Intestinal helminth parasites are potent inducers of T helper type 2 (Th2) response and have a regulatory role, notably on intestinal inflammation. As infection with schistosomes is unlikely to provide a reliable treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases, we have investigated the beneficial effect of a schistosome enzymatic protein, the 28-kDa glutathione S-transferase (P28GST), on the modulation of disease activity and immune responses in experimental colitis. Our results showed that immunization with recombinant P28GST is at least as efficient as established schistosome infection to reduce colitis lesions and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Considering underlying mechanisms, the decrease of inflammatory parameters was associated with the polarization of the immune system toward a Th2 profile, with local and systemic increases of interleukin (IL)-13 and IL-5. Dense eosinophil infiltration was observed in the colons of P28GST-immunized rats and mice. Depletion of eosinophils by treatment with an anti-Siglec-F monoclonal antibody and use of IL-5-deficient mice led to the loss of therapeutic effect, suggesting the crucial role for eosinophils in colitis prevention by P28GST. These findings reveal that immunization with P28GST, a unique recombinant schistosome enzyme, ameliorates intestinal inflammation through eosinophil-dependent modulation of harmful type 1 responses, representing a new immuno-regulatory strategy against inflammatory bowel diseases.

In this study, we apply geochemical and statistical analyses for evaluating source rocks in Ras Gharib oilfield. The geochemical analysis includes pyrolysis data as total organic carbon (TOC%), generating source potential (S2), production index (PI), oxygen and hydrogen indices (OI, HI) and (Tmax). The results show that the Cretaceous source rocks are poor to good source rocks with kerogen of type III and have the capability of generating gas while, the Miocene source rocks are good to excellent source rocks with kerogen of type III–II and type II and have the capability of generating oil and gas. The analyzed data were treated statistically to find some factors, clusters, and relations concerning the evaluation of source rocks. These factors can be classified into organic richness and type of organic matter, hydrocarbon potentiality and thermal maturity. In addition, cluster analysis separated the source rocks in the study area into two major groups. (1) Source rocks characterized by HI >300 (mg/g), TOC from 0.76 to 11.63wt%, S1 from 0.44 to 9.49 (mg/g) and S2 from 2.59 to 79.61 (mg/g) indicating good to excellent source rocks with kerogen of type III–II and type II and are capable of generating oil and gas. (2) Source rocks characterized by HI <300 (mg/g), TOC from 0.31 to 2.07wt%, S1 from 0.17 to 1.29 (mg/g) and S2 from 0.31 to 3.34 (mg/g) indicating poor to good source rocks with kerogen of type III and are capable of generating gas. Moreover, Pearson’s correlation coefficient shows a strong positive correlation between TOC and S1, S2 and HI and no correlation between TOC and Tmax, highly negative correlation between TOC and OI and no correlation between Tmax and HI

To study the natural history, patterns and clinical characteristics of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in Egypt. We designed a case-series study in the gastroenterology centre of the Internal Medicine department of Cairo University, which is a tertiary care referral centre in Egypt. We included all patients in whom the diagnosis of ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn's disease (CD) was confirmed by clinical, laboratory, endoscopic, histological and/or radiological criteria over the 15 year period from 1995 to 2009, and we studied their sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Endoscopic examinations were performed by 2 senior experts. This hospital centre serves patients from Cairo, as well as patients referred from all other parts of Egypt. Our centre received 24156 patients over the described time period for gastro-intestinal consultations and/or interventions. A total of 157 patients with established IBD were included in this study. Of these, 135 patients were diagnosed with UC (86% of the total), and 22 patients, with CD (14% of the total). The mean ages at diagnosis were 27.3 and 29.7, respectively. Strikingly, we noticed a marked increase in the frequency of both UC and CD diagnoses during the most recent 10 years of the 15 year period studied. Regarding the gender distribution, the male:female ratio was 1:1.15 for UC and 2.6:1 for CD. The mean duration of follow up for patients with UC was 6.2 ± 5.18 years, while the mean duration of follow up for patients with CD was 5.52 ± 2.83 years. For patients with UC we found no correlation between the severity of the disease and the presence of extraintestinal manifestations. Eleven patients had surgical interventions during the studied years: 4 cases of total colectomy and 7 cases of anal surgery. We observed a ratio of 6:1 for UC to CD in our series. The incidence of IBD seems to be rising in Egypt.

The objective of this study is to assess the organic material for petroleum potential and characterize the relationships between organic material, thermal maturity, and the depositional environments. This is done using “14” samples from the shales of the Dakhla and Duwi formations in Abu Tartur area. The samples have been analyzed using the geochemical method of Rock–Eval pyrolysis. The analysis shows that the total organic carbon content lies between 0.56 and 1.96wt%. It also shows that kerogen is a mixture of type II and III that is dominant, and is deposited in the shallow and restricted marine environment under prevailing reducing conditions. This type of kerogen is prone to oil and oil/gas production. The geochemical diagrams show that all the studied samples have good thermal maturation. The Dakhla and Duwi formations which have been divided into all zones are mature (have Tmax over 435°C), and have organic carbon content located at the oil window (Tmax between 435 and 443°C)

The present work aims to evaluate the organic geochemistry of the crude oils recovered from Ashrafi and GH oilfields within the Gulf of Suez to assess and investigate oil characterization, maturation, source depositional environments and oil families. The saturated hydrocarbons were determined by gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Pristane/phytane, isoprenoids/n-alkanes, CPI, homohopane, diasteranes, gammacerane index, C29 20S/20S+20R, C29/C30 hopane and Ts/Tm are determined. The results suggest that the studied crude oils belong to marine oil and are characterized by high level of maturation and sourced mainly from organic matters of marine origin with few terrestrial inputs

The results of the geochemical evaluation for eleven crude oil samples from some Meleiha oil fields revealed that, these oils have high specific gravity (°API), low sulfur content and rich in saturated hydrocarbons. Two oil classes were recognized. The first is carbonate oils of high maturity level, originated from marine origin. The second, deltaic oils of moderately level of maturation, derived mainly from terrigenous sources. Oil: source correlation for the productive oils and the extracts of the potential source beds revealed a genetic close relationship between oils and extracts of Khatatba and Alam El Bueib formations. This indicates that the source of the oils in the study area may be related to mixed sources of these formations.