The Increased Frequency of Type 1 Regulatory T (Tr1) Cells and the Altered Expression of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AHR) and Interferon Regulatory Factor-4 (IRF4) Genes in Type 1 Diabetes: A Case-Control Study.

Background and aim Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder characterized by the destruction of pancreatic beta cells, leading to insulin deficiency and hyperglycemia. Regulatory T cells (Tregs), particularly type 1 regulatory T (Tr1) cells, play a crucial role in modulating autoimmune responses. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the frequency of Tr1 cells and their association with aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and interferon regulatory factor-4 (IRF4) gene expression levels in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) compared to the healthy controls.

Evaluation of PD-1 Gene Expression Profile and Methylation of the Regulatory Regions in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Background: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by the fusion of vertebral joints and axial arthritis. The programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitory receptor has a pivotal role in controlling T cell function and may have a significant impact on the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases such as AS pathogenesis.

Objective: To investigate PD-1 gene expression and its epigenetic regulation by detecting methylated CpG islands in the regulatory sites of the gene.

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor gene expression in ankylosing spondylitis and its correlation with interleukin-17, RAR-related orphan receptor gamma t expression, and disease activity indices.

Objectives: Considering the role of T helper (Th)17 cells in the pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), the aim of this study was to determine the correlation between aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) gene expression and the expression of Th17-related genes including interleukin (IL)-17 and RAR-related orphan receptor gamma t (RORγt) transcription factor.

Patients And Methods: Thirty patients with AS (26 males, 4 females; mean age: 36.1±8.

CBC Differences between Survived and Deceased COVID-19 Patients: A Cohort Study.

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic showed the importance of simple, low-cost, and accessible tests for patient triage. Complete Blood Count (CBC) can be considered a good option for predicting the prognosis of COVID-19 and daily follow-up of hospitalized patients. CBC tests of 100 COVID-19 patients admitted to the general ward or intensive care unit (ICU) were monitored for ten days.

Circulating Exosomes and Ambient Air Pollution Exposure in COPD.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by progressive obstruction of airways due to chronic inflammation. Both genetic and environmental components are risk factors for COPD. The most common cause of COPD is smoking.

Percentage of Th1 and Th17 cells and serum level of IL-17 and IFN-γ cytokines in COVID-19-associated mucormycosis.

The considerable number of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients who developed mucormycosis infections in West and Central Asia urged a need to investigate the underlying causes of this fatal complication. It was hypothesized that an immunocompromised state secondary to the excessive administration of anti-inflammatory drugs was responsible for the outburst of mucormycosis in COVID-19 patients. Therefore, we aimed to study the implication of two major subsets of adaptive immunity T helper (Th)-1 and Th17 cells in disease development.

MicroRNAs-mediated regulation pathways in rheumatic diseases.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are two common rheumatic disorders marked by persistent inflammatory joint disease. Patients with RA have osteodestructive symptoms, but those with AS have osteoproliferative manifestations. Ligaments, joints, tendons, bones, and muscles are all affected by rheumatic disorders.

Effect of Ramadan fasting on salivary IgA, serum IgA, IL-17, and IL-22 levels.

nutritional factors might affect the number and function of immune cells for instance the production of cytokines and immunoglobulins. Ramadan fasting is intermittent abstinence from eating and drinking for almost four weeks. The present study aimed to investigate the influence of intermittent fasting on serum IgA, salivary IgA (sIgA), interleukin (IL)-17, and IL-22 levels.

Th17/Treg cell balance in stable liver transplant recipients.

Background: Immune monitoring of transplanted patients may provide a reliable basis for the individualization of immunosuppressive therapy. In addition, it might be applied for realizing the early and non-invasive diagnosis of acute allograft rejection.

Methods: Percentages of TCD4 + IL-17+ (Th17) and TCD4 + CD25 + CD127 (Treg) cells, as well as serum levels of interleukin (IL)-17 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, were evaluated in 30 stable patients using flow cytometry and ELISA techniques before and six months after liver transplantation.

Expression of Programmed Cell Death 1 and Helios Genes Correlates With rs872071A>G and rs12203592C>T Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms of InterferonRegulatory Factor 4 in Patients with T-Cell-Mediated Rejection of Renal Allograft.

Objectives: Acute T-cell-mediated rejection of the renal allograft is a serious posttransplant challenge that requires administration of high-dose immunosuppressive drugs with considerable side effects; therefore, specific targeting of T-cell responses may improve both prevention and treatment of T-cell-mediated rejection. A potential candidate for this purpose is interferon regulatory factor 4 because of its implication in differentiation and function of T cells. Our aim was to evaluate the frequency of the rs872071A>G and rs12203592C>T single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the interferon regulatory factor 4 gene and association of these 2 polymorphisms with the gene expression of programmed cell death 1 and Helios in patients with T-cell-mediated rejection versus stable recipients.

Potential cytotoxicity of PM2.5-bound PAHs and toxic metals collected from areas with different traffic densities on human lung epithelial cells (A549).

Laboratory and epidemiological researches have indicated that ambient air particulate matter have a plays critical role in causing diseases. The current research evaluated the chemical attributes of PM2.5 in the ambient air of the cities of Karaj and Fardis and determined its toxicological effects on human lung epithelial cells (A549).

Comparing IRF-4 Gene Expression Between Acute T cell- Mediated Rejection and Stable Renal Transplant Recipients.

Introduction: Renal transplant rejection is one of the clinical challenges, which usually requires administration of immunosuppressive drugs causing serious side effects. Therefore, invention of effective and specific therapeutics is necessary to control undesired immune responses particularly T-cell reactions to allograft. Interferon Regulatory Factor-4 (IRF-4) due to its implication on T cells differentiation and function might be targeted to treat T cell-mediated cellular rejection (TCMR).

Adoptive Treg cell-based immunotherapy: Frontier therapeutic aspects in rheumatoid arthritis.

The major current focus on treating rheumatoid arthritis is to put an end to long-term treatments and instead, specifically block widespread immunosuppression by developing antigen-specific tolerance, while also permitting an intact immune response toward other antigens to occur. There have been promising preclinical findings regarding adoptive Treg cells immunotherapy with a critically responsible function in the prevention of autoimmunity, tissue repair and regeneration, which make them an attractive candidate to develop effective therapeutic approaches to achieve this interesting concept in many human immune-mediated diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. or manipulation protocols are not only utilized to correct Treg cells defect, but also to benefit from their specific immunosuppressive properties by identifying specific antigens that are expressed in the inflamedjoint.

Sirtuin 1: A Dilemma in Transplantation.

Sirtuin 1, a member of sirtuin family of histone deacetylase enzymes, has been implicated in a variety of physiologic and pathologic events, including energy metabolism, cell survival, and age-related alterations. In view of the anti-inflammatory properties of sirtuin 1 along with its protective role in ischemia reperfusion injury, it might be considered as contributing to the promotion of transplantation outcome. However, the potential ability of sirtuin 1 to induce malignancies raises some concerns about its overexpression in clinic.

Correction to: Chemical composition of PM10 and its effect on in vitro hemolysis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s40201-018-00327-w.].

Proinflammatory effects of dust storm and thermal inversion particulate matter (PM) on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in vitro: a comparative approach and analysis.

Particulate matter (PM) as the carcinogenic air pollutants can lead to aggravated health outcomes. Epidemiological studies demonstrated that PM can be engaged in different diseases such as cardiovascular, respiratory and cancer. The in vitro secretion of proinflammatory cytokines by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) has been used to assess the effects of PM with an aerodynamic diameter < 10 μm (PM).

Chemical composition of PM and its effect on in vitro hemolysis of human red blood cells (RBCs): a comparison study during dust storm and inversion.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate chemical composition of PM (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm) during dust storm and inversion in Tehran and hemolysis effects.

Methods: PM was sampled in Tehran, Iran, during dust storm and inversion conditions. Water soluble ions (F¯, Cl¯, NO¯, NO¯, SO¯, Na, K, NH , Ca, Mg) and elements (Al, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, Sn, Sr, V, Zn, Pt, Rh, Pd, As and Si) were analyzed by ion chromatograph (IC) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES), respectively.

Gene therapy in rheumatoid arthritis: Strategies to select therapeutic genes.

Significant advances have been achieved in recent years to ameliorate rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in animal models using gene therapy approaches rather than biological treatments. Although biological agents serve as antirheumatic drugs with suppressing proinflammatory cytokine activities, they are usually accompanied by systemic immune suppression resulting from continuous or high systemic dose injections of biological agents. Therefore, gene transfer approaches have opened an interesting perspective to deliver one or multiple genes in a target-specific or inducible manner for the sustained intra-articular expression of therapeutic products.

Effect of food intake and ambient air pollution exposure on ankylosing spondylitis disease activity.

Background: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by axial arthritis. The genetic-environmental factors seem to be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease and the disease debilitates patients during the most productive stages of their lives. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between two environmental factors, diet and air pollution with disease activity and functional impairment in AS.

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of PTPN22 Gene in Iranian Patients with Ulcerative Colitis.

Objectives: Protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22 gene (PTPN22) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) have been associated with a number of different autoimmune diseases. This study aimed to investigate the association of five polymorphisms of PTPN22 gene with susceptibility to ulcerative colitis (UC) in Iran.

Materials And Methods: A total of 67 patients diagnosed with UC (35 female and 32 male all under 18 years) and 93 healthy subjects were selected.

An in vitro method to survey DNA methylation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) treated by airborne particulate matter (PM).

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has defined outdoor air pollution and PM as the human carcinogen (Group 1), which mainly cause an increased risk of lung cancer. Scientists have considered epigenetic modifications as a possible mechanism to deal with adverse effects of air pollution. This study aimed to compare the effect of airborne PM (PM with aerodynamic diameter ≤10 μm) on in vitro global methylation in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).

Correction to: Investigation and Comparison of In Vitro Genotoxic Potency of PM Collected in Rural and Urban Sites at Tehran in Different Metrological Conditions and Different Seasons.

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. Figure 6 caption should be "The light microscopic image (a) and transmission electron microscopic image (b) of A549 cell after 24 h of exposure to PM10 (150 μg/ml).

Investigation and Comparison of In Vitro Genotoxic Potency of PM Collected in Rural and Urban Sites at Tehran in Different Metrological Conditions and Different Seasons.

The particulate matter has become a serious health problem in some large cities in the world. These particles are a complex mixture of chemical compounds which change based on location and time and, consequently, can cause different health-related effects. The exact mechanism of the effect of these particles is not yet known for certain.

Immune cells involved in the pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease. AS is a prototype form of spondyloarthropathies (SpA). The precise etiology of AS has not been fully understood.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Gene Polymorphism in Children with Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome, Effect on Biopsy Findings.

Objective: Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) converts angiotensin I into angiotensin II. The ACE gene shows an I/D polymorphism, which correlates with ACE concentrations. The aim of this study is to evaluate the distribution of the ACE I/D genotype in children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS) and healthy controls and study the effect of this polymorphism on clinical and pathologic findings.