Prevalence of celiac disease in Iranian patients with rheumatologic disorders

Aim: Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus [SLE], Rheumatoid Arthritis [RA], and Fibromyalgia [FM] may have underlying non-diagnosed celiac disease [CD]

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of CD in patients with these underlying diseases in Iran

Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed among 300 consecutive patients with SLE, RA, and FM [each group 100 patients] since 2015 to 2017. The blood samples were collected and serum IgA anti-tissue trans-glutaminase [Anti-tTG] level was assessed for all patients. The seropositive patients underwent endoscopy and duodenal/jejunal biopsy according to the Marsh classification

Results: Out of 300 investigated patients with mean age of 41.2 years old, 92% of patients with SLE, RA and fibromyalgia were women. Among 100 patients with SLE, only 1 subject [1%], out of 100 patients with RA 3 subjects [3%], and none of the patients with fibromyalgia were seropositive for CD [with overall prevalence 1.4]. All four patients were female and categorized as Marsh III

Conclusion: The results of the study indicated that patients with lupus have the same prevalence, but subjects with RA had three times higher prevalence rate than normal population for CD. Therefore, CD investigation in these individuals can improve their quality of life

Association of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist gene 86bp VNTR polymorphism with systemic lupus erythematosus in South East of Iran

Systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE] is an autoimmune disease with unknown etiology. Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist [IL-1Ra] is naturally occurring cytokine that inhibits interleukin-1 [IL-1] activity by binding to the IL-1 receptors without signal transduction. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between IL-1Ra gene 86bp VNTR polymorphism and systemic lupus erythematosus in the South- East of Iran. In this case control study, genetic polymorphism was analyzed in 163 SLE patients and 183 healthy controls. Genotyping of IL-1Ra VNTR polymorphism was determined by gel electrophoresis after PCR amplification. IL-1Ra VNTR alleles have different copies of 86bp tandem repeats: allele 1[four repeats], allele 2 [two repeats], allele 3 [five repeats], allele 4 [three repeats] and allele 5 [six repeats]. We found an increased frequency of IL-1Ra allele 4 and 1/4 genotype in SLE patients compared to healthy controls [p=0.001 and p=0.002 respectively]. Whereas, the frequency of IL-1Ra allele 3 was higher in controls than SLE patients [p=0.01]. There was no any association between the IL-1Ra allele 2 and SLE. We did not observe any association between IL-1Ra polymorphism and SLE manifestations. We concluded that IL-1Ra allele 4 was involved in the pathogenesis of SLE. However, there was no association between the IL-1Ra allele 2 and SLE in South East of Iran

[Interleukin-33 and interleukin-18 serum levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis]

Background and Aim: Limited studies have been focused on the role of IL-33 and IL-18 in Rheumatoid arthritis [RA].This study was done to measure the levels of IL-18 and IL-33 in the serum of patients with RA, before treatment, three month after treatment and compare to patients with osteoporosis as well as healthy controls

Materials and Methods: Sera were obtained from 20 patients with RA before treatment, 15 patients with osteoporosis and 30 healthy controls that have been matched to patients group. IL-33 and IL-18 levels were measured using ELISA assay

Results: Serum levels of IL-33 were significantly higher in patients with RA before treatment 5.47 +/- 0.142 [pg/ml] versus three months after treatment 4.34 +/- 0.072, P=0.001, and control subjects 4.53 +/- .076 [pg/ml], P=0.000. There were significant differences between IL-33 serum levels in patients with RA before treatment compare to osteoporosis subjects before treatment [5.47 +/- 0.142 versus 3.65 +/- 0.08, P=0.000]. The serum IL-18 levels of the RA patients before treatment 482.12 +/- 67.38 [pg/ml] were significantly higher than the IL-18 level three months after treatment 302.67 +/- 55.33 [pg/ml] P=0.004, the control group 216.19 +/- 47.56 [pg/ml] P= 0.004 and patients with OP 316.79 +/- 53.72, p= 0.001

Conclusion: Our results showed that IL-33 and IL-18 are highly active in RA and these cytokines might be closely involved in the pathologic mechanisms of the disease

Stereological changes of human placenta in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus compared with healthy controls

Systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE] is a chronic autoimmune disease that can cause changes in the placenta. In this study, quantitative changes of placenta were investigated using stereological methods. In this case-control study, 10 placentas from systemic lupus erythematosus pregnancy [antinuclear antibody>10], and 10 placentas from normal uncomplicated pregnancy were obtained from Imam Ali Hospital. Volume of placentas was estimated using Cavalieri's principle. 3 full-thickness columns of each placenta were taken using systematic uniform random sampling [SURS]. After fixation in modified Lillie's solution, they were cut into 5 mm slices. 5-7 sections selected from each slice using SURS and stained by Masson's trichrome. Then stereological analyses were done on 8-10 SURS fields of each section. Placental volume, absolute volume and volume density of chorionic villi, intervillous space, syncytiotrophoblast, fibrin and blood vessels in chorionic villi were estimated in both groups. The Mann Whitney-U test was employed to determine statistically significant differences between the means. Significant level was set at p<0.05. Total volume and volume density of fibrin and total volume and volume density of blood vessels significantly increased in SLE group in comparison with control group [p<0.01]. Volume density of syncytiotrophoblast increased 50% in SLE group in comparison with control group, this increase was statistically significant [p<0.01]. Results showed that systemic lupus erythematosus disease can cause significant changes in the structure of placenta that may be influential on the evolution and survival of fetus

Association of DD genotype of insertion/deletion polymorphism of angiotensin-converting enzyme gene with systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus nephropathy

Systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE] is a multisystem disease with unknown etiology. We hypothesized that insertion/deletion [I/D] polymorphism of angiotensin-converting enzyme [ACE] gene may influence the development and/or progression of SLE and lupus nephritis. In a crass sectional case-control study, genomic DNA from 106 SLE patients and 103 healthy controls matched for sex, age, and ethnicity, were genotyped for the [I/D] polymorphism of ACE gene by polymerase chain reaction [PCR]. Comparison of quantitative variants between two groups was assessed by student t-test and association between qualitative variables was analyzed by the chi-square or Fisher exact tests. The frequency of DD genotype in SLE patients was significantly higher than control group [25.5% vs. 14%], and the risk of SLE was 2.2 times greater in subjects with DD genotype than the individual by DI and II genotypes [OR, 2.2 [95% CI, 1.1 to 4.4]; p=0.023]. The distribution of D allele in SLE patients was significantly higher [p=0.021] compare to controls [47 and 36.4, respectively]. The Risk of nephropathy in SLE patients with DD genotype was three times more than other genotypes [OR], 3 [95% CI, 1.1 to 8]; p=0.027]. This study demonstrated that ACE DD genotype acts as a risk factor on SLE and Lupus nephropathy in an Iranian population

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

Evaluation of depression in patients with cancer in south of Iran [Zahedan]

The symptoms related to depression in patients with cancer are a major problem and could influence the treatment and survival of patients. This disorder is varied in different populations and in different studies. We evaluated the prevalence of depression with Beck Depression Inventory [BDI] scale in 400 patients with cancer. This measurement was after the diagnosis of malignancy and before chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The mean age of patients was 45 +/- 8.5 years, and female to male ratio was 45/55. The prevalence of depression was 24.8% and 28% in males and females. All patients with depression had mild to moderate depression. Prevalence of depression was significantly higher in younger cases [P<0.0001]. According to the site of malignancy, prevalence of depression was significantly highest in patients with breast cancer, following metastatic of unknown origin and gastrointestinal cancer and the lowest prevalence was observed in patients with hematologic malignancy [p<0.0001]. Also, we observed a significant higher prevalence of depression in single versus married patients [p<0.0001], in patients with higher education [p<0.0001] and patients who had knowledge about their disease in comparison with those who had no knowledge [p<0.0001]. The prevalence of depression and its severity in cancer patients in South east of Iran was lower than other studies and it seems that this situation may be related to high religious beliefs in this region, high prevalence of illiteracy and lack of knowledge about their underlying disease

Comparing anticonvulsive effect of melissa officinalis' hydro-alcoholic extract and phenytoin in rat

Epilepsy originates from brain function disorders that might appear in the forms of overt disorders or fainting [losing consciousness], abnormal motional activities, behavioral abnormalities and sensational impairment and/or disorders in autonomic performance; all these symptoms are observable in early sleeping stages. Epilepsy is one of the most common neural disorders in human beings and with regard to the conducted studies, the Melissa officinalis plant has been used to treat epilepsy disease. Therefore, in this empirical work the effect of pretreatment with hydro-alcoholic extract of this plant compared to Phenytoin in the prevention of the epileptic convulsions caused by Pentylenetetrazole was studied. In this research the following groups receive the following drug doses intraperitoneal: four groups received different concentrations of extract [25, 50, 100, 200 mg/kg body weight], the positive control group was tested by Phenytoin [5 mg/ kg] and the negative control group was tested by normal saline. Data were analyzed by kruskal - Wallis test and Tukey test. Injection of 50 and 100mg of the extract per kilogram of the body weight during the30 minutes interval before the systemic injection of Pentylenetetrazole, resulted in delay in the average onset time of the clonic convulsion Seizures with respect to the control group [P = 0.001] and also delay in the average onset time of the tonic - clonic Seizures with respect to the control group [P = 0.02] and besides the rates of mortality in that group of animals which were pretreated with 50 and 100 mg concentrations of the extract per kg of body weight indicated a significant difference with respect to the control group [P = 0.004] . Mortality rate was 100% in the negative control group, 37.5% in the50 mg/kg weight group and 12.5% in the 100 mg/kg weight group and 12.5% in the group treated by Phenytoin. This study indicated that the hydro-alcoholic extract of the Melissa officinalis plant can cause helpful effects on Seizures induced by Pentylenetetrazole in rats. Therefore, further studies are needed to understand the extent and mechanism of these effects