Comprehensive analysis of soybean cultivars' response to SMV infection: genotypic association, molecular characterization, and defense gene expressions.

BACKGROUND: Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) is a devastating disease that threatens soybean plants worldwide. The different soybean genotypes displayed different responses to SMV strains. This study aimed to investigate the response of different selected soybean cultivars to SMV infection in Egypt based on their specific genetic makeup. RESULT: The symptoms of SMV infection and the viral concentration were evaluated in eight soybean cultivars (Giza 21, Giza 22, Giza 35, Giza 82, Giza 111, Crawford, H4L4, and PI416937) using ELISA assay. The results indicated that Giza 21 and Giza 35 were moderately tolerant to SMV infection, while Giza 82 was the least tolerant cultivar. Giza 22, Giza 111, and PI416937 were less tolerant; however, H4L4 and Crawford were identified as the most tolerant cultivars against SMV infection. The chi-square analysis showed a significant association between the different selected cultivars and their response against SMV infection. The PCR test showed the presence of RSV1 (3gG2), RSV1 (5gG3), and RSV3 loci, and the absence of the RSV4 locus gene. The expression analysis of the selected defense genes (EDS1, PAD4, EDR1, ERF1, and JAR) showed variations in the fold changes between infected and non-infected soybean cultivars, suggesting that these genes might play a crucial role in this pathosystem. Additionally, there was a strong positive association between the expression levels of EDR1 and ERF1. CONCLUSION: The study found the presence of RSV1 (3gG2), RSV1 (5gG3), and RSV3 loci in selected soybean cultivars, but not RSV4. The analysis of gene expression indicated that certain defense genes may play a vital role in the pathosystem. This research is the first of its kind in Egypt to genotype soybean cultivars regarding different RSV loci. The findings could be beneficial for further research on understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in SMV infection and its management.

COVID-19 Severity Shifts the Cytokine Milieu Toward a Proinflammatory State in Egyptian Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Despite extensive research to decipher the immunological basis of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), limited evidence on immunological correlates of COVID-19 severity from MENA region and Egypt was reported. In a single-center cross-sectional study, we have analyzed 25 cytokines that are related to immunopathologic lung injury, cytokine storm, and coagulopathy in plasma samples from 78 hospitalized Egyptian COVID-19 patients in Tanta University Quarantine Hospital and 21 healthy control volunteers between April 2020 and September 2020. The enrolled patients were divided into 4 categories based on disease severity, namely mild, moderate, severe, and critically ill. Interestingly, interleukin (IL)-1-α, IL-2Rα, IL-6, IL-8, IL-18, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), FGF1, CCL2, and CXC10 levels were significantly altered in severe and/or critically ill patients. Moreover, principal component analysis (PCA) demonstrated that severe and critically ill COVID-19 patients cluster based on specific cytokine signatures that distinguish them from mild and moderate COVID-19 patients. Specifically, levels of IL-2Rα, IL-6, IL-10, IL-18, TNF-α, FGF1, and CXCL10 largely contribute to the observed differences between early and late stages of COVID-19 disease. Our PCA showed that the described immunological markers positively correlate with high D-dimer and C-reactive protein levels and inversely correlate with lymphocyte counts in severe and critically ill patients. These data suggest a disordered immune regulation, particularly in severe and critically ill Egyptian COVID-19 patients, manifested as overactivated innate immune and dysregulated T-helper1 responses. Additionally, our study emphasizes the importance of cytokine profiling to identify potentially predictive immunological signatures of COVID-19 disease severity.

A Systematic Review of Sildenafil Mortality Through the Years.

Sildenafil is a medication used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. It was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1998. Several articles have raised concerns regarding the use of sildenafil and the occurrence of serious adverse events, such as myocardial ischemia, stroke, and even death. Our aim is to systematically review the existing literature on mortality associated with sildenafil use. The method used for this systematic review was completed by searching three databases: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Articles were screened and assessed for eligibility. This review uses the articles found to address the concerns associated with sildenafil and mortality. A total of 19 reports were used in our systematic review, in which there were 10 case reports, two case series, three systematic reviews, one narrative review, one retrospective study, one article in the British Medical Journal, and one commentary article. One FDA article in particular included case reports and reports to the FDA on the use of sildenafil eight months after its introduction to the market in 1998, with 522 deaths reported. Another retrospective study examined the use of sildenafil on infants below the age of 1 who did not have congenital heart disease but did suffer from severe pulmonary hypertension. The study found a mortality rate of 29%, which increased with sildenafil dosage. A case series examined six deaths related to non-prescription use of sildenafil. All these cases were subjected to autopsies and related to sexual activity. The study suggests that phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors induced the deaths, and the concentration of sildenafil in the femoral blood was found to be between 0.032and0.087 µg. To conclude, the literature available on this topic is deemed insufficient to provide enough data to establish a direct link of causality between sildenafil and mortality. Although some studies paint sildenafil as the culprit behind these deaths, further studies and research are needed to explain the unexpected deaths following sildenafil use.