-situ hybridization with the conclusion that its altered hepatic expression may be useful for early prediction of tumorgenic changes.

7-    DNA assessment and morphometrical measurements of hepatocytes in different hepatic lesions for early detection of dysplasia and neoplasia using Image Analysis System.

8-    Experimental studies on stem cell culture and implantation.

9-Urinary schistosomal pathogenesis and its possible consequence malignancy development:

(1) Immunohistochemical localization of tissue markers .

(2) Study of ABH and lewis blood group antigens modulated expression in saliva, sera, and bladder tissue in patients with schistosomal associated cancer bladder.

(3) DNA assessment and morphometrical measurements of bladder urothelium in schistosomal bladder lesions for early detection of dysplasia and neoplasia using Image Analysis System.

(4) Detecting role of human papilloma viruses (HPV types 6/11, 16/18, and 52) in schistosomal bladder carcinogenesis by in situ Hypridization (ISH) techniques.

(5) Detection of shedded aneuploid urothelial cells (have abnormal DNA content) in urine samples using Image Analysis System to be applied being non invasive easily applicable valuable procedure for early diagnosis of neoplasia.