Detection and characterization of hepatitis A virus circulating in Egypt.

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) still poses a considerable problem worldwide. In the current study, hepatitis A virus was recovered from wastewater samples collected from three wastewater treatment plants over one year. Using RT-PCR, HAV was detected in 43 out of 68 samples (63.2%) representing both inlet and outlet. Eleven positive samples were subjected to sequencing targeting the VP1-2A junction region. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all samples belonged to subgenotype IB with few substitutions at the amino acid level. The complete sequence of one isolate (HAV/Egy/BI-11/2015) showed that the similarity at the amino acid level was not reflected at the nucleotide level. However, the deduced amino acid sequence derived from the complete nucleotide sequence showed distinct substitutions in the 2B, 2C, and 3A regions. Recombination analysis revealed a recombination event between X75215 (subgenotype IA) and AF268396 (subgenotype IB) involving a portion of the 2B nonstructural protein coding region (nucleotides 3757-3868) assuming the herein characterized sequence an actual recombinant. Despite the role of recombination in picornaviruses evolution, its involvement in HAV evolution has rarely been reported, and this may be due to the limited available complete HAV sequences. To our knowledge, this represents the first characterized complete sequence of an Egyptian isolate and the described recombination event provides an important update on the circulating HAV strains in Egypt.

Methylene Tetrahydrofolate Reductase Gene Polymorphism is Associated with Severity of Liver Steatosis in Chronically Infected Patients with HCV Genotype 4.

BACKGROUND: Methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism was reported as a genetic variant in liver steatosis and fibrosis. This is a study of the association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and HCV core with severity of steatosis in HCV GT4 patients. METHODS: 111 HCV patients and 112 control subjects were recruited. Polymorphism was detected by RFLP analysis, core Ag was detected by ELISA. RESULTS: Combined HCV infection and MTHFR C677T polymorphism increases the risk to develop steatosis by 3.63- and 5.21-fold in subjects with single (CT) and double (TT) substitutions, respectively. Patients with chronic HCV infection had a 2.88- and 8.57-fold higher risk to develop steatosis in CT and TT genotypes, respectively, than patients with the (CC) genotype. No significant difference in core Ag titers were observed. CONCLUSIONS: MTHFR C677T polymorphism is a valuable genetic marker for steatosis, while HCV core Ag titer had no association with grades of steatosis in GT4 infections.

Acaricidal activity of different extracts from Syzygium cumini L. Skeels (Pomposia) against Tetranychus urticae Koch.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the acaricidal activity of different extracts from Syzygium cumini (S. cumini) (Pomposia) againsst Tetranychus urticae Koch (T. urticae) and the biochemical changes in antioxidants enzymes. METHODS: Six extracts of S. cumini (Pomposia) at concentrations of 75, 150 and 300µg/mL were used to control T. urticae (Koch). RESULTS: The ethanol extract showed the most efficient acaricidal activity agent against T. urticae (98.5%) followed by hexane extract (94.0%), ether and ethyl acetate extract (90.0%). The LC50 values of the promising extract were 85.0, 101.0, 102.0 and 98.0µg/mL, respectively. The activities of enzymes including ascorbate peroxidase (APX), peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in susceptible mites were increased. The activities of all antioxidant enzymes reach the maximum value in mites at LC50 with ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The extract of S. cumini has acaricidal acivity against T. urticae, and the ethanol extract is the most efficient.