Due to the unpredictable nature of lupus nephritis (LN), it would be clinically valuable to discover a reliable biomarker for disease activity and progression. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of anti-C1q antibodies, sCD40L and TWEAK in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and their relation to disease activity and kidney involvement. This study included 47 patients with SLE, 28 with LN and 19 without LN, as well as, 20 healthy subjects as controls. All subjects underwent complete history, examination and estimation of disease activity index (SLEDAI) and renal SLEDAI. The following investigations were done for all subjects: anti-C1q antibodies, sCD40L, TWEAK and CD4/CD8 ratio, in addition to complete blood picture, ESR, kidney function tests, ANA, anti-ds DNA antibodies and C3, C4. Anti-C1q antibodies, sCD40L and TWEAK and antidsDNA were significantly higher in SLE patients than controls (P< 0.001 for each), while C3, C4 and CD4/CD8 ratio were significantly lower (P< 0.001, 0.05 and 0.001 respectively). In LN patients, anti-C1q antibodies, sCD40L and TWEAK were significantly higher than non LN patients (P< 0.001 for each). Anti-C1q antibodies, sCD40L and TWEAK correlated with traditional disease activity parameters (C3, C4, anti-dsDNA and SLEDAI) as well as rSLEDAI. Levels of serum TWEAK correlated with the development of LN in patients with SLE. We concluded that anti-C1q antibodies, sCD40L and TWEAK may be used as serum biomarkers for the assessment of disease activity and development of LN. upus nephritis (LN) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE …

Cryopreservation of human spermatozoa offers a pre‐therapeutic possibility of preserving progenity in patients with testicular tumours. We aimed to investigate effects of cryopreservation and addition of catalase on sperm motility, vitality and DNA integrity in fresh and swim‐up spermatozoa. Semen samples were collected from 50 fertile men. Each sample was divided into two parts. First part was subdivided into two equal aliquots: both cryopreserved with and without catalase. The second part was subdivided into two equal aliquots: both processed by swim up and then cryopreserved with or without catalase. Semen analyses, sperm vitality and sperm DNA integrity were performed. Sperm concentration showed significant decrease while percentage of progressive motility, sperm vitality and % of DNA damage showed significant increase in processed and cryopreserved processed samples when compared with …

Prognostic markers play an essential role in the proper management of community-acquired pneumonia. This research work aimed to evaluate the association of RDW and /or MPV with mortality and morbidity in patients with CAP to improve the yield of already used prognostic scores. Results: The current study enrolled 153 patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Out of them, 101 (64%) patients improved while 52 (36%) died. It was noticed that each of delta MPV and RDW (P < 0.001) had positive significant correlation with PSI and CURB-65. Delta MPV and RDW was significantly higher in patients who died (2.61 ± 1.01 vs. 1.78 ± 0.76; P = 0.01 for delta MPV and 16.50 ± 3.54 vs. 15.50 ± 2.81; P = 0.02 for RDW). Conclusion: Initial RDW and rising MPV during hospitalization for CAP is associated with more severe clinical characteristics and high mortality. Moreover, the use of RDW and delta MPV in patients admitted with CAP can improve the performance of prognostic scales.

Human myeloma cells from about 10% of cases with multiple myeloma expressed CD33 and have monocytoid morphology with convoluted nuclei, and all these patients had no increase in serum CRP values. In CD33(+) myeloma cells as well as myeloma cell lines, CD33 expression levels were correlated with the increased expression levels of CEBPA (C/EBPα) gene. This correlation was confirmed by the finding that transfection with the CEBPA gene induced CD33 expression in a CD33(−) myeloma cell line. As suggested by the lack of an increase in serum CRP values in CD33(+) myelomas, IL-6 down-regulated the expression of CD33 in CD33(+) myeloma cell lines along with the down-regulation of CEBPA gene expression. Cucurbitacin I (STAT3 inhibitor) but not U0126 (MAPK inhibitor) could abolish the effect of IL-6. Furthermore, IL-6 up-regulated the expression of MYC via STAT3 phosphorylation and MYC bound to the promoter region of CEBPA gene followed by the down-regulation of the CEBPA expression. It was confirmed that introduction of shRNA for MYC into a CD33(+) myeloma cell line blocked the IL6-induced down-regulation of CD33 and CEBPA expression. Therefore, these results indicate that IL-6 can reverse the expression level of CD33 by up-regulating MYC followed by the down-regulation of CEBPA expression.

CD19 expression is specifically lost on human myeloma cells by the loss of Pax-5 gene expression, while normal plasma cells do express CD19. In order to examine the biological meaning of the loss of CD19 expression in human myeloma cells, we have generated CD19 transfectants of human myeloma cell lines (U266 and KMS-5 cells) and of a human non-myeloma erythroleukemia cell line (K562) and compared their proliferation and survival with those of their corresponding parent or only vector-transfected cells in the serum-containing or serum-free medium (supplemented with BSA and transferrin) in vitro. Exogenous introduction of CD19 expression markedly suppressed the proliferation of these cells in the serum-containing medium, but there existed less suppressive effect of CD19 introduction in serum-free culture. Among the serum components, we focused on the IgG and examined the effect of addition of high concentration of IgG or addition of anti-CD32 (FcγRII) antibody in this serum-free medium. Addition of high concentration of IgG induced the marked suppression of CD19 transfectants more than that of parent or mock transfectants, and furthermore, stimulation with anti-CD32 antibody also showed the suppression of CD19 transfectants more than that of the mock cells. We also confirmed that primary myeloma cells as well as myeloma cell lines predominantly expressed FcγRII(CD32), but not FcγRI(CD64) or FcγRIII(CD16), and were found to express FcγRIIB gene by RT-PCR. Furthermore, the treatment with anti-CD32 antibody induced the tyrosine phosphorylation of CD32b in the CD19+ cells more than that in CD19- mock cells, and also the phosphorylation of SHIP, but not SHP-1 or SHP-2 was enhanced in CD19+ cells. Therefore, these data suggest that myeloma cells as well as plasma cells or B cells express FcγRII(CD32), and CD19- myeloma cells are less sensitive to the FcγRII-mediated growth suppression than CD19+ normal plasma cells or B cells.

EV-Ag ELISA assay is a reliable diagnostic test in resource-limited areas. HEV genotype 1 (HEV-1) infections are either self-limited or progress to fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) and death if anti-HEV therapy is delayed. Limited data is available about the diagnostic utility of HEV Ag on HEV-1 infections. Herein wWe aimed to study the kinetics of HEV Ag during HEV-1 infections at different stages, i.e., acute HEV infection, recovery, and progression to FHF. Also, we evaluated the diagnostic utility of this marker to predict the outcomes of HEV-1 infections. Plasma of acute hepatitis E (AHE) patients were assessed for HEV RNA by RT-qPCR, HEV Ag, and anti-HEV IgM by ELISA. The kinetics of HEV Ag was monitored at different time points; acute phase of infection, recovery, FHF stage, and post-recovery. Our results showed that the level of HEV Ag was elevated in AHE patients with a significantly higher level in FHF patients than recovered patients. We identified a plasma HEV Ag threshold that can differentiate between self-limiting infection and FHF progression with 100% sensitivity and 88.89% specificity. HEV Ag and HEV RNA have similar kinetics during the acute phase and self-limiting infection. In the FHF stage, HEV Ag and anti-HEV IgM have similar patterns of kinetics which could be the cause of liver damage. In conclusion, the HEV Ag assay can be used as a biomarker for predicting the consequences of HEV-1 infections which could be diagnostically useful for taking the appropriate measures to reduce the complications, especially for high-risk groups.