Fatema T. Elgengehy

Therapeutic antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of laser acupuncture on patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The laser acupuncture has many potential therapeutic effects. Currently, they are not evaluated for their therapeutic effects on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of laser acupuncture on the oxidative and antioxidative markers, as well as the inflammatory markers and disease activity of RA patients.

The role of microRNA-31 and microRNA-21 as regulatory biomarkers in the activation of T lymphocytes of Egyptian lupus patients

Abstract Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by familial aggregation and genetic predisposition. MicroRNAs (MiRNAs) serve as critical biomarkers in lupus patients because of their aberrant expression in different SLE stages. The study aimed to investigate the correlation of miR-31 and miR-21 with IL-2 in SLE patients as regulatory biomarkers in the activation of T lymphocytes of Egyptian lupus patients. Quantitative RT-PCR is carried out to estimate the expressions of miR-31 and miR-21, and IL-2 levels were determined using ELISA in plasma of 40 patients with SLE, 20 of their first-degree relatives and 20 healthy controls. The study also determined the systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI) score and proteinuria in SLE patients. The results revealed that miR-31 was lower expressed, while miR-21 was high expressed in SLE patients compared to their first-degree relatives and controls. MiR-31 was negatively correlated with SLEDAI and proteinuria in lupus patients, while miR-21 showed positive correlation with them. Also we found that there is a significant positive correlation between miR-31 and IL-2 in SLE patients, while miR-21 was negatively correlated with IL-2 level in patients. In conclusion, the study disclosed a significant association between miR-31 and miR-21 expression with IL-2 level in SLE patients. The regulatory biomarkers of miR-31 and miR-21 might have an impact on regulating IL-2 pathway expression and in turn on the activation of T lymphocytes in SLE.

Association of VDR ApaI and TaqI Gene Polymorphisms with the Risk of Scleroderma and Behçet’s Disease

ABSTRACT Vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms have been reported in autoimmune diseases. However, their role in Behçet’s disease (BD) and scleroderma remains inconclusive. Our aim was to evaluate vitamin D receptor (ApaI, TaqI) gene polymorphisms in relation to Behçet’s disease and scleroderma in Egyptians. The study was conducted on 54 patients with BD, 30 scleroderma patients, and 60 healthy control subjects. VDR (ApaI, TaqI) gene polymorphisms were investigated using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique. The “a” allele of ApaI (A/a) polymorphism was significantly associated with increased BD risk (OR = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.18–3.71, p = 0.011), while the TaqI “tt” genotype was significantly lower in BD patients as compared to control subjects (OR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.13–0.9, p = 0.026). Carriage of “aT” VDR haplotype was significantly associated with higher BD risk (OR = 2.28, 95% = 1.14–4.56, p = 0.022). In conclusion, our findings suggest that VDR gene polymorphisms have a significant association with BD in Egyptian patients.

Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 rs17576 Gene Polymorphism and Behçet’s Disease: Is There an Association?

ABSTRACT Background: Clinical studies have reported a significant association between matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), particularly (MMP-9), and inflammatory diseases including Behçet’s disease (BD). Purpose: To study the relationship between MMP-9 rs17576 gene polymorphism and the development of BD, and its relation to disease activity among Egyptian patients. Methods: A total of 100 BD patients and 100 healthy control volunteers were genotyped for MMP-9 rs17576 polymorphism with polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), followed by the confirmation of our results in random subgroups using direct DNA sequencing technique. Results: The frequency of the GG genotype and G allele was significantly higher in BD patients as compared to the normal controls (p = 0.011, OR 8.61; p = 0.03, OR 1.65, respectively). There was no significant association between the MMP-9 rs17576 polymorphism and the clinical outcomes of BD. Conclusion: our study suggests a significant association of the MMP-9 rs17576 A/G polymorphism with increased risk of BD development in Egyptian patients.

Growth Differentiation Factor-15 (GDF-15) Level and Relation to Clinical Manifestations in Egyptian Systemic Sclerosis patients: Preliminary Data

ABSTRACT Aim of the work: This study aims to assess Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) level in Scleroderma patients and its relation to disease manifestations. Patients and methods: This study included 55 scleroderma patients and 40 age and sex matched healthy volunteers. All patients were subjected to full history taking, thorough clinical examination, and laboratory investigations. GDF-15 serum levels were analyzed in patients and controls using human GDF-15 immunoassay Quantikine ELISA kit. Results: The GDF-15 serum level was significantly higher in Systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients in comparison to healthy control individuals, p-value = 0.004. In addition, the GDF-15 serum levels increased in a significant way in patients with diffuse SSc than those with limited SSc, p = 0.026. Also, we had discovered a significant positive correlation between serum GDF-15 levels and the modified Rodnan score of the SSc patients, r = 0.442, p = 0.001 and a significant association was found between high GDF-15 level and SSc patients with interstitial pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) as compared to healthy controls (p = 0.002). However, no significant difference was found between SSc patients without IPF and healthy subjects regarding GDF-15 level (p = 0.106). Conclusion: GDF-15 serum levels were elevated in patients with SSc and correlated with the extent of skin fibrosis, and it was found to be higher in SSc patients with IPF. Such results may suggest a pivotal role of GDF-15 in fibrotic changes in SSc, and GDF-15 could be a treatment target in SSc patients in future.

HLA Class I in Egyptian patients with Behçet’s disease: new association with susceptibility, protection, presentation and severity of manifestations

ABSTRACT Introduction: Behçet’s disease is an autoimmune disease with diverse clinical manifestations with vasculitis being the hallmark of the disease. The aim of this work is to study the genetic association between human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class-I molecules of Egyptians with Behçet’s disease and the disease susceptibility and clinical patterns. Methods: Fifty-seven patients diagnosed with Behçet’s disease according to the 1990 International Study Group (ISG) criteria for Behçet’s disease coming from Egyptian origin up to the third grandfather were included in the study. Healthy controls were taken from HLA Class-I case control studies in Egyptian population yielding a pool of 221 healthy controls. HLA Class-I typing for patients was done using Reverse Sequence specific oligonucleotide probes (rSSO). Results: Male patients represented 89% of the sample. Mean age of onset was 25.81 (± 6.7) years and mean disease duration was 9.47 (± 7.4) years. Behçet’s disease was associated with HLA-A*24 and HLA-B*42 (p = 0.001) and highly associated with HLA-A*68 and B*15 and B*51 (p < 0.001). While HLA A*03 and B*52 were protective for Behçet’s (p = 0.002 and 0.007). Interestingly, HLA-B*51 and HLA-A*68 (p = 0.005 and 0.023) were associated with the blinding eye disease. HLA-B*51 was protective from Neurological and vascular involvement (p = 0.005 and 0.032, respectively). Conclusion: Behçet’s disease is associated with HLA Class-I A*24, A*68 and B*15, B*42 and B*51 in Egyptian patients while A*03 and B*52 were found to be protective. Interestingly, HLA B*51 and A*68 could be considered as poor prognostic factor for eye involvement.

AB0556 HLA Revisited in Egyptian Patients with Behçet's Syndrome:New Associations of Hla Alleles with Susceptibility, Protection, Presentation and Severity of The Disaese

Background Behçets syndrome is a multisystem autoimmune syndrome that has a male predominance. Its manifestations usually start in the young adulthood with target organ damage affecting mainly the skin, eyes, Brain and blood vessels (1) Objectives The aim of the study was to investigate HLA class I genotyping in a cohort of Egyptian patients with Behçets syndrome and comparing them with HLA genotyping in healthy population (control group) to estimate possible association between HLA and syndrome susceptibility as well as syndrome presentations. Methods Fifty-seven Egyptian patients with Behçets syndrome fulfilling the International study group criteria for Behçets syndrome(2) were recruited from the Rheumatology department, Cairo University teaching hospitals.HLA class I genotyping was done for all patients via sequence specific oligonucleotides probes at the National Cancer Institute. HLA class I genotyping data of normal control group was obtained from case control studies done on Egyptian population with a total of 221 individual. (3–4) Results The studied 57 patients were divided into 50 males and 7 females. The mean age of patients was 35.28±9.73 years with mean disease duration of 9.26±7.36 years. The main clinical features were oral ulcers (100%), genital ulcers (100%), eye involvement (54%) neurological involvement (29%) and vascular involvement (36%) furthermore (33%) had bilateral visual acuity ≤6/60 fulfilling the diagnosis of legal blindness. Certain HLA genotypes were significantly associated with susceptibility for Behçets syndrome, the odds ratio (OR) for HLA-A68 was 8.4 (CI=2.9–25.9), HLA-B15 was 6.7 (CI=2.9–15.6), HLA-B51 was 6.6 (CI=3.4–13.0), HLA-A24 was 4.0 (CI=1.5–10.2) and HLA-A2 was 2.1 (CI=1.1–3.8). On the other hand HLA A3 genotype was found to be significantly protective with odds ratio of 0.003 (CI=0.01–0.6). HLA B51 was significantly associated with ocular disease with odds ratio of 3.47. Furthermore HLA B51 was associated with legal blindness with a significant odds ratio of 5.21. Conclusions HLA A68, B15, B51, A24 and A2 are associated with Behçets syndrome susceptibility in the present cohort of Egyptian patients and A3 was found to be protective. HLA B51 is associated with ocular involvement and more important the blinding eye disease and can be considered as a poor prognostic marker for ocular disease. References Yazici, H., Seyahi, E., & Yurdakul, S. (2008). Behcets syndrome is not so rare: why do we need to know?. Arthritis & Rheumatism, 58(12), 3640–3643. Weichsler, B., Davatchi, F., Mizushima, Y., Hamza, M., Dilsen, N., Kansu, E.,Lehner, T. et al. (1990). Criteria for diagnosis of Behçets disease. Lancet, 335(8697), 1078–1080. El-Hagrassy, N., El-Chennawi, F., Zaki, M. E. S., Fawzy, H., Zaki, A., & Joseph, N. (2010). HLA class I and class II HLA DRB profiles in Egyptian children with rheumatic valvular disease. Pediatric cardiology, 31(5), 650–656. Mosaad, Y. M., Farag, R. E., Arafa, M. M., Eletreby, S., El-Alfy, H. A., Eldeek, B. S., & Tawhid, Z. M. (2010). Association of Human Leucocyte Antigen Class I (HLA-A and HLA-B) With Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Egyptian Patients. Scandinavian journal of immunology, 72(6), 548–553. Disclosure of Interest None declared