ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the prevalence of West Nile virus seropositivity in the general population of Mashhad, Northeast of Iran.@*METHODS@#One hundred and eighty two individuals living in the city of Mashhad were studied using cluster sampling method. Both IgM and IgG antibodies against WNV were detected by ELISA method.@*RESULTS@#In this study, the overall IgG seroprevalence of positive West Nile virus was 11%; however, IgM antibody was not found in the participants.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Our study suggested that the prevalence rate of West virus is considerable in Mashhad city. It seems necessary for clinicians and health care workers to be aware of WNV infection in the Northeast Iran.
ABSTRACT
Objective:To evaluate the prevalence of West Nile virus seropositivity in the general population of Mashhad, Northeast of Iran.Methods:One hundred and eighty two individuals living in the city of Mashhad were studied using cluster sampling method. Both IgM and IgG antibodies against WNV were detected by ELISA method.Results:In this study, the overall IgG seroprevalence of positive West Nile virus was 11%; however, IgM antibody was not found in the participants.Conclusions:Our study suggested that the prevalence rate of West virus is considerable in Mashhad city. It seems necessary for clinicians and health care workers to be aware of WNV infection in the Northeast Iran.
ABSTRACT
Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of West Nile virus seropositivity in the general population of Mashhad, Northeast of Iran. Methods: One hundred and eighty two individuals living in the city of Mashhad were studied using cluster sampling method. Both IgM and IgG antibodies against WNV were detected by ELISA method. Results: In this study, the overall IgG seroprevalence of positive West Nile virus was 11%; however, IgM antibody was not found in the participants. Conclusions: Our study suggested that the prevalence rate of West virus is considerable in Mashhad city. It seems necessary for clinicians and health care workers to be aware of WNV infection in the Northeast Iran.
ABSTRACT
Despite availability of an effective vaccine against hepatitis B virus [HBV], the global prevalence of this virus infection has not diminished significantly. Contrary to numerous other human viruses, HBV does not have the ability to propagate in cell culture. However, infectious virus has been produced by transfection of human hepatoma cells with plasmids that contain full length HBV genome. Generation and optimization of appropriate cell culture systems can help us in demonstrating the quality of genome replication by PCR as well as expression of surface antigen secretion. Interferon stimulating genes [ISGs] are usually produced in response to interferon and can be determined as a measure of response to IFN-therapy. Therefore, in pharmacological studies, in addition to assessing the effects of a medicine on viral determinants of replication, its' effects on stimulation of various ISGs, as indicators of innate immune responses, can be achieved. In this study, we transfected the Huh-7 hepatoma cell line with pCH-9/3091. HBsAg production and viral mRNA transcription were subsequently evaluated. In this system, by using ISGs-specific primers, the ISG mRNAs recognition method was optimized and utilized. Huh-7 cells supported HBV replication. The peak HBsAg secretion was observed at 72 h post-transfection. By using designed primers for the S and pg/pC regions, transcription and genome replication of the virus was shown. RT-PCR results for ISG production by transfected cells showed no role for HBV in enhancement of ISGs levels in Huh-7 cells. The results indicated that this system can be used for functional studies of HBV-specific genes as well as assessment of the effects of new drugs or new vaccines. In addition, it may be used to study the mechanisms of drug resistance that have resulted in difficulties in response to HBV antivirals, including IFN-alpha
ABSTRACT
Vaccines capable of controlling tumor virus based infections are found difficult to develop due to the consistence latent infection in the host. DNA vaccines are attractive tools for the development of HPV vaccines and inducing antigen-specific immunity owing to the stability, simplicity of delivery, safety and cost effectiveness. However, there is a need to increase their potency by procedures such as using HSP70 gene as an adjuvant. To evaluate a DNA vaccine containing HPV16 truncated E7 C-terminal cytotoxic T-lymphocyte epitopes linked to HSP70 gene [HSP70-tE7] in an animal model. Mice were immunized with the plasmid DNA after pre-treatment with cardiotoxin. The splenocytes of immunized mice were then tested for CTL activity by detecting the apoptosis and necrosis in target cells, cytokine production by ELISA, CD4 and CD8 frequencies by flow cytometry, and lymphocyte stimulation by MTT assay. The recombinant expression vector was able to elicit immune responses close to that of full length E7 complete gene. Although the use of a small part of a target antigen can induce immune responses equivalent to the full length antigen, it fails to elicit statistically significant stronger immune responses when fused with HSP70 compared to the complete E7 gene alone. The potent immunogenicity of HPV16 E7 was preserved in the HSP70-tE7 vaccine and may represent a target of choice for the therapeutic vaccination strategies. However, to improve the immunogenicity polytope DNA vaccines which elicit multiple effector and memory CTL responses should be considered in future studies of DNA-based cancer vaccines
ABSTRACT
Cervical cancer is the most prevalent tumor in developing countries and the second most frequent cancer among female population worldwide. Specific human papillomaviruses and, most notably, HPV types 16 and 18 are recognized as being causally associated with cervical carcinomas. The early HPV type 16 genes, E6 and E7, directly participate in the in vitro transformation of primary human keratinocytes and represent an excellent target for immune therapy of HPV related disease. The aim of this study was the evaluation of the efficacy of a DNA vaccine containing human papillomaviruse type 16 E7 gene [Iranian isolate] in induction of CTL responses in an animal model. In this study, the expression vector containing HPV type 16 E7 gene was constructed and chosen as a model antigen in the development of a therapeutic DNA vaccine in an animal model. CTL responses, cytokine assay, lymphocyte stimulation test, CD4 and CD8 staining and flowcytometry were done for evaluating of the immune responses. Our findings indicate that the target DNA vaccine can induce an E7-specific CTL response, which is important in the lysis of infected tumor cells, compared to negative control [p < 0.005] after in vivo immunization in the mouse system. The developed vaccine may be promising as an anti-cancer vaccine