فهرست مطالب

immunology - Volume:13 Issue: 4, Autumn 2016

Iranian journal of immunology
Volume:13 Issue: 4, Autumn 2016

  • تاریخ انتشار: 1395/10/11
  • تعداد عناوین: 8
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  • Zahra Faghih, Saeideh Sadat Shobeiri, Ali Ariafar, Mohsen Sarkarian, Shahryar Zeighami, Nazanin Nazari, Saeed Abbasi, Sarvak, Nasrollah Erfani * Pages 237-248
    Background
    Cytotoxic CD8 T cells, as essential parts of the adaptive immune system, play pivotal roles in anti-tumor immune responses. It is well documented that cytokine expression profiles and activation status of these cells during anti-tumor immune responses affect the outcome of host-tumor interaction.
    Objective
    To investigate the percentages of CD8 lymphocytes and their subsets in tumor draining lymph nodes of patients with bladder cancer.
    Methods
    Forty-five patients with bladder cancer, candidate for radical cystectomy, were recruited. Mononuclear cells were isolated from draining lymph nodes using Ficoll-Hypaque gradient centrifugation, and were activated by PMA/Ionomycin in the presence of Golgi inhibitors. The cells were then permeabilized and stained with appropriate flourochrome conjugated antibodies against CD3, CD8, IFN-γ, IL-17 and IL-4 molecules. Data were collected on a four-color flow cytometer and analyzed by CellQuestPro software.
    Results
    Despite no difference in the frequency of IL-17 producing CD8 (Tc17) lymphocytes, the mean expression of IL-17 in this subset was significantly elevated in high-grade patients (p=0.011). The percentage of double positive IFN-γ/IL-17 CD8 lymphocytes was also significantly increased in node positive patients compared to node negative ones (p=0.046). Our results also demonstrated that the percentage of IFN-γ producing CD8 (Tc1) lymphocytes was significantly increased in the patients with higher histological grade compared to those with lower ones (p=0.038).
    Conclusion
    IFN-γ and IL-17 producing CD8 T cells may increase in advanced stages of bladder cancer, but their correlation with tumor prognosis remains to be investigated.
    Keywords: Bladder Cancer, Lymph Node, CD8+ lymphocytes, Tc1, Tc2, Tc17
  • Mohammadreza Yazdani, Shahdad Khosropanah, Ahmad Hosseini, Mehrnoosh Doroudchi * Pages 249-262
    Background
    Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting large and medium arteries. CD4 T cells are known to play a role in the progression of the disease. CD4࠽맸娱ꝿ natural Treg (nTreg) cells seem to have a protective role in the disease and their reduction in acute coronary syndrome is recently shown.
    Objective
    To investigate the frequency of nTreg subsets in the peripheral blood of patients with atherosclerosis.
    Methods
    Confirmation of atherosclerosis was done by angiography and 15 ml heparinized blood was obtained from each of the 13 non-diabetic patients and 13 non-diabetic, non-smoker individuals with normal/insignificant coronary artery disease which was also confirmed by angiography. Lipid profiles of the patients and controls were measured at the time of sampling. Mononuclear cells were used for both RNA extraction and immunophenotyping by real-time PCR and flowcytometry techniques, respectively.
    Results
    In natural Treg subsets, the frequency of CD4࠾㥄CD25ᚌ槞 T-cells (resting nTregs) was greater in controls than patients (p=0.02). The frequency of CD4࠾㥄཮ hi Foxp3hi T-cells (activated nTregs) was significantly higher in controls compared with patients (p=0.02). However, the frequency of CD4࠽맸⃸븖豩 T-cells (effector/memory) increased in patients compared with controls (p=0.01). Both the MFI and gene expression of Foxp3 were higher in control group than in patients (p=0.015 and p=0.017, respectively). Moreover, the TGF-β gene expression showed a decrease in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients compared with controls (p=0.03).
    Conclusion
    Decrease in both subsets of resting and activated nTregs along with a decrease in the expression of Foxp3 and TGF-β genes in patients with atherosclerosis suggests phenotypic changes in these subsets, which may as well be correlated with a more inflammatory profile in their lymphocytes.
    Keywords: Atherosclerosis, Natural Tregs, CD45RO, FOXP3
  • Reza Feyzi, Mohammad Hossein Boskabady*, Seyedeh Masoumeh Seyed Hosseini Tamijani, Houshang Rafatpanah, Seyed Abdolrahim Rezaei Pages 263-273
    Background
    Several biological and medical benefits of Saffron, Crocus sativus (Iridaceae), have been demonstrated. However, mechanisms of actions for purified constituents are greatly unknown.
    Objective
    To examine the effects of Safranal, a main constituent of Saffron stigma, on cell viability and cytokine profile of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were examined.
    Methods
    Effects of Safranal at 0.1, 0.5 and 1 mM concentrations were evaluated on cell viability and production of interleukin 4 (IL-4), IL-10 and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) from non-stimulated and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) stimulated PBMCs, compared to 0.1 mM dexamethasone and saline.
    Results
    In stimulated cells, different concentrations of Safranal caused significant decrease of lymphocytes viability (p
    Conclusion
    The IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio increases in the presence of Safranal which indicates an effect on Th1/Th2 balance. Therefore, Safranal may have therapeutic effects in inflammatory diseases associated with Th1/Th2 imbalance.
    Keywords: Cell Viability, Cytokine, Safranal, Th1, Th2
  • Ali Moravej, Mohammad, Hossein Karimi*, Bita Geramizadeh, Mahdokht Hossein Aghdaie, Omid Kohi, Hoseinabadi, Salimeh Ebrahimnezhad Pages 274-288
    Background
    Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered as effective therapeutic cells in transplantation due to their immunomodulatory activities. However, precise mechanism of MSCs immunomodulatory activity is not completely understood.
    Objectives
    To study the role of Immunoglobulin-like transcripts-3 (ILT3) immunomodulatory receptor in immune tolerance induced by MSCs in skin transplantation model and induction of tolerogenic dendritic cells (Tol-DCs) by MSCs through up-regulation of ILT3.
    Methods
    C57BL/6 skin grafts were transplanted to the back of BALB/c mice. Recipient mice received MSCs on days 0, 1 and 2 post transplantation. On days 2, 5 and 10 post skin transplantation, ILT3 and forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) expression in the spleens of MSCs treated mice were evaluated. Furthermore, MSCs and DCs were co-cultured in cell culture plates and transwell systems. Then, the expressions of ILT3 mRNA and protein in MSC-treated DCs were evaluated. Additionally, MSC-treated DCs were co-cultured with allogeneic T-cells and FOXP3 expression in T-cells was evaluated.
    Results
    The expression of ILT3 and FOXP3 were higher in the splenocytes of MSCs-treated mice early post-transplantation. Furthermore, we observed that MSC-treated DCs can increase FOXP3 expression in T-cells. But, we could not find any differences in ILT3 expression between MSC-treated DCs and untreated ones.
    Conclusion
    One of the mechanisms underlying MSCs immunomodulatory function could be up-regulating ILT3 expression in splenocytes. But our results did not support the hypothesis that MSCs induce Tolergenic DCs by up-regulation of ILT3.
    Keywords: ILT3, Immunomodulation, MSCs, Transplantation
  • Zahra Meshkat, Amir Teimourpour, Samira Rashidian, Mohsen Arzanlou, Roghayeh Teimourpour* Pages 289-295
    Background
    Tuberculosis is a life threatening disease that is partially prevented by BCG vaccine. Development of more effective vaccines is an urgent priority in TB control. Ag85a and Tb10.4 are the members of culture filter protein (CFP) of M. tuberculosis that have high immunogenicity.
    Objective
    To analyze the immunogenicity of Ag85a-Tb10.4 DNA vaccine by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
    Methods
    In this study a previously described plasmid DNA vaccine encoding Ag85a-Tb10.4 was used to examine its capability in the stimulation of immune responses in an animal model. Female BALB/c mice were vaccinated with 100 μg of purified recombinant vector intramuscularly 3 times at two-week intervals and the levels of five cytokines including IFN-γ, IL-12, IL-4, IL-10 and TGF-β were measured.
    Results
    The levels of IFN-γ and IL-12 for the mice following immunization with Ag85A-Tb10.4 was significantly greater than that of the BCG and control group(p
    Conclusion
    IFN-γ and IL-12 Th1 cytokines increased significantly in mice vaccinated with Ag85a-TB10.4 DNA vaccine in comparison to the control and BCG groups. Our results may serve as groundwork for further research into the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis.
    Keywords: Antigen 85, BALB, c Mice, DNA Vaccine, Mycolyltransferase, Tb10.4
  • Behrouz Gharesi Fard*, Fatemeh Mobasher Nejad, Fatemeh Nasri Pages 296-308
    Background
    Pre-eclampsia (PE) is known as a main factor contributing to fetomaternal mortality, which might affect 2-8% of all pregnancies after the twentieth week of gestation. The balance of T helper subsets is essential to sustain a normal pregnancy and preventing fetomaternal complications.
    Objective
    To investigate differences in the levels of transcription factors and cytokine gene expression of Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg subsets within decidual and chorionic layers of placentas from 15 PE-afflicted and 15 healthy Iranian women in their third trimester of pregnancy.
    Methods
    Using Quantitative real-time PCR (Q-PCR), The expression of T-BET, GATA-3, ROR-ɣt, FOXP3, and cytokines, including IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-31, IL-17, IL-23, TGF-β1, TGF-β2, TGF-β3, and IL-35 in the placenta were compared at mRNA levels between groups.
    Results
    FOXP3 and GATA-3 were significantly down-regulated, while T-BET was up-regulated in PE deciduae compared to the control group (p
    Conclusion
    Our results shed more light on the contribution of Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg balance within placenta in the fate of a normal pregnancy. Moreover, regulatory T cells and IL-35 seem to play a central role in the regulation of all subsets.
    Keywords: Cytokines expression, IL, 35, Pre, eclampsia, Transcription Factor
  • Zeinab Tavakkol Afshari, Hamid Reza Rahimi, Seyed Morteza Ehteshamfar, Rashin Ganjali, Fatemeh Tara, Abbas Shapouri Moghadam* Pages 309-316
    Background
    Pre-eclampsia is the most common critical condition during pregnancy. Plasma concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1-beta (IL-1β) increase in pregnant women with pre-eclampsia, compared to normal pregnant women.
    Objective
    To investigate the polymorphisms of IL-1β (C�), TNF-α (G-308A), and (G-238A) in preeclemptic women northeastern Iran.
    Methods
    This study was conducted on 153 preeclamptic women (case group) and 150 healthy pregnant women (control group), admitted to Ghaem and Imam Reza hospitals of Mashhad, Iran. IL-1β (C�), TNF- α (G-238A) and TNF-α (G-308A) gene polymorphisms in the promoter region were screened by polymerase chain reaction. Data were analyzed, using SPSS version 16.0.
    Results
    The mean age of the participants in the case and control groups was 28.2 ± 6.1 and 27.1 ± 6.3 years, respectively (P=0.68). The frequency of G-308A polymorphism was significantly higher in the case group, compared to the control group (p
    Conclusion
    The significant correlation between inflammation promoting genotypes of TNF-α and Pre-eclampsia is noteworthy and provides evidence on the contribution of immune related genes in this disease.
    Keywords: Gene Polymorphism, Interleukin-1β, PCR, RFLP, Pre-eclampsia, Tumor necrosis Factor-α
  • Mohammad Reza Sobhan, Mahmood Farshchian, Ali Hoseinzadeh, Hamid Reza Ghasemibasir, Ghasem Solgi * Pages 317-323
    Background
    As a chronic inflammatory condition, psoriasis results from an interaction between genetic and immunologic factors in a predisposing environment. In spite of compelling evidence for the role of T cells and cytokines in psoriasis, interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-22 have not been sufficiently investigated.
    Objective
    To assess the serum levels of IL-10 and IL-22 in patients with psoriasis compared to healthy controls.
    Methods
    A total of 28 patients with psoriasis were compared with 28 age and sex-matched healthy subjects. Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) criteria were used to measure the severity of the disease. Serum levels of IL-10 and IL-22 were measured in both groups and compared.
    Results
    The mean serum level of IL-10 was 89.5±18.7 in patients compared to 117.2±23.4 pg/ml in the controls (p=0.36). Also, serum level of IL-22 was 284.1±49.7 in patients versus 425.4±82.8 pg/ml in control group (p=0.17). There was a significant direct correlation between levels of IL-10 and IL-22 in patients group (p=0.0005). The clinical severity of psoriasis was significantly correlated with high levels of IL-22 (p
    Conclusions
    The decreased levels of IL-10 in psoriatic patients and direct correlation between higher levels of IL-22 and disease severity support the clinical implication of both cytokines in psoriasis.
    Keywords: IL, 10, IL, 22, Psoriasis