ABSTRACT
Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a serious health problem in Egypt. Although the effectiveness of pegylated interferon (peg-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) combined therapy, poor response rates and lamentable tolerability were recorded in the chronically HCV infected patients. Sofosbuvir (SOF) target the highly conserved active site of the HCV-specific NS5B polymerase that affect directly the viral replication and has broad genotypic coverage. In the present study we investigated the efficacy of SOF-based combination therapy and its effects on the status of immune cells from chronically infected HCV Egyptian patients. HCV Patients were treated with a combination treatment of SOF, RBV and peg-IFN-α or SOF and RBV for either 12 or 24 weeks. Then biochemical, hematological parameters, immunological phenotyping, PBMCs proliferation and apoptosis were detected pre- and post-treatment. While SOF-based combination therapy improved the liver function, anemia, leucopenia and thrombocytopenia were detected especially after treatment with SOF, RBV and peg-IFN-α-2a.We observed significant reduction in the percentage of CD3+CD4+ and CD3+CD8+ cells post-treatment with either SOF and RBV or SOF, RBV and peg-IFN-α-2a as compared to the baseline. Moreover, SOF-based combination therapy altered the percentage of CD3-CD8+, CD14+ and CD20+ cells. The proliferative capacity of PBMCs was significantly decreased in both regimens, whilst the percentage of apoptotic cells was significantly augmented. SOF-based therapy regimens are efficacious in reducing HCV load in the current study with some adverse effects that include the reduction of the mononuclear cells from the blood periphery by apoptosis.
ABSTRACT
Montelukast is one of leukotriene (LT) receptor antagonists, which is safe and effective drug as a combined systemic and topical treatment regimen for treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD). The present study aimed to evaluate the role of montelukast treatment in modulation of filaggrin R501X and 2282derl4 mutations in Egyptian patients with atopic dermatitis. Total of (32) patients with AD and 16 healthy non-AD volunteers with no allergic disease were enrolled in this study. Patients were given montelukast sodium 4 mg daily for 2 weeks. SCORAD, total IgE levels and eosinophils counts were measured. Genotyping for FLG gene mutations R501X and 2282del4 were evaluated. Montelukast treatment showed significant improvement in AD patients through the reduction of serum IgE levels, blood eosinophils counts and disease severity. FLG 2282del4 mutation could be detected in 76.9% of the AD patients. FLG 2282del4 mutation was modulated in 4 out of 20 AD patients upon treatment with montelukast. Montelukast treatment could improve the skin barrier integrity through its modulatory effect on FLG mutation 2282del4 in the Egyptian patients.
ABSTRACT
Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is one of the most widely used organophosphorus (OP) insecticides until 2000 when the United States Environmental Protection Agency restricted some of its domestic uses due to its toxicity. Despite this, CPF remains one of the most widely used OP insecticides. Eugenol is a flavoring agent used in cosmetic and food products. Furthermore, eugenol acts as a pro-oxidant and as an anti-oxidant, under certain circumstances. Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate the possible immuno-toxicogical consequences produced by CPF on different immunological aspects and to assess the protective role of eugenol in attenuating the CPF-induced immunotoxicity. The changes in humoral and cell mediated-immunity were evaluated by measuring the level of immunoglobulin (IgG), lymphocyte viability, neutrophil phagocytic function assay, total white blood cells count (WBC) and relative differential white blood cells count. On the biochemical level, estimation of nitric oxide (NO) level and catalase activity was also undertaken. The treatment with CPF showed an inhibitory effect on the level of lymphocyte viability, neutrophil phagocytic index, total white blood cells count, relative lymphocyte count, IgG concentration and catalase activity. On the other hand, a high level of NO was detected upon animal treatment with CPF. Interestingly, eugenol pre- and post-treatment to CPF-treated group improved the lymphocyte viability, total white blood cells count, relative lymphocyte count, catalase activity and the NO level. Moreover, eugenol pre- and post-treatment recovered phagocytic activity of neutrophils and restored IgG level. In conclusion, eugenol has protective and curative roles in attenuating the CPF-induced immunotoxicity.