1
|
Abdelwahab B, Ahmed GSM, El-Ghazaly M, Zoulfakar A, Salem SM, Bashter II, Mostafa AG. Performance of Iron Phosphate Glass Containing Various Heavy Metal Oxides for Particulate Nuclear Radiation Shielding. Curr Radiopharm 2024; 17:CRP-EPUB-137076. [PMID: 38192131 DOI: 10.2174/0118744710271477231105075516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Employees may be exposed to different kinds of ionizing radiation at work. When ionizing radiation interacts with human cells, it can cause damage to the cells and genetic material. Therefore, one of the scientists' primary objectives has always been to create the best radiation-shielding materials. Glass could offer promising shielding material resulting from the high flexibility of composition, simplicity of production, and good thermal stability. MATERIALS AND METHODS The melt-quenching technique was used to create a glass having the following formula: 50%P2O5+20%Na2O+20%Fe2O3+10%X, where X = As2O3, SrO, BaO, CdO, and Sb2O3 mol %. The impact of the different heavy metal additions on the structure of the glass networks was studied using FTIR spectroscopy. Glass's ability to attenuate neutrons and/or charged particles has been theoretically investigated. The performance of the developed glass as a shield was examined by a comparison against commercial glass (RS 253 G18), ordinary concrete (OC), and water (H2O). RESULTS For charged particle radiations (Electrons, Protons, and Alpha), the shielding parameters like the mass stopping power, the projected range, and the effective atomic number were evaluated, where S5/Sb glass achieves the best performance. In the case of Neutrons, the results values reveal that S3/Ba glass ( Σ! = 0.105) is the best-modified glass for neutron shielding. CONCLUSION Among all the investigated glasses, S5/Sb glass composition has a smaller range and provides superior protection against charged particles. In contrast, the S3/Ba glass composition is a superior choice for shielding against neutron radiation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bassem Abdelwahab
- Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - G S M Ahmed
- Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - M El-Ghazaly
- Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - A Zoulfakar
- Egyptian Meteorological Authority, Cairo, Egypt
| | - S M Salem
- Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - I I Bashter
- Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - A G Mostafa
- Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hanafy AS, Embaby A, Salem SM, Behiry A, Ebrahim HA, Elkattawy HA, Abed SY, Almadani ME, El-Sherbiny M. Real-Life Experience in the Efficacy and Safety of COVID-19 Vaccination in Patients with Advanced Cirrhosis. J Clin Med 2023; 12:7578. [PMID: 38137646 PMCID: PMC10744263 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12247578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 infections accelerate liver decompensation and serious liver-related co-morbidities. The aim is to evaluate the safety and impact of COVID vaccines on hepatic disease progression in patients with advanced liver disease and to identify parameters that predict the occurrence of complications. The study involved 70 patients with advanced liver disease who were vaccinated with different COVID vaccines from January 2021 to April 2022. They were evaluated clinically. The laboratory investigation included a complete blood count, liver and kidney function tests, calculation of CTP and MELD scores, plasma levels of ammonia, abdominal ultrasound, and upper GI endoscopy. Twenty patients had experienced complications 64 ± 12 days from the last dose of a vaccination. Twenty patients (28.6%) developed hepatic decompensation and hypothyroidism (n = 11, 15.7%), and five (7.14%) patients developed splanchnic thrombosis. There were no COVID-19 reinfections except for two patients who received Sinopharm and developed vaccine-associated enhanced disease (2.9%). Complications after COVID vaccinations were correlated with ALT (r = 0.279, p = 0.019), serum sodium (r = -0.30, p = 0.005), creatinine (r = 0.303, p = 0.011), liver volume (LV) (r = -0.640, p = 0.000), and MELD score (r = 0.439, p = 0.000). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that LV is the only independent predictor (p = 0.001). LV ≤ 682.3 has a sensitivity of 95.24% and a specificity of 85.71% in predicting complications with an AUC of 0.935, p < 0.001. In conclusion, the hepatic reserve and prognosis in liver cirrhosis should be evaluated prior to COVID vaccinations using the MELD score and liver volume as promising risk stratification criteria. In summary, the research proposes a novel triaging strategy that involves utilizing the MELD score and liver volume as risk stratification parameters of the hepatic reserve and prognosis of advanced liver cirrhosis prior to COVID immunization to determine who should not receive a COVID vaccination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amr Shaaban Hanafy
- Internal Medicine Department, Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt; (A.S.H.); (S.M.S.)
| | - Ahmed Embaby
- Clinical Hematology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt;
| | - Sara Mohamed Salem
- Internal Medicine Department, Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt; (A.S.H.); (S.M.S.)
| | - Ahmed Behiry
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Endemic Diseases, College of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt;
| | - Hasnaa Ali Ebrahim
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Hany Ahmed Elkattawy
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, AlMaarefa University, Riyadh 11597, Saudi Arabia;
- Medical Physiology Department, College of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
| | - Sally Yussef Abed
- Department of Respiratory Care, College of Applied Medical Science in Jubail, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Jubail 34212, Saudi Arabia;
- Tropical Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Moneer E. Almadani
- Department of Clinical Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, AlMaarefa University, Riyadh 11597, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Mohamad El-Sherbiny
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, AlMaarefa University, Riyadh 11597, Saudi Arabia;
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Basha OM, Hafez RA, Salem SM, Anis RH, Hanafy AS. Impact of gut Microbiome alteration in Ulcerative Colitis patients on disease severity and outcome. Clin Exp Med 2023; 23:1763-1772. [PMID: 36344781 PMCID: PMC10460709 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-022-00917-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ulcerative colitis is a heterogeneous disease in terms of disease course, location, and therapeutic response. The current study was done to assess the alteration of the gut microbiome in UC patients and its relationship to severity, response to therapy, and outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS The study included 96 participants who were divided into a case group (n = 48, recent onset, treatment naive ulcerative colitis patients who were subdivided into mild, moderate, and severe subgroups based on Truelove-Witts and endoscopic severity) and a healthy control group (n = 48). All were subjected to a thorough history, clinical examination, colonoscopy, routine laboratory tests, and quantitative real-time PCR to quantify Bacteroides, Lactobacilli, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Veillonella, and Hemophilus in fecal samples at baseline and 6 months after treatment. RESULTS Bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed a significant reduction in the phylum Firmicutes in UC patients, with a significant predominance of the phylum Bacteriodetes. F. prausnitzii and lactobacilli were inversely proportional to disease severity, whereas Bacteroides, Hemophilus, and Veillonella were directly proportional to it. Six months after therapy, a statistically significant increase in F. prausnitzii and lactobacilli was observed, with a decrease in the levels of other bacteria. Lower baseline F. praustinizii (< 8.5) increased the risk of relapse; however, lower ESR (< 10), lower post-treatment CRP (< 6), lower Bacteroides (< 10.6) indefinitely protect against relapse. CONCLUSION The gut microbiome of recently diagnosed UC showed lower levels of Lactobacilli, Faecalibacterium, and higher levels of Bacteroides and Veillonella, and the change in their levels can be used to predict response to therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Osama Mohammed Basha
- Internal Medicine Department, Hepatogastroenterology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, 40- Mostafa Fouad Street, Sharkia, Zagazig, 44519, Egypt
| | - Raghda A Hafez
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Sara Mohamed Salem
- Internal Medicine Department, Hepatogastroenterology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, 40- Mostafa Fouad Street, Sharkia, Zagazig, 44519, Egypt
| | - Reham H Anis
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Amr Shaaban Hanafy
- Internal Medicine Department, Hepatogastroenterology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, 40- Mostafa Fouad Street, Sharkia, Zagazig, 44519, Egypt.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Perez MT, Bucholz E, Asimacopoulos E, Ferraro AM, Salem SM, Schauer J, Holleman C, Sekhavat S, Tworetzky W, Powell AJ, Sleeper LA, Beroukhim RS. Impact of maternal social vulnerability and timing of prenatal care on outcome of prenatally detected congenital heart disease. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2022; 60:346-358. [PMID: 35061294 DOI: 10.1002/uog.24863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Early prenatal detection of congenital heart disease (CHD) allows mothers to plan for their pregnancy and delivery; however, the effect of certain sociodemographic and fetal factors on prenatal care has not been investigated thoroughly. This study evaluated the impact of maternal and fetal characteristics on the timing of prenatal diagnosis of CHD and fetal and postnatal outcomes. METHODS This retrospective multicenter cohort study included women with a fetal echocardiographic diagnosis of CHD between 2010 and 2019. Women were grouped into quartiles of social vulnerability (quartiles 1-4; low-high) using the 2014 social vulnerability index (SVI) provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A fetal disease severity score (range, 1-7) was calculated based on a combination of CHD severity (mild = 1; moderate = 2; severe, two ventricles = 3; severe, single ventricle = 4 points) and prenatally diagnosed genetic abnormality, non-cardiac abnormality and fetal hydrops (1 point each). Late diagnosis was defined as a fetal echocardiographic diagnosis of CHD after 24 weeks' gestation. Univariate and multivariable regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with late diagnosis, termination of pregnancy (TOP), postnatal death, prenatal-postnatal discordance in CHD diagnosis and severity and, for liveborn infants, to identify which prenatal variables were associated with postnatal death or heart transplant. RESULTS Among 441 pregnancies included, 94 (21%) had a late diagnosis of CHD. Late diagnosis was more common in the most socially vulnerable quartile, 38% of women in this group having diagnosis > 24 weeks, compared with 14-18% in the other three quartile groups. Late diagnosis was also associated with Catholic or other Christian religion vs non-denominational or other religion and with a lower fetal disease severity score. There were 93 (21%) TOP and 26 (6%) in-utero fetal demises. Factors associated with TOP included early diagnosis and greater fetal disease severity. Compared with the other quartiles, the most socially vulnerable quartile had a higher incidence of in-utero fetal demise and a lower incidence of TOP. Among the 322 liveborn infants, 49 (15%) died or underwent heart transplant during the follow-up period (range, 0-16 months). Factors associated with postnatal death or heart transplant included longer delay between obstetric ultrasound examination at which CHD was first suspected and fetal echocardiogram at which CHD was confirmed and greater fetal disease severity. CONCLUSIONS High social vulnerability, Catholic or other Christian religion and low fetal disease severity are associated with late prenatal CHD diagnosis. Delays in CHD diagnosis are associated with fewer TOPs and worse postnatal outcome. Therefore, efforts to expedite fetal echocardiography following abnormal obstetric screening, particularly for at-risk women (e.g. those with high SVI), have the potential to impact pregnancy and postnatal outcome among the prenatally diagnosed CHD population. © 2022 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M T Perez
- Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - E Bucholz
- Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - E Asimacopoulos
- Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - A M Ferraro
- Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of General Surgery and Surgical Specialties 'Paride Stefanini', Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - S M Salem
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - J Schauer
- Department of Pediatrics, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - S Sekhavat
- Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - W Tworetzky
- Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - A J Powell
- Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - L A Sleeper
- Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - R S Beroukhim
- Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
El-Osaily HH, Ibrahim IH, Essawi ML, Salem SM. Impact of miRNAs expression modulation on the methylation status of breast cancer stem cell-related genes. Clin Transl Oncol 2021; 23:1440-1451. [PMID: 33433838 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-020-02542-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Altered miRNAs play a crucial role in the emergence of the breast cancer stem cell (BCSC) phenotype. The interplay between miRNAs and methylation enzymes has been documented. One of the most aggressive breast cancer cell lines, MDA-MB-231, has expressed much more DNMT3B than DNMT3A. This study aims to evaluate the ability of miR-203 restoration and miR-150 inhibition to regulate DNMT3B and DNMT3A to modify the methylation level of BCSC-associated genes. METHODS MDA-MB-231 cells were transfected with miR-203 mimic or miR-150 inhibitor or DNMT3B siRNA, and downstream analysis was performed by flow cytometry, real-time PCR and Western blotting. RESULTS DNMT3A and DNMT3B are regulated both by miR-203a-3p and miR-150-5p. Transfection with miR-203 mimic and miR-150 inhibitor significantly reduced the CD44+CD24- subpopulation and down-regulated the expression of CD44 mRNA by increasing promoter methylation levels. SiRNA knockdown of DNMT3B increased the CD44+CD24- subpopulation and the expression of CD44 and ALDH1A3 by decreasing methylation density. The inhibition of miR-150 down-regulated OCT3/4 and SOX2 expression without affecting methylation levels, while miR-203 restoration and miR-150 inhibition down-regulated NANOG expression by elevating the methylation level. A positive-feedback loop was found between miR-203 and its target DNMT3B, as restoring miR-203 suppressed DNMT3B, while knocking down DNMT3B up-regulated miR-203. The restoration of miR-203 and knockdown of DNMT3B decreased methylation levels and increased the expression of miR-141 and miR-200c. CONCLUSIONS The study concluded that miR-203 and miR-150 play a role in the regulation of genes involved in BCSC methylation, including other miRNAs, by targeting DNMT3B and DNMT3A.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- H H El-Osaily
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ahram Canadian University, 4th industrial region, 6th of October City, 12585, Giza, Egypt.
| | - I H Ibrahim
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11651, Egypt
| | - M L Essawi
- Medical Molecular Genetics Department, National Research Centre, Giza, 12622, Egypt
| | - S M Salem
- Molecular Genetics and Enzymology Department, National Research Centre, Giza, 12622, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|