Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
Volume:23 Issue: 1, Feb 2024

Schizophrenia is one of the most severely debilitating mental disorders that affects 1.1% of the world's population. The exact cause of the disease is not known, but genetics, environmental factors (such as infectious agents, season and region of birth, exposure to viruses, low birth weight, advanced paternal age, and tobacco), and immune system dysfunction can all contribute to the development of schizophrenia. Recently, the role of the immune system in schizophrenia has received much attention. Both acquired and innate immune systems are involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and facilitate the disease's progression. Almost all cells of the immune system including microglia, B cells, and T cells play an important role in the blood-brain barrier damage, inflammation, and in the progression of this disease. In schizophrenia, the integrity of the blood-brain barrier is reduced and then the immune cells are recruited into the endothelium following an increase in the expression of cell adhesion molecules. The entry of immune cells and cytokines leads to inflammation and antibody production in the brain. Accordingly, the results of this study strengthen the hypothesis that the innate and acquired immune systems are involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.

This study aimed to present a bibliometric and altmetric Analyses of the Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (IJAAI). The citation performance and altmetric data were extracted from Scopus and Altmetric Explorer, respectively. Analyses were done using SPSS 26, Microsoft Excel, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace. The results of the bibliometric analysis revealed that IJAAI had experienced respectable growth. Among the total citations, 4746 citations belong to the first decade (2005-2014) and 3,035 citations belong to the second (2015-2022). The findings demonstrated the significance of IJAAI among Iranian researchers. Pourpak, Z (66; 6.57%) is the top-producing author in IJAAI. The examination of research institutions reveals that the Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) is ranked first. The most highly cited article in IJAAI over the past 18 years is a review article which has received 138 citations. IJAAI is ranked first at the citing source and journal level, with the most citations (249 citations) to IJAAI. Iran has collaborated with 13 other countries. Overall, the analysis of co-occurred keywords indicates that IJAAI authors have used the following three high-frequency and important keywords: Asthma (162), Inflammation (48), and Multiple sclerosis (40). Co-citation analysis results demonstrated that a total of 6,718 sources were cited in this journal. The results of the altmetric analysis show that IJAAI has a reasonably low presence across various social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Wikipedia, Mendeley, news and blogs. This study aids researchers in exploring and identifying emerging trends in the fields of allergy, asthma, and immunology.

Allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) has confirmed its efficacy in improving the symptoms of allergic rhinitis. However, no reliable biomarkers have been identified to predict the efficacy of AIT were found. We aimed to find clinical and immunological markers to predict efficacy in children after 2 years of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT). A total of 285 children diagnosed with allergic rhinitis were recruited. The clinical efficacy was evaluated by comparing endpoint and baseline symptom and medication scores (SMS). Baseline clinical and immunological markers (serum total and specific immunoglobulin [Ig]E) and their correlation with clinical efficacy were analyzed. Of the 285 children recruited, 249 completed the 2-year SLIT program. After 2 years of SLIT, 68.3% of the children showed a significant response. Children in the Remarkable Response Group had the highest baseline SMS and most extended disease duration, followed by the Effective Relief and Unresponsive Group. Correlation analysis demonstrated that SMS improvement was positively correlated with baseline SMS (r=0.67) and disease duration (r=0.35). SMS improvement was not correlated with age, body mass index, total or specific IgE levels, or their ratios. Our results show that baseline SMS and disease duration can predict the efficacy of SLIT. Our study can guide the selection of suitable candidates for SLIT.

Little is known about the quality of life of patients with anaphylaxis to Hymenoptera venom. The Vespid Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire (VQLQ) is commonly used to assess the psychological burden of this condition. This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Persian version of VQLQ. In this cross-sectional study, VQLQ was translated into Persian according to expert recommendations.  The final translated version of VQLQ was then administered to 115 patients with Hymenoptera venom allergy at an asthma and allergy clinic in Iran. More than half of the participants were between 20 and 40 years of age, and 60% were male. Fear, anxiety, and outdoor activities had the most significant impact on the quality of life of patients with Hymenoptera venom allergy. Additionally, quality of life was more affected in women than in men, while no correlation was found with age. Furthermore, the quality of life was affected by a history of acute anaphylactic shock due to Hymenoptera venom. The Persian version of VQLQ enables the measurement of quality of life in patients with Hymenoptera venom allergy in the Iranian population. The inclusion of VQLQ in the initial evaluation of these patients may potentially guide allergist in providing support for venom-specific immunotherapy.

Parkinson's disease, the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder lacking a recognized etiology, is influenced by oxidative stress and alterations in inflammatory cytokine levels. This study aimed to investigate the expression levels of Interleukin(IL)1 receptor accessory protein (IL-1RAcP), IL1β, IL1α, IL33, and IL36 genes in blood cells and serum IL-1β levels in Parkinson's disease patients compared to healthy controls (HCs).I n this case-control study, 44 Parkinson's disease patients and 44 age- and sex-matched HCs were included. Gene expression levels were assessed using Quantitative Real-time PCR, and serum IL-1β levels were measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Advanced statistical analyses using the Bayesian regression model in R software were employed. Parkinson's disease patients exhibited elevated expression levels of IL-1RAcP and IL1β genes  but decreased levels of IL1α, IL33, and IL36 compared to HCs. Age-based differences were not significant. Regarding gender, IL33 transcript levels were significantly higher in males, and serum IL-1β levels were increased in patients. Subgroup analysis by gender indicated alterations in IL1β and IL-1RAcP expression in both genders, while IL1α, IL33, and IL36 showed reduced expression only in males. Remarkably, only female patients displayed significantly higher serum IL-1β levels than female HCs. These findings suggest that dysregulation of immune-related factors plays a crucial role in Parkinson's disease.

The severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with increased levels of blood interleukin (IL)-6. Therefore, it is hypothesized that modulating the levels or effects of IL-6  could diminish airway inflammation and alter the course of COVID-19. We conducted a controlled, randomized, double-blind clinical trial on hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 in Iran. The patients were randomly distributed by block randomization to take either standard-of-care (SOC) plus 1 or 2 doses of tocilizumab 8 mg/kg or SOC alone. The endpoint was defined by clinical improvement and discharge. We enrolled 40 patients (20 patients in each group) from 10 July to 10 December 2020. After randomization, 1 patient in the SOC arm and 3 patients in the tocilizumab arm refused to participate and were eliminated from the study. The mean age of participants was 59.62±15.80 in the tocilizumab group (8 women and 9 men) and 63.52±12.83 years old in the SOC group (9 women and 10 men) groups. The number of patients who recovered did not differ significantly between the tocilizumab and SOC groups (12 [70.6%][70.6%] vs. 15 [78.9%]), respectively). Hospitalization rates were also similar between the groups (Log-rank test, p=0.615; hazard ratio, 0.83; 95% C‎‎I [0.‎39–1.78]). The results show that tocilizumab could not be a beneficial agent for treating severe cases of COVID-19 patients and would not significantly improve clinical outcomes.

Dendritic cells (DCs), professional antigen-presenting cells that process and deliver antigens using MHC II/I molecules, can be enhanced in numerous ways.  Exosomes derived from heat‐shocked tumor cells (HS‐TEXs) contain high amounts of heat-shock proteins (HSPs). HSPs, as chaperons, can induce DC maturation. This study aimed to investigate whether HS‐TEXs can promote DC maturation. To generate DC, bone marrow-derived cells were treated with Interleukin-4 and GM-CSF. Exosomes were isolated from heat-treated CT-26 cells. The expression level of HSP in exosomes was checked by western blot and the increase in the expression of this protein was observed. Then, HS‐TEXs were co-cultured with iDCs to determine DC maturity, and then DCs were co-cultured with lymphocytes to determine DC activity. Our results showed that  DCs treated with HS‐TEXs express high levels of molecules involved in DC maturation and function including MHCII, CD40, CD83, and CD86. HS‐TEXs caused phenotypic and functional maturation of DCs. In addition, flow cytometric results reflected a higher proliferative response of lymphocytes in the iDC / Tex + HSP group. HS‐TEXs could be used as a strategy to improve DC maturation and activation.

T helper 1 (TH1) and TH2 lymphocytes are the most important components of the immune system affected by blood transfusion. This study aimed`` to evaluate the effect of blood transfusion on gene expression of transcription factors related to the development of TH1, TH2, TH17 and regulatory T cells (Tregs). In this cross-sectional study, 20 patients diagnosed with abdominal aortic aneurysms requiring surgical repair were studied from January 2018 to August 2020. We utilized real-time PCR to evaluate the expression of transcription factor genes associated with TH1, TH2, TH17, and Treg, namely T-box-expressed-in-T-cells (T-bet), GATA-binding protein 3 (GATA-3), retinoid-related orphan receptor (RORγt), and fork head box protein 3 (Foxp3), respectively. The sampling occurred before anesthesia, 24- and 72 hours post-transfusion, and at the time of discharge. The results showed that the T-bet gene expression, compared to the time before transfusion, was significantly decreased 24 hours after blood transfusion and upon discharge while GATA3 genes exhibited a significant reduction both 24 and 72 hours after the transfusion, as compared to the pre-transfusion levels and the time of patient discharge. The Foxp3 gene demonstrated an increase at all study stages, with a notable surge, particularly 72 hours after red blood cell (RBC) transfusion. Conversely, the expression of RORγt gene, consistently decreased throughout all stages of the study. RBC transfusion in abdominal aortic aneurysm patients altered the balance of transcription gene expression of TH1, TH2, TH17, and Treg cells.

Sanjad Sakati Syndrome (SSS) is categorized as a neuroendocrine-related disease due to disorders of the nervous and hormonal systems. Since hormonal changes in these patients may affect the nature and function of the immune system. Thus, in this study, cell count and phagocytotic function of neutrophils were evaluated which may be influenced by changes in the hormonal rate and growth factors. In this study, the neutrophil count value and the oxidative burst were evaluated in six patients diagnosed with SSS and six healthy individuals. There was a significant reduction in the neutrophil count observed in SSS patients compared to healthy controls (37.41±7.93 percent vs. 66.5±6.8 percent). However, there was no significant difference in neutrophil oxidative index between patients with SSS and control subjects (172.33±55.08 vs. 217.00±77.38). We concluded that in patients with SSS, the phagocytic activity of neutrophils was not affected by hormonal changes, while the number of neutrophils and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) index were decreased.

Actinrelated protein 2/3 complex subunit 1B (ARPC1B) deficiency is an inborn error of immunity (IEI) characterized by a combination of immunodeficiency and immune dysregulation and classified as an IEI with allergic manifestations. Here, we describe two patients with pathogenic variants in the ARPC1B gene. The first patient presented with eczema and bronchospasm at six months of age. The second patient presented with eczema and milk protein allergy at five months of age. The c.899_944 (p.Glu300Glyfs*7) pathogenic variant was previously described, whereas the c.863del (p.Pro288Leufs*9) variant was novel. ARPC1B deficiency should be considered because of the severe allergic manifestations at an early age.