Effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on inflammatory biomarkers in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic progressive inflammatory disease characterised by airflow limitation. Several pro-inflammatory markers are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of COPD. Cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for COPD, and diet may be a modifiable risk factor for its progression & management. Dietary supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 PUFAs) may be effective therapeutically in patient COPD. Aim: To determine the plasma basal level of inflammatory biomarkers in the study population, to determine the inflammatory biomarkers release from Peripheral blood mononuclear (PBMCs), and to investigate the effect of omega-3 PUFAs, on inflammatory biomarkers released from PBMCs. Methods: Blood samples were collected from 42 subjects; patients with COPD, 15 healthy smokers (HS), and 12 healthy groups (HNS). Selected biomarkers level was measured in Plasma and PBMCs by ELISA. Individual lipid profile analysis was carried out on RBCs fraction. Result: Plasma high levels of CRP and Fibrinogen and low level of CC-16 were observed in COPD patients when compared with healthy controls. The basal release of IL6, IL8, TNFα, and CD31 from PBMCs was significantly differing in COPD and HS groups compared to HNS group. Omega-3 PUFA (EPA and DHA) reduce IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α release from PBMCs. The fatty acid composition of the erythrocyte membranes in patients group was unmodified. Discussion: This study showed that high level of several inflammatory biomarkers that were detected systemically in COPD group may associate with the disease systemic inflammation. EPA and DHA possess the ability to reduce the cytokines production from COPD inflammatory immune cells. Additionally, no correlation was observed between fatty acid profile analysis and COPD

SPARC 2018 Internationalisation and collaboration : Salford postgraduate annual research conference book of abstracts

Welcome to the Book of Abstracts for the 2018 SPARC conference. This year we not only celebrate the work of our PGRs but also the launch of our Doctoral School, which makes this year’s conference extra special. Once again we have received a tremendous contribution from our postgraduate research community; with over 100 presenters, the conference truly showcases a vibrant PGR community at Salford. These abstracts provide a taster of the research strengths of their works, and provide delegates with a reference point for networking and initiating critical debate. With such wide-ranging topics being showcased, we encourage you to take up this great opportunity to engage with researchers working in different subject areas from your own. To meet global challenges, high impact research inevitably requires interdisciplinary collaboration. This is recognised by all major research funders. Therefore engaging with the work of others and forging collaborations across subject areas is an essential skill for the next generation of researchers

Distinct Clinical and Prognostic Features of Myelodysplastic Syndrome in Patients from the Middle East, North Africa, and Beyond:A Systemic Review

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) describes a group of bone marrow malignancies with variable morphologies and heterogeneous clinical features. The aim of this study was to systematically appraise the published clinical, laboratory, and pathologic characteristics and identify distinct clinical features of MDS in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. We conducted a comprehensive search of the PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases from 2000 to 2021 to identify population-based studies of MDS epidemiology in MENA countries. Of 1935 studies, 13 independent studies published between 2000 and 2021 representing 1306 patients with MDS in the MENA region were included. There was a median of 85 (range 20 to 243) patients per study. Seven studies were performed in Asian MENA countries (732 patients, 56%) and six in North African MENA countries (574 patients, 44%). The pooled mean age was 58.4 years (SD 13.14; 12 studies), and the male-to-female ratio was 1.4. The distribution of WHO MDS subtypes was significantly different between MENA, Western, and Far East populations (n = 978 patients, p < 0.001). More patients from MENA countries were at high/very high IPSS risk than in Western and Far East populations (730 patients, p < 0.001). There were 562 patients (62.2%) with normal karyotypes and 341 (37.8%) with abnormal karyotypes. Our findings establish that MDS is prevalent within the MENA region and is more severe than in Western populations. MDS appears to be more severe with an unfavorable prognosis in the Asian MENA population than the North African MENA population.This publication was supported by Qatar University, internal grants no. QUCP-CHS-2022-551 and QUST-1 CHS-2023-838, Qatar University

An in silico analysis of the impact of POLE mutations on cladribine docking

OBJECTIVE: Polymerase ε exonuclease (POLE) is an enzyme involved in DNA replication and may be an attractive therapeutic target in various cancers. Here we sought to model the impact of specific POLE mutations on protein function. Due to the lack of a crystal structure, the tertiary structures of the wild type and four common mutants were modeled using I-Tasser server. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Molecular docking and dynamic simulation studies were performed, and the structure and function of the mutants analyzed through residue conservation analysis and protein folding energy changes. RESULTS: All mutants of POLE gene had favorable binding affinities compared with their wild type of counterpart. The P286R variant, but not the other variants, disrupted cladribine binding to the protein. Similarly, dynamics studies revealed instability of the P286R mutant, while V411L, L424V, and L424F appeared to favor cladribine binding. CONCLUSIONS: Since P286R is a hotspot mutation in endometrioid carcinomas, patients with this variant may not respond to cladribine. Population-based pharmacogenomics studies will be required to validate our results.Qatar University, internal grant No. QUCP-CHS-2022-55

COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance among Vulnerable Groups: Syrian Refugees in Jordan

Despite the wide distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, refugees remain last in line for the intake of vaccines. Syrian refugees in Jordan reach up to 700,000 registered and almost up to 700,000 unregistered refugees. This study aims to assess the willingness of Syrian refugees in Jordan to take the COVID-19 vaccine. Participants in the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan were invited through social media to complete the survey between January and March 2022. A total of 230 refugees participated in our study, with almost half the participants of male gender. The majority of the participants had secondary school as their highest education level and were unemployed, being below the social poverty line. Interestingly, Syrian refugees showed a high vaccine acceptance rate, as 89.6% were willing to take the vaccine. Moreover, they showed high knowledge regarding the vaccine, the disease, and the virus. Our findings highlight the importance of knowledge and awareness of the COVID-19 vaccine to increase the acceptance rate. This is very important as refugees represent a vulnerable group to infection and complications and require close attention, especially with their significant numbers in Jordon and challenges of providing adequate vaccine supplies at their camps. We hope that, with proper dissemination of knowledge and awareness and with easy accessibility to the vaccines, it will ensure high immunization to reach herd immunity in Jordan