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When populations colonise new environments, they may be exposed to novel selection pressures but also suffer from extensive genetic drift due to founder effects, small population sizes and limited interpopulation gene flow. Genomic approaches enable us to study how these factors drive divergence, and disentangle neutral effects from differentiation at specific loci due to selection. Here, we investigate patterns of genetic diversity and divergence using whole-genome resequencing (>22× coverage) in Berthelot's pipit (Anthus berthelotii), a passerine endemic to the islands of three north Atlantic archipelagos. Strong environmental gradients, including in pathogen pressure, across populations in the species range, make it an excellent system in which to explore traits important in adaptation and/or incipient speciation. First, we quantify how genomic divergence accumulates across the speciation continuum, that is, among Berthelot's pipit populations, between sub species across archipelagos, and between Berthelot's pipit and its mainland ancestor, the tawny pipit (Anthus campestris). Across these colonisation timeframes (2.1 million-ca. 8000 years ago), we identify highly differentiated loci within genomic islands of divergence and conclude that the observed distributions align with expectations for non-neutral divergence. Characteristic signatures of selection are identified in loci associated with craniofacial/bone and eye development, metabolism and immune response between population comparisons. Interestingly, we find limited evidence for repeated divergence of the same loci across the colonisation range but do identify different loci putatively associated with the same biological traits in different populations, likely due to parallel adaptation. Incipient speciation across these island populations, in which founder effects and selective pressures are strong, may therefore be repeatedly associated with morphology, metabolism and immune defence.
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Flujo Génico , Variación Genética , Genética de Población , Passeriformes , Selección Genética , Animales , Passeriformes/genética , Islas , Flujo Genético , Especiación Genética , Adaptación Fisiológica/genética , GenómicaRESUMEN
In this study, choline chloride/urea was used as a green deep eutectic solvent in the three-component reaction of hydrazine/phenylhydrazine, malononitrile, and aromatic aldehydes for synthesizing pyrazole derivatives, and in the four-component reaction of methyl/ethyl acetoacetate, hydrazine/phenylhydrazine, malononitrile, and aromatic aldehydes for synthesizing pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole derivatives. Elemental analysis, 1H, and 13C NMR spectroscopy were used to confirm the structure of the synthesized pyrazole and pyrano[2,3-c] pyrazole derivatives. The antimicrobial effects of the synthesized pyrazole and pyrano[2,3-c] pyrazole derivatives were investigated. In antimicrobial tests, instructions from clinical and laboratory standards institutes were used. Antimicrobial study was done on pathogenic gram-positive and gram-negative species, and specialized aquatic strains and fungal species. Using choline chloride/urea, novel pyrazole derivatives and pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole derivatives were synthesized, and other derivatives were synthesized with higher efficiency in less time than some previously reported methods. MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) and MBC (minimum bactericidal concentration) obtained for derivatives were higher than some antibiotic drugs. Synthesis and reports of new derivatives of pyrazole and pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole, and investigation and reports of their antimicrobial properties on gram-positive, gram-negative, and specialized aquatic and fungal species are among the novel and important findings of this study.
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While the role of selection in divergence along the speciation continuum is theoretically well understood, defining specific signatures of selection in the genomic landscape of divergence is empirically challenging. Modelling approaches can provide insight into the potential role of selection on the emergence of a heterogenous genomic landscape of divergence. Here, we extend and apply an individual-based approach that simulates the phenotypic and genotypic distributions of two populations under a variety of selection regimes, genotype-phenotype maps, modes of migration, and genotype-environment interactions. We show that genomic islands of high differentiation and genomic valleys of similarity may respectively form under divergent and parallel selection between populations. For both types of between-population selection, negative and positive frequency-dependent selection within populations generated genomic islands of higher magnitude and genomic valleys of similarity, respectively. Divergence rates decreased under strong dominance with divergent selection, as well as in models including genotype-environment interactions under parallel selection. For both divergent and parallel selection models, divergence rate was higher under an intermittent migration regime between populations, in contrast to a constant level of migration across generations, despite an equal number of total migrants. We highlight that interpreting a particular evolutionary history from an observed genomic pattern must be done cautiously, as similar patterns may be obtained from different combinations of evolutionary processes. Modelling approaches such as ours provide an opportunity to narrow the potential routes that generate the genomic patterns of specific evolutionary histories.
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Especiación Genética , Selección Genética , Genoma , Evolución Biológica , Genómica , Flujo GénicoRESUMEN
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: So far, few clinical trials are available concerning the role of growth hormone receptor (GHR)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5)/insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) axis in hepatocarcinogenesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hepatic expression of GHR/STAT5/IGF-1 signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients and to correlate the results with the clinico-pathological features and disease outcome. The interaction between this signaling pathway and some inducers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), namely Snail-1 and type 2 transforming growth factor-beta receptor (TGFBR2) was studied too. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 40 patients with HCV-associated HCC were included in this study. They were compared to 40 patients with HCV-related cirrhosis without HCC, and 20 healthy controls. The hepatic expression of GHR, STAT5, IGF-1, Snail-1 and TGFBR2 proteins were assessed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Compared with cirrhotic patients without HCC and healthy controls, cirrhotic patients with HCC had significantly lower hepatic expression of GHR, STAT5, and IGF-1proteins. They also displayed significantly lower hepatic expression of TGFBR2, but higher expression of Snail-1 versus the non-HCC cirrhotic patients and controls. Serum levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) showed significant negative correlations with hepatic expression of GHR (r = -0.31; p = 0.029) and STAT5 (r = -0.29; p = 0.04). Hepatic expression of Snail-1 also showed negative correlations with GHR, STAT5, and IGF-1 expression (r = -0.55, p = 0.02; r = -0.472, p = 0.035, and r = -0.51, p = 0.009, respectively), whereas, hepatic expression of TGFBR2 was correlated positively with the expression of all these proteins (r = 0.47, p = 0.034; 0.49, p = 0.023, and r = 0.57, p<0.001, respectively). Moreover, we reported that decreased expression of GHR was significantly associated with serum AFP level>100 ng/ml (p = 0.048), increased tumor size (p = 0.02), vascular invasion (p = 0.002), and advanced pathological stage (p = 0.01). Similar significant associations were found between down-regulation of STAT5 expression and AFP level > 100 ng/ml (p = 0.006), vascular invasion (p = 0.009), and advanced tumor stage (p = 0.007). Also, attenuated expression of IGF-1 showed a significant association with vascular invasion (p < 0.001). Intriguingly, we detected that lower expression of GHR, STAT5 and IGF-1 were considered independent predictors for worse outcome in HCC. CONCLUSION: Decreased expression of GHR/STAT5/IGF-1 signaling pathway may have a role in development, aggressiveness, and worse outcome of HCV-associated HCC irrespective of the liver functional status. Snail-1 and TGFBR2 as inducers of EMT may be key players. However, large prospective multicenter studies are needed to validate these results.
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Carcinoma Hepatocelular , Hepatitis C , Neoplasias Hepáticas , Humanos , Receptores de Somatotropina/genética , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/genética , Factor de Transcripción STAT5/metabolismo , Factor I del Crecimiento Similar a la Insulina/metabolismo , alfa-Fetoproteínas/metabolismo , Receptores de Factores de Crecimiento Transformadores beta/genética , Receptores de Factores de Crecimiento Transformadores beta/metabolismo , Regulación hacia Abajo , Receptor Tipo II de Factor de Crecimiento Transformador beta/metabolismo , Estudios Prospectivos , Transducción de Señal/fisiología , Cirrosis Hepática , Factores de Crecimiento Transformadores/metabolismoRESUMEN
In February 2020, the governing bodies of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) announced the decision to change Step 1 score reporting from a three-digit system to pass/fail designation. Previous studies theorized that Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) will become the numerical standard by which residency directors can quickly sort through program applicants. The goal of this study is to review prior research and identify significant factors associated with Step 2 CK outcomes. A systematic literature search on PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and ERIC that included articles published between 2005 and 2015 was conducted using the keywords "USMLE," "Step 2 CK," "score," "success," and "predictors." After screening the initial search yield of 3,239 articles, 52 articles were included for this review. Positively correlated factors included Step 1 score, clinical block grades, Comprehensive Clinical Science Self-Assessment (CCSSA), Comprehensive Clinical Science Examination (CCSE), and volunteerism. Factors such as clerkship sequence and pass/fail grading failed to correlate with Step 2 CK. Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) score (p < 0.01) and undergraduate grade point average (GPA) (p = 0.01) positively correlated, while age displayed a negative correlation. Additionally, females typically scored higher on Step 2 CK than their male peers. The study findings suggest that continuous learning and academic success throughout medical school positively influence eventual Step 2 CK scoring. Performance on USMLE practice examinations, Step 1, and clinical evaluations serve as positive predictors for Step 2 CK scores. Interestingly, changing answers and spending more time on each question during the examination were associated with higher scores.
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Historically, threat information sharing has relied on manual modelling and centralised network systems, which can be inefficient, insecure, and prone to errors. Alternatively, private blockchains are now widely used to address these issues and improve overall organisational security. An organisation's vulnerabilities to attacks might change over time. It is utterly important to find a balance among a current threat, the potential countermeasures, their consequences and costs, and the estimation of the overall risk that this provides to the organisation. For enhancing organisational security and automation, applying threat intelligence technology is critical for detecting, classifying, analysing, and sharing new cyberattack tactics. Trusted partner organisations can then share newly identified threats to improve their defensive capabilities against unknown attacks. On this basis, organisations can help reduce the risk of a cyberattack by providing access to past and current cybersecurity events through blockchain smart contracts and the Interplanetary File System (IPFS). The suggested combination of technologies can make organisational systems more reliable and secure, improving system automation and data quality. This paper outlines a privacy-preserving mechanism for threat information sharing in a trusted way. It proposes a reliable and secure architecture for data automation, quality, and traceability based on the Hyperledger Fabric private-permissioned distributed ledger technology and the MITRE ATT&CK threat intelligence framework. This methodology can also be applied to combat intellectual property theft and industrial espionage.
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BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been noted with various cardiovascular (CV) diseases, and patients with detected HCV-RNA had higher CV mortality than uninfected individuals. The new direct-acting antiviral drugs (DAA) proved to be more effective with fewer side effects compared to interferon in eradicating HCV, but their effect on myocardium is still questionable. In order to get some answers for such question, two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) was studied before and after treatment with different DAA regimens in HCV patients with either mildly impaired or normal basic left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). RESULTS: Global longitudinal strain (GLS) significantly worsened after finishing antiviral treatment in patients with basic impairment of LVEF (n = 100) and those with normal basic LVEF (n = 20) [p = 0.006 and 0.039, respectively]; also, segmental strain showed significant worsening of many segments. Such worsening was significantly more in those with basic impairment of LVEF compared to those with normal basic LVEF (p = 0.036). No significant difference was observed in GLS and segmental strain when classifying and comparing patients according to gender, presence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, ischemic heart disease and established cardiac medications, or according to DAA regimen received. CONCLUSION: DAA may have a cardiotoxic effect that could be early detected by 2D-STE, which was more significant in patients with pre-treatment impairment of LVEF.
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BACKGROUND: Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) has become an established treatment to control symptoms. AF ablation either by cryoballoon or radiofrequency using three-dimensional (3D) electroanatomical mapping exposes patients and medical staff to increased doses of radiation. AIM: To compare radiation exposure in patients during cryoballoon ablation compared to 3D electro-anatomic mapping catheter ablation in AF patients. METHODS: A total of 30 patients referred for AF ablation underwent full history taking, 12-lead ECG, echocardiogram, and pulmonary vein isolation either by 3D mapping system or cryoballoon. Procedure duration and fluoroscopy time were collected and analyzed. Radiation exposure was measured using thermoluminescent dosimeters placed at different sites related to patients and medical staff. RESULT: The procedural time was statistically significantly longer with 3D mapping compared to cryoballoon but showed no significant difference regarding fluoroscopy time. There was a significantly higher radiation skin dose at the right scapular area in the cryoballoon ablation group, in addition to higher peak skin dose compared to the 3D mapping ablation group. There was no statistically significant correlation between peak skin doses and fluoroscopy duration but a statistically significant correlation between peak skin dose and usage of high frame rate and the high dose area product. CONCLUSION: Cryoballoon ablation was found to be associated with higher peak skin radiation doses especially in the right scapular area. Knowing dose area product and peak skin dose is more important than fluoroscopy time alone.
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Fibrilación Atrial , Ablación por Catéter , Criocirugía , Venas Pulmonares , Exposición a la Radiación , Fibrilación Atrial/cirugía , Ablación por Catéter/efectos adversos , Criocirugía/efectos adversos , Humanos , Venas Pulmonares/cirugía , Resultado del TratamientoRESUMEN
This work reports on further development of an optical biosensor for the in vitro detection of mycotoxins (in particular, aflatoxin B1) using a highly sensitive planar waveguide transducer in combination with a highly specific aptamer bioreceptor. This sensor is built on a SiO2-Si3N4-SiO2 optical planar waveguide (OPW) operating as a polarization interferometer (PI), which detects a phase shift between p- and s-components of polarized light propagating through the waveguide caused by the molecular adsorption. The refractive index sensitivity (RIS) of the recently upgraded PI experimental setup has been improved and reached values of around 9600 rad per refractive index unity (RIU), the highest RIS values reported, which enables the detection of low molecular weight analytes such as mycotoxins in very low concentrations. The biosensing tests yielded remarkable results for the detection of aflatoxin B1 in a wide range of concentrations from 1 pg/mL to 1 µg/mL in direct assay with specific DNA-based aptamers. Graphical abstract Optical planar waveguide polarization interferometry biosensor for detection of aflatoxin B1 using specific aptamer.
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Aflatoxina B1/análisis , Aptámeros de Nucleótidos/química , Interferometría/métodos , Técnicas Biosensibles , Técnicas In Vitro , Límite de Detección , Ocratoxinas/análisis , Óptica y Fotónica , Refractometría , Dióxido de Silicio/químicaRESUMEN
Recruitment of receptors into clathrin-coated structures is essential to signal transduction and nutrient uptake. Among the many receptors involved in these processes, a significant fraction forms dimers. Dimerization of identical partners has generally been thought to promote receptor recruitment for uptake because of increased affinity of the dimer for the endocytic machinery. But what happens when receptors with substantially different affinities for the endocytic machinery come together to form a heterodimer? Evidence from diverse receptor classes, including G-protein-coupled receptors and receptor tyrosine kinases, suggests that heterodimerization with a strongly recruited receptor can drive significant recruitment of a receptor that lacks direct interactions with the endocytic machinery. However, a systematic biophysical understanding of this effect has yet to be established. Motivated by the potential of such events to influence cell signaling, here, we investigate the impact of receptor heterodimerization on endocytic recruitment using a family of engineered model receptors. As expected, we find that dimerization of a weakly recruited receptor with a strongly recruited receptor promotes incorporation of the weakly recruited receptor to endocytic structures. However, the effectiveness of this collaborative mechanism depends heavily on the relative strengths of endocytic recruitment of the two receptors that make up the dimer. Specifically, as the strength of endocytic recruitment of the weakly recruited receptor approaches that of the strongly recruited receptor, monomers of each receptor compete with heterodimers for space within endocytic structures. In this regime, the presence of the strongly recruited receptor drives a reduction in incorporation of the weakly recruited receptor into clathrin-coated structures. Similarly, as the strength of the dimer bond between the two receptors is progressively weakened, competition begins to dominate over collaboration. Collectively, these results demonstrate that the impact of receptor heterodimerization on endocytic recruitment is controlled by a delicate balance between collaborative and competitive mechanisms.
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Endocitosis , Multimerización de Proteína , Receptores de Transferrina/metabolismo , Línea Celular , Vesículas Cubiertas por Clatrina/metabolismo , Proteínas Fluorescentes Verdes/genética , Proteínas Fluorescentes Verdes/metabolismo , Humanos , Dominios Proteicos , Receptores de Transferrina/química , Receptores de Transferrina/genética , Proteínas Recombinantes/genética , Proteínas Recombinantes/metabolismoRESUMEN
This work reports on further development of an inhibition electrochemical sensor array based on immobilized bacteria for the preliminary detection of a wide range of organic and inorganic pollutants, such as heavy metal salts (HgCl2, PbCl2, CdCl2), pesticides (atrazine, simazine, DDVP), and petrochemicals (hexane, octane, pentane, toluene, pyrene, and ethanol) in water. A series of DC and AC electrochemical measurements, e.g., cyclic voltammograms and impedance spectroscopy, were carried out on screen-printed gold electrodes with three types of bacteria, namely Escherichia coli, Shewanella oneidensis, and Methylococcus capsulatus, immobilized via poly L-lysine. The results obtained showed a possibility of pattern recognition of the above pollutants by their inhibition effect on the three bacteria used. The analysis of a large amount of experimental data was carried out using an artificial neural network (ANN) programme for more accurate identification of pollutants as well as the estimation of their concentration. The results are encouraging for the development of a simple and cost-effective biosensing technology for preliminary in-field analysis (screening) of water samples for the presence of environmental pollutants. Graphical abstract.
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Bacterias/metabolismo , Técnicas Biosensibles/métodos , Técnicas Electroquímicas/instrumentación , Redes Neurales de la Computación , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/análisis , Espectroscopía Dieléctrica , Límite de Detección , Metales Pesados/análisis , Plaguicidas/análisis , Contaminación por Petróleo/análisisRESUMEN
UNLABELLED: Foodborne parasitic infection in the hospital constitutes a major health problem particularly for patients who are more vulnerable than healthy subjects to parasitic risks. Parasitic infection. represents an area of concern for advanced practice nurse. The work assessed the military nursing staff performance regarding the nosocomial food-borne parasitic infection control. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Research design; A descriptive research design was used to identify knowledge, attitudes and practice of nurses related to nosocomial food-borne parasitic infection control measures. SETTING: The study was conducted at a general military hospital. SUBJECTS: 50 nurses, the whole available number who covered the inclusion, criteria. DATA COLLECTION TOOLS: It included; (1): Structured interview sheet was constructed after reviewing the relevant literature to elicit information, it included two parts a) subjects' sociodemographic characteristics b) nurses' knowledge regarding nosocomial parasites infections. (2): RATING SCALE: to assess attitude of nursing staff towards nosocomial parasites infections and its prevention. (3): Obselrvational CHECKLIST: to assess the nurses' practice of self-protection and' control of nosocomial parasitic' infections control measures.. RESULTS: A statistically insignificant difference between knowledge levels about nosocomial parasites infection among military nurses. More than half of participant nurses had positive attitude towards nosoconijal parasite infection control and prevention without significant difference between all topics (P>0.056). That most participant nurses had unsatisfactory practice to infection control measures with significant lower score for procurement, storage and preparation of raw material followed by personal hygiene (P<0.05). RECOMMENDATIONS: Nurses in all roles and settings can demonstrate leadership in infection prevention. and control by using their knowledge, skill and judgment to initiate appropriate and immediate infection control procedures.
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Infección Hospitalaria/prevención & control , Evaluación del Rendimiento de Empleados , Parasitología de Alimentos , Hospitales Militares/normas , Enfermedades Parasitarias/prevención & control , Verduras/parasitología , Adulto , Femenino , Manipulación de Alimentos/normas , Humanos , Pacientes Internos , Masculino , Personal de Enfermería en Hospital/educación , Administración de la Seguridad , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
UNLABELLED: Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular zoonotic protozoan parasite, with a worldwide distribution particularly in Arab countries including Egypt. The study evaluated toxoplasmosis infection among childbearing age Egyptian females and assessed the military nursing staff knowledge, attitude and compliance to toxoplasmosis prevention and control measures. The study was conductedin a general military hospital. RESEARCH DESIGN: CROSS-section descriptive research design was used to conduct this study. The subjects consisted of 14 young females (11 were in-patients undergoing gynecological treatment in a military hospital and 3 were staff nurses. On the other hand, 44 staff nurses were available for assessment who met the inclusion criteria. TOOLS: 4 tools were used for data collection: first consisted of self-administered questionnaires to assess nurses' socio-demographic data and knowledge, second rating scale to assess nurses' attitude towards toxoplasmosis infection and its prevention, third performance check list to measure nurses' compliance to infection control measures, and fourth measured the anti-Toxoplasma antibodies by commercial indirect hemagglutination test (IHAT). The results showed that almost half of the nurses had satisfactory levels of knowledge, attitude, and compliance to toxoplasmosis infection control measures. 22.2% of the pregnant women and 20% of non-pregnant ones showed antibodies against T. gondii. Thus health education about toxoplasmosis should be tailored to women whether married or single to help in avoiding the risk of infection. Frequent periodic IHAT should be done for people who continuously contact with cats. Adherence to strict infection prevention measures is a must to eliminate exposure to toxoplasmosis infection. Training intervention should be implemented to achieve successful improvement in knowledge, attitude, and compliance of toxoplasmosis control measures.
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Enfermeras y Enfermeros/normas , Toxoplasma , Toxoplasmosis/prevención & control , Adulto , Animales , Enfermedades de los Gatos/parasitología , Gatos , Educación , Egipto/epidemiología , Femenino , Humanos , Personal Militar , Enfermería/normas , Embarazo , Toxoplasmosis/epidemiología , Toxoplasmosis Animal/prevención & control , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
House dust mites (HDM) can be found worldwide where human beings live independent from the climate and are a major source of multiple allergens. Mite allergens sensitize and induce perennial rhinitis, asthma, or atopic dermatitis in a large portion of patients with allergic disease particularly children. There is convincing evidence that avoidance of mite allergen can effectively reduce allergic symptoms. This study examined dust from a military hospital and the private home of some nursing staff. A total of seven species of mites belonging to six genera were recovered. The commonest species was Dermatophagoides farinae followed by D. pteronyssinus and the lowest Laelaps nuttalli. Besides, the 7th mite or Parasitus consanguineous live free on dust as a bio-control agent of mites. The presence of mites in and out doors in a hospital and dwellings of medical personnel pave the way to consider HDM as occupational or nosocomial Allergens.
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Antígenos Dermatofagoides/inmunología , Exposición Profesional , Pyroglyphidae/inmunología , Adulto , Animales , Polvo , Femenino , Humanos , Hipersensibilidad/inmunología , Hipersensibilidad/prevención & control , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Factores de RiesgoRESUMEN
The present study was performed to assess the immune response in women with human papilloma virus (HPV) DNA⺠and DNAâ» cervical lesions. Eighty women with cervical lesions (age range = 25-70 years) and 20 healthy individuals (control group) were enrolled in the study. Lesions were cytologically classified into four groups: ASC-US (20), CINI (30), CINII-III (16), and cervical carcinoma (14) prior to HPV DNA detection. Estimation of interleukin (IL)-10 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels in cervical secretions and serum of the studied patients was performed utilizing ELISA. PCR screening kits were used to detect HPV DNA in cervical smears obtained from the studied cases with the different lesions. IL-10 levels in cervical secretions of HPV DNA⺠were significantly greater than those from DNAâ» patients (i.e., 88.73 vs 24.00 pg/ml) and from controls (i.e., 88.73 vs 8.27 pg/ml) and the levels were higher in DNAâ» patients than in controls (i.e., 24.00 vs 8.27 pg/ml). In comparison, serum IL-10 levels in these patients did not significantly differ from control values (i.e., 13.69 vs 12.16 vs 9.99 pg/ml, respectively). TNFα levels in cervical secretions of the HPV DNA⺠and DNAâ» cases did not significantly differ from values for the controls (i.e., 12.18 vs 9.90 vs 7.90 pg/ml, respectively). Serum TNFα of these patients also did not differ significantly from controls (i.e., 11.59 vs 11.90 vs 10.83 pg/ml, respectively). The detected levels of IL-10 in cervical secretions of patients with HPV DNA⺠lesions was significantly higher than in their sera, while secretion TNFα levels were nominally greater than sera values. Lastly, higher levels of IL-10 were observed in secretions of 10-14 (71.4%) patients who had progressive cervical lesions (HSIL and cervical cancer stages) who were HPV DNA⺠than observed in 20 of 66 (30.0%) of DNAâ» patients with similar progressive lesions. In general, the higher levels of IL-10 than of TNFα suggested a potential down-modulation of tumor-specific immune responses to HPV-infected lesions. This phenomenon appears to provide a tumor 'progressive' microenvironment in these particular patients.
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Adenocarcinoma/sangre , Interleucina-10/sangre , Infecciones por Papillomavirus/sangre , Factor de Necrosis Tumoral alfa/sangre , Displasia del Cuello del Útero/sangre , Neoplasias del Cuello Uterino/sangre , Adenocarcinoma/patología , Adenocarcinoma/virología , Adulto , Anciano , Cuello del Útero/metabolismo , Cuello del Útero/virología , ADN Viral/análisis , Ensayo de Inmunoadsorción Enzimática , Femenino , Humanos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Papillomaviridae/genética , Papillomaviridae/inmunología , Papillomaviridae/aislamiento & purificación , Infecciones por Papillomavirus/patología , Infecciones por Papillomavirus/virología , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa , Neoplasias del Cuello Uterino/patología , Neoplasias del Cuello Uterino/virología , Frotis Vaginal , Displasia del Cuello del Útero/patología , Displasia del Cuello del Útero/virologíaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: To determine whether antiphosphatidyl serine autoantibodies (aPS) are associated with increased risk of occurrence of coronary events in selected patients. METHODS: This study compared 50 patients with coronary events with 30 controls, recruited from the cities of Mosul, Erbil, and Dohuk cities, Northern Iraq, between March 2004 and March 2005. The patient group consisted of 23 individuals with myocardial infarction and 27 with angina. We evaluated the presence of aPS antibodies (IgG and IgM isotypes) by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The studied cases were less than 50 years of age (mean ± SD, 39.6 ± 5.9) and had no recognizable risk factors. RESULTS: The frequency of detecting IgG aPS was 10/50 (20%) among patients and 1/30 (3.3%) among controls, with significant difference and with adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 3.2 (95%CI, 1.1-9.1; p < 0.05). The IgM aPS frequency was 3/50 (6%) among patients and zero in the controls, with non-significant difference. The three cases were also IgG positive (i.e. the frequency rate for detection of aPS of IgM was the same as for IgG). Moreover, this marker (aPS) was detected in 8/12 (66.7%) of cases with unstable angina, in 2/15 (13.3%) with stable angina, and in none of the cases with myocardial infarction. CONCLUSION: IgG aPS autoantibodies are associated with increased risk of coronary events especially angina of unstable subset.
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OBJECTIVE: The persistence of hepatitis B core immunoglobulin M (HBc IgM) antibody in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers is a risk factor with hidden dangers and forecasts the existence of liver damage. A trial of lamivudine in such subset of carriers was carried out for the first time in this study. METHODS: A total of 62 HBsAg with hepatitis e antibody individuals (age range, 25-45 years) with persistent HBc IgM antibody were randomized to receive either 100 mg lamivudine (32/62) or placebo (30/62) daily for 6 months. The study was performed from June 2000 to October 2002. The carriers were regular attendees of the Virology Center in Mosul, North Iraq for follow up. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique was performed to detect the different hepatitis B virus markers. RESULTS: Among the lamivudine group, HBc IgM antibody seroclearance achievement rate was 81.3% and HBsAg seroconversion rate was 9.4% compared to 6.3% and 3.3% in the placebo group. Number of adverse clinical events were observed, but were of mild nature and tolerable by the participants who completed the study. CONCLUSION: The trial of lamivudine in this subset of HBsAg carriers proved to be safe and efficacious. More studies are needed prior to recommending the drug for routine use on selected HBV carriers.
Asunto(s)
Anticuerpos contra la Hepatitis B/efectos de los fármacos , Hepatitis B/tratamiento farmacológico , Inmunoglobulina M/efectos de los fármacos , Lamivudine/uso terapéutico , Inhibidores de la Transcriptasa Inversa/uso terapéutico , Adulto , Portador Sano , Ensayo de Inmunoadsorción Enzimática , Femenino , Cefalea/inducido químicamente , Hepatitis B/sangre , Anticuerpos contra la Hepatitis B/sangre , Antígenos del Núcleo de la Hepatitis B/sangre , Antígenos de Superficie de la Hepatitis B/sangre , Virus de la Hepatitis B/efectos de los fármacos , Virus de la Hepatitis B/inmunología , Humanos , Inmunoglobulina M/sangre , Irak , Lamivudine/efectos adversos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Náusea/inducido químicamente , Inhibidores de la Transcriptasa Inversa/efectos adversos , Resultado del TratamientoRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical and prognostic values of persistence of anti-hepatitis B core immunoglobulin M antibody in asymptomatic adults chronic hepatitis B surface antigen anti-hepatitis Be carriers and its absence in others. METHODS: Fifty-two hepatitis B surface antigen/anti-hepatitis Be carriers with and 32 without anti-hepatitis B core immunoglobulin M marker were enrolled in this study. The cases were regular attendees of Public Health Laboratory, Virology Center (the main referral center for viral hepatitis) Mosul, North Iraq, for follow-up and clinical evaluation. The study was performed from June 1999 to June 2001. The studied groups consisted of adults, with mean age of 35.5 year (standard deviation +/- 10). The results of histological findings of 23 carriers with and 12 carriers without anti-hepatitis B core immunoglobulin M who underwent liver biopsy were added to the study. Micro enzymed-linked immunosorbent assays was utilized to detect hepatitis B virus markers. RESULTS: Existence of carrier in the family was significantly associated with persistence of anti-hepatitis B core immunoglobulin M in the studied individuals (p<0.005, odds ratio = 7.4; 95% confidence interval = 1.8 to 38.0), as was the case in the presence of family history of acute hepatitis (p<0.05, odds ratio = 4.6; 95% confidence interval = 4.6 to 21.2). The detection of this antibody was significantly associated with the presence of abnormal liver histology compared to carriers without this antibody (p<0.01, odds ratio = 7.2; 95% confidence interval = 1.8 to 28.7). The study revealed that clustering of carrier cases existed in statistically significant (p<0.001) pattern in family members of carriers with anti-hepatitis B core immunoglobulin M. CONCLUSION: The detection of anti-hepatitis B core immunoglobulin M clinically is a reminder of recent exposure to the virus through different routes, mainly intrafamilial. Ongoing liver changes are observed in the majority of carriers with this antibody indicating the viral activity, albeit in a silent manner, but earlier progress to serious liver sequels may be inevitable. Foretelling that carriers with anti-hepatitis B core immunoglobulin M are more infectious than carriers without this marker is ascertained by the existence and clustering of carrier cases amongst their family members.