Annexin A1 expression in Lupus Nephritis.

Introduction: Lupus nephritis (LN) is an immune complex glomerulonephritis, caused by systemic lupus erythematosus. It is associated with an increase of morbidity and mortality. In LN, the immune responses dysregulation is one of the crucial pathogenic pathways.

RS35705950 polymorphism of MUC5B Gene: Association with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Interstitial lung disease in Tunisian Population.

Introduction: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is the most common extra-articular manifestation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Studies have concluded that there is an association between rs35705950 polymorphism of the MUC5B gene and RA-ILD.

Aim: To explore this polymorphism in a cohort of Tunisian patients suffering from RA with or without ILD and stufdy its association to ILD during RA.

Studies of the FBT family transporters in Leishmania infantum by gene deletion and protein localization.

The protozoan parasite Leishmania has a large family of major facilitator membrane proteins part of the Folate Biopterin Transporter (FBT) family. The chromosome 10 of Leishmania has a cluster of 7 FBT genes including the S-Adenosyl methionine (AdoMet) transporter and the functionally characterized folate transporters FT1 and FT5. Six of the 7 FBT proteins coded by this locus are located at the plasma membrane as determined by gene fusions with the green fluorescent protein.

Arabic validation of the Body-Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to validate the questionnaire "Body-Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults" (BESAA).

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 340 adolescents who attend a Tunisian high school. We translated the BESAA into dialectal Tunisian Arabic based on the translation back-translation method.

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Introduction: Sleep quality is a complex phenomenon with quantitative and subjective aspects that vary during adolescence. The prevalence of sleep disorders is not known in Tunisia due to the lack of validated tools.

Aim: To translate and validate the questionnaire Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) into Tunisian Arabic in middle school students.

Tubular expression of Toll-like receptor 9 in lupus and primary membranous nephropathy.

Introduction: Toll-like- receptors (TLR) control important aspects of innate and adaptive immune responses. Renal cells are among the non-immune cells that express (TLR). Therefore, their activation might be implicated in renal tubulo-interstitial injury.

Cigarette use and exposure to second-hand smoke and tobacco advertising among Tunisian adolescents.

Background: The Global Youth Tobacco Survey was conducted in Tunisia in 2001, 2007, 2010 and 2017. It is the only national survey that examined exposure to second-hand smoke and tobacco advertising among young people, and there has been no description of the trend.

Aims: To describe cigarette use trends among Tunisian adolescents and their exposure to second-hand smoke and tobacco advertising from 2001 to 2017.

ICOS gene polymorphisms in systemic lupus erythematosus: A case-control study.

The inducible T-cell costimulator (ICOS) may play an important role in adaptive immunity by regulating the interaction between T cells and antigen-presenting cells. Disruption of this molecule can lead to autoimmune diseases, in particular systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In this study, we aimed to explore the possible association between ICOS gene polymorphisms and SLE as well as their influence on disease susceptibility and clinical outcomes.

Anxiety and Depression Symptoms in At-Risk Pregnancy: Influence on Maternal-Fetal Attachment in Tunisia.

Objectives: To investigate maternal prenatal anxiety and depression in high-risk pregnancies and examine their influence on maternal-fetal attachment.

Methods: We included 95 hospitalized high-risk pregnant women. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI) were used to assess the primary objective.

Genes regulating oxidative-inflammatory response in circulating monocytes and neutrophils in septic syndrome.

Despite significant progress in the past decades, sepsis still lacks a specific treatment. Under normal conditions, leucocytes play a critical role in controlling infection and it is suggested that their activity is impaired during sepsis which contribute to the dysregulation of immune reactions. Indeed, in response to infection, several intracellular pathways are affected mainly those regulating the oxidative- inflammatory axis.

Assessment of theory of mind in Tunisian verbal children with autism spectrum disorder.

The present study examined performance in Theory of Mind (ToM) in a group of 31 Arabic-speaking verbal children (7-12 years-old) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), in comparison with neurotypical controls (NT) matched for age and for cognitive abilities. An innovative task in a digital format named "The Tunisian Social Situations Instrument" (TSSI) was used and allowed us to study four different subdomains of ToM: attribution of intention and epistemic ToM (cognitive ToM), affective ToM, and detection of faux pas (advanced ToM). Our study showed impairments in ToM in children with ASD, similar to those reported in the literature.

Evaluation of X chromosome inactivation in endemic Tunisian pemphigus foliaceus.

Background: Almost 5% of the world's population develops an autoimmune disease (AID), it is considered the fourth leading cause of disability for women, who represent 78% of cases. The sex ratio when it comes to the most prevalent AID varies from 9:1 in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) to 13:1 in endemic Tunisian pemphigus foliaceus (PF).

Methods: To test the potential involvement of skewed x-inactivation in the pathogenesis of Tunisian PF, we analyzed the methylation status of a highly polymorphic CAG repeat in the androgen receptor gene and evaluated the x chromosome inactivation (XCI) patterns in peripheral blood-leukocyte-derived DNA samples of female patients with PF (n = 98) compared to healthy control (HC) subjects (n = 150), as well as female patients with SLE (n = 98) were enrolled as a reference group.

Differential Expression of Anti-Inflammatory RNA Binding Proteins in Lupus Nephritis.

Lupus nephritis (LN) is a type of immunological complex glomerulonephritis characterized by chronic renal inflammation which is exacerbated by infiltrating leukocytes and fueled by a variety of pro-inflammatory cytokines. A profound understanding of the pathogenesis of LN is necessary to identify the optimal molecular targets. The role of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) in post-transcriptional gene regulation in the immune system is being explored in greater depth to better understand how this regulation is implicated in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

Validation of the Tunisian Empathy Scale for Children (TESC) in General Population and Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Background: Several empathy assessment tests have been proposed worldwide but none of them took into account cultural variations that seem to affect empathic manifestations. The aim of this study was to create and validate an empathy assessment questionnaire for school-aged Tunisian children entitled "Tunisian Empathy Scale for Children" (TESC).

Methods: An evaluative cross-sectional study was conducted.

Th17 and Th1 cells in systemic lupus erythematosus with focus on lupus nephritis.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease characterized by T cells imbalance. Indeed, a correlation between levels of Th17 cells and disease activity has been reported. Our work aimed to study the functional association of subpopulations of Th cells and SLE with (lupus nephritis, LN) or without (lupus erythematosus, LE) renal involvement in Tunisian patients through the detection of intracellular cytokines and surface marker expression.

Autoantibodies to Zinc Transporter 8 and Genotype in Type 1 Diabetes Childhood: A Pioneering Study in North Africa.

Background: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) occurs as a result of insulin deficiency due to destructive lesions of pancreatic cells. In addition to classical autoantibodies (Abs) to islet cell antigens, antizinc transporter 8 Abs (ZnT8-Ab) have been recently described in T1D.

Objective: As no data on ZnT8-Ab in Tunisian patients has been reported, we aim to evaluate the relationships between ZnT8-Ab, ZnT8 coding gene () promoter polymorphism, and T1D risk in newly diagnosed children.

Role of innate immune receptors TLR4 and TLR2 polymorphisms in systemic lupus erythematosus susceptibility.

Aim: Through their recognition of various bacterial cell wall components, TLR2 and TLR4 participate in the innate response and modulate the activation of adaptive immunity. Therefore, the genetic background of these receptors might play a crucial role in autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In this study, we investigated the possible association between polymorphisms within TLR2 and TLR4 genes with SLE susceptibility.

Linking Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) data to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC): The case for Tunisia.

Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) had launched the Framework convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2003 in order to curve the epidemic of tobacco use worldwide. Since most smokers begin to smoke before the age of 18 years, Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) has been developed in order to monitor tobacco smoking among adolescents. Our aim was to assess smoking among Tunisian youth using GYTS 2017 data.

Ultrasound remission in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in clinical remission.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess ultrasound (US) remission in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in clinical remission using different definitions.

Material And Methods: This was a cross-sectional study including patients with RA in clinical remission defined by disease activity score (DAS28)-erythrocyte rate (ESR) ≤ 2.6 for at least 6 months.

Annexin A1 and its receptor gene polymorphisms in systemic lupus erythematosus in the Tunisian population.

Background: An association between ANXA1, FPR1 and FPR2 gene polymorphisms and the patho-physiology of many human diseases was suggested by numerous studies.

Objective: Our study aimed to evaluate association between common polymorphisms in the 9q21.13 and 19q13.

Validation of the Tunisian Test for Facial Emotions Recognition: Study in Children From 7 to 12 Years Old.

Facial expressions transmit information about emotional state, facilitating communication and regulation in interpersonal relationships. Their acute recognition is essential in social adaptation and lacks among children suffering from autism spectrum disorders. The aim of our study was to validate the "Recognition of Facial Emotions: Tunisian Test for Children" among Tunisian children in order to assess facial emotion recognition in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Elderly-onset adult Still's disease.

Adult-onset Still's disease is a rare inflammatory disorder usually affecting young adults. Elderly-onset Still's disease (EOSD) is reported in some cases, commonly in Japan, the USA and Europe. One of the most commonly used criteria for diagnosing EOSD is Yamaguci criteria.

Impaired Recognition of Static and Dynamic Facial Emotions in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Stimuli of Varying Intensities, Different Genders, and Age Ranges Faces.

A multitude of research on facial emotion recognition (FER) in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have been published since several years. However, these studies have mainly used static high intensity stimuli, including adult and/or children facial emotions. This current study investigated FER in children with ASD using an innovative task, composed of a combination of static (114 pictures) and dynamic (36 videos) subtests, including children, adolescent, and adult male and female faces, with high, medium, and low intensity of basic facial emotions, and neutral expression.