Decreased levels of soluble Toll-like Receptor 2 in patients with asthma

Background:

Recently, reports have indicated a role for the membrane form of Toll-like Receptor 2 (TLR2) in asthma pathogenesis. In this study we examined soluble TLR2 levels in serum and sputum of asthmatic and healthy subjects.

Methods:

Serum and sputum samples were obtained from 33 asthmatic and 19 healthy subjects. The asthmatics were classified into four groups according to the Global Initiative for Asthma. A sandwich ELISA was developed to measure soluble TLR2 (sTLR2) in serum and sputum. TLR2 mRNA expression was determined by semi-quantitative RT-PCR of all sputum samples.

Results:

The mean sTLR2 levels from serum and sputum of asthmatics were significantly lower than those from healthy subjects. Moreover, sTLR2 concentration decreased concomitantly with asthma severity. The differences observed, however, were not statistically significant. TLR2/GAPDH mRNA of sputum leukocytes was also significantly lower in asthmatics than in healthy subjects.

Conclusion:

This study demonstrated for the first time thatsTLR2 levels are lower in serum and sputum samples from asthmatic than from healthy subjects, and this could be an indicator of TLR2 expression. We also found that sTLR2 concentration in serum decreased concomitantly with an increase of asthma severity clinical score. Key Words: Asthma, Expression, TLR2 mRNA, Soluble Toll-like receptor     

The frequency and distribution of thiopurine S-methyltransferase alleles in south Iranian population

Thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) catalyzes the S-methylation of thiopurine drugs such as 6-mercaptopurine, 6-thioguanine, and azathiopurine. Variability in TPMT activity is mainly due to genetic polymorphism. The frequency of the four allelic variants of the TPMT gene, TPMT*2 (G238C), TPMT*3A (G460A and A719G), TPMT*3B (G460A) and TPMT*3C (A719G) were determined in an Iranian population from south of Iran (n = 500), using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-RFLP and allele-specific PCR-based assays. Four hundred seventy four persons (94.8%) were homozygous for the wild type allele (TPMT*1/*1) and twenty five people were TPMT*1/*3C (5%). One patient was found to be heterozygous in terms TPMT*1 and *2 alleles with genotype of TPMT*1/*2 (0.2%). None of the participants had both defective alleles. The TPMT*3C and *2 were the only variant alleles observed in this population. The total frequency of variant alleles was 2.6% and the wild type allele frequency was 97.4%. The TPMT*3B and *3A alleles were not detected. Distributions of TPMT genotype and allele frequency in Iranian populations are different from the genetic profile found among Caucasian or Asian populations. Our findings also revealed inter-ethnic differences in TPMT frequencies between different parts of Iran. This view may help clinicians to choose an appropriate strategy for thiopurine drugs and reduce adverse drug reactions such as bone marrow suppression.     

Thymidylate synthase and methionine synthase polymorphisms are not associated with susceptibility to childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Kurdish population from Western Iran

In order to determine the influence of polymorphism in thymidylate synthase (TS 28-bp repeat) and methionine synthase (MS A2756G) genes on the susceptibility to acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 73 children with ALL and 128 age and sex matched unrelated healthy individuals from the Kermanshah Province of Iran were screened. The genotyping of TS 28-bp repeat and MS A2756G polymorphisms were performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR–RFLP, respectively. The frequency of TS 2R allele in patients and controls were 41.5 and 38%, respectively (Odds ratios (OR) = 1.13, 95%CI 0.73–1.74, P = 0.56). The allelic frequency of G allele of MS was higher (25%) in patients compared with healthy subjects (23%) (OR = 1.09, 95%CI 0.67–1.75, P = 0.71). Considering MS AA and TS 3R3R genotypes as reference indicated that individuals with MS GG + TS 2R2R genotypes have 1.3-fold increase in the risk of ALL (OR = 1.3, 95%CI 0.6–2.7, P = 0.5). Our results showed that neither TS 28-bp repeat nor MS A2756G polymorphisms are risk factors for susceptibility to ALL in Western Iran.     

Tinea Capitis Due to Microsporum vanbreuseghemii: Report of Two Cases

Two cases of dermatophytosis caused by Microsporum vanbreuseghemii are reported. A 7-year-old boy and his brother were examined for tinea capitis. Hair samples and skin scrapings were collected from each patient to microscopy and culture. Direct microscopic examination of the hairs using lactophenol revealed an ectothrix invasion. Cultures inoculated with portions of clinical material yielded M. vanbreuseghemii after 2?weeks. The identification of the fungi were based on colony morphology on mycobiotic agar, microscopic characteristic on slide cultures, biochemical reactions and hair perforation tests.     

Genetic diversity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pistacia khinjuk</Emphasis> Stocks. using RAPD markers and leaf morphological characters

The aim of this research was to study the genetic diversity of Pistacia khinjuk Stocks. and also to reveal the genetic relationships. Leaf morphological characters of 16 genotypes together with Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker data were used for this purpose. Leaf morphological characters were used for factor analysis, which determined four main factors. Grouping of genotypes by these factors was performed by Ward’s method. Fifteen primers produced a total of 146 fragments, with an average of 9.73 fragments per primer, of which 129 were polymorphic. The unweighted pair group method based on arithmetic average (UPGMA) analysis was performed on Jaccard’s similarity coefficient matrix. According to RAPD data, genotypes were separated into three groups. The first contained the genotypes with round leaflets. Genotypes with three lanceolate leaflets were located in the second and third groups, respectively. This study revealed that high diversity exists among genotypes of P. khinjuk, like in P. vera. Also it could be postulated that genotypes of P. khinjuk with oblique and lanceolate leaflets are probably descendents of the genotypes with acuminate and roundish leaflets.     

Effects of Haematococcus pluvialis in maternal diet on reproductive performance and egg quality in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The aim of this study was to clarify the effects of dietary Haematococcus pluvialis (H.p) on reproductive performance in female rainbow trout and egg quality in terms of antioxidant system and biochemical parameters. 60 rainbow trout (2475.5 ± 64.4 g) were randomly assigned to 2 groups in triplicates and fed diet containing 3 g H.p kg(-1) feed equivalent to 30 mg astaxanthin kg(-1) die or control diet for 30 days. On days 20 and 30 during feeding trial, mature fish were weighed and sampled for stripping. Results indicated that supplementation of H.p did not improve total egg weight, egg number per gram and fecundity. There were few changes in triglyceride and total protein content in fish eggs. Level of glucose decreased markedly on day 30 while on day 20 of feeding trial, a non-significant decrease was shown in treatment group. On day 20, the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) indicating lipid peroxidation product significantly decreased in eggs of the treatment group. The activities of enzymes of the antioxidant system did not change during this study, even though slight increase in glutathione peroxidase in treatment group was revealed during this study. In conclusion, this study showed that female rainbow trout appear to benefit from inclusion of H.p in diet during their reproductive stages in terms of improved egg quality.     

Thermal stability and enzymatic activity of RNase A in the presence of cationic gemini surfactants

The thermal stability and enzymatic activity of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A (RNase A) have been investigated in the presence of a homologous series of cationic gemini surfactants (alkanediyl-α,ω-bis(hydroxyethyl methyl hexadecyl ammonium bromide)). UV, circular dichorism and fluorescence spectroscopies have been used for this study. The denaturation curves at various surfactant concentrations were analyzed on basis of a two-transition model to obtain values of T(m) (temperature at the midpoint of denaturation) and ΔH(m) (enthalpy change at T(m)) of each transition. The main conclusion of this study is that these cationic gemini surfactants slightly activate and stabilize RNase A below their critical micelle concentrations at pH 5.0. The cationic gemini surfactant with the shorter spacer interacts more efficiently with RNase A than those with longer spacers.     

Three dimensional socket preservation: a technique for soft tissue augmentation along with socket grafting

Background

A cursory review of the current socket preservation literatures well depicts the necessity of further esthetic considerations through the corrective procedures of the alveolar ridge upon and post extraction. A new technique has been described here is a rotational pedicle combined epithelialized and connective tissue graft (RPC graft) adjunct with immediate guided tissue regeneration (GBR) procedure.

Results

We reviewed this technique through a case report and discuss it??s benefit in compare to other socket preservation procedures.

Conclusion

The main advantages of RPC graft would be summarized as follows: stable primary closure during bone remodeling, saving or crating sufficient vestibular depth, making adequate keratinized gingiva on the buccal surface, and being esthetically pleasant.     

A serine proteinase homolog venom protein from an endoparasitoid wasp inhibits melanization of the host hemolymph

Activation of prophenoloxidase (proPO) in insects is a defense mechanism against intruding microorganisms and parasites. Pattern recognition molecules induce activation of an enzymatic cascade involving serine proteinases, which leads to the conversion of proPO to active phenoloxidase (PO). Phenolic compounds produced by pPO-activation are toxic to invaders. Here, we describe the isolation of a venom protein from the parasitoid, Cotesia rubecula, injected into the host, Pieris rapae, which is homologous to serine proteinase homologs (SPH). The data presented here indicate that the protein interferes with the proteolytic cascade, which under normal circumstances leads to the activation of proPO and melanin formation.