Fas-induced apoptosis in malnourished infants

Background: Malnutrition in children is frequently associated with an increased incidence of infection. Apoptosis of immune cells in undernourished organisms may cause an increase in the organism's susceptibility to diseases related to immune suppression. Lymphocyte apoptosis was described in malnutrition. The role of factor of apoptosis signal (fas,CD95) in apoptosis of lymphocyte populations in malnourished children is still unclear. Objective: This study investigated apoptosis in T lymphocytes in different types of malnutrition and the role of Fas in lymphocyte apoptosis and its relation to clinical and laboratory parameters of malnutrition. Study design: Sixty-three malnourished infants and children were compared to 27 healthy controls. Beside thorough history and clinical examination, laboratory investigations and flow cytometry assessment of T lymphocytes were done. The viability of T lymphocytes was determined by combination of fluorescence dye 7-amino actinomycin, CD95 and CD3. Results: There was significant increase in apoptotic T-cells in the patients compared to the controls. There was up-regulation of Fas expression in CD3+ cells. Furthermore CD3+/CD95+ cells were less viable than CD3+/CD95- cells of the patients and than CD3+/CD95+ cells of the controls. All the clinical and laboratory parameters of the studied patients showed no significant correlations with any of the apoptotic indices. Conclusion: Increased apoptosis in T lymphocytes in malnourished children may be the cause of the decrease in lymphocyte count in their peripheral blood. This in turn may be the cause of decreased cell mediated immunity and the more common occurrence of infection in such patients. Upregulation of Fas may be the cause of apoptosis in T lymphocytes in these malnourished children.Keywords: Fas, apoptosis, malnutrition, flow cytometry, infection, T lymphocytes.Egypt J Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2010;8(1):27-3

Apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential changes of T lymphocytes from children with Down’s syndrome

Background: Down's syndrome (DS) patients present a high risk of developing alterations of the immune system. The increased susceptibility to bacterial and viral infection, hematologic malignancies and autoimmune disease, suggest that immunodeficiency is an integral part of DS. Little is known about the mitochondrial damage and tendency to apoptosis in peripheral T lymphocyte cells in DS individuals. Objective: to evaluate the tendency to apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) changes in peripheral T lymphocytes of DS children both in the presence and in the absence of acute infection. Patients and methods: The present study included thirty children had DS (all of them trisomy 21 of nondisjunction type), and thirty normal children, fifteen of each group had no evidence of acute infection and fifteen had acute infection. Potential apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry using annexin V. The ΔΨm was assessed by the retention of Rhodamine 123. Results: There was no significant difference in the percentage of CD3+ cells or potential apoptotic T lymphocytes between DS children and controls either in presence or in absence of acute infection. However, there was a significant decrease in ΔΨm in the peripheral T lymohocytes of DS children when compared to the controls. Conclusion: The function of T cells not their number is the main mechanism responsible for the impairment of the immune system in DS children. T lymphocytes in peripheral blood from DS patients do not display an increased tendency to undergo apoptosis although a significant loss of ΔΨm was found.Keywords: Down's syndrome, apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potentialEgypt J Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2010;8(1):35-4

Does occupational exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation affect bone marrow thrombopoiesis?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The biological effects of high levels of radiation exposure are fairly well known, but the effects of low levels of radiation are more difficult to determine because the deterministic effects do not occur at these levels.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In order to assess the risk of this exposure on BM thrombopoiesis, we measured reticulated platelets (RP) by flow cytometry in 14 hospital workers (12 technicians and 2 nurses) exposed to low level ionizing radiation in Radiotherapy Department in South Egypt Cancer Institute.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There are significant difference in the percentage of RP in the peripheral circulation of the workers (<it>p </it>= .008) and no significant difference in the proportion of other blood elements in the peripheral circulation.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We think that measuring RP by flow cytometry is a rapid, non-invasive method to asses an early affection of thrombopoiesis. This type of monitoring may be used as an indicator to detect early BM affection and to demand more controls in radiation protection.</p

Pressure as effective green technology for synthesis of polyfunctionally substituted heteroaromatics: Synthesis of a variety of pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines

Pyrazole molecules are in the forefront of organic chemistry due to their various encompass substituents, which have many biological activity sequence. The biological and medicinal activities of pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines have received considerable interest in this regard. We reported here a comparison between reaction of 4-phenylazo-3,5-diaminopyrazole (4) with ethyl propiolate (15), dimethylacetylene dicarboxylate (20), diethyl fumarate (25) and benzylidenemalononitrile (11) in the presence of catalytic amount of piperidine. We initially followed literature procedure (method A), then utilizing ultrasound irradiation (method B), microwave heating (method C) and in a Q-tube (method D). We confirmed the structure of the product by analytical spectroscopic methods. Method (D) gave a good yield with a record reaction time

Silica Nanoparticles Sensitize Human Multiple Myeloma Cells to Snake (Walterinnesia aegyptia) Venom-Induced Apoptosis and Growth Arrest

Background. Multiple myeloma (MM), an almost incurable disease, is the second most common blood cancer. Initial chemotherapeutic treatment could be successful; however, resistance development urges the use of higher toxic doses accompanied by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The establishment of more effective treatments that can overcome or circumvent chemoresistance has become a priority. We recently demonstrated that venom extracted from Walterinnesia aegyptia (WEV) either alone or in combination with silica nanoparticles (WEV+NPs) mediated the growth arrest and apoptosis of prostate cancer cells. In the present study, we evaluated the impact of WEV alone and WEV+NP on proliferation and apoptosis of MM cells. Methods. The impacts of WEV alone and WEV+NP were monitored in MM cells from 70 diagnosed patients. The influences of WEV and WEV+NP were assessed with flow cytometry analysis. Results. WEV alone and WEV+NP decreased the viability of MM cells. Using a CFSE proliferation assay, we found that WEV+NP strongly inhibited MM cell proliferation. Furthermore, analysis of the cell cycle using the propidium iodide (PI) staining method indicated that WEV+NP strongly altered the cell cycle of MM cells and enhanced the induction of apoptosis. Conclusions. Our data reveal the biological effects of WEV and WEV+NP on MM cells that enable these compounds to function as effective treatments for MM

Increased Susceptibility to Apoptosis and Growth Arrest of Human Breast Cancer Cells Treated by a Snake Venom-Loaded Silica Nanoparticles

Background: The development of effective treatments against metastatic cancers, including breast cancer, is among the most important challenges in current experimental and clinical cancer research. We recently demonstrated that Walterinnesia aegyptia venom (WEV), either alone or in combination with silica nanoparticles (WEV+NP), resulted in the growth arrest and apoptosis of different cancer cell lines. Aims: In the present study, we evaluated the impact of WEV alone and WEV+NP on human breast cancer cells isolated from cancer biopsies. Methods: The potential effects of WEV alone and WEV+NP on the proliferation, induction of apoptosis and generation of free radicals in breast cancer cells isolated from 80 patients clinically diagnosed with breast cancer were evaluated by flow cytometry and ELISA. Results: WEV alone and WEV+NP inhibited the proliferation, altered the cell cycle and enhanced the induction of apoptosis of the breast cancer cells by increasing the activities of caspase-3, caspase-8 and caspase-9. In addition, the combination of WEV and NP robustly sensitized the breast cancer cells to growth arrest and apoptosis by increasing the generation of free radicals, including reactive oxygen species (ROS), hydroperoxide and nitric oxide. The combination of WEV with NP significantly enhanced the anti-tumor effect of WEV in breast cancer cells. Conclusion: Our data indicate the therapeutic potential of the nanoparticle-sustained delivery of snake venom for the treatment of breast cancer

Study of Immunoglobulin G Avidity to Herpes simplex 2 in Pregnant Egyptian Women: One Center Report

Background: Herpes simplex virus is a DNA virus. It has two types herpes simplex 1 and herpes simplex 2. Affection of pregnant women by this virus carries adverse effect to the pregnancy outcomes.Aim: The aims of the current study were to determine the HSV-2 seroprevalence associated with infection among a sample of Egyptian pregnant women, and also IgG avidity index was evaluated to detect early HSV-2 infections. Moreover, polymerase chain reaction was used to identify the presence of viremia among seropositive screened women.Material and Method: The study included 186 pregnant women in the third trimester. Blood samples were obtained for serological studies of herpes simplex 2 (HSV2) by immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG avidity test. Molecular study of HSV2 virus DNA in blood samples by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).Results: For virological markers for HSV2, the most common marker was positive IgG 26.9%, followed by PCR for HSV2 DNA15.6% and IgM 14%%.None of the patients had any other positive markers for Toxoplasma, rubella or CMV. Study of the avidity index for HSV2 IgG revealed that IgG index was &lt;67% in 30 positive samples (60%) while 20 (40%) samples had an avidity index &gt;67%. In women with bad obstetric history, the most common HSV2 marker was IgG (50%) followed by PCR (30.8%) and IgM. IgG validity index indicating recent infection, i.e. &lt;67% were found in 21.8%. The virological markers for HSV2 were statistically significantly higher in women with BOH compared with women with a normal pregnancy history (P=0. 0001). There was statistically significant correlations between positive PCR results and IgM (65.5%, P=0. 0001), IgG (79.3%- P=0. 0001) and IgG index &lt;67% (48.3%- P=0. 0001).Conclusion: The study highlights that of herpes simplex virus 2 is mundane among pregnant Egyptian women. Avidity test for IgG is valuable for laboratory diagnosis of primary herpes simplex virus in asymptomatic pregnant women. Elongated antenatal screening for herpes simplex 2 by serological markers and avidity IgG should be rigorously implanted in screening program to avert fetal complications

Knowledge, perceptions and attitude of Egyptian physicians towards biobanking issues.

ObjectivesCollection and storage of biospecimens and data for biobanking raise many ethical concerns. Stakeholders' opinions about these ethical issues are important since they can help in the development of ethical guidelines to govern biobanking activities. Physicians are among the important stakeholders since they contact potential participants and could be biobank users. The goal of this study is to evaluate the perceptions and attitude of Egyptian physicians towards ethical issues in biobanking.MethodsA cross-sectional online survey was designed and distributed with the target group between November 2019 and January 2020.ResultsThe questionnaire was completed by 223 physicians. While 65.5% reported hearing the term "Biobanking" before, 45.7% knew that there are biobanks in Egypt. Participants had a general positive attitude towards the value of biobanks in research. About 73% agreed that biobanks can share biospecimens with international research organizations, but only 42.6% supported collaboration with pharmaceutical companies, and 44% agreed to the use of user fees by biobanks. About 48% supported the use of broad consent in biobanks, and 73.1% believed that donors of biospecimens should be informed about results of research performed on their biospecimens.ConclusionAlthough many Egyptian physicians heard about biobanking, they had limited knowledge about the existence of biobanks in Egypt. They had concerns about commercialization, use of broad consent and user fees. A knowledge gap exists among these stakeholders, which should be covered by different educational activities. Community discussions should start to reach consensus about the issues of commercialization and return of research results