Background and Aim: Chronic dental periapical lesions resulted from chronic inflammatory response to the periapical tissues. Since T-helper (CD4+Y) cells are the prominent cells in these lesions, so the aim of this study was to determine the correlation between the concentration of IL-4 and IL-12 (most important cytokines for differentiation of T helper 2 and T helper 1 cells, respectively), and the diameter of chronic periapical lesions. Materials & Methods: Thirty-eight chronic periapical lesions were collected which 18 periapical lesions had diameter of ≥5 millimeter (case group) and 20 periapical lesions had the diameter less than 5 millimeter (control group). Tissue samples were cultured for 72 hours, then ELISA (Enzyme linked immuno-sorbent Assay) was used for determining the concentration of IL-4 and IL-12 in supernatant fluids. Mann-whitney U and Spearman correlation tests were used to analyze the data. Results: IL-4 and IL-12 were found in all of samples. There was no significant difference between case and control groups regarding the concentration of IL-4, IL-12 and IL-4/IL-12. The only significant correlation was between IL-4 and IL-6 concentration without any regard to the diameter of lesions (P less than 0.001)  (Spearman correlation coefficient= 0.593). Conclusion: It is concluded that in chronic periapical lesions, probably T helper 1 and T helper 2 cells participate in active phases of inflammation and tissue damage equally. This could be resulted from mixed population of bacteria in these lesions.

Backgrounds and Objectives: The main purpose of one-stage full-mouth disinfection is the rapid elimination or depletion of all oro-pharyngeal pathogens using scaling and root planning, subgingival periodontal pocket irrigation and tongue disinfection. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of this technique on serum levels of IL-17 and IL-23 in patients with moderate-to-advanced chronic periodontitis.Materials and Methods: This randomized clinical trial study conducted on 24 eligible patients with moderate to advanced chronic generalized periodontitis. 20 (11 male- 9 female), healthy subjects and with no history of drug therapy during the last 6 months were included in the study. Blood samples were taken from the patients before the intervention. Then, full-mouth disinfection was carried out in one session. Blood samples were taken again 6 weeks after the intervention. The ELISA method was used to evaluate serum levels of IL-17 and IL-23.Results: The Pre and post-treatment serum levels of IL-17 were 103.8±38.6 and 14.1±8.6 pg/mL, respectively (P=0.003); in case of IL-23, The Pre and post-treatment serum levels were 124.9±40.1 and 17±8.8 pg/mL, respectively (P=0.001). The differences were statistically significant in both cases.Conclusion: In patients with moderate-to-advanced chronic periodontitis, serum levels of IL-17 and IL-23 significantly decrease subsequent to one-stage full-mouth disinfection.

Glomerulonephritis is an inflammatory disease in which glomerular is damaged, as a result the renal failure is observed. Inflammasome complex made of some intracellular components that can be affected inflammation process. This complex is one of the most important components of the innate immune system. Inflammasome complex is stimulated after detecting pathogenic signals and causes activation of inflammatory interleukins. Based on, the role of Caspase-1 and Interleukin-1β in regulation of inflammation, investigating the gene expression of them in glomerulonephritis patients can be useful in determining the role of Inflammasome in glomerulonephritis. For this purpose, in this study, 28 samples of patients with glomerulonephritis and 28 healthy subjects were examined. After blood sampling from individuals, the total RNA was extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and after synthesizing cDNA; the caspase-1 and IL-1β genes were analyzed by quantitative analysis with Real Time PCR. The results showed that the expression of IL-1β and Casp-1 genes in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with glomerulonephritis is different from control samples. The expression of Casp-1 and IL-1β genes in patients are 1. 88 (P <0. 01) and 1. 56 (P = 0. 052), respectively. So, in the Caspase-1 gene this difference in expression is significant. Considering the importance of IL-1β and Casp-1 genes in the pathway of activation of the Inflammasome complex and due to the increased expression of these two genes in glomerulonephritis patients, it can be concluded that probably glomerulonephritis cause by the activation of the Inflammasome complex.

Background: Migraine is a complex neurological disorder. The precise etiology of migraine is not clear. Many studies have been conducted on the association of the immune system with migraine pathophysiology. Neurogenic inflammation, the main pathomechanism of migraine, is well described. This study evaluated the pattern of changes in interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-17A, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in migraine patients.Methods: In this case-control study, serum samples were taken from 31 migraine patients referred to the neurology clinics of medical centers associated with Arak University of Medical Sciences. The severity of the headache was assessed with standard questionnaires. Serum samples were also obtained from 30 normal individuals. The IL-1β and IL-17A levels were measured by a sensitive ELISA method. TAC was measured by the FRAP technique, and lipid peroxidation levels were evaluated by an MDA assay. Data were analyzed descriptively and analytically using SPSS 21 software.Results: The results showed that the mean level of IL-1β in the case group was significantly higher than the control group (P = 0.01). The mean level of IL-17A was not significantly different in the two groups. The mean serum MDA level in the study group was significantly higher than in the controls (P = 0.005). No statistical difference was observed in the mean serum level of TAC between the two groups.Conclusion: According to our results, the pathogenesis of migraine can be associated with immune system function, and inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokine production may be effective in treating migraine patients.

Introduction: Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease of the supporting tissues of the tooth that is caused by microorganisms. Nowadays, the role of inflammatory mediators has been shown in innate and acquired immunity in periodontitis, and some of them play important roles in the pathogenesis of periodontitis. This study aimed to determine and compare the concentration of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and interleukin-1 beta in the saliva of healthy subjects and patients with gingivitis and chronic periodontitis. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted based on a descriptive-analytical design. Unstimulated saliva samples were collected from 45 subjects, including healthy individuals (n=15), and the patients with periodontitis (n=15) and gingivitis (n=15). Subsequently, the level of TNF-α and interleukin-1 beta were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay reader. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 11) through ANOVA, Tukey's post hoc tests, and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: There was a significant difference among the three groups regarding the mean concentration of interleukin-1 beta and TNF-α (P<0. 001). Healthy subjects exhibited significantly lower concentration of TNF-α , compared to those with gingivitis. Moreover, the patients with gingivitis showed lower concentration of TNF-α , compared to the group with chronic periodontitis (P<0. 001). Regarding the concentration of interleukin-1 beta, healthy subjects exhibited significantly lower concentration in this regard, compared to those with chronic periodontitis (P<0. 001). Furthermore, the group with chronic periodontitis obtained lower level of this value, compared to the group with gingivitis (P<0. 001). Additionally, there was a direct and significant relationship between IL-1 and TNF-α concentration in patients with gingivitis (P=0. 03 and r=0. 354) and all the subjects (P<0. 001 and r=0. 556). Conclusion: The levels of TNF-α and interleukin-1 beta in saliva increased during periodontal disease, compared to healthy conditions.

Background: The role and regulation mechanisms of the interleukin-6 and 10 (IL6 and IL-10) serum levels and the interaction between CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes with SARS-COV-2 IgM and IgG in the context of COVID-19 infection are not fully understood. Methods: This study was conducted on 45 COVID-19 patients and 45 healthy individuals. The IL-6 and IL-10 promoter methylation, IL-6 and IL-10 gene expression, SARS-COV-2 IgM, and IgG antibodies and CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes were studied by qMSP-PCR, Real-time PCR, ELISA, and flow cytometry techniques, respectively. Results: The male ratio and mean age of critically ill patients’ group were significantly higher in compared to controls (P< 0. 05). IL-6 gene expression and serum levels were significantly increased in patients compared to controls (P=0. 002, 0. 001), but IL-6 promoter methylation was not significantly decreased in patients (P=0. 835). The IL-10 promoter methylation and expression were not different between cases and controls (0. 326, 0. 455), but serum IL-10 levels were higher in patients (P< 0. 001). The CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes decreased (P< 0. 001) and mean SARS-COV-2 IgG increased (P=0. 002) in the patients compared to controls. Conclusions: The COVID-19 disease result in severe complications in men and elderly. The serum levels of interleukin-6 and 10 increases in COVID-19 infection, and the gene expression of these two interleukins underlying in this increase. The serum levels of IL-6, IL-10 and SARS-COV-2 IgG as well as CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocyte counts should be investigated to monitor patients and predict the course of disease.