Impact of Interleukin-17 Receptor A Gene Variants on Asthma Susceptibility and Clinical Manifestations in Children and Adolescents.

Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in multiple interleukin receptor genes could be associated with asthma risk and/or phenotype. Interleukin-17 (IL-17) has been implicated in tissue inflammation and autoimmune diseases. As no previous studies have uncovered the potential role of () gene variants in asthma risk, we aimed to explore the association of four SNPs (i.

Relapse and Survival in Bladder Cancer Patients Undergoing microRNA-129 and microRNA-145 Assays.

Objective: The lack of indicators to measure tumor's invasive biological behavior is an important issue. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of miRNAs 129 and 145 on tumor progression as well as patient survival.

Method: Seventy five breast cancer (BC) patients and 75 controls were included in this research.

Clinical significance of FOXP3 mRNA expression in patients with B chronic lymphocytic leukemia: A preliminary study.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is due accumulation of monoclonal B- cell lymphocytes in different organs in the body as the bone marrow. There is a positive relationship between T regs cells and the occurrence of CLL. The main objective of this study was to investigate the role of FOXP3 expression in peripheral blood in B- cell of CLL.

Perception of competence achievement and students' satisfaction using virtual laboratories in Medical Biochemistry course: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increasing demand for remote learning and an expansion in the substitution of traditional practical sessions with lab-based virtual tools. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of virtual labs in practicing biochemical experiments and to examine the student's feedback regarding this tool. Virtual and traditional labs training were compared in teaching qualitative analysis of proteins and carbohydrates experiments for first-year medical students.

Basic anthropometry, micronutrients status and growth velocity of patients with early-onset inflammatory bowel disease: A prospective cohort study.

Background And Study Aim: Failure of optimal growth and lack of appropriate weight gain are major nutritional problems in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Therefore, this study was designed to assess the nutritional and growth status of patients with very-early-onset IBD (VEO-IBD) before and after individual-based nutritional interventions.

Patients And Methods: This prospective cohort study assessed the nutritional status of 30 pediatric patients with VEO-IBD by performing comprehensive clinical examinations and evaluating anthropometric and biochemical parameters.

Exon Skipping Through Chimeric Antisense snRNAs to Correct Retinitis Pigmentosa GTPase-Regulator () Splice Defect.

Inherited retinal dystrophies are caused by mutations in more than 250 genes, each of them carrying several types of mutations that can lead to different clinical phenotypes. Mutations in () cause X-linked Retinitis pigmentosa (RP). A nucleotide substitution in intron 9 of causes the increase of an alternatively spliced isoform of the mature mRNA, bearing exon 9a (E9a).

Are quantitative features of lung nodules reproducible at different CT acquisition and reconstruction parameters?

Consistency and duplicability in Computed Tomography (CT) output is essential to quantitative imaging for lung cancer detection and monitoring. This study of CT-detected lung nodules investigated the reproducibility of volume-, density-, and texture-based features (outcome variables) over routine ranges of radiation dose, reconstruction kernel, and slice thickness. CT raw data of 23 nodules were reconstructed using 320 acquisition/reconstruction conditions (combinations of 4 doses, 10 kernels, and 8 thicknesses).

Human equilibrative nucleoside transporter-1 and deoxycytidine kinase can predict gemcitabine effectiveness in Egyptian patients with Hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Several biomarkers of gemcitabine effectiveness have been studied in cancers, but less so in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is identified as the fifth most common cancer worldwide. Investigation of human equilibrative nucleoside transporter-1 (HENT-1) and deoxycytidine kinase (DCK), genes involved in gemcitabine uptake and metabolism, can be beneficial in the selection of potential cancer patients who could be responding to the treatment.

Aim: To study HENT-1 and DCK gene expression in HCC patients with different protocols of treatment.

Simulation-Based Learning Versus Didactic Lecture in Teaching Bronchial Asthma for Undergraduate Medical Students: a Step Toward Improvement of Clinical Competencies.

Background: Simulation-based learning (SBL), an effective teaching strategy, is still questionable on whether it can be an alternative to didactic lectures in medical education. Our study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of SBL versus traditional lectures in retention of knowledge.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted among medical students who were divided in two groups (36 students each).

Evening Primrose Oil Ameliorates Hyperleptinemia and Reproductive Hormone Disturbances in Obese Female Rats: Impact on Estrus Cyclicity.

Obesity is a public health burden disturbing all body functions and reproductive hormones. As obesity increases among females, there will be a rising challenge to physicians in care from fertility problems. Evening primrose oil (EPR oil) contains essential fatty acids including omega-6 linoleic acid with strong anti-inflammatory activity.

Clopidogrel or prasugrel reduces mortality and lessens cardiovascular damage from acute myocardial infarction in hypercholesterolemic male rats.

Aims: Hypercholesterolemia is a hazard for increasing susceptibility of the heart to myocardial infarction (MI) by inducing platelet hyperaggregability. Clopidogrel and prasugrel have documented cardioprotective effects in clinical studies. Herein, we investigated whether clopidogrel and prasugrel could protect against isoproterenol-induced acute MI (A-MI) under hypercholesterolemic conditions in rats.

Grand multiparity and the possible risk of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes: a dilemma to be deciphered.

Background: The relation between grand multiparity (GMP) and the possible adverse pregnancy outcomes is not well identified. GMP (parity ≥5 births) frequently occurs in the Arab nations; therefore, this study aimed to identify the correlation between GMP and the different adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes in the Saudi population.

Method: This cohort study was conducted on a total of 3327 women from the labour ward in King Khaled University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Adolescent Femoroacetabular Impingement: Gender Differences in Hip Morphology.

Purpose: To compare the hip morphology of adolescent male patients and female patients who underwent hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and determine if gender differences exist.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 177 adolescents, aged 13 to 18 years, who were treated for FAI with hip arthroscopy. We examined and analyzed preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and plain radiographs, measuring the lateral center-edge angle, Tönnis angle, and alpha angle.

Impact of vitamin D deficiency on maternal and birth outcomes in the Saudi population: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Low serum vitamin D [25(OH)D] has been associated with different health problems worldwide. However, its causal role in several diseases remains unclear. We aimed to correlate vitamin D status with maternal and neonatal outcomes in pregnant females.

Outcome of pulmonary embolism and clinico-radiological predictors of mortality: Experience from a university hospital in Saudi Arabia.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to determine the outcome of pulmonary embolism (PE) and the clinico-radiological predictors of mortality in a university hospital setting.

Methods: A Prospective observational study conducted at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh Saudi Arabia between January 2009 and 2012. A total of 105 consecutive patients (49.

Evaluation of circulating Transforming growth factor-beta1, Glypican-3 and Golgi protein-73 mRNAs expression as predictive markers for hepatocellular carcinoma in Egyptian patients.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) incidence is fast-growing especially in countries highly prevalent with viral hepatitis. Its poor prognosis has driven the research toward the discovery of sensitive markers for early detection. We investigated the usefulness of serum Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1), Glypican-3 (GPC3), and Golgi protein-73 (GP73) mRNAs as early biomarkers in HCC Egyptian patients chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) in comparison with serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP).

Interleukin-18 gene polymorphisms in Egyptian patients with allergic diseases.

Background: Allergic diseases, such as allergic rhinitis (AR) and atopic dermatitis (AD), affect a large proportion of people worldwide. Both have environmental and genetic predisposing factors. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in interleukin (IL)-18, may play a direct role in the disease pathogenesis.

Efficiency of guva and lemon grass fine dusts on the potato tuber moth Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae).

The present study was initiated to elucidate the effect of potato tubers treatment using fine dusts of Psidium guajava, Cymbopogon citratus, talc powder and their progressive dilutions(w/w) on the fitness components of raised generations of the potato tuber moth (PTM), Phthorimaea operculella. Results showed a direct as well as cumulative delayed effect of the tested plants fine dusts, either alone or admixed with talc powder in progressive dilutions from 5% up to 50% w/w on the viability of developing immatures and potentiality of adult moths. The revealed effects of each of the tested crude plant fine dusts or talc powder alone and/or their progressive dilutions (w/w) could be explained briefly as gradual significant shortening of life span of both sexes, prolongation of larval duration, reduction in number of raised pupae, increase of malformed ones, sharp decrease in the rate of emerged moths, deposited eggs, and developing of immatures; According to lower used dilutions of each tested plant fine dust from 5% to 20%, the complete inhibition of reproductive potential of both adult sexes, the going on metamorphic development of deposited eggs and/or raised immatures of the following generation, after the treatment of parent one, had been revealed the following distinct failure of: a) F1 development after former treatment of parent generation with the higher concentrations of 30-50% of both tested plant fine dusts and the lower prepared dilutions (10% and 20% (w/w)) of both the tested Psidium guajava and (20% (w/w)) Cymbopogom citratus plant fine dusts, resulted in fewer number of the emerged moths that were unviable, weak, sterile and died before induction the F1 progeny, b) F2 development due to the former treatment of the parents with talc powder, Psidium guajava fine dusts alone or its prepared dilutions of (5% (w/w)) and Cymbopogom citratus dilution of (10%(w/w)) gave unviable weak and sterile moths unable to induce the F2 progeny, c) F3 development post former treatment of the parent generations with Cymbopogom citratus dilution of 5% (w/w) induced unviable sterile moths and died after emergence and d) F4 development owing to the former parent treatment with Cymbopogon citratus fine dust alone; The complete failure of each of the above mentioned generations could be attributed to the cumulative effect of induced recessive lethal genes in both sexes along the extended period of each of these following generations, post former treatment of parent one, causing apparent undesirable effects, that appeared at the beginning of each of them.

Prediction of pulmonary hypertension in patients with or without interstitial lung disease: reliability of CT findings.

Purpose: To study the reliability of pulmonary vascular measurements based on computed tomography (CT) in the prediction of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients with advanced interstitial lung disease (ILD) compared with those without ILD.

Materials And Methods: The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board. All patients gave written informed consent.

Evaluation of urinary proepithelin as a potential biomarker for bladder cancer detection and prognosis in Egyptian patients.

Background/aim: Proepithelin is a growth factor that may play a critical role in bladder cancer. Its over-expression in urine of bladder cancer patients gave us the impetus to evaluate its potential suitability as a biomarker for bladder cancer diagnosis and/or prognosis.

Methods: proepithelin was estimated in 86 voided urine samples, including 59 bladder cancer patients and 27 healthy volunteers using quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay technique.