The effect of BclI polymorphism of NR3C1 gene on asthma phenotypes in Egyptian children

Background: BclI is the promoter polymorphism observed within human glucocorticoid receptor gene (hGR/NR3C1) which plays an important role in the development of bronchial asthma (BA) and resistance to Glucocorticosteroids (GCs) in the severe BA. Objective: To assess the influence of BclI gene (rs41423247) polymorphisms on phenotypic expression of bronchial asthma in a group of Egyptian asthmatic children. Methods: This case control study included 135 asthmatic children with varying degrees of asthma severity. They were recruited from Allergy and Pulmonology Outpatient Clinic, Cairo University. Ninety healthy age and sex matched children served as the control group. Determination of BclI single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was done by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR- RFLP). Results: Our results revealed that the variants of BclI polymorphism: CC/CG/GG was found with frequency 73.3%, 26.7%, 0% in control group. While in asthmatic children, their frequency was 42.2%, 51.1%, 6.7%, respectively. This revealed a significant difference in distribution between cases and control, similarly there was a significant difference in frequency of allele G between both groups (P-value <0.001). The frequency of allele G/C showed statistically significance association with increased severity of bronchial asthma (P-value<0.001), with uncontrolled asthma and hospitalization (P value <0.001). Conclusion: The Bcl I polymorphism of hGR/NR3C1 gene is significantly associated with bronchial asthma. The GG phenotype is significantly associated with increased susceptibility to the development of severe asthma and uncontrolled asthma symptoms, with increased risk of hospitalization

Nonlocal properties of entangled two-photon generalized binomial states in two separate cavities

We consider entangled two-photon generalized binomial states of the electromagnetic field in two separate cavities. The nonlocal properties of this entangled field state are analyzed by studying the electric field correlations between the two cavities. A Bell's inequality violation is obtained using an appropriate dichotomic cavity operator, that is in principle measurable.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figur

Profile of cystic fibrosis

It was generally believed that Cystic fibrosis (CF) is rare among Arabs; however, the few studies available from Egypt and other Arabic countries suggested the presence of many undiagnosed patients. The aim of the present study was to determine the frequency of CF patients out of the referred cases in a single referral hospital in Egypt. A total of 100 patients clinically suspected of having CF were recruited from the CF clinic of the Allergy and Pulmonology Unit, Children’s Hospital, Cairo University, Egypt, throughout a 2 year period. Sweat chloride testing was done for all patients using the Wescor macroduct system for collection of sweat. Quantitative analysis for chloride was then done by the thiocyanate colorimetric method. Patients positive for sweat chloride (⩾60 mmol/L) were tested for the ΔF508 mutation using primer specific PCR for cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. Thirty-six patients (36%) had a positive sweat chloride test. The main clinical presentations in patients were chronic cough in 32 (88.9%), failure to thrive in 27 (75%), steatorrhea in 24 (66.7%), and hepatobiliary involvement in 5 (13.9%). Positive consanguinity was reported in 50% of CF patients. Thirty-two patients were screened for ΔF508 mutation. Positive ΔF508 mutation was detected in 22 (68.8%) patients, 8 (25%) were homozygous, 14 (43.8%) were heterozygous, and 10 (31.3%) tested were negative. CF was diagnosed in more than third of patients suspected of having the disease on clinical grounds. This high frequency of CF among referred patients indicates that a high index of suspicion and an increasing availability of diagnostic tests lead to the identification of a higher number of affected individuals