Screening for SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies among healthcare workers: A single-center study in Egypt.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become a global public health disaster, spreading throughout the world. In order to accurately determine the extent of the pandemic, it is important to accurately identify the prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among healthcare workers (HCWs). This study intended to determine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among HCWs and examine its correlation with the demographic characteristics of the study participants prior to the implementation of the vaccination campaign. In this cross-sectional study included 431 HCWs from Suez Canal University Hospital in Ismailia, Egypt. Their sera were screened for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using a one-step novel coronavirus (COVID-19) IgM/IgG antibody test from Artron, Canada. Positive cases were then confirmed using nasal swab real-time reverse transcriptase PCR from Viasure, Spain. Of the 431 study participants, 254 (58.9%) were males and 177 (41.1%) females. The majority of participants, 262 (60.8%), were younger than 30 years old, 150 (34.8%) between 30 and 40 years old, and only 19 (4.4%) older than 40 years old. Out of the total samples, 26 (6%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 IgM, while 19 (4.4%) tested positive for both IgM and IgG. The majority of the samples, 386 (89.6%), tested negative for both IgG and IgM. There was no association between the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 and either sex or age of study participants. In conclusion, during the study period, the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers at Suez Canal University Hospital in Egypt was relatively low. Additionally, there was no significant correlation observed between the prevalence of positive cases and either age or sex.

Vitamin D receptor gene polymorphism and its relation to cancer colon occurrence.

Cancer colon is the second most prevalent cancer for females and the third for males. Vitamin D's cellular impacts are achieved by 1,25 (OH) 2D binding to the Vitamin D receptor (VDR). This study aimed at assessing the relation between vitamin D receptor gene polymorphism and cancer colon. This case-control study included 50 colorectal cancer (CRC) cases which were candidates for colonoscopy and 50 controls with normal colonoscopy. The study was conducted in Suez Canal University hospitals. All cases were diagnosed with colonoscopy and confirmed with histopathology. Blood samples from study subjects were used for detection of vitamin D receptor FokI polymorphism. We found that more than two thirds of patients were males. Around half of the cases were over 60 years old. Most of the study participants were overweight (26%), obese (53%), non-alcoholics (99%), and non-smokers (72%). However, about one third of the patients were diabetic (31%). Noticeably, none of these factors was significantly variant among CRC group and normal colonoscopy group (p < 0.05). The most common presentation among cases with colon cancer was constipation (80%). Of the 100 studied cases, 74% had left-sided colon cancer, with a 66% of them were resectable. The odds ratio of VDR polymorphism between the cases and control groups was high (3 with 95% CI (0.3-31)), however it did not reach statistical significance (p= 0.3). Most of the cases with VDR polymorphism had colon cancer (75%). In conclusion, based on our findings, there was no correlation between colorectal cancer and vitamin D receptor gene polymorphism.

Evaluation of Golgi Protein 73 (GP73) as a Potential Biomarkers for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma is very important in the treatment which is feasible. Alpha-fetoprotein plus ultrasound in surveillance programs is controversial. GP73 is a protein. Golgi increase significantly in the sera of patients with hepatitis B virus and HCV-related HCC, providing a marker for its early detection. The aim is to detect serum Golgi protein 73 (GP73) in patients with cirrhosis and with hepatocellular carci-noma (HCC), and to determine its sensitivity and specificity as a screening tool for the detection of HCC. METHODS: A case control study was conducted in four groups of 32 participants each: 1- healthy controls; 2 - chronic liver disease; 3 - decompensated liver disease; 4 - HCC group. The HCC group included 25 males and 7 females with a mean age of 58 ± 7 years, fulfilling diagnostic criteria for HCC. GP73 was estimated in the serum samples taken from the HCC group and control groups. RESULTS: GP73 was elevated in patients with HCC and liver cirrhosis. Serum level was very high in HCC patients (p < 0.01) when compared with the other studied groups. GP73 had a sensitivity of 96.9% and specificity of 96.9% at a cutoff value of 17.5 ng/mL when compared with α-fetoprotein (AFP) that showed a sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 92% at a cutoff value of 9.4 ng/mL. CONCLUSIONS: GP73 can be used as a screening tool for the detection of HCC with higher diagnostic performance than AFP.

Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Polymorphism In Hepatitis C Patients Treated With Interferon Based-Treatment As A Predictor of Early Virological Response.

HCV infection represented a foremost communal health trouble and Egypt has the largest epidemic of HCV in the world with prevalence of 14.7% for HCV antibody and 9.8% HCV-RNA. Nitric oxide (NO) is a signaling molecule participated in inhibiting of microbial diseases. Pro-inflammatory stimuli can trigger resting cells to produce inducible nitric oxide synthase ((iNOS) also referred to as (NOS2), which is very crucial for host response to contagious agents. NOS2A gene haplotypes has been associated with a number of diseases. This study aimed to assess the relation between NOS2A gene haplotypes and HCV treatment response in pegylated interferon alpha /ribavirin (PEG-IFN /RBV) in chronic HCV patients (CHC) in an attempt to find a predictor biomarker to detect poor responders to therapy. DNA was extracted from blood samples and subjected to detection of NOS2A gene haplotypes using real time PCR. Non-responder patients showed statistically significant higher percentages of unclassified haplotypes than responder patients (85.7% versus 58.6%, respectively) (P < 0.0001) and of haplotypes 4 and 5 (GTT and ATC) than non-responder patients (25.7% and 14.3% versus 0% and 0%, respectively) (P < 0.0001). The NOS2A gene haplotypes were not associated with response to PEG-IFN /RBV at 12th week Early Virological Response (EVR). In conclusion, NOS2A gene haplotypes are not considered predictors of response to PEG-IFN /RBV treatment. Further studies are required to elucidate predictor markers.

Control of type 2 diabetes in King Abdulaziz Housing City (Iskan) population, Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of control and prevalence of type 2 diabetes in King Abdulaziz Housing City (Iskan) population of Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective cross-sectional study conducted in a primary-care setting. All Type 2 diabetics referred to our diabetes center between January 2011 and January 2015 were identified, and their computerized records reviewed. Glycated hemoglobin levels (HbA1c), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), blood pressure (BP), and the albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) were noted and the patients categorized accordingly. Demographic data (age and gender) were also documented. Inactive patients (not seen for more than 2 years) were excluded. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of type 2 diabetes for all age groups in ISKAN population was 3.25%. About 56% of the diabetics were female and 70% were aged between 18 and 59 years. The rate of uncontrolled diabetes was 59.3%. Males were more likely to have uncontrolled diabetes (odds ratio: 1.44, CI: 1.17-1.76, P = 0.0004). Forty percent of the diabetics had an LDL above target (≥2.6 mmol/l) while 25.9% had uncontrolled hypertension (BP ≥ 140/90). Of those who had an ACR test done within the last year (59.3%), the rate of micro- and macro-albuminuria was 8.8% and 2.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The overall prevalence of type 2 diabetes in our community seems lower than the previously reported national figures. An alarming number of diabetics in our population have an uncontrolled disease. More stringent diabetes annual review and recall program is needed to control diabetes and reduce complications.

Multiple intra-familial transmission patterns of hepatitis B virus genotype D in north-eastern Egypt.

The transmission rate of intra-familial hepatitis B virus (HBV) and mode of transmission were investigated in north eastern Egypt. HBV infection was investigated serologically and confirmed by molecular evolutionary analysis in family members (N = 230) of 55 chronic hepatitis B carriers (index cases). Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) prevalence was 12.2% and 23% among family members, respectively. HBsAg carriers were prevalent in the age groups; <10 (16.2%) and 21-30 years (23.3%). The prevalence of HBsAg was significantly higher in the family members of females (19.2%) than males (8.6%) index cases (P = 0.031). HBsAg and anti-HBc seropositive rates were higher significantly in the offspring of females (23%, 29.8%) than those of the males index cases (4.3%, 9.8%) (P = 0.001, 0.003), as well as higher in the offspring of an infected mother (26.5, 31.8%) than those of an infected father (4.7%, 10.5%) (P = 0.0006, 0.009). No significant difference was found in HBsAg seropositive rates between vaccinated (10.6%) and unvaccinated family members (14.8%). Phylogenetic analysis of the preS2 and S regions of HBV genome showed that the HBV isolates were of subgenotype D1 in nine index cases and 14 family members. HBV familial transmission was confirmed in five of six families with three transmission patterns; maternal, paternal, and sexual. It is concluded that multiple intra-familial transmission routes of HBV genotype D were determined; including maternal, paternal and horizontal. Universal HBV vaccination should be modified by including the first dose at birth with (HBIG) administration to the newborn of mothers infected with HBV.