Mycosynthesis of chitosan-selenium nanocomposite and its activity as an insecticide against the cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis.

The cotton leafworm, Spodoptra littoralis, causes great damage to cotton crops. A new, safer method than insecticide is necessary for its control. Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) are metalloid nanomaterial, with extensive biological activities.

Association of serum uromodulin with diabetic kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Several studies have investigated the association between the changes of serum uromodulin and diabetic kidney disease (DKD). However, the results are still controversial. Therefore, this meta-analysis was conducted to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the association between serum uromodulin levels and DKD.

Exosomal UMOD gene expression and urinary uromodulin level as early noninvasive diagnostic biomarkers for diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetic patients.

Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. Exosomes are promising biomarkers for disease diagnosis and uromodulin is a kidney-specific protein. So, this study was designed to investigate the change in the gene expression of urinary exosomal uromodulin mRNA and urinary uromodulin level and determine the diagnostic potential of these noninvasive biomarkers in the early stage of diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetic patients.

Association of TRPV5, CASR, and CALCR genetic variants with kidney stone disease susceptibility in Egyptians through main effects and gene-gene interactions.

Kidney stone disease (KSD) represents an urgent medical problem because of increasing its prevalence. Several functional polymorphisms in genes involved in the renal handling of calcium were associated with KSD pathogenesis. Among those, the rs4236480 of transient receptor potential vanilloid member 5 (TRPV5) gene, the rs1801725 of calcium-sensing receptor (CASR) gene, and the rs1801197 of calcitonin receptor (CALCR) gene appear to be of great importance.

Redox dysregulation, immuno-inflammatory alterations and genetic variants of BDNF and MMP-9 in schizophrenia: Pathophysiological and phenotypic implications.

Background: Although a clear mechanism underlying the pathophysiology of schizophrenia (SZ) remains elusive, oxidative stress, inflammatory syndrome and immune activation have become an attractive hypothesis for explaining the pathophysiology of SZ. Data from prior studies on the role of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in SZ are contradictory. We aimed to investigate whether oxidative stress, inflammatory and immune activation markers as well as MMP-9 levels may be implicated in SZ pathogenesis.