Lymphocyte phenotyping of peripheral blood in HCV-infected patients and its relation to autoimmunity in KSA

Hepatitis C virus [HCV] infection is associated with immune mediated abnormalities and B- cell lymphoproliferation. CD81 was identified as an HCV receptor on B- lymphocytes. The antigen CD19 is associated with CD81 B- cells at different stages of maturation. Expression of CD5 lymohocytes was associated with non-HCV related autoimmune disorders. Therefore we try to evaluate the clinical significance of B- lymphocyte phenotyping of peripheral blood [PB] in HCV-infected patients with and witout autoimmune markers, rheumatoid factor [RF], antinucear antibody [ANA], and ati- double stranded [Anti ds DNA], where PB CD5, CD19 and CD81 expression were determined in 20 EDTA samples of healthy persons [group I] and 40 samples of HCV- infected persons [25 with negative autoimmune markers [group IIa] and 15 with positive autoimmune markers [group IIb]. All persons were Saudies, age [25-65 years]. Method: Flow cytometry was used to estimate percentage of antigen expression of CD5, CD19 and CD81over B-lymphocytes. Indicated that CD5 expression was significantly increased in group IIb than group IIa and group I [28 +/- 3.2%, 25 +/- 4.2% and 13.3 +/- 5.8% respectively p <0.0001]. The same increase occurs in the mean values for CD 19 [grop I 3.5 +/- 1.6%, group IIa 14 +/- 2.5% and group IIb 23 +/- 3.1% p<0.0001], while CD81 mean values were group I 50 +/- 28%, group IIa 78 +/- 16% and group IIb 92 +/- 12%. Increased expression of CD5, CD19 and CD81 on B- lymphocytes in HCV- infected patients with higher values with positive autoimmune markers, suggests the high clinical significance of peripheral blood B- lymphocyte phenotyping as predictive and diagnosic tool for autoimmune serconversionin HCV-infected patients. Also it can be a prognostic guide for successful treatment or highlight for new antiviral and autoimmune treatment

dynamic link between the integrity of the immune system and zinc status in sickle cell anemia

This study was carried on 30 patients, with sickle cell anemia to evaluate the role of zinc status in relation to cell mediated immunity in terms of T lymphocytes and its subjects, CD4, CD8 and IL-2. Serum zinc level was significantly low in children with sickle cell anemia than in the control group. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell [PBMC] zinc level showed significant decrease in the studied cases than the control group. T-lymphocytes showed significant decrease in count of CD4 and CD4/CD8 ratio, but nonsignificant decrease in CD8, low in children with sickle cell anemia compared to control group. IL-2, showed significant decrease in patients with sickle cell anemia when compared with control group. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that zinc deficiency is evident among patients with sickle cell anemia and it has significant impact on the immune system integrity and could greatly alter host defense systems leading to increase in opportunistic infections and mortality rates that observed in these children

Study the role of insulin like growth factor-1 [IGF-1] and insulin like growth factor binding protein-1 [IGBP-1] and hormonal pattern in polycystic ovary syndrome [PCOS]

Serum insulin, insulin-like growth factor-1 [IGF-1], insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 [IGBP-1] and some other hormones were assayed in PCOS patients [n=30] and their weight-matched controls [n=30]. Serum insulin levels were found to be significantly higher in PCOS patients when compared to normal control women, serum IGF-1 levels showed no statistically significant difference between PCOS patients and normal control women, serum IGFBP-1 levels were found to be significantly lower in PCOS patients when compared to normal control women. In conclusion, insulin and insulin-like growth factor family seem to be involved in the pathogenesis of PCOS through modulation of serum IGF-1 levels mediated by changes in IGFBP-1 concentration