RÉSUMÉ
Background: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis [SBP], a common and severe complication in patients with advanced liver cirrhosis, assumed that can result from bacterial translocation from the intestine. Mutations in the Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain containing 2 [NOD2] genes contribute to bacterial translocation and subsequently increased susceptibility to spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the NOD2 gene variants and SBP in Egyptian patients with post-HCV cirrhotic as cites
Patients and Methods: Overall, 90 patients with post-HCV cirrhotic ascites were genotyped for the three common NOD2 variants, 1007fs, R702W and G908R and underwent diagnostic paracentesis, the ascitic fluid was analyzed for polymorphonuclear leucocytic count [PMN] and bacterial culture results
Results: NOD2 risk alleles were detected in 13 patients [14.4%] and all patients were heterozygous for one NOD2 polymorphism. Patients with SBP were more often carriers for NOD2 risk alleles than patients without SBP [Odds ratio [OR] = 4.7, P= 0.027]. The NOD2 risk variant R702Wwas significantly higher in patients with SBP than other variants [OR= 6.2, P=0.021]. Univariate analysis revealed that predictors of SBP were a previous episode of SBP, recent variceal hemorrhage and the presence of a NOD2 risk allele. Multivariate analysis confirmed NOD2 polymorphism [OR = 3.7, p = 0.03] as independent predictor of SBP
Conclusion: NOD2 risk variants specifically R702W are associated with SBP susceptibility in the Egyptian patients with cirrhosis
RÉSUMÉ
Background: Vitiligo is a pigmentation disorder which is associated with increased expression of inflammatory cytokines in skin and blood. Interleukin-17 [IL-17] is a cytokine which exerts strong pro inflammatory activities and although considered a major mediator of tissue inflammation in several models of inflammatory diseases, its role in vitiligo is still under investigation
Aim: The aim of this work was to study the role of IL-17 in the pathogenesis of vitiligo by investigating its serum level and its gene expression in lesional skin in patients with vitiligo and compared with controls
Methods: Thirty patients with vitiligo and fifteen controls were enrolled in the study. Serum IL-17 level was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] and its skin expression was measured by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR] in both groups. Their correlations with age, gender, disease duration, disease activity, type of vitiligo and family history were assessed
Results: A significant increase was found in levels of both serum IL-17 and skin IL-17 mRNA expression in vitiligo patients compared with controls [P <0.001]. In vitiligo patients, there was a significant positive correlation between serum levels of IL-17 and skin levels of IL-17 mRNA expression [r =0.978, P <0.001], and both of them were significantly higher in active than in stable vitiligo [P <0.001]. There was a significant positive correlation between disease duration and both IL-17 levels in serum [r = 0.413, P= 0.023] and its expression levels in lesional skin [r = 0.370, P- 0.044]
Conclusion: The increased serum levels and skin expression levels of IL-17 in patients with vitiligo may indicate an important role of this cytokine in the immunopathogenesis of vitiligo