Diagnostic utility of serum dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP- IV) /CD26 as a serum marker in Egyptian patients with colorectal cancer

ABSTRACT

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is considered a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Egypt. Colonoscopy is the standard for detection of lesions. The combination of screening methods is effective. Decrease and loss of DPP-IV/CD26 expression and activity are found in microenvironments of specific tumors which are related to impaired immune functions.     

The Potential Use of Orange and Banana Peels to Minimize the Toxicological Effects of Silver Nanoparticles in Oreochromis Niloticus

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology - To evaluate the effectiveness of orange peels (OP) and banana peels (BP) in reducing the toxicity of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs),...     

Methimazole in the Treatment of Melasma: A Clinical and Dermascopic Study

BACKGROUND: Melasma is a chronic hypermelanotic disorder that is challenging to treat; no single effective therapeutic agent for it has been discovered. Methimazole, an oral antithyroid drug, has a skin depigmenting effect when used topically. OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the efficacy and safety of methimazole, applied during microneedling sessions and additional topical use in between sessions, for the treatment of melasma. METHODS: This split-face study included 30 Egyptian patients with melasma, each of whom received 12 microneedling sessions once per week for 12 weeks followed by topical methimazole on the right side of face and placebo on the left side. In between the sessions, topical methimazole 5% cream was applied twice per day on the right side and placebo on the left side. Assessments were performed using the Hemi-melasma Area and Severity Index (hemi-MASI) percentage of improvement, patient satisfaction, dermoscopy, and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) serum levels. RESULTS: There were significant clinical and dermoscopic improvements; hemi-MASI scores on the methimazole-treated right sides were decreased (p<0.001). The percent of hemi-MASI score improvement was significantly associated with the malar pattern (p=0.031) and epidermal type (p=0.04) of melasma. About 70 percent of our studied patients reported being satisfied with their treatment response (7% excellent, 33% good, 30% fair). No significant local or systemic side effects were observed. Pre- and posttreatment serum TSH levels were within the normal range in all treated cases. CONCLUSIONS: Methimazole has the potential to be a safe and promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of melasma via dermapen-delivered microneedling sessions with topical use in between sessions.     

The Cost-Effectiveness of Financial Incentives for Viral Suppression: HPTN 065 Study

Objective

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of financial incentives for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viral suppression compared to standard of care.

Proinflammatory cytokines, soluble Fas receptor, nitric oxide and angiotensin converting enzyme in congestive heart failure

We measured serum interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R), tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), Fas receptor (sFas), nitric oxide (NO), and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity in 45 patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) of different etiologies. The relatioship between these bioindices and the severity of heart failure was analysed. Patients were classified according to the etiology of heart failure into: 15 patients with rheumatic valvular heart disease (RHD), 17 with ischemic heart disease (IHD) and 13 with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Patients were further classified according to severity of CHF following the New York Heart Association classification (NYHA) into: NYHA class II (n= 7), NYHA class III (n=20) and NYHA class IV (n=18). Eighteen healthy subjects were included as controls. Serum sIL-2R, TNF-alpha and sFas levels were determined by ELISA while serum NO and ACE levels were measured by colorimetric methods. Doppler Echocardiography was performed for all participants. Levels of sIL-2R, TNF-alpha, sFas, NO, and ACE were significantly higher in CHF patients than controls. Levels of the bioindices varied according to the CHF etiology. TNF-a level was the only one that had significant differences among different subgroups (RHD, IHD and DCM). The levels of sIL-2R, TNF-alpha, NO and sFas in patients with NYHA class IV were significantly higher than class II or III. Moreover, sIL-2R, TNF-alpha and NO levels were significantly higher in patients with diastolic dysfunction than patients with normal diastolic function. A significant positive correlations were found between sFas and both TNF-alpha and sIL-2R and between TNF-alpha and both NO and diastolic function. In addition, significant positive correlations were found between TNF-alpha and sIL-2R in both IHD and RHD patients and between sIL-2R and both ACE in IHD patients and diastolic function in DCM patients. It is concluded that a relationship exists between immune system activation, apoptosis and renin- angiotensin system in CHF and this may play a significant role in the pathophysiology and prognosis of the disease.     

Evaluation of Ozone Application in Dental Unit Water Lines Contaminated with Pathogenic Acanthamoeba

Background: In this study morphological and molecular characterization of Acanthamoeba strains, isolated from dental unit waterlines (DUWLs) were surveyed and the levels of disinfection achievable in vitro by the application of ozone disinfectant to DUWLs were evaluate. Methods: Water samples were collected from air-water syringes, cup fillers and tap water before and at the end of the working day. They were cultured on non-nutrient agar (NNA) plates. Species identification was carried out with a PCR assay based on sequence analysis of the 18S rRNA gene. The cellular response to ozone was tested on Acanthamoeba cyst with different doses at different contact time in vitro twice. Results: Prevalence rates for Acanthamoeba contamination were 100, 100 and 72% for air-water syringes, cup fillers and tap water, respectively. The morphological analysis revealed the presence of A. castellanii, A. griffin, A. hatchitti and A. lenticulata. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequences showed the four strains to be closely related to a sequence type (T3, T4, T5 and T11). Acanthamoeba cells were stained with trypan blue, which revealed killed of Acanthamoeba instantaneously after 10 minutes in ozonized water. There was no growth of Acanthamoeba occurred after ozone treatment in water bottles for 5 minutes with a flow rate of 500 mg/hour. Conclusion : Ozone can play an important role in controlling the problem of contamination of DUWLs as a potent disinfectant.Key Words: Acanthamoeba spp., Dental units water lines, PCR, Ozone