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Background: Oropharyngeal candidiasis is an alarming sign that may indicates a serious systemic disorder, especially in immunocompromised individuals who face the drastic side effects of the in market antifungal drugs. This increases the need for developing effective and safe natural products. Objectives: to evaluate the in vitro activities of both Fenugreek and Ginger rhizome extracts and to compare their effects with nystatin and fluconazole antifungals against Candida species. As far as we know, this is the first study to compare between the anti-candida activity of both extracts. Methodology: Different species of Candida were isolated from patients suffering from oropharyngeal candidiasis. The antifungal effects of methanolic extracts of Fenugreek and Ginger rhizome were tested using disc diffusion method. Each extract was added to both nystatin and fluconazole discs to measure the presence of synergistic effects. Results: Highly significant synergism was detected between both extracts and fluconazole. Ginger rhizome extract was more potent than Fenugreek extract. Conclusion: When used in combination with fluconazole, Fenugreek and Ginger rhizome extracts are promising, safe and effective anti-Candida agents.

Background: Until now, there is a need for novel tools helping the prompt diagnosis tuberculosis (TB). Objective: This study aims to explore the extent of CD27 expression on ESAT-6 & CFP-10 antigen-specific CD4+ T cells as a recent biomarker for rapid diagnosis of active pulmonary TB in Egypt. Methodology: Based on IFN-γ+ expression, ESAT-6 & CFP-10 antigen-specific CD4+ T cells were identified and the CD27 expression was analyzed for 60 M. tuberculosis-infected patients and 20 healthy controls. Results: The present data, in fact, displayed that patients with pulmonary TB had significantly lowered CD27 expression than healthy controls (P <0.001). The persistent active TB patients had much lesser percentages of CD27+ T cells than culture-positive recently infected TB patients (P =0.014) and healthy controls (P< 0.001). On evaluating the diagnostic performance of CD27 expression, it has been declared that at a cutoff value of 43.64%. CD27 had a sensitivity, specificity, positive predicted value (PPV), and negative predicted value (NPV) 86.7%, 100%, 100%, 71.4% respectively, for discrimination between patients with TB from healthy subjects. Conclusion: Thereby, proportion of CD27+ antigen-specific CD4 T cells could be used as an immunological marker for active TB.