Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 1735-1502 21 3 2022 06 18 232 240 Samin Sharafian Department of Immunology and Allergy, Mofid's Children Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Aliakbar Amirzargar Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Molecular Immunology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mohammad Gharagozlou Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Medical Center Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Nima Parvaneh Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Medical Center Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mansoureh Shariat Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Medical Center Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Marzieh Tavakol Non-communicable Diseases Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran AND Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Imam Ali Hospital, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran Masoud Movahedi Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Medical Center Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2021 09 01 2021 12 11 Oral immunotherapy (OIT) is a novel approach to desensitization and tolerance induction in food allergy patients. This study aimed to design and implement a new wheat OIT protocol, evaluate its efficacy in tolerance induction, and assess specific immunoglobulin-E (IgE) and regulatory T cell changes. From 2015 to 2017, 26 patients with confirmed IgE-mediated hypersensitivity to wheat were treated via oral immunotherapy (OIT). Patients with prior anaphylactic episodes underwent OIT using the rush method. Specific IgE concentrations and the number of regulatory T cells (CD4+ CD25+ FOXP3+ T cells) were measured using Allergy Screen immunoblot assay and flow cytometry, respectively. This study was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT20181220042066N1). The results revealed success rates of 100% and 93.3% for desensitization and tolerance. Specific IgE was significantly reduced after 12 months of OIT. No significant change in regulatory T cell numbers was observed. In view of the promising findings of this study, the proposed OIT protocol could be viewed as an effective and valuable method to induce tolerance and desensitization in wheat allergic patients. https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/view/3328 https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/download/3328/1838

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 1735-1502 21 3 2022 06 18 241 253 Sussan Ardestani Department of Immunology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Mohammad Reza Salehi Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Bahareh Attaran Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran Seyed Mahmoud Hashemi Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Somayeh Sadeghi Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Sara Ghaffarpour Immunoregulation Research Center, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran Fatemeh Tuserkani Immunoregulation Research Center, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran Tooba Ghazanfari Immunoregulation Research Center, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran 2021 08 22 2022 01 15 Inflammation is an essential contributor to Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).   In this regard, finding a prognostic indicator is valuable because the treatment will be more effective if critical patients with high inflammation are diagnosed earlier. We aimed to evaluate some hematologic markers for COVID-19 and assess their association with the severity of the disease. A total of 154 COVID-19 patients were laboratory-confirmed and admitted to Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran, Iran, from February 12, 2020, to April 4, 2020, and 55 healthy individuals were enrolled in the study. The severity of the patients' illnesses was classified into three subgroups according to the types of oxygen therapies (moderate (61), severe (28), and critical (43)) and examined the different ratios of total white blood cell (WBC) count, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to monocyte ratio (PLR), macrophage to lymphocyte ratio (MLR), derived NLR ratio (dNLR), and some biochemical tests. COVID-19 patients had higher levels of NLR, MLR, PLR, and dNLR than healthy subjects. receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of the curve revealed that NLR and dNLR had a high diagnostic value to differentiate COVID-19 patients from healthy subjects (area under the curve [AUC]=0.923 and 0.910, respectively) and predict mortality (AUC=0.726 and 0.735, respectively). NLR and dNLR may be reliable markers to evaluate the severity of COVID-19. NLR and dNLR had a high diagnostic value for differentiating COVID-19 patients from healthy subjects, and they could predict the severity and outcome of the disease. https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/view/3335 https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/download/3335/1851

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 1735-1502 21 3 2022 06 18 254 262 EN Hadi Sodagar Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran Mohammad Hasan Khadem Ansari Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran Rahim Asghari Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran Shahriar Alipour Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran AND Student Research Committee, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran 2021 12 22 2022 01 23 The role of microRNA (miR)200c-3p in regulating ACE2 gene expression in viral and bacterial respiratory diseases has been established. Since ACE2 reduces the acute inflammatory effects in lung diseases and acts as a coronavirus receptor to invade the lung cells, this study investigates the relationship between miR-200c-3p and ACE2 expression in COVID -19 patients. In this study, COVID-19 patients were divided into two groups: mild phase (PCR-positive and mild symptoms) and severe phase (PCR-positive with acute pulmonary symptoms and inflammation). Then, the subjects' demographic, clinical, and paraclinical characteristics were recorded using a prepared checklist. Total RNA was isolated from all samples according to the Trizol kit protocol to evaluate gene expression. Subsequently, the extracted product was analysed for miR-200c expression and ACE2 target gene expression by real-time PCR. The results of the checklist data showed that smoking, cough, and the factors ESR and HCT were statistically significant between the two groups of patients in the mild and acute phases. Also, the mean expression of the miR-200c gene in the mild and acute patients was 1.87±0.70 and 1.87±0.62, respectively, which was not statistically significant. Still, the mean expression of the ACE2 gene, which was 3.96±0.76 and 3.28±0.52 in the mild and acute disease groups, respectively, showed a significant difference between the two groups. This study showed that the expression levels of ACE2 were significantly reduced in people with severe inflammation compared to people with mild inflammation. https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/view/3423 https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/download/3423/1852

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 1735-1502 21 3 2022 06 18 263 272 Paria Bayati Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND The Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Marjan Taherian Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND The Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mohammad-Ali Assarehzadegan Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND The Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mansoureh Soleimani Cellular and Molecular Research Center ,Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Hadi Poormoghim Scleroderma Study Group, Firuzgar Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Nazanin Mojtabavi Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND The Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2022 02 09 2022 02 26 Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is among the illnesses with a high mortality rate, yet no specific cause has been identified; as a result, successful treatment has not been achieved. Among the novel approaches for treating such hard-to-cure diseases are induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSCs). Some studies have shown these cells’ potential in treating IPF. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the impact of IPSCs on insulin-like growth factor (Igf) signaling as a major contributor to IPF pathogenesis.  C57BL/6 mice were intratracheally instilled with Bleomycin (BLM) or phosphate-buffered saline; the next day, half of the bleomycin group received IPSCs through tail vein injection. Hydroxyproline assay and histologic examinations have been performed to assess lung fibrosis. The gene expression was evaluated using specific primers for Igf-1, Igf-2, and insulin receptor substrate 1 (Irs-1) genes and SYBR green qPCR master mix. The data have been analyzed using the 2-ΔΔCT method. The mice that received Bleomycin showed histological characteristics of the fibrotic lung injury, which was significantly ameliorated after treatment with IPSCs comparable to the control group. Furthermore, gene expression analyses revealed that in the BLM group, Igf1, Igf2, and Irs1 genes were significantly upregulated, which were returned to near-normal levels after treatment with IPSCs. IPSCs could modulate the bleomycin-induced upregulation of Igf1, Igf2, and Irs1 genes. This finding reveals a new aspect of the therapeutic impact of the IPSCs on IPF, which could be translated into other fibrotic disorders. https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/view/3458 https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/download/3458/1853

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 1735-1502 21 3 2022 06 18 273 286 Ali Hazrati Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran Sara Soudi Department of immunology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran Seyed Mahmoud Hashemi Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2022 01 22 2022 04 25 Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial liver infections and the resulting inflammation. However, their use is limited due to their side effects, especially the development of antibiotic resistance. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are recognized for their immunomodulatory properties. In this study, we investigated the immunomodulatory effect of Wharton's jelly MSC-derived exosomes in combination with imipenem on HepG2 cells infected with Escherichia col i.MSC-derived exosomes were separated from MSCs, which were isolated by flow cytometry. Scanning electron microscopy and dynamic light scanning were used to confirm the presence of exosomes. Quantitative real-time PCR, ELISA, and nitric oxide assay were used to assess the inflammatory response in the infected cells. Annexin-PI was used to measure the extent of apoptosis. The results showed that the combination of imipenem and MSC-derived exosomes were more effective than imipenem or exosomes alone in reducing the production and secretion of inflammatory cytokines, nitric oxide, and apoptotic rate in E Coli-infected HepG2 cells. https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/view/3444 https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/download/3444/1854

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 1735-1502 21 3 2022 06 18 287 299 EN Davoud Rostamzadeh Shiraz Institute for Cancer Research, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran AND Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran Mohammad Reza Haghshenas Shiraz Institute for Cancer Research, School of Medicine, Shiraz Universit of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran Mahdi Samadi Shiraz Institute for Cancer Research, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran Zahra Mojtahedi Shiraz Institute for Cancer Research, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran Zohreh Babaloo Department of ImmunologDepartment of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran AND Immunology Unit, Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran Abbas Ghaderi Shiraz Institute for Cancer Research, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran 2021 05 23 2022 02 27 To investigate the effects of everolimus, a mechanistic/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, on tumor growth and immune response in a mouse model of breast cancer. Human hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth receptor 2-negative (HER2-) MC4-L2 cell line was used to establish a mouse model of bspital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Department of Immunology and Allergy, Children’s Medical Center Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2019 10 01 2020 08 23 This study aims to investigate the role of prenatal diagnosis (PND) in Iranian couples with a previous history of primary immunodeficiency disorders (PIDD) in their family. All referred couples with a family history of PIDD and a tendency for PND were included in this project. Based on gestational age, chorionic villus sampling (CVS) was performed to analyze the molecular defect of the fetus according to the previous gene defect of the affected case in the family. Postnatal confirmation was performed by immunological screening tests. In a total of 100 cases, CVS was not evaluated in 19 patients due to unwillingness (n=5), late prenatal referral (n=7), miscarriage before CVS (n=3), and female fetus with x-linked diseases in previous children (n=4). In the remaining 81 patients, heterozygous and homozygous mutations were found in 33 and 23 cases, respectively. The hemizygous mutation was obtained in 6 and no pathogenic mutations were found in 19 individuals. Postnatal evaluations revealed that a total of 65 babies were healthy, 32 fetuses were aborted (3 cases before CVS, 2 spontaneous abortions of a healthy and as affected fetus in the CVS subgroup, and 27 cases were aborted due to therapeutic causes). One fetus from the heterozygous subgroup was spontaneously aborted with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) and one fetus from the homozygous subgroup that was supposed to be healthy was affected by the autosomal dominant-chronic granulomatous disease (AR-CGD). The diagnostic error was 1.2%. PND is highly recommended in families with a history of PID in their previous child to prevent an affected baby being born and to reduce the government, family, and personal burden of these diseases. https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/view/2541

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 1735-1502 19 5 2020 10 18 550 554 EN Mohammad Nabavi Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Afshin Rezaeifar Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Ali Sadeghinia Department of Dermatology, Razi Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Saba Arshi Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Sima Bahrami Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mohammad Bemanian Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Morteza Fallahpour Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Sima Shokri Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Zahra Vakilazad Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2019 12 16 2020 09 07 Linear IgA bullous dermatosis (LABD) is a rare autoimmune blistering disease that may be triggered by some diseases and medications. For the latter one, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been identified as one of the potential causative agents to develop LABD. Here, a rare case of drug-induced LABD is introduced. A 13-month-old Iranian boy presented with a history of generalized blisters, displaying the classic “string of pearls” sign who was eventually diagnosed as a case of LABD. In his admission, he was diagnosed whit Mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome and treated with aspirin.  Some features like appearing the characteristic lesions one week following the administration of aspirin, rapid clearance of lesions after the withdrawal of the drug, and reappearance of new lesions after readministration of aspirin were highly suggestive of aspirin-induced LABD. To establish the diagnosis, we used the “Naranjo probability score” which determined the probable causative role of aspirin. The diagnosis was confirmed by showing the positive IgA deposition in the basement membrane zone in a direct immunofluorescence study of the skin biopsy. The child was treated with dapsone with dramatical response to the drug. https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/view/2641

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 1735-1502 19 5 2020 10 18 534 538 EN Masoumeh Beheshti Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Shahr-e-kord University of Medical Sciences, Shahr-e-kord, Iran Zahra Salehi Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Roya Abolfazli Department of Neurology, Amir A’lam Hospital, Tehran, Iran Hedayatolah Shirzad Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Shahr-e-kord University of Medical Sciences, Shahr-e-kord, Iran Maryam Izad Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND MS Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2019 09 17 2020 09 19 Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, in which proinflammatory cytokines play a critical role in the pathogenic formation of lesions. Caspase-1 is a cysteine protease that proteolytically cleaves precursors of interleukin (IL)-18 and IL-1β and turns them into their active forms. These inflammatory cytokines play an important role in the development of MS. The aim of the present study was the investigation of caspase-1 and its downstream products, IL-18 and IL-1β, in relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients. In this study, we used an ELISA assay to measure serum and cellular caspase-1 and serum levels of IL-18 and IL-1β in RRMS patients in the relapse phase (n=23) and healthy age-and gender-matched controls (n=19). We observed that the caspase-1 level was significantly increased in the serum of MS patients compared to the healthy controls (p=0.03). Although caspase-1 concentration in the lysate of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was higher than serum among patients and controls (p<0.001), no significant difference was found in cellular levels of caspase-1 between the two groups. There was no significant difference in serum levels of IL-18 and IL-1β between patients and controls. In this study, we found an elevation of extracellular caspase-1, as a reflection of its intracellular level, in the serum of RRMS patients during the relapse phase. Therefore, it suggests being a suitable peripheral biomarker of disease activity in multiple sclerosis. https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/view/2528

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 1735-1502 19 5 2020 10 18 484 496 EN Nishtman Heidari Student Research Committee, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran AND Department of Immunology and Hematology, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran Mobin Mohammadi Department of Immunology and Hematology, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran AND Cancer and Immunology Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran Mohammad Ali Rezaee Zoonosis Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran AND Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Paramedical, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran Abbas Ali Amini Department of Immunology and Hematology, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran AND Cancer and Immunology Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran Shohreh Fakhari Department of Immunology and Hematology, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran AND Cancer and Immunology Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran Mohammad Rahmani Department of Immunology and Hematology, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran AND Zoonosis Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran 2019 09 04 2020 06 22 Co-inhibitory molecules modulate immune responses. Immunomodulatory properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) turn them into ideal candidates for cell therapy. This study was designed to investigate the immunomodulatory effect of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) on inflammatory environment of a co-culture of allogenic peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in a two-way mixed leukocyte reaction (twMLR) setting. ASCs were co-cultured with allogenic PBMCs in twMLR setting for four days. The proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), levels of interleukin (IL)-10, and expression of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), B7-1, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4), programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), +, and CD200R1 genes, as well as cell surface expression of CD200 and CD200R1, were measured in twMLR as control, and co-culture groups on days 0, 2 and 4 of the experiment. The proliferation of PBMCs was suppressed on days 2 and 4 of co-culture. The expression of CD200 (p=0.014), CD200R1, CTLA-4, and PD1 genes increased on days 2 and 4 of the co-culture compared to twMLR. CD200 expressing PBMCs decreased by 1.75% on day 2 of the co-culture but increased by 6.23% on day 4 of the co-culture (p=0.013) compared to the same days of twMLR. IL-10 levels increased in the co-culture supernatants on days 2 and 4 compared to twMLR (p<0.05). Our results showed that ASCs upregulate the CD200/CD200R1 axis more than PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4/B7-1 pathways in the twMLR. Also, elevated expression of CD200R1 in the final day of co-culture was similar to PD-1 expression pattern. This finding suggests a role for the CD200/CD200R1 axis in later modulation of the immune response. https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/view/2509

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 1735-1502 19 5 2020 10 18 539 544 EN Reza Amirzargar Department of Craniofacial Surgery, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Gholamreza Shirani Department of Craniofacial Surgery, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Shokoufeh Raisian Department of Craniofacial Surgery, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Maryam Davoudi Rheumatology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Saeed Aslani Rheumatology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Shiva Poursani Rheumatology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Shaghayegh Khanmohammadi Rheumatology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mahdi Mahmoudi Rheumatology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sceinces, Tehran, Iran AND Inflammation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mohammad Bayat Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Craniomaxillofacial Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2020 04 27 2020 07 04 Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and wingless (Wnt) signaling molecules and their antagonists, such as sclerostin and noggin, have been identified to have different effects on bone metabolism. This research intended to evaluate the transcript levels of CTNNB1 (catenin beta 1protein), SOST (sclerostin protein), BMP4 (Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 protein), and NOG (noggin protein) bone metabolism-related genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from condylar hyperplasia (CH) patients in comparison to rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and healthy individuals. PBMCs were separated from blood samples of 10 patients with CH, AS, RA, and 10 healthy controls. SYBR Green real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for quantitative analysis of CTNNB1, SOST, BMP4, and NOG messenger RNAs (mRNAs). The expression of CTNNB1 was significantly upregulated in CH and AS patients compared with healthy individuals and RA patients. The difference of SOST expression was not significant between all groups. The BMP4 expression was significantly downregulated in AS, CH, and RA patients compared with healthy controls. The NOG expression was downregulated in RA, AS, and CH groups, however, it was only significant in CH and RA patients compared with controls.CH and AS patients were distinguished from RA by the upregulatedCTNNB1 expression. These results demonstrated that CTNNB1, BMP4, and NOG, but not SOST, may contribute to the pathogenesis of CH, AS, and RA. https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/view/2807

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 1735-1502 19 5 2020 10 18 497 508 EN Niloufar Rashedi Department of Biology, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran Morteza Taghizadeh Department of Biology, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran AND Research and Development, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran Parisa Mohamadynejad Department of Biology, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran Mehdi Mahdavi Department of Biology, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran AND Recombinant Vaccine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Reza Jalalirad Department of Biology, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran AND Production and Research Complex, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Karaj, Iran 2020 05 19 2020 07 16 The H1N1 influenza virus is known as a serious pandemic threat across the globe. Vaccination is one of the most effective methods of protection against this virus and the way to reduce the seasonal pandemic risk. The commercial vaccine does not adequately respond to pandemic strains. This study examines the potential function of formulated H1N1 hemagglutinin with MF59 adjuvant against A/PR/8/34 (H1N1). To this end, a recombinant hemagglutinin (rHA) gene of influenza A virus was designed and expressed in SF9 cell by the Baculovirus expression system. Four groups of mice were immunized by rHA in combination with MF59, Alum adjuvant, and virus split only. The immunized mice subsequently used for the humoral immune assay and the results compared with untreated mice (negative group). Besides, both treated and control mice groups were challenged with mouse-adapted influenza virus A/PR/8/34(H1N1) through the intranasal drop. Bodyweight, survival, temperature variation, and the medical conditions of the samples were assessed. Mice immunized with the recombinant protein demonstrated a humoral response to the influenza A virus. Upon virus challenging, co-administration of rHA with MF59 adjuvant could lead to 92% survival of the vaccinated mice within 10 days. The MF59-treated group showed slight weight loss and high-temperature body two weeks after infection. This group also displayed a higher hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody titer as compared to the group vaccinated with virus split, and Alum adjuvant. Altogether, the results showed that the recombinant protein with the MF59 adjuvant created better safety than the Alum adjuvant, thereby can be considered as a safe and reliable vaccine against the H1N1 virus for further investigations. https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/view/2837

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 1735-1502 19 5 2020 10 18 509 516 EN Mona Oraei Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Sama Bitarafan Iranian Center of Neurological Research, Neuroscience Institute, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Seyed Alireza Mesbah-Namin Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran. Ali Noori-Zadeh Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran. Fatemeh Mansouri Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Karim Parastouei Department of Cellular and Molecular Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Ali Anissian Department of Veterinary Pathology, Islamic Azad University, Abhar, Iran Mir Saeed Yekaninejad Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Maryam Hajizadeh Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran. Ali Akbar Saboor-Yaraghi Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Iranian Center of Neurological Research, Neuroscience Institute, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2020 04 09 2020 06 02 Vitamin D plays a variety of physiological functions, such as regulating mineral homeostasis. More recently, it has emerged as an immunomodulator player, affecting several types of immune cells, such as regulatory T (Treg) cells. It has been reported that vitamin D exerts some mediatory effects through an epigenetic mechanism. In this study, the impacts of calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, on the methylation of the conserved non-coding sequence 2 (CNS2) region of the forkhead box P3 (Foxp3) gene promoter, were evaluated. Fourteen C57BL/6 mice were recruited in this study and divided into two intervention and control groups. The CD4+ T cells were isolated from mice splenocytes. The expression of Foxp3, IL-10, and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β1) genes were relatively quantified by real-time PCR technique, and the DNA methylation percentage of every CpG site in the CNS2 region was measured individually by bisulfite-sequencing PCR. Vitamin D Intervention significantly (p<0.05) could increase the expression of Foxp3, IL-10, and TGF-β1 gene in the CD4+ T cells of mice comparing with the control group. Meanwhile, methylation of the CNS2 region of Foxp3 promoter was significantly decreased in three of ten CpG sites in the vitamin D group compared to the control group. The results of this study showed that vitamin D can engage the methylation process to induce Foxp3 gene expression and probably Treg cytokines profile. Further researches are needed to discover the precise epigenetic mechanisms by which vitamin D modulates the immune system. https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/view/2772

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 1735-1502 19 5 2020 10 18 517 528 EN Afshin Derakhshani Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran Homa Mollaei Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran Negin Parsamanesh Zanjan Metabolic Diseases Research Center, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran Mohammad Fereidouni Cellular and Molecular Research center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran Ebrahim Miri-Moghaddam Department of Molecular Medicine, Cardiovascular Diseases Research Center, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran Saeed Nasseri Cellular and Molecular Research center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran Yongwen Luo Department of Biological Repositories, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China Hossein Safarpour Cellular and Molecular Research center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran Behzad Baradaran Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran AND Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran 2020 01 20 2020 08 09 Vitiligo is the most common cause of skin, hair, and oral depigmentation which is known as an autoimmune disorder. Genetic and environmental factors have important roles in the progression of the disease. Dysregulation of gene expression, like microRNAs (miRNA), may serve as major relevant factors. Several biological processes are involved in vitiligo disease and developing a comprehensive approach helps us to better understand the molecular mechanisms of disease. In this research, we describe how a weighted gene co-expression network analysis as a systems biology approach assists to define the primary gene modules, hub genes, and messenger RNA (mRNA)-miRNA regulatory network in vitiligo disease as the novel biomarkers. The results demonstrated a module with a high correlation with vitiligo state. Moreover, gene enrichment analysis showed that this module's genes were mostly involved in some biological activities including G protein-coupled receptors signaling pathway, lymphocyte chemotaxis, che