Interleukine-22 gene variants are associated with susceptibility to visceral leishmaniasis.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is an infectious disease caused by an intracellular protozoan belonging to Leishmania species. Interleukin (IL)-22 plays an important role in inflammatory response, chemotaxis, regulation of cellular proliferation and tissue repair. Considering the role of IL-22 in control of leishmaniasis and the effect of its single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on respective function and production, this study aimed to investigate the probable association of IL-22 SNPs with VL.

Dynamic alterations and durability of T helper 22 and its corresponding cytokines following treatment in pediatric visceral leishmaniasis.

Considering the collaboration between immune responses and medications for the improvement of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), this study investigated the levels of T helper (Th) 22 and the corresponding cytokines in the acute phase of VL and their alterations following treatment. The study was conducted on 18 patients with confirmed VL and 20 healthy sex and age matched children as the controls. The levels of Th22 cells and the cytokines driving their differentiations and functions in the blood and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) cultured supernatants, were assessed using flow cytometry method.

Treatment effects on IL-9+CD4+ T cells and the cytokines influencing IL-9 production in paediatric visceral leishmaniasis.

Aims: Given the involvement of IL-9 in the immune responses to parasitic infections, we aimed to determine alterations in the levels of IL-9+CD4+ T cells and the cytokines influencing their differentiations and functions following treatment in paediatric visceral leishmaniasis (VL).

Methods And Results: Eighteen VL and 20 healthy children were included. The levels of IL-9+CD4+ T cells and cytokines influencing their differentiations and functions were measured in the blood and PBMC culture supernatant at the onset of diagnosis and 1 and 2 weeks and 2 months after treatment, using flow cytometer.

Investigating the role of T helper related cytokines in cerebrospinal fluid for the differential diagnosis of bacterial meningitis in pre-treated paediatric patients.

Given the challenge in the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis (BM), we assessed different cytokines in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of antibiotics pre-treated patients. Laboratory tests and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were performed for 480 CSF samples from children (2 m to 14 y), suspicious to meningitis and pre-treated with antibiotics, to detect bacterial and viral aetiologies. Sixty-one CSF were included and the levels of 13 cytokines such as IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-9, IL-10, IL-13, IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-21, IL-22, IFN-γ and TNF-α were measured using flow-cytometry.

Influence of genetic variants of gamma interferon, interleukins 10 and 12 on Visceral Leishmaniasis in an endemic area, Iran.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a life threatening disease in which a variety of cytokines regulating the immune responses can determine its outcome. As based on their region in the gene, some single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) can influence the expression of their corresponding proteins, this study aimed to investigate the association between SNP in the IL-10, IL-12, IFN-γ genes and susceptibility to VL. The study was carried out on 120 patients with VL, 67 patients' families (family group), and 102 healthy individuals with positive leishmanin skin test as positive control group.

Antifungal susceptibility patterns of colonized species isolates from immunocompromised pediatric patients in five university hospitals.

Background And Objectives: Colonization of species is common in pediatric patients admitted to hematology-oncology wards. The aim of this study was to identify colonized species and their susceptibility patterns in hematologic pediatric patients.

Materials And Methods: Samples were collected from mouth, nose, urine and stool of the patients admitted to five university hospitals and cultured on sabouraud dextrose agar.

Evaluation of nested PCR in diagnosis of fungal rhinosinusitis.

Background And Objective: Given the importance of rapid diagnosis for fungal rhinosinusitis, this study aimed to evaluate the use of nested PCR to identify Aspergillus and Mucor species in clinical samples from patients with suspected fungal rhinosinusitis.

Methods: Functional endoscopic sinus surgery specimens were collected from 98 patients with rhinosinusitis from 2012 to 2013. All samples were ground and cultured on sabouraud dextrose agar.