Eman A Salem, Ashraf Tabll, Tamer Z Salem, Yasmine S El-Abd, Reem El-Shenawy, Heba Shawky, Sahar Shoman
In this study, we aimed to evaluate the immunogenic profile of a chimeric DNA-based hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccine candidate encoding the full-length viral core-E1-E2 (HCV-CE) fragment. The vaccine candidate was designed to uniformly express the HCV genotype 4 core-E1-E2 protein. The recombinant HCV-CE protein was bacterially expressed in C41 (DE3) cells, and then BALB/c mice were immunized with different combinations of DNA/DNA or DNA/protein prime/boost immunizations. The proper construction of our vaccine candidate was confirmed by specific amplification of the encoded fragments and basic local alignment search tool (BLAST) results of the nucleotide sequence, which revealed a high degree of similarity with several HCV serotypes/genotypes. The platform for bacterial expression was optimized to maximize the yield of the purified recombinant HCV-CE protein. The recombinant protein showed high specific antigenicity against the sera of HCV-infected patients according to the ELISA and western blot results. The predicted B- and T-cell epitopes showed high antigenic and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) induction potential, in addition to cross-genotype conservation and population coverage. The mice antisera further demonstrated a remarkable ability to capture 100% of the native viral antigens circulating in the sera of HCV patients, with no cross-reactivity detected in control sera. In conclusion, the proposed HCV vaccination strategy demonstrated promising potential regarding its safety, immunogenicity, and population coverage.
{"title":"Immunogenicity study of a Novel DNA-Based HCV vaccine candidate.","authors":"Eman A Salem, Ashraf Tabll, Tamer Z Salem, Yasmine S El-Abd, Reem El-Shenawy, Heba Shawky, Sahar Shoman","doi":"10.55133/eji.310310","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55133/eji.310310","url":null,"abstract":"In this study, we aimed to evaluate the immunogenic profile of a chimeric DNA-based hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccine candidate encoding the full-length viral core-E1-E2 (HCV-CE) fragment. The vaccine candidate was designed to uniformly express the HCV genotype 4 core-E1-E2 protein. The recombinant HCV-CE protein was bacterially expressed in C41 (DE3) cells, and then BALB/c mice were immunized with different combinations of DNA/DNA or DNA/protein prime/boost immunizations. The proper construction of our vaccine candidate was confirmed by specific amplification of the encoded fragments and basic local alignment search tool (BLAST) results of the nucleotide sequence, which revealed a high degree of similarity with several HCV serotypes/genotypes. The platform for bacterial expression was optimized to maximize the yield of the purified recombinant HCV-CE protein. The recombinant protein showed high specific antigenicity against the sera of HCV-infected patients according to the ELISA and western blot results. The predicted B- and T-cell epitopes showed high antigenic and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) induction potential, in addition to cross-genotype conservation and population coverage. The mice antisera further demonstrated a remarkable ability to capture 100% of the native viral antigens circulating in the sera of HCV patients, with no cross-reactivity detected in control sera. In conclusion, the proposed HCV vaccination strategy demonstrated promising potential regarding its safety, immunogenicity, and population coverage.","PeriodicalId":516584,"journal":{"name":"The Egyptian journal of immunology","volume":"220 1","pages":"95-112"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141692714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lobna A. El-Korashi, O. Nafea, A. E. Nafea, Basma M. Elkholy, Lamia L Elhawy, Amina A Abdelhadi
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the most prevalent chronic inflammatory dermatological disorders in childhood. Assessment of AD severity is the initial step in designing the proper therapeutic plan. Moreover, it is imperative for evaluation of disease improvement during and following therapy. This study was designed to assess the prognostic role of miRNA-155 (miR-155) in the prediction of AD severity as the primary outcome. While the secondary outcome was to correlate the serum miR-155 expression levels with the scoring atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) severity index. This case-control study included 24 children with AD and 24 apparently healthy children as a control group. AD children were stratified according to the SCORAD severity index. Approximately 58% of children had mild AD, 25% moderate AD, and about 17% severe AD. Children with AD had statistically significantly higher miR-155 expression levels in comparison to the control children, (p < 0.001). Children with severe AD had statistically significantly higher miR-155 expression levels compared to mild AD children (p=0.001). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for miR-155 demonstrated that miR-155 can differentiate between children with mild AD and those with moderate-to-severe AD, with an area under the curve of 0.879, and an excellent discrimination power. A statistically strong significant positive correlation existed between miR-155 levels and SCORAD severity index (rs= 0.666, p < 0.001). In conclusion, MiR-155 could be considered as a non-invasive biomarker of AD severity in children. It is a promising prognostic tool in the prediction of AD severity.
特应性皮炎（AD）是儿童时期最常见的慢性炎症性皮肤病之一。评估特应性皮炎的严重程度是设计适当治疗方案的第一步。此外，在治疗过程中和治疗后评估疾病的改善情况也非常重要。本研究旨在评估 miRNA-155 （miR-155）在预测 AD 严重程度中的预后作用。次要结果是将血清 miR-155 表达水平与特应性皮炎（SCORAD）严重程度评分指数相关联。这项病例对照研究包括24名患有AD的儿童和24名表面健康的儿童作为对照组。根据 SCORAD 严重程度指数对 AD 儿童进行了分层。约58%的儿童患有轻度注意力缺失症，25%的儿童患有中度注意力缺失症，约17%的儿童患有重度注意力缺失症。与对照组儿童相比，AD 患儿的 miR-155 表达水平明显更高（p < 0.001）。与轻度 AD 儿童相比，重度 AD 儿童的 miR-155 表达水平明显更高（p=0.001）。miR-155的接收器操作特征曲线分析表明，miR-155能区分轻度AD儿童和中重度AD儿童，曲线下面积为0.879，具有很好的区分能力。miR-155水平与SCORAD严重程度指数（rs= 0.666，p < 0.001）之间存在统计学意义上的显著正相关。总之，MiR-155可被视为儿童AD严重程度的非侵入性生物标志物。它是预测AD严重程度的一种有前途的预后工具。
{"title":"MicroRNA-155 is a potential predictive tool for atopic dermatitis severity in children: A preliminary study.","authors":"Lobna A. El-Korashi, O. Nafea, A. E. Nafea, Basma M. Elkholy, Lamia L Elhawy, Amina A Abdelhadi","doi":"10.55133/eji.310313","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55133/eji.310313","url":null,"abstract":"Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the most prevalent chronic inflammatory dermatological disorders in childhood. Assessment of AD severity is the initial step in designing the proper therapeutic plan. Moreover, it is imperative for evaluation of disease improvement during and following therapy. This study was designed to assess the prognostic role of miRNA-155 (miR-155) in the prediction of AD severity as the primary outcome. While the secondary outcome was to correlate the serum miR-155 expression levels with the scoring atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) severity index. This case-control study included 24 children with AD and 24 apparently healthy children as a control group. AD children were stratified according to the SCORAD severity index. Approximately 58% of children had mild AD, 25% moderate AD, and about 17% severe AD. Children with AD had statistically significantly higher miR-155 expression levels in comparison to the control children, (p < 0.001). Children with severe AD had statistically significantly higher miR-155 expression levels compared to mild AD children (p=0.001). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for miR-155 demonstrated that miR-155 can differentiate between children with mild AD and those with moderate-to-severe AD, with an area under the curve of 0.879, and an excellent discrimination power. A statistically strong significant positive correlation existed between miR-155 levels and SCORAD severity index (rs= 0.666, p < 0.001). In conclusion, MiR-155 could be considered as a non-invasive biomarker of AD severity in children. It is a promising prognostic tool in the prediction of AD severity.","PeriodicalId":516584,"journal":{"name":"The Egyptian journal of immunology","volume":"300 2","pages":"131-139"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141692289","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Soukaina Laaraj, I. Ouahidi, Nada Al Moudani, Abdellatif Boukir, Samira Jaouhar, L. Aarab
The study aimed to assess the immunomodulatory effects of Phoenix dactylifera (dates) fruit, a traditional remedy used by Moroccans to enhance immunity against pathogens. This research sought to evaluate the impacts of this fruit on immune cells and their functions. To achieve this, we conducted tests using date extracts on splenocytes, thymocytes, and macrophages, focusing on their functions: antibody production, phagocytosis, and T-lymphocyte toxicity. The results obtained demonstrated that the aqueous extract of P. dactylifera fruit exhibited significant immunostimulatory effects on humoral immunity. It achieved this by enhancing complement activity and increasing splenocyte (including B-lymphocytes) proliferation by 142.5% compared to control cells. Similarly, in the same conditions, there was notable stimulation of cellular immunity through thymocyte activity, resulting in a remarkable increase in cell proliferation (225%) and a boost in thymocyte function (245.9%), which plays a role in safeguarding against cancer. Moreover, the date extract demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties. This was evident in the increased phagocytosis activity mediated by macrophages under the ethyl acetate extract, effectively eliminating pathogens. Assessing the cosmetic potential of date extracts showed that the ethyl acetate extract possesses both anti-inflammatory and strong antioxidant effects, exhibited high photo absorption of ultraviolet-B rays. Based on these findings, we propose to study the utilization of this extract for sun protection as a sunscreen. Furthermore, the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis indicated that the most active compounds present were flavonoids. These outcomes substantiate the traditional usage of this fruit for reinforcing immunity.
该研究旨在评估凤凰果（椰枣）的免疫调节作用，这是摩洛哥人用来增强免疫力以抵御病原体的一种传统疗法。这项研究试图评估这种水果对免疫细胞及其功能的影响。为此，我们使用椰枣提取物对脾细胞、胸腺细胞和巨噬细胞进行了测试，重点是它们的功能：抗体产生、吞噬和 T 淋巴细胞毒性。研究结果表明，红枣水提取物对体液免疫有显著的免疫刺激作用。与对照细胞相比，它能提高补体活性，并使脾细胞（包括 B 淋巴细胞）的增殖率提高 142.5%。同样，在相同条件下，红枣提取物还通过胸腺细胞活性显著刺激细胞免疫，使细胞增殖显著增加（225%），胸腺细胞功能增强（245.9%），从而起到防癌作用。此外，红枣提取物还具有抗炎特性。在乙酸乙酯提取物的作用下，巨噬细胞的吞噬活动明显增强，从而有效地消灭了病原体。对红枣提取物美容潜力的评估表明，乙酸乙酯提取物具有抗炎和强抗氧化作用，对紫外线-B 的光吸收率高。基于这些发现，我们建议研究如何利用这种提取物作为防晒霜进行防晒。此外，傅立叶变换红外光谱分析表明，该提取物中最活跃的化合物是黄酮类化合物。这些结果证实了这种水果用于增强免疫力的传统用途。
{"title":"Immunostimulant effect of dates (Phoenix dactylifera) on humoral and cellular immunity cells and their functions.","authors":"Soukaina Laaraj, I. Ouahidi, Nada Al Moudani, Abdellatif Boukir, Samira Jaouhar, L. Aarab","doi":"10.55133/eji.310303","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55133/eji.310303","url":null,"abstract":"The study aimed to assess the immunomodulatory effects of Phoenix dactylifera (dates) fruit, a traditional remedy used by Moroccans to enhance immunity against pathogens. This research sought to evaluate the impacts of this fruit on immune cells and their functions. To achieve this, we conducted tests using date extracts on splenocytes, thymocytes, and macrophages, focusing on their functions: antibody production, phagocytosis, and T-lymphocyte toxicity. The results obtained demonstrated that the aqueous extract of P. dactylifera fruit exhibited significant immunostimulatory effects on humoral immunity. It achieved this by enhancing complement activity and increasing splenocyte (including B-lymphocytes) proliferation by 142.5% compared to control cells. Similarly, in the same conditions, there was notable stimulation of cellular immunity through thymocyte activity, resulting in a remarkable increase in cell proliferation (225%) and a boost in thymocyte function (245.9%), which plays a role in safeguarding against cancer. Moreover, the date extract demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties. This was evident in the increased phagocytosis activity mediated by macrophages under the ethyl acetate extract, effectively eliminating pathogens. Assessing the cosmetic potential of date extracts showed that the ethyl acetate extract possesses both anti-inflammatory and strong antioxidant effects, exhibited high photo absorption of ultraviolet-B rays. Based on these findings, we propose to study the utilization of this extract for sun protection as a sunscreen. Furthermore, the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis indicated that the most active compounds present were flavonoids. These outcomes substantiate the traditional usage of this fruit for reinforcing immunity.","PeriodicalId":516584,"journal":{"name":"The Egyptian journal of immunology","volume":"13 16","pages":"28-40"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141700826","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Bakheet, Ebtsam F El-Karn, Omnia A Mohamed, Ghadeer Abdel Razzak, Eman M Abdelrahman, W. Khalifa
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a multifactorial disease with both genetic and environmental factors contributing to its pathogenesis. ACYP2 is a gene that is related to cell differentiation, apoptosis and prevention of malignant tumors. The ACYP2 gene also affects telomere length. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between ACYP2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs843711), and (rs843706) and incidence of HCC in Egyptian HCC patients. The study included 30 patients with HCC and 30 normal controls. Detection of ACYP2 gene SNPs rs843711, and rs843706 in all study participants was done using real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results showed that all participants including HCC patients and controls carried the heterozygous CA (100%) of the rs843706 SNP (p> 0.05). As for the rs843711, 3.3% of HCC patients had the homozygous TT genotype, 46.7% had the heterozygous CT genotype and 50% had the wild CC genotype, while in the control group, 60% had the heterozygous CT genotype and 40% had the wild CC genotype with no significant difference between both groups (p>0.05). We concluded that there was no association between SNPs ACYP2 rs843706 and rs843711 and occurrence of HCC.
{"title":"Transcription factor 7 like 2 gene polymorphism and advanced glycation end products as risk factors for diabetic nephropathy.","authors":"M. Bakheet, Ebtsam F El-Karn, Omnia A Mohamed, Ghadeer Abdel Razzak, Eman M Abdelrahman, W. Khalifa","doi":"10.55133/eji.310301","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55133/eji.310301","url":null,"abstract":"Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a multifactorial disease with both genetic and environmental factors contributing to its pathogenesis. ACYP2 is a gene that is related to cell differentiation, apoptosis and prevention of malignant tumors. The ACYP2 gene also affects telomere length. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between ACYP2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs843711), and (rs843706) and incidence of HCC in Egyptian HCC patients. The study included 30 patients with HCC and 30 normal controls. Detection of ACYP2 gene SNPs rs843711, and rs843706 in all study participants was done using real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results showed that all participants including HCC patients and controls carried the heterozygous CA (100%) of the rs843706 SNP (p> 0.05). As for the rs843711, 3.3% of HCC patients had the homozygous TT genotype, 46.7% had the heterozygous CT genotype and 50% had the wild CC genotype, while in the control group, 60% had the heterozygous CT genotype and 40% had the wild CC genotype with no significant difference between both groups (p>0.05). We concluded that there was no association between SNPs ACYP2 rs843706 and rs843711 and occurrence of HCC.","PeriodicalId":516584,"journal":{"name":"The Egyptian journal of immunology","volume":"19 4","pages":"1-14"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141710830","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hany S Rasmy, Noha A Elnakeeb, Mohamed F Mohamed, Hossam S Elbaz
Inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic immune-mediated disorder with a relapsing and remitting course. It leads to disabling gastrointestinal symptoms, low quality of life, and a significant burden for healthcare utilization and associated costs. Therefore, non-invasive biomarkers are needed for early diagnosis and follow up to avoid the complications of invasive diagnostic procedures. Calgranulin C is a calcium binding protein with proinflammatory properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of serum calgranulin C as a non-invasive biomarker for diagnosis and prediction of activity in comparison to different biomarkers and endoscopic activity scores in inflammatory bowel disease. The study included 80 inflammatory bowel disease patients (50 Ulcerative colitis and 30 Chron's patients) and 20 normal controls. Complete blood picture, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, fecal calprotectin and serum calgranulin C were measured. Colonoscopies with histopathological examination were done and different activity scoring systems assessed. Among ulcerative colitis group, serum calgranulin C was statistically significantly higher in comparison to control group [723.640±529.055 ng/ml versus 80.850±24.416 ng/ml]. Depending on the American college of gastroenterology ulcerative colitis activity index, fecal calprotectin and serum calgranulin C were statistically significantly higher among moderate to severe ulcerative colitis than those with mild activity and those in remission (p < 0.001, for both). Regarding Crohn's disease group, serum calgranulin C was statistically significantly higher in comparison to control group [759.233±797.963 ng/ml versus 80.850±24.416 ng/mL]. Depending on Crohn's disease activity index, both serum calgranulin C and fecal calprotectin were statistically significantly higher among active disease than those in remission (p < 0.001, for both). In conclusion, serum calgranulin C could be used as a non-invasive marker to predict activity and severity and to ensure remission among inflammatory bowel disease patients.
炎症性肠病是一种由免疫介导的慢性疾病，病程呈复发和缓解状态。该病会导致致残性胃肠道症状、生活质量低下，并给医疗服务的使用和相关费用带来沉重负担。因此，需要非侵入性生物标志物来进行早期诊断和随访，以避免侵入性诊断程序的并发症。Calgranulin C 是一种具有促炎特性的钙结合蛋白。本研究旨在评估血清钙调蛋白 C 作为非侵入性生物标志物在诊断和预测炎症性肠病活动性方面的作用，并与不同的生物标志物和内窥镜活动性评分进行比较。研究对象包括 80 名炎症性肠病患者（50 名溃疡性结肠炎患者和 30 名慢性结肠炎患者）和 20 名正常对照者。研究人员测量了全血象、C 反应蛋白、红细胞沉降率、粪便钙蛋白和血清钙调素 C。进行了结肠镜检查和组织病理学检查，并评估了不同的活动评分系统。与对照组相比，溃疡性结肠炎组患者的血清钙调蛋白 C明显更高[723.640±529.055 ng/ml 对 80.850±24.416 ng/ml]。根据美国胃肠病学会溃疡性结肠炎活动指数，中重度溃疡性结肠炎患者的粪便钙蛋白和血清钙调蛋白 C明显高于轻度活动和缓解期患者（P < 0.001）。与对照组相比，克罗恩病组的血清钙调蛋白 C 在统计学上明显更高[759.233±797.963 ng/ml 对 80.850±24.416 ng/mL]。根据克罗恩病的活动指数，活动期患者的血清钙谷蛋白 C 和粪便钙蛋白均明显高于缓解期患者（P < 0.001）。总之，血清钙调蛋白 C 可作为一种非侵入性标记物，用于预测炎症性肠病患者的活动性和严重程度，并确保其病情得到缓解。
{"title":"Serum calgranulin C as a non-invasive predictor of activity among inflammatory bowel disease.","authors":"Hany S Rasmy, Noha A Elnakeeb, Mohamed F Mohamed, Hossam S Elbaz","doi":"10.55133/eji.310309","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55133/eji.310309","url":null,"abstract":"Inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic immune-mediated disorder with a relapsing and remitting course. It leads to disabling gastrointestinal symptoms, low quality of life, and a significant burden for healthcare utilization and associated costs. Therefore, non-invasive biomarkers are needed for early diagnosis and follow up to avoid the complications of invasive diagnostic procedures. Calgranulin C is a calcium binding protein with proinflammatory properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of serum calgranulin C as a non-invasive biomarker for diagnosis and prediction of activity in comparison to different biomarkers and endoscopic activity scores in inflammatory bowel disease. The study included 80 inflammatory bowel disease patients (50 Ulcerative colitis and 30 Chron's patients) and 20 normal controls. Complete blood picture, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, fecal calprotectin and serum calgranulin C were measured. Colonoscopies with histopathological examination were done and different activity scoring systems assessed. Among ulcerative colitis group, serum calgranulin C was statistically significantly higher in comparison to control group [723.640±529.055 ng/ml versus 80.850±24.416 ng/ml]. Depending on the American college of gastroenterology ulcerative colitis activity index, fecal calprotectin and serum calgranulin C were statistically significantly higher among moderate to severe ulcerative colitis than those with mild activity and those in remission (p < 0.001, for both). Regarding Crohn's disease group, serum calgranulin C was statistically significantly higher in comparison to control group [759.233±797.963 ng/ml versus 80.850±24.416 ng/mL]. Depending on Crohn's disease activity index, both serum calgranulin C and fecal calprotectin were statistically significantly higher among active disease than those in remission (p < 0.001, for both). In conclusion, serum calgranulin C could be used as a non-invasive marker to predict activity and severity and to ensure remission among inflammatory bowel disease patients.","PeriodicalId":516584,"journal":{"name":"The Egyptian journal of immunology","volume":"35 6","pages":"81-94"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141688872","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Amira Isaac, M. W. Keddeas, Abeer A Abd Elhady, Sara M Khatab, S. Elgohary, Hosam S El Baz
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory condition of large intestine that is frequently associated with inflammation of the rectum but often extends proximally to involve other areas of the colon. The ultimate target of therapy is complete healing in the form of clinical remission, complete endoscopic and histological healing, and transmural healing for which endoscopy is mandatory. Colonoscopy may not always be applicable due to possible complications in active ulcerative colitis. Therefore, non-invasive biomarkers are needed to avoid the disadvantageous complications of invasive diagnostic procedures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of serum Amyloid-A (SAA) as a non-invasive predictive biomarker of mucosal healing in comparison to different laboratory biomarkers, and endoscopic activity scores. The study included 100 ulcerative colitis patients classified into two groups: 50 patients in clinical, and biochemical remission and 50 patients in activity. Complete blood picture, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, fecal calprotectin, and SAA were measured and recorded, colonoscopies with histopathological examination were done for all patients. SAA levels were significantly higher in patients with active ulcerative colitis than in clinical remission patients (p < 0.001). In clinical, remission patients without full mucosal healing, SAA was positively correlated with endoscopic disease activity represented with Mayo score, Mayo endoscopic sub-score and Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS) (p < 0.001). However, there was no significant correlation between SAA and endoscopic scores among the activity patients' group. The cut off value of SAA for determining disease activity was > 5.199 µg/ml with 100 % sensitivity, specificity of 92 %, and accuracy of 99.6%. In conclusion, SAA can be used for prediction of mucosal healing in ulcerative colitis remission patients despite not being superior to fecal calprotectin. However, it was unable to differentiate between the different disease activities or extents.
{"title":"Serum Amyloid A as a non-invasive predictive biomarker of mucosal healing in ulcerative colitis patients.","authors":"Amira Isaac, M. W. Keddeas, Abeer A Abd Elhady, Sara M Khatab, S. Elgohary, Hosam S El Baz","doi":"10.55133/eji.310214","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55133/eji.310214","url":null,"abstract":"Ulcerative colitis is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory condition of large intestine that is frequently associated with inflammation of the rectum but often extends proximally to involve other areas of the colon. The ultimate target of therapy is complete healing in the form of clinical remission, complete endoscopic and histological healing, and transmural healing for which endoscopy is mandatory. Colonoscopy may not always be applicable due to possible complications in active ulcerative colitis. Therefore, non-invasive biomarkers are needed to avoid the disadvantageous complications of invasive diagnostic procedures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of serum Amyloid-A (SAA) as a non-invasive predictive biomarker of mucosal healing in comparison to different laboratory biomarkers, and endoscopic activity scores. The study included 100 ulcerative colitis patients classified into two groups: 50 patients in clinical, and biochemical remission and 50 patients in activity. Complete blood picture, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, fecal calprotectin, and SAA were measured and recorded, colonoscopies with histopathological examination were done for all patients. SAA levels were significantly higher in patients with active ulcerative colitis than in clinical remission patients (p < 0.001). In clinical, remission patients without full mucosal healing, SAA was positively correlated with endoscopic disease activity represented with Mayo score, Mayo endoscopic sub-score and Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS) (p < 0.001). However, there was no significant correlation between SAA and endoscopic scores among the activity patients' group. The cut off value of SAA for determining disease activity was > 5.199 µg/ml with 100 % sensitivity, specificity of 92 %, and accuracy of 99.6%. In conclusion, SAA can be used for prediction of mucosal healing in ulcerative colitis remission patients despite not being superior to fecal calprotectin. However, it was unable to differentiate between the different disease activities or extents.","PeriodicalId":516584,"journal":{"name":"The Egyptian journal of immunology","volume":"33 5","pages":"130-144"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140770144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Biomarkers such as Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP) and Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) have a role in the pathogenesis of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The aim of this study was to explore the differences between serum levels of such biomarkers in severe and non-severe COVID-19 cases and compare them with normal people and to evaluate the sociodemographic variables and chronic diseases effect on the severity of COVID-19. The study included 160 subjects, divided into two groups, a case group of 80 patients, and a control group of 80 normal persons. The case group was divided into two subgroups: 40 severe COVID-19 patients and 40 patients with non-severe disease. Blood IL-6 was assessed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), PCT by an immunoassay, CRP by an immunoturbidimetric assay and NLR from CBC. The levels of IL-6, PCT, CRP, and NLR were significantly higher in the case group than in control group (p= 0.001, for all). However, there was no difference between these biomarkers level in the non-severe COVID-19 subgroup and the control group (p>0.05 for all). The proportion of severe COVID-19 was significantly higher in patients aged >50 years, and in patients with chronic diseases (p=0.046 and p=0.001, respectively). We also found a strong correlation between such biomarkers and old age, and chronic diseases with the disease severity. There was a significant difference in the level of the three biomarkers (IL-6, PCT, CRP, and NLR) between patients' subgroups and the control group. In conclusion, since the levels of these biomarkers are correlated with the severity of the COVID-19 disease, and there was a difference in the levels between the groups with severe and non-severe symptoms, we suggest a role of these biomarkers in predicting the severity COVID-19 disease and its poor prognosis.
{"title":"The role of C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, interleukin-6 and neutrophil / lymphocyte ratio as a laboratory biomarker in COVID-19.","authors":"Rusul S F Al-Juboori, Y. J. Al-bayaa","doi":"10.55133/eji.310210","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55133/eji.310210","url":null,"abstract":"Biomarkers such as Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP) and Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) have a role in the pathogenesis of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The aim of this study was to explore the differences between serum levels of such biomarkers in severe and non-severe COVID-19 cases and compare them with normal people and to evaluate the sociodemographic variables and chronic diseases effect on the severity of COVID-19. The study included 160 subjects, divided into two groups, a case group of 80 patients, and a control group of 80 normal persons. The case group was divided into two subgroups: 40 severe COVID-19 patients and 40 patients with non-severe disease. Blood IL-6 was assessed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), PCT by an immunoassay, CRP by an immunoturbidimetric assay and NLR from CBC. The levels of IL-6, PCT, CRP, and NLR were significantly higher in the case group than in control group (p= 0.001, for all). However, there was no difference between these biomarkers level in the non-severe COVID-19 subgroup and the control group (p>0.05 for all). The proportion of severe COVID-19 was significantly higher in patients aged >50 years, and in patients with chronic diseases (p=0.046 and p=0.001, respectively). We also found a strong correlation between such biomarkers and old age, and chronic diseases with the disease severity. There was a significant difference in the level of the three biomarkers (IL-6, PCT, CRP, and NLR) between patients' subgroups and the control group. In conclusion, since the levels of these biomarkers are correlated with the severity of the COVID-19 disease, and there was a difference in the levels between the groups with severe and non-severe symptoms, we suggest a role of these biomarkers in predicting the severity COVID-19 disease and its poor prognosis.","PeriodicalId":516584,"journal":{"name":"The Egyptian journal of immunology","volume":"147 1","pages":"93-101"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140756356","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
R. Shehata, Sara A Atta, Abd-Elsamea S Fatma, Rayan A Aml, A. S. Gomaa
Cytokines play a major role in the pathogenesis and progression of psoriasis. Interleukin (IL)-30 is a multifunctional cytokine. It binds to glycoprotein 130 (GP130) and inhibits the GP130 signaling pathways of psoriasis associated cytokines such as IL-6, IL-11, and IL-27. The study intended to assess associations of IL-30 and GP130 with the risk of psoriasis and Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) score. Therefore, we measured the serum levels of IL-30 and GP130 in psoriasis patients and in a control group. An enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique was used to measure IL-30 and GP130 levels in the serum of 43 patients and 43 normal controls. Statistical analysis of IL-30 and GP130 serum levels among patients and control groups and their correlation with PASI scores were performed. IL-30 serum levels showed a significant increase in patients with psoriasis compared with controls (p < 0.001) and a positive correlation with PASI scores. While serum levels of GP130 were not different in psoriatic patients and in the control group. Furthermore, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that IL-30 had diagnostic ability for prediction of psoriasis in comparison to controls, at cut of point of >14.34 showed a sensitivity of 97.7%, 100% specificity. In conclusion, IL-30 was elevated in psoriasis patients than controls, therefore, it can be considered a sensitive biomarker for diagnosis of psoriasis.
{"title":"Association of serum IL-30 and soluble GP130 with the risk of psoriasis vulgaris.","authors":"R. Shehata, Sara A Atta, Abd-Elsamea S Fatma, Rayan A Aml, A. S. Gomaa","doi":"10.55133/eji.310207","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55133/eji.310207","url":null,"abstract":"Cytokines play a major role in the pathogenesis and progression of psoriasis. Interleukin (IL)-30 is a multifunctional cytokine. It binds to glycoprotein 130 (GP130) and inhibits the GP130 signaling pathways of psoriasis associated cytokines such as IL-6, IL-11, and IL-27. The study intended to assess associations of IL-30 and GP130 with the risk of psoriasis and Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) score. Therefore, we measured the serum levels of IL-30 and GP130 in psoriasis patients and in a control group. An enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique was used to measure IL-30 and GP130 levels in the serum of 43 patients and 43 normal controls. Statistical analysis of IL-30 and GP130 serum levels among patients and control groups and their correlation with PASI scores were performed. IL-30 serum levels showed a significant increase in patients with psoriasis compared with controls (p < 0.001) and a positive correlation with PASI scores. While serum levels of GP130 were not different in psoriatic patients and in the control group. Furthermore, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that IL-30 had diagnostic ability for prediction of psoriasis in comparison to controls, at cut of point of >14.34 showed a sensitivity of 97.7%, 100% specificity. In conclusion, IL-30 was elevated in psoriasis patients than controls, therefore, it can be considered a sensitive biomarker for diagnosis of psoriasis.","PeriodicalId":516584,"journal":{"name":"The Egyptian journal of immunology","volume":"109 ","pages":"61-70"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140792496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nermin R Abdelwahab, Randa R Mabrouk, N. Zakaria, Azza Abdel Nasser, A. A. Mostafa, Nancy S Wahba
One of the most common neurological illnesses in the world is multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). MS has both a genetic and an environmental origin. In terms of environmental factors, vitamin D deficiency is one of the most important risk factors and closely connected with gene polymorphisms involved in vitamin D metabolism, transport, or activity. Since vitamin D activity requires a receptor-mediated response, any changes to the vitamin D receptor (VDR) may have an effect on the pathophysiology of the disease. In this study, we aimed to identify the relationship between VDR gene polymorphisms, FokI A>G (rs2228570), ApaI A>C (rs7975232) and BsmI C>T (rs1544410) and MS. FokI, ApaI and BsmI genotypes were determined in 50 patients with relapsing remitting MS (RRMS) and in 50 control subjects. DNA was isolated from blood samples, and then FokI, ApaI and BsmI gene polymorphisms were identified using allelic discrimination real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. The distribution of FokI, ApaI and BsmI polymorphisms did not show any significant differences between MS patients and controls. Thus, we concluded that there is no association between the studied VDR gene polymorphisms and MS.
多发性硬化症（MS）是世界上最常见的神经系统疾病之一，它是一种慢性自身免疫性中枢神经系统（CNS）脱髓鞘疾病。多发性硬化症既有遗传因素，也有环境因素。就环境因素而言，维生素 D 缺乏是最重要的风险因素之一，并且与涉及维生素 D 代谢、转运或活性的基因多态性密切相关。由于维生素 D 的活性需要受体介导的反应，维生素 D 受体（VDR）的任何变化都可能对疾病的病理生理学产生影响。在这项研究中，我们旨在确定 VDR 基因多态性 FokI A>G (rs2228570)、ApaI A>C (rs7975232) 和 BsmI C>T (rs1544410) 与多发性硬化症之间的关系。对 50 名复发性缓解型多发性硬化症（RRMS）患者和 50 名对照组受试者的 FokI、ApaI 和 BsmI 基因型进行了测定。从血液样本中分离出 DNA，然后使用等位基因辨别实时聚合酶链反应（PCR）测定法确定 FokI、ApaI 和 BsmI 基因的多态性。FokI、ApaI和BsmI基因多态性的分布在多发性硬化症患者和对照组之间没有显示出明显的差异。因此，我们认为所研究的 VDR 基因多态性与多发性硬化症之间没有关联。
{"title":"Vitamin D receptor gene polymorphism in Egyptian multiple sclerosis patients.","authors":"Nermin R Abdelwahab, Randa R Mabrouk, N. Zakaria, Azza Abdel Nasser, A. A. Mostafa, Nancy S Wahba","doi":"10.55133/eji.310205","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55133/eji.310205","url":null,"abstract":"One of the most common neurological illnesses in the world is multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). MS has both a genetic and an environmental origin. In terms of environmental factors, vitamin D deficiency is one of the most important risk factors and closely connected with gene polymorphisms involved in vitamin D metabolism, transport, or activity. Since vitamin D activity requires a receptor-mediated response, any changes to the vitamin D receptor (VDR) may have an effect on the pathophysiology of the disease. In this study, we aimed to identify the relationship between VDR gene polymorphisms, FokI A>G (rs2228570), ApaI A>C (rs7975232) and BsmI C>T (rs1544410) and MS. FokI, ApaI and BsmI genotypes were determined in 50 patients with relapsing remitting MS (RRMS) and in 50 control subjects. DNA was isolated from blood samples, and then FokI, ApaI and BsmI gene polymorphisms were identified using allelic discrimination real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. The distribution of FokI, ApaI and BsmI polymorphisms did not show any significant differences between MS patients and controls. Thus, we concluded that there is no association between the studied VDR gene polymorphisms and MS.","PeriodicalId":516584,"journal":{"name":"The Egyptian journal of immunology","volume":"143 1","pages":"44-54"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140756881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. T. El Hawary, Fedaa Nabil, Ramy El Hendawy, Haytham K A Mahrous, Ghada A AbdelHamid, Mahmoud Amer
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent cancers in the world. Two risk factors that cause 80-90% of HCC cases globally are chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). The diagnostic value of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in numerous tumors has been described. Our research assessed microRNA-16 (miR-16) as a novel biomarker in patients with HCV-induced HCC. The study included three groups. Group 1 included 55 individuals with cirrhosis caused by liver HCV infection in addition to HCC. Group 2 included 55 individuals with cirrhosis brought on by HCV infection. Group 3 included 55 normal control individuals. Expression of miR-16 in blood was assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The mean level of miR-16 was significantly different in the three groups, with group 1 having the greatest value (1.098 ± 0.647), followed by group 2 (1.1035 ± 0.8567) and group 3 (control subjects) having the lowest value (0.3842 ± 0.21485). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that miR-16 had a higher diagnostic value at area under the curve (AUC) of 0.935 than alpha-feto protein (AUC of 0.859) to differentiate between HCC and control subjects. MiR-16 has a sensitivity of 81.82 % and a specificity of 69.09%, to distinguish between patients with liver cirrhosis and HCC patients. Our findings illustrated that circulating miR-16 can be proposed as a marker for detection of patients with HCV-induced HCC.
{"title":"Serum microRNA-16 as a potential biomarker for HCV-induced hepato-cellular carcinoma in Egyptian patients.","authors":"A. T. El Hawary, Fedaa Nabil, Ramy El Hendawy, Haytham K A Mahrous, Ghada A AbdelHamid, Mahmoud Amer","doi":"10.55133/eji.310211","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55133/eji.310211","url":null,"abstract":"Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent cancers in the world. Two risk factors that cause 80-90% of HCC cases globally are chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). The diagnostic value of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in numerous tumors has been described. Our research assessed microRNA-16 (miR-16) as a novel biomarker in patients with HCV-induced HCC. The study included three groups. Group 1 included 55 individuals with cirrhosis caused by liver HCV infection in addition to HCC. Group 2 included 55 individuals with cirrhosis brought on by HCV infection. Group 3 included 55 normal control individuals. Expression of miR-16 in blood was assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The mean level of miR-16 was significantly different in the three groups, with group 1 having the greatest value (1.098 ± 0.647), followed by group 2 (1.1035 ± 0.8567) and group 3 (control subjects) having the lowest value (0.3842 ± 0.21485). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that miR-16 had a higher diagnostic value at area under the curve (AUC) of 0.935 than alpha-feto protein (AUC of 0.859) to differentiate between HCC and control subjects. MiR-16 has a sensitivity of 81.82 % and a specificity of 69.09%, to distinguish between patients with liver cirrhosis and HCC patients. Our findings illustrated that circulating miR-16 can be proposed as a marker for detection of patients with HCV-induced HCC.","PeriodicalId":516584,"journal":{"name":"The Egyptian journal of immunology","volume":"108 ","pages":"102-111"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140790793","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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