Role of C1858T Polymorphism of Lymphoid Tyrosine Phosphatase in Egyptian Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) is a multifactorial autoimmune disease. The Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Non-receptor 22 (PTPN22) gene is an important negative regulator of signal transduction through the T-cell Receptors (TCR). A PTPN22 polymorphism, C1858T, has been found to be a risk determinant for several autoimmune diseases, including T1DM, in different populations. OBJECTIVE: The present study was aimed to analyze a possible association between the C1858T polymorphism in Egyptian children with T1DM. METHODS: This case-control study included 240 children divided evenly between T1DM patients and controls. The PTPN22 C1858T polymorphism was genotyped using polymerase chain reaction with Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP). RESULTS: Both the 1858CΤ and 1858ΤΤ genotypes and the 1858T allele were found more frequently in patients (32.5% and 18.7%, respectively) than in controls (10% and 5.0%, respectively), P=0.013 and P=0.007, respectively. Among females, the 1858T allele was more common in patients (18%) than in controls (2.6%), P=0.014. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the PTPN22 1858T allele could be a T1DM susceptibility factor in the Egyptian population and that it might play a different role in susceptibility to T1DM according to gender in T1DM patients.

Study of the correlation between Helicobacter pylori infection and Hepatic Encephalopathy in patients with Liver Cirrhosis

Background and study aim: Ammonia plays a major role in hepatic encephalopathy pathogenesis. Most of ammonia is known to be produced by the action of colonic bacteria which possess a urease enzyme activity. H. pylori which infects the stomach possesses a stronger urease activity which produce a large amount of ammonia that may precipitate hepatic encephalopathy (HE). The aim of the present study is to determine the correlation between Helicobacter pylori infection and HE in patients with liver cirrhosis.Patients and Methods: One hundred patients (50 patients of liver cirrhosis with hepatic encephalopathy and 50 patients of liver cirrhosis without hepatic encephalo-pathy) were evaluated for presence of H. pylori by stool antigen test (ELISA method) and for blood ammonia level estimation.Results: Prevalence of H. pylori infection in the study groups (patients of liver cirrhosis with and without hepatic encephalopathy) was 70% (liver cirrhosis with hepatic encephalopathy group (A) 80%, and liver cirrhosis without hepatic encephalopathy group (B) 60%). Mean blood ammonia levels were: 82.14± 47.9 mmol/l for group A (liver cirrhosis with hepatic encephalopathy) and 36.44± 17.9 mmol/l for group B (liver cirrhosis without hepatic encephalopathy). Prevalence of H. pylori and blood ammonia level were found significantly increasing with the severity and the degree of hepatic encephalopathy.Conclusion: There is a significant association between H. pylori and hepatic encephalopathy in patients with liver cirrhosis. There may be a role of anti-H. pylori therapy in patients of hepatic encephalopathy and should be investigated further