Current Issue : April-June Volume : 2026 Issue Number : 2 Articles : 5 Articles
Acne vulgaris (AV) is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder, and cytokines such as interleukin-17 (IL-17), interleukin-19 (IL-19), and C-reactive protein (CRP) are thought to contribute to its immunopathogenesis. This study investigated serum and salivary levels of CRP, IL-17, and IL-19 in patients with AV and examined their relationship with disease severity. A total of 99 participants aged 15–30 years were classified into Control (n = 28), Moderate AV (n = 43), and Severe AV (n = 28) groups using the Global Evaluation Acne (GEA) Scale. Serum and saliva samples were analyzed using ELISA and immunoturbidimetric assays. Statistical comparisons and correlation analyses were performed. Serum IL-17 levels were significantly higher in the control group compared to both acne groups (p < 0.05), with no gender-related differences. Salivary cytokine levels showed no significant group differences. However, IL-17 and IL-19 were strongly correlated in both saliva (r = 0.672, p < 0.005) and serum (r = 0.538, p < 0.005) across the entire study population. Serum and salivary CRP levels showed no significant differences between groups. In contrast to previous reports, our study found lower serum IL-17 levels in AV patients compared to healthy controls, challenging the assumption of its purely pro-inflammatory role and suggesting a potential compensatory or regulatory immune mechanism to maintain homeostasis. These findings may also reflect distinct physiological pathways between systemic interleukin activity and localized skin inflammation. Although salivary cytokine levels did not differ significantly among groups, strong intra-sample correlations highlight their interaction and support saliva’s potential as a non-invasive tool for monitoring immune activity....
Hemoglobinopathies represent a major public health concern in Tunisia. Although early diagnosis is essential, systemic neonatal screening has not yet been implemented at the national level. We conducted a screening study in Northern Tunisia (Bizerte region) using cord blood samples. Complete blood counts and hemoglobin analysis by capillary electrophoresis were performed. Samples showing abnormal profiles (HbBart’s, HbS, HbC, or HbA < 20%) underwent molecular testing. Correlations between hematological parameters, hemoglobin fractions, and β mutation types were assessed. Among 328 neonatal cord blood samples analyzed, we detected 3 silent α+-thalassemia, 6 β+-thalassemia traits, 3 β0-thalassemia traits, 7 HbS traits, 2 HbC traits, and 1 compound heterozygous for α+- thalassemia/HbC. No homozygous cases were identified. The heterozygous frequency was estimated at 1.2%, 2.7%, and 2.1% for α-thalassemia, β-thalassemia, and sickle cell disease, respectively. HbF levels were significantly associated with the β-thalassemia trait. This study represents the first hemoglobinopathy screening in Northern Tunisia using cord blood, highlighting the feasibility and reliability of this approach. While pilot programs have already been initiated in some regions, our findings reinforce the need for broader implementation to ensure early and accurate diagnosis across the country....
Objective: To develop and validate a method for therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of pyrotinib in human plasma using two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC) system. Method: The plasma samples were pretreated with acetonitrile for protein precipitation. The mobile phase consisted of two parts: a first-dimensional mobile phase (methanol, acetonitrile, and 65 mmol/L ammonium phosphate in a ratio of 1:3:3, V/V/V) and a second-dimensional mobile phase (acetonitrile, isopropanol, and 10 mmol/L ammonium phosphate in a ratio of 16:7:1, V/V/V). The analysis cycle time was completed within 9.50 min. The method was validated for linearity, recovery, precision, accuracy, and stability. Results: Pyrotinib demonstrated excellent linearity within the range of 10.10–810.40 ng/mL with regression equation y = 556.4044× + 462.40 (R2 = 0.9995). The relative recovery rate of plasma samples was stable and reproducible, ranging from 96.82% to 100.12%. The intra-day and inter-day precisions were ≤5.30% and ≤3.80% for pyrotinib concentrations, respectively. Stability tests confirmed that pyrotinib in plasma remained stable under the following conditions: room temperature for 8 h, 4 °C for 48 h, −20 °C for 3 weeks, three freeze-thaw cycles. This method was validated in twenty patients with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer (dose range: 240–400 mg/day) The trough and peak plasma concentrations of pyrotinib ranged from 17.75–92.56 ng/mL and 51.17–232.94 ng/mL, respectively, which demonstrated significant pharmacokinetic heterogeneity. Conclusion: The developed 2D-LC analytical method not only demonstrates good precision, accuracy, recovery, and stability, but also is simple, rapid, feasible, and practical for TDM. It can be used for the concentration monitoring of pyrotinib in clinic, providing more scientific evidence for clinical practice....
Background: The accurate detection of remifentanil and sufentanil in biological samples is challenged by their rapid metabolism and instability, complicating clinical and forensic toxicology analysis. This study aimed to evaluate the stability of remifentanil, sufentanil, and their primary metabolites—remifentanil acid and norsufentanil—in human whole blood and urine. Methods: A high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for simultaneous quantification, demonstrating satisfactory linearity (0.10–200 ng/mL, r2 > 0.99), detection limits (0.01–0.20 ng/mL), and recovery rates (85.06–119.42%). Stability was assessed under varying temperatures (4 ◦C, −20 ◦C, −80 ◦C) and anticoagulant conditions (EDTA-K2, sodium heparin, sodium citrate) over 35 days. Results: Remifentanil exhibited significant instability in whole blood, degrading over 50% within 6 h at 4 ◦C, whereas stability was markedly improved at −80 ◦C and in sodium citrate-containing samples. Remifentanil acid remained stable for up to 35 days at −80 ◦C. Sufentanil was generally more stable, particularly at −80 ◦C in both blood and urine, while norsufentanil remained stable for 7 days at −20 ◦C in citrate-anticoagulated blood but degraded rapidly at 4 ◦C. These findings support specific recommendations for sample preservation, including storage at −80 ◦C and the use of sodium citrate as an anticoagulant, to enhance detection reliability in toxicological and pharmacokinetic studies....
Dried blood spots (DBSs) are a practical tool for diagnosing infectious diseases, especially in remote or resource-limited settings. This study assessed the efficacy of DBS-based serological assays for syphilis screening. EDTA blood samples from 171 syphilis-seropositive and 122 seronegative individuals were used to prepare DBSs by spotting whole blood onto filter paper. After drying, 12 mm disks were punched, incubated overnight in buffered solution, and centrifuged. Syphilis serological screening was conducted using the Liaison® Treponema Screen assay, Macro-Vue™ Reagin Plasma Rapid (RPR) card test, and Dual Path Platform (DPP) Syphilis Screen and Confirm test. The Liaison® assay demonstrated 100% sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) with an optimized cut-off. The nontreponemal RPR test showed very low sensitivity (2.9%) on DBS but perfect specificity (100%). The DPP test for treponemal antibodies achieved high sensitivity (92.1%) and specificity (98.2%) with microreader adjustment. Visual reading of the DPP test had variable accuracy, with sensitivity reaching 100% but lower specificity (42.1%). Nontreponemal antibody detection by DPP showed moderate sensitivity and specificity. Although nontreponemal testing requires refinement, DBS testing combined with point-of-care tests like DPP holds promise for expanding syphilis screening accessibility and decentralization globally, particularly in resource-constrained environments....
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