Association of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Polymorphisms with Asthma in Tunisian Children

Background: Previous studies demonstrated that the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was being implicated in the airways inflammation and remodeling process in patients with asthma.Aims: We explored the relationship of three polymorphisms in the VEGF gene with asthma in both case control and family studies.Methods: We Genotyped a total of 210 children with asthma, 224 unrelated controls and 160 parents for the +936 C > T (rs3025039), −634 G > C (rs2010963) and −2549 –2567 del 18 of the VEGF promoter region. The Mutations were identified with polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis for the +936 C > T, and −634 G > C polymorphisms.Results: Of the three polymorphisms studied, a borderline association with asthma was found for the G allele in the −634 G > C polymorphism (p = 0.059). No Statistically significant differences were observed for both +936 C > T, and −2549 –2567 del 18 polymorphisms between asthmatic patients and controls, considering either allelic or genotypic frequencies.The distribution of genotypes according to the severity status revealed a significant differences for the +936 C > T, and −2549 –2567 del 18 polymorphisms. In addition, association was found with the haplotypes inferred by the three polymorphisms and asthma susceptibility.Conclusion: We suggest that VEGF Gene polymorphisms can be implicated in asthma

Genotype Distribution and Prevalence of Human Pegivirus among High-Risk Populations in Tunisia

International audienceObjective: A recently discovered non-A-E hepatitis virus has been designated as human Pegivirus (HPgV). HPgV is prevalent in high-risk groups such as patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV), and it is of interest for patients who are at risk for transmitted infections. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of HPgV as well as the genotype distribution among patients in the Tunisian population who are infected with HCV and also in multitransfused patients. Methods: A total of 144 patients were screened using RTPCR/nested PCR of the 5′-untranslated region (UTR); 14 cases were sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed. Results: Seven (14.9%) subjects from the multitransfused group and 7 (7.2%) patients infected with HCV, respectively, were found positive for HPgV RNA. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the 14 cases revealed that genotype 2a was the main genotype circulating in Tunisian patients. Genotype 2b was found in the amplified samples of 2 HCV-infected patients. Conclusion: This study enriches the limited data on HPgV prevalence in Tunisia, and shows, for the first time, the molecular epidemiology of the circulating strains in this country

Molecular Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Tunisia (North Africa) through Several Successive Waves of COVID-19

Documenting the circulation dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 variants in different regions of the world is crucial for monitoring virus transmission worldwide and contributing to global efforts towards combating the pandemic. Tunisia has experienced several waves of COVID-19 with a significant number of infections and deaths. The present study provides genetic information on the different lineages of SARS-CoV-2 that circulated in Tunisia over 17 months. Lineages were assigned for 1359 samples using whole-genome sequencing, partial S gene sequencing and variant-specific real-time RT-PCR tests. Forty-eight different lineages of SARS-CoV-2 were identified, including variants of concern (VOCs), variants of interest (VOIs) and variants under monitoring (VUMs), particularly Alpha, Beta, Delta, A.27, Zeta and Eta. The first wave, limited to imported and import-related cases, was characterized by a small number of positive samples and lineages. During the second wave, a large number of lineages were detected; the third wave was marked by the predominance of the Alpha VOC, and the fourth wave was characterized by the predominance of the Delta VOC. This study adds new genomic data to the global context of COVID-19, particularly from the North African region, and highlights the importance of the timely molecular characterization of circulating strains