No definite association between human parvovirus B19 infection and Behçet disease

Background: The etiology of the Behçet disease [BD] has remained obscured. There have been studies to show the association of BD to infections like herpes simplex, hepatitis, and parvovirus B19 however, the findings are rather controversial

Materials and Methods: We selected 55 patients with the best matched symptoms of BD and measured the loads of B19 DNA in their plasma by quantitative real time PCR and verified their seropositivity by ELISA. All findings were compared to the results from 42 healthy persons

Results: Patients showed a wide spectrum of BD symptoms. Serologic studies showed high prevalence of B19 IgG among the tested patients which was not statistically different with the healthy population [72.7% vs. 85.7%, respectively]. Similarly, the prevalence of B19 IgM between patients and controls was not different [18% vs. 11.9%, respectively]. No correlation was found between the presence of anti-B19 antibodies and the clinical observations. Only one person from the patient and control groups had detectable levels of B19 DNA without any difference or correlation with the disease symptoms

Conclusion: Our data could not establish an association between B19 parvovirus infection and Behçet disease, although there have been reports of such correlation. Nevertheless, there might be indirect relation in genetically susceptible individuals after viral infections. More studies on designed animal models and surveys on patients should be done to resolve this controversy

Absence of Correlation between Changes in the Number of Endothelial Progenitor Cell Subsets

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Previously, various methodologies were used to enumerate the endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). We now know that these methodologies enumerate at least three different EPC subsets: circulating angiogenic cells (CACs), colony-forming unit endothelial cells (CFU-ECs), and endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs). It is not clear whether there is a correlation between changes in the number of these subsets. The aim of the current study is to find an answer to this question. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The number of all EPC subsets was quantified in the peripheral blood of nine pregnant women in their first and third trimesters of pregnancy. We enumerated 14 cell populations by quantitative flow-cytometry using various combinations of the markers, CD34, CD133, CD309, and CD45, to cover most of the reported phenotypes of CACs and ECFCs. Culturing technique was used to enumerate the CFU-ECs. Changes in the number of cells were calculated by subtracting the number of cells in the first trimester peripheral blood from the number of cells in the third trimester peripheral blood, and correlations between these changes were analyzed. RESULTS: The number of CFU-ECs did not correlate with the number of ECFCs and CACs. Also, CACs and ECFCs showed independent behaviors. However, the number of CACs showed a strong correlation with the number of CD133+CD309+ cells (p=0.001) and a moderate correlation with the number of CD34+CD309+ cells (p=0.042). Also, the number of ECFCs was correlated with the number of CD309+CD45- cells (p=0.029) and CD34+CD45- cells (p=0.03). CONCLUSION: Our study showed that the three commonly used methods for quantifying EPC subsets represent different cells with independent behaviors. Also, any study that measured the number of EPCs using the flow cytometry method with a marker combination that lacks CD309 may be inaccurate.

IL-23/IL-27 ratio in peripheral blood of patients with breast cancer

Background: Interleukin [IL]-23 and IL-27 are two IL-12-related cytokines which their function may dramatically influence the inflammatory response to tumor development. IL-12 and IL-27 seem to have antagonistic roles with IL-23 in tumor site. In this study, IL-23 and IL-27 mRNA expressions were analyzed in peripheral blood of patients with breast cancer and healthy volunteers using quantitative real-time PCR

Methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 50 women with breast cancer and 50 healthy ones. The total RNA was extracted from peripheral blood after lysis with ammonium chloride and TRizol reagent and the cDNA was synthesized. The expression of IL-23 and IL-27 gene transcripts was determined with real-time polymerase chain reaction [qRT-PCR] using Syber Green PCR Master Mix

Results: It is found that IL-23 and IL-27 transcripts had significantly higher expression in peripheral blood of patients compared with the healthy controls. The ratio of IL-23 transcript expression to IL-27 was 3.4 fold lower in the studied patients compared with the normal individuals

Conclusion: It is concluded that the over expression of IL-23 and IL-27 gene transcript in peripheral blood of breast cancer patients may be an immune response against tumor development and the inflammatory response plays a critical role in tumor development via up regulating the corresponding cytokines. However, the IL-23/IL-27 ratio may play an important role in cytokine-based immunotherapy against cancer. Further research should be carried out to assess these cytokines in a larger sample size

High concentration of serum soluble fas in patients with head and neck carcinoma: a comparative study before and after surgical removal of tumor

Alternative splicing of the Fas transcript can produce a natural secreted isoform of this molecule. Some cancer cells can also produce soluble Fas [sFas] which may have suppressive effects on the immune system's anti-tumor response. Elevated concentrations of sFas have been detected in the sera of patients with different malignancies. The concentrations of sFas in sera of patients with head and neck carcinoma [HNC, n=98] and healthy individuals [n=30] were measured by Sandwich ELISA and compared to values obtained six months after surgical removal of the tumor [n=48]. Data were correlated with different clinical findings of the patients. sFas concentrations in the sera of HNC patients were found to be significantly higher in patients with different tumor stages. sFas concentration did not correlate with age or tumor invasiveness, however a higher concentration of sFas was found in the sera of patients who had higher tumor grades. Surgical removal of tumors in patients resulted in a substantial decrease in sFas concentration. The initial rise in sFas concentration in the sera of HNC patients and its consequent decrease could be regarded as a sign of tumor suppressive mechanisms. Additional studies are needed to fully elucidate this mechanism however these findings might show the prospective use of such biomarkers to determine disease prognosis and even immunotherapeutic applications

Mesenchymal stem cells do not suppress lymphoblastic leukemic cell line proliferation

Several studies have demonstrated the immunosuppresive effects of mesenchymal stem cells [MSCs] in allogeneic or mitogenic interactions. Cell-cell contact inhibition and secretion of suppressive soluble factors have been suggested in this regard. To investigate if adipose derived MSCs could inhibit Jurkat lymphoblastic leukemia T cell proliferation during coculture. Adherent cells with the ability of cellular growth were isolated from normal adipose tissues. Initial characterization of growing cells by flow cytometry suggested their mesenchymal stem cell characteristics. Cells were maintained in culture and used during third to fifth culture passages. Jurkat or allogeneic peripheral blood mononuclear cells [PBMCs] were labeled with carboxy fluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester and cocultured with increasing doses of MSCs or MSC culture supernatant. Proliferation of PBMCs or Jurkat cells under these conditions was assessed by flow cytometry after 2 and 3 days of coculture, respectively. Results showed the expression of CD105, CD166 and CD44, and the absence of CD45, CD34 and CD14 on the surface of MSC like cells. Moreover, initial differentiation studies showed the potential of cell differentiation into hepatocytes. Comparison of Jurkat cell proliferation in the presence and absence of MSCs showed no significant difference, with 70% of cells displaying signs of at least one cell division. Similarly, the highest concentration of MSC culture supernatant [50% vol/vol] had no significant effect on Jurkat cell proliferation [p>0.6]. The same MSC lots significantly suppressed the allogeneic PHA activated PBMCs under similar culture conditions. Using Jurkat cells as a model of leukemia T cells, our results indicated an uncertainty about the suppressive effect of MSCs and their inhibitory metabolites on tumor or leukemia cell proliferation. Additional systematic studies with MSCs of different sources are needed to fully characterize the immunological properties of MSCs be-fore planning clinical applications