scholarly journals A Preliminary Clinical Study on 100 Egyptian Psoriatic Patients

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated, inflammatory condition frequently seen in the clinical practice with a reported prevalence of 0.6 to 4.8 percent in the general population. However, data on psoriasis in Egypt are scarce. So, our aim was to investigate the clinical characterization of psoriasis in 100 Egyptian patients. Method: One hundred Egyptian psoriasis patients were enrolled in this study. A detailed questionnaire was filled including demographic and clinical aspects of the disease. Some laboratory tests were done to search for associated diseases like diabetes, metabolic syndrome and hepatitis C virus (HCV) and to correlate them with the disease severity. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS version 17. Results: Thirty seven patients were diagnosed with juvenile-onset psoriasis. There was no significant difference between the mean PASI score for adult versus juvenile onset psoriasis. Pustular psoriasis affected 15% of the patients including children and infants. Metabolic syndrome was absent in juvenile onset psoriatic patients and wasn’t associated with a significantly higher PASI score in the adults affected. PASI score was significantly high in the HCV positive and the hypertensive patients. Conclusion: Although the study sample is quite small to reach definite judgments on psoriasis in Egypt, yet we noticed that early onset psoriasis is quite a common and challenging disease. Metabolic syndrome is not common in the studied children with psoriasis. Pustular psoriasis is a common entity even in children and infants. HCV is associated with a severe disease and might be an inducing factor for psoriasis.

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 304-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geilan Abd el-Moniem ◽  
Kamal El-Garf ◽  
Nesreen Sobhy ◽  
Sally Elmaghraby

Objective: To study the clinical and laboratory features of Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) in a cohort of Egyptian patients and compare between primary and secondary type on the basis of clinical and immunological pattern. Patients and Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 148 antiphospholipid syndrome patients following in Rheumatology and Rehabilitation department, Cairo University. Clinical and immunological data were recorded; subsequently, our patients were compared based on the type of APS, patient’s age and sex. Results: The cohort consisted of 148 patients, 135 females (91.2%) and 13 males (8.8%). The mean age at onset was 23.6 ±7.66 years. 28.4% of patients had primary while, 71.6% of patients had secondary APS. : Patients with secondary APS presented more frequently with the following manifestations compared to patients with primary APS: systemic manifestations (56.6% versus 4.8%, P-value: 0.00), venous thrombosis (41.5% versus 19%, P-value: 0.009), cutaneous vasculitis (19.8% versus 4.8%, P-value: 0.023), thrombocytopenia (37.7% versus 11.9%, P-value: 0.002) and hemolytic anemia (28.3% versus 4.8%, P-value: 0.002). On the other hand, total obstetric manifestations were more common in primary APS (92.5% versus 75%, P-value: 0.007). : Juvenile onset APS presented more frequently with systemic (68.8%, p-value: 0.02), neurological (62.5%, p-value: 0.01) and renal manifestations (31.3%, p-value: 0.005). No statistically significant difference was found between males and females in our cohort. Conclusion: APS has broad spectrum manifestations, which may vary according to the patient’s age at disease onset and association with other diseases. Further more, different ethnicities may show different presentations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 3752
Author(s):  
Constant Gillot ◽  
Jonathan Douxfils ◽  
Julie Cadrobbi ◽  
Kim Laffineur ◽  
Jean-Michel Dogné ◽  
...  

Strategies to detect SARS-CoV-2 are increasingly being developed. Among them, serological methods have been developed. Nevertheless, although these may present an interesting clinical performance, they are often directed against only one antigen. This study aims at evaluating the clinical performance of an innovative multiplex immunoassay (i.e., CoViDiag assay) detecting simultaneously the presence of antibodies directed against N, S1, S2, RBD and NTD antigens. Sensitivity was evaluated in 135 samples obtained from 94 rRT-PCR confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Non-SARS-CoV-2 sera (n = 132) collected before the COVID-19 pandemic with potential cross-reactions to the SARS-CoV-2 immunoassay were included in the specificity analysis. The antibody signature was also studied in hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients. The specificity of the CoViDiag assay was excellent for all antibodies (99.2 to 100%) using adapted cut-offs. None of the false positive samples were positive for more than one antibody. The sensitivity obtained from samples collected 14 days since symptom onset varied from 92.0 to 100.0% depending on the antibody considered. Among samples collected more than 14 days after symptom onset, 12.8, 66.3, 3.5, 9.3, 5.8 and 2.3% were positive for 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 or 0 antibodies, respectively. A trend toward higher antibody titers was observed in hospitalized patient in the early days since symptom onset. However, no significant difference was observed compared to non-hospitalized patients after 14 days since symptom onset. The clinical performance of the CoViDiag 5 IgG assay is sufficient to recommend its use for the detection and the characterization of the antibody signature following SARS-CoV-2 infection. The combination of several antigens in the same test improves the overall specificity and sensitivity of the test. Further research is needed to investigate whether this strategy may be of interest to identify severe disease outcome in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Lépine ◽  
Paul Klein ◽  
Thibault Voron ◽  
Marion Mandavit ◽  
Dominique Berrebi ◽  
...  

Juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (JoRRP) is a condition characterized by the repeated growth of benign exophytic papilloma in the respiratory tract. The course of the disease remains unpredictable: some children experience minor symptoms, while others require multiple interventions due to florid growth. Our study aimed to identify histologic severity risk factors in patients with JoRRP. Forty-eight children from two French pediatric centers were included retrospectively. Criteria for a severe disease were: annual rate of surgical endoscopy ≥ 5, spread to the lung, carcinomatous transformation or death. We conducted a multi-stage study with image analysis. First, with Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) digital slides of papilloma, we searched for morphological patterns associated with a severe JoRRP using a deep-learning algorithm. Then, immunohistochemistry with antibody against p53 and p63 was performed on sections of FFPE samples of laryngeal papilloma obtained between 2008 and 2018. Immunostainings were quantified according to the staining intensity through two automated workflows: one using machine learning, the other using deep learning. Twenty-four patients had severe disease. For the HE analysis, no significative results were obtained with cross-validation. For immunostaining with anti-p63 antibody, we found similar results between the two image analysis methods. Using machine learning, we found 23.98% of stained nuclei for medium intensity for mild JoRRP vs. 36.1% for severe JoRRP (p = 0.041); and for medium and strong intensity together, 24.14% for mild JoRRP vs. 36.9% for severe JoRRP (p = 0.048). Using deep learning, we found 58.32% for mild JoRRP vs. 67.45% for severe JoRRP (p = 0.045) for medium and strong intensity together. Regarding p53, we did not find any significant difference in the number of nuclei stained between the two groups of patients. In conclusion, we highlighted that immunochemistry with the anti-p63 antibody is a potential biomarker to predict the severity of the JoRRP.


2010 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 159-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriela Villaça Chaves ◽  
Gisele Gonçalves de Souza ◽  
Andréa Cardoso de Matos ◽  
Dra. Wilza Abrantes Peres ◽  
Silvia Elaine Pereira ◽  
...  

Objective: To evaluate retinol and β-carotene serum levels and their relationship with risk factors for cardiovascular disease in individuals with morbid obesity, resident in Rio de Janeiro. Methodology: Blood serum concentrations of retinol and β-carotene of 189 morbidly obese individuals were assessed. The metabolic syndrome was identified according to the criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) and World Health Organization (WHO). Lipid profile, insulin resistance, basal insulin, glycemia, blood pressure, and anthropometry and their correlation with retinol and β-carotene serum levels were evaluated. Results: Metabolic syndrome diagnosis was observed in 49.0% of the sample. Within this percentage the levels of β-carotene were significantly lower when body mass index increased. Serum retinol didn't show this behavior. Serum retinol inadequacy in patients with metabolic syndrome (61.3%), according to WHO criterion, was higher (15.8%) than when the whole sample was considered (12.7%). When metabolic syndrome was diagnosed by NCEP criterion, β-carotene inadequacy was higher (42.8%) when compared to the total sample (37.5%). There was a significant difference between average β-carotene values of patients with and without metabolic syndrome (p=0.048) according to the classification of the NCEP. Lower values were found in patients with metabolic syndrome. Conclusion: Considering the vitamin A contribution in antioxidant protection, especially when risk factors for cardiovascular disease are present, it is suggested that great attention be given to morbidly obese. This could aid in prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, which affects a significant part of the population.


2020 ◽  
Vol 139 ◽  
pp. 93-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
MF Van Bressem ◽  
P Duignan ◽  
JA Raga ◽  
K Van Waerebeek ◽  
N Fraijia-Fernández ◽  
...  

Crassicauda spp. (Nematoda) infest the cranial sinuses of several odontocetes, causing diagnostic trabecular osteolytic lesions. We examined skulls of 77 Indian Ocean humpback dolphins Sousa plumbea and 69 Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins Tursiops aduncus, caught in bather-protecting nets off KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) from 1970-2017, and skulls of 6 S. plumbea stranded along the southern Cape coast in South Africa from 1963-2002. Prevalence of cranial crassicaudiasis was evaluated according to sex and cranial maturity. Overall, prevalence in S. plumbea and T. aduncus taken off KZN was 13 and 31.9%, respectively. Parasitosis variably affected 1 or more cranial bones (frontal, pterygoid, maxillary and sphenoid). No significant difference was found by gender for either species, allowing sexes to be pooled. However, there was a significant difference in lesion prevalence by age, with immature T. aduncus 4.6 times more likely affected than adults, while for S. plumbea, the difference was 6.5-fold. As severe osteolytic lesions are unlikely to heal without trace, we propose that infection is more likely to have a fatal outcome for immature dolphins, possibly because of incomplete bone development, lower immune competence in clearing parasites or an over-exuberant inflammatory response in concert with parasitic enzymatic erosion. Cranial osteolysis was not observed in mature males (18 S. plumbea, 21 T. aduncus), suggesting potential cohort-linked immune-mediated resistance to infestation. Crassicauda spp. may play a role in the natural mortality of S. plumbea and T. aduncus, but the pathogenesis and population level impact remain unknown.


REVISTA FIMCA ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 28-31
Author(s):  
Darlan Darlan Sanches Barbosa Alves ◽  
Victor Mouzinho Spinelli ◽  
Marcos Santana Moraes ◽  
Carolina Augusto De Souza ◽  
Rodrigo da Silva Ribeiro ◽  
...  

Introdução: O estado de Rondônia se destaca como tradicional produtor de café, sendo o segundo maior produtor brasileiro de C. canephora. No melhoramento genético de C. canephora, a seleção de plantas de elevada peneira média está associada à bebida de qualidade superior. Objetivos: O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar a variabilidade genética de clones de C. canephora para o tamanho dos grãos, mensurado a partir da avaliação da peneira média (PM). Materiais e Métodos: Para isso, foi conduzido ao longo de dois anos agrícolas experimento no campo experimental da Embrapa no município de Ouro Preto do Oeste-RO, para a avaliação da peneira média de 130 genótipos (clones) com características das variedades botânicas Conilon, Robusta e híbridos intervarietais. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi de blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições de quatro plantas por parcela. Resultados: Não houve resultados significativos para a interação clones X anos, indicando uma maior consistência no comportamento das plantas ao longo do tempo. Porém foram observadas diferenças significativas para o tamanho dos grãos entre os genótipos avaliados, possibilitando selecionar genótipos superiores. Conclusão: Os genótipos agruparam-se em cinco classes de acordo com o teste de média, subsidiando a caracterização de um gradiente de variabilidade da característica avaliada ABSTRACTIntroduction: Coffea canephora accounts for approximately 35% of the world's coffee production. The state of Rondônia stands out as a traditional coffee producer, being the second largest Brazilian producer of C. canephora. In the classical genetic improvement of C. anephora, the selection of plants of high average sieve is associated with a drink of superior quality. Objectives: The objective of this udy was to evaluate the genetic variability of Coffea canephora clones for the agronomic medium sieve (PM). Materials and Methods: The experiment was conducted in the experimental field of Embrapa, municipality of OuroPreto do Oeste-RO, located at coordinates 10º44'53 "S and 62º12'57". One hundred thirty genotypes (clones) of botanical characteristics Conilon, Robusta and intervarietal hybrids were evaluated in the agricultural years 2013-2014 and 2014-2015. The experimental design was a randomized block design with four blocks and four plants per plot, spacing 3.5 x 1.5 meters between plants. Results: Significant difference was found for the grain size. According to the F test, at 5% probability, the genotypes were grouped into five classes according to the mean test. Conclusion: The results obtained subsidized the characterization of a variability gradient of the evaluated trait.


Plant Methods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Musse ◽  
G. Hajjar ◽  
N. Ali ◽  
B. Billiot ◽  
G. Joly ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Drought is a major consequence of global heating that has negative impacts on agriculture. Potato is a drought-sensitive crop; tuber growth and dry matter content may both be impacted. Moreover, water deficit can induce physiological disorders such as glassy tubers and internal rust spots. The response of potato plants to drought is complex and can be affected by cultivar type, climatic and soil conditions, and the point at which water stress occurs during growth. The characterization of adaptive responses in plants presents a major phenotyping challenge. There is therefore a demand for the development of non-invasive analytical techniques to improve phenotyping. Results This project aimed to take advantage of innovative approaches in MRI, phenotyping and molecular biology to evaluate the effects of water stress on potato plants during growth. Plants were cultivated in pots under different water conditions. A control group of plants were cultivated under optimal water uptake conditions. Other groups were cultivated under mild and severe water deficiency conditions (40 and 20% of field capacity, respectively) applied at different tuber growth phases (initiation, filling). Water stress was evaluated by monitoring soil water potential. Two fully-equipped imaging cabinets were set up to characterize plant morphology using high definition color cameras (top and side views) and to measure plant stress using RGB cameras. The response of potato plants to water stress depended on the intensity and duration of the stress. Three-dimensional morphological images of the underground organs of potato plants in pots were recorded using a 1.5 T MRI scanner. A significant difference in growth kinetics was observed at the early growth stages between the control and stressed plants. Quantitative PCR analysis was carried out at molecular level on the expression patterns of selected drought-responsive genes. Variations in stress levels were seen to modulate ABA and drought-responsive ABA-dependent and ABA-independent genes. Conclusions This methodology, when applied to the phenotyping of potato under water deficit conditions, provides a quantitative analysis of leaves and tubers properties at microstructural and molecular levels. The approaches thus developed could therefore be effective in the multi-scale characterization of plant response to water stress, from organ development to gene expression.


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