Yellow urticaria revealing overlap syndrome of autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cholangitis.

Yellow urticaria is a variant of urticaria that is rarely reported in the literature. It usually occurs in the setting of a chronic liver disease and reflects the accumulation of bilirubin in the skin tissues. We report a case of yellow urticaria that occurred in a 33-year-old female patient suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus and overlap syndrome of autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cholangitis revealed by a migratory pruritic yellowish urticarial eruption on the trunk and limbs.

New Insight into the human genetic diversity in North African populations by genotyping of SNPs in DRD3, CSMD1 and NRG1 genes.

Background: The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the dopamine D3 receptor (DRD3), the CUB and sushi multiple domains 1 (CSMD1) and the neuregulin 1 (NRG1) genes were used to study the genetic diversity and affinity among North African populations and to examine their genetic relationships in worldwide populations.

Methods: The rs3773678, rs3732783 and rs6280 SNPs of the DRD3 gene located on chromosome 3, the rs10108270 SNP of the CSMD1 gene and the rs383632, rs385396 and rs1462906 SNPs of the NRG1 gene located on chromosome 8 were analysed in 366 individuals from seven North African populations (Libya, Kairouan, Mehdia, Sousse, Kesra, Smar and Kerkennah).

Results: The low values of F indicated that only 0.

Association of cytokine Th2 gene polymorphisms with autoimmune thyroid diseases in Tunisian population.

Autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD) including Graves' disease (GD) and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) are complex genetic diseases. Th2 cytokines act on the development of AITD. This study was conducted on Tunisian patients with AITD to investigate the association of Th2 cytokine gene polymorphisms and haplotype combination with GD or HT risk.

Pro- and anti-angiogenic VEGF mRNAs in autoimmune thyroid diseases.

The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between five different splice isoforms of VEGF mRNA and its plasma levels in individuals treated for autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD); mainly Graves' disease (GD) and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). In a population from Tunisia, levels of thyroid hormones and antibodies were quantified simultaneously with plasma VEGF and VEGF mRNA isoforms after a period of 6 months of patients' treatment. Plasma VEGF was measured in 110 AITD patients (21 GD and 89 HT patients).

Association of Interleukin-1B and Interleukin-4 Gene Variants with Autoimmune Thyroid Diseases in Tunisian Population.

Autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD) including Graves' disease (GD) and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) are complex genetic diseases. Cytokines IL-1B and IL-4 play a role in the pathogenesis of AITD. This study was conducted on Tunisian patients with GD or HT to investigate the association of IL-1B and IL-4 gene polymorphisms with the risk and the prognosis of AITD.

Plasma VEGF-related polymorphisms are implied in autoimmune thyroid diseases.

Autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD), including Graves' disease (GD) and Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT), are complex multifactorial diseases. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is implicated in various inflammatory diseases, especially autoimmune diseases. Our aim was to elucidate the relationships between plasma VEGF levels and four genome-wide association study-identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to VEGF with AITD in Tunisian patients.

Polymorphisms in TSHR and IL1RN genes and the risk and prognosis of Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is a complex genetic autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD). Thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) is considered as candidate gene in AITD. IL1RN gene is involved in the pathogenesis of a number of autoimmune diseases.

TNF-alpha and its inhibitors in cancer.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha is implicated in the same time in apoptosis and in cell proliferation. TNF-alpha not only acts as pro-inflammatory cytokine conducing to wide spectrum of human diseases including inflammatory diseases, but can also induce tumor development. The molecular mechanisms of TNF-alpha functions have been intensively investigated.

Association of IL-8 (-251)T/A polymorphism with susceptibility to and aggressiveness of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is an angiogenic chemokine that plays a potent role in both development and progression of many human malignancies including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). In the present study, we evaluated the susceptibility and prognostic implications of the (-251) T/A genetic variation in IL-8 in NPC. We used the allele-specific polymerase chain reaction to characterize the variation of the IL-8 promoter region for 160 unrelated Tunisian patients with NPC and 169 healthy control subjects.

Matrix metalloproteinase-1 (-1607) 1G/2G and -9 (-1562) C/T promoter polymorphisms: susceptibility and prognostic implications in nasopharyngeal carcinomas.

Background: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are proteolytic enzymes that play important roles in tumor invasion and metastasis by degrading extracellular matrix components. Genetic variations in promoter regions of MMP genes, affecting their expression, have been associated with susceptibility to cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate the susceptibility and prognostic implications of the MMP-1 (-1607) 1G/2G and MMP-9 (-1562) C/T polymorphisms in nasopharyngeal carcinomas.

A functional polymorphism of the tumor necrosis factor receptor-II gene associated with the survival and relapse prediction of breast carcinoma.

Objective: Recently, we showed the implication of the polymorphism in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) gene in the susceptibility and prognosis of breast carcinoma. TNF-alpha acts through its receptors: types I and II. The TNFRII, expressed on the haematopoietic cells, is the high affinity receptor involved in mediating the biological effects of TNF-alpha.