Evaluation of Th17 and Treg cytokines in patients with unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss.

Background And Aim: The Th17/Treg balance in peripheral blood and reproductive tissues may have a role in the etiology of unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (URPL). In this study, we evaluated the major cytokine of Treg cells transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), and their specific transcription factor Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3), as well as the most highlighted cytokine of Th17 cells (interleukin [IL]-17A) in both URPL patients and healthy women.

Methods: Samples were extracted from the peripheral blood, endocervix, endometrium, and vagina of 14 patients with URPL and 12 normal non-pregnant women as a control (normal) group.

Association Between IL-17A, FOXP3, and CTLA4 Genes Expression and Severity of Lupus Nephritis.

Introduction: Elevated levels of interleukin 17A (IL-17A) have been found in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Forkhead box protein P3 (FOXP3) activates T-regulation lymphocytes and is a master regulator cell function. The cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4) gene plays a similar role.

Upregulation of Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte-Associated Protein 4 and Forkhead Box P3 Transcripts in Peripheral Blood of Patients with Bladder Cancer.

Background: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a key role in the progression of tumors. These cells express forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4), which are the potential targets for cancer immunotherapy. The present study aimed to evaluate and transcripts in patients with bladder cancer (BC) compared with healthy individuals.

Expression Pattern of Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (hTERT) Variants and Bcl-2 in Peripheral Lymphocytes of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients.

Background & Objective: It is not clear whether activated lymphocytes of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are more proliferative or less apoptotic. We aimed to delineate potential differences between B and T cells of SLE patients compared to healthy controls regarding the telomerase activity and apoptosis status.

Methods: In this cross-sectional case control study, Blood samples were taken from 10 SLE patients and 10 healthy controls.

Helios, CD73 and CD39 Induction in Regulatory T Cells Exposed to Adipose Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Objective: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have prominent immunomodulatory roles in the tumor microenvironment. The current study intended to elucidate Treg subsets and their cytokines after exposing naïve T lymphocytes to adiposederived MSCs (ASCs).

Materials And Methods: In this experimental study, to obtain ASCs, breast adipose tissues of a breast cancer patient and a normal individual were used.

The effect of amniotic membrane extract on umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cell expansion: is there any need to save the amniotic membrane besides the umbilical cord blood?

Objectives: Umbilical cord blood is a good source of the mesenchymal stem cells that can be banked, expanded and used in regenerative medicine. The objective of this study was to test whether amniotic membrane extract, as a rich source of growth factors such as basic-fibroblast growth factor, can promote the proliferation potential of the umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells.

Materials And Methods: The study design was interventional.

Tumour suppressive effects of WEE1 gene silencing in neuroblastomas.

Aim Of Study: WEE1, a member of serine/threonine protein kinase family is the master inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 in cell cycle. Over-expression of WEE1 in glioblastomas (GBMs) and some other cancers has been shown. Here, we investigated the expression of WEE1 in 13 brain samples from GBM patients and two GBM cell lines.

Tumor suppressive effects of WEE1 gene silencing could not enhance immunopotentiation effects of CD80 and 4-1BBL co-stimulation in human T cells.

Background: Activation of T cells against tumors by recruiting co-stimulatory molecules has been an attractive approach for cancer immunotherapy. Reports suggested that targeting different genes in tumors might also boost T cell-mediated tumor destruction.

Aims: We investigated whether in vitro WEE1 gene silencing in MDA-MB-468 and MCF7 breast cancer cell lines could enhance immunopotentiating effects of CD80 and 4-1BBL co-stimulation in human T cells.

No Definite Association between Human Parvovirus B19 Infection and Behçet Disease.

Background: The etiology of the Behçet disease (BD) has remained obscured. There have been studies to show the association of BD to infections like herpes simplex, hepatitis, and parvovirus B19 however, the findings are rather controversial.

Materials And Methods: We selected 55 patients with the best matched symptoms of BD and measured the loads of B19 DNA in their plasma by quantitative real time PCR and verified their seropositivity by ELISA.

Patients with Active Rheumatoid Arthritis Have Lower Frequency of nTregs in Peripheral Blood.

Background: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) suffer from wide ranges of autoimmune reactions in joints. The mechanism of which is generally unknown and maybe associated with Treg deregulation.

Objective: To compare the frequency of nTregs in peripheral blood of patients with active rheumatoid disease with healthy individuals.

Expression Pattern of Alternative Splicing Variants of Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (hTERT) in Cancer Cell Lines Was not Associated with the Origin of the Cells.

Telomerase and systems controlling their activity have been of great attention. There are controversies regarding the role of the alternative splicing forms of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), the catalytic subunit of telomerase. Therefore, the correlation between telomerase enzyme activity, the abundance of alternatively spliced variants of hTERT and doubling time of a series of cancer cell lines originated from hematopoietic, breast, colorectal, neural, ovarian, lung, kidney, bladder, prostate and head and neck cancers were investigated.

Absence of Correlation between Changes in the Number of Endothelial Progenitor Cell Subsets.

Background And Objectives: Previously, various methodologies were used to enumerate the endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). We now know that these methodologies enumerate at least three different EPC subsets: circulating angiogenic cells (CACs), colony-forming unit endothelial cells (CFU-ECs), and endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs). It is not clear whether there is a correlation between changes in the number of these subsets.

Changes in endothelial progenitor cell subsets in normal pregnancy compared with preeclampsia.

Background: The results of studies measuring the number of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in normal pregnancies and in preeclampsia have been highly controversial or even contradictory because of cross-sectional designs and different methodologies enumerating three distinct subsets of EPCs: circulating angiogenic cells (CAC), colony-forming unit endothelial cell (CFU-ECs), and endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs). To provide a clear explanation for these underlying controversies, we designed a prospective study to compare the number of all EPC subsets between three trimesters of normal gestation and a case-control study to compare these values as preeclampsia occurs with those from gestational age (GA) matched normal pregnancy.

Methods: Samples from peripheral blood of nine women were taken during their three consecutive trimesters of normal pregnancy, and from eight women with preeclampsia.

Increased interleukin-17 transcripts in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, a link between T-helper 17 and proinflammatory responses in bladder cancer.

Background: Interleukin (IL)-17-producing CD4+ T helper (Th17) cells thatare known by producing IL-17 have recently been defined as a unique subset of proinflammatory helper cells. IL-17 is an inflammatory cytokine with robust effect on many cells and it can play important roles in pathogenesis of diverse groups of immune-mediated diseases.

Objectives: The aim of this case-control study was to determine the gene expression of IL-6, IL-17, and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) in Iranian patients with bladder cancer.

Changes in lymphocytes' telomerase activity by 4-1BB costimulation.

Aim: Lymphocytes are exceptional among somatic cells as these cells can induce telomerase enzyme after antigen stimulation to compensate chromosomal loss during rapid cell division. Activation of telomerase in lymphocytes needs CD28 signal, which simultaneously costimulates T cells during activation. 4-1BB of tumor necrosis factor superfamily also has been shown to costimulate T cells.

Natural Killer Cell Functional Activity After 4-1BB Costimulation.

Reports show enhancement of CD8 T cells' activity through CD137 (4-1BB) signal; however, not all data proved similar effect in natural killer (NK) cells. Here, the impact of 4-1BB signal on NK cells' function was assessed during short term cultures. To that end, cytokine-activated NK cells were cocultured with adenovirally transduced MCF-7 stimulator cells expressing 4-1BB ligand.

IL-23/IL-27 Ratio in Peripheral Blood of Patients with Breast Cancer.

Background: Interleukin (IL)-23 and IL-27 are two IL-12-related cytokines which their function may dramatically influence the inflammatory response to tumor development. IL-12 and IL-27 seem to have antagonistic roles with IL-23 in tumor site. In this study, IL-23 and IL-27 mRNA expressions were analyzed in peripheral blood of patients with breast cancer and healthy volunteers using quantitative real-time PCR.

Tumour suppressive effects of WEE1 gene silencing in breast cancer cells.

Background: WEE1 is a G2/M checkpoint regulator protein. Various studies have indicated that WEE1 could be a good target for cancer therapy. The main aim of this study was to asssess the tumor suppressive potential of WEE1 silencing in two different breast cancer cell lines, MCF7 which carries the wild-type p53 and MDA-MB468 which contains a mutant type.

Determining the Latent Tuberculosis Infection by IFN - γ Elispot Assay in Healthcare Workers From University Hospitals of Shiraz, South West of Iran.

Background: Classical screening methods are incapable to properly detect LTBI (Latent TB Infection) and HCWs (Healthcare Workers) are at the high risk of exposure. Only few reports estimated the prevalence of LTBI among Iranian HCWs and they mostly used the TST (Tuberculin Skin Test), rather than assessing the response against TB-specific antigens.

Objectives: The current study aimed to determine the frequency of IFN - γ producing blood cells of microbiology and radiology ward technicians by an in-house IFN - γ ELISPOT assay in the University hospitals of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS) against recombinant ESAT - 6 and PPD antigens.

The effects of folate-conjugated gold nanorods in combination with plasmonic photothermal therapy on mouth epidermal carcinoma cells.

The use of lasers has emerged to be highly promising for cancer therapy modalities, most commonly, the photothermal therapy method. Unfortunately, the most common disadvantage of laser therapy is its nonselectivity and requirement of high power density. The use of plasmonic nanoparticles as highly enhanced photoabsorbing agents has thus introduced a much more selective and efficient cancer therapy strategy.

Combined 4-1BB and CD28 costimulation could unleash lymphocytes from immunosuppression induced by adipose derived stem cell soluble products.

Adipose derived stem cells (ASCs) have the potential to differentiate into multiple cell lineages with the capacity to suppress immune cells. However, the exact mechanism of this suppression is not fully understood. We hypothesized that supplying additional lymphocyte costimulation through CD28 and 4-1BB could overturn the inhibitory effect of ASCs.

Serological investigation for hepatitis E virus infection in the patients with chronic maintenance hemodialysis from southwest of Iran.

Background And Objectives: A global distribution has been shown for hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection. Although the fecal-oral was considered as the primary infection route, there is controversial evidence for increased risk of the infection and consequent problems in patients on maintenance hemodialysis (HD) with suppressed immunity. The aim is to find if the prevalence of anti-HEV IgG, in patients with maintenance HD is higher than normal population in southwest of Iran.

Blood CD33(+)HLA-DR(-) myeloid-derived suppressor cells are increased with age and a history of cancer.

As we age, the composition of our peripheral leukocytes changes dramatically. Many of these alterations contribute to the general immune dysfunction that burdens the elderly, which in turn, contributes to increased susceptibility to disease. MDSCs represent a heterogeneous population of immunosuppressive leukocytes that are elevated in the peripheral blood of cancer patients.

Detection of high-risk human papillomavirus types 16 and 18 but not 33 and 52 in external genital warts from Iranian females.

Background: External genital warts (EGW) are relatively common sexually transmitted diseases. In the majority of cases, low-risk human papilomaviruses (HPV), such as HPV-6 and HPV-11, are responsible but, high-risk types may also be detected and this has a bearing on vaccines for cervical cancer prevention. In this study the incidence of the high-risk HPV types 16, 18, 33 and 52 in EGWs of females from the southwest of Iran was assessed.