Evaluate the association of Helicobacter pylori infection with anti-parietal cell antibodies (APCA) and anti-intrinsic factor antibodies (AIFA) and their impact on vitamin B12 serum level. One hundred patients (M/F: 43/57; age 46.5±17.5 years) who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy at King Abdullah University Hospital, Irbid, Jordan were enrolled in the study. The patients were grouped as H. pylori-infected (n=81) or H. pylori negative (n=19) by histopathological examination. Fasting serum vitamin B12 levels, anti-parietal cell antibodies and anti-intrinsic factor antibodies for patients and controls were determined. Anti-parietal cell antibodies and anti-intrinsic factor antibodies were positive in 9.9% and 18.5% of H. pylori-positive patients respectively. None of the H. pylori negative subjects had anti-parietal cell antibodies or anti-intrinsic factor antibodies. Serum vitamin B12 level was lower in the H. pylori-infected patients (275±70.4pg/mL) than in controls (322.9±60.7pg/mL; p<0.05). H. pylori was positive in 94% of the low-vitamin B12 group compared with 64.6% of the normal-vitamin B12 group (p<0.5). Patients with H. pylori infection are more likely to have anti-parietal cell antibodies and anti-intrinsic factor antibodies. There was an association between H. pylori infection and lower vitamin B12 levels. H. pylori infection might be a significant factor in the pathogenesis of autoimmune gastritis.

This was a prospective study to evaluate the effect of multilevel vertebral augmentation in addition to conventional therapy in multiple myeloma patients. We treated 27 patients, whom were recently diagnosed to have multiple myeloma by two ways of treatment. Thirteen patients (group I) were treated with conventional therapy and 14 patients (group II) with adding vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty. Patients were evaluated pre-treatment and at half, one, two and 3-years post-treatment by using Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), the Stanford Score (SS) and the Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score (SINS). Mean values of ODI, SS and SINS were 31.9 (63.8%), 4.3 and 13.8 for group I and 33.2 (66.4%), 4.6 and 12.8 for group II before starting treatment. Group II showed improvement better than group I at all follow-up intervals with best results at first 6 months. P-values at the end of the study were ODI = 0.047, SS = 0.180 and SINS = 0.002. Mortality rates were equal of both groups (four patients of each group). Adding vertebral augmentation to conventional therapy improves multiple myeloma patients’ quality of life, but didn’t affect the mortality rate.

Causes include nutritional deficiencies, local and systemic factors, and drug treatment.

This study was conducted to compare the platelet count and the presence of bleeding manifestations at initial diagnosis of immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) between patients with primary and secondary ITP. Medical records for 67 consecutive adult patients with ITP were reviewed retrospectively and the relevant data were abstracted. Thirty-eight (56.7%) patients were diagnosed as having primary ITP and 29 (43.3%) were considered to have secondary ITP. At the time of diagnosis, the median initial platelet count (median: 60 × 10⁹/L) for patients with secondary ITP was significantly ( P < .005) higher than that for patients with primary ITP (median: 3.5 × 10⁹/L). Ecchymosis and/or purpura was observed in 4 (13.8%) patients with secondary ITP and in 33 (86.6%) patients with primary ITP ( P value <.005). In conclusion, patients with secondary ITP had higher platelet count at diagnosis and were less likely to present with bleeding manifestations than those with primary ITP.

Background: Primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the bone (PB-DLBCL) is a rare type of extra-nodal lymphoma. This study aimed to examine the clinical characteristics, outcomes, treatment modalities and risk of central nervous system relapse (CNSR) among adult Jordanian patients with PB-DLBCL. Methods: This retrospective study included patients aged > 16 years who were diagnosed with PB-DLBCL and treated at our hospital between 2002 and 2021. Clinical characteristics, treatment modalities, outcomes and CNSR events were extracted from the hospital’s data system and analysed. Patients were categorised into unifocal (UF) and multifocal (MF) PB-DLBCL groups according to the number of bone sites involved. The involvement of only one site was defined as UF, whereas the involvement of two or more sites was defined as MF. Results: In total, 12 patients were diagnosed with PB-DLBCL. Their median age was 47.5 years (range, 17– 80 years). The male:female ratio was 1:1. There were eight patients in the UF PB-DLBCL group and four in the MF PB-DLBCL group. All patients received treatment with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone. In the UF PB-DLBCL group, the male:female ratio was 5:3, the median age was 41 years, and the follow-up duration was 9– 135 (mean, 83.3) months. In the MF PB-DLBCL group, the male:female ratio was 1:3, the median age was 51.5 years, and the survival time was 3– 11 (mean, 7) months. Three patients with vertebral UF PB-DLBCL underwent early vertebroplasty without complications. The most common site involved was the vertebral column. Most patients with UF PB-DLBCL achieved complete remission (CR), whereas no patients with MF PB-DLBCL achieved CR. Conclusion: PB-DLBCL is rare in adult Jordanian patients. UF PB-DLBCL is more common than MF PB-DLBCL. Patients with UF PB-DLBCL had a good prognosis. Patients with MF PB-DLBCL had a high international prognostic index score, risk of CNSR and short survival time.

We present 2 patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) secondary to Candida albicans infection. Neither patient responded to standard ITP therapy including splenectomy. Appropriate antifungal treatment of the C. albicans infection was followed by sustained improvement in platelet count in both patients. To our knowledge, this is the first report of ITP in association with C. albicans infection.