Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks allergies as the fourth most common chronic disease. Food allergie, defined as adverse immune reactions to food proteins, is an important public health problem that affects adults and children and may be increasing in prevalence.
The aim of our study is to present the biological profile of children consulting for food allergy problems.
Materials and methods: Retrospective descriptive study, spread over a period of 29 months. Concerning 177 children consulting for type I hypersensitivity problems at the CHU Ibn Rochd.
Results: 109 children (61.5%) had sensitization to at least one trophallergen. It was more frequent in boys than in girls (54% vs 46%) without statistically significant difference (p= 0.27). The most frequent food allergens in our series were: sesame 21.47%, cow’s milk 20.90%, egg white 19.21%, crab 18.08%, beef 16.38%, casein 12.43%. Total IgE was ordered for 46 patients with a median of 202.3 KU, L. 30 (65%) children had elevated total IgE and 16 (35%) children had normal total IgE, with an increase in median total IgE concentration with the number of specific IgE to which a child is sensitized.
Conclusion: Our study showed a high prevalence of sensitization to food allergens in children. Larger and more in-depth studies are needed to better understand the risk factors and mechanisms underlying food allergy in children in order to develop more effective and personalized prevention and treatment strategies.
Complement is part of the host’s natural defense mechanisms against pathogens. Its exploration is based in first intention on a quantitative evaluation of the C3 and C4 fractions by automated and standardized immunoassay techniques. Serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP) separates proteins into 6 fractions. The beta-2 globulin fraction contains complement C3-C4, the amplitude of which allows their quantification. In this context, we carried out a comparative study between the two assay techniques. We included all patients who had simultaneously received a weight determination of the C3 and C4 fractions by turbidimetry on a SPA Plus® automaton and an SPEP on a Capillarys Sebia® automaton over a period of one year. Our study demonstrated a positive correlation between these two methods with Pearson r=0.801, P-value<0.001. Studies have reported that SPEP can be used for the detection of hypocomplementemia by a decrease in the fraction of beta-2 globulins. In capillary electrophoresis (Capillarys Sebia®), beta-2 globulins contain almost exclusively complement. To date, our study is the first to seek the correlation between two electrophoretic and turbidimetric methods for the quantification of complement.
Introduction: Western-blot was the first technique used to confirm the presence of anti-HIV antibodies. We aim to analyze the different profiles of the HIV western-blot (WB) test and assess their association with the different clinical and immunological stages of infection.
Methods: Retrospective study included 688 cases of HIV infection confirmed by WB (HIV BLOT 2.2, MP Diagnostics), at the immunology medical analysis laboratory in collaboration with the infectious diseases department at the CHU Ibn Rochd, between January 2019 and December 2020. For the analysis of the results of the WB profiles, we adopted the interpretation criteria of the WHO (World Health Organization).
Results: HIV-1 complete profile (PC: GP160, GP120, P66, P55, P51, GP41, P39, P31, P24, P17) was noted in 41.52% of cases. While 58.04% presented an incomplete HIV-1 profile. P39 was missing in 42.98% of cases, compared to 25.73% for P17, and 28.07%, 15.78%, 7.6%, 6.43%, 1.46%, %0.73% for P55, GP 51, P66, P31, GP24, GP41 respectively. A statistically significant relationship between the clinically advanced stages of HIV infection and the absence of P17, P55 and P39 antibodies in the WB test has been determined.
Conclusion: WB profile during HIV infection may be useful in predicting the stages of HIV-positive patients in situations where the assay of CD4 count and viral load are not available.
We report two cases of patients with COVID-19. Clinical and biological features of the two patients confirm severe form of COVID-19 associated with cytokine storm. High levels of IL-6 and IL-17 were found. Unfortunately the patients died because of the multi-organ failure secondary to the cytokine storm. Cytokine storm is a systemic inflammatory syndrome which leads to aberrant release of cytokines. IL-6 is the most frequently reported cytokine to be increased in COVID-19 patients. Naïve T CD4+ cells in the presence of TGF β and IL-6 will differentiate into T helper 17 cells responsible for secreting IL-17A and IL-17F, which target macrophages, dendritic cells, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts to increase the production of cytokines. IL-6 and IL-17 have been shown to play a role in increasing risk of airway disease. They synergistically promote viral persistence by protecting virus-infected cells from apoptosis. Immune hyperactivation in cytokine storm amplified levels of cytokines that will have systemic effects and cause collateral damage to vital organ systems. Immunotherapy can play a crucial role in COVID-19 managing. Tocilizumab an anti-IL6 receptor antibody was used with clinical improvement. The possibility of inhibiting IL17 as therapy for COVID-19 should be also considered.
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