BACKGROUND: Vitiligo is a depigmenting skin disorder in which genetic factors play an important role. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of CYP2C9 *1/*2/*3 gene polymorphism with vitiligo. METHODS: In this case controlled study, 95 Saudi patients with vitiligo (50 men and 45 women), with a mean age of 27.3 years, were analyzed. Patients were compared to 86 healthy controls from the same locality (76 men and 10 women), with a mean age of 20.1 years. In all participants, DNA was extracted and processed for characterization of 2C9 *1/*2/*3 gene variants using real time-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Vitiligo patients have a significantly higher CYP2C9 *3 allele carriage rate compared to controls (32.7% versus 4.7%, p=0.00, odds ratio=9.9, 95% confidence interval=3.3~29.6). On the other hand, frequencies of CYP2C9 *2 genotypes and alleles did not show any significant difference between vitiligo cases and controls. When the frequencies of CYP2C9 genotypes were compared among subgroups of age, gender, family history, and disease patterns, the cases with positive consanguinity had significantly higher frequencies of homozygous genotypes than others (p=0.029). CONCLUSION: CYP2C9 *3 allele carriage is probably associated with vitiligo susceptibility.
Alleles ; Case-Control Studies ; Consanguinity ; DNA ; Genotype ; Hand ; Humans ; Male ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Skin ; Vitiligo*

The complement cascade is a central component of innate immunity which plays a critical role in brain inflammation. Complement C3a receptor (C3aR) is a key mediator of post-ischemic cerebral injury, and pharmacological antagonism of the C3a receptor is neuroprotective in stroke. Cerebral ischemia injures brain endothelial cells, causing blood brain barrier (BBB) disruption which further exacerbates ischemic neuronal injury. In this study, we used an in vitro model of ischemia (oxygen glucose deprivation; OGD) to investigate the protective effect of a C3aR antagonist (C3aRA, SB290157) on brain endothelial cells (bEnd.3). Following 24 hours of reperfusion, OGD-induced cell death was assessed by TUNEL and Caspase-3 staining. Western blot and immunocytochemistry were utilized to demonstrate that OGD upregulates inflammatory, oxidative stress and antioxidant markers (ICAM-1, Cox-2, Nox-2 and MnSOD) in endothelial cells and that C3aRA treatment significantly attenuate these markers. We also found that C3aRA administration restored the expression level of the tight junction protein occludin in endothelial cells following OGD. Interestingly, OGD/reperfusion injury increased the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and C3aR inhibition significantly reduced the activation of ERK suggesting that endothelial C3aR may act via ERK signaling. Furthermore, exogenous C3a administration stimulates these same inflammatory mechanisms both with and without OGD, and C3aRA suppresses these C3a-mediated responses, supporting an antagonist role for C3aRA. Based on these results, we conclude that C3aRA administration attenuates inflammation, oxidative stress, ERK activation, and protects brain endothelial cells following experimental brain ischemia.
Blood-Brain Barrier ; Blotting, Western ; Brain Ischemia ; Brain ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Death ; Complement C3a ; Complement System Proteins ; Encephalitis ; Endothelial Cells ; Glucose ; Immunity, Innate ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; In Vitro Techniques ; Inflammation ; Ischemia ; Neurons ; Occludin ; Oxidative Stress ; Phosphorylation ; Reperfusion ; Stroke ; Tight Junctions

Aims: This study was aimed to screen indigenous medicinal plants for their antibacterial potential against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Methodology and results: Three indigenous plants (Nigella sativa, Zingiber officinale and Calotropis procera) and thymoquinone were screened for antibacterial activity against MRSA, isolated from septic wounds of patients admitted to Mayo Hospital Lahore, Pakistan. Isolated bacteria were screened for methicillin and cefoxitin resistance by the Kirby-Bauer method, followed by mecA gene-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Confirmed MRSA was processed for antibacterial activity of plant extracts and thymoquinone followed by cytotoxicity assay of plant extract having least minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value. Out of total samples (n=100), S. aureus (29%), MRSA (26%) and vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA) (21.7%) isolates were recovered based on morphology, biochemical profile and antibiotic susceptibility testing. Nigella sativa showed the highest antibacterial activity (10.06 ± 6.53 mm) against MRSA followed by Z. officinale (4.06 ± 3.72 mm) and C. procera (3.65 ± 3.33 mm) in comparison to standard thymoquinone (17.93 ± 10.14 mm). The least MIC value recorded was for Z. officinale at 36.89 ± 3.75 μg/mL. Zingiber officinale was the most effective antibacterial agent, followed by N. sativa and C. procera and non-toxic for eukaryotic cells at all tested concentrations (1500 μg/mL to 2.92 μg/mL). Conclusion, significance and impact of study It was concluded that Z. officinale may be used as an effective alternative for treating septic wound infection in local or topical preparations. As pathogenic S. aureus is becoming life-threatening among antibiotic-resistant bacteria and traditional plants are in used for centuries to treat septic wound infections.
Plants, Medicinal ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus--isolation & ; purification ;

This report describes an approach to recover SARS-CoV-2 RNA from rapid antigen test kit (RTK-antigen) cassettes for whole-genome sequencing (WGS). RNA samples were recovered from 33 RTK-antigen cassettes for WGS, with 18 samples achieving more than 80% genome coverage. This work provides a proof-of-concept that positive RTK-antigen cassettes can be safely transported, stored and subjected to WGS, enabling swift identification of circulating variants.