The relationship between ANT1 and NFL with autophagy and mitophagy markers in patients with multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common inflammatory neurodegenerative disease. Neurofilament light chain (NFL) is a novel adverting biomarker of axonal damage that suggested as a useful assistant in the monitoring of MS patients. It has been shown that the auto/mitophagy associated with MS pathogenesis. In this study, we aimed to study correlation between ATG5 and Parkin, as markers of autophagy and mitophagy respectively, with NFL and ANT1 in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in MS subjects. ATG5, Parkin, NFL, and ANT1 levels were measured in a cross-sectional study of 40 MS patients compared with gender, age and BMI matching healthy volunteers. Based on our results, levels of ATG5, Parkin, and NFL significantly were elevated in both serum and CSF of MS patients comparing control individuals (p < 0.0001) but ANT1 levels significantly was decreased in both serum and CSF of MS patients comparing control individuals (p < 0.0001). The correlation indices between NFL, ANTI1, ATG5 and Parkin in both case and control groups showed a direct and moderate the correlation between ANTI1 and ATG5 in the CSF level of the control group (r = 0.554, P = 0.011). Our data support the feasibility of quantifying of NFL as a sensitive and clinically meaningful serum/CSF biomarker to follow-up nerve tissue injury in MS condition.

Frequency of superantigen encoding genes of Staphylococcus aureus isolates collected from multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and nasal carriers

BACKGROUND

Bacterial superantigens are potent T cell activators that can have acute or chronic effects on the central nervous system.

OBJECTIVES

In this study, the role of enterotoxins, exfoliative toxins and toxic shock syndrome toxin of Staphylococcus aureus was investigated in MS patients and healthy nasal carriers.

METHODS

Three-hundred fifty nasal swabs were collected from healthy nasal carriers (n = 210) and MS (n = 140) patients. Staphylococcus aureus superantigens were detected by multiplex PCR. Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern was performed using disk diffusion method.

RESULTS

The highest rates of nasal colonization were seen in MS patients (46.42%). The rates of nasal colonization in the healthcare workers were 30.95%. The most commonly detected superantigens were SEA (31.5%), SEB (17.7%) and ETA (16.9%). The Staphylococcus aureus isolates had the highest levels of resistance against erythromycin (57.7%), clindamycin (55.4%) and co-trimoxazole (43.1%). All isolates were susceptible to vancomycin, linezolid, and mupirocin.

CONCLUSION

Our results revealed that the frequency of superantigen producing Staphylococcus aureus isolates is high in the MS patients. As well as these isolates are sensitive to mupirocin. Thus it is better to use of mupirocin for nasal decolonization of Staphylococcus aureus in the MS patients.

Validity of Questionnaire-Based Diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Azar-Cohort Population

BACKGROUND

The clinical diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) should be considered in any patient who has dyspnea, chronic cough or sputum production, and diagnosis should be confirmed by performing spirometry in presence of airflow limitation. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of a questionnaire used to detect COPD based on spirometry findings.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The validity of a questionnaire for COPD diagnosis was examined using spirometry based on both Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) and American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society (ATS/ERS) criteria for patients 35 years old and older. In total, 350 questionnaires were completed. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio were calculated to determine the accuracy of the questionnaire.

RESULTS

The sensitivity of the questionnaire in detection of airflow limitation was 8.3% and 6.7% by the GOLD and the ATS/ERS criteria, respectively; whereas, specificity was 96% by both criteria.

CONCLUSION

The high specificity of the questionnaire indicates that the questionnaire is more capable to identify people who do not have airflow limitation; whereas, the low sensitivity of the questionnaire could underestimate the actual prevalence of COPD in the general population.