Contrasting genetic influence of PON 1 coding gene polymorphisms L55M and Q192R on individuals’ response to environmental agents

Background: Paraoxonase (PON1) is an A-esterase capable of hydrolyzing the active metabolites (oxons) of many organophosphorus (OP) insecticides. Human PON1 displays two polymorphisms in the coding region (Q192R and L55M) and several polymorphisms in the promoter and the 30-UTR regions. Animal studies have shown that PON1 is an important determinant of OP toxicity though a direct satisfactory verification in humans is still lacking.Aim: To investigate the impact of polymorphisms in the PON1 coding region (Q192R and L55M) on individual sensitivity to OP poisoning.Subjects and methods: This study enrolled 42 subjects (21 females and 21 males, age range 1.5– 53 years) diagnosed of acute OP poisoning. They were classified into 4 grades according to manifestations. All subjects were genotyped for the PON1 gene polymorphisms; Q192R and L55M using RFLP-PCR, then genotype frequencies were compared between different OP grades.Results: Genotype frequency distribution of PON1 L55M polymorphism among different OP poisoning grades revealed no significant difference (p>0.05) between the four grades. In contrast, frequency distribution of PON1 Q192R polymorphism showed a highly significant (p< 0.001) difference between different grades of OP poisoning, with QQ genotype predominating in grade 4 with a frequency of 66.7%, followed by QR genotype (33.3%), while the RR and QR genotypes were similarly distributed in grade 1 with a frequency of 50% for each.Conclusion: The current results suggest a possible association between QQ genotype and poor OP poisoning prognosis.KEYWORDS Paraoxonase; L55M; Q192R; Organophosphate; Poisoning grad

Facile stoichiometric reductions in flow : an example of artemisinin

Stoichiometric reduction of artemisinin to dihydroartemisinin (DHA) has been successfully transferred from batch to continuous flow conditions with a significant increase in productivity and an increase in selectivity. The DHA space-time-yield of up to 1.6 kg h–1 L–1 was attained which represents a 42 times increase in throughput compared to that of conventional batch process

Occupational exposure to second hand smoke and respiratory and sensory symptoms: A cross-sectional survey of hospital workers in Egypt

Objective: Exposure to Second Hand Smoke (SHS) has been associated with an increased risk of respiratory symptoms, upper and lower respiratory tract diseases and an increased risk of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The majority of cases of mortality and morbidity is attributable to exposure of adults to SHS and is related to cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer. In Egypt, comprehensive smoke-free laws exist, however, in many workplaces they are poorly enforced consequently exposing workers to the detrimental health hazards of SHS. We aimed at determination of workplace exposure to Second Hand Smoke (SHS) and its association with respiratory and sensory irritation symptoms in hospital workers in Port-said governorate in Egypt. Material and methods: A cross-sectional face to face survey was conducted by the use of a standardised questionnaire among 415 adult hospital workers; representing 50% of all employees (81% response rate); recruited from 4 randomly selected general hospitals in Port-said governorate in Egypt. Results: All hospitals employees reported exposure to SHS - on average 1.5 (SD = 2.5) hours of exposure per day. After controlling for potential confounders, exposure to SHS at work was significantly associated with an increased risk of wheezes (OR = 1.14, p < 0.01), shortness of breath (OR = 1.17, p < 0.01), phlegm (OR = 1.23, p < 0.01), running and irritated nose (OR = 1.14, p < 0.01) as well as a sore, scratchy throat (OR = 1.23). Conclusions: These findings point out that workplace exposure to SHS is evident in hospitals in Port-said governorate and that workers are adversely affected by exposure to it at work. This underlines the importance of rigorous enforcement of smoke-free policies to protect the workers' health in Egypt