Mohammad Hashem Soltani; Tahereh Kalantari; Mohammad Hossein Karimi; Nasrollah Erfani; Eskandar Kamali Sarvestani
Volume 9, Issue 3 , September 2012, , Pages 168-174
Abstract
Background: T helper 1 and T helper 17 cells play important roles in immunity against foreign invaders. Differentiation of these Th subsets is affected by state of maturation and cytokines that are produced by dendritic cells (DCs). Curdlan is a linear (1→3)-β- glucan and has shown activity ...
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Background: T helper 1 and T helper 17 cells play important roles in immunity against foreign invaders. Differentiation of these Th subsets is affected by state of maturation and cytokines that are produced by dendritic cells (DCs). Curdlan is a linear (1→3)-β- glucan and has shown activity against tumors and infectious agents. Objective: This study aims to investigate whether curdlan plays its role through affecting the maturation and cytokine production by DCs. Methods: DCs were isolated from the spleen of BALB/c mice by MACS method. After an overnight culture of DCs in the presence of curdlan, the expression levels of CD40, CD86, and MHC-II molecules were determined by flow cytometry. The production of cytokines involved in Th1 and Th17 cell differentiation (IL-12 and IL-6, respectively) was also evaluated by ELISA. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treated and untreated cells were considered as positive and negative controls, respectively. Results: The results of this study did not show a significant difference in the levels of surface expression of CD40 (p=0.82), CD86 (p=0.79), and MHC class II (p=0.84) molecules upon exposure to curdlan. However, LPS increased the intensity of CD40 expression on dendritic cells (p=0.04). In addition, it was revealed that curdlan-exposed DCs are not able to produce a significant amount of IL-6 and IL-12 cytokines. Conversely, LPS-treated DCs were able to make a significant amount of IL-12 (p=0.005). Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that curdlan has no effect on Th1 or Th17 differentiation while LPS may induce Th1 deviation by induction of CD40 expression and IL-12 production.
Fatemeh Roodbari; Farzaneh Sabahi; Mohamad Nabi Sarbolouki; Farzaneh Barkhordari; Ahmad Adeli; Amel Jamedar; Fereidoun Mahboudi
Volume 9, Issue 2 , June 2012, , Pages 86-97
Abstract
Background: Development of an effective vaccine is highly needed in order to restrict the AIDS pandemic. DNA vaccines initiate both arms of immunity without the potential of causing disease. HIV-1 p24 and gp41 (gag and env) proteins play important roles in viral pathogenesis and are effective candidates ...
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Background: Development of an effective vaccine is highly needed in order to restrict the AIDS pandemic. DNA vaccines initiate both arms of immunity without the potential of causing disease. HIV-1 p24 and gp41 (gag and env) proteins play important roles in viral pathogenesis and are effective candidates for immune induction and vaccine design. Objective: In this study, new DNA vaccine candidates constructed from HIV-1 fused p24- gp41 or gp41 alone were evaluated in Balb/c mice for induction of cellular and humoral immune responses. Methods: Recombinant plasmids, pcDNA3.1/Hygro expression vector containing immunogenic sequences of fused p24-gp41 or gp41alone were produced. Dendrosome used as a system for carrying vectors in laboratory animals, and an IL-12 containing vector (pCAGGS-IL-12) was co-immunized with the p24-gp41 vector as a genetic adjuvant. Induction of effective immune responses against the designed vectors as DNA vaccine candidates in Balb/c mice was evaluated. Levels of total antibodies, IgG isotypes (IgG2a and IgG1); IFN-γ and IL-4 were measured by ELISA. MTT assay was used to evaluate lymphoproliferation. Results: The results confirmed that the immunogenic epitopes of both p24 and gp41 genes are highly effective inducers of immune responses, and administration of fused p24-gp41 alone or along with IL-12 resulted in further enhancement of immune responses. Group 4 that received fused fragments (p24-gp41) along with an IL-12 expressing vector demonstrated a significantly higher Stimulation Index (SI) and IFN- production (p<0.0001) with a significant increase in IgG2a/IgG1 ratio, indicating the stimulation of CMI towards Th1. Although gp41 containing vector (group 6) also showed significant increases in both proliferation and IFN- production, the responses were persistently lower than that of p24-gp41 containing vectors. Total antibody production was highest in group 6 as expected. Conclusion: Dendrosome proved to be an efficient carrier of recombinant plasmids constructed in this study. Further studies are necessary to evaluate these constructs as HIV vaccine candidates.
Mohammad Ali Rezaee; Yousef Motaharinia; Werya Hosseini; Ali Jalili; Ahmad Rashidi; Bita Mosavi; Ghasem Zamini; Mohammad Reza Rahmani
Volume 9, Issue 2 , June 2012, , Pages 109-118
Abstract
Background: Malassezia furfur is alipophilic yeast that causes skin disease. Objective: To evaluate the level of IL-10, IFN-γ and IL-12P70 in co-incubation of M. furfur grown on different forms of natural oils with PBMCs of healthy individuals. Methods: PBMCs were obtained from blood samples of ...
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Background: Malassezia furfur is alipophilic yeast that causes skin disease. Objective: To evaluate the level of IL-10, IFN-γ and IL-12P70 in co-incubation of M. furfur grown on different forms of natural oils with PBMCs of healthy individuals. Methods: PBMCs were obtained from blood samples of normal volunteers. M. furfur was cultured in different culture media containing almond oil, fish oil, walnut oil, full-fat milk, and a fat-free medium; and the yeasts grown were harvested and used for co-incubation with PBMCs in vitro. The IFN-γ, IL-10, and IL-12P70 levels were measured at different time intervals using ELISA methods. Results: Generally, IFN-γ and IL-10 levels in the coincubation of yeasts with walnut oil group (WOG) and fish oil group (FOG) were higher than those in the almond oil group (AOG) and full-fat milk group (FFMG). Although the IL-12P70 was higher in groups such as AOG, FOG, and WOG; the increase was not statistically significant. Conclusion: The results demonstrated that the type of fat used by M. furfur in the culture media can influence the immune response and increases IFN-γ and IL-10 levels in an early time point of the culture system.
Maryam Robati; Ardeshir Ranjbari; Mehri Ghafourian Boroujerdnia; Zahra Chinipardaz
Volume 8, Issue 3 , September 2011, , Pages 170-175
Abstract
Background: Periodontitis is a multifactorial chronic inflammatory disease characterized by destruction of tooth-supporting tissues. Environmental and genetic factors as well as the immune system participate in this process. Recent studies have attempted to elucidate the role of cytokine networks involved ...
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Background: Periodontitis is a multifactorial chronic inflammatory disease characterized by destruction of tooth-supporting tissues. Environmental and genetic factors as well as the immune system participate in this process. Recent studies have attempted to elucidate the role of cytokine networks involved in periodontal diseases. Objective: To assess and compare the levels of IL-4, IL-6 and IL-12 in serum samples of patients with generalized aggressive periodontitis (GAgP) and control individuals. Methods: A total of 50 subjects were included in the study of which 25 patients had generalized aggressive periodontitis and 25 were healthy unrelated age and gender matched patients undergoing extraction and surgical crown lengthening (control group). Local blood samples of patients were collected from surgical sites of pocket reduction and from healthy individuals before tooth extraction or crown lengthening from non inflamed sites. The levels of IL-4, IL-6 and IL-12 were determined by an ELISA assay using serum samples separated from the whole blood of both groups. Results: The level of IL-4 increased significantly in control group in comparison with the test group (p=0.002). The amount of IL-6 in GAgP patients increased strongly compared with control group (p<0.0001). There was no significant difference between the two groups concerning the level of IL-12. Conclusion: There is an association between generalized aggressive periodontitis and low level of IL-4 as an anti-inflammatory cytokine, and high level of IL-6 as a proinflammatory cytokine. No correlation between IL-12 and generalized aggressive peridontitis was found.
Ali Shams Shahemabadi; Ahmad Zavaran Hosseini; Shapour Shaghasempour; Mohammad Reza Masjedi; Majid Rayani; Majid Shams; Nasrin Esphandyari; Majid Pouramiri
Volume 7, Issue 1 , March 2010, , Pages 57-63
Abstract
Background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis lipid antigens take part in pathogenicity of the bacterium but the response of monocytes/macrophages to these antigens in tubercu-losis is not well known. Objective: The aim of current investigation was to study the M. tuberculosis lipid antigens in tuberculosis ...
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Background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis lipid antigens take part in pathogenicity of the bacterium but the response of monocytes/macrophages to these antigens in tubercu-losis is not well known. Objective: The aim of current investigation was to study the M. tuberculosis lipid antigens in tuberculosis pathogenesis. Methods: In the present study M. tuberculosis lipid antigens were extracted. Monocytes and macrophages from mul-tidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), TB patients, asymptomatic healthy individuals with positive tuberculin skin test positive and healthy individuals with negative tubercu-lin skin test were collected using magnetic cell sorting. The cells were stimulated by M. tuberculosis total lipid antigens and IL-12 and IL-10 in their supernatants were meas-ured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The IL-12 production by mono-cytes in response to M. tuberculosis total sonicate antigens in the MDR-TB patients did not show a considerable difference with the PPD positive healthy subjects, whereas in the active TB patients, IL-12 levels significantly decreased (p<0.05). IL-10 production by monocytes in TB patients in response to total lipid antigens showed a significant in-crease in comparison to MDR-TB patients and healthy individuals. Conclusion: In the MDR-TB patients, IL-10 and IL-12 production by monocytes in response to M. tubercu-losis lipid antigens are similar to the healthy subjects.
Kazem Ahmadi; Majid Riazipour
Volume 5, Issue 3 , September 2008, , Pages 177-180
Abstract
Background: T-2 toxin is a mycotoxin of type A trichothecenes produced by several fungal genera such as Fusarium species. Mycotoxins can affect both cell mediated and humoral immune compartments. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investi-gate the effect of T-2 toxin on cytokine production by ...
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Background: T-2 toxin is a mycotoxin of type A trichothecenes produced by several fungal genera such as Fusarium species. Mycotoxins can affect both cell mediated and humoral immune compartments. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investi-gate the effect of T-2 toxin on cytokine production by mouse peritoneal macrophages and lymph node T cells. Methods: Mouse peritoneal macrophages and lymph node T cells were isolated and treated with different concentrations of T-2 toxin and incubated at 370C and 5% CO2 in air for 48 hours. Cell free media were removed and used for cy-tokine assay by an ELISA method. Results: T-2 toxin significantly reduced IL-1β re-lease in a concentration dependent manner (p<0.005, p<0.001). Interleukin-12 and TNF-α production were significantly increased in response to 0.001ng/ml, 0.01ng/ml and 0.1ng/ml of T-2 toxin (p<0.001). However, T-2 toxin at higher concentrations rang-ing from 1ng/ml to 100ng/ml, reduced both IL-12 (p<0.001) and TNF-α production (p<0.005, p<0.05). The effects of T-2 toxin on lymph node T cells showed that IL-4 and IL-10 release was decreased in a concentration dependent manner (all with p<0.01). T-2 toxin at concentrations between 1ng/ml and 100ng/ml reduced the release of both IL-2 and IFN-γ (p<0.05, p<0.001). Conclusion: The results suggest that T-2 toxin at low concentrations can highly induce secretion of IL-12, TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-2 and it may be used as a positive immunomodulator in the human model.
