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Cryptosporidium is a significant cause of diarrhea worldwide especially in children. Infection may end fatally in immunocompromised patients. Multi-attribute analysis was used to determine the lab utility of 4 diagnostics; coproscopy of AF stained fecal smear, fecal immunoassays by ICT and ELISA and copro-nPCR assay targeting Hsp90 gene, for detection of Cryptosporidium in stool of 250 Egyptian children (150 diarrheic and 100 nondiarrhaeic children). Also, to determine Cryptosporidium molecular prevalence. Cryptosporidium was an important enteric pathogen among both diarrheic and non-diarrheic study children with a clearly high prevalence of 16.4 % (n = 41). Conventional methods had perfect specificity (100 %) but couldn't be used as a consistent single detection method due to their lowered sensitivities. Multiattribute analysis ranked nPCR the highest test for lab use. Being the test with the best diagnostic yield, nPCR is a reliable diagnostic test and is going to replace conventional methods for reliable detection of Cryptosporidium.

Background: Toxoplasmosis during pregnancy is known for inducing variable serious outcomes. In many previous studies, pregnancy was evaluated as a single event while in reality; it has different distinct immunological stages depending on gestational time and possible external factors as infectious agents. A state of immunological balance as well as a state of maternal-fetal tolerance should be established; otherwise, atypical unwelcomed outcomes might occur as a result of such infection Aim: This work aimed to study the gene expression profile of some pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokines in Toxoplasma seropositive cases Results: All studied cytokines were significantly upregulated in group I, with a remarkable bias towards IFN-γ, denoting a predominant inflammatory state in group I. In group II; tested cytokines were approximately in a balanced state with a little shift towards anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10 and TGF-β). A significant positive correlation was detected between pro-inflammatory together (p = 0.002, r = 0.96) and between anti-inflammatory cytokines together (p = 0.0008, r = 0.99) in group II, indicating the harmonized and synchronized expression of both pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokines. In group III, IL-10 was relatively higher with negative correlation with IFN-γ (p = 0.006, r = 0.93), indicating the possible role of IL10 in saving some of the pregnancies' outcomes in group III. Conclusion: The present study suggests a potential role of these cytokines in the upcoming prognostic or/and therapeutic concerns of toxoplasmosis among pregnant women.

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