Dietary intakes in asthmatic and non-asthmatic female pupils of Tehran

Dietary factors are suggested to be involved in recent increases in the prevalence of asthma. The differences in dietary intake of 23 asthmatic and 317 non-asthmatic students were investigated, who were chosen by multistage stratified cluster sampling. The dietary data were assessed by food frequency questionnaire and a 24-h recall form. Total calorie and fat intake were similar. Daily intake of Saturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acids, and calcium and sodium were significantly higher in asthmatics. There was no significant difference between dietary antioxidant intake of asthmatic and non asthmatics. It seems that in this age, the type of consumed fat may be more important than the amount of fat intake in inducing asthma. For accurate results, n-6 and n-3 fatty acid intake must be assessed. Higher sodium and calcium intake may also be associated with asthma. Randomized controlled trials with restricting diets can help to elucidate the results

Effect of all-trans retinoic acid [ATRA] on viability, proliferation, activation and lineage-specific transcription factors of CD4+ T cells

All-trans retinoic acid [ATRA], as an active metabolite of vitamin A, has been shown to affect immune cells. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of ATRA on viability, proliferation, activation and lineage-specific transcription factors of CD4+ T cells. CD4+ T cells were separated from heparinized blood of healthy donors and were cultured in conditions, some with, some without ATRA. Viability was assessed by PI flowcytometry and proliferation was measured by MTT assay. CD69 expression was determined by flowcytometry as a measure of cell activation. Lineage-specific transcription factors [FOXP3, RORgammat and T-bet] were examined by intracellular staining and flowcytometry. High doses of ATRA [0.1-1 mM] caused extensive cell death in both PBMCs and CD4+ T cells. Doses of ATRA equal to or lower than 10 microM did not adversely affect cell viability and proliferation in comparison to culture medium without ATRA. Doses of ATRA between 10 microM and InM significantly increased cell activation when compared to culture medium without ATRA. ATRA could increase FOXP3+ and also FOXP3+RORgammat+ T cells while it decreased RORgammat+ and T-bet+ T cells. This study showed that doses of ATRA up to 10 microM are safe when using with CD4+ T cells in terms of cell viability, proliferation and activation. We could also show that ATRA diverts the human immune response in neutral conditions [without adding polarizing cytokines] by increasing FOXP3+ cells and decreasing RORgammat+ cells. ATRA could be regarded as a potential therapy in inflammatory conditions and autoimmunities

Prevalence and correlates of snoring in adolescents

Snoring can occur alone or it may be the presenting feature of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and other common chronic conditions. In our study, we aimed to estimate the prevalence and correlates of snoring in adolescent students in Tehran, Iran. A cross-sectional study was designed and students were selected from 20 secondary and high schools, in 5 different zones in Tehran in order to have a representative sample of the adolescent population. A total of 2900 students [1200 male and 1700 female students] 11-17 year-old who were attending secondary and high schools were investigated. Information was collected via a structured face-to-face interview, based on a questionnaire. In addition to snoring, nocturnal cough, asthma-related symptoms, and daytime symptoms were also questioned. BMI was measured by two trained physicians. The prevalence of snoring was 7.9% [4.8% in girls and 12.4% in boys]. The prevalence of snoring was significantly higher among males [P< 0.05]. Snoring was positively associated with asthma and nocturnal cough. Overweight/obese adolescents had significantly higher rates of snoring and asthma symptoms. Prevalence of daytime symptoms increased significantly in the snoring group. These results suggest that snoring is associated with multiple factors in adolescents. We conclude that the prevalence of snoring is relatively high in children of this region. This highlights the need for awareness among physicians about the problem of sleep-disordered breathing, especially in children with asthma and obesity, and also the need for further studies to measure the prevalence of sleep breathing disorders among Iranians