The association of Human Leukocyte Antigens Complex with Type 1 Diabetes in Omanis

Background: Identifying the human leukocyte antigens (HLA) high risk alleles, genotypes and haplotypes in different populations is beneficial for understanding their roles in type 1 diabetes (T1D) pathogenesis and intervention practices. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify T1D associated HLA gene alleles in the Omani population. Methods: Our case-control study included 73 diabetic seropositive children (mean age 9.08±3.27 years) and 110 healthy controls. HLA–A, -B, -C, -DRB1, and -DQB1 genes were genotyped using sequence specific primer polymerase chain reaction (SSP-PCR). Results: Two HLA class I alleles (B*08, B*58) and three class II alleles (DQB1*02, DRB1*03 and DRB1*04) were associated with T1D susceptibility, while one class I (B*51) and three class II (DQB1*05, DQB1*06, and DRB1*16) alleles were associated with T1D protection. HLA- DRB1*03 and DQB1*02 alleles showed the strongest risk association among all alleles. Six DRB1 residues (E9, S11, S13, Y30, V70 and K71) were significantly associated with T1D susceptibility. Heterozygous genotypes, HLA-DRB1*03/*04 and DQB1*02/*03 were significantly associated with T1D susceptibility (P=4.29E-07, OR=63.2 and P=0.02, OR=3.6, respectively). Furthermore, we detected a significant combined action of DRB1*03-DQB1*02 haplotype in T1D risk (P=1.76E-05, OR=15), and DRB1*16-DQB1*05 haplotype in protection (P=3.12E-2, OR=0.48). Conclusion: Known HLA class II gene alleles are associated with T1D in Omani children. Keywords: Type 1 diabetes; human leukocytes antigens; zygosity; alleles; residues; haplotypes, case-control study; Oma

Antimicrobial, Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities and Phytochemical Screening of Some Yemeni Medicinal Plants

The traditional medicine still plays an important role in the primary health care in Yemen. The current study represents the investigation of 16 selected plants, which were collected from different localities of Yemen. The plants were dried and extracted with two different solvents (methanol and hot water) to yield 34 crude extracts. The obtained extracts were tested for their antimicrobial activity against three Gram-positive bacteria, two Gram-negative bacteria, one yeast species and three multiresistant Staphylococcus strains using agar diffusion method, for their antioxidant activity using scavenging activity of DPPH radical method and for their cytotoxic activity using the neutral red uptake assay. In addition, a phytochemical screening of the methanolic extracts was done. Antibacterial activity was shown only against Gram-positive bacteria, among them multiresistant bacteria. The highest antimicrobial activity was exhibited by the methanolic extracts of Acalypha fruticosa, Centaurea pseudosinaica, Dodonaea viscosa, Jatropha variegata, Lippia citriodora, Plectranthus hadiensis, Tragia pungens and Verbascum bottae. Six methanolic extracts especially those of A. fruticosa, Actiniopteris semiflabellata, D. viscosa, P. hadiensis, T. pungens and V. bottae showed high free radical scavenging activity. Moreover, remarkable cytotoxic activity against FL-cells was found for the methanolic extracts of A. fruticosa, Iris albicans, L. citriodora and T. pungens. The phytochemical screening demonstrated the presence of different types of compounds like flavonoids, terpenoids and others, which could be responsible for the obtained activities

Influenza A (H1N1) 2009: To vaccinate or not to vaccinate?

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The past, current and future trends in DNA vaccine immunisations

This review focuses on DNA vaccines, denoting the last two decades since the early substantiation of preclinical protection was published in Science in 1993 by Ulmer et al. In spite of being safely administered and easily engineered and manufactured DNA vaccine, it holds the future prospects of immunization by inducing potent cellular immune responses against infectious and non-infectious diseases. It is well documented that injection of DNA plasmid encoding a desired gene of interest can result in the subsequent expression of its products and lead to the induction of an immune response within a host. This is pertinent to prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination approach when the peculiar gene produces a protective epitope from a pathogen. The recent studies demonstrated by a number of research centers showed that these immune responses evoke protective immunity against several infectious diseases and cancers, which provides adequate support for the use of this approach. We attempt in this review to provide an informative and unbiased overview of the general principles and concept of DNA vaccines technology with a summary of a novel approach to the DNA vaccine, present investigations that describe the mechanism(s) of protective immunity provoked by DNA immunization and to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of DNA immunisation

Fluctuation in the Levels of Immunoglobulin M and Immunoglobulin G Antibodies for Cardiolipin and β2-Glycoprotein among Healthy Pregnant Women

Objectives: Antiphospholipid antibodies fluctuate during a healthy normal pregnancy. This study aimed to investigate the levels of both immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies for cardiolipin and β2-glycoprotein (β2GP) among healthy pregnant women. Methods:This study was conducted between May 2010 and December 2012. A total of 75 healthy Omani pregnant women with no history of autoimmune disease were investigated during their pregnancy and 90 days after delivery at the Armed Forces Hospital in Muscat, Oman. A control group of 75 healthy Omani non-pregnant women were also investigated as a comparison. Levels of IgM and IgG antibodies for both anti-cardiolipin antibodies (ACAs) and β2GP were measured using a standard enzymelinked immunosorbent assay. Results: The ACA IgM levels were significantly higher in the control group compared to the pregnant women (P <0.001). No significant differences were observed in the ACA IgM levels between the control group and the pregnant women after delivery. In contrast, ACA IgG levels were significantly higher during pregnancy and after delivery compared with those of the healthy control group (P = 0.007 and 0.002, respectively). The levels of β2GP IgG were significantly higher during pregnancy than after delivery and in the control group (P = 0.001 and <0.001, respectively). Conclusion: In this study, ACA IgG levels increased during healthy pregnancies and after normal deliveries whereas β2GP IgG levels increased transiently during the pregnancies. Both phenomena were found to be significantly associated with a transient decline in the levels of IgM specific for these antigens. Therefore, the levels of these antibodies may be regulated during a healthy pregnancy

High levels of Zinc-α-2-Glycoprotein among Omani AIDS patients on combined antiretroviral therapy

To investigate the levels of zinc-α-2-glycoprotein (ZAG) among Omani AIDS patients receiving combined antiretroviral therapy (cART). Methods: A total of 80 Omani AIDS patients (45 males and 35 females), average age of 36 years, who were receiving cART at the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH), Muscat, Oman, were tested for the levels of ZAG. In addition, 80 healthy blood donors (46 males and 34 females), average age of 26 years, attending the SQUH Blood Bank, were tested in parallel as a control group. Measurement of the ZAG levels was performed using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Results: The ZAG levels were found to be significantly higher among AIDS patients compared to the healthy individuals (P=0.033). A total of 56 (70%) of the AIDS patients were found to have higher levels of ZAG and 16 (20%) AIDS patients were found to have high ZAG levels, which are significantly (P>0.031) associated with weight loss. Conclusions: ZAG levels are high among Omani AIDS patients on cART and this necessitates the measurement of ZAG on routine basis, as it is associated with weight loss