Effects of embryonic thermal manipulation on the immune response to post-hatch Escherichia coli challenge in broiler chicken.

Background and Aim: Thermal manipulation (TM), exposure to mild heat shock during embryogenesis, which is a critical developmental period of broiler chickens, improves tissue stability, oxidative stress response, and immune response during heat stress. Thermal manipulation could be more cost-effective than other methods to boost the immune response. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of TM during embryogenesis, concomitant with an Escherichia coli challenge, on body weight (BW), body temperature (Tb), and splenic mRNA expression of cytokines (Interleukin [IL]-1ß, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, IL-15, IL-16, IL-18, and interferon [IFN]-γ) in poultry. Materials and Methods: A total of 740 fertile eggs were procured from a certified Ross broiler breeder. The eggs were divided into two incubation groups: the control and TM groups. The eggs in the control group were kept at 37.8°C air temperature and 56% relative humidity (RH) during incubation; eggs of the TM group were incubated under standard conditions, except for embryonic days 10-18, during which they were incubated at 39°C and 65% RH for 18 h daily. On the 7th day of incubation, eggs with dead embryos were excluded. After hatching was complete, each group was further subdivided into saline-treated or E. coli-challenged groups. The E. coli (serotype 078 with the dose of 1.5 × 105 colony-forming unit/mL) challenge was performed when the birds were 20 days old. Body weight and Tb measurements were taken on post-hatch days 20, 21, 23, and 25. Splenic mRNA expression of cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, IL-15, IL-16, IL-18, and IFN-γ) was analyzed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: Following the E. coli challenge, the TM-treated group's body performance parameters (BW and Tb) were significantly increased compared with the control group. Body weight was higher in the TM group than in the control group (p < 0.05); Tb was lower in the TM group than in the control group (p < 0.05). The mRNA levels of IL and IFN-γ were more stable and moderately induced in the TM group compared with the control group. Thermal manipulation altered the basal mRNA levels of ILs and IFN-γ and changed their expression dynamics after the E. coli challenge. Conclusion: Thermal manipulation during embryogenesis could boost the immune system response to E. coli.

Screening by single-molecule molecular inversion probes targeted sequencing panel of candidate genes of infertility in azoospermic infertile Jordanian males.

Infertility is a common health problem that affects around 1 in 6 couples in the United States, where half of these cases are attributed to male factors. Genetics play an important role in infertility and it is estimated that up to 50% of cases are due to genetic factors. Despite this, many male infertility cases are still idiopathic. This study aimed to identify the presence of possibly pathogenic rare variants in a set of candidate genes related to azoospermia in 69 Jordanian men using a next-generation sequencing-based panel covering more than a hundred male infertility related genes. A total of 9 variants were found and validated. Among them, two variants included reported pathogenic variants in CFTR and one novel pathogenic variant in the USP9Y gene. We also report the detection of 6 other variants with uncertain significance in other genes. Interestingly, male cases with CFTR variants did not show the expected cystic fibrosis phenotypes except for infertility. This work helps to uncover the contribution of additional genetic factors to the aetiology of male infertility and highlights the importance to obtain more reliable information about the presence of genetic variation in the Jordanian population.

Association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the ESR2 and FSHR genes with poor ovarian response in infertile Jordanian women.

OBJECTIVE: Poor ovarian response (POR) refers to a subnormal follicular response that leads to a decrease in the quality and quantity of the eggs retrieved after ovarian stimulation during assisted reproductive treatment (ART). The present study investigated the associations of multiple variants of the estrogen receptor 2 (ESR2) and follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) genes with POR in infertile Jordanian women undergoing ART. METHODS: Four polymorphisms, namely ESR2 rs1256049, ESR2 rs4986938, FSHR rs6165, and FSHR rs6166, were investigated in 60 infertile Jordanian women undergoing ART (the case group) and 60 age-matched fertile women (the control group), with a mean age of 33.60±6.34 years. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected by restriction fragment length polymorphism and then validated using Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: The p-value of the difference between the case and control groups regarding FSHR rs6166 was very close to 0.05 (p=0.054). However, no significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of the other three SNPs, namely ESR2 rs1256049, ESR2 rs4986938, and FSHR rs6165 (p=0.561, p=0.433, and p=0.696, respectively). CONCLUSION: The association between FSHR rs6166 and POR was not statistically meaningful in the present study, but the near-significant result of this experiment suggests that statistical significance might be found in a future study with a larger number of patients.

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and public fomites: a review.

Staphylococcus genus is a Gram-positive coccus normally associated with skin and mucous membranes of warm-blooded animals. It is part of the commensal human microflora, or found in animals, or contaminating surfaces in the community and hospital settings. Staphylococcus aureus is the most pathogenic species belonging to this genus, as it possesses a collection of virulence factors that are expressed solely to evade the immune system. The increase in the misuse of antimicrobial agents predisposed S. aureus to develop antibiotic resistance, including the resistance to methicillin which led to the emergence of Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus (MRSA). MRSA is considered one of the most dangerous nosocomial pathogens causing many hard to treat infections in hospitals and was named as Hospital Associated MRSA (HA-MRSA). Over the past 20-25 years, MRSA was isolated from community settings and thus Community Associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) has emerged. Inside hospitals, MRSA has been isolated from fomites in contact with patients, as well as staff's protective and personal items. This review highlights the worldwide prevalence of MRSA on fomites within the contexts of hospital and community settings.