Urinary bladder cancer is a common malignancy in Egypt, thus reliable methodologies are required for screening and early detection. In this study, we analyzed the gene expression of a Schistosoma hematobium specific microRNA “Sha-miR-71a” and mitogen-associated protein kinase-3 (MAPK-3) in the urine samples of 50 bladder cancer patients and 50 patients with benign bilharzial cystitis. Fifty control subjects were also tested. Indirect hemagglutination test (IHA) diagnosed 70% of studied cancer cases as bilharzial associated bladder cancer (BBC), while histopathological examination detected only 18%. Urinary Sha-miR-71a & MAPK-3 revealed enhanced expression in BBC (p-value = 0.001) compared to non-bilharzial bladder cancer (NBBC) cases. Patients with chronic bilharzial cystitis exhibited a significant increase in gene expression compared to those with acute infection (p-value = 0.001). Sha-miR-71a and MAPK-3 showed good sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of BBC when analyzed by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. They were also prognostic regarding malignancy grade. Both biomarkers showed a positive correlation. Our results revealed that IHA is a reliable test in the diagnosis of bilharziasis associated with bladder cancer, and that Sha-miR-71a and MAPK-3 provide non-invasive specific biomarkers to diagnose BBC, as well as a potential role in testing bilharzial patients for risk to develop cancer.

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Background and aim Human parechovirus (HPeV) has emerged as a pathogen associated with acute gastroenteritis (AGE). Aim To detect the presence of HPeV in the stool samples from Egyptian children with AGE seeking care and the possibility of its co-infection with other enteric viruses. Methodology One hundred stool samples were collected from children attending Mansoura University Children's Hospital with AGE. HPeV and astrovirus were detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). At the same time, detection of rotavirus antigen and norovirus was achieved by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and rapid immunochromatographic method, respectively. Results The most frequently detected virus was rotavirus (39%), followed by norovirus (27%), HPeV (19%), and astrovirus (12%). Interestingly, the single infection with HPeV was 5%. Among the 19 HPeV positive samples, the co-infection of HPeV with other enteric viruses was detected in 9(43.9%) for rotavirus, 7(36.8%) for norovirus, 2(10.5%) for astrovirus, in 3(15.8%) for rotavirus and norovirus and 1(5.3%) for norovirus and astrovirus. Regarding the clinical presentation, there was no significant difference between children infected with HPeV alone and those infected with viruses other than HPeV alone; fever (p = 0.3), vomiting (p = 0.12), abdominal pain (p = 0.12), and grades of severity (P = 0.82). HPeV alone infected children were of mild severity (60%), and their main presenting symptom was fever (60%). Conclusions Detection of HPeV as a single viral pathogen in the stool of some children with AGE showed that this virus could be a causative agent of AGE in Egyptian children. Therefore, HPeV could be included as one of the viruses screened for AGE diagnosis in children in Egypt.

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Objective Was to evaluate effect of clove, turmeric and garlic nano-herbal extracts on surface roughness and microhardness of demineralized dentin, and their bactericidal effect on Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus with or without diode laser irradiation. Methods Three 5% nano-formulas were prepared and characterized using transmission electron microscope. MI paste Plus™ was used as control. A total of 100 specimens of demineralized dentin were prepared and treated with 3 W-power diode laser; then, the different tested materials for 10-min before the surface roughness and Vickers microhardness tests were conducted. Eighty coronal cavities were prepared (1-mm diameter × 2-mm depth). Cavities were inoculated with the tested materials with S. mutans or S. sobrinus bacteria, with or without diode laser irradiation for 20-s. Colony-forming unit method was used for counting the viable bacteria. Data were explored for normality using Kolmogorov–Smirnov and Shapiro–Wilk tests and showed parametric distribution for the surface roughness and microhardness tests, and non-parametric distribution for the bactericidal activity test. Results The herbal formulas had a significant surface roughness and microhardness mean values. It showed a significant antimicrobial effect on the tested bacteria. When they were combined with diode laser, they showed a significantly higher antimicrobial effect. Conclusions The tested herbal formulas represent potent topical remineralizing and antibacterial agents especially when they are used in conjunction with diode laser irradiation.