Mohammad Momeni; Mohammad Reza Mirzaei; Nahid Zainodini; Gholamhossein Hassanshahi; Mohammad Kazemi Arababadi
Volume 10, Issue 2 , June 2013, , Pages 103-109
Abstract
Background: Absent in Melanoma 2 (AIM2) is an intracellular microbial dsDNA sensor which plays an important role in production of proinflammatory cytokines through Apoptosis associated Speck-like protein containing a Caspase activation and recruitment domain (ASC) and Caspase-1. Micro-RNAs (miRNAs) play ...
Read More
Background: Absent in Melanoma 2 (AIM2) is an intracellular microbial dsDNA sensor which plays an important role in production of proinflammatory cytokines through Apoptosis associated Speck-like protein containing a Caspase activation and recruitment domain (ASC) and Caspase-1. Micro-RNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in regulation of immune related genes. However, there is little information regarding the effects of miRNAs on the AIM2 and ASC expression. Objective: To determine the mRNA levels of AIM2 and ASC in Jurkat cell line following introducing miRNA-143 (MiR-143). Methods: MiR-143, a scrambled sequence and PBS were introduced separately, to the Jurkat cell lines and the mRNA levels of AIM2 and ASC were examined in parallel with beta-actin and GAPDH (as housekeeping genes) using Real-Time PCR technique. Results: The mRNA levels of AIM2 and ASC were significantly increased in the MiR-143 transfected Jurkat cells when compared to the scrambled sequence or PBS treated cells. Conclusions: MiR-143 can lead to increased expression of AIM2 and ASC mRNAs. Considering the significance of AIM2 and ASC in DNA sensing and inflammosome formation, it can be considered as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of chronic infectious diseases, especially viral infections.
Nahid Zainodini; Gholamhossein Hassanshahi; Mohammad Kazemi Arababadi; Hossein Khorramdelazad; Afshin Mirzaei
Volume 10, Issue 1 , March 2013, , Pages 40-46
Abstract
Background: Alopecia Areata (AA) is a non-scarring, autoimmune disorder which causes hair loss. Inflammatory reactions are involved in hair loss of the scalp and/or body. The involvement of chemokine receptors in the pathogenesis of AA is well defined among which, CXCL1 acts on neutrophils and CXCL9, ...
Read More
Background: Alopecia Areata (AA) is a non-scarring, autoimmune disorder which causes hair loss. Inflammatory reactions are involved in hair loss of the scalp and/or body. The involvement of chemokine receptors in the pathogenesis of AA is well defined among which, CXCL1 acts on neutrophils and CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL12 and serve as T lymphocytes recruiters. Objective: To study the serum levels of ELR+ and ELR- CXCL1, CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL12 in the patients suffering from AA and healthy controls. Methods: The study population of consisted of 30 patients suffering from AA and 30 healthy controls. Serum concentrations of CXCL1, CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL12 were measured using enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Current results showed that AA patients had significantly elevated serum levels of CXCL9 and CXCL10 in comparison to controls (p<0.001). These results also demonstrated that serum levels of CXCL1 and CXCL12 were significantly decreased in AA patients compared to control (p<0.001). Conclusion: CXCL9 and CXCL10 are elevated in the AA patients and may be involved in the recruitment of T lymphocytes to the inflamed tissues. Moreover, due to the significant role played by these chemokines in angiogenesis/angiostatis phenomenon they could be considered as useful biomarkers in AA diagnosis and therapy.
Gholamhossein Hassanshahi; Mohammad Kazemi Arababadi; Alan James Dickson
Volume 3, Issue 2 , June 2006, , Pages 54-60
Abstract
Background: It is now well established that several environmental stress factors cause activation of p38 MAP kinase and JNK in various cell types to produce chemokines. Objective: To investigate the expression of CXC chemokines Gro/KC and SDF- 1a in rat's H4 hepatoma cells in response to heat shock, ...
Read More
Background: It is now well established that several environmental stress factors cause activation of p38 MAP kinase and JNK in various cell types to produce chemokines. Objective: To investigate the expression of CXC chemokines Gro/KC and SDF- 1a in rat's H4 hepatoma cells in response to heat shock, hyperosmolarity and oxidative stress. Methods: Hepatoma cells were maintained in MEM medium. Cells were subjected to different stresses [(H2O2 0.15% (w/v), manitol and NaCl (160 mM) and heat shock (42 °C for 20 minutes)]. Cells were harvested and RNA was extracted, purified and the CXC chemokine Gro/KC and SDF-1a expression was analysed by RT-PCR. cDNA was separated by gel electrophoresis on a 1% (w/v) agarose gel and visualized under a UV transilluminator. Results: There was detectable but low expression of both SDF-1a and Gro/KC in H4 hepatoma cells. Heat shock failed to induce expression of SDF-1a and Gro/KC in H4 hepatoma cells of rat. Hyperosmolarity also did not stimulate SDF-1a and Gro/KC expression. In this study we have also shown that oxidative stress did not induce expression of SDF-1a and Gro/KC. Overall, although detection is possible but regulatory responses were not observed in H4 hepatoma cells. Conclusion: Several known injurious conditions cause recruitment of macrophages, neutrophils and other immune cells to the liver. Immune cells are recruited to the hepatic vasculature following local liver injury and subsequent chemokine production. Our results demonstrated that failure to produce chemokines by hepatoma cells may be a way to escape from mechanism of immune surveillance.
Abbasali Pourazar; Mansoor Salehi; Aabollah Jafarzadeh; Mohammad Kazemi Arababadi; Farzad Oreizi; Keivan Shariatinezhad
Volume 2, Issue 3 , September 2005, , Pages 172-176
Abstract
Background: The risk of infection by transfusion-transmitted viruses has been reduced remarkably. However, a zero-risk blood supply is still desirable. The screening for antibody to HBc (anti-HBc) has been shown as an alternative test for the detection of HBV infection. Objective: The main aim of this ...
Read More
Background: The risk of infection by transfusion-transmitted viruses has been reduced remarkably. However, a zero-risk blood supply is still desirable. The screening for antibody to HBc (anti-HBc) has been shown as an alternative test for the detection of HBV infection. Objective: The main aim of this study was to evaluate HBV infection markers and the potential value of anti-HBc testing of blood donors to detect HBV infection. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 545 blood samples were collected and tested for HbsAg using ELISA method. Then all HBsAg negative samples were tested for anti-HBc by the same method. To detect HBV infection, all HBsAg negative and anti-HBc positive samples were tested by PCR for HBV DNA. Results: All blood samples were HBsAg negative of which, 43 (8%) were anti-HBc positive. From those which were positive for anti-HBc, five samples were also positive for HBV DNA. Conclusion: Occult HBV infection is a clinical form of HBV infection in which HBsAg is not expressed by HBV and blood samples cannot be screened by ELISA method, therefore more sensitive techniques are needed. Our results demonstrate that a complementary test such as PCR, for detecting HBV DNA, is essential to ensure safety of blood samples.
