RESUMO
Background: Allergic rhinitis [AR] is a common allergic disease. It has a marked effect on quality of life. Various populations of effector and regulatory T cells and their cytokines play a crucial role in allergic inflammation
Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate serum levels of IL-9 in subjects with allergic rhinitis and to investigate the association of its serum level with the severity of the disease, and its clinical parameters
Methodology: This study included 19 AR cases and 19 healthy controls. All patients and controls were subjected to the followings: full medical history, allergy skin test, nasal smear to detect eosinophilia, and measurement of serum levels of IL-9 by enzyme linked immune-sorbent assay [ELISA]. Cases were classified according to Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma [ARIA] guidelines into mild, moderate and severe
Results: The median values of serum levels of IL-9 in AR cases were higher than in the controls [8.5 vs 6.85 pg/ml] with statistically significant difference [p =0.02]. Roc curve analysis, also showed significant association between the serum level of IL-9 in AR patients than controls [P value < 0.0001], the cut point was >7.5 pg/ml in AR patients with sensitivity and specificity of 77.78 and 83.33 % respectively. In addition, there was a significant association between the serum levels of IL-9 and degree of disease severity [P=0.01], and AR symptoms [nasal obstruction and irritative symptoms]. There was a significant association between sensitization to multiplicity of allergens and the mean level of IL-9 in AR cases [P< 0.05]
Conclusion: The elevated serum level of IL-9 in AR cases may provide new insight into the patho-physiology of the disease and into development of novel therapeutic targets
RESUMO
Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common pathogen that causes nosocomial infections in intensive care units. Strain typing is an extremely useful tool in tracking the source of infection. The present study aimed to elucidate the epidemiology of P. aeruginosa isolates in intensive care units [ICUs] in both Egypt and Saudi Arabia
Palients, Materials and Methods: two hundreds and seventy clinical and environmental samples were collected from adult lCUs of both Zagazig University Hospital, Egypt and King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Saudi Arabia. Isolates have been typed using both antibiogram and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-polymerasr chain reaction [ERIC-PCR]. Also, testing for metallo-beta-lactamase [MBL] production was done
Results: The study showed that in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the isolation rates of P. aeruginosa from patients, staff hands and environmental samples were [32.8%, 10.0 %and 25.0 %] and [30.0%, 6.7 %and 23.3%]; respectively. In Egypt, the highest rate was from burn exudates [66.7%] while in Saudi Arabia, it was from endotracheal aspirate [33.3%]. As regards the isolation rate from the environmental samples, in Egypt was 25.0% where it was highest [57.1%] from suction apparatus tubing. In Saudi Arabia, it was 23.3% and was highest [42.9%] from both suction apparatus tubing and artificial ventilation [AV] machine tubes. In Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the highest rate of antibiotic resistance of clinical isolates was to aztreonam [96.6% and 98.1%] followed by cefepime [76.3%] and tobramycin [67.8%] in Egypt whereas in Saudi Arabia it was to meropenem [72.2%] and ceftazidime [70.4%]. On the other hand, the highest rate of antibiotic resistance of enviromental isolates was 100% to aztreonam and ceftazidime in Egypt and ceftazidime and cefepime in Saudi Arabia. Notably, colistin was the only antibiotic to which nearly all strains were sensitive. As regards screening for MBLs production in IMP-resistant strains, in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, it was 16/29 [55.2%] and 36/54 [66.7%]; respectively in clinical isolates, 2/3 [66.7%] in environmental strains and was not detected in staff hand strains with statistically significant difference [P < 0.001]. In both Egypt and Saudi Arabia. ERIC typing method gave higher discriminatory index [0.801] and [0.785] than antibiogram that gave the lower discriminatory index [0.7123] and [0.728]; respectively. In Egypt, suction apparatus tubing, artificial ventilation [AV] machine tubes and drainage basin while in Saudi Arabia the former two sources have a central role in the spread of organism in the ICUs. In addition, the patients MBL-producing strains were epidemiologically linked to suction apparatus tubing and AV machine tubes in both Egypt and Saudi Arabia
Conclusions: ERIC molecular typing was superior to antibiogram typing and should be used in tracing source of injection when available
RESUMO
Bronchial asthma is characterized by chronic lung inflammation and airway remodeling associated with wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing and acute bronchial hypersensitivity to a variety of innocuous stimuli. During development of asthma TGF- beta1 is a negative regulator of inflammation, but in chronic asthma, it has a pro-inflammatory role and consequently exacerbates lung deterioration. The aim of this study was to screen for -509C/T single nucleotide polymorphism [SNP] in tgf-beta 1 gene promoter in asthmatic patients and to determine effect of TGF- beta1 on mechanism of asthma by correlating its level to serum total IgE and PBEC. The study enrolled 70 asthmatics of various severities, diagnosed clinically, by intradermal skin tests to various environmental allergens, radiologically and by determining FEV1. Also, the study enrolled 20 healthy controls. -509 C/TSNP were detected by PCR-RFLP and TGF- beta1. Total IgE was estimated by ELISA. The study showed that TT genotype and T-allele of tgf- beta1, gene prevails more frequently in asthmatic patients than controls [T allele: 44.3%, 22.5%, ccP. <<0.05>>], also severe asthmatics carried TT gene 9.5 times versus controls, whereas mild asthmatics carry TT genotypes 3.3 times as controls. TGF- beta1 plasma level was higher in patients than controls [16.73+/-2.34 ng/mf in mild asthmatics, 40.24+/-5.55ng/ml in severe asthmatics and 7.75 +/- 1.79 ng/ml in controls]. C/T genotypes and alleles have their effects on total IgE level and PBEC which are correlated to asthma severity, TGF- beta1 plasma level, serum total IgE and PBEC showed strong positive highly significant correlation [P<0.001]
On conclusion: -509/C/T SNP of tgf- beta1 gene promoter is a key locus for asthma susceptibility and severity through increasing basal level of TGF-beta1 which in turn is associated with increased serum IgE and PBEC