Comparative study on copper, zinc, magnesium and iron in hydatid cyst fluid [supernatant and residue] in sheep and camel in Egypt

Aim: this study included comparative biochemical composition of micro-minerals, including Cu, Zn, Mg and Fe in hydatid cyst fluid [supernatant and residue] from liver of infected sheep and lung of infected camels

Materials and Methods: Organs with hydatid cysts were collected from El-Basateen abattoirs, Cairo, Egypt, during the period from Nov. 2014 to Dec. 2015. Flame ionization by Atomic absorption spectroscopy was used for measuring the micro-minerals concentration

Results: the current study showed: significant difference in Mg, Cu and Fe micro-minerals between cyst' supernatant [S Sh] and residue [R Sh] of infected sheep [p<0.001, p<0.05]; significant difference in only Cu micro-mineral between S Sh and cyst residue [R C] of camels [p<0.001]; significant difference in both Fe and Zn micro-mineral between cyst supernatant of infected camels [S C] and S Sh [p<0.05]; significant difference in both Mg and Fe between R Sh and R C [p<0.01]; significant difference in Mg, Fe and Zn between R Sh and S C [p<0.01, p<0.001] and significant difference in Fe and Zn between S C and R C [p<0.001, p<0.01]. Cu was the highest while Mg was the lowest concentration of all tested minerals in both S Sh and S C but Fe was the highest and Zn was the lowest concentration of all tested minerals in both R Sh and R C

Conclusions: in the current work, the parasite that was located in both sheep and camel is characterized by having high levels of Copper in the cyst fluid and of iron in the scolecies. Binding a scolecidal drug with either copper or iron may enhance its efficacy

Evaluation of serum complement C3 and C4 levels as biomarkers for systemic lupus erythromatosus

Systemic Lupus Erthematosis [SLE] is a chronic autoimmune disorder that affects multiple organ systems and also affects the skin and oral mucosa, with the exact cause is unknown. Many hypotheses try to explain the role of the complement C3, C4 in the pathogenesis of SLE. The aim of this study is to determine levels of serum complement C3 and C4 in patient with SLE, so that we may explain its role in diagnosis and pathogenesis of the disease. Twenty patients were informed from outcome patients of Dermatology Unit in El-Azhar University suffering from SLE. All the patients included in this study fulfilled 4 or more of the American Rheumatism Association classification Criteria for SLE. Blood samples from These 20 SLE patients [18 females and 2 males] aged from 20 to 45 years old were collected. Complement C3 and C4 were measured using radial immunodiffusion plates system technique. Clinical parameters such as Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate [ESR], Total Protein [TPR], Serum Creatinine and Antinuclear Antibody [ANA] of those patients were considered in order to compare and explain the data obtained for the levels of C3 and C4. The data were collected and statistically analyzed. Most of patients were female 90% and only 10% male. Of all patients, 60% have low level of serum C4, 40% have normal level of serum C4, 25% have abnormal level of serum C3, and 75% have normal level of serum C3.Statistical analysis of the data on the correlation between C4, and disease activity revealed significant [P<0.05] correlation, however no significant correlation was found between C3 and disease activity. Analysis on the correlation between C3 and C4 with TPR, S. creatinne, and ESR, showed no significant correlation. No significant relationship was also found between C3 and C4.All patients have had high TPR, S. creatinne and ESR. All patients have had positive ANA which is an important marker of SLE as an auto immune disease. Patients showed different degrees of oral and systemic manifestations, which exacerbate and become acute with decreased level of complement C4 and instability of C3 level. Accordingly, the low level of C4 was associated with the development and exacerbation of SLE. Increased C3 levels is solely due to activity through the alternative pathway in SLE patients

Role of complements C5, C6 in the pathogenecity of psoriasis

Psoriasis lesion/scale contains C5a des Arg and C5b-9 [Takematsu et al., 1992; Terui et al., 2000 and Uyemura et al., 1993]. These activation products may have arisen from C5-C9 produced supposedly by keratinocytes [KC]. In this work we have started with C5 and C6 to prove our hypothesis. Since psoriatic lesions contain several pro-inflammatory cytokines, it is important to find out which pro-inflammatory cytokines can differentially regulate the expected synthesis of C5 and C6 by keratinocytes. Human KC have been cultured in the absence and the presence of varying concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the synthesis of C components C5 and C6 have been measured by ELISA at the protein level and RT-PCR at the mRNA level. To test whether KC also secrete these C components, the same measurements have been performed to find out if these late components are present in the supernatant of the medium where these KC were cultured. The keratinocytes cell-line A431 was also used and the monocytes cultures were considered as the positive control. The results showed that resting KC synthesize C5 mRNAs in detectable amounts. C5 mRNA which is synthesized by resting KC is not translated into detectable amount of protein. Although resting KC did not produce C6 mRNA in detectable amounts the levels of C6 protein were detectable. However, These C6 protein levels were minimally secreted by resting KC, into the culture medium. TCGF induced the secretion of C5 and C6 while TGF-beta induced only the secretion of C6. Normal KC synthesize their own C5 and C6. The synthesis of them is activated by TCGF. While TGF- 2 activated the synthesis of C6 other factors might be responsible for activating the synthesis of C5. These factors could be secreted from other cell types than KC in human skin