BackgroundEpstein-Barr virus (EBV) has recently been implicated in the development of various astrocytic proliferations.Objectiveto assess the prevalence of neurotropic EBV infection in brain tissue samples from astrocytoma patients classified into grades I, II, III, and IV, using a prospective case-control approach.MethodsIn this study, 100 brain tissue specimens were obtained from 75 patients who had astrocytoma grades1, 2, 3 and 4. In contrast, the rest of the brain tissues were enrolled as a control group. The technique of polymerase chain reaction was utilized to amplify and detect the neurotropic DNA sequence of EBV in the examined brain tissues.ResultsThe most infected brain tumor tissues with DNA-EBV are related to the age (41-60 years), which accounted for 10.6%. The overall percentage of positive-PCR detection results for neurotropic EBV genomic DNA sequence in the examined brain tissues from astrocytomas grade 1-4 tissues was 28% (21 out of 75). The difference between the percentage of positivity of PCR detection results of neurotropic EBV genomic DNA sequence in the astrocytoma group and control group was statistically significant (P = 0.04).Conclusion and cancer policythe present results are shedding light on the importance of the studied neurotropic EBV infection in the tumorigenesis and carcinogenesis processes of the astrocytoma cases, possibly either as initiators in the induction of these brain tumors.
BackgroundHerpes simplex viruses belong to the herpesvirus family, which are double-stranded DNA viruses. Type 1 is transmitted through non-sexual contact through childhood, while type 2 is usually transmitted through sexual contact during adulthood. Cytomegalovirus shares many characteristics with other herpes viruses, it is a prevalent opportunistic infection in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients and is a major cause of viral complications among organ donation recipients.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency of immunoglobulin antibodies for HSV-1, HSV-2, and CMV viruses among latency and reactivation cases using ELISA technique.MethodologyA cross-sectional investigation was performed among 147 (58 males, 89 females) aged 18-60 years who visited AL-Numan Teaching Hospital for routine check-ups from September 2023 to April 2024. Blood samples ( 5 ml) were collected and serum was separated for antibody testing using commercial ELISA kits. Inclusion cases included; adult's patients aged 18-60 years with no active symptoms of viral infection. Exclusion cases included immunocompromised patients and those receiving antiviral therapy. Sample size was computed based on the estimated geographical incidence rates with 95% confidence interval and 5% margin of error.ResultsHSV-1 had an alarming 65.3% seroprevalence, with 14.3% exhibiting recent infection/reactivation (IgM+). HSV-2 afflicted 22.4%, with a significant female preponderance (73.5%) and a strong connection with marital status (r = 0.605, p < 0.001). CMV seroprevalence has reached 24.4%. Age, marriage, and smoking were identified as significant risk factors, particularly for sexually transmitted HSV-2.ConclusionThis study demonstrates an extremely high herpesvirus load in Baghdad: two-thirds had HSV-1, while one-quarter have HSV-2 or CMV. The epidemic-level prevalence of HSV-1 necessitates prompt public health intervention. Strong demographic relationships, particularly the HSV-2 marital correlation, give actionable intervention targets. These findings establish Iraq's first complete herpesvirus baseline, highlighting the critical need for national surveillance infrastructure and tailored prevention initiatives to tackle this significant infectious disease burden.
BackgroundUlcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the large intestine. There are different studies about the role and the diagnostic utility of Galectin-1 (Gal-1) and Netrin-1 (Net-1) in multiple diseases such as diabetes, liver and heart diseases as well as brain and colonic cancer where they used to highlight the relationship between the inflammatory process and the disease pathogenesis. The present study aimed to evaluate their role as biomarkers for UC.MethodsThis case-control study included a total of 90 subjects where 60 UC patients including newly diagnosed and previously diagnosed cases were gathered and compared to 30 healthy controls, the sample collection done at the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Hospital in Basrah, Iraq. Serum levels of Gal-1 and Net-1 were measured via ELISA kits, and diagnostic accuracy was assessed using one-way ANOVA and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.ResultsThe mean levels of Gal-1 and Net-1 were significantly elevated in the newly diagnosed UC group compared to the previously diagnosed group and healthy controls. ROC analysis demonstrated excellent diagnostic accuracy for both biomarkers, with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.90 for Gal-1 and 0.96 for Net-1. Optimal cut-off points for distinguishing UC patients from healthy controls were 2.850 ng/mL for Gal-1 and 903.5 pg/mL for Net-1.ConclusionSerum Gal-1 and Net-1 exhibit high diagnostic accuracy in differentiating UC patients from healthy individuals, suggesting their potential as promising biomarkers for UC diagnosis. Further studies are needed to validate these findings and explore their clinical applicability.
BackgroundThe purpose of this research is to examine whether or not there is a connection between polymorphisms in the IL-5 and IL-9 genes and the prevalence of allergic asthma in Iraqi patients.ObjectiveTo investigate the variants in the genes rs2069812T/C (IL-5) and rs1859430 C/T (IL-9) and their association with the likelihood of developing allergic asthma.MethodsTwo hundred forty, one hundred twenty without asthma and one hundred twentywith the condition, made up the healthy subjects. We determined the levels of IL-5 and IL-9 using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) after separating sera from peripheral blood. Additionally, the allele-specific PCR method was used to identify the polymorphism distribution of rs2069812 (IL-5) and rs1859430 (IL-9).ResultsStudy participants with allergic asthma had significantly higher levels of interleukin (IL)-9 and interleukin (IL)-5 than those in the healthy subjects: 2 and 2.39 ± 0.18 pg/ml, compared to 1.004 ± 0.04 pg/ml and 2.21 ± 0.16 pg/ml, respectively, with a significance level of P < 0.05. In terms of age, gender, and place of residence, there was no statistically significant difference between the ill group and the healthy control group. The patients' group had 66 cases of the heterozygous genotype TG compared to 58 cases in the control group. Thus, the TG genotype was associated with an increased risk of allergic asthma illness (etiologic fraction: 0.2963) and an odds ratio of 2.4074 (95% CI: 1.2462-4.6505). The patients' group also had a higher frequency of the homozygous genotype GG (65 cases vs. 54 cases in the control group). The odds ratio for allergic asthma illness was 1.0578 (95% CI: 0.6386-1.7522), and the etiologic fraction was 0.0299, indicating that genotype GG was a risk factor.ConclusionsThese findings provide more evidence that interleukin-5 and interleukin-9 play critical roles in allergic asthma, particularly in eosinophilic inflammation. Consequently, it is important to target them in order to reduce asthma allergy and improve asthma treatment. It is clear that IL-5 and IL-9 levels directly influence allergic asthma in patients compared with healthy individuals.
BackgroundImmune dysfunction develops early in the course of renal failure in patients with chronic kidney disease and occurs independently of the underlying disease. Cytokines play an essential role in the control and regulation of the immune and inflammatory systems.ObjectiveThe current study aims to estimate Interleukin 4, Interleukin 6, and Malondialdehyde in the blood of Iraqi patients with chronic kidney disease.MethodsIn this study, 50 Iraqi chronic kidney disease patients (males 17 and females33) and 50 apparently healthy as the control group (male27 and females23) aged (20-65)years who attended lmamain Al-Kadhemain Medical Teaching Hospital and Al-Numan Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq. Interleukin 4, Interleukin 6, and malondialdehyde were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique.ResultsThe serum level of IL-4 and IL-6 showed highly significant differences between chronic kidney disease patients and healthy control groups m as the mean value of both interleukin levels in patient groups was (25.524 ± 16.295, 12.844 ± 4.863) respectively, and mean of the control group (13.562 ± 7.488, 5.533 ± 2.970) respectively. The mean of malondialdehyde was (25.160 ± 17.152 and18.470 ± 6.545) in chronic kidney disease patients and control groups, respectively. There was a highly significant positive correlation between Interleukin6 and malondialdehyde (r = 0.862, P = 0.0001, r = 0.598, P = 0.0001), respectively. In addition, there was a highly significant positive correlation between Interleukin4 and malondialdehyde (r = 0.862, P = 0.0001, r = 0.662, P = 0.0001) respectively. There was a highly significant positive correlation between Interleukin 4 and Interleukin 6 (r = 0.598, P = 0.0001) and (r = 0.662, P = 0.0001) respectively.ConclusionsThe increased levels of Interleukin 4, Interleukin 6, and malondialdehyde are an indication of the progression in Iraqi patients with chronic kidney disease.
Novel approaches to tumor immunotherapy include adoptive cell immunotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), and bispecific antibodies (bsABs). bsABs are members of the antibody family that have the ability to distinguish between two distinct antigens or epitopes on a single antigen. These antibodies show better clinical results than monoclonal antibodies, suggesting that they might be a useful choice for tumor immunotherapy. Additionally, dual blockade immunotherapy targeting PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 functions at various phases of T cell activation with synergistically increasing immune responses against cancer cells, in contrast to ICI monotherapy, which sometimes displays treatment resistance and limited effectiveness. It has been shown that immune response rates and anti-tumor effects may be increased in a synergistic manner by ICI-based combination therapy. We explore the safety and effectiveness of bsABs and ICIs (especially PD1/PDL1 and CTLA-4) combination treatments in tumor immunotherapy in this study with the goal of offering evidence-based methods for clinical research and tailored tumor identification and management.
Background Antibodies are composed of light and heavy chains, both of which have constant and variable regions. The diversity, specific binding ability and therapeutic potential of antibodies are determined by hypervariable loops called complementarity-determining regions (CDRs), with the other regions being the framework regions. Objective To investigate the key amino acid patterns in various antibody regions in the human therapeutic antigen-antibody (Ag-Ab) complexes collected from the Thera-SAbDab database. Method The study focuses on identifying the amino acid frequency, diversity index in CDRs, paratope-epitope amino acid interactions, amino acid bond formation frequency, and bond types among selected therapeutic Ag-Ab complexes. Results The results revealed that Ser is highly distributed in the overall light chain CDRs while Gly is highly distributed in the heavy chain CDRs. CDR profiling analysis indicated that the average amino acid diversity in heavy chain CDRs is 60% to 70%, while in the light chain, it is 50% to 60%. Aromatic residues such as Tyr, Trp and Phe are the top contributors to these paratope-epitope interactions in the light and heavy chains. Moreover, we examined the frequency of amino acids in light and heavy chains of Ag-Ab complexes. Importantly, the outcome of this study leverages the in depth analysis on single residues, dipeptides, and tripeptides for the therapeutic Ag-Ab complexes. Conclusion We conclude that the amino acid frequency and interaction analysis centered on therapeutic Ag-Ab complexes will benefit antibody engineering parameters such as antibody design, optimization, affinity maturation, and overall antibody development.
BACKGROUND:Multiple Myeloma is a hematological malignancy characterized by the proliferation of clonal plasma cells and associated with severe clinical manifestations. Despite advancements in diagnosis and management, Multiple Myeloma remains incurable, necessitating further research into more effective therapies. AIM:The primary objective of this review is to provide an informative and critical summary of the Multiple Myeloma microenvironment, and emerging revolutionary therapeutic approaches with potential combination therapy to improve the quality of life for Multiple Myeloma patients.Emerging approaches: Recent advancements in immunotherapy, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), have shown improvements in immune response against Multiple Myeloma. ICIs target inhibitory pathways such as PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4, potentially overcoming tumor-induced immunosuppression. Combination therapies integrate ICIs with proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulators, and monoclonal antibodies to enhance the anti-tumor immune response. Additionally, Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has demonstrated effectiveness against Multiple Myeloma, particularly when coupled with ICIs to decrease resistance and relapse. CHALLENGES:Although the efficacy of ICIs in treating Multiple Myeloma has been hindered by the complexity of the tumor microenvironment and immune evasion mechanisms, this challenge has led to the exploration of combination therapies. Potential side effects are still a big challenge for newly recognized ICIs and combination treatment. FUTURE DIRECTIONS:Investigations of new immune checkpoints and the development of targeted therapies against these markers are in progress, creating possibilities for more personalized and effective treatment strategies. Continuous research and robust clinical trials are needed to comprehend the complex dynamics of the Multiple Myeloma microenvironment to develop revolutionary therapeutic targets.
Background The coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, triggered by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, has affected over 100 million people and killed around 2 million individuals. One of the most common chronic illnesses in the world is diabetes, which greatly raises the risk of hospitalization and death for COVID-19 patients. Objective This study aims to analyze the novel coronavirus's general characteristics and shed light on COVID-19 and its management in diabetic individuals by measuring some metabolic and inflammatory factors in type 2 diabetic patients with and without COVID-19. Methods One hundred Iraqi patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were enrolled in the current study; 50 had COVID-19 with the Omicron variant, and 50 weren't. The diagnosis was designed by the consultant medical staff at the clinic. Eligible individuals had a positive nasal swab for reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. They were compared with 50 healthy individuals as a control group. Every participant's anthropometric and clinical features were measured. The study includes the study groups’ glycemic, lipid profile, serum urea, and C-reactive protein (CRP) measurements. Results There were remarkable rises ( p < 0.05) in fasting and random blood glucose, serum lipid, and urea levels in diabetic patients with COVID-19 compared to those without COVID-19 and the control group. Also, a significant elevation ( p = 0.01) was found in fasting serum insulin among diabetic patients with COVID-19 as compared to those without COVID-19 and the control group (32.75 ± 8.63 vs. 25.82 ± 3.50 and 10.65 ± 1.12) µU/L, respectively. Serum CRP levels significantly increased ( p = 0.0001) in diabetic patients with COVID-19 compared to other groups. Conclusion Hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and dyslipidemia resulting from cytokine storm significantly increased the risk of hospitalization and death among coronavirus disease-19 patients. It has been concluded that T2DM reliably predicts morbidity among COVID-19 patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of severe hyperglycemia. The results also show the temporary and reversible deficiency in insulin secretion associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection. Consequently, it is recommended to examine variables of insulin sensitivity and pancreatic islet activity among patients with COVID-19 who have a history of diabetes.
BackgroundAnti-inflammatory cytokines is thought to influence the onset and course of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Particular cytokines include Interleukin-10 (IL-10), which is usually considered anti-inflammatory.ObjectivesThe current study designed to determine the activity of the IL10 and their roles in chronic kidney disease.MethodsThis research is done, forty- five blood samples were collected from patients with chronic kidney disease and 42 volunteers. A sandwich ELISA was used to estimate the serum levels of human Interleukin-10.ResultsThe mean age among patient groups (males, females) it was 47.40 ± 2.96 and 62.64 ± 14.46 years, respectively. While the control groups (males, females) were 40.97 ± 1.67 and 45.25 ± 7.13 years (p > 0.05). Of the 45 patients, 20 (44.4%) were males, 25 (55.6%) females. The resulted data showed that there are no significant (p > 0.05) for the total of the mean of human IL-10 between patients and control, respectively, where the mean level of IL10 in males was 190.10 ± 15.07& 154.18 ± 8.77 (p < 0.05) respectively and 142.22 ± 12.43 & 117.04 ± 14.66 in females, but not significantly (p > 0.05), and revealed an highly increased significant in this marker during the course of the chronic kidney disease in males more than females in patients (p < 0.05).ConclusionCan conclude from this study that decreased anti-inflammatory cytokine IL10 likely affects CKD progression and prognosis in females specifically.
BACKGROUNDThe autoimmune disorder known as Graves' disease. The condition is due to the binding of thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulins to the thyrotropin receptor located on the thyroid gland. The result is an excess of thyroidal hormones. symptoms of hyperthyroidism, and the formation of diffuse goiter.OBJECTIVESThis research intends to quantify the levels of CD40L, TSAB in people who suffer from Graves' disease. It also aims to determine the relationship between TSAB and the duration of the disease, as well as analyze the role of CD40L as a predictive marker for Graves' disease using medcalc Statistical Software version 16.4.3 and SAS (2018).METHODS:In a case-control study, randomly selected 90 graves disease patients were included, the randomly selected patients were divided equally and matched into a case group who have graves disease and graves disease-free patients as a control group. For both groups whole blood sample was examined to compare for (TSAB), and (CD40L) levels determination by ELISA technique.RESULTSThe average serum levels of CD40L showed a highly significant correlation (P value < 0.01) among the groups examined for Graves' disease. The patient group consisted of 13 males (28.89%) and 32 females (71.11%). No significant correlation was identified between TSAB and the duration of the condition.CONCLUSIONThyroid stimulating antibody (TSAb) test and ultrasonography of the thyroid gland are valuable diagnostic techniques for autoimmune Graves' disease (GD). CD40L could potentially serve as a predictive diagnostic marker for Graves' disease. However, there is no observed link between the duration of the disease and the concentration of TSAB.
BACKGROUND: The correlation between dyslipidemia and the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 has been widely categorized. Dyslipidemia is one of the most dominant disorders among these patients. Systemic inflammation accompanied by cytokine storm hemostasis modifications and severe vasculitis have all been reported to occur among COVID-19 patients, and these may contribute to some severe complications. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to assess the possible relationship between dyslipidemia and the severity of coronavirus disease 2019. METHODS: This work encompassed 200 patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (100 dyslipidemic and 100 normolipidemic) who were hospitalized at Baghdad Teaching Hospital/ Medical City-Baghdad, Iraq, from October 2021 to October 2022; their ages ranged between 40 and 55. Eligible individuals had a positive nasal swab polymerase chain reaction for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. Every participant’s anthropometric and clinical features were measured. The study includes the measurements of glycemic, lipid profile, renal function test, D-dimer, C-reactive protein, serum ferritin, and interleukin-6 in dyslipidemic and normolipidemic groups. RESULTS: Considerable increase (p= 0.001) in glycemic and lipid levels in the dyslipidemic group compared to normolipidemic. Moreover, dyslipidemic patients have higher lipid indices (ratios) than the normolipidemic group. Significant increases (p= 0.001) in serum urea and creatinine levels were found among the dyslipidemic group compared to normolipidemic. There was a non-considerable decrease (p= 0.062) in serum total protein in the dyslipidemic group concerning the normolipidemic. In contrast, a considerable decrease (p= 0.045) in serum albumin was detected in the dyslipidemic group compared to normolipidemic. D-dimer, serum C-reactive protein, ferritin, and interleukin-6 were significantly increased (p= 0.001) in the dyslipidemic group compared to normolipidemic. CONCLUSION: Dyslipidemia potentially raises the severity of coronavirus disease 2019. There was a significant disturbance in renal function tests among coronavirus disease 2019 patients. The study found a significant and statistical difference in kidney functions between dyslipidemic and normolipidemic groups. The patients, especially the dyslipidemic ones, have experienced protein abnormalities and a significant inflammation rate reflected by higher C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, which is due to the severity of coronavirus disease 2019. It is possible to conduct more research with a larger sample size. The majority of people who have dyslipidemia need to be enlightened.
BACKGROUND: Infertility is an inability to conceive after a reasonable period of time (12 months) without the use of contraception or due to a person’s incapacity to procreate, whether independently or with a spouse. Problems with the production and maturation of sperm are the most common causes of male infertility additionally; the motility is the major functional character that determines the fertilizing ability of spermatozoa. Therefore the goal of this study is to get better certain sperm function parameters in vitro of asthenozoospermic patient. OBJECTIVE: The World Health Organization (WHO) and many studies considered the infertility as a disease and so many couples complaining from unsuccessful assisted reproductive technologies (ART) procedures to overcome their problem. The goal of this study is to improve certain sperm function feature in vitro of asthenozoospermic semen patients by using combination of motility inducing namely; Maca, L-carnitine and Pentoxifylline that enhance the medium to improve certain sperm characters that might be utilized for ART centers. METHODOLOGY: Semen aliquots were collected from ninety patients with asthenozoospermia who participated in present study, the volume of semen samples with normal ejaculate when was ranged between 1.4-6ml and can be measured by using a measure pipette or conical graduated tube; Inclusion criteria was Asthenozoospermia, oligozoospermia and teratozoospermia men, Infertile idiopathic men also, fertile normozoospermic men. While Exclusion criteria was Azoospermic men, Alcoholic, Patients under treatment with antibiotics and men with Varicocele. The samples split into two equal groups at random. Using Ham’s F12 medium, one portion served as the control group, and the other was the treatment group, which was mixing by combining the following ingredients, Maca powder extracts (Lepidium meyenii) (M) 1 mg/ml, 0.5 mg/ml of L-Carnitine (LC), and 10 mg/ml of Pentoxifylline (PTX). The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. The descriptive statistics including frequency, range, mean and standard error, Data from treated and control groups were expressed as mean ± SEM and to compare value between experimental and control groups using Students t-test. Layering approach is used to investigate sperm parameters before and after in vitro activation. RESULTS: The information showed a very large (p< 0.001) increase in active sperm motility grade A, percentage of progressive motility with significant increase in morphologically normal sperm (MNS) with decreased in DNA fragmentation index after activation by layering technique with novel combination medium compared to Hams F12 medium and before activation. CONCLUSION: The present work stated that novel combination medium (LC, maca and PXT) have potential effects to improve sperm characters in male infertility factors and suggested to be used for sperm preparation and activation in ART programs.
BACKGROUND: The advent of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has presented a substantial and urgent global public health issue. Biomarkers have the potential to be utilized for the identification of endothelium and/or alveolar epithelial damage in instances of COVID-19 infection. AIM OF THE STUDY: to evaluate the levels of Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and Vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1) biomarkers in hospitalized patients who tested positive for COVID-19 infection using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with the virus specific Immunoglobulins; IgM, and IgG testing. This can help with improved clinical management and treatment programs. METHODS: A case-control study that involved 90 hospitalized patients who tested positive for COVID-19 and 40 apparently healthy control patients, subjects in both groups underwent nasopharyngeal swabs for PCR and blood sample collection for evaluation of serum; IgM, IgG, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 levels. RESULTS: Males made up the vast majority of the patients (78.9%), with only a minor percentage of females (21.1%) P value 0.1641. Furthermore, every patient in this study had a minimum of one risk factor for COVID-19. The investigator’s results show that COVID-19 patients had higher amounts of endothelial cell adhesion indicators (ICAM-1 and VCAM-1) with mean values of 126.27 ± 89.51 ng/mL and 109.74 ± 96.57 ng/mL respectively. While, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, were present at normal levels in the control group with difference P value 0.0028 and 0.0032 in comparison to the patient’s group respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The adhesive markers ICAM and VCAM play a crucial role in the development of COVID-19 and the strong endothelial activation and dysfunction linked to both acute and persistent immunological responses is shown by the substantial correlation found in COVID-19 patients between the presence of IgM and IgG antibodies and higher levels of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1.
BACKGROUND:Hepatitis A virus infection is a health threat with multiple transmission patterns across areas, It is evaluated using immune response markers IL-10 and IL-18, along with molecular and biochemical diagnostic methods for accurate diagnosis. OBJECTIVE:The association between liver damage and interleukin-10 and interleukin-18 levels in people with hepatitis A virus infection as indications of the risk of acute liver failure. METHODS:110 samples were collected from Iraqi individuals from both sexes and different age groups ⩽ 1 to ⩾ 25, including 60 patients and 50 healthy people. All samples were collected from a hospital in Diwaniyah city, and the infection was confirmed by antiHAV IgM titers and One-Step RT-PCR. ELISA was used to determine the levels of IL-10 and IL-18, while Biochemical tests measured for alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and total serum Bilirubin (TSB) in serum. RESULTS:In this study, IL-10 levels were higher in HAV patients (0.12 ± 0.06 ng/L) compared to controls (0.11 ± 0.04 ng/L), but the difference was not significant (p= 0.17). Conversely, IL-18 levels were significantly elevated in patients (1.41 ± 0.71) versus controls (0.58 ± 0.35) (p= 0.00). Biochemical tests showed significantly elevated levels in HAV patients: ALT (170.18 ± 117.67 vs. 21.25 ± 7.41), AST (183.05 ± 128.13 vs. 26.00 ± 7.69), ALP (607.68 ± 214.93 vs. 202.02 ± 121.35), and TSB (2.77 ± 2.5 vs. 0.55 ± 0.14) (all p< 0.001). These findings underscore the potential of IL-10 and IL-18 as biomarkers for HAV severity and highlight their role in liver injury. CONCLUSION:Our study highlights the important roles of IL-10 and IL-18 in acute hepatitis A and reveals their impact on the immune response and liver damage. Elevated levels of IL-10, IL-18 and Biochemical tests are associated with disease severity, suggesting their potential as biomarkers and therapeutic targets to improve the management of HAV infection.
BACKGROUND: Immunoassay methods typically involve the use of antibodies, which are either labeled with an enzyme to generate a detectable product or directly tagged with a radioactive or fluorescent substrate. METHODS: One approach to enhance the specificity of immuno-detection methods is by employing a combination of different antibodies, such as primary and secondary. RESULTS: However, relying solely on one antibody targeting another may not offer the highest level of precision for improving immunoassay specificity; A novel strategy for enhancing the specificity of immunoassay techniques involves directly targeting different epitopes of an antigen. CONCLUSIONS: This approach entails utilizing sequential chain reactions facilitated by distinct enzymes bound to various antibodies, each directed at specific epitopes on the antigen. Such an innovative method holds promise for advancing the specificity of immunoassay methods.
BACKGROUND:Many studies have examined the role of inflammation in the development of diabetic neuropathy (DPN). OBJECTIVE:Evaluate the relation of the serum level of Transforming Growth Factor-β and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α and development of diabetic peripheral neuropathy DPN. METHODS:In a case-control study, randomly selected 140 diabetic patients were included, the randomly selected patients were divided equally and matched into a case group who have diabetic peripheral neuropathy and diabetic neuropathy-free patients as a control group. For both groups whole blood sample was examined to compare for (TGF-β), and (TNF-α) levels determination by ELISA technique. RESULTS:The age of the study samples ranged from 25 to 80 years with a male ratio of 1.45:1 although the sex differences between both groups were not significant. The mean levels of (TNF-α) and (TGF-β) was significantly higher among cases group than that of controls group (254.86 ± 75.9 vs158.01 ± 50.600) for TNF-α and for TGF- β (312.85 ± 62.27 vs. 217.82 ± 52.95) respectively. Both TNF-α and TGF-β have high sensitivity and specificity in detection of DPN. The sensitivity of TNF-α was 95.7% and specificity of 61.4% area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.870 ± 0.029, while the sensitivity of TGF-β was 91.4%, and specificity of 67.1 with good area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.891 ± 0.026 (P=0.000). CONCLUSIONS:TNF-α and TGF -β are significantly elevated levels in patients with DPN, these cytokines could be used as indicators for the development of DPN.
BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus hominis is an opportunistic pathogen that expresses surface proteins, which are adhesive proteins that play a major role in biofilm formation. Biofilm is a protective layer that provides S. hominis bacteria with greater antibiotic resistance and promotes its adherence to biomedical surfaces, facilitating its entry into the bloodstream. OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to investigate the activity of Salicylic Acid (SA) and its effect on the gene expression of biofilm genes (FnbA and FnbB genes). METHODS: A total of 150 blood specimens were collected from patients. The specimens were cultured in broth media of the BacT/ALERT® system and subcultured on blood and chocolate agar. Bacteria were detected using the VITEK2 system. FnbA and FnbB genes were detected using PCR. The broth microdilution method performed the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Salicylic acid (SA) on S. hominis isolates with both genes. Detection of the gene expression levels of FnbA and FnbB genes was assessed using Real-Time PCR(RT-PCR). RESULTS: The results showed that out of the 150 specimens collected, 35 were S. hominis. The detection of S. hominis bacteria was performed by PCR amplification of two genes FnbA and FnbB and showed 100% and 17.14% of isolates were positive for genes FnbA and FnbB, respectively. The expression of FnbA and FnbB genes was decreased in samples treated with SA compared with untreated ones. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, there is a significant impact of SA on the prevention of biofilm formation of S. hominis through the suppression of gene expression, specifically FnbA and FnbB. This could enhance susceptibility to antimicrobial treatments. However, more research is required to determine whether SA leads to the selection of resistant bacteria.
Following infection and vaccination against SARS-CoV-2, humoral components of the adaptive immune system play a key role in protecting the host. Specifically, B cells generate high-affinity antibodies against various antigens of the virus. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of immunity initiation through both natural infection and vaccination, shedding light on the activation of B cell subsets in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination. The innate immune system serves as the initial line of primary and nonspecific defence against viruses. However, within several days following infection or a vaccine dose, a virus-specific immune response is initiated, primarily by B cells that produce antibodies. These antibodies contribute to the resolution of the disease. Subsequently, these B cells transition into memory B cells, which play a crucial role in providing long-term immunity against the virus. CD4+ T helper cells initiate a cascade, leading to B cell somatic hypermutation, germinal center memory B cells, and the production of neutralizing antibodies. B-cell dysfunction can worsen disease severity and reduce vaccine efficacy. Notably, individuals with B cell immunodeficiency show lower IL-6 production. Furthermore, this review delves into several aspects of immune responses, such as hybrid immunity, which has shown promise in boosting broad-spectrum protection. Cross-reactive immunity is under scrutiny as well, as pre-existing antibodies can offer protection against the disease. We also decipher breakthrough infection mechanisms, especially with the novel variants of the virus. Finally, we discuss some potential therapeutic solutions regarding B cells including convalescent plasma therapy, B-1 cells, B regulatory cell (Breg) modulation, and the use of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies in combating the infection. Ongoing research is crucial to grasp population immunity trends and assess the potential need for booster doses in maintaining effective immune responses against potential viral threats.
