Writing for publication: Argument and evidence

The rules for writing a research report are well defined but novice writers need more clarification on writing scholarly scientific papers for publication. The purpose of this paper is to enable novice writers to confidently apply the skills of scientific writing to the development of a scholarly paper for publication. We highlight the importance of having a clearly defined question or clarity in focus before moving on to consider the components of a scholarly paper including, the question, thesis, introduction, body, discussion, conclusion and finally, an abstract.

Serum IL-21 level in patients with pemphigus: Before and after treatment

Interleukin-21 (IL-21) is believed to play a pathogenic role in the development of pemphigus. Our aim was to assess serum IL-21 levels in pemphigus patients before and after treatment. Twenty patients with pemphigus (pemphigus group) and 10 healthy controls (control group) were enrolled. Patients were assessed clinically using the Pemphigus Disease Area Index (PDAI) at presentation and 2 months after treatment. Serum samples were collected to measure serum IL-21 levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), at presentation and after 2 months of treatment. The mean age of the participants was 41.9 ± 13.5 years (7 men and 13 women). The PDAI score at presentation was 37.35 ± 14.206, which decreased significantly after treatment to 11.70 ± 6.729 (P-value <.001). On the other hand, serum IL-21 levels increased after treatment (589.03 ± 131.86 ng/L at first presentation vs 627.10 ± 304.05 ng/L after treatment: P-value .444). No significant correlation was found between the PDAI severity scores and serum IL-21 levels at the first presentation or 2 months after treatment.

Combined microneedling with topical application of platelet-rich plasma versus microneedling alone in the treatment of stria distensae: clinicopathological analysis

Background: Striae distensae (SD) are common skin conditions.Objectives: This study was done to test the hypothesis that 'the use of microneedling (MN) before platelet-rich plasma (PRP) application will allow for deeper penetration and therefore, augment its efficacy in the treatment of SD.'Patients and methods: Forty patients with SD were divided into (i) Group I, the patients were treated with MN only, and (ii) Group II, the patients were treated with combined MN-PRP. The clinical improvement was evaluated by two dermatologists. Skin biopsies were obtained before and after therapy to examine immunohistological changes.Results: As compared to the use of MN alone, therapy with combined MN-PRP was associated with: (i) a marked to the excellent improvement of the skin lesions of SD, (ii) a more significant deposition of collagen and elastic fibers, (iii) increased proliferative activity in the epidermis, and (iv) a decreased caspase-3 protein expression values in the epidermis.Conclusions: This study proved that the combined MN-PRP is more effective than MN alone for the treatment of the lesions of SD. The underlying molecular mechanisms are open for future studies.

Evaluation of reference values of standard semen parameters in fertile Egyptian men

The reference values of human semen, published in the WHO's latest edition in 2010, were lower than those previously reported. The objective of this study was to evaluate reference values of standard semen parameters in fertile Egyptian men. This cross-sectional study included 240 fertile men. Men were considered fertile when their wives had recent spontaneous pregnancies with time to pregnancy (TTP) ≤12 months. The mean age of fertile men was 33.8 ± 0.5 years (range 20-55 years). The 5th percentiles (95% confidence interval) of macroscopic semen parameters were 1.5 ml for volume and 7.2 for pH. The 5th percentiles of microscopic parameters were 15 million/ml for sperm concentration, 30 million per ejaculate for total sperm count, 50% for total motility, 40% for progressive motility, 62% for vitality, 4% for normal sperm forms and 0.1 million/ml for seminal leucocyte counts. In conclusion, fertile Egyptian men had higher reference values of sperm total motility, progressive motility and vitality, and lower reference values for total sperm counts as compared to those determined by the latest edition of the WHO laboratory manual in 2010. Other semen parameters were identical to those defined by the WHO 2010 manual.

Low Glutathione Peroxidase Activity Levels in Patients with Vitiligo

Background

Vitiligo is an idiopathic skin disease characterized by white areas on the skin due to loss of the functional melanocytes, with possible involvement of oxidative stress. Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) is an antioxidant enzyme that protects cells against oxidative damage.

Aim

To examine serum GPx levels in patients with vitiligo and to relate the findings to the clinical features.

Patients and Methods

The study group included 60 patients with vitiligo and 30 matching healthy controls. GPx activity was evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

We found a significant decrease in serum GPx activity level in the patients with vitiligo compared to the healthy controls (0.29 ± 0.14 versus 0.47 ± 0.13, p < .001). The levels were significantly low in skin phenotypes III and IV ( p < .001). Higher levels were also observed with increasing age (≥ 14 years), prolonged disease duration (≥ 3 years), and generalized and extensive vitiligo (<50%). However, these variations were statistically insignificant.

Conclusions

Low levels of serum GPx activity, indicative of a disturbed oxidant-antioxidant system, may contribute to the development of vitiligo.

Lesional skin vascular endothelial growth factor levels correlate with clinical severity in patients with cement allergic contact dermatitis

Allergic contact dermatitis to cement is a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction in which cytokines interferon-gamma (IEN-y) and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) may be involved in persisting erythema and oedema. VEGF and IFN-gamma levels in serum and skin lesions were measured in 32 Egyptian building workers with chronic allergic contact dermatitis due to occupational exposure to cement and 20 healthy controls. Dermatitis patients had significantly higher levels of serum and lesional skin VEGF and IFN-gamma than controls. A significant positive correlation was found between tissue VEGF and the eczema area and severity index (EASI) score in dermatitis patients (r = 0.86). VEGF and IFN-gamma may play a role in the pathogenesis of cement allergic contact dermatitis.

Cigarette smoking, hypertension and diabetes mellitus as risk factors for erectile dysfunction in upper Egypt

Erectile dysfunction impairs the quality of life of millions of men worldwide. This study aims to determine the relationship between selected clinical risk factors and erectile dysfunction in men residing in upper Egypt. Patients were surveyed with the 5-item International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) and assessed for the presence of hypertension, diabetes and smoking. Of 658 men with erectile dysfunction, 17.3% had hypertension, 21.4% had diabetes and 40.1% were smokers, whereas among 821 age-matched controls without erectile dysfunction, the corresponding figures were 2.8%, 3.7% and 28.7%. Multivariate analysis showed that hypertension (OR = 5.4), diabetes mellitus (OR = 5.4) and smoking (OR = 3.1) were significant risk factors for erectile dysfunction.

Soluble Fas and gonadal hormones in infertile men with varicocele

OBJECTIVE

To assess gonadal hormones in serum and semen as well as seminal antiapoptotic factor; soluble fibroblast associated (sFas) in infertile men associated with scrotal varicocele.

DESIGN

Prospective.

SETTING

Academic setting.

PATIENTS

Eighty-eight males: fertile healthy controls (Gr1, n = 12), fertile normozoospermia with varicocele (Gr2, n = 31), and infertile oligoasthenozoospermia with varicocele (Gr3, n = 45).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Serum and seminal gonadal hormones: follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin (PRL), and testosterone (T), in addition to seminal sFas.

RESULTS

There were significant higher mean levels of serum FSH, serum, and seminal LH with significant lower seminal T levels in cases of Gr3 compared with Gr2. Mean seminal sFas in Gr3 were significantly higher than its levels in Gr1 and 2 (mean +/- SE 8.34 +/- 0.36 vs. 6.8 +/- 0.53 and 6.06 +/- 0.39 ng/mL, respectively). Nonsignificant differences between serum and seminal gonadal hormones were elicited between Gr2 and controls. Seminal sFas in various varicocele grades demonstrated nonsignificant differences. There were significant positive correlations between seminal sFas with serum FSH, serum LH, semen FSH, sperm abnormal forms percentage, and significant negative correlations with sperm concentration and sperm motility.

CONCLUSION(S)

sFas could play a role in germ cell apoptosis in varicocele-associated cases.

Cytokines in leprosy, II. Effect of treatment on serum cytokines in leprosy

BACKGROUND

Multidrug therapy (MDT) causes a decrease in the bacterial burden in leprosy patients. Does the decrease in the antigenic stimulation of the immune system have an effect on cytokine production?

METHODS

The effect of treatment on serum cytokines was evaluated in 36 leprosy patients and 35 reactional leprosy patients and compared with that in 20 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique was used to measure serum levels of interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) before and after treatment. These cytokines represent T-helper 1 (TH1), T-helper 2 (TH2), and macrophage cytokines, respectively.

RESULTS

The studied serum cytokines were significantly reduced after 1 year of treatment in leprosy patients. The degrees of reduction were significantly positively correlated with a reduction in the bacterial index (BI) and morphologic index (MI). After 1 year of MDT (but not 6 months), paucibacillary (PB) patients showed a significant reduction in all the studied serum cytokines to levels comparable with those of healthy controls. Multibacillary (MB) patients also showed a significant reduction in all the studied serum cytokines, but the levels were still significantly higher than those of healthy controls. Leprosy patients with high levels of serum IL-1beta were more susceptible to the development of reactions after the initiation of treatment. Corticosteroid therapy of reactional patients resulted in a significant reduction in the studied serum cytokines to levels similar or lower than those of nonreactional leprosy patients. The dose of steroids showed a significant positive correlation with the amount of decrease in IL-1beta.

CONCLUSIONS

MDT caused a reduction in serum cytokines correlated with a reduction in the bacterial burden. It is advisable to continue MDT for PB patients for 1 year. Serum IL-1beta levels may have a prognostic value for the susceptibility of leprosy patients to the development of reactions.

Cytokines in leprosy, I. Serum cytokine profile in leprosy

BACKGROUND

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease characterized by a broad spectrum of clinical forms depending on the patient's immune response, in particular cell-mediated immune response.

METHODS

Cytokines can play a role in the cell-mediated immune response. Serum levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 55 untreated leprosy patients and 35 reactional leprosy patients, in addition to 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.

RESULTS

Leprosy patients showed significantly higher serum levels of the studied cytokines (except IL-2) compared with healthy controls. When the two poles were compared, tuberculoid leprosy (TT) patients showed significantly higher levels of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha with significant negative correlations with the bacterial index (BI), whereas lepromatous leprosy (LL) patients showed significantly higher serum levels of IL-2R, IL-10, and IL-1beta with significant positive correlations with the BI. Both type I and type II reactional patients showed significantly higher serum IFN-gamma, IL-2R, and IL-1beta, in addition to IL-10 in type II reactional patients, compared with nonreactional leprosy patients. When compared with each other, type I reactional patients showed increased levels of IFN-gamma, whereas type II reactional patients showed increased levels of IL-10.

CONCLUSIONS

In leprosy patients, both IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha are immunoprotective, whereas IL-2R, IL-10, and IL-1beta are immunosuppressive. Our results indicate that type I reaction, with increased levels of IFN-gamma, is a cell-mediated immune response, whereas type II reaction, with increased levels of IL-10, is essentially an immune complex disease.