Inflammatory responses and innate immunologic reactions play an important role in the respiratory system. Ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) is considered a novel method in the evaluation and reconditioning of donor lungs prior to transplantation. However, EVLP’s effect on inflammatory and metabolic markers of human lung tissue is unknown.  This study investigated how the performance of EVLP on brain-dead (BD) donor lungs affects the production and release of inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-a), inflammatory cells and toll-like receptors (TLR) -2, 4. This study was conducted with an animal subject for qualification of EVLP team and then EVLP was performed on 4 human cases referred to Masih Daneshvari Hospital (Tehran,Iran), from May 2013 to July 2015. Two of these cases, who had acceptable lung function parameters, were enrolled in this study for immunologic investigations. Bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL) were taken before and after EVLP. Cytokines were quantitatively measured before lung retrieval, at the end of the lung removal, at the start of EVLP, and at the end of the each hour of EVLP. TLR expression was measured on the cells obtained by flow cytometry. TNF-a, IL-6 and IL-8 decreased in each stage of washing perfusate in both cases, and the level of cytokines in serum was in the normal range. Flow cytometry analysis revealed a decreasing expression of CD3, CD4/8, CD19, and CD16+56, as well as TLR-2 and TLR-4 in both cases. Intra-capillary pools of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-a) were determined to contribute to the lung injury during prolonged lung perfusion. This raises the possibility that EVLP donor lungs could be less immunogenic than standard lungs. However, to assess EVLP’s effects on lung grafts and optimize recipient outcomes, further studies with a sufficient number of lungs are required.

Host innate immunity can affect the clinical outcomes of Helicobacter pylori infection, including gastritis, gastric ulcer, gastric adenocarcinoma, and MALT lymphoma. Nucleotide binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-1 and -2 are two molecules of innate immunity which are involved in the host defense against H. pylori. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the expression level of NOD1 and NOD2 on the susceptibility to gastric cancer as well as peptic ulcer in individuals with H. pylori infection. The gene expression levels of these molecules were compared in three groups of non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) as a control group (n=52); peptic ulcer disease (PUD), (n=53); and gastric cancer (GC), (n=39). Relative expression levels of NOD1 in patients with GC were higher than those of NUD and PUD (p<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively). Similarly in case of NOD1, PUD group showed higher level of expression than NUD group (p<0.01). However, there was no significant difference between H. pylori -positive and -negative patients in NUD, PUD, or GC groups. Moreover, the expression levels of NOD2 showed no significant difference among NUD, PUD, or GC groups, while among H. pylori-positive patients, it was higher in GC group than NUD  and PUD groups (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively). In addition, positive correlation coefficients were attained between NOD1 and NOD2 expressions in patients with NUD (R² Linear=0.349, p<0.001), PUD (R² Linear=0.695, p<0.001), and GC (R² Linear=0.385, p<0.001). Collectively, the results suggest that the chronic activation of NOD1 and NOD2 receptors might play a role in the development of gastric cancer.

Our aim in this study was to identify and characterize allergic proteins in cooked wolf herring fish. We heated the crude extract alternatively at 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100°C for one hour and results were compared by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Also, proteins were immunoblotted with fish-sensitive patients’ sera. The major allergenic proteins were identified via mass spectrometry. These allergenic proteins were then purified by anion exchange chromatography and the IgE-immunoreactivity of the fractions was compared with the crude extracts via disk enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). SDS-PAGE of the crude extract showed more than 15 distinct protein bands. Five of these proteins, with apparent molecular weights of 12, 18, 24, 38, and 51 kDa, were only observed in the 100°C heated extract. Immunoblotting of the heated extract revealed that the 12 and 51 kDa proteins were IgE-immunoreactive with 88 percent of fish-sensitive patient sera while the 24 and 38 kDa proteins reacted with 33.3 and 55.5 percent of fish-sensitive patient sera, respectively. Mass spectrometry of the 12, 38, and 51 kDa proteins revealed that all three were parvalbumin oligomers. Disk ELISA results showed that 20 of 25 and 14 of 25 fish-allergic patients’ sera were IgE-reactive with purified oligomeric parvalbumin-coated and crude extract-coated disks, respectively. Parvalbumin and its oligomers are the main allergenic molecules in cooked fish. Therefore, an enriched or purified fraction containing this protein could be a useful source of allergen for applications in ELISA-based immunoassays and could discriminate fish-allergic patients who can tolerate cooked fish from those who cannot.

Food allergy is a common disorder especially in the first years of life. Strict avoidance of the responsible food is the most effective therapeutic measure so far. But this continuous vigilance could be stressful for the patient and family and decreases their quality of life (QOL). This survey was designed to evaluate the impact of IgE-mediated food allergy on parental QOL in Iranian patients and to develop a valid Persian version of “Food Allergy Quality Of Life- Parental Burden (FAQL-PB) questionnaire”. 90 patients (28 females, 62 males) and their parents who were referred to the clinic of Allergy in Children’s Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran were enrolled. The questionnaire was translated with scientific method and its reliability was approved in a pilot study (ICC=0.75, cronbach-α=0.90). Among all patients the most common allergens were wheat (60%) and cow’s milk (42%). The patient’s age (p=0.02), parent’s gender (p=0.004), mother’s age (p=0.02), duration of the disease (p=0.048), and allergen multiplicity (p=0.004) were found to have the most significant correlation with family and social activity (FSA) domain. The most meaningful associations were achieved between parent’s gender (p<0.001) and emotional issues (EM); as well as meal preparation (MP) with patient’s age (p=0.02), parent’s gender (p<0.0001) and also allergen multiplicity (p= 0.003); likewise nutrition and health concern (NH) domain with parent’s gender (p<0.001). Anaphylaxis’s history did not place any burden on each domain. It was concluded that presence of food allergic patients in families could considerably affect all domains of QOL.

One of the inflammatory mediators which is secreted by inflammatory cells is high-mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1). Interaction of HMGB1 and toll-like receptors (TLRs) leads to increased production of inflammatory cytokines. On the other hand, it was shown that triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (TREM-1) also can be activated by TLRs, and its soluble form (sTREM-1) can be formed by cleaving of membrane-bound form of TREM-1 proteinases. Since there is not enough knowledge about the precise role of HMGB1 and sTREM-1 in periodontal diseases, the aim of this study was to evaluate the concentration of HMGB1 and sTREM-1 in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples of patients with chronic periodontitis. Gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples were obtained from a total of 24 individuals with clinically healthy gingiva and 24 patients with moderate to severe chronic periodontitis. For collecting GCF samples, periopapers were placed at the entrance of the crevice and left in position for 30 seconds. Then, they were stored at -80°C. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used for measuring the concentration of HMGB1 and sTREM-1 in GCF samples. The concentration of HMGB1 (p<0.001) and sTREM-1 (p<0.017), was significantly higher in chronic periodontitis group. In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between HMGB1 and sTREM-1 concentration in chronic periodontitis group (p<0.05). We also found significant positive correlation between PD (Pocket depth) and the concentration of HMGB1 (p<0.001) and sTREM-1 (p<0.015). It is concluded that both HMGB1 and sTREM-1 are released during the inflammatory response of periodontal tissues and they can promote inflammatory process, which leads to tissue destruction.

T cells have been identified as key players in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes. However, the exact role of T-cell subpopulations in this pathway is presently unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess the expression pattern of two lineage-specifying transcription factors GATA-3 and T-bet, which are important in T helper type 1 (Th1) and Th2 cell development, respectively. Gene expression analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was performed using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Plasma levels of IFN-γ and IL-4 were also determined by ELISA. T-bet and IFN-γ gene expression was significantly lower in patients group compared with healthy controls (p<0.05). The expression of GATA-3 was relatively similar in patients and controls; however, IL-4 mRNAs were significantly increased in the PBMCs from patients as compared with normal controls (p<0.05). In addition, a marked increase in plasma IL-4 levels were observed in patient group compared with controls (p<0.001). To the contrary, IFN-γ protein levels were decreased in patients in comparison with controls (p<0.001). These data suggest additional implications of the role of Th1/Th2 imbalance for the immunopathogenesis of type 1 diabetes.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease in which auto-reactive T cells react with self-antigens expressed in the central nervous system (CNS). The main cause of MS is unknown. Nonetheless, the most probable theory is based on molecular mimicry, which suggests that some infections can activate T cells against brain auto-antigens like myelin proteolipid protein (PLP) and initiate the disease cascade. This study is conducted to evaluate the activatory effects of PLP_58-74 on T lymphocytes and humoral immunity. PLP_58-74 was considered as an immunodominant epitope candidate of PLP using bioinformatics tools. Patients and healthy individuals’ peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were treated with PLP_58-74 and its proliferative effects were evaluated through assessing proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) gene expression changes by real time PCR and immunocytochemistry assay. Finally, the rate of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells were assessed by flowcytometry. ELISA was also performed to measure anti PLP_58-74 antibody in patients’ serum. PLP_58-74 induced proliferation in patients’ PBMCs while it did not influence PBMCs of healthy individuals. CD4⁺ T cells were the main activated cells in reaction to PLP_58-74 which increased from 22% to 39.91%. In addition, immune assay showed threefold increase in specific anti PLP_58-74 IgG in patients compared to healthy controls. Results showed that PLP_58-74 can stimulate CD4⁺ T cells and humoral immunity. Therefore it seems that the epitopes of some microorganisms mimicking PLP such as PLP_58-74 might have a potential role in the initiation of MS. 

Vaccines against the HIV-1 virus offers the best hope for eliminating HIV-associated mortality. Recombinant adenovector type 5 (rAd5) vaccine is a potential candidate for preventive vaccine strategies. In this study, we evaluated the rAd5 prime/protein boost strategy in a murine model. We used rAd5 harboring single HIV-1 genes. These genes, including gag (p24) and exon1 of tat, were amplified from HIV-1 (clade A) RNA using nested PCR. Recombinant vectors were constructed, purified and then injected at 10¹² viral particles into four groups, each comprising five mice. The groups were each assigned to receive one of rAd5 prime/protein boost Gag, Tat with and without recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rGM-CSF), and rAd5 with and without genes. The humoral responses were evaluated using ELISA and cellular immune responses checked by cell proliferation and ELISpot assays (IL-2, IL-4 and IFN-γ). It was shown that compared with the rAd5 injection alone, the rAd5 prime/protein boost plan increased cellular immunity (p= 0.009) as well as humoral immunity (p= 0.009). Moreover, rGM-CSF as an adjuvant enhanced cell-mediated immunity and increased IL-4 expression (p=0.032). The results revealed that the simultaneous use of multiple antigens and heterologous prime/boost strategy can enhance both humoral and cellular immune systems. Moreover, subcutaneous injection of rGM-CSF increases IL-4 production and shifts the immune pattern to Th2_. These strategies can potentially be used to develop an efficient HIV-1 vaccine.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is an IgE-mediated upper airway disease, and its impact on asthma has been widely recognized. Protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor 22 (PTPN22) gene and the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte–associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) gene polymorphisms have been reported to be associated with several immune-related diseases. Here we investigated the reffect of these two genes’ polymorphisms on the risk of AR and asthma in Chinese Han children. A total of 106 AR patients, 112 AR with asthma patients, and 109 healthy children were enrolled in the study. The SNPs of PTPN22 (rs2488457, rs1310182, rs3789604) and CTLA-4 (rs3087243, rs11571302, rs11571315, rs231725, rs335219727, and rs4553808) were genotyped using a PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. For PTPN22, an increased prevalence of the CC genotype and C allele in rs1310182 were identified in AR group. For CTLA-4, AA genotype and A allele in rs3087243 and rs231725 were increased in AR with asthma group while in AR group, AA genotype and A allele in rs231725 were obviously decreased. This study reveals a significant association between SNPs in PTPN22, CTLA-4 gene and AR with asthma in Chinese Han children, which might be susceptibility factors for AR and asthma.

Serology and DNA techniques are employed for Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) typing in different transplant centers. Results may not always correlate well and may need retyping with different technique. All the patients (with aplastic anemia, thalassemia, and immunodeficiency) and their donors, requiring HLA typing for bone marrow transplant were enrolled in the study. Serological HLA typing was done by complement-dependent lymphocytotoxicity while DNA-based typing was done with sequence specific primers (SSP). Serology identified 167 HLA A and 165 HLA B antigens while SSP in same samples identified 181 HLA A and 184 HLA B alleles. A11 and B51 were the commonest antigens/alleles by both methods. There were a total of 21 misreads and 32 dropouts on serology, for both HLA A and B loci with HLA A32, B52 and B61 being the most ambiguous antigens. Inherent limitations of serological techniques warrant careful interpretation or use of DNA-based methods for resolution of ambiguous typing.

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a rare primary immunodeficiency disorder due to a genetic defect in one of the components of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase complex. This complex is composed of membrane-bound gp91-phox and p22-phox subunits, and cytosolic subunits consisting of p47-phox, p67-phox, and p40-phox. A mutation in CYBB gene encoding gp91-phox located on chromosome Xp21.1, leads to X-linked CGD. Herein, we report a 4-year-old Iranian boy presented with episodes of recurrent fever, cervical lymphadenopathy, and abdominal abscesses. Mutation analysis of the CYBB gene in the patient indicated a one-nucleotide deletion, c.316delT, resulting in p.W106GfsX.