ABSTRACT
Introduction: To recognize the predisposing factors in tuberculosis as an endemic infection in Northeast province of Iran, this study was aimed to evaluate whether HumanT-lymphocyte type 1 [HTLV-I] as an immunosuppressive factor increases the risk of tuberculosis
Materials and Methods: A Case-control study was conducted in 278 tuberculosis patients from 2007 to 2010, in Mashhad, Iran. Tuberculosis has been diagnosed by gold standard tests like sputum culture, bronchoalveolar lavage [BAL] culture or cytology. For detection of HTLV-I antibody, Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay method and western Blot as the confirming test were performed. Then 276 healthy cases were matched for gender and age
Results: The mean age of tuberculosis patients was 49.67 +/- 21.36 years and for control cases was 48.36 +/- 20.74. In patients group, 114 [41.6%] were male, 160 [58.4%] were female and in controls 123 [44.6%] were male and 153 [55.4%] were female. Pulmonary tuberculosis was presented in 84.2% of the patients. The frequency of HTLV-1 was 2.9% and 3.3% in patients and controls, respectively. HTLV-I frequency was higher in male patients and it increased by age
Conclusion: Regarding to this study, HTLV-I infection is not stand-alone sufficient for increasing the risk of tuberculosis
ABSTRACT
HTLV1 is the first detected retrovirus causing disease in human. The physiopathology of HTLV1 related diseases was mainly linked with its Tax protein characteristics. Use of mutant Tax proteins accompanied by immune regulator drugs could help treating HTLV1 associated myelopathy patients as a modulator of potent immune response against this viral protein. Since Tax protein is not commercially available, production of recombinant Tax protein was targeted for this study. Coding sequence of Tax protein [containing R222K mutation] in the pcDNA3.1[+] was digested with BamHI and XhoI restriction enzymes, and then removed and inserted into the expression vector pET32a[+] within the same cutting sites and cloned into E.coli DH5alpha. Recombinant vector was confirmed with enzymatic digestion, colony PCR, and sequencing of cloned gene. E.coli Rosetta [DE3] was transformed with the recombinant plasmid and the expression was induced. The expression of protein was assayed with SDS-PAGE and western blot using monoclonal antibodies against Tax and 5His epitope. Finally, antigenic characteristic of the recombinant protein was evaluated by western blotting against patient sera. Presence of Tax protein band in the SDS-PAGE and western blot was confirmed. Western blotting of the recombinant protein with patient sera showed the band related to Tax protein. The recombinant protein is well produced and could be detected by patients' sera, making it eligible to be used as a recombinant viral antigen for future purposes
ABSTRACT
Allergen immunotherapy involves the administration of gradually increasing quantities of specific allergens to patients with IgE-mediated conditions until a dose is reached that is effective in reducing disease severity from natural exposure. In the present study we evaluated a period of six years immunotherapy allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma patients with positive skin prick test of common aeroallergen. The immunotherapy was performed on 156 patients. One hundred twenty of the cases were allergic rhinitis [80%], 29 cases had allergic asthma and 7 cases were mixed [4.5%]. 70% in allergic rhinitis group, 75% in allergic asthma group and 42.8% in mixed group completely improved. Immunotherapy, an older therapeutic method, has now been updated, and with appropriate indications, precautions and methods, has been clearly shown to be effective in the treatment of allergic rhinitis and in some cases of asthma and insect hypersensitivity