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Bagheri Lankarani K, Sadidoost A, Fattahi M, Amirizadeh Fard S, Mokarram P. The Potential Role of Autophagy in Progression of Liver Fibrosis in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients Receiving Antiviral Treatment: A Brief Report. Iran J Med Sci 2024; 49:196-200. [PMID: 38584654 PMCID: PMC10997855 DOI: 10.30476/ijms.2023.96588.2813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Despite antiviral treatment, some patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) progress to cirrhosis. Enhancement of autophagy was implicated in the proliferation of hepatitis B in hepatocytes. This study aimed to evaluate the potential role of autophagy in the progression of liver fibrosis in patients receiving antiviral treatments and having completely inhibited viral replication. This descriptive-analytical study was designed and conducted in 2020 at Mottahhari Hepatitis Clinic affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Science (Shiraz, Iran). Patients who were on anti-hepatitis B nucleotide treatments for at least two years, and those who were not cirrhotic at baseline but later progressed to cirrhosis were identified to be included in the case group. Besides, for the control group, patients on the nucleotide regimens who did not have cirrhosis at baseline or during follow-up were randomly selected. Ultimately, 16 cases and 14 controls were included in the study. Data were analyzed using SPSS software, and P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Serum Beclin-1 and LC3 levels were compared between the two groups using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The t test was used to assess the statistical differences between the case and control groups. Beclin-1 level was significantly higher in cirrhosis patients than the control group (1283±244 vs. 1063±257, P=0.024). However, there was no statistical difference between the level of LC3 in the cirrhotic group (168±31) and the control group (150±16) (P=0.065). Autophagy may have a role in the progression of cirrhosis in patients with CHB. Future larger prospective studies are required to determine the effect of blocking on the progression of liver disease in this population A preprint of this study was published at https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-1435490/v1.pdf.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamran Bagheri Lankarani
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Atefeh Sadidoost
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mohammadreza Fattahi
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Saeid Amirizadeh Fard
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Pooneh Mokarram
- Autophagy Research Center, Department of Biochemistry, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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Haghighat M, Ataollahi M, Imanieh MH, Honar N, Dehghani SM, Soheili M, Mahdavi Mortazavi SM. Large Volume Paracentesis in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis Temporarily Diminishes Blood Cell Count. Iran J Med Sci 2023; 48:385-392. [PMID: 37456206 PMCID: PMC10349154 DOI: 10.30476/ijms.2022.95859.2743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Background Large-volume paracentesis is the preferred treatment for patients with severe and refractory ascites. Several complications were reported during therapeutical paracentesis. However, there are very few published studies on the change in blood cell count after paracentesis. This study aimed to evaluate any changes in blood cell counts after ascites fluid drainage. Methods This study was conducted on patients with severe ascites and chronic liver disease who underwent large-volume paracentesis at Namazi Hospital, in Shiraz, Iran, between March 2021 and February 2022. A data gathering form containing the patient's medical history, cause of cirrhosis, ascites fluid volume, as well as routine tests including primarily sodium, potassium, and basal creatinine, was filled out. Before and after the surgery, the total blood cell count was measured. Before the procedure, adjustment was made in the case of coagulopathy and albumin deficiency. The effect of factors such as the volume of drained fluid, splenomegaly, antibiotics, and steroid use was assessed on the changes in the number of blood cells. Using the JAMOVI 2.3.9 software, a paired t test and multiple regression were applied for statistical analysis (P<0.001). Results The study included 37 patients. After the paracentesis procedure, the number of blood cells significantly decreased in all groups (P<0.001). The followings are the amounts of each type of blood cells before and after the procedure: Platelet=153837±91862 and 115648±69136, red blood cells=3.53±0.784 and 3.22±0.705, white blood cells=12.3±7.78 and 8.6±5.5. None of the study variables, including drained volume, splenomegaly, antibiotics, and steroid use, were significant predictors of the changes in the blood cell count after paracentesis (P>0.001). Conclusion The findings of the present study showed that children with tense ascites who had large-volume paracentesis might experience a sharp drop in blood cell count after the procedure, which was a transient physiological condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmood Haghighat
- Department of Pediatrics, Namazi Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Maryam Ataollahi
- Department of Pediatrics, Namazi Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hadi Imanieh
- Department of Pediatrics, Namazi Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Naser Honar
- Department of Pediatrics, Namazi Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Seyed Mohsen Dehghani
- Department of Pediatrics, Namazi Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Marzieh Soheili
- Pharmaceutical Science Research Center, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
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Abstract
The worldwide prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is around 25%, and that of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) ranges from 1.5% to 6.45%. Patients with NASH, especially those with fibrosis, are at higher risk for adverse outcomes such as cirrhosis and liver-related mortality. Although vitamin E, pioglitazone, and liraglutide improved liver histology in randomized trials, there are currently no Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs for NASH. Five pharmacologic agents-obeticholic acid, elafibranor, cenicriviroc, resmetirom, and aramchol-are being evaluated in large, histology-based phase 3 trials. Within 2 to 4 years, new and effective drugs for the treatment of NASH are expected. Additionally, many phase 2 trials are ongoing for various agents. Based on the results of phase 2 and 3 trials, combination treatments are also being investigated. Future treatment strategies will comprise drug combinations and precision medicine based on the different phenotypes of NASH and treatment response of the individual patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soung Won Jeong
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Corresponding author: Soung Won Jeong Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, 59 Daesagwan-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 04401, Korea E-mail:
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Abstract
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent liver diseases and can progress to advanced fibrosis and end-stage liver disease. Thus, intensive research has been performed to develop noninvasive methods for the diagnosis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis. Currently, no single noninvasive tool covers all of the stages of pathologies and conditions of NAFLD, and the cost and feasibility of known techniques are also important issues. Blood biomarkers for NAFLD may be useful to select subjects who need ultrasonography (US) screening for NAFLD, and noninvasive tools for assessing fibrosis may be helpful to exclude the probability of significant fibrosis and to predict advanced fibrosis, thus guiding the decision of whether to perform liver biopsy in patients with NAFLD. Among various methods, magnetic resonance-based methods have been shown to perform better than other methods in assessing steatosis as well as in detecting hepatic fibrosis. Many genetic markers are associated with the development and progression of NAFLD. Further well-designed studies are needed to determine which biomarker panels, imaging studies, genetic marker panels, or combinations thereof perform well for diagnosing NAFLD, differentiating NASH and fibrosis, and following-up NAFLD, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dae Ho Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea
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Sepehri S, Arab SS, Behmanesh M, H. Sajedi R. Directed Blocking of TGF-β Receptor I Binding Site Using Tailored Peptide Segments to Inhibit its Signaling Pathway. Iran J Biotechnol 2020; 18:e2561. [PMID: 32884960 PMCID: PMC7461711 DOI: 10.30498/ijb.2020.197161.2561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND TGF-β isoforms play crucial roles in diverse cellular processes. Therefore, targeting and inhibiting TGF-β signaling pathway provides a potential therapeutic opportunity. TGF-β isoforms bind and bring the receptors (TβRII and TβRI) together to form a signaling complex in an ordered manner. OBJECTIVES Herein, an antagonistic variant of TGF-β (AnTβ) has been designed and prepared to inhibit the formation of signaling complex and consequently its signaling pathway. This TGF-β homodimeric variant contains intact TβRII binding sites and blocked TβRI binding sites by substituting three peptide segments. So, AnTβ could only bind to TβRII, but prevent binding and recruitment of TβRI to form a signaling complex. MATERIALS AND METHODS A reliable model of AnTβ was built and refined using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, followed by investigating the interactions of AnTβ with the receptors using in silico docking studies. After expression of disulfide-linked AnTβ in a SHuffle strain and purification of the protein using affinity chromatography, its biological activity was evaluated using Mink lung epithelial cells (Mvl Lu). RESULTS No meaningful significant changes in AnTβ structure were observed when compared with the native protein. Based on the docking analysis, AnTβ binds to TβRII similar to TGF-β and its binding to TβRI was diminished considerably which was consistent with our design purpose. Cell-based bioassay indicated that AnTβ could modulate TGF-β-induced cell growth inhibition. CONCLUSIONS Our analysis suggests that the antagonistic potency of AnTβ can be used as an anti-TGFβ signaling factor in the future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepideh Sepehri
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - S. Shahriar Arab
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehrdad Behmanesh
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza H. Sajedi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
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Hwang JH, Yang SH, Kim YC, Kim JH, An JN, Moon KC, Oh YK, Park JY, Kim DK, Kim YS, Lim CS, Lee JP. Experimental Inhibition of Periostin Attenuates Kidney Fibrosis. Am J Nephrol 2017; 46:501-517. [PMID: 29268247 DOI: 10.1159/000485325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Periostin is responsible for tissue regeneration, fibrosis, and wound healing via its interaction with integrin. Recently, the role of periostin has been shown to contribute to fibrosis in chronic kidney disease. We investigated the role of periostin and the effect of periostin blockade in renal fibrogenesis. METHODS We investigated the function of periostin in vivo in wild-type and periostin-null mice (Postn-KO) in a unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) model. For the in vitro experiments, primary cultured inner medullary collecting duct cells from the wild-type and Postn-KO mice were used. RESULTS Periostin expression was strongly induced by UUO in the wild-type mice. UUO induced renal fibrosis and morphological changes in the obstructed kidney of wild-type mice, whereas global knockout of periostin reduced fibrosis induced by UUO and improved kidney structure. Fibrosis- and inflammation-related mRNA were significantly induced in the wild-type mice and were decreased in the Postn-KO mice. Additionally, α-smooth muscle actin expression was increased following the administration of recombinant periostin in vitro. The effect of periostin blockade was examined using 2 methods. The integrin blockade peptide decreased fibrosis-related gene expression in in vitro experiments. Anti-periostin polyclonal antibody attenuated renal fibrosis induced by UUO through changes in transforming growth factor-β signaling and the inflammatory and apoptotic pathways. CONCLUSION Periostin is a marker of renal fibrosis and may augment the progression of fibrogenesis as an extracellular matrix protein. Periostin blockade effectively attenuated renal fibrogenesis. Thus, periostin inhibition may be a therapeutic strategy for the amelioration of renal disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Ho Hwang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Hee Yang
- Kidney Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Chul Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Hyuk Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Nam An
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung Chul Moon
- Department of Pathology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun Kyu Oh
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Yoon Park
- Department of Internal Medicine, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Ki Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yon Su Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Chun Soo Lim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Pyo Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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