ABSTRACT
Background: Acute Myocardial Infarction [AMI] is the leading cause of disability and death in Iran and many other countries
Objective: To investigate the prognostic value of CCL5 and CCL18 in patients with acute myocardial ischemia
Methods: In this cohort study we recruited and followed 50 patients with acute anterior myocardial infarction [AAMI] for developing cardiovascular accidents in a 6-month period. CCL5 and CCL18 levels were measured on admission, at day 5 and at day 180 posthospitalization
Results: CCL18 and CCL5 levels at day 180 were higher in patients with late [day 180] and early [day 5] LVEF less than 35% compared to those with higher LVEF [p=0.05 and p=0.042, respectively]. There was a negative correlation between early and late LVEF and regional wall motion abnormalities [p=0.001 and p=0.002, respectively]. There was also a trend of negative correlation between CCL18 levels at day 5 and LVEF levels at day 180 post-hospitalization [p=0.06]
Conclusion: CCL18 has a correlation with cardiac function in patients with AAMI and it might be considered as an indicator of poor LVEF in patients with AAMI
ABSTRACT
The CD1 family is less variable transmembrane antigen presenting molecules related to the MHC molecules. CD1a and CD1e genes are the most polymorphic ones associated with autoimmune diseases. The aim was to better clarify the map of CD1 genes in Southwest Iranian normal population for implications in vaccine design. In this study we investigated the polymorphism of CD1a, CD1d and CD1e in 311 healthy individuals from Fars Province in Southwest of Iran by PCR-SSP method. Six of individuals had homozygote CD1a 01/01 genotype and 248 had homozygote CD1a 02/02 genotype. CD1d was found to be monomorphic with all tested individuals showing CD1d 01/01 genotype. Hundred and eleven individuals had homozygote CD1e 01/01 genotype and 48 had homozygote CD1e 02/02 genotype. The frequencies of CD1a 01 and CD1a 02 alleles were 11% and 89% while the frequencies of CD1e 01 and CD1e 02 alleles were 60.1% and 39.9%, respectively. Consistent with previous reports on other genes, a high degree of similarity in CD1a and CD1e allelic distribution was observed between Southwest Iranians and other Indo-European populations. However, the allelic frequency of the CD1a and CD1e alleles showed a significant difference from those of Chinese Han and She populations. These data are notable in the light of relatively recent genetic admixture along the Silk Road. Considering the significance of CD1 alleles in some autoimmune and infectious diseases and with the admixed nature of Iranian population, mapping the distribution of CD1e alleles in different regions of Iran can be useful in future designing of preventive and therapeutic vaccines
ABSTRACT
The HER-2/neu gene is located on chromosome 17q21 and encodes a 185-kDa transmembrane glycoprotein with tyrosine kinase activity reported to be released in soluble form in various malignancies. To evaluate the clinical significance of soluble Her-2/neu as a diagnostic marker in lung cancer. Serum levels of soluble HER-2/neu were measured in 43 patients with lung cancer and 42 age and sex matched controls by an enzyme immunoassay method. Mean serum level of soluble Her-2/neu in cancer patients was 6.07 +/- 10.37 ng/ml which was significantly higher than the control group [P < 0.05]. Cigarette smoking had no effect on the level of soluble HER-2/neu. A cut off value of 6.1ng/ml revealed a high specificity [95%] for diagnosis of lung cancer, but a very low sensitivity [14%]. The results of this study show an increased level of soluble HER-2/neu in the sera of lung cancer patients with a high specificity but low sensitivity for diagnosis of lung cancers
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Antigens, Neoplasm , Lung Neoplasms , Genes, erbB-2ABSTRACT
Vitiligo is an acquired skin disorder that selectively destroys melanocytes in epidermis with an unknown etiology. To investigate the exon 1 A49G polymorphism of cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 [ctla-4] gene in vitiligo patients. The A49G polymorphism was detected by Po-lymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism [PCR-RFLP] method in 101 patients and 208 normal healthy age/ethnicity matched individuals. The frequencies of heterozygote genotypes in patients and controls were found to be 42 [41.6%] of 101 and 85 [40.9%] of 208, respectively. The frequencies of homozygote A and G genotypes were 49 [48.5%] and 10 [9.9%] in 101 patients, whereas, these frequencies in 208 control individuals were 103 [49.5%] and 20 [9.6%], respectively. There was no significant difference between the genotype [P = 0.98] and allele [P = 0.86] frequencies of A49G polymorphism in patients and normal healthy individuals. Our results indicate that in contrast to several immune mediated disorders, there is no asso-ciation between ctla-4 A49G gene polymorphism and vitiligo
ABSTRACT
A soluble form of HER-2/neu extracellular domain [sHER-2] is reported to be released in the sera of metastatic breast cancer patients. To measure the level of sHER-2 in sera of 115 breast cancer patients. Serial samples of 27 patients with metastasis, 18 non-metastatic patients, 15 patients in stage 0/I and 14 patients with accompanying benign breast disease were also included in this study. No significant difference was observed between sHER-2 level in the pre-operative sera of breast cancer patients and that of healthy individuals. Only 8 out of 27 patients whom later developed metastasis showed elevated levels of sHER-2 in their first serum sample. However, a trend of increase in the level of sHER-2 was observed in 14 [51.8%] of 27 metastatic sera before clinical diagnosis of the metastasis. A significant association between sHER-2 positive status and vascular invasion of the tumor was observed [P = 0.02]. In addition, significant correlation of sHER-2 level with CEA [highest r = 0.74] and CA 15.3 [highest r = 0.74] tumor marker levels in the serial sera were observed. The mean time from sHER-2 positivity to tumor metastasis was calculated to be 98 days [range = 29-174]. Our results indicate that a relatively high percentage of Iranian patients with breast cancer show an elevated level of sHER-2 in their sera before clinical diagnosis of the tumor metastasis. Therefore, measuring the level of this oncoprotein, not only helps physicians in monitoring the patients during HERCEPTINTM therapy, but also can be helpful in choosing more aggressive treatments at the early satges of tumor metastasis
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Breast Neoplasms/blood , Neoplasm Metastasis/blood , Early Diagnosis , Follow-Up Studies , Neoplasm Metastasis/therapy , Biomarkers/blood , Biomarkers , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent AssayABSTRACT
Background: Vitiligo is a dermatological disorder of unknown etiology with a common incidence in southern Iran. Presence of autoantibodies to melanocyte antigens suggested an autoimmune basis of the disease
Objective: In this study, the presence of rheumatoid factor [RF] in sera and skin biopsies of vitiligo patients was investigated
Methods: The presence of RF in sera of 35 vitiligo and 32 normal individuals was assessed by an indirect ELISA assay. In addition, the presence of IgM, IgG, and IgA immunoglobulins in the biopsy lesions of patients was also investigated by Immunoperoxidase test
Results: IgM-RF and IgA-RF were detected in sera of 50% and 20% of patients, respectively. Five out of 35 [15%] revealed to produce both IgM and IgA rheumatoid factors. The rheumatoid factor activity of the deposited immunoglobulins at the site of lesion was confirmed by direct immunoperoxidase test
Conclusion: The presence of rheumatoid factors as non organ-specific autoantibodies in vitiligo provides further evidence for the autoimmune etiology of the disease and its pathological importance remains to be elucidated
ABSTRACT
Background: Respiratory Syncytical virus infection is the most common cause of bronchioMtis and viral pneumonia in infancy
Objective: To investigate the placental transfer of RSV-specific IgG in Iranian mothers
Methods: The antibodies were measured in sera of 146 mother/newborn pairs using a commercially available indirect Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay [ELISA]. The studied subjects were among healthy pregnant women who attended to the Zeinabieh Hospital of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in a one year period
Results: A highly significant correlation was observed between RSV-specific IgG in newborns and mothers [r = 0.88]. However, mean RSV-specific IgG antibodies in neonates was significantly higher than that of their mothers [P = 0.019]. In addition, the mean cord/maternal ratio of RSV-specific IgG was detected to be 1.27 +/- 0.60. Maternal blood group, age, parity, previous abortions and neonatal gestational age had no correlation with placental transfer of RSV-specific IgG antibodies
Conclusion: Our finding demonstrates that placental transfer of RSV-specific IgG antibodies is an active process and the main factor that influences this transfer is maternal concentration of these immunoglobulins
ABSTRACT
Backgroud: Production of monoclonal antibodies to Leishmania antigens assists the identification and characterization of these organisms
Objective: Production of monoclonal antibodies against epitopes on the gp63
Methods: Two murine monoclonal antibodies to gp63 were produced and characterized. The reactions of both antibodies with soluble leishmanial antigens, purified gp63 and truncated recombi-nant gp63 molecules were studied by an ELISA assay. These two antibodies reacted with the crude soluble antigens prepared from 4 reference strains of Leishmania, 10 isolates from the patients, purified gp63 and recombinant gp63 molecules. However, no reaction with several non-leishmanial antigens was observed. Reaction of both antibodies with the intact recombinant gp63 and truncated molecules were compared
Results: The results indicated that the two antibodies specifically recognize two different epitopes on the gp63 molecule
Conclusion: Possible applications of such antibodies in searching for immunogenic epitopes are discussed