Abstract. The antibody isotype response to an adult Fasciola worm antigen preparation (FWAP) was examined in sera from 60 Egyptians with parasitologically confirmed fascioliasis by an ELISA. The FWAP-specific IgG1 and IgG4 antibodies were found in 97-100% of the patients. The ratio of the mean absorbance values between infected patients and healthy controls was 9.7 and 29.7 for IgG1 and IgG4 antibodies, respectively. The IgM, IgA, IgG2, and IgG3 antibodies were less dominant. In contrast to IgG1 antibodies, which were often detected in sera from patients infected with Schistosoma, Echinococcus granulosus, Ascaris lumbricoides, Ancylostoma duodenale, or Hymenolepis nana, FWAP-specific IgG4 antibodies were detected exclusively in the sera of patients with fascioliasis. The data thus support the conclusion that an IgG4/ELISA with crude FWAP as antigen may be used for sensitive and accurate immunodiagnosis of human fascioliasis.

Introduction: Malignant ascites results from imbalance between protein in the peritoneal cavity and absorption of fluids via the lymphatic system. More than twenty interleukins are known to play an important role in the protection against tumors. Materials and methods: Ascitic fluid IL1B, IL2, IL4, IL6, IL10, TNFα, and IFNγ levels were assessed in forty-five patients with liver cirrhosis and ascites as judged by histopathological and ultra-sonographic findings. They were divided into two groups according to presence of hepatic focal lesions. Ten patients with focal hepatic lesions were randomly selected and subjected to analysis of serum levels of IL2 and IL10. Results: Ascitic fluid IL-4, IL-6 and IL-10 levels were found to be significantly higher in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma than patients with cirrhosis. TNFα, and IFNγ were also found to be higher in hepatocellular carcinoma than patients with cirrhosis but with no significance. On the other hand, there was no significant difference in levels of IL1B and IL2 between the two groups. Ascitic fluid IL2 and IL10 levels were found to be higher in ascitic fluid than in serum of the same patients. Conclusion: Ascitic fluid levels of IL-4, IL-6 and IL-10 are higher in hepatocellular carcinoma patients than patients with cirrhosis alone. Levels of ascitic fluid IL2 and IL10 were proved to be a better prognostic tool than their levels in sera of the same patients. To conclude; patients with cirrhosis may be subjected to schedualed examination of ascitic fluid cytokine to predect transformation into hepatocellular carcinoma.

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For scaling up of USSCs from 106 (?) to 1012 (?) in 6 weeks, culturing of CB-derived cells of early passage (≤P3) in SCM at low cell seeding density (5 cells/cm(2) ) is suggested for increasing cell count with lower passaging frequency, followed by culture of expanded USSCs at 50 cells/cm(2) in SFM, to avoid undesirable effects of bovine serum in clinical applications.

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