gholamhossein hassanshahi

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex clinical immune system disorder. The most common symptoms of MS are recurrent loss of myelin in conjunction with inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS). Chemokines, as important immune system components, play a role in immune responses. This project aimed to examine and compare the serum levels of CXCL1 and CXCL9 in patients with relapse-remitting MS (RRMS) following therapy with IFN-β formulations. Clinical specimens were collected from 50 unrelated healthy controls, as well as 40 RRMS patients treated with Cinnovex™ (CVX, Interferon beta-1a, made in Iran) and Avonex® (AVX, Interferon beta-1a, made in the USA). The fold changes in gene expression of CXCL1 and CXCL9 compared to the β-actin gene were determined using real-time PCR. The protein expression and serum levels of CXCL1 and CXCL9 were measured using the ELISA method. Data analysis was performed using the ANOVA test. The levels of CXCL1 and CXCL9 significantly increased, with greater upregulation observed with AVX and, to a lesser extent, with CVX. Our study results suggest that AVX is more effective than CVX in regulating the immune system, and the dosage of CVX may need to be increased to achieve a more pronounced therapeutic response in RRMS patients.

The genus Pistacia is from the family Anacardiaceae, which contains about 70 genera and over 600 species. Various genera of Pistacia are widely spread from the Mediterranean region to the Central Asia, some of which including Pistacia lentiscus L., P. atlantica Desf., P. terebinthus L., P. vera L., and P. khinjuk.

The present study aims to collect the latest information from databases regarding beneficial effects of pistachio plant parts and nuts.

Different plant parts of pistachios are beneficial for various diseases. The P. vera fruit extracts exerted favorable effects on HDL and LDL levels in a rabbit model of atherosclerosis. The oleogum resin, being obtained from Pistacia lentiscus, is widely used as an effective therapeutic remedy for curing inflammatory bowel disease in traditional Iranian medicine. Serum glucose levels significantly decreased in diabetic patients who received P. lentiscus var. chia gum.

Against this backdrop, in this review article, we aim to investigate beneficial effects of pistachio fruit and its plant parts on different clinical states, such as gastrointestinal disorders, liver diseases, diabetes, and blood pressure.

Anesthesiologists should obtain the best technique for cesarean section (CS). This study designed to compare the effect of general anesthesia (GA) and spinal anesthesia (SA) on immune system function in elective CS.

This descriptive study was performed on forty candidates for elective CS. They were randomly divided into GA and SA groups. The serum concentrations of interleukin (IL)‑4, IL‑6, IL‑10, and IL‑17 and interferon‑gamma (IFN‑γ) were measured using ELISA method prior to anesthesia (T0), immediately after the uterine incision (T1), 2 h post CS (T2), and 24 h post CS (T3). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi‑square, independent t‑test, and repeated measures.

No significant differences were observed between the GA and SA groups regarding the serum levels of IL‑4, IL‑6, IL‑10, IL‑17, and IFN‑γ. The serum levels of transforming growth factor beta (TGF‑β) in the SA group were significantly (P = 0.003) more than that of the GA group at T3.

According to the angiogenesis properties of TGF‑β, it seems that SA probably affects the rate of recovery more than that of the GA.

Due to their self-renewal and differentiation ability, the mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been studied extensively. However, the MSCs lifespan is restricted; they undergo several divisions in vitro that cause several alternations in cellular features and relatively lessens their application. Thus, this study was aimed to assess the effect of platelet-derived microparticles (PMPs), a valuable source of proteins, microRNAs (miRNAs), and growth factors, on the expression of hTERT, c-MYC, p16, p53, and p21 as the most important aging and cell longevity genes alongside with population doubling time (PDT) of PMP-treated cells in comparison to a control group.

Umbilical cord MSCs (UC-MSCs) were used in this study, whereby they reached a confluency of 30%. MSCs were treated by PMPs (50 µg/mL), and then, PDT was determined for both groups. Quantitative expression of hTERT, c-MYC, p16, p53, and p21 was examined through quantitative real-time PCR at various intervals (i.e. after five and thirty days as well as freezingthawing process).

Our results demonstrated that the treated group had a shorter PDT in comparison to the control group (P<0.050). The real-Time PCR data also indicated that PMPs were able to remarkably up-regulate hTERT and c-MYC genes expression while down-regulating the expression of p16, p21, and p53 genes (P<0.050), especially following five days of treatment.

According to these data, it appears that PMPs are a safe and effective candidate for prolonging the lifespan of UCMSCs; however, further investigations are needed to corroborate this finding.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignancy that involves the bone marrow and peripheral blood. Some chemokines play a role in the progression, migration and tumor initiation and are therefore associated with poor prognosis. CCL2 promotes tumor growth and is associated with poor prognosis in AML patients. We investigated effects of chemotherapy on serum level of CCL2 in AML patients.

Throughout this case-control study, blood samples were collected from 25 healthy individuals and 25 AML (M4 and M5) patients before and after the first stage of the current chemotherapy regimen (7+3). Serum level of CCL2 was measured using commercial ELISA kits. Data were analyzed in SPSS 22 using the two-sample t-test and paired t-test.

Before chemotherapy, serum level of CCL2 was significantly higher in the patients than in the healthy controls. Following chemotherapy, the serum level of CCL2 reduced significantly to a level comparable to that of the healthy controls.

The current chemotherapy (7+3) can effectively inhibit CCL2 in AML patients.

 According to the previous studies, general anesthesia influences the immune system. Evaluating such impacts on the immune system helps to improve the management of anesthesia.

The current review aimed to summarize the literature related to the effects of general anesthesia agents on the cytokines. Google Scholar, PubMed, and ISI/Web of Sciences databases were searched using the following keywords: cytokine, general anesthesia, immune response, intravenous anesthetics, volatile anesthetics, opioids, benzodiazepines, and controlled ventilation.

Long-term administration of general anesthesia drugs, due to their effects on cytokines, can lead to disease progression in patients with immune deficiency. Due to the conflicting results of various studies and the increasing number of patients with immune deficiency, the choice of the appropriate general anesthesia agents facilitates achieving the more favorable function of the cytokines.

It seems that the effect of general anesthesia on the immune system in healthy patients and short-term surgeries is not considerable and changes in the immune system are related to surgical trauma, particularly in major surgery.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of eotaxin family members including C-C motif chemokine 11 (CCL11), C-C motif chemokine 24 (CCL24), and C-C motif chemokine 26 (CCL26) as the subgroups of CC-chemokine in patients affected with osteoporosis and osteopenia.

Overall, 19 osteoporotic patients, 18 osteopenic individuals, and 20 healthy subjects were recruited in this study. The bone mineral density (BMD) was then measured at the lumbar spine (L1-L4) and the hip (femoral neck and total hip) using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry for diagnosis of bone density and related disorders. Additionally, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique was employed to measure the serum levels of CCL11, CCL24, and CCL26.

The circulating levels of CCL11, CCL24, and CCL26 had been increased in both groups of patients with osteopenia and osteoporosis compared to those in healthy subjects (P<0.05); while no significant difference was observed between serum levels of these chemokines in such patients.

Eotaxins can play a role in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis and osteopenia; however, further studies are needed to clarify various roles of eotaxins in the pathophysiology of osteoporosis and osteopenia.

Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are widely used in the treatment of infections caused by Escherichia coli. FQs are broad spectrum antibiotics with high tissue penetration, and ease of use. Therefore, given the concerns existing about drug resistance, we aim to review the latest findings about resistance patterns to levofloxacin (LVX) along with other FQs in E. coli infections in different parts of Iran. Evidence shows that quinolones have been used in Iran for nearly 50 years, and that 0-65% of E. coli isolates show resistance to FQs. In the western parts of Iran, the highest rate of resistance to LVX (66.7%) has been reported among patients having urinary tract infections with E. coli isolates. Few studies and information exist on the antimicrobial resistance of E. coli to LVX in different geographical locations of Iran. However, the findings of various studies on this subject show that E. coli resistance to LVX is more in the western part of Iran than in central and southern regions, but it is similar among inpatients and outpatients. Therefore, it is reasonable advisable to limit the overuse, inappropriate prescription, and self-medication of LVX to prevent the induction of FQ-resistant strains. Accordingly, in order to obtain a clearer image of resistance to FQs, especially LVX in E. coli in Iran, more extensive investigations in different geographical locations and periods of time are required. In addition, antimicrobial stewardship would be helpful in this regard.

The severity of postoperative pain and hemodynamic changes during and post-cesarean section have a direct effect on the neonatal and maternal condition. This study aimed to compare pain severity, hemodynamic changes, and patient satisfaction following two anesthesia techniques in elective cesarean section. In this blinded study, 60 women who were candidate for cesarean section were allocated into two equal groups of general anesthesia (GA) and spinal anesthesia (SA). Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR), and O2 Saturation at pre cesarean (T0), the uterine incision time (T1), end of surgery (T2), 6h (T3), 12h (T4), and 24 hours post-cesarean (T5) were measured. A Visual Analog Scale assessed post-cesarean pain, 6, 12, and 24 hours post-cesarean. Gender, birth weight, first- and fifth- minutes’ apgar score was recorded in the checklists. The VAS score was significantly higher in the GA group at 6h, 12h, and 24 hours post-cesarean (P=0.014, P=0.002, P=0.017, respectively). SBP and DBP at T1 in the GA group were significantly higher than in the S.A group (P<0.001). The heart rate at T0 and T1 in the GA group was lower than the SA group (P=0.001, P=0.045 respectively). The difference between the apgar scores of the two groups was not significant. SA for cesarean section was associated with lower postoperative pain, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. However, the two groups had no significant difference in terms of patients’ satisfaction and apgar scores.