RESUMEN
Avian orthoreovirus (ARV) is among the important viruses that cause drastic economic losses in the Egyptian poultry industry. Despite regular vaccination of breeder birds, a high prevalence of ARV infection in broilers has been noted in recent years. However, no reports have revealed the genetic and antigenic characteristics of Egyptian field ARV and vaccines used against it. Thus, this study was conducted to detect the molecular nature of emerging ARV strains in broiler chickens suffering from arthritis and tenosynovitis in comparison to vaccine strains. Synovial fluid samples (n = 400) were collected from 40 commercial broiler flocks in the Gharbia governorate, Egypt, and then pooled to obtain 40 samples, which were then used to screen ARV using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with the partial amplification of ARV sigma C gene. The obtained RT-PCR products were then sequenced, and their nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences were analyzed together with other ARV field and vaccine strains from GenBank. RT-PCR successfully amplified the predicted 940 bp PCR products from all tested samples. The phylogenetic tree revealed that the analyzed ARV strains were clustered into six genotypic clusters and six protein clusters, with high antigenic diversity between the genotypic clusters. Surprisingly, our isolates were genetically different from vaccine strains, which aligned in genotypic cluster I/protein cluster I, while our strains were aligned in genotypic cluster V/protein cluster V. More importantly, our strains were highly divergent from vaccine strains used in Egypt, with 55.09-56.23% diversity. Sequence analysis using BioEdit software revealed high genetic and protein diversity between our isolates and vaccine strains (397/797 nucleotide substitutions and 148-149/265 amino acid substitutions). This high genetic diversity explains the vaccination failure and recurrent circulation of ARV in Egypt. The present data highlight the need to formulate a new effective vaccine from locally isolated ARV strains after a thorough screening of the molecular nature of circulating ARV in Egypt.
RESUMEN
AIM: The oral mucosa possesses a non-neuronal cholinergic system. This study aimed to determine clinical evidence for a role of cholinergic mechanisms in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty healthy participants, 52 patients with gingivitis and 49 with periodontitis were recruited. Full periodontal parameters were recorded and saliva and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) collected. Levels of acetylcholine and inflammatory mediators were quantified using commercially available assay kits. Acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase activities were measured using a published biochemical assay. RESULTS: Acetylcholine levels are significantly elevated in saliva and GCF, whereas GCF levels of butyrylcholinesterase activity are significantly decreased, in patients with periodontal diseases. Acetylcholine levels in saliva and GCF correlated positively with clinical markers of disease severity and with increased levels of IL-17A and IL-17F. In contrast, butyrylcholinesterase activity levels in GCF showed significant negative correlations with clinical markers of disease severity and IL-17A and IL-17F levels. None of the findings were due to smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated acetylcholine levels and reduced butyrylcholinesterase activity are clinically associated with periodontal diseases and elevated levels of IL-17A and IL-17F. Therefore, non-neuronal cholinergic mechanisms may influence IL-17 biology and the aetiopathogenesis of periodontal diseases and therefore are possible therapeutic targets.
