Impact of Cytotoxin-Associated Gene Product-A Positive Helicobacter Pylori Strains on Micro-albuminuria in Type 2 Diabetes

Introduction: Available data on the possible association between Helicobacter Pylori (H. pylori) infection and diabetes mellitus (DM) are contradictory. The prevalence of cytotoxin associated gene product A (cagA) positive H. pylori is high in Egypt. This study aims to examine its association with type 2 DM, and its effect on glycemic control and the occurrence of microalbuminuria. Methods: The study involved 98 dyspeptic type 2 diabetic patients and 102 dyspeptic non-diabetic subjects who underwent upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy in Zagazig university hospital. H. pylori infection was diagnosed by histopathology and/or culture. The presence of cagA positive strains was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gel electrophoresis. Fasting blood sugar (FBS), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and urinary albumin excretion ratio (UAER) were compared between infected and non-infected diabetic patients. Results: Diabetic patients had similar age and gender distribution but significantly higher body mass index (BMI) compared to controls. The prevalence of H. pylori infection (54.1% versus 56.9%, P = 0.3) and the prevalence of cagA positive H. pylori strains (40.8% versus 36.3%, P =0.1) were not significantly different between the two groups. Diabetic patients infected with cagA positive H. pylori strains had higher mean FBS (199±22 versus 163±20, P=0.00), higher mean HbA1c (8.6±0.8 versus 6.3±0.8, P=0.00) and higher rate of microalbuminuria (67.5% versus 10.3%, P=0.00) than non infected diabetic patients. Conclusion: H. pylori infection with cagA positive strains was similarly common in dyspeptic diabetic patients and controls. It was associated with poorer glycemic control and higher rates of microalbuminuria in diabetic subjects. Key words: cagA positive strains; Diabetes mellitus; Helicobatcer pylori; Microalbuminuri

T-helper 1 Immune Response in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and its Relation to Disease Activity

Introduction: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a prototypic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by various immunological abnormalities, including dysregulated activation of both T and B lymphocytes. The etiology of this immunological disorder has not been clearly elucidated. Aberrant production and imbalance of T-helper (Th) cell cytokines have been implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity. The aim of this study is to evaluate the level of Th1 cytokines interleukin-18 (IL-18) and osteopontin (OPN) in SLE patients and their correlation with the disease activity. Methods: The study included 24 patients with SLE and 20 age- and sex- matched control subjects. The disease activity was evaluated with the SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI). Plasma OPN and IL-18 concentrations were measured in patients and control groups using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Plasma OPN and IL-18 concentrations were significantly higher in SLE patients than in the control group (P < 0.001). OPN and IL-18 concentrations correlated positively and significantly with SLEDAI scores in SLE patients (r = 0.831, P < 0.001 and r = 0.826, P < 0.001 respectively). In addition, there was a highly significant positive correlation between OPN and IL-18 levels (r = 0.75, P < 0.001). Conclusion: The circulating IL-18 and OPN concentrations were significantly elevated in SLE patients and correlated with the SLEDAI score. This suggests a crucial role for Th1 cytokines in the inflammatory processes and tissue damage in SLE disease. Both cytokines my act as potential disease markers for monitoring of SLE disease activity and therapeutic efficacy. Keywords: SLE, Th-1, SLEDAI, osteopontin, IL-1

Mejora de la producción de lípidos de un prometedor hongo oleaginoso Aspergillus sp. cepa EM2018 para la formación de biodiesel: optimización de las condiciones de cultivo e identificación

Oleaginous fungi have recently gained increasing attention among different microorganisms due to their ability for lipid production for the preparation of biofuel. In the present study, a locally isolated fungus E45, identified genetically as Aspergillus sp. strain EM2018, was found to produce 25.2% of the total lipids content of its dry cell weight (DCW). Optimization of culture conditions was performed and lipid accumula­tion increased by about 2.4 fold (from 25.2% to 60.1% of DCW) when the fungus was grown for seven days in the potato dextrose (50 g/L) liquid medium at pH 5.0, incubation temperature at 30 ºC and inoculum size of 2 × 106 spore/mL. Supplementation of the medium with yeast extract and NaNO3 at a concentration of 0.05% as organic and inorganic nitrogen sources, respectively, increased lipid production (53.3% lipid/dry biomass). Gas chromatography analysis of fungal lipids revealed the presence of saturated (mainly palmitic acid C16:0 (33%) and lignoceric acid C24:0 (15%)) and unsaturated fatty acids in different proportions (mainly linoleic acid C18:2 (24.4%), oleica cid C18:1 (14%) and arachidonic C20:4 (7.4%). These findings suggest this new oleaginous fungus as a promising feedstock for various industrial applications and for the preparation of biodiesel.Los hongos oleagino­sos recientemente están ganando una creciente atención entre diferentes microorganismos debido a sus capaci­dades de producción de lípidos para la preparación de biocombustibles. En el presente estudio, se descubrió que un hongo E45 aislado localmente, identificado genéticamente como la cepa Aspergillus sp. EM2018, produce un 25,2% de lípidos totales de su peso de células secas (DCW). Se realizó la optimización de las condiciones de cultivo y la acumulación de lípidos se incrementó aproximadamente 2,4 veces (del 25,2% al 60,1% de DCW) cuando el hongo creció durante siete días en un medio líquido de dextrosa de papa (50 g/L) a pH 5.0, 30 °C de temperatura de incubación y 2 × 106 esporas/ml de tamaño de inóculo. La suplementación del medio con extracto de leva­dura y NaNO3 a una concentración de 0,05% como fuentes de nitrógeno orgánico e inorgánico, respectivamente, aumentó aún más la producción de lípidos (53,3% de lípidos/biomasa seca). El análisis mediante cromatografía de gases de los lípidos fúngicos reveló la presencia de ácidos grasos saturados (principalmente palmítico C16:0 (33%) y lignocérico C24:0 (15%)) y ácidos grasos insaturados en diferentes proporciones (principalmente linoleico C18:2 (24.4%), oleico C18:1 (14%) y araquidónico C20:4 (7,4%). Estos hallazgos sugieren que este nuevo hongo oleaginoso es una materia prima prometedora para diversas aplicaciones industriales y preparación de biodiésel

The new enclosures: critical perspectives on corporate land deals

The contributions to this collection use the tools of agrarian political economy to explore the rapid growth and complex dynamics of large-scale land deals in recent years, with a special focus on the implications of big land deals for property and labour regimes, labour processes and structures of accumulation. The first part of this introductory essay examines the implications of this agrarian political economy perspective. First we explore the continuities and contrasts between historical and contemporary land grabs, before examining the core underlying debate around large- versus small-scale farming futures. Next, we unpack the diverse contexts and causes of land grabbing today, highlighting six overlapping mechanisms. The following section turns to assessing the crisis narratives that frame the justifications for land deals, and the flaws in the argument around there being excess, empty or idle land available. Next the paper turns to an examination of the impacts of land deals, and the processes of inclusion and exclusion at play, before looking at patterns of resistance and constructions of alternatives. The final section introduces the papers in the collection.ESR

Osteopontin Level and Promoter Polymorphism in Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer

Background: Cancer initiation typically occurs when a proto-oncogene’s coding region undergoes mutation, resulting in uncontrollable cell growth and division, or when a tumour suppressor gene’s coding region is affected by a mutation that inhibits activity of the resulting gene product. The pathophysiologic result is, respectively, exaggerated cell-cycle growth or deficient programmed cell death. Osteopontin (opn) is an integrin-binding phosphoprotein that is expressed on the surface of normal cells. Osteopontin has a major role in diverse tumour components, especially those implicated in invasion and metastasis. In the present study, we aimed to illustrate the value of opn as a possible contributor in breast cancer (bca). Methods: This prospective study included 115 patients newly diagnosed with bca and distant metastasis who were recruited from the Oncology Center, Mansoura University, and the Department of Clinical Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Mansoura University Hospital, Egypt. The patients recruited had been diagnosed with disseminated visceral metastasis (visceral crisis), with or without bone metastasis; patients with cranial metastasis were excluded from the study. All patients received first-line chemotherapy with docetaxel 75 mg/m2 plus cisplatin 75 mg/m2 or carboplatin 6 auc (area under the curve) on day 1 every 21 days for a maximum of 6 cycles or till development of toxicity. Trastuzumab (in cases of her2-positive disease) was given whenever possible (if government assistance or personal finances permitted). Serum levels of opn were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) before treatment was started. A group of 30 matched healthy women whose median serum opn level was 15 ng/dL were included, and that level was therefore defined as the cut-off value. In addition, opn gene mutation was determined by polymerase chain reaction (pcr). Correlations of pretreatment serum opn and opn gene mutation with various patient clinicopathologic variables, response to the treatment, progression-free survival (pfs), and overall survival (os) were assessed. Results: Mean serum opn was highest in her2-amplified bca (64.4 ± 42.3 ng/dL), and then in triple-negative bca (55.9 ± 34.7 ng/dL), followed by the luminal B and A subtypes (38.4 ± 33.1 ng/dL and 36.3 ± 32.2 ng/dL respectively, p = 0.017). Testing by pcr revealed that opn gene mutation was highest in triple-negative bca (85% opn mutant vs. 15% non-mutant), and then in her2-overexpressed bca (80% opn mutant vs. 20% non-mutant), followed by luminal B bca (61.9% opn mutant vs. 38.1% non-mutant); the least expression was detected in luminal A bca (57.9% opn mutant vs. 42.1% non-mutant). Interestingly, patients with high serum opn and opn gene mutation experienced both poor pfs (median: 12 months vs. 14 months; p = 0.001) and poor os (median: 14 months vs. 18 months; p = 0.001). Moreover, participants with opn gene mutation experienced a poor response: of those with progressive disease, 74% had opn mutation and 26% had unmutated opn (p = 0.04). Additionally, high pretreatment serum opn was correlated with poor treatment response: 49.1 ± 33.8 ng/dL in patients with progressive disease and 35.5 ± 34.3 ng/dL in those who achieved a complete response, a partial response, or stable disease (p = 0.05). Strong concordance was found between high serum opn and opn gene mutation in 69 tumours (79.3%), and strong concordance was detected between normal or low serum opn and non-mutant opn in 28 tumours (60.8%). Conclusions: The current prospective work helps to highlight opn as a valid prognostic biomarker for patients with metastatic bca and reveals that high pretreatment serum opn and opn gene mutation are both strongly linked with poor response and survival. Concordance between elisa and pcr results indicates that either method can be used for the evaluation of opn. Increased opn gene mutation in triple-negative bca could assist in tailoring the treatment response in this very aggressive tumour subtype and could be considered a targetable molecule in future studies