ABSTRACT
Aims@#Staphylococcus aureus is an important opportunistic human pathogen. The emergence of macrolide and vancomycin resistant S. aureus is of great concern for treatment of S. aureus infections. The current study aimed to investigate the pattern of antibiotic resistance in S. aureus clinical isolates recovered from El Boos Students’ hospital in Cairo, Egypt.@*Methodology and results@#Sixty unduplicated S. aureus isolates were recovered from El Boos Students’ hospital in Cairo, Egypt for 11 months period. The antibiotic susceptibility test revealed that all isolates were resistant to eleven antibiotics, but only 49 S. aureus isolates were resistant to cefoxitin. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of both erythromycin and vancomycin were determined by broth microdilution method. Two methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolates showing tolerance to both erythromycin and vancomycin at high concentration were selected for further characterization. One isolate was recovered from eye infection and had MIC at 256 µg/mL of both erythromycin and vancomycin. While another isolate was recovered from throat infection and had MIC of erythromycin and vancomycin up till 512 µg/mL. The presence of resistance genes (ermA, ermB, ermC, mef, msrA, vanA and vanB) were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Both MRSA isolates carried all tested resistance genes.@*Conclusion, significance and impact of study@#This study highlights the concern of presence of multidrug-resistant S. aureus which showed resistance to high concentrations of erythromycin, vancomycin and carried ermA, ermB, ermC, mef, msrA, vanA and vanB genes, therefore imposes risk of failure to treat such infections.
Subject(s)
Vancomycin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus , ErythromycinABSTRACT
Cystatin C is a cysteine proteinase inhibitor with widespread distribution in body fluids and tissues. Physiologically relevant polymorphisms have been identified in the promoter region and the signal peptide of the cystatin C gene. However, the final importance of cystatin C polymorphisms in human diseases is still discussed controversially and the prognostic value in different conditions is unknown. In this study, in order to assess the significance of the polymorphic genotypes at positions -82, -5 and +4 of the 5' flanking region of the CST3 gene in case of heart, kidney and/or diabetic disorders in Egyptian patients, we compared frequencies of these polymorphisms in various groups of Egyptian patients with different conditions and controls. Genotyping analysis of all subjects revealed that these polymorphisms are in strong-linkage disequilibrium. Notably, no statistically significant differences in the allele or haplotype frequencies were observed for the investigated polymorphisms between patient and control groups. Moreover, haplotype differences within each group had no visible impact on plasma cystatin C levels which were significantly elevated for all groups compared to the control group. The observed elevation in cystatin C levels was probably a reflection of reduced glomerular filtration rate in these patients. Finally, our results suggest that in this population the haplotype alone was not associated with prognosis and that other, unknown environmental or genetic, factors may be of relevance
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Genotype , Polymorphism, Genetic , Alleles , Gene FrequencyABSTRACT
The objectives of this study were to describe the physical, physiological, and psychosocial characteristics of male and female Egyptian adolescents; to describe a set of patterns that characterize Egyptian adolescents' health habits; to identify their health concerns and to identify the reproductive health needs of female adolescents; and to detect any health-related problems among Egyptian adolescent. A sample of 1000 male and female adolescents [11 - 18 years of age] was randomly selected from preparatory and secondary schools in Cairo and Giza governorates. Several tools were developed and utilized to fulfill the study objectives: a questionnaire sheet that contains social, health habits and health problems data; growth and development assessment sheet that covers data related to physical, physiological and psychosocial development and an adolescent health concern questionnaire. The main findings indicated that the majority of the subjects were from governmental schools in Cairo and Giza governorates [80. 0% and 83.8% respectively]. Preparatory schools represented 38.0% and 44.0%, while secondary school represented 61.0% and 56% in Cairo and Giza respectively. Male adolescent accounted for 39.2% and 50.6%. While female adolescents accounted for 60.8.% and 49.4% respectively. More than half of the adolescents, had school-related problems and mare than 40% of them had previous injuries, their main health concerns were centered on their general appearance followed 'by their feeling of identity, and self-control. Most of the adolescents' physical and psychological characteristics were within normal ranges except that female adolescents suffered fmm anemia and showed reproductive health-related concerns. The majority of male and female adolescents indicated their need for more health information. The study concluded that Egyptian adolescents are in need for more health attention of concerned personnel
ABSTRACT
The diagnosis of toxocariasis heavily depends on immunological tests because the number of parasites is usually few in infected tissues, unless they migrate into an organ such as eye. In general, patients with ocular toxocariasis have serum anti-T canis antibody titres that are significantly lower than those with visceral toxocariasis. To diagnose the asymptomatic toxocariasis in infants before two years old and suspected pregnant women by an ELISA method utilizing two different antigens of TEE and capture TEX. This work was carried out between 8/2005 and 4/2006. Specimens of serum collected from 79 infants [apparent healthy] aged between 4 weeks to 30 moths [51 females and 28 males] Also, 28 specimens of serum were collected from asymptomatic pregnant women aged between 18-32 years old and all their infants [17 females and 11 males that their ages were as mentioned above]. Serodiagnosis by ELISA was done by using two antigens, Toxocara canis embryonated egg antigen [TEE] and Toxocara canis antigen capture ELISA. Toxocara antibodies were found in 7 and 12 pregnant women, when tested by TEE and capture TEX ELISA respectively. Three out of 28 and 7 out of 28 infant sera were positive for Toxocara antibodies when tested by TEE ELISA and capture TEX ELISA respectively. Active ocular toxocariasis was only diagnosed in the left eye of one mother. All inactive ocular toxocariasis were diagnosed by capture TEX ELISA, except one infant serum, which was diagnosed by TEE ELISA. The capture TEX ELISA was able to discriminate positive and negative toxocariasis samples better than TEE ELISA. In addition, sample analyses by both capture TEX ELISA and TEE ELISA is recommended in children and young adults, when toxocariasis is considered in the differential diagnosis of the ocular diseases