Alireza Rafiei; Mahoud Abedini; Seyed Hamzeh Hosseini; Zahra HosseiniKhah; Behrouz Bazrafshan; Mohsen Tehrani
Volume 9, Issue 3 , September 2012, , Pages 159-167
Abstract
Background: The pathogenesis of migraine involves immune-mediated mechanisms in the vascular endothelium. Toll like receptor 4 (TLR-4) is a signaling receptor of innate immunity which plays a role in various neuropathologies related to neuron inflammation. Objective: This case/control study is aimed ...
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Background: The pathogenesis of migraine involves immune-mediated mechanisms in the vascular endothelium. Toll like receptor 4 (TLR-4) is a signaling receptor of innate immunity which plays a role in various neuropathologies related to neuron inflammation. Objective: This case/control study is aimed to investigate whether TLR- 4 896A/G variation is related to migraine headaches in an Iranian population. Methods: A total of 170 migraine patients (130 females, mean age 33.24 ± 11 years) and 170 age, sex, and ethnicity matched healthy controls (118 females, mean age of 31 ± 10 years) were recruited. Genotyping was carried out using the tetra primer amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS)-PCR. Results: The frequency of G allele was higher in migraine patients than the controls (15% vs. 4.7%; p<0.0001). Interestingly, the distribution of heterozygous 896A/G genotype statistically differed between migraineurs and controls (25.3% vs. 8.2%, p=0.00002, OR 3.87, 95% CI; 2.02-7.4). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that G allele in affected female migraineurs is an independent factor associated with increased risk of migraine (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.23-8.24, p=0.01). Conclusion: Our results showed TLR-4 polymorphism as a genetic risk factor for migraine. However, further studies in different populations are required to elucidate the precise role of TLR-4 896A/G mutation in susceptibility to migraine.
Javad Ghaffari; Mohammad KHademloo; Mohammadjafar Saffar; Alireza Rafiei; Farzad Masiha
Volume 7, Issue 4 , December 2010, , Pages 234-239
Abstract
Background: Asthma and allergic rhinitis are among the most common diseases in the world. Objective: The aim of this study was to detect, by skin prick test, aeroallergens in allergic patients in Sari, Mazandaran in north of Iran. Methods: This is a prospective study of skin prick test of aeroallergens ...
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Background: Asthma and allergic rhinitis are among the most common diseases in the world. Objective: The aim of this study was to detect, by skin prick test, aeroallergens in allergic patients in Sari, Mazandaran in north of Iran. Methods: This is a prospective study of skin prick test of aeroallergens in asthma, allergic rhinitis and their combination with clinical diagnosis. Three hundred and seventy five cases aged between 5 to 50 years, were referred to Tooba and Boo-Ali allergic centers of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences between December 2006 and July 2009. The aeroallergens studied included house dust mites (Dermatophagoides farinae, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus), cockroaches, feather, aspergillus, Alternaria, pigweed, nettle, oak and maple. Results: Of the studied individuals, 175 cases were males (46.7%) and 200 were females (53.3%), of which 156 (n=41.5%) reacted to allergen extracts. In asthma, allergic rhinitis and their combination, the respective positive percentages were 26.6%, 22.9%, and 32.6% for Dermatophagoides farinae; 26.6%, 25.3%, and 23.3% for Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus; 12.7%, 17.4%, and 11.6% for cockroaches and 16.5%, 4.7%, and 7.0% for the feather. Other allergens were positive up to 5 percent. Total IgE levels were elevated in 56.4%, 53% and 60.5% of asthmatic, allergic rhinitis and the combination group, respectively. Eosinophils count was elevated in 40.5%, 33.2% and 37.2% of the same groups, respectively. Conclusion: The hypersensitivity to house dust mites is very common in north of Iran which may be attributed to the warm and humid weather of this area.
