The presence of elevated numbers of circulating microparticles (MPs) has been hypothesized to be responsible for the occurrence of thromboembolic events (TEEs) in thalassemic patients. Our aim is to evaluate the presence and the thrombotic risk of circulating MPs in thalassemia patients and to determine the difference in MPs between β-thalassemia major (β-TM) and thalassemia intermedia (TI). The percentage of the annexin-labeled MPs, platelet-derived MPs (PMPs), erythrocyte-derived MPs (RMPs), and endothelial-derived MPs (EMPs) was measured by flow cytometry, in 87 thalassemia patients (39 β-TM and 48 TI). By multiple regression analysis, we then assessed the various independent risk factors for the occurrence of TEE. The thalassemic patients who experienced TEE had a significantly higher platelet count, higher percentage of annexin-labeled MPs, and higher percentage of PMPs (p value = 0.014, 0.003, and 0.014, respectively). There was no significant difference between β-TM and TI patients at the level of any of the studied MPs. The predictive risk factors for TEE in thalassemic patients were splenectomy, total and direct bilirubin, the RMPs, and the EMPs (OR = 10.07 (CI = 3.7-27.1), 4.3 (CI = 2.1-8.7), 1.4 (CI = 1.5-6.2), 1.6 (CI = 1.1-2.2), 3.0 (CI = 1.9-4.9), respectively). In conclusion, the elevated numbers of circulating MPs is a risk factor for the TEE in thalassemia patients.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major health problem worldwide. Egypt is the country with the highest HCV infection epidemic in the world. Interleukin (IL)-12 is a cytokine that has been shown to have a potent role as an antiviral cytokine. IL-12 is a heterodimer of the polypeptides p35 and p40. IL-12 B, the gene encoding IL-12 p40, is polymorphic, and a functional single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the 3'-untranslated region at position rs3212227 was associated with apparent resistance to HCV. The genotype distribution of this polymorphism differs by race. This study is sought to identify the genotype distribution of the IL-12 SNP rs3212227 polymorphism in Egyptians and to assess its role in susceptibility to chronic HCV infection alone or in a sex-dependent way. The study included 238 subjects: 100 healthy controls and 138 patients with HCV infection. The IL-12 SNP rs3212227 was genotyped by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method (PCR-RFLP). Results showed a genotype frequency of 46%, 39%, and 15% for AA, AC, and CC IL-12 genotypes, respectively. No significant result (P=0.5) was shown in the differential distribution of the IL-12 SNP genotypes between controls and patients with HCV infection. Nonetheless, this difference in the IL-12 genotype distribution was significant (0.005) when it was stratified according to sex; moreover, the C allele distribution in men and women differed with a statistically high significance (P=0.0001) in controls versus HCV patients. In conclusion, the IL-12 SNP rs3212227 polymorphism confers a susceptibility to HCV infection in a sex-dependent way in Egyptians.
An experimental trial was consummated throughout two successive seasons (2006/07 and 2007/08) at the nursery of Ornamental Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University. It was intended to find out how far Ceiba pentandra L. plant can withstand various salinity levels (1500, 3000, 4500 and 6000 ppm) of irrigation, to assess the possibility of planting such plant in new areas such as coastal lands. Accordingly, the previous salinity levels were tested for their effects on growth, development and chemical constituents. The results revealed that using the lowest salinity levels (1500 and 3000 ppm) had a beneficial effect on some plant traits, as they increased plant height, number of leaves/plant, fresh and dry weights of compound leaves, root length and fresh and dry weights of roots as well as stem diameter with only 3000 ppm of saline water. The contrary action was detected due to increasing salinity levels to 4500 and 6000 ppm in few cases as they decreased leaflet and compound leaf areas.Chemical constituents of the different plant parts were also affected by the different salinity levels. All of them revealed a beneficial effect on total carbohydrates content in leaves, especially with the lowest levels (1500 and 3000 ppm), whereas in stem, the best result was gained as a result of salinity treatments at 1500, 3000 and 4500 ppm. The low levels (1500 and 3000 ppm) also caused an increment in indole content in leaves, whereas the highest one (6000 ppm) caused a decrement. Phenols as well as phenols/indoles ratio in the leaves increased progressively by increasing salinity level. Meanwhile, pigment content showed a decrement in plants receiving the different salinity levels, especially the highest one (6000 ppm).Thus, it could be concluded that Ceiba pentandra L. withstands salinity level up to 6000 ppm, with beneficial effects in some instances.
The present study was conducted to evaluate the response of Gladiolus cv. Eurovision plants grown in a sandy calcareous soil to four rates (0, 75, 150 and 300 kg / fed.) of Abou -Tartour rock phosphate (ARP) and four concentrations (0, 2, 4 and 6 g / l.) of active dry yeast (ADY) during 2006 and 2007 seasons.Different vegetative growth parameters, flowering aspects, corm production and chemical constituents were considerably increased due to the all rates of ARP. Active dry yeast at 4 and 6 g / L. were the most effective treatments for augmenting growth, flowering, corm production and chemical constituents of plant.So, it could be recommended to supply gladiolus cv. Eurovision plants with the high rate of ARP at 300 kg / fed. and spraying with ADY at 6 g / l. in order to obtain reasonable growth, marketable flowering quality and quantity as well as higher productivity of corms and cormels.
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