Serum level of interleukin-10 with its gene polymorphism can be predictors of response to treatment in Egyptian patients with chronic hepatitis C virus

Purpose: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the role of interleukin-10 (IL-10) gene polymorphism and its serum level in predicting response to treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus.Patients and methods: This study was carried out on 35 Egyptian patients with chronic HCV (Hepatitis C Virus) and 15 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects as control. They were divided as follows: Group I: 35 chronic HCV patients. They were subdivided according to their response to combination therapy of pegylated interferon alpha 2b and ribavirin into: Group I (a): 21 responder patients. Group I (b): 14 non responder patients. Group II: 15 healthy subjects as a control group. IL-10 serum level was assessed by ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay) before, during and after treatment. IL-10 gene polymorphism and genotype were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).Results: A significant higher level of serum IL-10 was detected in HCV patients compared to the control group. A significant reduction was detected during treatment and a persistent decrease was found in patients with SVR. Low serum level of IL-10 pretreatment was associated with high treatment response. High pretreatment of the serum level of IL-10 was associated with the severity of chronic necroinflammation and non  response to treatment. A positive correlation was found between IL-10 and serum ALT. The frequency of IL-10 592 genotype polymorphism was higher in HCV patients compared to control. A significant higher frequency of the IL-10 592 C/C polymorphism was found in the responder group compared to non responder. No correlation was observed between IL-10 polymorphism and liver histopathology.Conclusion: Serum IL-10 level pretreatment is useful for predicting treatment response in HCV patients. IL-10 may be a useful marker to assess necroinflammation and to monitor the evolution of liver damage. IL-10 gene polymorphism has no relation to liver histopathology. IL-10 592 C/C genotype was more frequent in responder patients

Mosaic DNA imports with interspersions of recipient sequence after natural transformation of Helicobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori colonizes the gastric mucosa of half of the human population, causing gastritis, ulcers, and cancer. H. pylori is naturally competent for transformation by exogenous DNA, and recombination during mixed infections of one stomach with multiple H. pylori strains generates extensive allelic diversity. We developed an in vitro transformation protocol to study genomic imports after natural transformation of H. pylori. The mean length of imported fragments was dependent on the combination of donor and recipient strain and varied between 1294 bp and 3853 bp. In about 10% of recombinant clones, the imported fragments of donor DNA were interrupted by short interspersed sequences of the recipient (ISR) with a mean length of 82 bp. 18 candidate genes were inactivated in order to identify genes involved in the control of import length and generation of ISR. Inactivation of the antimutator glycosylase MutY increased the length of imports, but did not have a significant effect on ISR frequency. Overexpression of mutY strongly increased the frequency of ISR, indicating that MutY, while not indispensable for ISR formation, is part of at least one ISR-generating pathway. The formation of ISR in H. pylori increases allelic diversity, and contributes to the uniquely low linkage disequilibrium characteristic of this pathogen

Comparative study of the stability of bimatoprost 0.03% and latanoprost 0.005%: A patient-use study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The stability of ophthalmic preparations in multidose containers is influenced by the preservative as well as the stability of the active ingredient. Unstable drugs may require refrigeration to preserve their active ingredient level and they are more likely to degrade over time, therefore becoming more susceptible to degradation based on patient mishandling. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of molecular degradation that occurs in bimatoprost and latanoprost in a patient-use setting.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This was an open-label, laboratory evaluation of the relative stability of bimatoprost and latanoprost. Patients presently using bimatoprost (n = 31) or latanoprost (n = 34) were identified at 2 clinical sites in Brazil. Patients were instructed to use and store their drops as usual and return all used medication bottles between day 28 and day 34 after opening.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Bimatoprost demonstrated no degradation, but latanoprost degraded at various levels. The mean age of bimatoprost was 43.0 ± 3.4 days and the mean age of latanoprost was 43.9 ± 2.8 days (P = .072). The mean percentage of labeled concentration was 103.7% in the bimatoprost bottles and 88.1% in the latanoprost bottles (P < 001).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study showed that bimatoprost maintained ≥100% concentration throughout the study period while latanoprost did not.</p

Successful Small Intestine Colonization of Adult Mice by Vibrio cholerae Requires Ketamine Anesthesia and Accessory Toxins

Vibrio cholerae colonizes the small intestine of adult C57BL/6 mice. In this study, the physical and genetic parameters that facilitate this colonization were investigated. Successful colonization was found to depend upon anesthesia with ketamine-xylazine and neutralization of stomach acid with sodium bicarbonate, but not streptomycin treatment. A variety of common mouse strains were colonized by O1, O139, and non-O1/non-O139 strains. All combinations of mutants in the genes for hemolysin, the multifunctional, autoprocessing RTX toxin (MARTX), and hemagglutinin/protease were assessed, and it was found that hemolysin and MARTX are each sufficient for colonization after a low dose infection. Overall, this study suggests that, after intragastric inoculation, V. cholerae encounters barriers to infection including an acidic environment and an immediate immune response that is circumvented by sodium bicarbonate and the anti-inflammatory effects of ketamine-xylazine. After initial adherence in the small intestine, the bacteria are subjected to additional clearance mechanisms that are evaded by the independent toxic action of hemolysin or MARTX. Once colonization is established, it is suggested that, in humans, these now persisting bacteria initiate synthesis of the major virulence factors to cause cholera disease. This adult mouse model of intestinal V. cholerae infection, now well-characterized and fully optimized, should serve as a valuable tool for studies of pathogenesis and testing vaccine efficacy

Financial Satisfaction and (in)formal Sector in a Transition Country

This paper examines the relationship between working in the formal or informal sector and self-reported individual financial satisfaction in a country in transition. It does so by allowing for individual heterogeneity in terms of perceived financial insecurity and tax morale. The empirical analysis uses a dataset for Albania, a country in transition. The method applied is the ‘self-administered questionnaire’, which combines personal contacts with written questionnaire. The results indicate that, for most individuals, working in the informal sector has negative effects on their self reported financial satisfaction. For some individuals, however, this effect is positive. The characteristic defining these two groups of individuals is their attitude towards the perceived financial insecurity related to not paying taxes. These findings have important implications, in particular for transition countries with large informal sectors. Given the involuntary participation in the informal sector in these countries, the majority of individuals working in this sector will remain financially dissatisfied as long as they have no other social safety net

Enhanced Eyelashes: Prescription and Over-the-Counter Options

Women have long strived to possess long, thick, and dark eyelashes. Prominent eyes and eyelashes are often considered a sign of beauty and can be associated with increased levels of attractiveness, confidence, and well-being. Numerous options may improve the appearance of eyelashes. Mascara aims to temporarily darken, lengthen, and thicken eyelashes using a combination of waxes, pigments, and resins. Artificial eyelashes can be adhered either to the dermal margin or to individual eyelashes. Individuals may even use eyelash transplantations to improve the appearance of their eyelashes. The unique properties of eyelashes (e.g., relatively long telogen and short anagen phases compared with scalp hairs, slow rate of growth, and a lack of influence by androgens) may allow for specific aesthetic interventions to improve the appearance of natural eyelashes. Some over-the-counter (OTC) products may contain prostaglandin analogs that can affect eyelash growth, but neither the safety nor efficacy of these OTC cosmetics has been fully studied. Originally indicated for the reduction of intraocular pressure, the synthetic prostaglandin analog bimatoprost was recently approved for the treatment of hypotrichosis of the eyelashes. In a double-blinded, randomized, vehicle-controlled trial, bimatoprost safely and effectively grew natural eyelashes, making them longer, thicker, and darker. Bimatoprost was generally safe and well tolerated and appears to provide an additional option for individuals looking to improve the appearance of their eyelashes