Background & Objectives: Contrast media-induced nephrotoxicity is one of the most common causes of acute renal failure and promotes both increased morbidity and greater healthcare costs. several mechanisms by which contrast media induces renal injury. These include renal vasoconstriction and direct effect of the contrast agents and reactive oxygen metabolites production. L-carnitine facilitates the transfer of long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria. By this mechanism carnitine maintains low pools of fatty acid (acyl)-coenzyme a compounds, which are potentially toxic. However some of the actions of L-carnitine may be opposite to the toxic effects of contrast media. This study examined wheter administration of L-carnitine ameliorates contrast media-induced renal injury in rats.

  Methods : Fifty Sprauge-Dawley rats, weighting 140-230 gr were assigned to one of five treatment groups: group A(control) rats were given normal saline injections daily for 4 consecutive days, group B rats were given contrast media(diatrizoate meglumine) 1cc/kg/d, group C rats were given meglumine 1cc/kg/d and carnitine 200mg/kg/d, group D rats were given meglumine 1cc/kg and carnitine 80mg/kg/d, and group E rats were given carnitine 200mg/kg/d. Four days after injections, the rat were killed and their kidneys and blood samples were prepared for pathological and biochemistry examination. Histological scoring of renal cortical pathology was performed.

  Results: In rats that were given meglumine and no carnitine, renal function tend to be lower than in control group (p=0.001). Among rats injected with meglumine, those given 200mg/kg/d of L-carnitine had higher creatinine clearances at day 4 than the rats not given carnitine (p=00.04). Renal cortical histopathology changes were milder with meglumine and L-carnitine, particularly at 200mg/kg/d.

  Conclusions: In rats receiving meglumine, daily L- carnitine injections, particularly at 200 mg/kg ameliorates the severity of renal cortical proximal tubular necrosis and maintain greater renal function.

  Background & Objectives: The diagnosis�of Helicobacter pylori infection is based on invasive and non-invasive methods. The present study was carried out to evaluate the accuracy of three non-invasive and one invasive methods either separately or in combination for detection of Helicobacter pylori.

  Methods: A total of 108 dyspeptic patients older than 12 years who had not previously been treated for H. pylori infection were selected for upper GI-endoscopy. Histology was considered as a gold standard diagnostic test. Urea breath test, histologic examination and rapid urease test were done in endoscopy unit. Serology and stool anigen detection test were done in hematology unit of Nour Laboratory using ELISA Method.

  Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated. The tests results were compared using the McNemar test.

  Results: According to histologic method, 56 patients had H. pylori infection. Sensitivities and specificities were 89% and 71% for the rapid urease test, 94% and 52% for serology, 90% and 82% for the urea breath test, and 46% and 80% for the stool test respectively. The most accurate combination test was rapid urease test and urea breath test.

  Conclusion: Rapid urease test and urea breath test in combination showed excellent diagnostic reliability.

Background & objectives: Enterococci are among the normal microbial flora in human and animals digestive tract. The nosocomial pathogenicity of enterococci has emerged in recent years and has caused great concern due to developing resistance to many antimicrobial agents. The aim of this study was to investigate and identify the prevalence of VRE (vancomycin resistant enterococcus) within Enterococci isolates obtained from different parts of the hospital.

Methods: Putative Enterococci (n=120) were isolated on Membrane Filter Enterococcus Selective Agar Medium and supplemented with 2, 4 and 8 µgr/ml vancomycin in medical samples. A total isolates passed the standard biochemistry tests for the genus and species as well as their specific primers. The antibiotic susceptibility was determined by the disc diffusion method for 8 antibiotics. Microbiologically-influenced corrosion (MIC) of vancomycin was also done using Agar-dilution assay by CLSI recommendations.

Results: Results showed that 38 and 84 of the isolates were E. faecium and E.faecalis, respectively. According to antimicrobial susceptibility tests 45, 88, 103, 42, 83, 73, 54 and 95 of the isolates were resistant to vancomycin, tetracycline, gentamicin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, penicillin, ampicillin and erythromycin, respectively. MIC test on 70% of the isolates was>256 µgr/ml.

Conclusion: Despite the fact that the prevalence of VRE strains belongs to two species, E. faecium had high resistance to a broad range of antibiotics. The results of this study indicate the important role of medical samples as reservoirs of resistance elements. Early detection of VRE with their virulence trait will help in preventing the spread of vancomycin resistant enterococcus species and urgent infection control is required in hospital setting