Background: Blastocystis spp. is a unique enteric parasite commonly found in the intestines of humans and animals. In humans, prevalence up to 60% has been reported in tropical, subtropical, and developing countries. Currently 26 subtypes (STs) of Blastocystis have been described based on sequence analysis, 9 were reported in humans. Objectives: The aim of the work was to determine the different genotypes of Blastocystis spp. in symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals in Alexandria city, Egypt. Subjects and Methods: Examination of 100 stool samples was performed to detect Blastocystis collected from patients complaining of gastrointestinal (GI) disturbances and asymptomatic individuals. PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (PCR-RFLP) and sequencing of amplified products was performed for Blastocystis subtyping. Results: Out of 47 fecal samples positive only for Blastocystis spp. by microscopy, 39 patients presented with symptoms and 8 were asymptomatic participants. Blastocystis small subunit rRNA (SSU rRNA) was successfully amplified from 27 samples; 24/39 symptomatic and 3/8 asymptomatic. Among symptomatic patients, four STs were identified; ST3 was the most common (55%) followed by ST1 (20%), ST4 (15%) and ST2 (10%). While ST2 and ST4 were identified only in patients having GI symptoms, ST1 and ST3 were found in both symptomatic and asymptomatic participants. Amplicons of 7 samples from symptomatic patients were not digested after incubation with the restriction enzymes and could not be genotyped. Conclusion:Genotyping of Blastocystis spp. from fecal samples revealed the presence of four different subtypes: ST1, ST2, ST3 and ST4 with predominance of ST3. No statistically significant association could be observed between Blastocystis STs and clinical presentation of the studied subjects.RFLP analysis of Blastocystis spp.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play regulatory roles in several diseases. In schistosomiasis, the main pathological changes are caused by the granulomatous reaction induced by egg deposition. We aimed to study the changes in host miRNA-223 and miRNA-146b expression in relation to egg deposition and development of hepatic pathology in murine schistosomiasis mansoni. Blood and liver tissue samples were collected from non-infected mice (group I), S. mansoni–infected mice at the 4th, 8th, and 12th weeks post-infection (p.i.) (groups II–IV), and 4 weeks after praziquantel treatment (group V). The collected samples were processed for RNA extraction, reverse transcription, and real-time PCR analysis of miRNA-223 and miRNA-146b. miRNAs’ relative expression was estimated by the ΔΔCt method. Liver tissue samples were examined for egg count estimation and histopathological evaluation. Results revealed that miRNA-223 was significantly downregulated in liver tissues 8 and 12 weeks p.i., whereas miRNA-146b expression increased gradually with the progression of infection with a significantly higher level at week 12 p.i. compared to week 4 p.i. Serum expression levels nearly followed the same pattern as the tissue levels. The dysregulated expression of miRNAs correlated with liver egg counts and was more obvious with the demonstration of chronic granulomas, fibrous transformation, and distorted hepatic architecture 12 weeks p.i. Restoration of normal expression levels was observed 4 weeks after treatment. Collectively, these findings provide new insights for in-depth understanding of host-parasite interaction in schistosomiasis and pave a new way for monitoring the progress of hepatic pathology before and after treatment.

The absence of Egypt’s adoption of clear urban policies has exacerbated urban development issues, including urban poverty. Drawbacks witnessed during the implementation of such policies emphasized the inevitability of their assessment within what Egypt is currently adopting as part of its national urban policy preparations. The research overviews the various aspects related to this issue based on analytical and descriptive methods to evaluate the Egyptian and selected worldwide experiences in this field, according to a set of principles and criteria that contribute to drawing conclusions to deal with the repercussions of this phenomenon and its impact on urban and economic dimensions, etc., In order to formulate basic considerations for the formulation of Egypt's urban development policies to deal with urban poverty, to ensure the formulation of adaptive mechanisms and urban governance. Future research in this article will examine how to achieve coordination and complementarity among the concerned organizations in the formulation of urban policies in order to overcome the constraints related to the implementation and implementation of policies. One of the most important innovations in this area is the initiation of work on the formulation of urban policies on specific development issues such as urban poverty... and other issues and challenges facing Egypt's urban development.