Research in Medicine
Year:2015 | Volume:39 | Issue:2|Papers Count:10

Background: It seems that the population of regulatory T-cells increases in many malignancies leading to suppression of effector immune responses and thereby leads to progression of the disease. We aimed to assess infiltration of the regulatory T-cells into tumor environment in women with breast carcinoma.Methods: In a control-case study, 9 malignant tumor tissues from invasive intraductal breast carcinoma (case) and 8 benign breast tissues from healthy women (control) were mechanically and enzymatically processed. The prepared cell suspension was then subjected to staining of cell surface markers CD4 and CD25, and the extracellular marker FOXP3, and was finally analyzed by flow cytometry.Results: Population of regulatory T-cells in malignant tumor tissues showed significant increase compared to the control (p<0.001). A weak positive correlation was observed between size of the tumors and the infiltration of regulatory T-cells. Also, there was a moderate negative correlation between age of individuals and the number of regulatory T-cells in both malignant and benign breast tissues.Conclusions: Increased regulatory T-cells population in invasive intraductal breast tumor environment may be the major cause of immunosuppression contributing to the tumor progression. However, further studies with larger sample size are suggested to clarify this hypothesis.

Background: we investigated the association of different hypertension subgroups including isolated systolic hypertension (ISH), isolated diastolic hypertension (IDH), systolic-diastolic hypertension (SDH), controlled blood pressure (CBP), and uncontrolled blood pressure (UBP) for incident CVD and mortality events.Methods: 6974 middle age and 882 elderly participants were categorized according to their BP measurements, participants. Cox regression analysis was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) for hypertension subgroups, considering those with normotension as the reference.Results: During more than 10 years of follow-up, in the middle-aged group, 490 CVD and 152 deaths occurred; corresponding rates for the elderly group were 194 and 176, respectively. In middle-aged subjects ISH, SDH and UBP increased the risk of CVD; whereas UBP increased the risk of mortality due to CVD and any cause (HR: 5.66 and HR: 2.95, respectively) and IDH increased only the risk of total mortality in this group (HR; 2.01) (all p-values<0.05). In elderly subjects ISH and UBP significantly increased the risks of CVD; whereas IDH, SDH 3.27 and and CBP increased the risks of CVD and allcause mortality in this group, respectively (all p-value<0.05).Conclusions: In both middle-aged and elderly population, ISH, SDH and UBP increase the risk of CVD.Controlling of BP to<140/90 mm Hg decreases the risk of mortality events among middle-age population; however, not suitable for elderly as it was associated with higher risk of mortality.

Background: This research was carried out for a by considering gene sequence and each amino acid codon in host, which express protein in order of probable vaccine production against influenza A, a major cause of mortality in a year. M2 protein is conserved and it can be a proper candidate vaccine for influenza infection.Materials and Methods: Present research was an experimental study. The sequence of M2 protein of Iran influenza virus H1N1 strain was modified and synthesized. It was subcloned into pET22b vector recombinant protein and expressed in BL21 E-coli and confirmed with specific antibody by western blot technique.Results: The modified M2 gene was expressed in E-coli. The concentration of it was 300μg/ml and it was confirmed by western blotting with specific antibody.Conclusion: Influenza M2 protein with modification in sequence could be expressed in BL21 E-coli host.

Background: Electromagnetic fields were made by electromagnetic radiations (EMR) of mobile phone (radio-frequencies 900 MHz). Various researches have shown that there are relationships between mobile phone electromagnetic exposure and cancer and neurologic damages. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of mobile phone electromagnetic radiations (radio-frequencies 900 MHz) on learning, brain glutathione reductase, and glutathione peroxidase activities.Methods: The Wistar rat pups (P1) were maintained in standard conditions. In experimental group, the rat pups were exposed to EMR (radio-frequencies 900 MHz) for 3 h per day from two days old (P2) to fourteen days old (P14). After separation of male and female rats on P22, the rats were housed in the standard animal room conditions until they grew to P58. From P59 to P61, the male rats were trained three times per day for 3 days in the water maze. On P62, the behavioural assessments were measured.Then, the rats were sacrificed by means of decapitation for brain glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase activities assessment.Results: The time taken to find hidden platform (3.8±35 s for control group versus 3±47.1 s for exposed to radiation group) and the time spent exhibiting freezing behaviour (0.48±2.5 s for control group versus 1.85±9.1 s for exposed to radiation

Background: Breast reduction is one of the most commonly performed plastic surgery procedures. Many approaches to breast reduction have been described, including medial pedicle and inferior pedicle. The aim of this study was to compare the results of medial pedicle mammoplasty method with inferior pedicle mammoplasty.Methods: Thirty-three consecutive patients who had undergone medial pedicle mammoplasty at 15 khordad hospital were compared with 33 inferior pedicle mammoplasty. Patients age, breast resection weight, surgery length, the average distance from the sternal notch to the breast nipples, complication rate including bottoming out, need for re-operation, request for surgical site scar removal, breast contour, breast symmetry, nipple and areolar sensation, the frequency of complications, nipple-areolar complex necrosis and patients’ satisfaction from scar length and overall patients’ satisfaction were assessed.Results: Mean age was comparable in both groups. In medial pedicle, the surgery length (20.16±177.73 min vs.26.77±221.06, P=0.01) and resected breast weight (respectively, 91.57±454.24 vs.401.28±900.91 gr in the right side and 82.87±446.67 vs.407.88±904.24 gr in the left side) and the average distance from the sternal notch to the breast nipples (3.37±29.09 vs.3.36±35.33 cm, P=0.01) were significantly lower compared to inferior pedicle group. Yet, the frequency of bottoming out was significantly higher (%30.3 vs.%0, p=0.01) and the patients satisfaction from scar length was lower (%54.5 vs. %87.9, p=003.0) in the medial pedicle group. There were no significant difference between the need for re-operation, request for surgical site scar removal, breast contour, breast symmetry, nipple and areolar sensation, the frequency of complications, nipple-areolar complex necrosis and patients’ satisfaction.Conclusions: The results of the present study showed that, although the resected breast weight was lower in medial pedicle mammoplasty, the length of surgery was shorter and better results regarding aesthetic point of view and higher patients’ satisfaction are achieved.

Background: Administration of phenytoin can been associated with severe adverse reactions such as hypersensitivity reactions. Lymphocyte transformation test (LTT) can be a useful method for determination of the drug, which has caused hypersensitivity reaction. This study was done to evaluate the results of lymphocyte transformation test in patients with delayed hypersensitivity reactions following phenytoin administration and control group.Methods: In a case-control study, four patients with hypersensitivity reactions following administration of phenytoin and ten patients, who had used phenytoin without hypersensitivity reactions, were included. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated. The cells were stimulated with Phenytoin, PHA (Phytohaemagglutinin) as a mitogen and candida as an antigen. Lymphocyte proliferation was measured using Brdu proliferation assay kit (Roche, Germany). The stimulation index was calculated by dividing OD of stimulated to unstimulated cells.Stimulation index more than 2 was considered as positive. The results in case and control groups were compared, using Fisher’s exact test.Results: Out of 4 patients in the test group, 3 had positive LTT results and one had negative test result. Among patients in control group, none of them had positive LTT result. This difference was statistically significant (p=0.002). The mean time between development of drug reactions and perform the LTT was 16±6.9 months in the test group with positive result and 38 months in test group with negative test result. This difference was not statistically significant (p=0.174).

Background: Regarding the increasing incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS), importance of biomarkers, and also the probable changes in expression of Trx1 gene in this disease, herein we investigated mRNA expression level of Trx1 gene in peripheral blood leukocytes of patients with MS, receiving no medications and those receiving interferon beta, relative to healthy individuals.Methods: Six healthy subjects, as control, and 12 patients with multiple sclerosis, divided into two groups of patients without medications (n=6) and interferon-beta receiving patients (n=6), were included in the study. The numbers of Trx1 mRNA transcripts in two groups of the patients was measured by SYBR green real-time PCR technique, and compared relative to those of healthy individuals.Results: The mRNA expression of Trx1 in patients without medications was about 1.98 folds higher relative to the healthy controls. However, this difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Also, the mRNA expression of Trx1 in interferon-beta receiving patients exhibited an insignificant increase (p>0.05) relative to that of healthy controls and patients without medications (3.28 and 1.66 folds, respectively).Conclusion: According to our results, the expression of Trx1 gene seems to be a suitable index for MS especially in the patients receiving interferon beta. However, more remains to be elucidated in support of this hypothesis through large-sample size studies. Also, the possible effect of other medications followed by MS patients including immunosuppressive drugs is suggested to receive attention in future investigations.

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular parasite responsible for ocular and genital infections in human. Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common cause of chronic follicular conjunctivitis and is also responsible for 20% of acute conjunctivitis cases. As a rapid diagnosis is important in the reducing the long-term squeal of the diseases, the objective of this study was to compare three methods including Direct immunofluorescence (DIF) method, Giemsa staining and PCR for detection of chlamydia trachomatis in patients with follicular conjunctivitis referred to Farabi hospital in 1392.Material and methods: Conjunctival scraps (n=90) were obtained from patients who were referred to the diagnostic laboratory of Farabi hospital during 2012. Smears were prepared by rolling half the swab on to the center of a glass slide. Smears were fixed and used for direct immunofluorescence (DIF) method using a genus specific fluorescein isothyocyanate labelled chlamydia monoclonal antibody. In Giemsa stain, diagnosis was based on the presence of inclusions that were basophilic and stained pinkish –blue.PCR amplification after Extraction performed using CT1 and CT5 primers designed from Omp1 gene.Results: Of the 90 patients examined for Chlamydia trachomatis in the eyes, 28 (31.1%) were positive by DIF and 13 (14.4%) by Giemsa staining; and 35 patients (38.8%) showed positive results in PCR.Sensivity, specificity, predictive positive value and negative predictive value of DIF in comparison to PCR respectively were calculated as 88.33, 100, 100 and 88.70. Sensivity, specificity, predictive positive value and negative predictive value of DIF in comparison to PCR respectively were calculated as 61.40, 100, 100 and 71.42. Therefore sensivity and negative predictive value of DIF are significantly higher than Giemsa staining.Conclusion: According to results of this study DIF is more sensitive and more reliable than Giemsa staining for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in the Conjunctiva Samples of Patients with follicular conjunctivitis.

Background: The free-living amoeba called amphizoic amoebae, have the ability to live in natural environmental resources, including water, soil, dust and body tissues of humans and animals. Unlike other free-living amoebae, Neagleria fowleri could cause fatal disease called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis in immunocompetent humans and animals. The disease affects the meninges membrane of brain and in a short time the affected people will die.Materials and Methods: This paper presents an overview of the free-living amoeba pathogens using keywords, N. fowleri, brain-eating amoeba, primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, treatment, prevention and control methods in google scholar search engines, Medline, PubMed and Relevant books. Finally, 27 articles selected in both Persian and English were fully studied.Conclusions and Recommendations: Due to fulminant progress of the disease caused by N. fowleri and many reports regarding its death worldwide and also reported case of the brain-eating amoeba in Iran and identification of different species of amoebae including N. australiensis and N. gruberi in Tehran water resources and dust hospital in Tehran and the hot springs of Ardabil province awareness regarding N. fowleri distribution in environment, its identification criteria, pathogenesis process and recognizing the symptoms of the disease is essential and necessary. It should be noted that in addition to people with healthy immune system, the amoebae could attack people with impaired immunity. For these purposes, awareness and attention of people at risk is necessary by installing warning signs along the springs and water sources.