Mehrdad Nasrollahzadeh Sabet; Navid Nasrabadi; Zahra Jalili; Bahram Pakzad; Saeideh Davar; Naeim Ehtesham; Sima Jafarpour; Meysam Mosallaei; Emran Esmaeilzadeh
Abstract
Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex systemic autoimmune disorder with multifactorial nature. Numerous previous studies have shown that several genes are involved in the pathogenesis and increased risk of RA. The Nod-like receptor pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) is involved in the regulation ...
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Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex systemic autoimmune disorder with multifactorial nature. Numerous previous studies have shown that several genes are involved in the pathogenesis and increased risk of RA. The Nod-like receptor pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) is involved in the regulation of innate immunity and its upregulation has previously been reported in RA. Objective: To evaluate the correlation between 3 functional polymorphisms of NLRP3 and its gene expression and RA risk. Method: One hundred and fourteen patients with RA and 120 healthy participants were recruited to this case-control study. Genotyping of rs4612666 (intronic variant), rs10754558 (3UTR variant), and rs6672995 (downstream variant) were performed applying the real‑time polymerase chain reaction high‑resolution melting (HRM) method. Results: Based on logistic regression analysis, subjects with CC genotype and C allele in rs4612666 had increased risk of RA (OR for CC genotype= 3.10; 95%CI [1.78-8.26]/ OR for C allele= 2.00; 95%CI [1.45-3.10]). Furthermore, in the patient groups, there was a significant relationship between the concentration of C-reactive protein (CRP) and rs4612666 and rs10754558 polymorphism (p < 0.05). Besides, our results revealed no significant association between the genotype and allele frequency of rs10754558 and rs6672995 and the risk of RA (P> 0.05). Conclusion: Our findings propose a significant association between rs4612666 polymorphism and increased risk of RA in the Iranian population. Moreover, rs4612666 and rs10754558 were correlated with disease activity.
Shahnaz Rafiei; Forouzan Karimi; Fatemeh Roohollah; Ali Rafinejad
Volume 1, Issue 3 , December 2004, , Pages 169-176
Abstract
Background: The effectiveness of T cell vaccination has been demonstrated in a variety of animal models of both induced and spontaneous autoimmune diseases. Objective: The purpose of this study was to test the T cell vaccination protocol to treat and prevent collagen induced arthritis (CIA) in a rheumatoid ...
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Background: The effectiveness of T cell vaccination has been demonstrated in a variety of animal models of both induced and spontaneous autoimmune diseases. Objective: The purpose of this study was to test the T cell vaccination protocol to treat and prevent collagen induced arthritis (CIA) in a rheumatoid arthritis model. Methods: CIA was induced by an intradermal injection of an artheritogen substance at the right paw of each female Albino rat under ether anesthesia. T cells were achieved from spleens of syngeneic rats that developed full clinical features of CIA. Rats suffering from CIA were divided in case groups (4 rats/group) based on the degrees of their disease and were injected intraperitoneally once with a suspension of T cells to investigate the effects of autoreactive T cells on CIA. To investigate the preventive effects of autoreactive T cells on CIA, 12 normal rats were injected intraperitoneally once either with a suspension of T cells or PBS, respectively. The results were evaluated by clinical observation, histopathological and radiographic findings. Results: Intraperitoneal inoculation of T cells to rats suffering from CIA, suppressed the development of CIA in case rats in stage 2 of the disease but not the other case rats. Rats who received T cells as prevention, showed the mild signs of disease. Injection of artheritogen substance to the case rats didn’t result in development of CIA but the control rats, showed signs of CIA. Conclusion: The results of this pilot study demonstrate that CIA presentations and signs can be subsided or suppressed by autoreactive T cells. The vaccination is most effective before onset of the disease and in early phases of CIA. Modifying and improving the protocol using more cases is recommended.
Sara Kashef; Reza Amin; Maryam Ayatollahi; Abbas Ghaderi
Volume 1, Issue 2 , September 2004, , Pages 117-123
Abstract
Background: Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) can either occur as a primary syndrome or associated with other autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Anticardiolipin antibody (aCL) of IgG and/or IgM isotype in blood, measured by a standardized ELISA is the most acceptable ...
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Background: Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) can either occur as a primary syndrome or associated with other autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Anticardiolipin antibody (aCL) of IgG and/or IgM isotype in blood, measured by a standardized ELISA is the most acceptable laboratory criteria. APS IgG isotype, particularly IgG2 subclass is more strongly associated with thrombosis. Objectives: This study was done to determine the prevalence of IgG aCL and its subclasses in relation to APS symptoms, in a group of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Methods: In this prospective study, 28 JRA and 16 SLE patients, aged 3-18 years, were enrolled. IgG aCL was assayed by standard aCL ELISA. IgG subclasses were also assayed by ELISA on sera with medium to high titers of aCL. ACL assay was performed on at least two occasions for each patient, over 3-6 months period of follow up. Results: 29% (8/28) of JRA patients and 44% (7/16) of SLE patients had aCL. Six of SLE patients displayed APS related manifestations: hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, arterial occlusion, valvular heart disease, livedo reticularis and pulmonary hypertension, but none of them had persistant medium or high titer of aCL. The lack of association of high titer of aCL with APS related symptoms was observed in two patients. The IgG subclasses were primarily IgG1 and IgG3. Conclusion: The prevalence of IgG aCL in this group of pediatric SLE and JRA is not uncommon but it’s relation to clinical manifestations is not clear. IgG1 and IgG3 subclasses were not associated with thrombosis, which is in agreement with previous studies.