The studies of T-regulatory (Treg) cells in the pediatric allergic disorders, especially allergic rhinitis (AR), are very few and still far from being elucidated. The aim of this study is to assess the frequencies of CD4+ CD25+Foxp3+ ( CD4+Tregs) and CD8+ CD25+highFoxp3+ ( CD8+Tregs) regulatory T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of children with AR. In fresh whole blood of 60 children with AR and 40 healthy controls, the frequencies of CD4+ Tregs and CD8+ Tregs were examined by flow cytometry. The total IgE concentration in the serum was measured. In AR children, the frequencies of CD4+ Tregs and CD8+ Tregs were significantly reduced when compared to control group (p = 0.041, p = 0.011, respectively). Moreover, the expressions of Foxp3+ in CD4+ CD25+high and CD8+ CD25+high cells were significantly lower in patient group than controls. We found a significant negative correlation between the frequencies of CD4+ Tregs and the total IgE concentration (p 0.01). In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that the percentages of CD8+ Tregs and CD4+ Tregs T cells were significantly decreased in children with AR. This suggests that decreased Treg cells might represent a defect in the compartment of T-cell population in children with AR. Further studies are warranted to fully appreciate the clinical relevance of Tregs in children with AR.

The studies of T-regulatory (Treg) cells in the pediatric allergic disorders, especially allergic rhinitis (AR), are very few and still far from being elucidated. The aim of this study is to assess the frequencies of CD4+ CD25+Foxp3+ ( CD4+Tregs) and CD8+ CD25+highFoxp3+ ( CD8+Tregs) regulatory T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of children with AR. In fresh whole blood of 60 children with AR and 40 healthy controls, the frequencies of CD4+ Tregs and CD8+ Tregs were examined by flow cytometry. The total IgE concentration in the serum was measured. In AR children, the frequencies of CD4+ Tregs and CD8+ Tregs were significantly reduced when compared to control group (p = 0.041, p = 0.011, respectively). Moreover, the expressions of Foxp3+ in CD4+ CD25+high and CD8+ CD25+high cells were significantly lower in patient group than controls. We found a significant negative correlation between the frequencies of CD4+ Tregs and the total IgE concentration (p 0.01). In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that the percentages of CD8+ Tregs and CD4+ Tregs T cells were significantly decreased in children with AR. This suggests that decreased Treg cells might represent a defect in the compartment of T-cell population in children with AR. Further studies are warranted to fully appreciate the clinical relevance of Tregs in children with AR.

Aim: We studied the functional polymorphisms of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) genes and risk of acute pyelonephritis (APN) in children attending Assiut University Children’s Hospitals, Egypt, from 2011 to 2015. Methods: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) were diagnosed in 380 children: 98 had APN and 282 had lower UTIs. Four single-nucleotide polymorphisms in ICAM-1 and TLR-4 genes were genotyped in all subjects: ICAM-1 rs1799969 Gly241Arg, ICAM-1 rs5498 Glu469Lys, TLR-4 rs4896791 Thr399Ile and TLR-4 rs4896790 Asp299Gly. Results: Patients with APN were significantly more likely to have AA genotype of the ICAM- 1 rs5498 (1462 A/G) polymorphism (p = 0.04) than children with lower UTIs and the TLR-4 Asp299Gly GG genotype (p = 0.002) and G allele (p = 0.006) than healthy controls. The association with the ICAM-1 Glu469Lys (1462A/G) was less evident. The GG genotype was associated with a modest relative risk of 1.4 (p = 0.1) of developing APN, but was not an independent odds ratio, at 1.2 (p = 0.48). Conclusion: Functional variants in ICAM-1 and TLR-4 genes were increasingly common in children with febrile UTIs with renal parenchymal involvement, but the ICAM-1 Glu469Lys (1462A/G) association was less evident. TLR4 Asp299Gly might independently increase renal parenchymal infection rather than renal scarring.

Aim: We studied the functional polymorphisms of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) genes and risk of acute pyelonephritis (APN) in children attending Assiut University Children’s Hospitals, Egypt, from 2011 to 2015. Methods: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) were diagnosed in 380 children: 98 had APN and 282 had lower UTIs. Four single-nucleotide polymorphisms in ICAM-1 and TLR-4 genes were genotyped in all subjects: ICAM-1 rs1799969 Gly241Arg, ICAM-1 rs5498 Glu469Lys, TLR-4 rs4896791 Thr399Ile and TLR-4 rs4896790 Asp299Gly. Results: Patients with APN were significantly more likely to have AA genotype of the ICAM- 1 rs5498 (1462 A/G) polymorphism (p = 0.04) than children with lower UTIs and the TLR-4 Asp299Gly GG genotype (p = 0.002) and G allele (p = 0.006) than healthy controls. The association with the ICAM-1 Glu469Lys (1462A/G) was less evident. The GG genotype was associated with a modest relative risk of 1.4 (p = 0.1) of developing APN, but was not an independent odds ratio, at 1.2 (p = 0.48). Conclusion: Functional variants in ICAM-1 and TLR-4 genes were increasingly common in children with febrile UTIs with renal parenchymal involvement, but the ICAM-1 Glu469Lys (1462A/G) association was less evident. TLR4 Asp299Gly might independently increase renal parenchymal infection rather than renal scarring.

Aim: We studied the functional polymorphisms of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) genes and risk of acute pyelonephritis (APN) in children attending Assiut University Children’s Hospitals, Egypt, from 2011 to 2015. Methods: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) were diagnosed in 380 children: 98 had APN and 282 had lower UTIs. Four single-nucleotide polymorphisms in ICAM-1 and TLR-4 genes were genotyped in all subjects: ICAM-1 rs1799969 Gly241Arg, ICAM-1 rs5498 Glu469Lys, TLR-4 rs4896791 Thr399Ile and TLR-4 rs4896790 Asp299Gly. Results: Patients with APN were significantly more likely to have AA genotype of the ICAM- 1 rs5498 (1462 A/G) polymorphism (p = 0.04) than children with lower UTIs and the TLR-4 Asp299Gly GG genotype (p = 0.002) and G allele (p = 0.006) than healthy controls. The association with the ICAM-1 Glu469Lys (1462A/G) was less evident. The GG genotype was associated with a modest relative risk of 1.4 (p = 0.1) of developing APN, but was not an independent odds ratio, at 1.2 (p = 0.48). Conclusion: Functional variants in ICAM-1 and TLR-4 genes were increasingly common in children with febrile UTIs with renal parenchymal involvement, but the ICAM-1 Glu469Lys (1462A/G) association was less evident. TLR4 Asp299Gly might independently increase renal parenchymal infection rather than renal scarring.

Aim: We studied the functional polymorphisms of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) genes and risk of acute pyelonephritis (APN) in children attending Assiut University Children’s Hospitals, Egypt, from 2011 to 2015. Methods: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) were diagnosed in 380 children: 98 had APN and 282 had lower UTIs. Four single-nucleotide polymorphisms in ICAM-1 and TLR-4 genes were genotyped in all subjects: ICAM-1 rs1799969 Gly241Arg, ICAM-1 rs5498 Glu469Lys, TLR-4 rs4896791 Thr399Ile and TLR-4 rs4896790 Asp299Gly. Results: Patients with APN were significantly more likely to have AA genotype of the ICAM- 1 rs5498 (1462 A/G) polymorphism (p = 0.04) than children with lower UTIs and the TLR-4 Asp299Gly GG genotype (p = 0.002) and G allele (p = 0.006) than healthy controls. The association with the ICAM-1 Glu469Lys (1462A/G) was less evident. The GG genotype was associated with a modest relative risk of 1.4 (p = 0.1) of developing APN, but was not an independent odds ratio, at 1.2 (p = 0.48). Conclusion: Functional variants in ICAM-1 and TLR-4 genes were increasingly common in children with febrile UTIs with renal parenchymal involvement, but the ICAM-1 Glu469Lys (1462A/G) association was less evident. TLR4 Asp299Gly might independently increase renal parenchymal infection rather than renal scarring.

Background and objective: To our knowledge, no previous studies have focused on the immunomodulatory effects of fresh royal jelly (RJ) administration on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in humans. Our aim was to study the effect of fresh RJ administration on the disease course in children with SLE with some immunological markers (CD4 and CD8 regulatory T cells and T lymphocytes apoptosis). Methods: This was an open-label study in which 20 SLE children received 2 g of freshly prepared RJ daily, for 12 weeks. Results: The percentages of CD4CD25high FOXP3cells (CD4 regulatory T cells) and CD8 CD25high FOXP3cells (CD8 regulatory T cells) were significantly increased after RJ treatment when compared with baseline values. Apoptotic CD4 T lymphocytes were significantly decreased after RJ therapy when compared with baseline values and the control group. Conclusion: This is the first human study on the effect of RJ supplementation in children with SLE. Our results showed improvements with 3-month RJ treatment with regard to the clinical severity score and laboratory markers for the disease. At this stage, it is a single study with a small number of patients, and a great deal of additional wide-scale randomized controlled studies are needed to critically validate the efficacy of RJ in SLE.

Background and objective: To our knowledge, no previous studies have focused on the immunomodulatory effects of fresh royal jelly (RJ) administration on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in humans. Our aim was to study the effect of fresh RJ administration on the disease course in children with SLE with some immunological markers (CD4 and CD8 regulatory T cells and T lymphocytes apoptosis). Methods: This was an open-label study in which 20 SLE children received 2 g of freshly prepared RJ daily, for 12 weeks. Results: The percentages of CD4CD25high FOXP3cells (CD4 regulatory T cells) and CD8 CD25high FOXP3cells (CD8 regulatory T cells) were significantly increased after RJ treatment when compared with baseline values. Apoptotic CD4 T lymphocytes were significantly decreased after RJ therapy when compared with baseline values and the control group. Conclusion: This is the first human study on the effect of RJ supplementation in children with SLE. Our results showed improvements with 3-month RJ treatment with regard to the clinical severity score and laboratory markers for the disease. At this stage, it is a single study with a small number of patients, and a great deal of additional wide-scale randomized controlled studies are needed to critically validate the efficacy of RJ in SLE.

Background and objective: To our knowledge, no previous studies have focused on the immunomodulatory effects of fresh royal jelly (RJ) administration on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in humans. Our aim was to study the effect of fresh RJ administration on the disease course in children with SLE with some immunological markers (CD4 and CD8 regulatory T cells and T lymphocytes apoptosis). Methods: This was an open-label study in which 20 SLE children received 2 g of freshly prepared RJ daily, for 12 weeks. Results: The percentages of CD4CD25high FOXP3cells (CD4 regulatory T cells) and CD8 CD25high FOXP3cells (CD8 regulatory T cells) were significantly increased after RJ treatment when compared with baseline values. Apoptotic CD4 T lymphocytes were significantly decreased after RJ therapy when compared with baseline values and the control group. Conclusion: This is the first human study on the effect of RJ supplementation in children with SLE. Our results showed improvements with 3-month RJ treatment with regard to the clinical severity score and laboratory markers for the disease. At this stage, it is a single study with a small number of patients, and a great deal of additional wide-scale randomized controlled studies are needed to critically validate the efficacy of RJ in SLE.

Background and objective: To our knowledge, no previous studies have focused on the immunomodulatory effects of fresh royal jelly (RJ) administration on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in humans. Our aim was to study the effect of fresh RJ administration on the disease course in children with SLE with some immunological markers (CD4 and CD8 regulatory T cells and T lymphocytes apoptosis). Methods: This was an open-label study in which 20 SLE children received 2 g of freshly prepared RJ daily, for 12 weeks. Results: The percentages of CD4CD25high FOXP3cells (CD4 regulatory T cells) and CD8 CD25high FOXP3cells (CD8 regulatory T cells) were significantly increased after RJ treatment when compared with baseline values. Apoptotic CD4 T lymphocytes were significantly decreased after RJ therapy when compared with baseline values and the control group. Conclusion: This is the first human study on the effect of RJ supplementation in children with SLE. Our results showed improvements with 3-month RJ treatment with regard to the clinical severity score and laboratory markers for the disease. At this stage, it is a single study with a small number of patients, and a great deal of additional wide-scale randomized controlled studies are needed to critically validate the efficacy of RJ in SLE.