MicroRNAs (miRNAs), family of non-coding small RNAs, play a vital role in the regulation of blood glucose level. We aimed to investigate the relation of serum miRNA-126 expression with impaired glucose tolerance as well as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with and without complications. One hundred healthy controls, eighty-six patients with IGT, and one hundred patients with T2DM were recruited in this study. Serum miRNA-126 expression was assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. We found a significant decrease of serum miRNA-126 expression between IGT patients as well as diabetic patients when both compared with controls and between diabetic patients compared to IGT patients. A significant decrease of serum miRNA-126 expression was detected in diabetic patients with complications compared to those without evident complications especially those with diabetic macrovascular complications and diabetic retinopathy. Serum microRNA-126 expression could be a good marker for diagnosis of IGT and T2DM as well as for monitoring the outcomes of such disease.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune inflammatory neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that disrupts the myelin sheath, leading to dysfunction of the brain and spinal cord. No curative treatment is known for MS. Mesenchymal stem cells, through their immunomodulatory effects, represent a promising therapeutic approach for MS. The aim of this article is to explore the impact of human adiposederived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) on chronic experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model of MS when injected after a disease entered an irreversible clinical course. Forty-one female albino rats were classified into the following groups: I: control, II: EAE-untreated, III and IV: EAE treated with PBS at 15 and 25 days postimmunization (dpi), respectively, V and VI: EAE treated with ASCs at 15 and 25 dpi, respectively. Intravenous administration of ASCs at 15 or 25 dpi significantly ameliorates the disease course and decreases the immune cell infiltration, vascular congestion and axonal loss of the gray and white matters of cerebral cortex. ASCs treatment induced a Th2 shift of the immune response and downregulation of IL-17 levels. We also found an engraftment of the ASCs into the lymph nodes and the brains up to 25 days after injection. The important finding was that human HLA-G gene was significantly expressed in lymph nodes and brains of rats treated with ASCs. Transplantation of human ASCs has demonstrated striking therapeutic effects and unique immunomodulatory capacities when delivered at the peak or later in the course of the disease in EAE rats. Interestingly, ASCs injection at the peak of EAE had better effects Conflict of interest: Nothing to report.

Identification of the genetic basis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may contribute to the discovery of effective drugs before renal involvement. Our aim of this study was to estimate the association between Fc gamma receptor (FcγR) polymorphisms and SLE and renal involvement in Egyptian patients. FcγRIIB and FcγRIIA R131H gene polymorphisms were genotyped in 180 Egyptian adults. Genotyping for FcγRIIA R131H was performed using allele-specific PCR and FcγRIIB-Ile232 Thr polymorphism was genotyped using polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The study showed that the homozygous genotype (Thr/Thr) of FcγRIIB significantly increased in all SLE patients (90 patients) and in SLE patients complicated with nephritis (61 patients). The Thr allele was significantly associated with an increased risk of the disease in all the patients and in patients complicated with nephritis. Our study demonstrated an association of FcγRIIB polymorphisms with SLE and lupus nephritis and a lack of association of FcγRIIA polymorphisms with SLE in the Egyptian patients.

Early detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most important factor in deciding its prognosis, so the need to develop an accurate screening test is a must. P-element induced wimpy testis (PIWI) RNA-823 (piR-823) is one of the first piRNAs recognized to be linked to malignancy. We aimed to investigate the expression levels of piR-823 in both serum and tissues of colorectal cancer patients and the ability to use its serum level as a non-invasive diagnostic biomarker to detect colorectal cancer. We determined piR-823 expression levels in 84 serum samples of CRC patients, 75 serum samples of healthy controls, and biological specimens obtained from the 84 patients with colorectal cancer from both the tumor tissues and the normal neighboring tissues using quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-PCR. We showed that piR-823 had significantly higher serum and tissue expression levels in CRC patients compared to the controls. We observed a significant positive correlation between piR-823 serum levels and the staging of CRC, with significantly higher levels exhibiting advanced stages of CRC (III and IV). This translates into poorer differentiation and lymph node metastasis. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) test showed 83.3% sensitivity and 89.3% specificity at a cut-off value of >5.98-fold change, with an area under the curve of 0.933 (p < 0.0001) concerning the ability of piR-823 in diagnosing patients with colorectal carcinoma. piR-823 expression is upregulated in colorectal cancer patients’ serum and tissues, and it can be used as a diagnostic noninvasive biomarker for CRC.

No abstract

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common intestinal disorder. The pathophysiology of IBS may involve an altered intestinal microbiota. Recent studies have shown that alterations in microRNA (miRNA) levels have affected IBS and its subtypes. We aimed to compare both the count of Coliform and serum level of miRNA-199b between patients with IBS and healthy controls and to find the relationship between the Coliform and miRNAs in patients with IBS. Patients with IBS were classified into three subgroups based on their predominant bowel pattern as defined by Rome III criteria. Quantitative culture of Coliform and determination of serum miRNA-199b expression level by quantitative real-time PCR in IBS group versus healthy controls were performed. There was a significant increase in the count of Coliform in patients with IBS and its different subtypes when compared with healthy controls. There was a significant decrease of serum miR-199b expression level in patients with IBS and its different subtypes when compared with healthy controls with the highest level (1.9 6 0.53 log scale) in healthy controls and lowest one (0.71 6 0.27 log scale) in IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D) subtype. Moreover, there was a negative correlation between the count of Coliform and the serum miRNA-199b expression level in IBS. This study reported that there was a significant increase in the count of Coliform and a decrease in the serum miRNA-199b expression level. In addition, there was a negative correlation between them in patients with IBS and its different subtypes when compared with healthy controls. V C 2016 IUBMB Life, 68(5): [335][336][337][338][339][340][341][342] 2016

No abstract

Background: Acrylamide (ACR) is a naturally occurring, widely used compound. Ingestion of large amounts of ACR underlies several health concerns and teratogenicity. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is a strong reducing agent greatly used to clean free radicals. This study investigated the morphometric, histological, immunohistochemical and biochemical disturbances induced by acrylamide (10 mg/kg/day) via gavage in the intestine of rat mothers and their offsprings. As well as, the protective role of ascorbic acid (100 mg/kg/day) via gavage. Materials and Methods: Forty adult pregnant female rats were divided into four groups; control, ascorbic acid, acrylamide and acrylamide+ascorbic acid. 10 randomly chosen offsprings of each group after weaning were also used. Histomorphometric analysis of intestinal wall and biochemical analysis of intestinal enzymes, oxidant antioxidant markers and some genes expression were performed. Results: In both dams and offsprings, ACR resulted in mucosal hyperplasia with evident inflammatory infiltration in the villi. In addition, goblet cells and KI67 +ve cell numbers decreased in the dams however increased in offsprings. ACR decreased citrate synthase, glutathione and catalase levels in dams and increased β-glucuronidase and malonaldehyde levels in dams. In offsprings, level of alkaline phosphatase was reduced and β-glucuronidase was elevated. Glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase mRNA expression was increased significantly with ACR ingestion. Ascorbic acid supplementation conserved the control status in the majority of conditions. Conclusion: Acrylamide consumption during pregnancy and lactation is risky because of the induction of intestinal mucosal hyperplasia in rat offsprings. Ascorbic acid supplementation could reduce the harmful effects induced by ACR.