ABSTRACT
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that has strained health care systems worldwide and resulted in high mortality. The current COVID-19 treatment is based on supportive and symptomatic care. Therefore, convalescent plasma (CP), which provides passive immunization against many infectious diseases, has been studied for COVID-19 management. To date, a large number of randomized and non-randomized clinical trials as well as many systematic reviews have revealed conflicting results. This article summarizes the basic principles of passive immunization, particularly addressing CP in COVID-19. It also evaluates the effectiveness of CP as a therapy in patients with COVID-19, clinical trial reports and systematic reviews, regulatory considerations and different protocols that are authorized in different countries to use it safely and effectively.An advanced search was carried out in major databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, and MEDLINE) and Google Scholar using the following key words: SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, convalescent plasma, and the applied query was “convalescent plasma” AND “COVID-19 OR SARS-CoV-2”. The results were filtered and duplicate data were removed.Collective evidence indicates that two cardinal players determine the effectiveness of CP use, time of infusion, and quality of CP. Early administration of CP with high neutralizing anti-spike IgG titer is hypothesized to be effective in improving clinical outcome, prevent progression, decrease the length of hospital stay, and reduce mortality. However, more reliable, high quality, well-controlled, double-blinded, randomized, international and multicenter collaborative trials are still needed.
ABSTRACT
A transcription factor Sry-related high mobility group box (Sox) 17 is involved in developmental processes including spermatogenesis, cardiovascular system, endoderm formation, and so on. In this article, we firstly review the studies on the relation between the Sox17 expression and tumor malignancy. Although Sox17 positively promotes various tissue development, most of the cancers associated with Sox17 show decreased expression levels of Sox17, and an inverse correlation between Sox17 expression and malignancy is revealed. We briefly discuss the mechanism of such Sox17 down-regulation by focusing on DNA methylation of CpG sites located in the Sox17 gene promoter. Next, we overview the function of Sox17 in the fetal hematopoiesis, particularly in the dorsal aorta in midgestation mouse embryos. The Sox17 expression in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC)-containing intra-aortic hematopoietic cell cluster (IAHCs) is important for the cluster formation with the hematopoietic ability. The sustained expression of Sox17 in adult bone marrow HSCs and the cells in IAHCs of the dorsal aorta indicate abnormalities that are low lymphocyte chimerism and the aberrant proliferation of common myeloid progenitors in transplantation experiments. We then summarize the perspectives of Sox17 research in cancer control.
ABSTRACT
A transcription factor Sry-related high mobility group box (Sox) 17 is involved in developmental processes including spermatogenesis, cardiovascular system, endoderm formation, and so on. In this article, we firstly review the studies on the relation between the Sox17 expression and tumor malignancy. Although Sox17 positively promotes various tissue development, most of the cancers associated with Sox17 show decreased expression levels of Sox17, and an inverse correlation between Sox17 expression and malignancy is revealed. We briefly discuss the mechanism of such Sox17 down-regulation by focusing on DNA methylation of CpG sites located in the Sox17 gene promoter. Next, we overview the function of Sox17 in the fetal hematopoiesis, particularly in the dorsal aorta in midgestation mouse embryos. The Sox17 expression in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC)-containing intra-aortic hematopoietic cell cluster (IAHCs) is important for the cluster formation with the hematopoietic ability. The sustained expression of Sox17 in adult bone marrow HSCs and the cells in IAHCs of the dorsal aorta indicate abnormalities that are low lymphocyte chimerism and the aberrant proliferation of common myeloid progenitors in transplantation experiments. We then summarize the perspectives of Sox17 research in cancer control.
ABSTRACT
Background: The increase of morbidity of infected patients with multi-drug resistant organisms [MDROs] necessitated use of alternative drugs as tigacycline and colistin
Methodology: A total of 172 isolates were tested for detection of MDR, XDR, and PDR bacteria, testing biofilm-formation by CRA and TCP methods, combined disc test for ESBL production among Gram negative; Cefoxitin disk diffusion and PCR for presence of the mecA gene among Gram positive strains. Disc diffusion method was done to assess susceptibility to Tigecyclineand Colistin
Results: Variable drug resistance 45% XDR and 23% MDR for Gram negative and 28%, 19%, respectively for Staphylococcus species was recorded. The high sensitivity to Tigacycline was found among all Klebsiella, E. Coli and Enterobacter isolates, also to all isolated Staphylococcal species, while highest colistin sensitivity was noticed in 33% of ESBL producing Enterobacter
Conclusion:Increased prevalence of MDROs. Tigacycline was highly active against MDROs rather than colistin
ABSTRACT
Parkinson's disease [PD] is a chronic-progressive and disabling neurological disorder and the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease, characterized by the rapid and unpredictable loss of dopaminergic neurons located in a small mesencephalic nucleus, the Substantia Nigra pars compacta [SNpc], the cause of which remains unknown. Recent evidence has demonstrated that local inflammation, primarily mediated by glial cells, may contribute to this neuronal degeneration. However, factors mediating microglial activation in PD are poorly understood. Proinflammatory cytokines, such as interferon-gamma [IFN-gamma], orchestrate the actions of microglia. To investigate whether serum levels of interferon gamma are associated with the risk of PD in Egyptian patients. Blood samples from16 PD patients and 11 control patients attending the neuropsychiatric outpatient clinic in Suez-Canal University Hospital were analyzed in this study. IFN-? serum level was detected using the Ray Bio Human INFgamma ELISA assay. The Human INFgamma ELISA revealed a significant elevation of serum INFgamma in PD patients over that in control subjects [p < 0.05], as it was higher than the cutoff point in the serum of 12 patients of the PD patients [75%]. But in the control group it was elevated in the serum of only three out of eleven subjects [27%]. We conclude that high serum level of INF-gamma could play a clear role in microglial and astroglial activation in Parkinsonism and that it may be a critical factor in the local perpetuation of glial activation in the SNc, contributing to dopaminergic neuronal degeneration and motor impairment