Association between interleukin-4 [IL-4], gene polymorphisms [C-589T, T+2979G, and C-33T] and migraine susceptibility in Iranian population: a case-control study

Background: Migraine is a chronic neurological disease characterized by recurrent moderate to severe headaches commonly in association with neuro-inflammation. Interleukin-4 [IL-4], an anti-inflammatory cytokine, plays an important role in modulating pain threshold and has an essential role in stimulation of pain receptors in the trigeminal nerve fibers

Aim of the study: The current study aimed to investigate the possible associations between IL-4 single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs] and susceptibility to migraine in Iranian patients

Patients and methods: In a prospective case-control study, we studied blood samples of 190 patients with migraine [migraineurs] and 200 healthy controls [HCs] for analysis of gene variants. Genotyping for the IL-4 SNPs: C-589T [rs2243250], T+2979G [rs2227284], and C-33T [rs2070874] were performed using PCR-RFLP. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS version 21.0 [SPSS, Chicago] and SNPStats version 1.14.0

Results and Conclusion: Among IL-4 SNPs, rs2243250 [TC genotype, OR= 0.25, 95% CI= 0.13-0.50, P = 0.001] and rs2227284 [TG and TT genotypes, OR= 0.44, 95% CI= 0.23-0.92, P = 0.029 and OR = 0.38, 95% CI= 0.18-0.79, P = 0.009 respectively] were significantly associated with migraine. No significant associations between IL-4 SNP rs2070874 [TC, TT and CC genotypes] and migraine were found. The most frequent genotypes in the migraineurs were CC in both SNPs rs2243250 [79%], and rs2070874 [71.5%], as well as GG for SNP rs2227284 [64%]. There was no statistically significant relationship between these SNPs and different subclasses [common, classic and complicated] of migraine. Our findings revealed that in IL-4 rs2243250 and rs2227284 genotypes and allele frequencies have a role in susceptibility to migraine in our population. Therefore, it is suggested that in addition to other factors, IL-4 genetic variations also play a pivotal role in the progress of migraine

Prevalence of diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance test in patients with Thalassemia major

Diabetes is one of the most common endocrine disorder worldwide that due to high prevalence and chronic nature of diabetes imposes a heavy cost on health care system. Therefore this study aimed to assess prevalence of diabetes among patients with beta thalassemia major. This descriptive study was conducted on 364 patients with beta thalassemia major that received at least 100 blood bags. For evaluation of diabetes among these patients, fasting blood sugar and glucose tolerance test were done. Finally relationship between age, gender, age at beginning of transfusion and chelating therapy with occurrence of diabetes were analysis by SPSS-17 software. Among 364 patients with mean age of 17.7 +/- 4.9 years prevalence of diabetes was 15.1% [58 patients] that 37.9% [22 patients] were women and 62.1 [38 patients] were men. Due to high prevalence of diabetes in patients with beta thalassemia major, regular check up for endocrine disorders should be consider in these patients

report of two children with severe homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia

Familial hypercholesterolemia [FH] is an autosomal disorder that causes severe elevations in total cholesterol and low- density lipoprotein. FH is one of the primary risk factors for premature coronary artery disease in children and adults which requires early diagnosis and appropriate medical intervention. In this article, we report two cases of homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia

CD226 rs763361 [Gly307Ser] polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis in Zahedan, southeast Iran

Rheumatoid arthritis [RA] is a chronic inflammatory disease with many genetic factors predisposing to disease susceptibility. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of CD226 rs727088 and rs763361 polymorphisms and susceptibility to RA in a sample of the Iranian population. This case-control study was carried out on 100 patients with RA and 104 healthy subjects. The polymorphisms were determined using tetra amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction assay. The rs763361 [Gly307Ser] polymorphism increased the risk of RA in codominant, dominant and recessive-tested inheritance models [odds ratio [OR] = 3.18, 95% confidence intervals [95% CI] = 1.44-7.02, P = 0.004, CC vs. TT, and OR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.10-3.57, P = 0.023, CC vs. CT-TT, and OR = 2.61, 95% CI = 1.26-5.37, P = 0.010, CC + CT vs. TT, respectively]. In addition, the rs763361 T allele increased the risk of RA [OR = 2.06, 95% CI = 1.38-3.08, P<0.001]. However, no significant difference was observed among the groups regarding CD226 rs727088 polymorphism [Chi[2] = 3.20, P = 0.202]. Our finding showed that CD226 rs763361, but not rs727088, gene polymorphism increased the risk of RA in a sample of the Iranian population

Histological study of the toxic effects of solder fumes on spermatogenesis in rats

Toxic fumes generated during the soldering process contain various contaminants released at sufficient rates to cause both short- and long-term health problems. Studies have shown that these fumes change the quality and quantity of semen fluid in exposed workers. The aim of the present study was to determine the potentially toxic effects of solder fumes on spermatogenesis in seminiferous tubules of rats as an experimental model, with conditioned media in an exposed chamber. A total number of 48 male Sprague Dawley adult rats were randomly divided into experimental [n=30] and control [n=18] groups. Based on exposure time, each group was further subdivided into two, four and six subgroups. Rats in the experimental groups were exposed to solder fumes in an exposure chamber for one hour/ day. The concentrations of fumes [formaldehyde, stanurn [Sn] and lead [Pb]] were measured by a standard method via atomic absorption and spectrophotometry. According to a timetable, under deep anesthesia, the rats of both experimental and control subgroups were killed. After fixation of testes, specimens were weighed and routinely processed. Paraffin sections were stained by hematoxylin and eosin. Spermiogenesis index was calculated and data analyzed by Mann Whitney NPAR test. Analysis of air samples in the exposure chamber showed the following fume concentrations: 0.193 mg/m[3] for formaldehyde, 0.35 mg/m[3] for Sn and 3 mg/m[3] for Pb. Although there was no significant difference in testes weight between control and experimental subgroups, there was only a significant difference in spermiogenesis index between the six week experimental and control subgroups [p<0.02]. The results of this study showed that solder fumes can change the spermiogenesis index in experimental groups in a time dependent manner