Human SARS-CoV-2 and avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) are highly contagious and deadly coronaviruses, causing devastating respiratory diseases in humans and chickens. The lack of effective therapeutics exacerbates the impact of outbreaks associated with SARS-CoV-2 and IBV infections. Thus, novel drugs or therapeutic agents are highly in demand for controlling viral transmission and disease progression. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) secreted factors (secretome) are safe and efficient alternatives to stem cells in MSC-based therapies. This study aimed to investigate the antiviral potentials of human Wharton’s jelly MSC secretome (hWJ-MSC-S) against SARS-CoV-2 and IBV infections in vitro and in ovo. The half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50), cytotoxic concentration (CC50), and selective index (SI) values of hWJ-MSC-S were determined using Vero-E6 cells. The virucidal, anti-adsorption, and anti-replication antiviral mechanisms of hWJ-MSC-S were evaluated. The hWJ-MSC-S significantly inhibited infection of SARS-CoV-2 and IBV, without affecting the viability of cells and embryos. Interestingly, hWJ-MSC-S reduced viral infection by >90%, in vitro. The IC50 and SI of hWJ-MSC secretome against SARS-CoV-2 were 166.6 and 235.29 µg/mL, respectively, while for IBV, IC50 and SI were 439.9 and 89.11 µg/mL, respectively. The virucidal and anti-replication antiviral effects of hWJ-MSC-S were very prominent compared to the anti-adsorption effect. In the in ovo model, hWJ-MSC-S reduced IBV titer by >99%. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS) analysis of hWJ-MSC-S revealed a significant enrichment of immunomodulatory and antiviral proteins. Collectively, our results not only uncovered the antiviral potency of hWJ-MSC-S against SARS-CoV-2 and IBV, but also described the mechanism by which hWJ-MSC-S inhibits viral infection. These findings indicate that hWJ-MSC-S could be utilized in future pre-clinical and clinical studies to develop effective therapeutic approaches against human COVID-19 and avian IB respiratory diseases.

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Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a global health problem. Egypt has the highest prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the world. Interleukin-18 (IL-18) as a critical multipotent inducer of innate and acquired immune responses. This study aimed to estimate IL-18 and hs-CRP levels in patients at different stages of chronic HCV infection and to evaluate IL-18 as a non-invasive marker of the severity of liver damage in chronic hepatitis C patients, and to investigate the characteristics of hs-CRP and its correlation to chronic HCV infection. This study included 50 chronic HCV patients and 20 healthy. They were subjected to history taking, liver function tests, real-time PCR test and other laboratory tests. Serum IL-18 levels were assayed by an enzymelinked immunosorbent assay. Our study was conducted on 70 subjects with their ages ranging between 9-70 years. 50 HCV chronically infected patients, were 42 (84.0%) males and 8 (16.0%) female. Twenty apparent healthy individuals without HCV infection used as a control, they were 18 (90%) males and 2 (10%) females. Serum IL-18 and Hs-CRP levels were higher in chronic HCV patients compared to healthy. Responders to interferon treatment had higher interleukin-18 levels than non-responders. However, Serum Hs-CRP were higher in non-responders than Responders to interferon treatment. Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma had higher interleukin-18 and Hs-CRP levels than those without hepatocellular carcinoma. Serum IL-18 could be a significant predictor for the severity of HCV infection and monitoring of therapy response in chronic HCV patients with other tests.

A pandemic-scale outbreak of the newly discovered coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), fast-spreading viral pneumonia, is currently occurring. Due to the disease's overall vulnerability, different age groups have different clinical characteristics and test findings. The purpose of this study was to describe the COVID-19 laboratory results in various age and sex groups. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for SARS-2 RNA was used in the study, which had 1100 individuals with typical cold symptoms. It was reported that 660 of these cases tested positive for the test, while 440 tested negatives, therefore all cases underwent laboratory testing. Our research revealed that males had higher COVID-19 positivity than females (215/660; 67.4%), with males scoring 445/660; 32.6%). Age does not statistically differ between COVID-19 positive and negative cases. Hematological parameters in blood cells revealed that Lymphocytes differ significantly between COVID-19-infected and uninfected patients as these cells decline in the presence of COVID-19 infection. There are no significant differences in hemoglobin (Hgb percent), red blood cells (RBCs), total white blood cells (WBCS), basophils, neutrophils, monocytes, and eosinophils, as well as blood platelets (PLTS). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is unimportant, whereas COVID-19 infection increases ferritin and C-reactive proteins.

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The factors influencing hepatitis E virus (HEV) circulation remain largely unexplored. We investigated HEV seroprevalence in humans and the prevalence of infection in farm pigs and rabbits in different regions of the Russian Federation, as well as the genetic diversity and population dynamics of the HEV. The anti-HEV IgG antibody detection rates in the general population increase significantly with age, from 1.5% in children and adolescents under 20 years old to 4.8% in adults aged between 20 and 59 years old to 16.7% in people aged 60 years and older. HEV seroprevalence varies between regions, with the highest rate observed in Belgorod Region (16.4% compared with the national average of 4.6%), which also has the country’s highest pig population. When compared with the archival data, both increases and declines in HEV seroprevalence have been observed within the last 10 years, depending on the study region. Virus shedding has been detected in 19 out of the 21 pig farms surveyed. On one farm, the circulation of the same viral strain for five years was documented. All the human and animal strains belonged to the HEV-3 genotype, with its clade 2 sequences being predominant in pigs. The sequences are from patients, pigs, and sewage from pig farms clustered together, suggesting a zoonotic infection in humans and possible environmental contamination. The HEV-3 population size that was predicted using SkyGrid reconstruction demonstrated exponential growth in the 1970s–1990s, with a subsequent decline followed by a short rise around the year 2010, the pattern being similar to the dynamics of the pig population in the country. The HEV-3 reproduction number (Re) that was predicted using birth–death skyline analysis has fluctuated around 1 over the past 20 years in Russia but is 10 times higher in Belgorod Region. In conclusion, the HEV-3 circulation varies both geographically and temporally, even within a single country. The possible factors contributing to this variability are largely related to the circulation of the virus among farm pigs.

This study aims to isolate and identify certain bactеrial and fungal pathogеns from silkworm, Bombyx mori L. such as promising chitosan, plus silvеr nanoparticlеs as its antimicrobial activity undеr laboratory condition. Silkworm, B. mori (H1xKKxG2xV2-Bolgaria) eggs werе attained from Sеriculture Rеsearch Cеntеr from Giza Governorate, Egypt. Chitosan and silvеr nanoparticlеs matеrials were assembled at the laboratory of Biochеmistry Departmеnt, Faculty of Agriculturе, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt. Herein total of 7 bactеrial and 5 fungal were isolatеd from the еxtеrnal and internal silkworm larvae. As a result, the mean percentage decrease in weight was elevated in diseased fifth instars (88%) compared to fourth diseased instars (62%). In addition, two bactеrial spеcies isolatеd from the infectеd larvae were identified as follows: Staphylococcus aurеus and Enterococcus faеcalis, whereas thrее fungal spеcies were isolatеd as follows: Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus tamarii and Beauveria bassiana. Transmission elеctron microscopе imaging demonstrated the morphological propеrties and surfacе appеarance of silvеr and chitosan nanoparticlеs which havе a nеarly sphеrical shapе and smooth surfacе. The avеrage particlе size of 18.7 - 26.0 nm and 18.8 to 21.8 nm of silvеr and chitosan nanoparticles were recordеd. Furthermore, the highеst activity among nanoparticlеs tested against all pathogеnic bacteria and fungi isolatеd and idеntified in our study was rеcordеd by chitosan at 100 µg/ml in sеries, whilst silvеr nanoparticle еxhibitеd modеrate antibacterial and antifungal activity.

The factors influencing hepatitis E virus (HEV) circulation remain largely unexplored. We investigated HEV seroprevalence in humans and the prevalence of infection in farm pigs and rabbits in different regions of the Russian Federation, as well as the genetic diversity and population dynamics of HEV. Anti-HEV IgG antibody detection rates in the general population increase significantly with age, from 1.5% in children and adolescents under 20 years old to 4.8% in adults aged between 20 and 59 years old, to 16.7% in people aged 60 years and older. HEV seroprevalence varies between regions, with the highest rate observed in Belgorod Region (16.4% compared with the national average of 4.6%), which also has the country’s highest pig population. When compared with the archival data, both increases and declines in HEV seroprevalence have been observed within the last 10 years, depending on the study region. Virus shedding has been detected in 19 out of the 21 pig farms surveyed. On one farm, circulation of the same viral strain for five years was documented. All human and animal strains belonged to the HEV-3 genotype, with its clade 2 sequences being predominant in pigs. Sequences from patients, pigs, and sewage from pig farms clustered together, suggesting a zoonotic infection in humans and possible environmental contamination. The HEV-3 population size predicted using SkyGrid reconstruction demonstrated exponential growth in the 1970s–1990s, with a subsequent decline followed by a short rise around the year 2010, the pattern being similar to the dynamics of the pig population in the country. The HEV-3 reproduction number (Re) predicted using Birth-Death Skyline analysis has fluctuated around 1 over the past 20 years in Russia, but is 10 times higher in Belgorod Region. In conclusion, HEV-3 circulation varies both geographically and temporally, even within a single country. The possible factors contributing to this variability are largely related to the circulation of the virus among farm pigs.