Publications by authors named "Pourpak Z"

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a primary immunodeficiency disease characterized by hypogammaglobulinemia and recurrent bacterial infections. The records of 65 patients with CVID (37 males and 28 females) in the age range of 24 to 537 months were reviewed. By the year 2003, 11 patients had died and seven patients could not be located.

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Wheat is one of the main food allergens. It is among widely used cereals and there is an extensive cross-reaction between cereals. The aim of this study is to evaluate the extent to which cereals cross-react and to find the best substitute for wheat.

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Neutropenia may occur in some of the primary immunodeficiency disorders. We reviewed the records of 56 neutropenic patients. The most common disorders were Shwachman-Diamond syndrome, cyclic neutropenia, Kostmann disease, Chediak-Higashi syndrome, hyper IgM syndromes, severe combined immunodeficiency, hyper IgE syndrome, and common variable immunodeficiency.

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The cumulative activity of benzo(a)pyrene (BP) as one of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which is present in diesel exhaust particles on systemic immune responses was studied in mice after intranasal instillation and in vitro exposure to allergens. The main purpose was to elucidate whether BP has an adjuvant effect in this responses or not. Male Balb/cA mice were immunized with mite allergen extract (MAE) either alone or in combination with BP.

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Food allergy is responsible for the most frequent allergic reactions in children under 1 year of age. Diagnostic tests such as skin test or specific IgE assay usually need highly purified preparations of allergenic proteins. The aim of the present study was to purify three main cow's milk proteins: casein, alpha-lactalbumin, and beta-lactoglobulin as allergenic extracts for first time in Iran.

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Background: Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) represents a group of inherited disorders of the phagocytic system, involving recurrent infections at different sites, especially the respiratory system. The present study was accomplished in order to determine the clinical spectrum of Iranian patients with CGD.

Methods: Forty-one patients (29 males and 12 females) with CGD, who had already been referred to two immunodeficiency referral centers in Iran, were reviewed during a 22-year period (1980-2002).

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The present study was undertaken in order to examine whether oral administration of soluble antigen together with one of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which is present in diesel exhaust particles (DEPs) called benzo(a)pyrene (BP), induced the systemic immune response in mice or not. Mice were orally given 1mg of ovalbumin (OA), a common food allergen, every 3 days over a period of 15 days. The results showed that oral administration of OA plus BP produced anti-OA IgE antibodies in serum, whereas either OA or BP alone failed to show the antigen-specific IgE antibody production.

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Recent studies suggest that peripheral morphine may represent a valuable treatment in acute inflammatory painful diseases through peripheral or central mechanisms. In the present study, anti-inflammatory effects of systemic morphine on carrageenan-induced hind paw oedema were examined in a model of peripheral acute oedema in mice. Carrageenan induced a time-dependent inflammation that was maximal 3 h after administration.

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In order to determine the clinical and laboratory features of X-linked agammaglobulinemia, the records of 33 male patients with XLA were reviewed during 22 years (1980-2002) in the Iranian referral center of primary immunodeficiency disorders. The patients' ages ranged from 20 to 360 months (median 113 months). The median age at the onset of the disease was 8 months and the median age of diagnosis was 48 months, with a median diagnosis delay of 33 months.

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Previous studies have shown that up to 33% of children with atopic dermatitis have experienced food hypersensitivity and among different kinds of food allergens Cow Milk (CM) has almost always been one of the most common food allergens in children. The aim of this study is to evaluate the cow milk allergy (CMA) as an increasing factor of severity of atopic dermatitis. One hundred and nineteen children (between 1.

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Agammaglobulinemia is characterized by failure of B-cell differentiation (hypogammaglobulinemia) and increased susceptibility to bacterial infections. The present study was set up in order to evaluate the effectiveness of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment on the incidence of pneumonia in patients with agammaglobulinemia. We carried out chart reviews of 23 patients with agammaglobulinemia (mean age 11.

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Background: Food allergy affects 6-8% of infants and wheat allergy is one of the common food allergies among children. The clinical and laboratory manifestations of wheat allergy were evaluated in this study.

Methods: Thirty-two children (< or =12 years old) with suspected wheat allergy were evaluated for wheat allergy.

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Background: Although long-term intravenous immunoglobulin infusion is an effective treatment for children with antibody deficiencies, it can be complicated by systemic adverse reactions.

Objective: To evaluate the adverse reactions of intravenous immunoglobulin therapy in patients with primary immunodeficiency.

Methods: Seventy-one immunodeficient patients receiving intravenous immunoglobulin were evaluated during a 7-year period (1995-2002) at Children's Medical Center in Tehran, Iran.

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Local reference ranges of immunoglobulins are required for studies and clinical interpretation. In this study, serum levels of IgA, IgG, and IgM in 914 Iranian healthy adult blood donor volunteers, aged 18-55 years, were measured by nephelometry. Our data showed that serum reference intervals of IgA, IgG, and IgM in subjects were 72-375, 636-1518, and 39-283 mg/dL, respectively.

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Primary complement deficiencies are rare and two related patients are reported here. The first patient is a 41-year-old man with eighteen episodes of pneumococcal meningitis and other purulent infections. The serum C3 level was checked at three separate times, showing that this was a primary C3 deficient case; other immunological tests were normal.

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Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a highly heterogeneous disease with an unpredictable pattern. CVID appears to have an immunologic and clinical phenotype similar to some hereditary humoral immunodeficiencies, including X-linked lymphoproliferative disease (XLP). The differential diagnosis of CVID and XLP is clinically of importance, because the two diseases have markedly different prognoses and treatment.

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Although migraine affects about 15% of population and many studies have been performed to find the mechanism and a successful management, the physiopathology of migraine is still largely unknown. The possibility of an immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergic mechanism and the role of histamine remain controversial. The aim of the present study was to evaluate serum total IgE and histamine levels in migraine patients and the influence of allergy on them.

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Epidemiological studies have shown wide geographical and racial variation in the prevalence and patterns of immunodeficiency disorders. To determine the frequency of primary immunodeficiencies (PID) in Iran, the Iranian Primary Immunodeficiency Registry (IPIDR) was organized in 1999. We extracted the patient's data, by using a uniform questionnaire from their hospital records.

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In the present studies we examined the effects of an intra-peritoneal injection of morphine (7 mg/kg) on carrageenan-induced paw oedema in mice. Carrageenan-induced paw oedema was measured by mercury plethysmometer and was maximal at hour 3, and pretreatment with morphine could reduce the oedema significantly. At the same time the serum levels of interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) were increased.

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