Natural killer cells and their interaction with dendritic cells in hepatitis C infection

Background: Hepatitis C is a viral infection of the liver that has affected around 200 million people globally. The immune response against HCV infection includes both the innate and adaptive arms of immunity, with crosstalk between liver inhabitant and infiltrating cells. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the natural killer cells activation and inhibition status, and their role in interaction with DCs utilizing different combinations between NK cells and DCs in the presence of HCV peptides in a ratio of 5 NK: 1DC

Results: HCV NK cells upregulated both activation and inhibition markers. This could be attributed to HCV infection and their interaction with DCs especially healthy DCs. Moreover, apoptosis of DCs and NK cells occurred more in HCV NK cultures due to their higher frequency of NKp30 and KLRG1. The death of NK cells was more than DCs despite DCs maturation defect due to HCV infection, suggesting that the inhibitory marker KLRG1 took the upper hand over the upregulated activation markers leading to impaired cytotoxic activity and apoptosis of NK cells

Conclusion: The bidirectional crosstalk between NK cells and DCs is important in both potentiating mechanisms of the innate immune responses and the subsequent adaptive immune responses in the immune surveillance of cancer and infections. HCV infection impairs this crosstalk which may be a leading cause in viral persistence and chronicity

Increased nitric oxide production by neutrophils in bronchial asthma

Nitric oxide [NO] is a major secretory product of mammalian cells that initiates host defense, homeostatic and development functions by either direct effect or intercellular signaling. The aim of this study was to look into the endogenous production of NO by neutrophils and correlate it with the severity of bronchial asthma, based on the postulation that peripheral blood neutrophils would reflect the changes occurring in bronchial tree neutrophils. The study included 30 patients with bronchial asthma selected from Ain Shams University Hospital. The thirty patients were classified into 3 groups according to their clinical manifestations and PEF and FEV[1] as follows: Group I[10 patients with mild persistent asthma]; Group 11[10 patients with moderate persistent asthma]; and Group III [10 patients with severe asthma]. Each of these groups was reclassified into subgroup A [those not receiving steroids] and B [those receiving steroids] according to steroid therapy intake. The study included ten apparently healthy age-matched, non-smokers volunteers as control group. Complete blood count [CBC], Peak expiratory flow [PEF] and forced expiratory volume in the first second [FEV[1]] were performed for all subjects included in this study. Also, neutrophils from peripheral venous blood were separated on Ficoll hypaque, stimulated by latex reagent, and the production of total nitrite concentration was assayed. The results of this study showed that Nitrite production by peripheral blood neutrophils was significantly increased [P<0.001] in asthmatic patients in comparison to control subjects. In respect to the severity of bronchial asthma, highly significant increased [P<0.001] levels of nitrate production were encountered between the three studied patients groups. In addition, a highly significant negative correlations were observed between nitrite level and both EFV[1] [r= -0.911; P<0.001] and PEF [r= -0.958; P<0.001]. No significant differences [P >/= 0.05] were encountered on comparison of corticosteroids treated patients versus those not treated with corticosteroids in each asthma grade. NO could be used as a diagnostic marker of bronchial asthma and as a predictor for the severity of asthma. It has no appreciable value as a predictor of the response to corticosteroid therapy

Fetal gender determination in early pregnancy using PCR analysis of maternal serum

Non-invasive methods using maternal plasma and serum for molecular genetic diagnosis have become an important field of interest in prenatal genetic diagnosis. Free fetal DNA in maternal plasma and serum has been shown to be useful for fetal gender determination, and seems to offer a new possibility to perform non-invasive prenatal genetic diagnosis. Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 25 pregnant women selected at random. All of the pregnant women underwent blood sampling at gestational ages ranging from 9 weeks + 2 days to 12 weeks + 4 days. Maternal serum was used to detect the Y-chromosome specific sequence DYS14. 40 cycles of PCR were carried out for each DNA extract. The PCR products were analyzed by 2.5% agarose gel electrophoresis and ethidium bromide staining and the results were compared with the results of ultrasound scanning at 21 weeks gestation. Ultrasound scan revealed that 13 of the pregnant women were carrying a male fetus and the remaining 12 pregnant women were carrying a female fetus. PCR analysis of maternal serum of all the women participating in the study was identical to the results obtained by Ultrasound scan PCR analysis of maternal serum can be used successfully with 100% accuracy to diagnose fetal gender in maternal serum in normal single pregnancies

Endothelin-1 plasma level in children with chronic liver disease: Impact on renal hemodynamics and portal hypertension

The plasma level and pathophysiologic consequences of endothelin-1 [ET1], a potent vasoconstrictor with preferential action on renal vessels, have been investigated in 40 children with chronic liver disease [CLD] [27 males and 13 females; mean age = 8.62 +/- 4.04 years] and 15 sex and age matched clinically healthy children [9 males and 4 females; mean age = 8 +/- 4.17 years]. The children with CLD were divided into 3 subgroups : subgroup I [n = 13] had chronic hepatitis [CH], subgroup II [n = 13] had cirrhosis without ascites and subgroup III [n = 14] had cirrhosis and ascites. The cirrhotic children [n = 27] included 17 children in Child's A class and 10 children in Child's B + C class. Besides routine liver and renal function tests, serum electrolytes as well as a doppler duplex study of the portal vein and the arcuate arteries of both kidneys at the level of the corticomedullary junction, were done to all candidates of the study. The resistive index of renal vessels was calculated. ET-1 level was found to be significantly elevated in all groups of children with CLD. The highest level was in children of subgroup III [x = 4.26 +/- 2.12 ng/ml] followed by those in subgroup II [x = 1.49 +/- 0.61 ng/ml] and lastly came children with CH ie. subgroup I [x = 1.01 +/- 0.46 ng/ml].Children with Child's B+C cirrhosis had a significantly higher level [4.62 +/- 2.4 ng/ml] than those with Child's A cirrhosis [1.93 +/- 1.04 ng/ml]. Serum albumin had a significant negative correlation with ET-1 [r = 0.64] ET-1 level showed a significant negative correlation with serum sodium [r = 0.4]. It correlated positively with portal hypertension as indicated by a positive correlation with portal vein diameter [r = 0.48] and a negative correlation with portal vein flow velocity [r = 0.35]. The resistive index was significantly higher in patients with CLD compared to controls. It showed a significant positive correlation ET-1 [r = 0.49]. Thus, ET-l is elevated in patients with CLD; its elevation being related to the severity of liver disease. It could be involved in the pathophysiology of the hyponatraemia portal hypertension and disturbed renal hemodynamics seen in children with CLD