Identification of Common Bacterial Pathogens Causing Meningitis in Culture-Negative Cerebrospinal Fluid Samples Using Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction.

Background. Meningitis is a serious communicable disease with high morbidity and mortality rates. It is an endemic disease in Egypt caused mainly by Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Haemophilus influenzae.

Percentage of CD3-CD56+dim and of CD3-CD56+dimCD69+ Natural Killer Cells in the Peripheral Blood of Women with In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Failure.

CD56dim cells, potent mediators of natural cytotoxicity, have direct contact with chorionic villi at the intervillous space. The manner the developing fetus evades NK cytotoxicity from these cells may determine the pregnancy outcome. CD69 is one of the earliest cell surface activation markers expressed by NK cells.