Comparison of immunoblotting and ELISA for detection of anti-ganglioside antibodies in children with Guillain-Barre Syndrome

Anti-ganglioside antibody assays are widely used for diagnosis of auto-immune peripheral neuropathies. This study aimed to determine serum levels of anti-ganglioside antibodies in children with Guillain-Barre syndrome by immunoblotting technique and compare the results with those obtained by ELISA method. In this investigation, 50 children with Guillain-Barre syndrome [GBS] who were admitted from July 2006 to July 2008, to Tabriz Children's hospital in the north-west of Iran were studied. 30 children admitted for various other reasons than GBS were randomly selected as a control group. The levels of anti-ganglioside antibodies in serum were measured by ELISA and immunoblotting methods using commercial kits. Anti-ganglioside antibodies [IgG] were detected in 16 [32%] GBS patients and in 1 [3.3%] control using ELISA assay. However, by employing immunoblotting technique, antibodies against seven gangliosides were found positive in 28 [56%] GBS patients and none in the control group. The sensitivities of immunoblotting and ELISA methods were 56% and 32% and their specificities were 100% and 97%, respectively [p<0.001]. According to the clinical criteria of GBS, the specificity and sensitivity of immunoblotting was better than those of ELISA. It is important to notice that the immunoblotting method is able to measure the seven types of antibodies [GM1, GM2, GM3, GD1a, GD1b, GT1b, and Gq1b] simultaneously and it is an easy, routine method with a lower cost

effect of regular training on plasma cytokines response in healthy and diabetic rats

To evaluate the effect of regular swimming exercise on plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-alpha, interleukin [IL]-1beta and of IL-6 cytokines in healthy and diabetic rats. In this study, carried out from March 2008 to March 2009 in the Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz, Iran, 40 Wistar rats [250-300g] were randomly divided into 4 groups [n=10]: control-sedentary, control-exercised, diabetic-sedentary, and diabetic-exercised. Diabetes was induced by a single injection of streptozotocin [50mg/kg, intraperitoneally]. The exercise protocol consisted of swimming [one hour/day, and 5 days/week] for 8 weeks. The plasma cytokines were measured by using specific kits and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. The findings of this study showed that the mean difference of IL-6 was significant among the groups, and that regular swimming increased the plasma levels of IL-6 to 9-times in healthy rats and to 23-times in diabetic ones [p=0.000, F [3.31]=54.79]. However, there were no significant differences in IL-1beta and TNF-alpha levels among the groups. According to findings of this study, regular exercise causes an increase in plasma levels of IL-6, and this enhancement is much higher in diabetics rather than healthy rats. Thus, by increasing direct absorption of blood glucose by skeletal muscle, IL-6 can have a beneficial role in continuing the activities of diabetic patients