Purpose: Colistin represents one of the last treatment options for infections caused by multi-drug resistant (MDR) Enterobacterales. The emergence of a plasmid-mediated mobile colistin resistance-1 (mcr-1) gene has raised serious concerns about its potential dissemination among bacteria. Methods: In this study, we evaluated the chromogenic medium, CHROMID^® Colistin Resistance (COLR) agar, for the rapid detection of colistin-resistant Enterobacterales using broth microdilution (BMD) as a reference method. We also attempted to detect mcr-1, − 2, − 3, − 4, and − 5 genes, as well as the insertion sequence ISApl1 via polymerase chain reaction (PCR), followed by sequencing of mcr gene(s). Results: Among the 100 studied Enterobacterales isolates, 53% of them were colistin-resistant, with higher rate among Klebsiella pneumoniae (75%) as compared to Escherichia coli (44.4%). The COLR agar showed 83.2% sensitivity and 97.9% specificity for the detection of colistin resistance. Among colistin-resistant isolates, mcr-1 gene was only detected in four (7.5%) E. coli isolates. The ISApl1 was not found among mcr-1 positive isolates. Sequencing of mcr-1 gene revealed nucleotide sequence homogeneity with the wild-type mcr-1 gene in BLAST. Conclusion: The COLR agar is a promising phenotypic method for the detection of colistin-resistant Enterobacterales. Multiplex PCR followed by sequencing can be used for mcr genes’ detection and characterization.

Background, Enterococci are Gram-positive bacteria that cause serious nosocomial infections. Bacteria tend to live in a community-like assembly called biofilm. Biofilm production aids bacterial virulence through numerous pathogenic mechanisms. Objective, our aim was to Assess the ability of Enterococci to form a biofilm and to compare two in vitro phenotypic methods for detection of Enterococcal biofilm formation. Methodology, we used 50 identified enterococcal isolates from clinical specimens to detect biofilm formation by tissue culture plate method (TCP) and Congo red agar method (CRA) then we compared the results of both methods. Results, we found that 64% of the isolates were able to form biofilm by TCP method while 38% were positive by CRA method. Congo red agar failed to detect 50% of the positive isolates detected by tissue culture plate method with a sensitivity (40.62%) and a specificity (66.67%). Conclusion, we concluded from our study that TCP is the most reliable method to detect biofilm forming bacteria when compared with CRA method.

Background/Objectives: Alopecia areata (AA) is a common autoimmune disorder characterized by non-scarring hair loss. The destruction of hair follicle cells is mediated by cytotoxic T cells, which release cytokines that contribute to tissue damage. Among these, Th17 cells produce key inflammatory mediators, including IL-17, IL-21, IL-6, and TNF-α, which may play a role in disease progression. This study aimed to evaluate the serum levels of IL-17A, IL-21, IL-6, and TNF-α in patients with patchy AA compared with healthy controls and to assess their association with disease severity. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on 50 patients with patchy AA and 50 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Blood samples were collected, and serum cytokine levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Results: Of the patients, 70% were female (35 patients) and 30% were male (15 patients). Disease severity distribution showed that 66% had mild AA, 22% had moderate AA, and 12% had severe AA. Compared with controls, AA patients exhibited significantly elevated serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, IL-17A, and IL-21 (p < 0.001). Additionally, cytokine levels showed a positive correlation with both age and disease duration, suggesting their potential role in disease progression. Conclusions: These findings highlight the involvement of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the pathogenesis of patchy AA and their correlation with disease severity. Understanding these cytokine interactions may provide insights into targeted therapeutic strategies in managing AA.

Background: A chronic inflammatory skin condition, psoriasis affects around 2-4% of people globally. The cutaneous manifestations of psoriasis are variable. MicroRNA are short, single-stranded, noncoding RNA molecules. People with psoriasis have been shown to express several miRNAs differently in their blood or psoriatic skin. Aim: In the current study we aimed to detect microRNA 511-5p in serum samples of psoriasis patients, correlate its presence to disease severity and compare its level between patients and control subjects. Methods: The research involved 30 patients who had psoriasis and 30 control individuals in Beni-Suef University hospital. Psoriasis diagnosis was confirmed according to the typical clinical presentation of psoriasis. The degree of psoriasis severity was evaluated using PASI score. Three cm peripheral blood were taken from all patients and control subjects. Levels of microRNA 511-5p in serum samples were determined using reverse transcription PCR (rt-PCR). Results: A statistically significant difference was detected between miRNA 511-5p levels in cases and controls (p < 0.001). There is no statistically significant association was detected between miRNA 511-5p and PASI score (p = 0.162). the study revealed patients' ages and duration of illnesses had a positive correlation with baseline PASI. (p value = 0.04 and 0.001 respectively). Conclusion: we used qRT-PCR to examine Micro-RNA expression profile in psoriasis. MicroRNA 511-5p was significantly higher in psoriatic lesions, indicating that MicroRNA 511-5p might be used as a biomarker for psoriasis.

Background: People have historically utilized honey as medicine due to its unique antimicrobial properties. Overused antibiotics have reduced therapeutic effectiveness for microorganisms with various kinds of resistance. S. aureus was used to test honey’s antibacterial properties. It can withstand honey's high sugar and acidity levels and still be vulnerable to hydrogen peroxide's and non-peroxide honey's inhibitory effects. Objectives: This study examined how successfully Manuka UMF +20, fennel, and black seed honey destroy MSSA and MRSA and compared the three honeys' antimicrobial efficacy. Methods: Twenty S. aureus isolates were employed in this investigation. They were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion technique. The sensitivity to methicillin was determined using a 30 µg cefoxitin disk. Manuka UMF +20, fennel, and black seed honeys were tested for their antimicrobial activity against S. aureus isolates by using agar well diffusion (AWD) and agar dilution (AD) methods. Results: According to this work, linezolid and gentamicin were the most sensitive MRSA/MSSA antibiotics. The AWD method showed that all honey types exhibited antibacterial activity against all clinical isolates at 75% (v/v). Concentrations of 18.75% to 37.5% (v/v) honey were required to totally inhibit all clinical isolates. Manuka UMF + 20 honey had the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 18.75% (v/v). While fennel and black seed honeys had higher MIC values (MIC = 37.50% (v/v)). Conclusion: All honeys revealed the potential to suppress the growth of both MSSA and MRSA isolates. Compared to MRSA, Manuka MUF +20 and fennel honey were more efficient against MSSA.