Introduction: Skin prick test (SPT) is the most sensitive and reliable method of detecting the causative allergens and considered the gold standard method for allergy testing, it is also simple, quick and cheap. However it has an invasive nature requires multiple skin pricks, painful for children and difficult if skin diseases coexist. SPT can be affected by antihistaminics and corticosteroids. Hence, an immunoblotting technique as an alternative test for IgE determination has been developed, which is lesser invasive. Aim: To evaluate the immunoblot test by comparing it to SPT in diagnosis of allergic conjunctivitis. Patients and Methods: Immunoblot test was done for 32 patients clinically diagnosed as allergic conjunctivitis, either alone or associated with allergic rhinitis and / or bronchial asthma and who gave positive SPT with one or more of 11 natural allergenic extracts. Results: Overall diagnostic performance of immunoblot test in comparison to SPT for detection of all studied aeroallergens showed 27.5% sensitivity, 98.0% specificity, 97.0% positive predictive value, 33.2% negative predictive value and 46.2% diagnostic accuracy. Conclusion: Since immunoblotting technique has low sensitivity and high specificity, hence it can be used as confirmatory test secondary to SPT for diagnosis of causative allergens.

Background Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the interleukin 13 (IL13) gene are associated with vulnerability to allergic diseases, such as asthma and allergic conjunctivitis (AC). Periostin, as an IL13-induced protein, has emerged as a novel biomarker in several allergic diseases. Data among Egyptian patients are still scarce. Aim To find out the association of IL13 rs20541 gene polymorphism and serum levels of periostin with asthma and AC among Egyptian patients. Patients and Methods Eighty-one Egyptian allergic patients with asthma, AC, and both asthma and AC (27 each), were enrolled in this case–control study. Twenty-seven age and gender-matched healthy volunteers served as controls. All participants were tested for IL13 rs20541 SNP by real-time polymerase chain reaction, TaqMan method. Serum levels of periostin and IL13 were assessed by ELISA. Results Compared to healthy subjects, asthmatic patients had a higher frequency of the homozygous adenine/adenine (AA) genotype at IL13 rs20541 SNP (14.8% vs 3.7%) and a lower frequency of the guanosine/guanosine (GG) genotype (51.9% vs 55.6%), while AC patients had higher GG genotype (70.4% vs 55.6%) with no AA genotype detected, yet no significant difference was noticed (p = 7.053). A significantly higher serum periostin in asthmatic patients compared to controls was found (p = 0.005). Higher levels of serum periostin, although nonsignificant, were recorded in AC patients compared to controls (22.88 ± 10.01ng/mL and 17.51 ± 3.17ng/mL, respectively). Periostin was significantly higher in patients with IL13 AA and GA genotypes compared to those with GG genotype (p = 0.016). A significant positive correlation between serum periostin and serum IL13 among allergic patients was recorded (r = 0.352, p < 0.001). Conclusion Among Egyptian patients, serum level of periostin is significantly associated with asthma and positively correlates with IL13 level supporting its utility as a diagnostic biomarker. IL13 rs20541 gene polymorphism does not seem to play an obvious role in asthma and AC, which requires further evaluation.

Background: Staphylococcus aureus has a major role in different types of eye infections as conjunctivitis, keratitis, and endophthalmitis. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was almost restricted to hospitals, but its prevalence has been increased in people outside hospitals. The cell wall of Staphylococcus aureus has protein A which can bind to the Fc portion of IgG. This ptnA is encoded by surface protein A of Staphylococcus aureus (spa) gene that contains a highly polymorphic sequence which is composed of repeats of 24-bp. Sequence typing of the spa gene repeat region is used to study the epidemiology of MRSA. The purpose of this study was screening of MRSA strains among healthcare workers (HCWs) in the Hospital of the Research Institute of Ophthalmology (RIO), Giza, Egypt, and detecting spa gene in their DNAs by PCR. Results: In the present study, 81 samples from healthcare providers in the hospital of the Research Institute of Ophthalmology, Egypt, were screened for MRSA. Out of these 81 samples, 41 isolates (50.6%) were identified as coagulase-positive Staphylococcus aureus. Twelve staphylococcal isolates were resistant to both oxacillin and cefoxitin, and those were identified as MRSA with a percentage of 14.8% (12/81). Conventional PCR could detect spa gene in 10 out of 12 DNA MRSA with a percentage of 83.3% (10/12). Conclusion: In the present study, the prevalence of MRSA in HCWs was 14.8%. Since amplification of spa gene by PCR is a necessary preliminary step for spa typing of MRSA and since using different primers for spa gene amplification might affect PCR results, then proper selection of the primers and thermal cycling reaction conditions are recommended for PCR performance and spa typing.

The phytochemical screening of Citharexylum spinosum L. aerial parts resulted in the presence of flavonoids, tannins, carbohydrates and/or glycosides, triterpenes and/or sterols and saponins. The percentage of hydrocarbons and sterols in C. spinosum petroleum ether extract were 99.57 and 0.3%, respectively. In petroleum ether extract, saturated fatty acids (78.76%) and unsaturated fatty acids (9.14%) were found. Chromatographic fractionation of 80% aqueous, methanol and chloroform extracts of C. spinosum resulted in isolation of 10 compounds; β-Sitosterol, β-Sitosterol 3-O-β-Dglucopyranoside, Oleanolic acid, Gallic acid, Quercetin, 6-Methoxy acacetin 7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, Naringenin, Quercetin 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (Quercetrin), 1, 2, 6-tri-O-galloyl-β-D-glucopyranoside and Rutin. The antipyretic activity of aqueous methanolic residue using Brewer's yeast-induced pyrexia in rats was significant at dose 300 mg/kg. All tested samples had no analgesic activity. The major isolated compounds were quercetin and quercetrin, their biological activities, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities, were determined parallel to the extracts. It was found that the aqueous methanolic residue, chloroform extract, quercetin and quercetrin exerted significant antimicrobial activity. From 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) cell proliferation assay on A2780 human ovarian cell line, quercetrin showed moderate cytotoxic activity, whereas quercetin showed significant cytotoxic activity.

Background Liposomes have the ability to enclose hydrophilic or lipophilic materials. Bioactive macromolecules become more stable when they are entrapped within liposomes resisting environmental changes, allowing maintenance of the antimicrobial molecules and increasing their effectiveness and constancy thus can be used for food preservation. The aim of this study was to screen food samples for microbial contamination and to examine the antimicrobial activity of selected six ready-made plant oils which were; clove, black seed, thyme, garlic, rosemary and green tea against the isolated microbes from food samples and other selected microbes. Also to examine the possible enhancement of the antibacterial property of clove oil and tetracycline versus Escherichia coli when they were encapsulated into distearoyl phosphatidylcholine (DSPC) liposomes as a nanoscale carriers. Results of the antimicrobial action measured by minimum inhibitory concentration revealed that all six oils had antimicrobial action when facing at least one of the tested microbes. However only clove oil could inhibit the growth of all tested microbes. Moreover encapsulation of clove oil into DSPC liposomes enhanced its antibacterial action by 10 times when examined to inhibit the growth of E. coli. Also the antibacterial activity of liposome encapsulated tetracycline was improved by 8 times. Results of characterization of formulated clove oil liposomes by measuring their Zeta potential and their sizes implying that clove oil might be enclosed within the hydrophobic portion of the two layers of the liposome. Analyzing data of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy showed that clove oil was detected in the interfacial area of the liposome. Analyzing results of Differential scanning calorimetry and measuring phase transitions suggested that liposomes encapsulating clove oil had a membrane fluidization effect. Conclusion Some plant oils like clove has antimicrobial activity which enhanced with liposomal encapsulation and thus reduces the needed concentration to give the desired actions.