ABSTRACT
Selenium is efficient in reducing the progression of active Graves' orbitopathy and improving life quality. The impact of mending relative deficiency of selenium on improving Graves' orbitopathy is not known, due to the lack of previous measurement of baseline levels of selenium. The study object was to determine whether serum selenium levels are lower in patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) disease in comparison with those without ophthalmopathy. This prospective case control study was conducted between 2019 and 2021 at the endocrine and ophthalmology clinics, Ain Shams University, Cairo. The study included a total of 75 subjects, 50 patients with Graves' disease (GD) and 25 subjects as a control group. Of the GD patients, 25 had Graves' orbitopathy. Serum selenium concentrations were measured in each group. The mean level of serum selenium was significantly lower in patients with Graves' orbitopathy (16.6 ± 7.5 ng/ml) than in patients with Graves' disease (42.9 ± 8.2 ng/ml) (p < 0.001). Mean selenium levels were reduced with increasing severity of GO, as selenium level was 30-55 ng/ml in GD, 21-28 ng/ml in mild GO, 18-22 ng/ml in moderate GO and 5-16 ng/ml in severe GO (p < 0.001). In conclusion, serum selenium levels were lower in GO patients compared with GD patients in an Egyptian population. Low selenium levels may be a risk factor for ophthalmopathy in Graves' disease patients.
Subject(s)
Graves Disease , Graves Ophthalmopathy , North African People , Selenium , Humans , Case-Control StudiesABSTRACT
The use of wireless signals for device-free activity recognition and precise indoor positioning has gained significant popularity recently. By taking advantage of the characteristics of the received signals, it is possible to establish a mapping between these signals and human activities. Existing approaches for detecting human walking direction have encountered challenges in adapting to changes in the surrounding environment or different people. In this paper, we propose a new approach that uses the channel state information of received wireless signals, a Hampel filter to remove the outliers, a Discrete wavelet transform to remove the noise and extract the important features, and finally, machine and deep learning algorithms to identify the walking direction for different people and in different environments. Through experimentation, we demonstrate that our approach achieved accuracy rates of 92.9%, 95.1%, and 89% in detecting human walking directions for untrained data collected from the classroom, the meeting room, and both rooms, respectively. Our results highlight the effectiveness of our approach even for people of different genders, heights, and environments, which utilizes machine and deep learning algorithms for low-cost deployment and device-free detection of human activities in indoor environments.
Subject(s)
Deep Learning , Female , Male , Humans , Wireless Technology , Algorithms , WalkingABSTRACT
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Custom-made angled LOCATOR abutments have been used to compensate for the angulation of implants placed to support removable prostheses; however, their retention forces and the impact of mastication loading on retention have yet to be well addressed. PURPOSE: The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the retention force of custom-made LOCATOR abutments for implants placed at 0-, 15-, and 30-degree angulations with prefabricated abutments and to investigate the effect of mastication load on retention. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Implant analogs were placed at the first molars of 40 maxillary typodonts, and 40 LOCATOR abutments were fabricated. Twenty implant analogs were placed at 0 degrees, 10 of which received prefabricated LOCATOR abutments and 10 of which received custom abutments. The remaining 20 implant analogs were placed at 15- and 30-degree angulations (n=10), and custom LOCATOR abutments were fabricated on them. A denture analog was digitally designed and manufactured from polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) billets. Metal housings were then picked up using PMMA. The specimens were subjected to 2 rounds of 120 000 cycles of mastication loading. Retention force was assessed before and after each round of mastication loading using a universal testing machine. The wear of nylon inserts before and after mastication loading was accessed with a digital stereomicroscope. A 2-way ANOVA followed by the Tukey HSD test was used to determine the impacts of LOCATOR abutment type and times of mastication loading on the retention forces of the denture base (α=.05). RESULTS: No significant difference in retention forces was found between prefabricated LOCATOR and custom abutments (placed at 0-, 15-, and 30-degree angulations) regardless of mastication loading (P>.05). The retentive force values of all groups increased significantly after the first round of mastication loading and decreased significantly to the initial level after the second round of mastication loading (P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: Mastication loading impacted the retention force of both prefabricated and custom LOCATOR abutments; however, no significant difference in retention forces was found among various types of abutments.
Subject(s)
Dental Implants , Denture Retention , Mastication , Polymethyl Methacrylate , Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported , Denture, Overlay , Dental Stress Analysis , Dental AbutmentsABSTRACT
Chiral properties of plasmonic metasurfaces, especially related to different absorption of left and right circularly polarized light leading to circular dichroism (CD), are a research hot topic in nanophotonics. There is often a need to understand the physical origin of CD for different chiral metasurfaces, and to get guidelines for the design of structures with optimized and robust CD. In this work, we numerically study CD at normal incidence in square arrays of elliptic nanoholes etched in thin metallic layers (Ag, Au, Al) on a glass substrate and tilted with respect to the symmetry axes. Strong CD arises in absorption spectra at the same wavelength region of extraordinary optical transmission, indicating highly resonant coupling between light and surface plasmon polaritons at the metal/glass and metal/air interfaces. We elucidate the physical origin of absorption CD by a careful comparison of optical spectra for different polarizations (linear and circular), with the aid of static and dynamic simulations of local enhancement of the electric field. Furthermore, we optimize the CD as a function of the ellipse parameters (diameters and tilt), the thickness of the metallic layer, and the lattice constant. We find that silver and gold metasurfaces are most useful for CD resonances above 600 nm, while aluminum metasurfaces are convenient for achieving strong CD resonances in the short-wavelength range of the visible regime and in the near UV. The results give a full picture of chiral optical effects at normal incidence in this simple nanohole array, and suggest interesting applications for chiral biomolecules sensing in such plasmonic geometries.
ABSTRACT
Current biomaterials effectively replace biological structures but are limited by infections and long-term material failures. This study examined the molecular mechanisms of radio frequency glow discharge treatments (RFGDT) in mediating the disinfection of biomaterial surfaces and concurrently promoting cell attachment and proliferation. Dental biomaterials were subjected to RFGDT, and viability of oral microbial species, namely Streptococcus mutants (SM), Streptococcus gordonii (SG), Moraxella catarrhalis (MC), and Porphyromonas gingivalis (PG), were assessed. Cell attachment and survival of a pre-odontoblast cell line, MDPC-23, was examined. Finally, mechanistic investigations into redox generation and biological signaling were investigated. Based on their compositions, dental biomaterials induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) following dose-dependent RFGDT. Reduced microbial viability was evident following RFGDT in the catalase-negative (SM and SG) species more prominently than catalase-positive (MC and PG) species. Cell adhesion assays noted improved MDPC-23 attachment and survival. Pretreatments with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and catalase abrogated these responses. Immunoassays noted redox-induced downstream expression of a laminin receptor, Ribosomal Protein SA, following RFGDT. Thus, RFGDT-induced redox mediates antimicrobial and improves cell responses such as adhesion and proliferation. These observations together provide a mechanistic rationale for the clinical utility of RFGDT with dental biomaterials for regenerative clinical applications.
Subject(s)
Laminin , Streptococcus gordonii , Biocompatible Materials/pharmacology , Catalase/pharmacology , Cell Adhesion , Laminin/pharmacology , Oxidation-Reduction , Porphyromonas gingivalis , Receptors, Laminin , Ribosomal ProteinsABSTRACT
Indoor dust can be a major source of heavy metals, nutrients, and bacterial contamination in residential environments and may cause serious health problems. The goal of this research is to characterize chemical and bacterial contaminants of indoor, settled house dust in the Houston Metropolitan region. To achieve this, a total of 31 indoor dust samples were collected, along with household survey data, which were subsequently analyzed for elemental and bacterial concentrations. Microscopic and geospatial analysis was conducted to characterize and map potential hotspots of contamination. Interestingly Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn concentrations of all 31 indoor dust samples were significantly enriched and exceeded soil background concentrations. Furthermore, As, Cd, Pb, and Zn concentrations in the dust samples were significantly correlated to the enteric bacterial load concentrations. Human health assessment revealed that cancer risk values via ingestion for Cd, Cr, and Ni were greater than the acceptable range. Of our 31 dust sample isolates, three Gram-negative and 16 Gram-positive pathogenic bacteria were identified, capable of causing a wide range of diseases. Our results demonstrate that both chemical and bacterial characterization of indoor dust coupled with spatial mapping is essential to assess and monitor human and ecological health risks.
Subject(s)
Dust , Metals, Heavy , Bacteria , China , Cities , Dust/analysis , Environmental Monitoring , Humans , Metals, Heavy/analysis , Risk Assessment , TexasABSTRACT
Houston watersheds are susceptible to microbial contamination as well as chemical contaminations from bordering industrial facilities. Bacterial loads in various Houston bayous were determined, and pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria were isolated for characterization. Isolates included Klebsiella aerogenes and Klebsiella pneumoniae. To determine whether environmental exposures to lead (Pb), measured in our Houston bayou samples, resulted in bacterial adaptations, we compared growth kinetics, biofilm production, oxidative stress resistance, and eukaryotic co-culture growth of environmentally isolated K. aerogenes and K. pneumoniae to their respective commercially acquired reference strains. Interestingly, the K. aerogenes environmental isolate displayed significantly better growth than the reference strain in the presence of 50 ppb of Pb. Unexpectedly, we did not observe any differences in biofilm production of the aforementioned strains when challenged with a range of Pb (0.5-50 ppb). However, when comparing our K. pneumoniae environmental isolate to its reference strain, there were significantly higher levels of biofilm produced by the environmental isolate when challenged with Pb concentrations of 10 and 50 ppb. When grown in eukaryotic cell co-culture with either BAES 2B lung cells or CCD 841 colon epithelial cells in the presence of 20 ppb Pb, the environmental isolates of K. aerogenes and K. pneumoniae had a significantly higher fold-increase over 6 h than their respective reference strains. Taken together, the environmentally isolated Klebsiella spp. appeared to be more Pb-tolerant than their respective reference strains, a possible environmental adaptation. Such enhanced tolerance can promote environmental persistence and increase the possibility of causing human disease.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents , Klebsiella , Humans , Klebsiella pneumoniae , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , VirulenceABSTRACT
Microbial pathogens drive tumorigenesis in 20% of cancer cases, so the present study is aimed to evaluate the carcinogenic activities, sperm abnormalities and other dangerous effects of the subcutaneous injection of extracts obtained from various clinical Gram-negative bacteria derived from cancer patients using albino rats. We isolated, identified and extracted of their secondary metabolites of carbapenem resistant Gram-negative bacteria derived from cancer patients. Various methods have been used to determine hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, tumorigenesis, inflammatory and sperm abnormalities in the albino rats injected with extracts. In comparison with the normal animals group, all extracts induced hepatotoxicity which was evidenced by the significant elevation in the activity of the serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltransferase and alkaline phosphatase; also, nephrotoxicity that was indicated through the marked increase in the serum urea and creatinine levels; tumorigenesis was achieved from the sharp elevation in serum levels of alpha fetoprotein, carcinoembryonic antigen and lactate dehydrogenase values as tumor markers; as well as severe inflammatory characteristics were monitored from the marked raise of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-1beta. Furthermore, the proportion of micronuclei in polychromatic erythrocytes and sperm abnormalities were statistically significant in all groups compared to control group. Various kinds of head abnormalities and coiled tail were noted. Histopathological examination of hepatic tissue came in line with the biochemical and cytological findings. It could conclude that the extracts of Serratia sp. Esraa 1, Stenotrophomonas sp. Esraa 2, Acinetobacter sp. Esraa 3, Escherichia sp. Esraa 4 and Pseudomonas sp. Esraa 5 were able to initiate cytotoxicity and tumorigenesis in rats.
Subject(s)
Carcinogens , Spermatozoa , Animals , Carcinogenesis , Gram-Negative Bacteria , Humans , Injections, Subcutaneous , Male , RatsABSTRACT
There is increasing evidence of astrocyte dysfunction in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Animal studies supported by human post-mortem work have demonstrated two main astrocyte types: the C3 immunopositive neurotoxic A1 astrocytes and the S100A10 immunopositive neuroprotective A2 astrocytes. A1 astrocytes predominate in AD, but the number of cases has been relatively small. We examined post-mortem brains from a larger cohort of AD cases and controls employing C3 and S100 immunohistochemistry to identify the astrocytic subtypes. There were a number of C3 immunopositive astrocyte-like cells (ASLCs) in the control cases, especially in the lower cerebral cortex and white matter. In AD this cell density appeared to be increased in the upper cerebral cortex but was similar to controls in other regions. The S100A10 showed minimal immunopositivity in the control cases in the cortex and white matter, but there was increased ASLC density in upper/lower cortex and white matter in AD compared to controls. In AD and control cases the numbers of C3 immunopositive ASLCs were greater than those for S100A10 ASLCs in all areas studied. It would appear that the relationship between A1 and A2 astrocytes and their possible role in the pathogenesis of AD is complex and requires more research.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing recently due to increasing the prevalence of obesity. Insulin resistance (IR) is the mutual pathological cause for both T2DM and NAFLD. Vitamin D acts against IR by its anti-inflammatory and regulation of insulin secretion as pancreatic beta cells express vitamin D receptor (VDR). AIM: Assessment of relationship between Total vitamin D level and NAFLD a sample of Egyptian patients with and without T2DM. METHODS: The current study included 110 Egyptian subjects. They divided into 4 groups: Group 1: 30 diabetic patients with NAFLD Group 2: 30 diabetic patients without NAFLD Group 3: 30 NAFLD patients without diabetes Group 4: 20 healthy controls. Vitamin D level assessment, AST, ALT, GGT, total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, fasting and 2â¯h post prandial plasma glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, albumin and creatinine calculation of FLI were assessed. RESULT: There was a statistical significant decrease in total vitamin D level in T2DM patients with NAFLD than either T2DM or NAFLD only patients.(15.5⯱â¯7.46 vs 24.4⯱â¯8.19 and 22.86⯱â¯9.58â¯ng/ml respectively) also Total vitamin D level is negatively correlated with age, weight, BMI, WC, total cholesterol, LDL, TG, FPG, HbA1c and FLI. CONCLUSION: There is a decrease in total vitamin D in T2DM patients with NAFLD.
Subject(s)
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications , Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/etiology , Vitamin D Deficiency/physiopathology , Vitamin D/blood , Humans , Insulin Resistance , Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/blood , Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/pathology , Vitamins/bloodABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-4) is currently one of the most valuable and potential chemotherapeutic regimes for the medication of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). METHOD: Based on linagliptin, this study discusses the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of spiro cyclohexane-1,2'-quinazoline scaffold hybridized with various heterocyclic ring systems through different atomic spacers as a highly potent DPP-4 inhibitors. DPP-4 enzyme assay represented that most of the target compounds are 102-103 folds more active than the reference drug linagliptin (IC50: 0.0005-0.0089 nM vs 0.77 nM; respectively). Moreover, in vivo oral hypoglycemic activity assay revealed that most of the tested candidates were more potent than the reference drug, sitagliptin, producing rapid onset with long duration of activity that extends to 24 h. Interestingly, the derivatives 11, 16, 18a and 23 showed evidence of mild cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) inhibition (IC50; > 210 µM) and their acute toxicity (LD50) was more than 1.9 gm/kg. Molecular simulation study of the new quinazoline derivatives explained the obtained biological results. CONCLUSION: Finally, we conclude that our target compounds could be highly beneficial for diabetic patients in the clinic.
Subject(s)
Cyclohexanes/chemistry , Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4/metabolism , Drug Design , Quinazolines/chemical synthesis , Quinazolines/pharmacology , Spiro Compounds/chemistry , Animals , Chemistry Techniques, Synthetic , Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A/metabolism , Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A Inhibitors/chemical synthesis , Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A Inhibitors/chemistry , Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A Inhibitors/metabolism , Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A Inhibitors/pharmacology , Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4/chemistry , Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV Inhibitors/chemical synthesis , Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV Inhibitors/chemistry , Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV Inhibitors/metabolism , Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV Inhibitors/pharmacology , Lethal Dose 50 , Molecular Docking Simulation , Protein Conformation , Quinazolines/chemistry , Quinazolines/metabolism , Rats , Structure-Activity RelationshipABSTRACT
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a severe disease and it is one of the most raising problems worldwide. This study deals with design, synthesis and in vivo determination of a new set of tetralin-sulfonamide derivatives as anti-diabetic and dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-4) inhibiting agents. Most of the new compounds exhibited significant hypoglycemic effect alongside with DPP-4 suppression potency considering sitagliptin as a reference drug. The most promising compounds 4, 15 showed 2.80â¯nM DPP-4 IC50 with 20-40 folds selectivity over DPP-8 and DPP-9. 2D and 3D QSAR models were performed using auto QSAR of Schrödinger, QuaSAR of MOE and 3D Field-based QSAR of Schrödinger, respectively. The experimental results revealed that the alignment-independent descriptors, electrostatic and steric field descriptors were significantly correlated with the antidiabetic activity of the new derivatives. In addition, the new compounds were docked in the active site of DPP-4 in reference to sitagliptin to rationalize the binding modes of the compounds with the amino acid residues of the enzyme. Furthermore, 131I-compound 4 complex was selected to evaluate the pharmacokinetic behavioral profile of compound 4 and its body organs uptakes alongside its elimination pathway as a representative example for the rest of the analogues. The bio distribution pattern of the tracer proved the selective accumulation of 131I-substrate in the pancreas and rapid clearance from most of the body organs.
Subject(s)
Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/drug therapy , Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use , Sulfonamides/therapeutic use , Tetrahydronaphthalenes/therapeutic use , Animals , Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/metabolism , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/drug therapy , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/metabolism , Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV Inhibitors/chemistry , Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV Inhibitors/pharmacokinetics , Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV Inhibitors/pharmacology , Humans , Hypoglycemic Agents/chemistry , Hypoglycemic Agents/pharmacokinetics , Hypoglycemic Agents/pharmacology , Male , Molecular Docking Simulation , Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship , Rats , Sulfonamides/chemistry , Sulfonamides/pharmacokinetics , Sulfonamides/pharmacology , Tetrahydronaphthalenes/chemistry , Tetrahydronaphthalenes/pharmacokinetics , Tetrahydronaphthalenes/pharmacology , Tissue DistributionABSTRACT
Endometrial fibrosis is the presence of intrauterine adhesions (IUAs) after any uterine surgery or curettage and it results in infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss. We evaluated the role of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) as a therapeutic agent of endometrial fibrosis. We also compared the effect of MSCs with the effect of estrogen and neupogen either each alone or as a combined therapy with MSCs. This experimental study was performed on 84 albino rats which were divided into seven groups (n=12 rats/group) as follows, group1: normal control rats, group 2: induced fibrosis, group 3: induced fibrosis that received oral estrogen, group 4: induced fibrosis that received hMSCs, group 5: induced fibrosis that received hMSCs and estrogen, group 6: induced fibrosis that received neupogen, and group 7: induced fibrosis that received hMSCs and neupogen. The extent of fibrosis, vascularization, and inflammation were evaluated by; qRT-PCR for interleukin 1 (IL-1), interleukin 6 (IL-6), TNF, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß), and RUNX; ELISA for connective tissue growth factor (CTGF); Western blotting for collagen-I; immunohistochemistry examination for VEGF and RUNX-2; and histopathological assessment. In therapeutic groups either by hMSCs alone or combined with estrogen or neupogen; fibrosis and inflammation (IL-1, IL-6, TNF, TGF-ß, RUNX, CTGF, and collagen-I) were significantly decreased but vascularization (VEGF) was significantly increased (P<0.05) compared with induced fibrosis group. The most significant result was obtained in fibrosis that received combined therapy of hMSCs and neupogen (P=0.000). Stem cells and neupogen are a highly effective alternative regenerative agents in endometrial fibrosis.
Subject(s)
Endometrium/pathology , Filgrastim/therapeutic use , Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation , Regeneration , Uterine Diseases/therapy , Animals , Biomarkers/metabolism , Disease Models, Animal , Endometrium/physiology , Estrogens/administration & dosage , Estrogens/therapeutic use , Female , Fibrosis , Filgrastim/administration & dosage , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/metabolism , Rats , Rats, Wistar , Uterine Diseases/pathologyABSTRACT
Puumala virus (PUUV) represents one of the most important hantaviruses in Central Europe. Phylogenetic analyses of PUUV strains indicate a strong genetic structuring of this hantavirus. Recently, PUUV sequences were identified in the natural reservoir, the bank vole (Myodes glareolus), collected in the northern part of Poland. The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of PUUV in bank voles from southern Poland. A total of 72 bank voles were trapped in 2009 at six sites in this part of Poland. RT-PCR and IgG-ELISA analyses detected three PUUV positive voles at one trapping site. The PUUV-infected animals were identified by cytochrome b gene analysis to belong to the Carpathian and Eastern evolutionary lineages of bank vole. The novel PUUV S, M and L segment nucleotide sequences showed the closest similarity to sequences of the Russian PUUV lineage from Latvia, but were highly divergent to those previously found in northern Poland, Slovakia and Austria. In conclusion, the detection of a highly divergent PUUV lineage in southern Poland indicates the necessity of further bank vole monitoring in this region allowing rational public health measures to prevent human infections.
Subject(s)
Arvicolinae/virology , Puumala virus/classification , Puumala virus/genetics , Animals , Base Sequence , Disease Reservoirs/virology , Poland , Puumala virus/isolation & purification , RNA, Viral/genetics , Sequence Analysis, RNAABSTRACT
Exposure of dental abutments to cleaning and sterilizing Radio Frequency Glow Discharge Treatment (RFGDT) triggered greater degrees of human gingival fibroblast (HGF) attachment and spreading over their surfaces. Enhanced cell growth and metabolic activity of such HGFs were found which might lead to improved cellular margins in the smile-revealing "esthetic zone". This investigation, approved by the Institutional Review Board, employed in vitro studies of HGFs to support in vivo clinical applications of differentially treated titanium healing abutments to demonstrate the possible improvements for tissue growth around dental implants. Harvested commercially pure titanium (cpTi) abutments from three clinical cases per group revealed that separation of the abutments from the human gingival tissues occurred mainly intercellularly rather than directly from the tissue, suggesting that placement of an RFGDT permanent abutment would trigger tissue-integration more completely than noted with usual alcohol-cleaned abutments. This work confirmed and extended observations of prior studies that RFGDT materials have mitogenic effects that might be captured for stimulating desired tissue growth around implanted biomaterial appliances. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 169-177, 2017.
Subject(s)
Dental Abutments , Fibroblasts/metabolism , Gingiva/metabolism , Radio Waves , Female , Fibroblasts/pathology , Gingiva/pathology , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
Human hantavirus disease cases, caused by Puumala virus (PUUV), are mainly recorded in western and southern areas of Germany. This bank vole reservoir survey confirmed PUUV presence in these regions but its absence in northern and eastern regions. PUUV occurrence is associated with the presence of the Western bank vole phylogroup.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Viral/blood , Arvicolinae/virology , Disease Reservoirs/veterinary , Hantavirus Infections/epidemiology , Hantavirus Infections/veterinary , Phylogeny , Animals , Arvicolinae/classification , Arvicolinae/genetics , Cytochromes b/genetics , Disease Reservoirs/virology , Epidemiological Monitoring/veterinary , Genetic Predisposition to Disease , Genotyping Techniques , Germany/epidemiology , Hantavirus Infections/genetics , Hantavirus Infections/virology , Humans , Phylogeography , Puumala virus/pathogenicity , Puumala virus/physiologyABSTRACT
The chronic dysfunction stands as the most common cause of renal allograft loss. During the nineties of the past century, this condition was referred to as chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN). Since 2005, CAN has been assigned by the eighth Banff schema to four main categories via histopathological and immunohistochemical findings including chronic antibodymediated rejection (CAMR), chronic T-cell-mediated rejection (CTMR), chronic cyclosporine toxicity (CNITOX), and "interstitial fibrosis (IF)/tubular atrophy; not otherwise specified (NOS)" to eliminate the term CAN. We conducted a retrospective study of renal allograft cases with biopsy-proven chronic damage diagnosed at our nephropathology units, between January 2007 and September 2013, to assign them to the defined categories. Differences between groups were tested using one-way analysis of variance. The frequencies of the diagnostic categories were as follow: CNITOX (43.1%), CAMR (27.5%), CTMR (17.6%), and NOS (11.8%). The serum creatinine level, time posttransplant, and global sclerosis frequency were insignificant among the categories. Nine categorized cases showed transplant glomerulopathy; five of them were seen in association with CAMR. There was a positive relationship between the number of interstitial CD8 + T cells and the degree of IF in CTMR cases. Two cases showed combined features of CAMR and CTMR. Protocol renal allograft biopsy starting 3 months after transplantation with proper monitoring and adjustment of the calcineurin inhibitors level may reduce the potential risk of chronic damage in renal allograft.
Subject(s)
Graft Rejection , Chronic Disease , Egypt , Humans , Kidney Transplantation , Retrospective Studies , Transplantation, HomologousABSTRACT
Many viruses significantly impact human and animal health. Understanding the population dynamics of these viruses and their hosts can provide important insights for epidemiology and virus evolution. Puumala virus (PUUV) is a European hantavirus that may cause regional outbreaks of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in humans. Here, we analyzed the spatiotemporal dynamics of PUUV circulating in local populations of its rodent reservoir host, the bank vole (Myodes glareolus) during eight years. Phylogenetic and population genetic analyses of all three genome segments of PUUV showed strong geographical structuring at a very local scale. There was a high temporal turnover of virus strains in the local bank vole populations, but several virus strains persisted through multiple years. Phylodynamic analyses showed no significant changes in the local effective population sizes of PUUV, although vole numbers and virus prevalence fluctuated widely. Microsatellite data demonstrated also a temporally persisting subdivision between local vole populations, but these groups did not correspond to the subdivision in the virus strains. We conclude that restricted transmission between vole populations and genetic drift play important roles in shaping the genetic structure and temporal dynamics of PUUV in its natural host which has several implications for zoonotic risks of the human population.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) plays an important protective role in the recognition and clearance of enteric pathogens. AIM: This study was designed to assess if mucosal integrity "measured by secretory IgA (SIgA)" is a protective factor from more epithelial alteration "measured by glutathione transferase" in infants with Rota gastroenteritis and its relation to infants' feeding pattern. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study was conducted on 79 infants aged 6 months and less from those diagnosed as having gastroenteritis and admitted to Gastroenteritis Department in Abo El Rish Pediatric Hospital, Cairo University. Plasma glutathione s-transferases and Stool SIgA were measured using ELISA technique. Rota virus detection was done by Reverse transcriptase PCR. RESULTS: SIgA was found to be significantly positive in exclusive breast fed infants, Glutathione transferase was significantly more frequently positive in Rota positive cases than Rota negative cases by Reverse transcriptase PCR. A significant negative correlation between Glutathione transferase and Secretory IgA was found, (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Breast feeding should be encouraged and highly recommended in the first two years of life as it provides Secretory IgA to breast fed infants who in turn protect them against epithelial damage caused by Rota viral gastroenteritis.