Immunological evaluation of chitosan nanoparticles loaded with tetanus toxoid.

OBJECTIVES: The present study was aimed at comparing tetanus toxoid (TT)­loaded-chitosan nanoparticles with aluminum hydroxide as a common vaccine adjuvant. BACKGROUND: Tetanus remains to be a major public health problem. Nanoparticles have been extensively used as immune adjuvants. Tetanus toxoid (TT) encapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles is considered to be a promising tetanus vaccine candidate. METHODS: TT­loaded chitosan nanoparticles were prepared by the ionic gelation method. The nanoparticles were studied by SEM for their size and morphology. In vivo study was conducted to evaluate the immunity response using mice divided into 4 groups and injected with encapsulated toxoid. The immune responses were then measured using indirect ELISA. RESULTS: The purity and integrity of antigen were confirmed by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis. The size of nanoparticles was estimated at 100 nm. As a result, the IgG antibody levels were 1.9, 1.76, and 0.87 in chitosan nanoparticles, aluminum hydroxide, and TT alone groups, respectively. Also, the immune responses were significantly higher in immunized groups compared to control groups vaccinated with free adjuvant vaccines (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The quality and efficacy of toxoid­loaded chitosan nanoparticles were reasonable. It enhanced the immune responses as much as aluminum hydroxide adjuvant does and thus may be a good alternative candidate (Tab. 1, Fig. 3, Ref. 16).

Iranian public trust in health services: evidence from Tabriz, Islamic Republic of Iran.

This study investigated public trust in health services in Tabriz, Islamic Republic of Iran. A crosssectional household study was conducted in 2014, using random cluster sampling. A total of 1050 households were enrolled in the study and a valid questionnaire was used to collect data through interviews. The mean score for public trust in health services in Tabriz (out of 100) was 53.91 ± 13.7. People had most trust in professional expertise and lowest in macro-level policy. Specialists, pharmacy doctors and nurses were the health providers that enjoyed the highest levels of trust. It is concluded that public trust in health services in Tabriz is low and policy-makers need to employ appropriate policies to improve patients' experience of health services.

Iranian public trust in health services: evidence from Tabriz, Islamic Republic of Iran

This study investigated public trust in health services in Tabriz, Islamic Republic of Iran. A cross-sectional household study was conducted in 2014, using random cluster sampling. A total of 1050 households were enrolled in the study and a valid questionnaire was used to collect data through interviews. The mean score for public trust in health services in Tabriz [out of 100] was 53.91 +/- 13.7. People had most trust in professional expertise and lowest in macro-level policy. Specialists, pharmacy doctors and nurses were the health providers that enjoyed the highest levels of trust. It is concluded that public trust in health services in Tabriz is low and policy-makers need to employ appropriate policies to improve patients' experience of health services

La présente étude visait à étudier la confiance du public dans les services de santé de Tabriz, en République islamique d'Iran. Une étude transversale des ménages a été conduite en 2014, à l'aide d'un sondage aléatoire par grappe. Un total de 1050 ménages ont participé à l'étude, et un questionnaire validé a été utilisé pour collecter des données au cours d'entretiens. Le score moyen de la confiance du public dans les services de santé à Tabriz [sur un échantillon de 100 individus] était de 53,91 +/- 13,7. Les individus faisaient davantage confiance à l'expertise professionnelle et se fiaient moins aux politiques concernant les soins de santé dans leur ensemble. Les spécialistes, les docteurs en pharmacie et les personnels infirmiers étaient les prestataires de santé qui jouissaient des taux de confiance les plus élevés. En conclusion, on peut dire que la confiance du public dans les services de santé à Tabriz est basse et que les responsables politiques doivent recourir à des politiques appropriées pour améliorer l'expérience des services de santé vécue par les patients

Pretreatment d-2-hydroxyglutarate serum levels negatively impact on outcome in IDH1-mutated acute myeloid leukemia.

Mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenases (IDHs) 1 and 2 frequently occur in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and result in the production of the oncometabolite d-2-hydroxyglutarate (D2HG). D2HG has been shown to promote leukemogenesis even in the absence of mutated IDH, but the prognostic significance of pretreatment serum D2HG levels in patients with IDH-mutated AML is unclear. We measured D2HG serum levels in 84 patients with IDH-mutated AML treated in the prospective, randomized multicenter AML2003 trial of the German Study Alliance Leukemia. Multivariate Cox regression showed D2HG levels to negatively impact on event-free survival (EFS) as a continuous variable in the entire IDH(mut) cohort (P=0.04), with no effect on overall survival (OS). In a subgroup analysis, the negative impact of D2HG on EFS was found to be restricted to patients with mutations in IDH1 (P=0.003), adjusted for age, leukocyte count, serum lactate dehydrogenase and European LeukemiaNet risk score. We thus conclude that pretreatment D2HG serum levels may yield prognostic information in patients with IDH1-mutated, but not in IDH2-mutated AML, possibly due to different subcellular localizations of IDH1 and IDH2.

Characterisation of the leukotoxin produced by different strains of Pasteurella haemolytica.

Pasteurella haemolytica isolates from cattle and sheep, including representatives of different serotypes and untypable strains, were examined for leukotoxin (Lkt) production at the end of the log phase of growth in brain heart infusion broth. There were marked differences in leukotoxic activity in culture supernate samples, as measured by chemiluminescence-inhibition assays with bovine and ovine neutrophils, even between strains of the same serotype. There was also some variation in the amount and mol. wt of the Lkt protein produced by different strains, as judged by SDS-PAGE, immunoblotting and ELISA. Some strains produced normal amounts of Lkt protein which had only low leukotoxic activity. Most strains produced Lkt of 105 kDa whereas four strains produced a higher mol. wt form of c. 108 kDa, including two of the five serotype A2 strains examined. Thus, the P. haemolytica isolates showed considerable heterogeneity in terms of leukotoxin production, mol. wt and activity, even within a given serotype.