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Background: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a systemic, progressive, autoimmune disease. Complex interactions between environmental factors and host immune responses are the origin of axSpA. Together with human leukocyte antigen (HLA-B27), endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 1 (ERAP1) gene is a potential non-HLA contributor to axSpA susceptibility., Aim: This study aimed to identify the role of ERAP1 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs30187, rs27044, and rs27037) in susceptibility to and severity of axSpA in Egyptian patients., Methods: In this case-control study, we enrolled 120 patients with axSpA and 120 healthy individuals as controls. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to identify ERAP1 polymorphisms., Results: The present study revealed no significant association between ERAP1 SNPs (rs30187, rs27044, and rs27037) and axSpA susceptibility in Egyptian patients. A significant relationship was found only between the ERAP1 SNP rs27037 "GT" genotype and axSpA HLA-B27-positive cases, demonstrating a functional interaction between ERAP1 and HLA-B27-positive cases. Our analysis revealed a significant association between the ERAP1 SNP rs27037 "GT and TT" genotypes and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index, in addition to an association between the ERAP1 SNP rs27037 "TT" genotype and active enthesitis. The ERAP1 SNP rs27044 "GG" genotype was significantly associated with active enthesitis, but not with clinical axial involvement. Finally, we did not observe a significant relationship between HLA-B27 positivity and disease severity in the studied cases., Conclusion: Three SNPs (rs30187, rs27044, and rs27037) in ERAP1 do not confer susceptibility to axSpA in Egyptian patients. This association existed exclusively between the ERAP1 SNP (rs27037) "GT" genotype and axSpA HLA-B27-positive cases., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Annals of African Medicine.)

Withania somnifera , Angelica sinensis, Glycyrrhiza glabra , and Simmondsia chinensis were acquired from the Egyptian market, profiled for their chemical constituents, screened for the in-vitro MAO-B inhibitory activity and evaluated for the total phenolic content. Thirty compounds were characterized in the selected herbs using HPLC-MS/MS. In-vitro MAO-B inhibitory activity and total phenolic content of the acquired herbs were compared with those of a prepared herbal formula consisting of a mixture of equal amounts of the four mentioned herbs. The most potent MAO-B inhibitory activity was exerted by the methanol extract of the prepared formula (IC 50 of 712.19 ± 13.90 ng/mL) compared to selegiline (IC 50 of 581.69 ± 11.35 ng/mL). The highest value of the total phenolic content was shown by Angelica sinensis methanolic extract (76.15 ± 0.1 mg/g) followed by Glycyrrhiza glabra methanolic extract (65.74 ± 0.1 mg/g), then the mixture's methanolic extract of the four herbs (37.04 ± 0.1 mg/g).

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and dementia are common morbidities of elders. Serum cystatin C has been suggested to be an ideal marker for kidney function. The current study aimed to detect the serum levels of cystatin C in CKD patients and to correlate these levels to cognitive performance. The study involved 90 subjects aged 65 years and more, divided into two groups: Group 1: 60 patients with CKD, and Group 2: 30 control participants. Exclusion criteria included cardiac failure, hepatic failure, thyroid diseases, dialysis for more than one month, polycystic kidney disease, organ transplantation, and immunosuppressive therapy within the past six months. All participants had routine laboratory workup, serum cystatin C using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits, and cognitive assessment using mini-mental state examination (MMSE). Serum cystatin level was significantly high in CKD patients while MMSE scores were significantly lower in CKD patients. A high significant negative correlation was found between serum cystatin C levels and both degree of cognitive impairment and glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Also, a significant positive correlation was found between the degree of cognitive impairment and GFR levels. Serum cystatin levels are significantly associated with cognitive impairment in CKD patients, and this correlation becomes more evident with the worsening of CKD stages. That may help in better understanding of the pathogenesis of dementia in CKD patients with the emergence of therapeutic options depending on these data.

With the growing incidence of closed schistosomiasis and uncommon presentations, there is a risk of the infection rate being underestimated. A study in Japan reported an unexplained case of endocarditis that was finally diagnosed as a complex Schistosoma japonicum infection; in the absence of advanced techniques, the diagnosis was delayed. We therefore set out to explore the incidence of Schistosoma mansoni in endocarditis patients coming from areas of Egypt where S. mansoni is endemic. We also investigated histopathological changes in the cardiac valves and the presence of cell-free parasite DNA (CFPD) in cardiac tissues of laboratory mice infected with S. mansoni. The study included 186 patients with the manifestations of infective endocarditis. Eggs were detected in the stool samples of 5.91% of patients. Seropositivity was reported in 23.66% of patients and antigen was detected in the urine samples of 10.21%. Using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), CFPD was detected in the blood of 6.98% of the endocarditis patients and 95% of the infected mice, while the cardiac samples of 45% of the mice tested positive for CFPD (means ± SD = 1390.2 ± 283.65, 2158.72 ± 1103.1 and 5.71 ± 2.91, respectively). Histopathological examination revealed abnormal collagen deposition, inflammatory cells and haemorrhagic pigmentation in the heart sections. Despite the low incidence of S. mansoni infection in the studied cohort, the presence of CFPD in the cardiac tissue of infected mice makes it necessary to: (1) investigate the hazards of CFPD deposition in endothelium-rich organs; and (2) test the potential of CFPD to trigger tissue inflammation, abnormal proliferation or genome integration.

Aim: This work investigates the prevalence of G2019S mutation of the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene in a cohort of Egyptian patients with sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD) and its relation to various features of the disease., Materials and Methods: The study included 113 patients with sporadic PD and 87 healthy individuals as a control group. Clinical assessment was done using the Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS) and staging of PD was done according to Hoehn-Yahr score. The G2019S mutation was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by restriction digestion; results were confirmed using a 5' nuclease allelic discrimination real-time PCR method., Results: The G2019S mutation was detected in 11 patients (9.7%) with PD, all of whom were heterozygous, but it was not present in any of the controls. Among PD patients, carriers of the G2019S mutation had significantly higher UPDRS motor score and a higher score for resting tremor than noncarriers (p=0.019 and p=0.004, respectively)., Conclusions: The G2019S mutation in the LRRK2 gene is quite common in Egyptian patients with sporadic PD. The mutation is associated with a higher degree of motor effect but does not seem to affect mentation or behavioral aspects of the disease.

Parasitic infections might become life threatening in immuno-compromised children' The study assessed the parasites' prevalence in different groups of immuno-compromised children. It was conducted on 120 children of whom 90 were inpatients in Tanta University Pediatric Hospital and were divided into 6 groups. GI: malignant diseases, GII: renal diseases, GIII: aggressive corticosteroid therapy, GIV: malnourished, GV: diabetic & GVI: miscellaneous. GVII comprised healthy children as control. Each child was subjected to history taking, clinical examination and examination of 3 stool samples by direct wet smear and a concentration technique. Coproculture and smear staining by a special stain, as well as examination of one blood sample for anti-Toxoplasma antibodies were done. The diagnostic efficacy of an immuno-chromatographic test for Giardia/ Cryptosporidium coproantigen was also assessed. The results revealed parasitic infections in 62.2% of the children in the test groups. Cryptosporidium was the most prevalent (33.3%). Cryptosporidium and Microsporidia were significantly prevalent in GI, Giardia was significantly high in GII, and Strongyloides stercoralis was detected in GIII. Coproantigen detection test showed 100% sensitivity, 87.5% specificity and 95% accuracy for Giardia; and 13.3%, 100%, 35% for Cryptosporidium respectively.

Background: Liver disease has emerged as an important cause of morbidity and mortality in renal transplant recipients. Liver insufficiency is the cause of death in up to 28% of long-term survivors after renal transplantation. The aim of this work was to evaluate the prevalence and causes of hepatic dysfunction in renal transplant recipients in Egypt, and its impact on both renal graft function and patient survival., Methods: This study comprised 447 kidney transplant recipients who received their grafts between January 1999 and December 2003 at Mansoura Urology and Nephrology Center. Among these recipients, 104 patients showed persistent hepatic dysfunction, while the remaining 343 had normal liver function or transient hepatic dysfunction of less than 6 months' duration., Results: We found that the prevalence of persistent hepatic dysfunction in our recipients was 23.3%. Infections such as hepatitis C virus (HCV;, with longer dialysis duration and blood transfusion as risk factors), HBV, and cytomegalovirus (CMV), were the main causes of persistent hepatic dysfunction. Drugs (e.g., the sirolimus and tacrolimus; cyclosporine; and azathioprine) were also associated with hepatic dysfunction. We did not find a significant impact of hepatic dysfunction on either patient or graft survival., Conclusions: Viral infections-especially HCV and CMV-were more prevalent in the group of patients with persistent hepatic dysfunction, with duration of dialysis as an important risk factor for HCV infection. Dose-dependent cyclosporine-induced hepatic dysfunction was observed early post-transplant. Neither tacrolimus- nor sirolimus-associated hepatic dysfunction was dose-dependent. Hepatic dysfunction had no significant impact on either patient or graft survival; however, this finding may be due to the relatively short duration of follow up.

The Western Harbor of Alexandria, the largest harbor of Egypt on the Mediterranean Sea, receives different internal and external untreated pollutants affecting dramatically its water, sediments and biota. Surface and bottom water samples were collected bimonthly from this harbor for studying vertical, regional and monthly distributions of total suspended matter (TSM), total dissolved lead (TDPb) and total particulate lead (TPPb). The high surface TSM values coincided with air-borne dust, organic aggregates, plankton productivity and discharged wastes. The high TSM averages in winter resulted mainly from turbulence of the water column by wind action. The highest averages of TDPb in the petroleum and coal basins in the Western Harbor reflect their effects on the water column, while the lowest averages of TDPb and TPPb were found at a location far away from pollution sources. For the water column, the maximum and minimum monthly averages of TPPb and TDPb respectively in June reflect the increase in the rate of lead uptake by phytoplankton abundant in summer, favored by temperature elevation. The annual mean concentration of TPPb was nearly double that of TDPb, indicating that lead was transported to the Western Harbor mainly in particulate form. This reflects the high TSM content in the harbor water onto which a considerable part of lead was adsorbed.

The seasonal distribution of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in Damietta estuary of the Nile was investigated to show the influence of organic pollution. The DOM values increased generally with depth. The vertical values of DOM varied from 0.23-9.97 mg O/l. The average DOM values gave noticeable local variations in each month and pronounced monthly variations at each station. The maximum monthly average value in August coincided principally with elevation of temperature and the minimum in December is due mainly to the drop in temperature. The direct effect of pollution, in increasing the DOM content in the estuary, decreases relatively towards the sea, as indicated by the minimum regional average DOM value at the mouth of Damietta estuary. An inverse relationship was found generally between the averages of DOM and those of dissolved oxygen.

Fifty normal infants were evaluated for the influence of their feeding pattern on the mother-to-child transmission of lymphocyte responsiveness to Schistosoma mansoni antigens. Positive delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions (DTH) were observed in 56% of infants who were breast-fed by infected mothers. Two out of 20 formula-fed infants born to infected mothers had positive DTH. A positive DTH was detected in only one infant out of 15 breast-fed by schistosomiasis-free mothers. These results suggest that cellular hypersensitivity to S. mansoni antigen can - at least in part - be transmitted in the colostrum/milk of infected mothers to their infants.