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The pathogenicity of some Phytophthora species recently described from Western Australia, together with P. cinnamomi as a control, was tested against seven Western Australian native plant species in the glasshouse. Host species were Banksia grandis, B. littoralis, B. occidentalis, Casuarina obesa, Corymbia calophylla, Eucalyptus marginata and Lambertia inermis. Twenty‐two Phytophthora species were grown on a vermiculite, millet seed and V8 substrate and used as soil inoculum when the plant hosts were approximately 3 months old. Pathogenicity was assessed after 6 weeks and plants were scored for death, root damage, and percentage reduction of shoot growth compared with control plants. The pathogenicity of P. cinnamomi was confirmed. Phytophthora niederhauserii was shown to be similar to P. cinnamomi in pathogenicity and of concern ecologically. Other species that killed one or more hosts were P. boodjera, P. constricta, P. elongata, P. moyootj and P. rosacearum, while P. condilina, P. gibbosa, P. gregata, P. litoralis and P. ‘personii’ caused significant reduction to shoot and/or root growth, but did not kill plants. Host species susceptible to the highest number of Phytophthora species were B. grandis, B. littoralis, B. occidentalis and E. marginata. No Phytophthora species tested killed C. calophylla. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Megaloblastic anemia (MA) is a rare pathology in childhood due, in the majority of cases, to a deficiency of folic acid and/or vitamin B12 (cobalamin). This study aims to determine the epidemiological, clinical, and paraclinical profiles of MA in children and to specify its etiologies, therapeutic modalities, and treatment responses., Methods: This is a retrospective descriptive study of MA cases in children carried out in the General Pediatrics Department of the Hedi Chaker University Hospital of Sfax over a period of 42 years, from January 1979 to December 2021. We included all the patients under 16 years old with a myelogram showing megaloblastosis. The selected patients' demographic characteristics, physical signs, laboratory findings, and treatment responses were recorded., Results: Twenty cases of MA were collected, including 11 boys and 9 girls. The incidence of MA in children was 0.014%. The median age at diagnosis was 3.37 years. The clinical presentation was anemic syndrome with pallor and asthenia in all the cases. Neurological manifestations were noted in 2 cases and digestive disorders in 10 cases. Seven infants had psychomotor delays. On admission, all our patients had anemia with an average value of 5.6 g/dl. It was macrocytic in 19 cases. The blood count also revealed leukopenia (7 cases), thrombocytopenia (10 cases), and pancytopenia (5 cases). The myelogram showed megaloblastosis in all the cases and sideroblasts in one. A brain MRI was performed on five patients, and it showed abnormalities in three cases. The etiological investigations revealed a vitamin B12 deficiency secondary to a maternal Biermer's disease (6 cases), malnutrition (3 cases), Imerslund's disease (3 cases), congenital deficiency in transcobalamin II (3 cases), Biermer's disease (1 case), giardiasis (1 case), folic acid deficiency secondary to a poor dietary intake (1 case), mitochondrial cytopathy with vitamin B12-Folic acid deficiency (1 case), and Pearson syndrome (1 case). Our treatment included symptomatic measures, replacement therapy, and etiological treatment. Favorable evolution was noted in 11 cases. Five patients had neurological sequelae, and one patient died., Conclusion: Our study highlights the rarity and heterogeneity of the etiological contexts of MA in children. Early diagnosis and therapeutic support can improve the long-term neurological prognosis., (Copyright © 2025 Society francophone de transfusion sanguine (SFTS). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Asthma is a common respiratory childhood disease that results from an interaction between genetic, environmental and immunologic factors. The implication of nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain 1 and 2 (NOD1/CARD4, NOD2/CARD15) was highlighted in many inflammatory diseases., Methods: In this case-control study, we analyzed the association of three NOD2 polymorphisms and one NOD1 variant, in 338 Tunisian asthmatic children and 425 healthy Controls, using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. We also assessed NOD1 and NOD2 mRNA and protein levels by qRT-PCR and ELISA techniques., Results: The homozygous AA genotype of rs2075820 was a risk factor for asthma (OR 2.39). The influence of the E266K variant in the presence of the heterozygous AG genotype was higher in male than female groups. The homozygous AA genotype was a risk factor associated with asthma, for patients aged between 6 and 18 years OR 2.39, IC95% (1.04-5.49) p < 0.01. The mRNA expression of NOD1, but not NOD2, was enhanced in asthma patients compared to Controls. We noted a significant difference between asthmatics and healthy controls in NOD1 protein expression (asthma patients : 31.18 ± 10.9 pg/ml, Controls: 20.10 ± 2.58 pg/ml; p < 0.001)., Conclusions: The NOD1 rs2075820 variant was associated with a higher childhood asthma risk and the NOD1 expression at mRNA and protein levels was significantly increased in asthma patients.

Interleukin-37 (IL-37) has been identified as a novel anti-inflammatory cytokine. The present study aimed to evaluate the expression of IL-37 in serum and in peritoneal fluid to determine its clinical significance in endometriosis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to examine serum IL-37 levels in patients with endometriosis and healthy controls. Peritoneal fluid IL-37 mRNA and NFκB expression were quantified by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays. The association of IL-37 levels with clinical factors and prognosis of endometriosis was analysed. We found that IL-37 levels in PF and in serum were significantly higher in patients with endometriosis compared to women without endometriosis (P=0.0005). IL-37 levels were highly expressed in PF [132.38±34.62pg/mL; P<0.0001] than in serum [74.10±13.49pg/mL] in endometriosis patients. IL-37 mRNA expression contrasted with NFκB mRNA expression in PF from patients with endometriosis. A significant inverse correlation was observed between IL-37 mRNA and NFκB mRNA expression. IL-37 expression correlates with endometriosis severity. The affected NFκB mRNA expression in endometriosis contributed the to exhibited increase of IL-37. The increased levels of IL-37 may dampen NFκB activation in endometriosis patients., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background and Objectives: Analbuminemia is a very rare autosomal recessive disorder. It is an allelic heterogeneous defect caused by a variety of mutations within the albumin gene. We describe in this report two new cases of analbuminemia in Libyans., Design and Methods: The 14 coding exons of the human serum albumin (HSA) gene and their intron-exon junctions were PCR amplified. The products were screened for mutations by Denaturing High Performance Liquid Chromatography (DHPLC). Samples with altered DHPLC profiles were sequenced., Results: DNA sequencing revealed the presence of a novol homozygous G➔T transition in the first base of intron 11 (c.1428+1G>T), in both children. This mutation destroys the GT consensus donor sequence found at the 5' end of most intervening sequences and would cause the defective pre-mRNA splicing., Conclusion: Molecular diagnosis based on DHPLC and DNA sequencing represents a powerful tool to study molecular defects causing analbuminemia., (Copyright © 2012 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: To study the disturbances of biochemical parameters which make it possible to evaluate the nutritional state during the cystic fibrosis., Methods: Prospective study about 13 cases hospitalized over a 7 months period, whose age varies between 2 months and 12 years and addressed for a suspicion of cystic fibrosis. For all the patients we made a clinical collection of the data and a biochemical study., Results: Hypoprotidemia (protidemia < 60 g/l) was noted in 6 cases. Three cases presented a hypocalcaemia (calcemia < 2.20 mmol/l). A hypomagnesaemia (magnesemia < 0.70 mmol/L) was observed in 2 cases. The totality of the patients presented zinc concentrations lower than the normal value. Iron concentrations lower than the normal (11- 24 mmol/l) was noted in 5 cases. Four patients (4/13) presented a concentration of iron between 11.2 and 20 mmol/l, whereas a high concentration (32.3 mmol/l) was noted in only one case (7.7%)., Conclusion: The study of the biochemical parameters allowed to evaluate the variation of some trace elements in cystic fibrosis and their consequence on the nutritional state of the patients, which constitutes an essential element for the assessment of these patients.

Background: The delivery of a large baby may indicate that the mother had abnormal glucose tolerance during pregnancy. Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) concentration might be expected to identify women who had high blood glucose concentration before delivery., Aim: The aim of this study was to identify retrospectively, gestational diabetes in mothers of large baby and determine the HbAlc cutoff value., Methods: HbA1 was measured in 216 patients within the first three days of postpartum: 100 had large babies: weighing over than 4000 g and 113 had normal- sized babies (control group). We exclude mothers who had preterm, hypotrophy baby, stillborn, and diabetic mothers., Results: The mean concentration of HbA1c was significantly higher in group with large babies than in group control (6.17% + 085 vs. 5.17 + 0.57 t = 9.78 p < 0.001). The value of HbAlc = 5.85%, evaluated by ROC curve, was considered as risk factor of macrosomia and then gestational diabetes. 83.5% of mothers with large babies had HbA1c ? 5.85 vs. 7.8% of those with normal sized babies (p < 0.0001). No other significant differences were found between the two groups in other parameters., Conclusion: HbA1c level may be of value as a postpartum screen for unrecognized diabetes and may help discriminate between a constitutionally large but otherwise normal newborn and a large infant of a diabetic mother. HbA1c measurements should be obtained in women with large babies, and, if upper than cutoff value found by curve ROC: 5.85%, maternal and fetal surveillance is recommended.

Unlabelled: Our objective is to compare clinical and biological presentation of patients with bone metastatic disease., Patients and Methods: We collected prospectively 60 patients (adults and children) with proven bone metastasis. Tumors are mainly breast cancer (25/60) or nasopharyngeal carcinoma (8/60). All 8 children presented all with abdominal neuroblastoma. Bone lesions are lytic in 85% of cases. ALP and LDH seem to be sensitive markers for bone mestatasis with 75% and 80% pathologic rates. The highest rates have been observed in patients with multiple bones lesions (> 8) and painful metastases (more than 7 in the VAS). The median survival was 8 months (3 to 54)., Conclusion: Even conventional, some biochemical markers as ALP and LDH remain useful in the diagnosis and prognosis in patients with proven bone metastasis.