Variations and genotypes of interleukin-10 in diabetes mellitus complicating chronic hepatitis C virus infection

To study whether genetic polymorphism influence lnterleukin-10 [IL-10] production and immune derangement that may contribute to the development of Diabetes Mellitus [DM] in chronic Hepatitis C Virus [HCV] infection, Two groups of HCV positive patients with liver cirrhosis [23 diabetic and 29 non-diabetic] were studied in addition to 10 healthy subjects. IL-10 serum levels were assayed for all the studied groups using ELISA technique. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs] in the promoter region of IL-10 gene namely -1082 [A/G] and-592 [A/C] were genotyped in the HCV groups using Polymerase Chain Reaction, restriction fragment length polymorphism [PCR-RFLP] Technique. Serum IL-10 levels were found to be significantly higher in each of HCV groups compared to healthy control group [P<0.01] with positive correlation to liver enzymes, Fasting Blood Sugar [FBS] and negative correlation to serum albumin. Significant differences of IL-10 levels were detected in diabetic compared to non-diabetic HCV patients [9.94 +/- 3.5 versus 7.68 +/- 2.0 pg/ml, P<0.05].The frequency of carriage of allele G of-1082 A/G and allele C of-592 A/C markers were found to be higher in diabetic HCV compared with non diabetic patients [p=0.024, OR=3.12[95% Cl, 1.16- 8.39] and [p=0.045, OR=2.64 [95% Cl, 1.02, 6.84]] respectively. Haplotype analyses of both markers revealed that the carriage of haplotype GC was significantly higher in diabetic HCV compared to that of non diabetic patients [p<0.0001 and OR=7.49] [95% Cl, 3.45, 15.87]] It was concluded that IL-10 gene polymorphism and subsequently high IL-10 levels is associated with chronic HCV infection and may be involved the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus

protective role of intestinal microflora [lactobacillus GG] in the pathogenesis of food allergic diseases

The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of intestinal microflora [Lactobacillus GG] in the development of food allergy in atopic patients. Sixty patients with atopic diseases due to food allergy [20 asthmatics, 20 with atopic skin diseases and 20 with allergic rhinitis] were examined for stool Lactobacillus GG and compared with 20 healthy controls. The results showed that atopic patients with food allergy in each group had a low stool Lactobacillus GG count as compared with the controls and there was an inverse correlation between stool Lactobacillus GG and both eosinophil count and serum IgE level in each group. It was concluded that there is a strong association between low Lactobacillus GG stool count and the occurrence of allergy in food allergic diseases

Nitric oxide [no] production in liver cirrhosis. relationship to spontaneous bacterial peritonitis [SBP]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the production of NO in liver cirrhosis and its relation to the disease severity and presence of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. The study included 25 patients with liver cirrhosis and SBP, 25 patients with cirrhosis and uninfected ascites and 15 healthy control subjects. The patients were subjected to an evaluation of serum and ascitic NO metabolite liver function tests, kidney function tests, ascitic fluid cytology and protein contents. The control subjects were checked for serum NO metabolite only. The statistical analysis revealed that patients with SBP had higher levels of serum NO metabolite and ascitic fluid NO metabolite in comparison with values in patients with non-infected ascites with a significant statistical difference and both groups of liver cirrhosis patients showed a greater increase in serum NO metabolite than the control group. In conclusion, liver cirrhosis patients had an increased NO production. SBP was accompanied by much more release of NO, peripheral or peritoneal. NO could be a useful diagnostic marker of SBP, if ascitic fluid values exceeded the serum values with a significant statistical difference

Relation between chronic helicobacter pylori infection and acute ischaemic cerebrovascular stroke

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible relation between seropositivity to chronic infection with H. pylori and acute ischemic cerebrovascular strokes and risk markers. It included 42 patients with acute ischemic cerebrovascular strokes and 29 healthy controls matched for age and sex. They were subjected to full medical history, clinical examination, a quantitative estimation of H. pylori IgG and IgA antibodies, CBC, fasting and postprandial blood glucose, lipid profile as well as a quantitative estimation of CRP and serum fibrinogen. The results indicated a possible association of H. pylori infection, the development of ischemic cerebrovascular strokes and the risk of vascular events via the alteration of lipids and induction of procoagulant state as shown by its effect on risk markers in patients and controls

Nitric oxide in bronchial asthma

Nitric oxide "NO" is increased in patient with asthma and it may reflect degree of air way inflammation. We examined the levels of air way "NO" in induced sputum and in mixed expired air in asthmatics in comparison to normal control subjects. Our study included 20 asthmatic patients and 12 control normal subjects. "NO" concentration in mixed expired air of asthmatics [mean 14.500 +/- 4.13 ppb] was significantly higher [p<0.001] than that of normal subjects [8.75 +/- 2.17 ppb]. "NO" derivative in the sputum of asthmatic patients [mean 977.25 +/- 202.59 ppb] was statistically [p<0.001] higher than that of control subjects [509.16 +/- 195.16 ppb]. There is significant +ve correlation between suptum and exhaled "NO" in asthmatics [p< 0.05]. We could not get significant correlation between severity of asthma as indicated by FEV1 and between each of "NO" in exhaled air or in the sputum of asthmatics. Those finding denoted that "NO" estimation in asthmatics air ways whether in the sputum or exhaled air could serve as a vailable parameter to assess air way inflammation in patients with asthma. Further studies are suggested to clarify its relation to severity of asthma and treatment response