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Introduction Neonatal sepsis can quickly progress to multi-organ failure with high morbidity and mortality, making early diagnosis mandatory. Although being the gold standard, the long duration of blood culture may lead to hazardous neonatal complications. Sepsis activates monocytes and changes their subset distribution with the resultant activation of lymphocytes and adaptive immune cells changing the plasma cytokines levels. Subjects and Method Percentages of monocytes subsets, pattern of monocytes surface CD86 expression and serum IL-17 compared to serum procalcitonin were measured in 30 neonates with early sepsis and compared with age and sex matched 30 apparently health neonates as a control group. Results Gestational age, neonatal weight and hemoglobin concentration were significantly low in septic neonates vs the control group. Percentages of intermediate, nonclassical and CD86 positive monocytes, the mean fluorescence intensity of CD16 on CD16 positive monocytes, and serum levels of CRP, IL-17 and procalcitonin were significantly increased in septic neonates compared with the control group. Conclusion Early neonatal sepsis was associated with increasing the percentage of CD86 positive monocytes. Serum IL-17 levels were positively correlated with increased serum procalcitonin.

Background Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play an important role in activation of innate and adaptive immune responses. Aim We aimed to detect the association between TLR2 rs5743708 G>A and TLR9 rs5743836 C>T variants and COVID-19 disease susceptibility, severity, and thrombosis by using neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Subjects and Methods We included 100 adult COVID-19 patients as well as 100 age- and gender-matched normal controls. Participants were genotyped for TLR2 rs5743708 and TLR9 rs5743836. Citrullinated Histone (H3) was detected as an indicator of NETs. Results The mutant (G/A and C/C) genotypes and (A and C) alleles of TLR2 rs5743708 and TLR9 rs5743836, respectively, have been significantly related to a higher risk of COVID-19 infection, representing a significant risk factor for the severity of COVID-19. There was no significant association between the two variants and citrullinated histone (H3). Conclusion TLR2 rs5743708 and TLR9 rs5743836 variants have been significantly related to a higher risk and severity of COVID-19 infection but had no effect on thrombus formation.

Background: Post Transfusion hepatitis B viral infection is a major problem even after adoption of mandatory screening test, HBsAg by ELISA test in blood banks. In Egypt, HBsAg is the only HBV screening test of blood donors in most bloods banks. However HBsAg negative blood donors does not rule out the risk of transmission of hepatitis B, as the donor may be in the 'window period' or has a mutant strain. During this period, detection of the antibody to the hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) IgM type is a useful serological marker. Objective: this study aimed to evaluate the significance of screening anti-HBc IgM for HBsAg negative blood donors to reduce the risk of transfusion transmitted HBV infection in Egypt. Methodology: Four hundred HBsAg negative blood donors were randomly selected from Al-Zahraa University hospital blood bank, for further screening by anti-HBcIgM by ELISA test, then positive samples for anti-HBcIgM were tested for HBV DNA by PCR. Results: Nine (2.25%) out of selected 400 samples were positive for anti-HBcIgM, and 4 (1%) out of these 9 samples Conclusion: Anti HBcAg IgM screening test should be implemented as an additional screening test for blood donors in Egypt, to improve transfusion safety as it is an indicator of occult HBV during window period.

Background. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is considered a major global public health problem. Recently, there are great advances in HCV therapy, but there are some limitations that are creating an urgent need for assessment of some cytokines that have a potent antiviral effect in the immune system and anti-inflammatory effects to provide a potential novel immunotherapeutic target in HCV infection. Objective. This study was directed to assess the serum levels and gene expression levels of Galectin-4 (LEG4), Interleukin-27 (IL-27), and Complement-7 (C-7) and their correlation with the viral load in HCV infection. Subjects and Methods. This work was conducted on 80 subjects, Group 1 ( n = 40 ) early detected HCV patients and Group 2 ( n = 40 ) healthy controls. LEG4, IL-27, and C-7 were assessed at the protein levels by ELISA, and their gene expression was assessed by RT-qPCR. The viral load was measured by PCR. Results. There were significant elevations in the mean levels of gene expression and serum levels of all studied parameters LEG4, IL-27, and C-7 in the HCV group compared to the control group. Significant negative correlations between the viral load and each of the serum proteins and gene expressions of both LEG4 and IL-27 in HCV patients were found. The gene expression levels of LEG4, IL-27, and C-7 were positively correlated with their corresponding serum proteins in HCV patients.Conclusion. LEG4 and IL-27 showed significant negative correlations with the viral load, which could be an immune response to the control of the extent of hepatic inflammation, thus creating a potential novel immunotherapeutic approach in HCV infection for further studies or therapeutic clinical trials.