Background

The recent increase in dengue virus (DENV) outbreaks and the absence of an effective vaccine have highlighted the importance of developing rapid and effective diagnostic surveillance tests and mosquito-based screening programs. To establish effective control measures for preventing future DENV transmission, the present study was established to identify the main mosquito vector involved in the dengue fever (DF) outbreak in Upper Egypt in 2016 and detect the diversity of dengue virus serotypes circulating in both humans and vectors.

Methods

We investigated the prevalence of DENV infection and circulating serotypes in the sera of 51 humans clinically suspected of DF and 1800 field-collected Aedes aegypti adult female mosquitoes grouped into 36 pooled samples. Both DENV non-structural protein (NS1) immunochromatographic strip assay and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) were used for screening.

Results

Overall, the rate of DENV infection in both human sera and pooled mosquito homogenate was 33.3%, as revealed by rapid dipstick immunochromatographic analysis. However, higher detection rates were observed with RT-LAMP assay of 60.8% and 44.4% for humans and vector mosquitoes, respectively. DENV-1 was the most prevalent serotype in both populations. A combination of two, three, or even four circulating serotypes was found in 87.5% of total positive pooled mosquito samples and 83.87% of DENV-positive human sera.

Conclusion

The study reinforces the evidence of the reemergence of Aedes aegypti in Upper Egypt, inducing an outbreak of DENV. Mosquito-based surveillance of …

Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) are important cause of mortality in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients on treatment with intensive induction chemotherapy. Toll-like receptors, mainly Toll-like receptors 2 and 4 (TLR2 and TLR4), play a considerable role in the host defense against microorganisms. The involvement of TLR signaling in modulation of innate immune response is extensively discussed, but the TLR expressions profiling on adaptive immune cells are not specified. Also, the expressions of TLRs and their association with the occurrence of IFIs in patients with AML are not studied. So, the novel aim of this study was to investigate the associations between the T-lymphocyte expression of TLR2 and TLR4 and the occurrence of IFIs in AML patients treated with intensive induction chemotherapy.

Background and aim

Growing evidence highlighted the primary role of the immune system in the disease course of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The study aim was to investigate the expression of PD-1 and CD39 on CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ cells infiltrating tumor tissue compared to their counterparts in peripheral blood and explore its association with tumor characteristics, disease progression, and prognosis in females with TNBC.

Patients and methods

The study included 30 TNBC patients and 20 healthy controls. Cancer and normal breast tissue and peripheral blood samples were collected for evaluation of the expression of PD-1 and CD39 on CD4⁺ and CD8⁺T cells by flow cytometry.

Results

A marked reduction in the percentage of CD8⁺ T lymphocytes and a significant increase in the frequencies of CD4⁺ T lymphocytes and CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T lymphocytes expressing PD1 and CD39 were evident in tumor tissue in comparison with the normal breast tissue. The DFS was inversely related to the cancer tissue PD1⁺CD8⁺ and CD39⁺CD8⁺ T lymphocytes. Almost all studied cells were significantly increased in the tumor tissue than in peripheral blood. Positive correlations were detected among peripheral PD1⁺CD4⁺T lymphocytes and each of cancer tissue PD1⁺CD4⁺, PD1⁺CD8⁺and CD39⁺CD8⁺T cells, and among peripheral and cancer tissue CD39⁺CD4⁺and CD39⁺CD8⁺ T cells.

Conclusions

The CD39 and PD1 inhibitory pathways are synergistically utilized by TNBC cells to evade host immune response causing poor survival. Hence, combinational immunotherapy blocking these pathways might be a promising treatment strategy in …

Objectives

Detailed characterisation of CD45RA+ and CD45RO+ T cell subsets in both CD4+ and CD8+ cells in blood and tissue of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is lacking. We aimed to investigate T cell differentiation levels in blood and tissue and correlate this with CT score and white blood cell count.

Methods

This case-control study was conducted on 21 patients with CRSwNP and 20 healthy controls. Lund-Mackay score was used for radiologic staging of chronic rhinosinusitis. T cell subsets were characterised in blood and nasal polyp tissue using CD4, CD8, CCR7, CD45RA, CD45RO, CD27, and CD95 monoclonal antibodies.

Results

Most variations in T cell subsets were detected in tissue rather than blood. A higher level of CD8+ T CM, CD4+ T SCMs and lower level of CD8+ T EM were detected in the blood of CRSwNP patients vs controls. In CRSwNP patients, substantial …

Serum periostin and eotaxin-2 as promising biomarkers in asthmatic smokers.

Background: Smoking influence many changes in asthmatic airway inflammation by stimulating the production of certain cytokines. Serum periostin and eotaxin-2 in asthmatic patients are affected by smoking.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to study serum periostin and eotaxin-2 level in asthmatic smokers.

Patients and methods: The present observational, cross sectional study was conducted at Chest department in Assiut university hospital, during the period from August 2018 to January 2020. Hundred and seventeen asthmatic patients (42 smokers, 30 ex-smokers and 45 non-smokers) were studied for serum periostin and eotaxin-2 (ELISA). The effects of smoking status and inflammatory biomarkers including sputum eosinophilic and neutrophilic count on serum level of periostin and eotaxin-2 in asthmatic patients were …

Background

Allergic bronch opulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a pulmonary disorder, occurring mostly in asthmatic patients and patients with cystic fibrosis, caused by an abnormal T-helper 2 lymphocyte response of the host to Aspergillus fumigatus antigens.

Objective

To assess the value of thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) in the diagnosis of ABPA.

Background The aim of this magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study was to investigate controversial sexual dimorphism of the posterior condylar ofset of the femur (the ofset) and the posterior slope of the tibia (the slope) in non-arthritic knees of Egyptian adults. Methods On 100 male and 100 female MRIs of non-arthritic knees, linear measurements of the distal part of the femur (the ofset) and the angular measurements of the proximal part of the tibia (the slope) were performed and compared regarding sex and ethnicity. The intraclass correlation coefcient (ICC) was used to test the interrater agreement. Results Both ofsets and the lateral ofset ratio were larger in males (p0.8 proved MRI’s precision was high. Conclusion There was a sexual dimorphism of both the ofset and the medial slope in non-arthritic knees of Egyptian adults. We believe future designs of knee implants should consider these diferences in order to improve postoperative range of motion and patients’ satisfaction after total knee arthroplasty. Level of evidence Level III Retrospective Cohort Study. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifer: NCT03622034, registered on July 28, 2018.

Background & objective: Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte disorder and is a predictor of osteoporosis, inflammation and cognitive dysfunction leading to falls in the elderly patients. We compared glutamate levels in normonatremic elderly patients with those with hyponatremia, admitted with osteoarthritis, to find correlation between the cognitive status with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) glutamate as a biomarker for hyponatremia.

Methodology: In an observational prospective study; 70 patients, more than 70 y of age, admitted to trauma unit of Assiut University Hospital with fractures around the hip, were investigated for the frequency of on-admission hyponatremia. The CSF glutamate level was determined using radio-immune assay. We compared glutamate level in 18 hyponatremic patients with 10 normonatremic elderly patients admitted with osteoarthritis for elective joint replacement (control group) to find correlation between the cognitive status assessed by Modified Mini-Mental State (3MS) examination and CSF glutamate as a biomarker for hyponatremia.

Results: Hyponatremia is highly prevalent in elderly with fractures around the hip; we recorded it in 41.4% of the study sample. Most patients were females (62.86%). CSF glutamate was significantly increased in hyponatremic patients than the controls (P< 0.001).

Conclusion: Prevalence of hyponatremia is high in old aged patients probably due to due to prevalent hot weather in the south of Egypt. CSF glutamate level can be a marker for mild cognitive impairment caused by hyponatremia.

Abbreviations: 3MS: Modified Mini-Mental State examination; CSF: cerebrospinal fluid; RPM …