Polyneuropathy associated with chronic hemodialysis: Clinical and electrophysiological study.

Aim: To estimate the frequency and pattern of peripheral polyneuropathy (PNP) that may affect patients maintained on hemodialysis.

Patients And Methods: The study was carried out on 60 middle-aged male patients attending the Internal Medicine Department for maintenance hemodialysis. All were subjected to a complete neurological examination.

The single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of tumor necrosis factor α -308G/A gene is associated with early-onset primary knee osteoarthritis in an Egyptian female population.

The objective of the present study is to investigate if there is a potential association between the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the tumor necrosis factor alpha gene (TNF-α -308G/A, rs1800629) and the susceptibility to and severity of early-onset knee osteoarthritis in the Egyptian female population. Genotype distributions and allelic frequencies of TNF-α -308G/A polymorphism were investigated in 210 knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients and 210 age-, sex-, and ethnicity-matched healthy controls (HC). Polymerase chain reaction-restricted fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) amplifications were implemented to determine TNF-α -308G/A SNP.

Interferon alpha gene expression and serum level association with low vitamin D levels in Egyptian female patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Background Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are prone to develop vitamin D (25(OH) D3) deficiency, due to several factors and there is an association between lower vitamin D levels and higher SLE disease activity. The aim of this research was to assess the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Egyptian female patients with SLE. Furthermore, we analyzed the potential relationship between this deficiency and SLE manifestations, disease activity, and its effect on interferon alpha (IFN-α) gene expression and serum level.

Prognostic significance of platelet count in SLE patients.

Hematological abnormalities, especially thrombocytopenia (TCP), are highly prevalent among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and at the same time it has been reported as a significant prognostic factor of SLE course. We further investigate the correlation between platelet count and the clinical manifestations and disease activity of SLE, in a cohort of Saudi Arabian female patients. A retrospective analysis was done for the medical records of 100 SLE female patients, selected from all patients diagnosed and treated for SLE at the Rheumatology outpatient clinics in Hera'a General Hospital, Holly Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

Association of XRCC1 and OGG1 DNA repair gene polymorphisms with rheumatoid arthritis in Egyptian patients.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease and can lead to deformities and severe disabilities, due to irreversible damage of tendons, joints, and bones. Previous studies indicated that the DNA repair system was involved in the pathology of RA. In this study, we investigated the association of two XRCC1 (X-ray repair cross-complementing group 1) (rs25487 and rs25489) gene polymorphisms and two OGG1 (8-oxoguanine glycosylase 1) gene polymorphisms (rs159153 and rs3219008) with the susceptibility to RA in 320 Egyptians individuals (160 RA patients and 160 controls).

Influence of Matrix metalloproteinase 1 and 3 genetic variations on susceptibility and severity of juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a chronic rheumatic disease affecting children aged less than 16 years, characterized by chronic synovitis, cartilage damage, and bony erosions mediated by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), mainly MMP-1 and MMP-3. The purpose of this study was to investigate MMP-1 and MMP-3 gene polymorphisms in patients with JIA, the role of genes in susceptibility to JIA, and their associations with JIA activity and prognosis. Case-control study included 100 patients diagnosed with JIA, according to the criteria of the International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR), and 100 healthy children, age and sex matched, as controls.

The role of serum IL-17 and IL-6 as biomarkers of disease activity and predictors of remission in patients with lupus nephritis.

Aim: To determine the role of IL-17 and IL-6 in the pathogenesis of SLE as biomarkers of disease activity and predictors of remission and outcome of therapy in patients with active lupus nephritis.

Methods: The study was carried out on 72 SLE female patients and 70 sex- and age-matched normal healthy subjects as controls. SLE disease activity was assessed in all patients with (SLEDAI-2k scores).

The role of CTLA-4 exon-1 49 A/G polymorphism and soluble CTLA-4 protein level in egyptian patients with Behçet's disease.

This study analyzed the association of the A/G SNP at position +49 of exon-1 in the CTLA-4 gene to the susceptibility and clinical manifestations of Behcet's disease (BD). It was performed on 60 Egyptian BD patients and 95 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. The genotypes for the +49 A/G polymorphism of the CTLA-4 gene were determined by PCR-RFLP, while the serum level of CTLA-4 protein was measured by ELISA.

Association of microRNAs genes polymorphisms with rheumatoid arthritis in Egyptian female patients.

Objective: To investigate whether miRNA-499 (rs3746444) and miRNA-146a (rs2910164) genes polymorphisms are independent factors for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Egyptians, and whether they influence disease severity and activity.

Methods: Two hundred and seventeen RA patients and 245 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Polymorphisms of miRNA-146a and miRNA-499 genes were detected using polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).

Influence of interleukin-4 gene polymorphisms and interleukin-4 serum level on susceptibility and severity of rheumatoid arthritis in Egyptian population.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease in which interleukin-4 (IL-4) plays an important role. This study aimed to investigate the influence of IL-4 variable number of tandem repeats (VNTRs) and IL-4-590 promoter polymorphisms on RA susceptibility, activity and severity in Egyptian population.

Materials And Methods: One hundred and seventy-two RA patients and 172 controls were enrolled in this study.