Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) are used by some athletes to enhance performance despite the health risk they may pose in some persons. This work was carried out to evaluate the possible structural and functional alterations in the heart using two-dimensional, M-mode, tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and strain rate imaging (SRI) in athletes using supraphysiological doses of AAS. Additionally, the histological and ultrastructural changes in cardiac muscles of adult albino rats after injection of sustanon, as an example of AAS, were studied. Fifteen male bodybuilders using anabolic steroids constituted group 1, five male bodybuilders who are not using anabolic steroids constituted group 2, and five nonathletic males constituted negative control group (group 3). They were investigated by two-dimensional, M-mode, TDI and SRI. This study was performed on 30 adult albino rats. They were divided into two groups. Group I (Control group) (10) was subdivided into negative control, subgroup 1a (5), and subgroup 1b (5), which received 0.8 ml olive oil intramuscular once a week for 8 weeks. Group II (Experimental group) (20) received sustanon 10 mg/kg intramuscularly once a week for 8 weeks. The heart specimens were prepared for light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Echocardiographic results showed that bodybuilders who use steroids have smaller left ventricular dimension with thicker walls, impaired diastolic function, as well as higher peak systolic strain rate in steroid-using bodybuilders as compared to the other two groups. Light microscopy examination of cardiac muscle fibers showed focal areas of degeneration with loss of striations and vacuolation in the experimental group. Ultrastructural examination showed disturbance of the banding pattern of the cardiac muscle fiber with disintegration, loss of striations, dehiscent intercalated disc, and interrupted Z-bands. Administration of supraphysiological doses of AAS caused severe deleterious effects in the myocardium both in athletes and in experimental animals. The SRI shows promise in the early detection of systolic dysfunction in those athletes who use steroids.

The immune and hematological systems can be a target for environmental contaminants with potential adverse effects, so the purpose of this study is to provide documentation on immunotoxicity and hematotoxicity of tetrachloroethylene, which is widely used in dry cleaning in Egypt. This study was carried out on 80 adult males. Subjects designated as controls (n = 40) were healthy persons and others were tetrachloroethylene-exposed dry-cleaning workers (n = 40). The controls and tetrachloroethylene-exposed workers were then divided into four equal groups (20 individuals/group): group I, control group never smoking; group II, smoking control group; and groups III and IV, tetrachloroethylene-exposed nonsmoking and smoking workers, respectively. Blood level of tetrachloroethylene, complete blood count, immunoglobulins (IgA, IgM, IgG, and IgE), the total numbers of white blood cells (WBC), and leukocyte differential counts, as well as interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-4 (IL-4), were measured. The immunotoxicity of tetrachloroethylene appeared in the form of an increase in serum immunoglobulin E in nonsmoking and smoking tetrachloroethylene-exposed workers, while the serum immunoglobulins A, M, and G levels showed no significant change in all studied groups. In addition, our results demonstrated a significant increase in white cell count, lymphocytes, natural killer (NK; CD3+CD16CD56+) cells, and B (CD19+) lymphocytes. The increase in WBC and lymphocytes may be attributed to allergic reaction. Moreover, serum and lymphocytic interlukin-4 levels were significantly increased in nonsmoking and smoking tetrachloroethylene-exposed workers. Tetrachloroethylene exposure is associated with immunotoxicity, which may lead to the augmentation of allergic diseases or appearance of autoimmune reaction.

No abstract

In the last decade, the number of unidentified cadavers and cases lacking age documentation and therefore requiring age determination has increased. Dental age determination still represents today the most sensitive mean. In the age span of 15-26 years of age the wisdom teeth represent the only teeth still in development and thereby very important for dental age assessment. So, the aim of the present investigation was to detect the chronological age of an individual based on the dental developmental stages of third molars proposed by Demirjian et al. (1973). In this study 380 orthopantomograms of Egyptian patients (214 males and 166 females) with known age and sex were selected for the study. Patients' age ranged from 8 to 26 years. X rays were examined by the second author (N.A.A.), the developmental stage of third molars in both upper and lower arches were detected using method of Demirjian et al. (1973). Data were gathered and SPSS was used for statistical processing. The mean values and standard deviation (SD+) were determined for the ages of respective mineralization stages of each of the four wisdom teeth. Further statistical analysis was performed in order to obtain multiple regression formulae for dental age calculation. The results showed that the mean age at early developmental stages (A-D) was lower in males than in females in all wisdom teeth .On the other hand, the stages from E-G there was earlier development in females in maxillary molars but it was earlier in males in mandibular molars. The full eruption of third molar (H stage) was earlier in females in the four molars. The greatest correlation coefficient was found between the developmental stages of maxillary molars in females. A strong correlation was found between lower right and lower left molar in females, a similar correlation was found between upper left and lower left third molars in females. The lower correlation coefficient was noticed between antimeres such as upper right and lower right in males. The probability of an individual being older than 18 years in case of fully developed wisdom was 100% in females when one molar or more were found but it was 66.7% in males when one molar is present and 100% when two or more molars were present. Regression analysis was performed in order to obtain regression formulae for dental age prediction.

No abstract