Mona El Ghamrawy

Publications (3)5.17 Total impact

• Article: An SP1-binding site polymorphism in the COLIAI gene and osteoporosis in Egyptian patients with thalassemia major.

  Hanan M Hamed, Ashraf Galal, Mona E L Ghamrawy, Khaled Abd El Azeem, Ibtessam Ramzi Hussein, Mona Fayez Abd-Elgawad
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  ABSTRACT: β-Thalassemia major is an inherited blood disorder, which mainly affects the Mediterranean region. Osteoporosis represents an important cause of morbidity in β-thalassemia major and its pathogenesis has not been completely clarified. Genetic factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis and several candidate gene polymorphisms have been implicated in the regulation of this process. A G→T polymorphism in the regulatory region of the collagen type I alpha 1 (COLIAI) gene at a recognition site for transcription factor Sp1 has been strongly associated with osteoporosis. The aim of the present study was to examine the distribution of COLIAI polymorphism and its relationship with bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine and femur in patients and controls. In this study, the G→T polymorphism was detected in 31 Egyptian β-thalassemia major patients and 20 healthy controls and its possible association with BMD was investigated. Alleles S and s were detected by the presence of a G or T nucleotide, respectively, in a regulatory site of the COLIAI gene using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A total of 80.6% of the β-thalassemia patients were homozygous for G/G (SS) and 19.4% were heterozygotes for G/T (Ss) polymorphism. There was no ss genotype in our patients. In the control group, 70 and 30% had SS and Ss genotypes, respectively. There was no significant difference between Z-score of patients with SS and Ss at head of femur (P = 1) or at lumbar spine (P = 0.48). Conclusion Our results raise the possibility that genotyping at the Sp1 site could be of clinical value in identifying the thalassemic patients at risk of developing osteoporosis.
  Blood coagulation & fibrinolysis: an international journal in haemostasis and thrombosis 03/2011; 22(2):81-5. · 1.25 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: Amal El-Beshlawy

  Article: Fetal globin induction in beta-thalassemia.

  Amal El-Beshlawy, Mona Hamdy, Mona El Ghamrawy
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  ABSTRACT: Thalassemia patients with persistently high levels of fetal globin typically have less severe anemia, have milder clinical syndromes, and are often transfusion independent. Therefore, the search for molecules exhibiting the property of inducing gamma-globin gene expression and fetal hemoglobin (HbF) production is of great interest. Different pharmacological agents have been studied, namely erythropoietin, short chain fatty acids and cytotoxic agents, azacytidine, and hydroxycarbamide. Hemoglobin F inducers from natural plants, such as angelicin and resveratrol, are powerful inducers of erythroid differentiation and increase HbF in erythroid progenitors of thalassemia patients. Induction of HbF in beta-thalassemia patients is expected to be crucial for developing countries unable to sustain the high cost of clinical management of beta-thalassemia patients.
  Hemoglobin 01/2009; 33 Suppl 1:S197-203. · 1.30 Impact Factor
• Article: Effect of L-carnitine on the physical fitness of thalassemic patients.

  Amal El-Beshlawy, Ramzi El Accaoui, Mansour Abd El-Sattar, Mohamed Hany Gamal El-Deen, Ilham Youssry, Naglaa Shaheen, Mona Hamdy, Mona El-Ghamrawy, Ali Taher
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  ABSTRACT: Poor physical fitness is a common problem among thalassemic patients. L-Carnitine plays an essential role in fatty acid beta-oxidation, a process especially important in the organs that preferentially use fatty acid as a source of energy such as the myocardium and the skeletal muscles. The main objective of this study is to assess the effect of the administration of oral L-carnitine on exercise tolerance and physical fitness in patients with thalassemia major. Thirty patients followed up at the New Cairo University Children Hospital were included in this study. Clinical, laboratory, and cardiopulmonary exercise testing were performed before and after 6 months of oral L-carnitine therapy (50 mg/kg/day). The oxygen consumption, cardiac output, and oxygen pulse at maximal exercise significantly increased after L-carnitine therapy (p<0.001, p=0.002 and p<0.001, respectively). However, there was no significant change in minute ventilation and ventilatory equivalent of carbon dioxide (p=0.07 and p=0.06, respectively). A weak but positive correlation between the age of the patients and the degree of improvement in exercise parameters was noted. There was also significant increase in the blood transfusion intervals after L-carnitine administration (p=0.008). However, there was no significant change in hemoglobin concentration (p=0.4). L-Carnitine seems to be a safe and effective adjunctive therapeutic approach in thalassemic patients. It improves their cardiac performance and physical fitness. The younger the patients are, the higher is the degree of improvement in their exercise parameters.
  Annals of Hematology 02/2007; 86(1):31-4. · 2.62 Impact Factor