Immunogenicity of Four Doses of Double-Strength Intramuscular Hepatitis B.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus potentially accelerates graft rejection and mortality in renal transplantation population. Vaccination of graft candidates without prior immunization against HBV seems essential before transplantation but some candidates of transplantation have not received HBV vaccine at the time of receiving graft. We aimed to evaluate immunogenicity of an enhanced regimen (4 doses of double-strength intramuscular shots) after kidney transplantation in candidates without history of prior HBV vaccination. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was conducted, 49 renal graft recipients in Sina Hospital (Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran) of age >18, receiving graft within past 6 months and negative history of hepatitis B vaccination from 2010-2011. Participants received 40 µg intramuscular (IM) shots of a recombinant vaccine in the months 0, 1, 2 and 6. The titer of HBsAb was measured 8 weeks after the 3(rd) and 4(th) injections. Cases with HBsAb titers less than 10 mIu/ml were considered as non-responder while antiHBs≥10 mIu/ml was considered protective. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 57.14% (28/49 patients). Protective HBsAb titers were detected in 44.89% patients following 3(rd) dose and reached to 57.14% after injecting the 4(th) shots. The mean HBsAb titers were 50.00 (±88.35) mIu/ml and 229.45 (±356.56) mIu/ml after the 3(rd) and 4(th) shots respectively. Responders showed significantly younger age in comparison to non-responders (P=0.013). The vaccine was well tolerated in all patients with no side effects. CONCLUSIONS: Regarding the relative good response rate following HBV vaccination in graft recipients, we suggest a post-transplantation enhanced regimen of 4-dose double-strength IM shots against HBV in patients without prior immunization.

Association of human leukocyte antigen class I antigens in Iranian patients with pemphigus vulgaris.

There are a limited number of reports indicating the role of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I alleles in pemphigus vulgaris. This study was designed to highlight the association of HLA class I alleles with pemphigus vulgaris in Iran. Fifty patients with pemphigus vulgaris, diagnosed based on clinical, histological and direct immunofluorescence findings were enrolled into this study. The control group consisted of 50 healthy, age- and sex-matched individuals. HLA typing of class I (A, B and C alleles) was carried out using polymerase chain reaction based on the sequence-specific primer method. This study showed the higher frequency of HLA-B*44:02 (P = 0.007), -C*04:01 (P < 0.001), -C*15:02 (P < 0.001) and -C*16:01 (P = 0.027) in the patient group, compared to the controls, while the frequency of HLA-C*06:02 (P < 0.001) and -C*18:01 (P = 0.008) in the patients with pemphigus vulgaris was significantly lower than the controls. Regarding the linkage disequilibrium between HLA class I alleles, the HLA-A*03:01, -B*51:01, -C*16:02 haplotype (4% vs 0%, P = 0.04) is suggested to be a predisposing factor, whereas HLA-A*26:01, -B*38, -C*12:03 haplotype (0% vs 6%, P = 0.01) is suggested to be a protective factor. In conclusion, it is suggested that HLA-B*44:02, -C*04:01, -C*15:02 alleles and HLA-A*03:01, -B*51:01, -C*16:02 haplotype are susceptibility factors for development of pemphigus vulgaris in the Iranian population, while HLA-C*06:02, -C*18:01 alleles and HLA-A*26:01, -B*38, -C*12:03 haplotype may be considered as protective alleles.

Prostate cancer predicting factors: a preliminary report from Tehran.

PURPOSE: To determine the probability of having prostate cancer (PCa) using the combination of serum level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and age. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 160 patients and 190 controls were enrolled in this hospital-based case-control study. Using a logistic regression model and the odds ratio of age and PSA level, the probability of PCa was estimated based on serum level of PSA and age of the participants. RESULTS: The mean age of patients with PCa and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) was 67.75 ± 8.81 and 62.07 ± 8.71 years, respectively (P < .000). Using univariate analysis, we found that increase in life decades of the cases almost doubles the risk of having PCa (odds ratio = 1.95; P = .00), and the probability of developing cancer may increase by 74% in ketchup consumers. After multiple variable regressions, it was revealed that the odds of developing PCa increase by 90% only for every decade, and other variables did not have any significant association with PCa. CONCLUSION: In clinical practice, PSA level combined with the age at presentation can be used as predictors of PCa probability and the necessity of biopsy.

The efficacy of pimecrolimus 1% cream combined with microdermabrasion in the treatment of nonsegmental childhood vitiligo: a randomized placebo-controlled study.

Recently, topical immunomodulators have been successfully used in monotherapy or in combination with other therapeutic modalities in vitiligo. To determine whether combination pimecrolimus 1% cream and microdermabrasion enhances response time and repigmentation rate in children with vitiligo. Sixty-five children diagnosed with vitiligo enrolled in this randomized placebo-controlled study. Three vitiliginous patches were chosen in each patient. The first lesion was treated by pimecrolimus 1% cream. On the second lesion after doing microdermabrasion on day 1, pimecrolimus 1% cream was applied. On the third lesion placebo was applied. The course of treatment was 10 days. Vitiliginous patches were measured at baseline, day 10, and months 1, 2, and 3. Sixty patients completed the 3-month study period. Clinical response (pigmentation >50%) was observed in 60.4% of the patches treated by combined pimecrolimus plus microdermabrasion at the third month of follow-up, compared with 32.1% and 1.7% for pimecrolimus alone and placebo, respectively (p = 0.000). No significant side effect was observed. Microdermabrasion exerts an additive effect in enhancing the rate and degree of repigmentation by pimecrolimus. This new combined approach appears to be safe and effective in childhood vitiligo.