Brucellosis is among the most prevalent zoonotic infections in Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) countries, critically impacting human and animal health. A comprehensive review of studies on antibiotic susceptibility and therapeutic regimes for brucellosis in ruminants and humans in the MENA region was conducted to evaluate the current therapeutic management in this region. Different scientific databases were searched for peer-reviewed original English articles published from January 1989 to February 2021. Reports from research organizations and health authorities have been taken into consideration. Brucella melitensis and Brucella abortus have been reported from the majority of MENA countries, suggesting a massive prevalence particularly of B. melitensis across these countries. Several sporadic cases of brucellosis relapse, therapeutic failure, and antibiotic resistance of animal and human isolates have been reported from the MENA region. However, several studies proved that brucellae are still in-vitro susceptible to the majority of antibiotic compounds and combinations in current recommended World Health Organization (WHO) treatment regimens, for example, levofloxacin, tetracyclines, doxycycline, streptomycin, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, gentamicin, tigecycline, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. The current review presents an overview on resistance development of brucellae and highlights the current knowledge on effective antibiotics regimens for treating human brucellosis.

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a simple, powerful state-of-the-art gene amplification technique used for the rapid diagnosis and early detection of microbial diseases. Many LAMP assays have been developed and validated for important epizootic diseases of livestock. We review the LAMP assays that have been developed for the detection of 18 viruses deemed notifiable of ruminants, swine and poultry by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). LAMP provides a fast (the assay often takes less than an hour), low cost, highly sensitive, highly specific and less laborious alternative to detect infectious disease agents. The LAMP procedure can be completed under isothermal conditions so thermocyclers are not needed. The ease of use of the LAMP assay allows adaptability to field conditions and works well in developing countries with resource-limited laboratories. However, this technology is still underutilized in the field of veterinary diagnostics despite its huge capabilities.

This work aimed to investigate whether treatment with the antidiabetic drug metformin would affect adenine-induced chronic kidney disease (CKD) in non-diabetic rats and rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes. Rats were randomly divided into eight groups, and given either normal feed, or feed mixed with adenine (0.25% w/w, for five weeks) to induce CKD. Some of these groups were also simultaneously treated orally with metformin (200 mg/kg/day). Rats given adenine showed the typical signs of CKD that included detrimental changes in several physiological and traditional and novel biochemical biomarkers in plasma urine and kidney homogenates such as albumin/creatinine ratio, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, 8-isoprostane, adiponectin, cystatin C, as well as plasma urea, creatinine, uric acid, indoxyl sulfate, calcium, and phosphorus. Several indices of inflammation and oxidative stress, and renal nuclear factor-κB and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 levels were also measured. Histopathologically, adenine caused renal tubular necrosis and fibrosis. The activation of the intracellular mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway was inhibited in the groups that received metformin and STZ together, with or without adenine induced-CKD. Induction of diabetes worsened most of the actions induced by adenine. Metformin significantly ameliorated the renal actions induced by adenine and STZ when these were given singly, and more so when given together. The results suggest that metformin can be a useful drug in attenuating the progression of CKD in both diabetic and non-diabetic rats.

Chemokines are important in the development and progression of tumors. We investigated the expression of CXCL14 and CXCL16 in colon cancer. Expression of mRNA was assessed in primary tumors and lymph nodes and CXCL16 mRNA levels were correlated to patient’s survival. Protein expression was investigated by two-color immunofluorescence and immunomorphometry. CXCL14 and CXCL16 mRNA levels and protein expression were significantly higher in colon cancer primary tumors compared to apparently normal colon tissue. Positive cells were tumor cells, as revealed by anti-CEA and anti-EpCAM staining. CXCL16, but not CXCL14, mRNA levels were significantly higher in hematoxylin and eosin positive (H&E(+)) compared to H&E(−) colon cancer lymph nodes or control nodes (P < 0.0001). CXCL16 mRNA was expressed in 5/5 colon cancer cell lines while CXCL14 was expressed significantly in only one. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that colon cancer patients with lymph nodes expressing high or very high levels (7.2 and 11.4 copies/18S rRNA unit, respectively) of CXCL16 mRNA had a decreased mean survival time of 30 and 46 months at the 12-year follow-up (P = 0.04, P = 0.005, respectively). In conclusion, high expression of CXCL16 mRNA in regional lymph nodes of colon cancer patients is a sign of a poor prognosis.

The highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) subtype H5N1 threatens animal and human health worldwide. Susceptibility of pigeons to HPAIV (H5N1) and their role in avian influenza virus transmission to domestic birds and humans remain questionable. In this study, an outbreak in domestic pigeons (1 to 18 months old) with 50% mortality was investigated. Pigeons exhibited nervous manifestations and greenish diarrhoea. Necropsy of the naturally infected pigeons revealed congestion of the internal organs, particularly the lungs and brain. The HPAIV subtype H5N1 designated A/Pigeon/Egypt/SHAH-5803/2011 was isolated from a 40-day-old pigeon. Sequencing of the haemagglutinin gene showed it to be closely related to viruses in group 2.2.1/C. Intravenous inoculation of the isolate in chickens induced 100% mortality within 2 days post inoculation and the intravenous pathogenicity index was 2.7. Virus pathogenicity and transmissibility was determined experimentally in 6-week-old domestic pigeons. Thirty per cent of pigeons inoculated oronasally with 10⁶ median embryo infective dose showed congested beak, conjunctivitis, depression, and greenish diarrhoea. A mortality rate of 10% was recorded preceded by severe neurologic signs consisting of torticollis, incoordination, tremors, and wing paralysis. Pathological examination revealed a friable brain tissue and congested meningeal blood vessels. The lungs appeared oedematous and severely haemorrhagic. Subepicardial and petechial haemorrhages on the coronary fat were observed. Both infected and contact pigeons shed virus via the oropharynx and cloaca. To our knowledge, this is the first description and characterization of HPAIV in naturally infected pigeons in Egypt. Our findings reveal that pigeons can indeed be susceptible to H5N1 HPAIVs and could be a source of infection to other birds and humans.

The utility of mRNA and protein determinations of G protein-coupled receptor 35, that is, GPR35a (GPR35 V1) and GPR35b (GPR35 V2/3), as indicators of outcome for colon cancer patients after curative surgery was investigated. Expression levels of V1 and V2/3 GPR35, carcinoembryonic antigen and CXCL17 mRNAs were assessed in primary tumours and regional lymph nodes of 121 colon cancer patients (stage I–IV), colon cancer cell lines and control colon epithelial cells using real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Expression of G protein-coupled receptor 35 was investigated by two-colour immunohistochemistry and immunomorphometry. GPR35 V2/3 mRNA, but not V1 mRNA, was expressed in colon cancer cell lines, primary colon tumours and control colon epithelial cells. Haematoxylin and eosin positive (H&E(+)), but not H&E(–), lymph nodes expressed high levels of GPR35 V2/3 mRNA (P<0.0001). GPR35b and carcinoembryonic antigen proteins were simultaneously expressed in many colon cancer tumour cells. Kaplan–Meier and hazard ratio analysis revealed that patients with lymph nodes expressing high levels of GPR35 V2/3 mRNA and, in particular, in the group of patients with lymph nodes also expressing carcinoembryonic antigen mRNA, had a short disease-free survival time, 67 months versus 122 months at 12-year follow-up (difference: 55 months, P = 0.001; hazard ratio: 3.6, P = 0.002). In conclusion, high level expression of G protein-coupled receptor 35 V2/3 mRNA in regional lymph nodes of colon cancer patients is a sign of poor prognosis.