The Relationship Between ABO and Rh Blood Groups with Alopecia Areata

INTRODUCTION

Alopecia areata (AA) is a common non-scaring hair loss disease. Genetic susceptibility and environmental factors can develop the disease.

OBJECTIVES

We investigated the association between AA and ABO and Rh blood groups.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was done on 200 patients with AA and 200 healthy controls (HCs) between March 2021 and September 2021.

RESULTS

The prevalence of blood groups O, A, B, and AB in patients with AA was 30%, 30.5%, 10.5%, and 29%, respectively. A significant difference was detected between the two groups in the frequency of the ABO and ABO*Rh blood groups (p-value < 0.05). Compared to the HCs, the prevalence of the AB and AB+ blood group was higher in AA patients. No significant relationship was detected between sex, BMI, duration of disease, age at onset, severity of alopecia tool (SALT) score, hair loss pattern, and nail involvement with ABO and Rh blood groups (p-value > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the highest difference was related to the AB+ blood group, so compared to HCs, the AB+ blood group frequency was higher in patients with AA. However, more studies with larger sample sizes on different ethnicities should be performed to verify the results of this study.

Glucocorticosteroids do not impact directly growth rate and biomass of Rhizopus arrhizus (syn. R. oryzae) in vitro

Glucocorticoid (GC) use is a common risk factor for invasive fungal infections. This is attributed to the complex dysregulation of immunity caused by GCs. However, studies have demonstrated increased growth with GC exposure for some molds, such as Aspergillus fumigatus and Exserohilum rostratum. No such data exist for Mucorales. Therefore, we investigated the influence of GC exposure on the growth of Rhizopus arrhizus (syn. R. oryzae) in different culture media and in different atmospheres. We measured continuous spore growth using spectrophotometry and biomass variations using XTT assay. We did not observe enhanced growth or biomass variation with any of the GCs regardless of the medium or conditions. These results support the existence of fungus-specific differences in the effect of GCs on fungal biology.

Micafungin triggers caspase-dependent apoptosis in Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis biofilms, including caspofungin non-susceptible isolates

Candida biofilms play an important role in infections associated with medical devices and are resistant to antifungals. We hypothesized that the echinocandin micafungin (MICA) exerts an enhanced antifungal activity against caspofungin (CAS)-susceptible (CAS-S) and CAS-non-susceptible (CAS-NS) Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis which is at least in part through apoptosis, even in the biofilm environment. Apoptosis was characterized by detecting reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), DNA fragmentation, lack of plasma membrane integrity, and metacaspase activation following exposure of Candida biofilm to MICA for 3h at 37°C in RPMI 1640 medium. The minimum inhibitory concentration was higher for CAS (2.0-16.0 μg/mL) than for MICA (1.0-8.0 μg/mL) for Candida biofilms. Elevated intracellular ROS levels and depolarization of MMP was evident in CAS-S C. albicans (3.0-4.2 fold) and C. parapsilosis (4.8-5.4 fold) biofilms compared with CAS-NS (1.2 fold) after exposure to MICA (0.25x-1xMIC). Elevated intracellular ROS levels and depolarization of MMP was evident in CAS-S C. albicans (3.0-4.2 fold) and C. parapsilosis (4.8-5.4 fold) biofilms compared with CAS-NS (1.2 fold) after exposure to MICA (0.25x-1xMIC). Finally higher ß-1, 3 glucan levels were seen in sessile cells compared to planktonic cells, especially in CAS-NS strains. MICA treatment might induce a metacaspase-dependent apoptotic process in biofilms of both CAS-S C. albicans and C. parapsilosis, and to some degree in CAS-NS strains.

Ecological study of rotifers from Kor river, Fars, Iran

In the present study, water samples from 3 stations of Kor river, Iran were analyzed for seasonal fluctuation of physico-chemical parameters, i.e. air and water temperature, dissolved oxygen, BOD, COD, total nitrogen, total hardness, pH, alkalinity, acidity, total dissolved solid and water current. Effect of physico-chemical parameters on surface water density of rotifers was also studied. During one year study 13 species of rotifers belonging to 2 classes and 3 orders, 6 families and 10 genera were recognized. Maximum population density belongs to Lecane luna and the minimum population density was observed in Keratella valga and Monostyla lunaris. An inverse relationship between the population density of rotifera and the water current as wall as a direct relationship between the water temperature and the population density of rotifers was observed in all sampling stations and throughout the study period.

A rapid and sensitive method for screening of chitinase inhibitors using Ostazin Brilliant Red labelled chitin as a substrate for chitinase assay

AIMS

The development of a simple, rapid and sensitive method for the screening of chitinase inhibitors using Ostazin Brilliant Red labelled chitin as a substrate for chitinase assay.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The colloidal substrate prepared from the Ostazin Brilliant Red labelled chitin was used in the estimation of chitinase activity with and without the addition of potential chitinase inhibitor. The dye labelled N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) released because of hydrolysis of the substrate was measured spectrophotometrically at 530 nm. The release of dye labelled GlcNAc from the colloidal Red chitin was proportional to the chitinase activity measured using other methods. The activities measured using acid swollen chitin and -Red chitin were comparable in the range 0.1-0.5 U ml(-1). The addition of chitinase inhibitor(s) (1000 ppm) proportionally reduced the release of dye labelled GlcNAc from the substrate in the reaction mixture.

CONCLUSIONS

The assay for chitinase activity measuring the release of dye-labelled GlcNAc was simple, rapid and sensitive. There was no need to measure GlcNAc using a separate colorimetric method.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The method provides a simple, one-step procedure for quantitative estimation of total chitinolytic activity and for screening of endochitinase and/or N-acetylglucosaminidase inhibitors acting singly or in combination. The method has a great potential in developing medium throughput procedure for the screening of chitinase inhibitors using 96-well plate reader.