ABSTRACT
Today, the intractions of the immune system of the immune system, nutrition, and nervous system are one of the main research areas of interest in immunology and disease treatment. Due to changes in the mood, behavior, and diet of an individual during fasting period, the body's internal homeostasis is affected. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of Ramadan fasting on lymphocyte subgroups, which are the main specific immune cells in the body. For this purpose, in years 1999 and 2000, thirty?eight healthy Muslims [9 females and 29 males], within the age range of 17 to 51 years [mean age=35.4 years], were assessed before the start and one day before the end of Ramadan. The pre-Lymphocytic subpopulations analysis was conducted using flow cytometery. The results showed that the percentage of total lymphocytes was 25.82% and 26.23% in the pre- and late- Ramadan periods, respectively; the observed difference was insignificant. However, the absolute lymphocyte counts were 2.3x103 and 2.1x103 mm3 before and late Ramadan, respectively, and the difference was considered significant [P-value=0.06]. The percentage of CD3+ cells [T cells] was 70.12% before Ramadan and 70.25% late Ramadan, and the absolute lymphocyte counts were 1.6x103 and 1.5x103 mm3, respectively; therefore, the differences were not significant. Regarding the subgroups of CD4+cells [TH], the percentage ratios of the cells were 53.46% and 52.8% in the pre- and late Ramadan periods, and the absolute counts were 0.087x103 and 0.081x103 mm3, respectively; however, the differences were not significant in this cell subgroup. The percentage of CD8+ [TC] cells was 37.7% before Ramadan and 37.8% late Ramadan, and the absolute counts were 0.6x103 and 0.54x103 mm3 in the pre- and late-Ramadan periods, respectively; therefore, the differences were considered insignificant. In addition, the percentage ratios of Blymphocytes cells were 14.56% and 14.74% in the pre- and late-Ramadan periods, and the absolute count changed from 0.35x103 to 0.3x103 mm3. According to the results, the differences were not significant, therefore, it seems Ramadan fasting does not affect these cells. Moreover, the percentage of activated T cells or TDR+, which are involved in specific immune responses, has not been affected by fasting. In fact, the percentage ratios were reported as 11.14% and 10.54% in the pre- and late-Ramadan periods, and the absolute count changed from 0.14x103 to 0.11x103 mm3; the differences were not considered significant. Finally, the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ cells or TH/TC changed from 1.48% before Ramadan to 1.5% late this month; however, this difference was insignificant. Thus, the overall results indicate that Ramadan fasting during winter does not affect the lymphocyte count, percentage ratio, and the main lymphocyte subpopulations
ABSTRACT
Recent studies on human indicate that the introduction of therapeutic use of tolerogenic dendritic cell [DC] for chronic inflammatory conditions is imminent. For the purpose of defining CGRP potency in tolerogenic DC production, we investigated the phenotype and IL-12 production of DCs generated from the monocytes of rheumatoid arthritis [RA] patients in the presence of the calcitonin gene-related peptide [CDRP], as a multifunctional neuropeptide. DCs were generated from isolated monocytes from four resistant and two early female RA patients using IL-4, GM-CSF, and CGRP at concentrations of 0, 1, and 100 nM. Then, the phenotype of neuropeptide-treated or untreated DCs was determined using flow cytometry and the IL-12 production was measured by ELISA. Our study showed that, on the last day of the culture, at a concentration of 1 nM CGRP, the mean fluorescence intensity [MFI] for CD80 increased [14.13%] and the MFIs for CD83, CD86, and HLA-DR decreased [14.57%, 5.28%, and 6.88% respectively]. Moreover, at 100 nM CGRP concentration, the MFI for CD80 increased [11.10%] and the MFIs for CD83, CD86, and HLA-DR decreased [4.27%, 18.60%, and 19.75% respectively]. In addition, our results indicated that the mean concentrations of IL-12 produced at 0, 1, and 100 nm CGRP concentrations measured 13.72 +/- 2.41, 11.01 +/- 1.61, and 7 +/- 1.34 pg/ml respectively. Decreased CD83, CD86, and HLA-DR expression and reduced IL-12 production by CGRP were found in the RA patients' monocyte-derived DCs. CD83 is a well-defined DC activation marker. HLA-DR and CD86 are appropriate molecules for inducing an immune response. IL-12 promotes cell-mediated immunity. Therefore we suggest that CGRP may be used as an inducer in the production of tolerogenic DCs
ABSTRACT
Systemic Lupus Eyrythematosus [SLE] is an autoimmune disease characterized by antibodies to nuclear antigens, particularly anti-dsDNA. Imbalance between production and destruction of immune cells causes cytopenia. Sex hormones have im-munomodulatory effects; estrogen increases the production of autoantibodies in SLE prone NZB/NZW mice. To investigate the relationship between sex hormones, anti-dsDNA, and lymphocyte subsets in Iranian patients with SLE. 38 SLE patients [28 females and 10 males] meeting 4 of 11 ACR revised criteria for SLE classification, and 20 age and sex matched healthy individuals [10 females and 10 males] participated in this study. Lymphocyte subsets were analyzed using flow cy-tometric analysis. Serum anti-dsDNA levels and sex hormones concentrations were determined using commercial ELISA and RIA kits, respectively. The absolute count of white blood cells, lymphocytes, T lymphocytes [CD3[+], T helper cells [CD3[+]CD4[+], B cells [CD19[+] and Nk cells [CD3[-] CD16[+]CD56[+] in SLE patients diminished significantly in comparison to control group [p<0.05]. IgG anti-dsDNA antibody levels were significantly higher in patients compared to controls as expected [p<0.05]. Prolactin increased significantly, while DHEAS showed a significant decrease in SLE patients compared with the controls [p<0.05], however the level of estrogen did not have any significant difference in SLE patients in comparison to controls. Increased concentration of prolactin together with a simultaneous decrease in serum DHEAS in SLE patients are associated with anti-dsDNA elevation and a decrease in almost all lymphocyte subsets