Molecular and serological prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in pregnant women and sheep in Egypt

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate molecular and serological prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) in pregnant women and sheep in Egypt.@*METHODS@#Blood samples collected from healthy 364 pregnant women and 170 sheep were investigated for T. gondii antibodies and parasitemia using highly specific and sensitive surface antigen (TgSAG2) based enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).@*RESULTS@#Overall prevalence of T. gondii was 51.76%, 17.65% in sheep, 33.79%, 11.81% in pregnant women, using ELISA and RT-PCR respectively. Significant differences in T. gondii prevalence were observed on the basis of contact with cats or soil in pregnant women using either RT-PCR or ELISA. In pregnant women, a significant increase was detected in aged and those eating under-cooked mutton using simultaneous ELISA/RT-PCR.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Consumption of under-cooked infected mutton is an important source of human infection and the combination of the two assays provide accurate and precise data during infection.

Molecular and serological prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in pregnant women and sheep in Egypt

Objective To investigate molecular and serological prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) in pregnant women and sheep in Egypt. Methods Blood samples collected from healthy 364 pregnant women and 170 sheep were investigated for T. gondii antibodies and parasitemia using highly specific and sensitive surface antigen (TgSAG2) based enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results Overall prevalence of T. gondii was 51.76%, 17.65% in sheep, 33.79%, 11.81% in pregnant women, using ELISA and RT-PCR respectively. Significant differences in T. gondii prevalence were observed on the basis of contact with cats or soil in pregnant women using either RT-PCR or ELISA. In pregnant women, a significant increase was detected in aged and those eating under-cooked mutton using simultaneous ELISA/RT-PCR. Conclusions Consumption of under-cooked infected mutton is an important source of human infection and the combination of the two assays provide accurate and precise data during infection.

Study on evaluation of the persistent elevation of C-reactive protein as a predictor of cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction in elderly patients maintained on hemodialysis

The average age of dialysis patients is increasing each year, reflecting the aging of the population in general. Hemodialysis [HD] patients suffer from a chronic inflammation. They are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. To evaluate the persistent elevation of C reactive protein [CRP] as a predictor of cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction in elderly patients maintained on HD. Quantitative determinations of serum high-sensitivity C reactive protein [hs-CRP] by ELISA were done in the 3 studied groups; Group A: included 30 selected end stage renal disease [ESRD] elderly patients maintained on regular HD at the Main Alexandria University Hospitals. Their mean ages were 68.50 +/- 5.20 years [15 males and 15 females]. Group B: included 20 age-matched elderly healthy individuals. Their mean ages were 69.10 +/- 6.42 years [10 males and 10 females]. Group C: included 10 healthy adult individuals. Their mean ages were 34.20 +/- 4.85 years [5 males and 5females]. Doppler Echocardiography was done to all subjects with estimation of ejection fraction [EF%], fractional shortening [FS%], and left ventricular mass index [LVMi] as well as E/A and El/Al ratios. In elderly HD patients, hs-CRP showed statistically significant higher levels than those of groups B and C with significantly higher values in group B than group C [F=19.85, p=0.001]. By using echocardiography, LVMi showed statistically significant higher values in group A than the other 2 groups with no significant difference between them [F=0.854, p=0.01], whereas FS and EF percentages showed no significant differences between the 3 studied groups. Both E/A and El/Al ratios showed statistically significant lower values in group A than groups B and C [x[2]= 13.33 and 12.38, p= 0.00] and 0.02 respectively]. Correlation study showed a significant negative correlation between serum hs-CRP levels and serum albumin, EF% and E/A ratio. On the other hand, serum hs-CRP levels had a significant positive correlation with serum urea, erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR] and LVMi. In elderly patients maintained on HD, the persistent elevation of CRP, which reflects chronic inflammation, had a high impact on the occurrence of left ventricular hypertrophy [LVH] and dysfunction. These data lend support to the hypothesis that inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases in these patients

Study of transforming growth factor-beta-1 in elderly with recent cerebrovascular stroke

To study transforming growth factor- beta 1 [TGF- beta1] in elderly subjects with recent cerebrovascular stroke [CVS]. Circulating plasma levels of TGE- beta1 were measured in the three studied groups; group I: 20 elderly subjects with CVS, attack within 24 hours, ten were males and ten were females, were compared to group II: 20 elderly age-matched healthy subjects and group III: 10 healthy adult subjects as control Lipid profile, erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR], high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hs-CRP] were estimated in all studied groups, also computerized tomography [CT] of the brain was done in group I patients to diagnose the ischemic nature of stroke. TGF- beta1 levels were significantly lower in group I [elderly stroke group], than group II [elderly healthy], which were significantly lower than that in group III [healthy adults], with mean values of 22.96 +/- 8.86 ng/ml, 48A9 +/- 15.63 ng/ml and 63.93 +/- 9.54 ng/ml respectively [F = 43.3, P - 0.0001]. A significant negative correlation was found between TGF- beta1 levels and age, serum cholesterol, triglyceride [TG], ESR-I, ESR-2 and hs-CRP. On the other hand, a significant positive correlation was found between TGF- beta1 and high density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C] levels. Low levels of TGF- beta1 in elderly subjects significantly influence the occurrence of ischemic CVS suggesting an important role of this cytokine in the process of protection from such strokes. Further prospective studies are needed to evaluate the use of this cytokine levels as a marker for the development of ischemic CVS and this may provide the basis for evaluation, follow-up, and novel protective therapy in elderly patients with cerebral atherosclerosis