CX3CL1-CX3CR1 pathway may be one of the future treatment targets to delay the progression of end-stage renal diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the CX3CR gene polymorphism in Egyptian patients with ESRD and its relation to fractalkine blood level. The study included 100 patients with ESRD on dialysis, 61 males and 39 females with mean age 51.02 ± 7.8 years. The V2491 genotype revealed a significant increase in the frequency of GG genotype in healthy control (83%) compared to patients [69%] with a significant increase in GA in patients [30%] compared to control subjects [15%],  = 0.03. T280M study showed a statistically significant prevalence of TT genotype in healthy control subjects [86%-OR 95% CI 1.7] compared to patients [70%] with a significant increase in the prevalence of TA in patients [29%] compared to control subjects [13%],  = 0.01. There was a significant increase in fractalkine levels in genotypes GA + AA [503.04±224.1] pg/ml compared to genotype GG [423.6 210.3],  = 0.03. Moreover, there was a significant increase in the blood level of fractalkine in genotype TA + AA [498.8 219.6] compared to genotype TT [426.8±212.8],  = 0.05. In conclusion, our study showed that both V2491-GA genotype and T280M-TA are associated with potential risk for end-stage renal disease in Egyptian patients.

Methods:

The study was a case-control study carried out on 100 recently diagnosed SLE patients compared to 100 control subjects. The study of XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymorphism was performed by a polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism.

Results and Discussion:

A higher frequency of ‘G’allele in SLE (38.5%) versus control (32%) was noticed; however, this difference was not statistically significant (p= 0.174). Besides, a slightly higher frequency of G/G genotype was found in SLE (22%) vs. control (12%); again, this difference was not statistically significant (p= 0.157). A statistically significantly higher proportion of arthritis, serositis, and thrombocytopenia was observed in the A/A genotype (p= 0.010, 0.032, and 0.036, respectively). Furthermore, we noticed a statistically significant lower hemoglobin level in G/G genotype (p= 0.027). Otherwise, there was no statistically significant difference between the three genotypes regarding other parameters: photosensitivity, malar rash, oral ulceration, ANA, anti-dsDNA antibody, anemia, leucopenia, neurologic manifestations, and all lab parameters except hemoglobin level. Similar results were reported previously.

Bronchial asthma is a common chronic inflammatory disease affecting the airway. Cytokines have a pivotal role in regulation of the immune response, and in development of asthma. Interleukin 33 is a newly discovered member of cytokines, belongs to interleukin 1 family. Previous studies have reported that expression of IL33 is associated with bronchial asthma. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of interleukin 33 (IL33) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1929992 in asthmatic patients and determine the relation of IL33SNP to IL33 serum level. The Results of RFLP were validated by using sterile distilled water. This study included 100 patients from Egypt, Beni Suef governorate (Upper Egypt) and Mansoura governorate (Delta region), complaining of chronic asthma and 100 control subjects with matched sex and residence. Blood samples from study subjects were used for determination of serum IL33by ELISA and IL33 SNP rs1929992 by PCR-RFLP. There was no significant difference between the proportions of IL33 SNP rs1929992 genotypes in asthma patients and the control group. Allele ‘A’predominates in asthmatics though this did not achieve statistical significance (P= 0.071). IL33 level was compared in the three IL33 SNP rs1929992 genotypes; G/G, G/A, and A/A, and it revealed no significant difference (P= 0.958). The association between IL33 with asthma showed that the log-additive model is the best inheritance model which marks allele ‘A’as the risk allele. In contrast, IL33 serum level was significantly higher in severe asthma than the moderate asthma and the mild type (P< 0.0005). Spearman’s correlation test showed …

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal disorder, categorized into various subtypes. Post-infection IBS may be attributed to the release of cytolethal distending toxin B (CdtB), which cross-reacts with the adhesion protein vinculin responsible for normal intestinal contractility.

Objective: This study aims to identify anti-CdtB and anti-vinculin levels in IBS patients compared to healthy control.

Subjects and methods: This retrospective case-control study was conducted on 100 subjects with IBS, as determined by a questionnaire based on Rome III criteria, recruited from the outpatient clinics of the Tropical Medicine at Mansoura University Hospital from January 2019 to January 2020.

Results: The optical density (OD) results of the anti-vinculin and anti-CdtB levels were significantly elevated in patients with IBS (1.58±0.496 OD, 2.47±0.60 OD) when compared to control subjects (1.13±0.249 …

Lupus nephritis is associated with a six-fold increase in mortality compared with the general population. MicroRNAs studies revealed that increased MicroRNA-21 and MicroRNA-155 levels represent risk factors for active LN patients. MicroRNAs can be used as biomarkers in the diagnosis of clinical stages of LN.

Objectives

The present study aimed to determine the level of miR-124 in patients with lupus nephritis by reverse transcriptase real-time polymerase chain reaction compared to healthy control and correlate its levels with biochemical findings in those patients.

Methods

The study was a case-control study that included fifty patients with lupus nephritis in addition to fifty healthy controls. Blood samples from the participants were subjected to the determination of serological markers of SLE. Moreover, real-time PCR was used for the determination of miR-124.

Results

The comparison of Micro-RNA124 between patients and control subjects revealed a statistically significant decrease in Micro-RNA124 in patients (1.193±0.56) compared to the control (3.36±0.50, p< 0.001); the comparison of the level of MicroRNA 124 in the patients with different clinical and serological findings of SLE revealed a significant decrease in the level of MicroRNA 124 in patients with muscular findings (1.02±0.5) compared to the patients with negative manifestations (1.47±0.5, p= 0.005) Conclusion: In the present study, a comparison of MicroRNA-124 in LN patients with different stages compared to normal control showed a statistically significant decrease in Micro-RNA124 in patients with lupus nephritis p< 0.001 with significant correlation to the patients' …

Aims: To identify causes, clinical and laboratory characteristics, and the predictors of liver failure and mortality of acute non-AE hepatitis.

Methods: Patients with acute hepatitis, admitted to Al Rajhy and Sohag University Hospitals, Egypt, between October 2020 and July 2022 were included. Laboratory tests were performed including blood picture, liver function test, kidney function test, and international normalized ratio (INR). Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) and alcoholic hepatitis were diagnosed through detailed history. Exclusion of hepatitis AE was done by HAV IgM, HBs Ag, HBc IgM, HEV IgM, and PCR for HBV and HCV. COVID-19 was excluded. Testing for other causes such as autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), Wilson disease, septicemia, cytomegalovirus (CMV) IgM/PCR, Epstein Barr virus (EBV) IgM, herpes simplex type 1/2 (HSV) IgM, human adenovirus (HAdV) PCR, Coxiella burnetii PCR, and IgM/IgG for both 

Several outbreaks of acute hepatitis of unknown etiology (AHUE) in children were reported in 2022 in many countries, with adenovirus identified as the etiological agent in most of them. We aimed to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of AHUE cases in Egypt.

Methodology

Hospitalized patients with acute hepatitis were included in the study. Drug-induced, alcoholic hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, and Wilson’s disease were identified either by medical history or by routine laboratory diagnosis. Molecular and serological approaches were used to investigate common viral causes of hepatitis, such as hepatitis A–E viruses, cytomegalovirus, Epstein–Barr virus, herpes simplex viruses (HSV1/2), adenovirus, parvovirus B19, and coxsackie virus.

Results

A total of 42 patients were recruited and divided into two groups: 24 cases of unknown hepatitis after excluding the common causes and 18 cases of known …

Renal disorders are associated with Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection. Progression to end-stage renal disease and acute kidney injury are complications associated with HEV infection. The mechanisms by which HEV mediates the glomerular diseases remain unclear. CD10⁺/CD13⁺ primary proximal tubular (PT) epithelial cells, isolated from healthy donors, were infected with HEV. Inflammatory markers and kidney injury markers were assessed in the presence or absence of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from the same donors. HEV replicated efficiently in the PT cells as shown by the increase in HEV load over time and the expression of capsid Ag. In the absence of PBMCs, HEV was not nephrotoxic, with no direct effect on the transcription of chemokines (Cxcl-9, Cxcl-10, and Cxcl-11) nor the kidney injury markers (kidney injury molecule 1 (KIM-1), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and interleukin 18 (lL-18)). While higher inflammatory responses, upregulation of chemokines and kidney injury markers expression, and signs of nephrotoxicity were recorded in HEV-infected PT cells cocultured with PBMCs. Interestingly, a significantly higher level of IFN-γ was released in the PBMCs-PT coculture compared to PT alone during HEV infection. In conclusion: The crosstalk between immune cells and renal epithelium and the signal axes IFN-γ/chemokines and IL-18 could be the immune-mediated mechanisms of HEV-induced renal disorder.

Background
Smoking influences the nature of airway inflammation in patients with bronchial
asthma though synthesis of certain cytokines. Patterns of bronchial asthma are
differentiated clinically, functionally, and regarding inflammatory biomarkers.
Aim
The research aimed to study the clinical, functional, sputum cytological differences,
and serum eotaxin-2 and periostin levels in asthmatic patients regarding smoking
status.
Patients and methods
The research was a cross-sectional study. The collection of cases began in August
2018 and ended in January 2020 at the Chest Department, Assiut University
Hospital. We studied 117 asthmatic patients who were classified regarding their
smoking status (45 nonsmokers, 42 smokers, and 30 former smokers) for serum
eotaxin-2 and periostin by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The effects
of smoking were analyzed on inflammatory cells including eosinophilic and
neutrophilic percentages in sputum and serum eotaxin-2 and periostin levels.
Results
Smokers with asthma had worse clinical and functional outcomes. Asthmatic
smokers had mainly neutrophilic phenotype. Serum eotaxin-2 level was higher
in smokers compared with nonsmokers and former smokers. However, serum
periostin level was higher in nonsmokers compared with smokers and former
smokers. Serum eotaxin-2 had a positive correlation with smoking index and
eosinophilic and neutrophilic count in sputum, whereas serum periostin was
correlated negatively with smoking index and positively with eosinophilic count.
Conclusion
Asthmatic smokers had worse clinical and functional outcomes with increased
neutrophils in the sputum. The inflammatory biomarkers seen in smokers with
asthma showed low serum periostin and increased serum eotaxin-2 levels.

Background: Recurrent unexplained miscarriage is still an unsolved reproductive health 15 problem. Inherited thrombophilias have been accused as one of the causes. Secondary to an 16 increased tendency for venous thromboembolism because of a mutation in a gene encoding a 17 protein involved in the coagulation cascade. These include prothrombin gene (PT G20210A) and 18 methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) mutations. The study aims to evaluate the 19 association between polymorphisms in the prothrombin gene and the MTHFR gene with 20 recurrent miscarriage (RM). We also evaluated the association between Protein C (PC), Protein S 21 (PS), Antithrombin III (ATIII), and homocystiene with recurrent miscarriage (RM). 22
Methods: We conducted a comparative study on women with a history of two or more 23 miscarriages and healthy controls with no history of miscarriage and who had at least completed 24 one full-term normal pregnancy. Genetic analysis of the participants was done using the 5' 25 Nuclease Assay (TaqMan) PCR technique and various other blood tests were performed to check 26 general health indicators and thrombophilia markers. 27
Results: In this study of 195 RM group (Group I) participants and 90 healthy controls (Group 28 II), we noted significant discrepancies in health conditions. PC deficiency occurred in 7.2% of 29 Group I, but only 1.1% of Group II. PS deficiency was found in 65.6% of Group I versus 7.8% 30 of Group II. ATIII deficiency was observed in 9.2% of Group I and 2.2% of Group II. 31 Hyperhomocysteinemia was noted in 10.8% of Group I, and 2.2% of Group II. For the 32 prothrombin gene G20210A, two Group I participants were A/G, with no A/G in Group II, and 33 no AA carriers in either group. G allele was in 99.5% of Group I and 100% of Group II, while 34 the A allele was in 0.5% of Group I only. MTHFR C677T gene showed C/T mutation in 33.3% 35 of Group I and 32.2% of Group II, and T/T mutation in 12.8% of Group I and 8.9% of Group II. 36 The C allele was found in 70.5% of Group I and 75% of Group II, with the T allele in 29.5% of 37 Group I and 25% of Group II (p=0.269). 38
Conclusion: Prothrombin gene G20210A and MTHFR C677T gene polymorphisms are not 39 correlated with RM in the Egyptian population. About 70% of women in upper Egypt have at 40 least one type of MTHFRC677T gene polymorphism. However, Egyptian women with RM are 41 strongly associated with hyperhomocysteinemia, PC, PS, and AT deficiencies. 42