HDAC6/aggresome processing pathway importance for inflammasome formation is context-dependent

The inflammasome is a large multiprotein complex that assembles in the cell cytoplasm in response to stress or pathogenic infection. Its primary function is to defend the cell and promote the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β and IL-18. Previous research has shown that in immortalized bone marrow-derived macrophages (iBMDMs) inflammasome assembly is dependent on the deacetylase HDAC6 and the aggresome processing pathway (APP), a cellular pathway involved in the disposal of misfolded proteins. Here we used primary BMDMs from mice in which HDAC6 is ablated or impaired and found that inflammasome activation was largely normal. We also used human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and monocyte cell lines expressing a synthetic protein blocking the HDAC6-ubiquitin interaction and impairing the APP and found that inflammasome activation was moderately affected. Finally, we used a novel HDAC6 degrader and showed that inflammasome activation was partially impaired in human macrophage cell lines with depleted HDAC6. Our results therefore show that HDAC6 importance in inflammasome activation is context-dependent.

Multiorgan MRI findings after hospitalisation with COVID-19 in the UK (C-MORE): a prospective, multicentre, observational cohort study

INTRODUCTION

The multiorgan impact of moderate to severe coronavirus infections in the post-acute phase is still poorly understood. We aimed to evaluate the excess burden of multiorgan abnormalities after hospitalisation with COVID-19, evaluate their determinants, and explore associations with patient-related outcome measures.

METHODS

In a prospective, UK-wide, multicentre MRI follow-up study (C-MORE), adults (aged ≥18 years) discharged from hospital following COVID-19 who were included in Tier 2 of the Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study (PHOSP-COVID) and contemporary controls with no evidence of previous COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antibody negative) underwent multiorgan MRI (lungs, heart, brain, liver, and kidneys) with quantitative and qualitative assessment of images and clinical adjudication when relevant. Individuals with end-stage renal failure or contraindications to MRI were excluded. Participants also underwent detailed recording of symptoms, and physiological and biochemical tests. The primary outcome was the excess burden of multiorgan abnormalities (two or more organs) relative to controls, with further adjustments for potential confounders. The C-MORE study is ongoing and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04510025.

FINDINGS

Of 2710 participants in Tier 2 of PHOSP-COVID, 531 were recruited across 13 UK-wide C-MORE sites. After exclusions, 259 C-MORE patients (mean age 57 years [SD 12]; 158 [61%] male and 101 [39%] female) who were discharged from hospital with PCR-confirmed or clinically diagnosed COVID-19 between March 1, 2020, and Nov 1, 2021, and 52 non-COVID-19 controls from the community (mean age 49 years [SD 14]; 30 [58%] male and 22 [42%] female) were included in the analysis. Patients were assessed at a median of 5·0 months (IQR 4·2-6·3) after hospital discharge. Compared with non-COVID-19 controls, patients were older, living with more obesity, and had more comorbidities. Multiorgan abnormalities on MRI were more frequent in patients than in controls (157 [61%] of 259 vs 14 [27%] of 52; p<0·0001) and independently associated with COVID-19 status (odds ratio [OR] 2·9 [95% CI 1·5-5·8]; padjusted=0·0023) after adjusting for relevant confounders. Compared with controls, patients were more likely to have MRI evidence of lung abnormalities (p=0·0001; parenchymal abnormalities), brain abnormalities (p<0·0001; more white matter hyperintensities and regional brain volume reduction), and kidney abnormalities (p=0·014; lower medullary T1 and loss of corticomedullary differentiation), whereas cardiac and liver MRI abnormalities were similar between patients and controls. Patients with multiorgan abnormalities were older (difference in mean age 7 years [95% CI 4-10]; mean age of 59·8 years [SD 11·7] with multiorgan abnormalities vs mean age of 52·8 years [11·9] without multiorgan abnormalities; p<0·0001), more likely to have three or more comorbidities (OR 2·47 [1·32-4·82]; padjusted=0·0059), and more likely to have a more severe acute infection (acute CRP >5mg/L, OR 3·55 [1·23-11·88]; padjusted=0·025) than those without multiorgan abnormalities. Presence of lung MRI abnormalities was associated with a two-fold higher risk of chest tightness, and multiorgan MRI abnormalities were associated with severe and very severe persistent physical and mental health impairment (PHOSP-COVID symptom clusters) after hospitalisation.

INTERPRETATION

After hospitalisation for COVID-19, people are at risk of multiorgan abnormalities in the medium term. Our findings emphasise the need for proactive multidisciplinary care pathways, with the potential for imaging to guide surveillance frequency and therapeutic stratification.

FUNDING

UK Research and Innovation and National Institute for Health Research.

"EvoVax" - A rationally designed inactivated Salmonella Typhimurium vaccine induces strong and long-lasting immune responses in pigs

Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhimurium (S.Tm) poses a considerable threat to public health due to its zoonotic potential. Human infections are mostly foodborne, and pork and pork products are ranked among the top culprits for transmission. In addition, the high percentage of antibiotic resistance, especially in monophasic S.Tm, limits treatment options when needed. Better S.Tm control would therefore be of benefit both for farm animals and for safety of the human food chain. A promising pre-harvest intervention is vaccination. In this study we tested safety and immunogenicity of an oral inactivated S.Tm vaccine, which has been recently shown to generate an "evolutionary trap" and to massively reduce S.Tm colonization and transmission in mice. We show that this vaccine is highly immunogenic and safe in post-weaning pigs and that administration of a single oral dose results in a strong and long-lasting serum IgG response. This has several advantages over existing - mainly live - vaccines against S.Tm, both in improved seroconversion and reduced risk of vaccine-strain persistence and reversion to virulence.

HDAC6/aggresome processing pathway importance for inflammasome formation is context dependent

The inflammasome is a large multiprotein complex that assembles in the cell cytoplasm in response to stress or pathogenic infection. Its primary function is to defend the cell and promote the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β and IL-18. It was shown that in immortalized bone marrow derived macrophages (iBMDMs) inflammasome assembly is dependent on the deacetylase HDAC6 and the aggresome processing pathway (APP), a cellular pathway involved in the disposal of misfolded proteins. Here we used primary BMDMs from mice in which HDAC6 is ablated or impaired and found that inflammasome activation was largely normal. We also used human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and monocytes cell lines expressing a synthetic protein blocking HDAC6-ubiquitin interaction and impairing the APP and found that inflammasome activation was moderately affected. Finally, we used a novel HDAC6 degrader and showed that inflammasome activation was partially impaired in human macrophage cell lines with depleted HDAC6. Our results therefore show that HDAC6 importance in inflammasome activation is context dependent.

Utilisation of deep learning for COVID-19 diagnosis

The COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2019 has resulted in millions of deaths worldwide. Over this period, the economic and healthcare consequences of COVID-19 infection in survivors of acute COVID-19 infection have become apparent. During the course of the pandemic, computer analysis of medical images and data have been widely used by the medical research community. In particular, deep-learning methods, which are artificial intelligence (AI)-based approaches, have been frequently employed. This paper provides a review of deep-learning-based AI techniques for COVID-19 diagnosis using chest radiography and computed tomography. Thirty papers published from February 2020 to March 2022 that used two-dimensional (2D)/three-dimensional (3D) deep convolutional neural networks combined with transfer learning for COVID-19 detection were reviewed. The review describes how deep-learning methods detect COVID-19, and several limitations of the proposed methods are highlighted.

Clinical characteristics with inflammation profiling of long COVID and association with 1-year recovery following hospitalisation in the UK: a prospective observational study

BACKGROUND

No effective pharmacological or non-pharmacological interventions exist for patients with long COVID. We aimed to describe recovery 1 year after hospital discharge for COVID-19, identify factors associated with patient-perceived recovery, and identify potential therapeutic targets by describing the underlying inflammatory profiles of the previously described recovery clusters at 5 months after hospital discharge.

METHODS

The Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study (PHOSP-COVID) is a prospective, longitudinal cohort study recruiting adults (aged ≥18 years) discharged from hospital with COVID-19 across the UK. Recovery was assessed using patient-reported outcome measures, physical performance, and organ function at 5 months and 1 year after hospital discharge, and stratified by both patient-perceived recovery and recovery cluster. Hierarchical logistic regression modelling was performed for patient-perceived recovery at 1 year. Cluster analysis was done using the clustering large applications k-medoids approach using clinical outcomes at 5 months. Inflammatory protein profiling was analysed from plasma at the 5-month visit. This study is registered on the ISRCTN Registry, ISRCTN10980107, and recruitment is ongoing.

FINDINGS

2320 participants discharged from hospital between March 7, 2020, and April 18, 2021, were assessed at 5 months after discharge and 807 (32·7%) participants completed both the 5-month and 1-year visits. 279 (35·6%) of these 807 patients were women and 505 (64·4%) were men, with a mean age of 58·7 (SD 12·5) years, and 224 (27·8%) had received invasive mechanical ventilation (WHO class 7-9). The proportion of patients reporting full recovery was unchanged between 5 months (501 [25·5%] of 1965) and 1 year (232 [28·9%] of 804). Factors associated with being less likely to report full recovery at 1 year were female sex (odds ratio 0·68 [95% CI 0·46-0·99]), obesity (0·50 [0·34-0·74]) and invasive mechanical ventilation (0·42 [0·23-0·76]). Cluster analysis (n=1636) corroborated the previously reported four clusters: very severe, severe, moderate with cognitive impairment, and mild, relating to the severity of physical health, mental health, and cognitive impairment at 5 months. We found increased inflammatory mediators of tissue damage and repair in both the very severe and the moderate with cognitive impairment clusters compared with the mild cluster, including IL-6 concentration, which was increased in both comparisons (n=626 participants). We found a substantial deficit in median EQ-5D-5L utility index from before COVID-19 (retrospective assessment; 0·88 [IQR 0·74-1·00]), at 5 months (0·74 [0·64-0·88]) to 1 year (0·75 [0·62-0·88]), with minimal improvements across all outcome measures at 1 year after discharge in the whole cohort and within each of the four clusters.

INTERPRETATION

The sequelae of a hospital admission with COVID-19 were substantial 1 year after discharge across a range of health domains, with the minority in our cohort feeling fully recovered. Patient-perceived health-related quality of life was reduced at 1 year compared with before hospital admission. Systematic inflammation and obesity are potential treatable traits that warrant further investigation in clinical trials.

FUNDING

UK Research and Innovation and National Institute for Health Research.

A rationally designed oral vaccine induces immunoglobulin A in the murine gut that directs the evolution of attenuated Salmonella variants

The ability of gut bacterial pathogens to escape immunity by antigenic variation-particularly via changes to surface-exposed antigens-is a major barrier to immune clearance¹. However, not all variants are equally fit in all environments^2,3. It should therefore be possible to exploit such immune escape mechanisms to direct an evolutionary trade-off. Here, we demonstrate this phenomenon using Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhimurium (S.Tm). A dominant surface antigen of S.Tm is its O-antigen: a long, repetitive glycan that can be rapidly varied by mutations in biosynthetic pathways or by phase variation^4,5. We quantified the selective advantage of O-antigen variants in the presence and absence of O-antigen-specific immunoglobulin A and identified a set of evolutionary trajectories allowing immune escape without an associated fitness cost in naive mice. Through the use of rationally designed oral vaccines, we induced immunoglobulin A responses blocking all of these trajectories. This selected for Salmonella mutants carrying deletions of the O-antigen polymerase gene wzyB. Due to their short O-antigen, these evolved mutants were more susceptible to environmental stressors (detergents or complement) and predation (bacteriophages) and were impaired in gut colonization and virulence in mice. Therefore, a rationally induced cocktail of intestinal antibodies can direct an evolutionary trade-off in S.Tm. This lays the foundations for the exploration of mucosal vaccines capable of setting evolutionary traps as a prophylactic strategy.

Interleukin 13 gene polymorphism and susceptibility to asthma: a meta-regression and meta-analysis

Summary

Background. Previously, lots of studies researched the association of Interleukin (IL) 13 gene polymorphisms and the risk of asthma, yielding incongruent outcomes. Objectives. To resolve the inconsistency among the different studies, we performed the most up-to-date meta-analysis of IL13 gene rs20541 and rs1800925 polymorphisms and susceptibility to asthma. Methods. After a systematic literature search up to September 2020, the pooled Odds Ratio (OR) and their corresponding 95% CI were extracted to determine the association level. Results. Overall, 45 (containing 10572 cases and 11575 healthy controls) and 31 (containing 10139 cases and 13304 healthy controls) case-control studies for rs20541 and rs1800925 polymorphisms, respectively, were retrieved. Pooled analysis indicated statistically significant association of rs20541 with asthma in the overall analysis. According to the subgroup analysis, significant association was detected between rs20541 polymorphism in European population across dominant model, allelic model, and GA vs. GG model. A strongly significant association between rs20541 polymorphism and asthma risk was identified in Asian population under all genetic models except heterozygote model. There was significant association between rs20541 polymorphism and asthma risk in dominant, allelic and heterozygote models for Caucasians. The rs1800925 SNP was associated with asthma risk in some genetic models for the overall, Asian, and European populations. Conclusions. Both rs20541 and rs1800925 polymorphisms of IL13 gene confers a risk factor for asthma in different populations.

The Impact of Physical Enrichment in the Structure of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Nucleus Accumbens of the Adult Male Rat Brain

Rodents' behavioural analysis can be influenced by several factors, including housing. The PhenoWorld (PhW) is an enriched housing and testing paradigm, which proved to be relevant for screening depressive-like behaviours in rats, being remarkably sensitive for hedonic behaviour. Herein, we assessed neuronal plasticity as a consequence of living in the PhW, by comparing the structure of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the nucleus accumbens (NAc), two brain areas involved in the circuitry regulating motivation and reward. Our findings indicate that male rats living in the PhW display increased mPFC layer II volumes, as well as increased immature spine densities and total numbers in the mPFC pyramidal neurons. The NAc volumes and NAc medium spiny neurons branching tend also to be higher in animals experiencing the physical enrichment provided in the PhW, but significant differences were not found between animals living in PhW compared to animals living in standard cages (STD6). These results demonstrate that living in a more naturalistic complex environment, closer to real life experience, impacts on the structure of brain regions implicated in complex multidimensional disorders.

Mesenchymal stem cell transplantation in systemic lupus erythematous, a mesenchymal stem cell disorder

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune and inflammatory disorder with involvement of several organs and systems such as the kidney, lung, brain and the hematopoietic system. As the most prevailing organ manifestation, lupus nephritis is the major cause of mortality and morbidity in SLE patients. The most classically and widely administered immunosuppressive medications, namely corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide, have eventuated in a remarkable amelioration in disease complications over the last few years and reduced the progression to end-stage multiorgan failure. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered as non-hematopoietic and multipotential progenitor cells, which are able to differentiate into multiple cell lineages such as chondrocytes, osteoblasts, myoblasts, endothelial cells, adipocytes, neuron-like cells, hepatocytes and cardiomyocytes. MSCs from SLE patients have demonstrated defects such as aberrant cytokine production. Moreover, impaired phenotype, growth and immunomodulatory functions of MSCs from patients with SLE in comparison to healthy controls have been reported. Therefore, it is hypothesized that SLE is potentially an MSC-mediated disease and, as a result, allogeneic rather than autologous MSC transplantation can be argued to be a potentially advantageous therapy for patients with SLE. On the other hand, the MSC senescence phenomenon may meet the current therapeutic approaches with challenges and demand more attention. Here, we discuss MSC transplantations to date in animal models and humans and focus on the MSC senescence complications in SLE patients.

In vitro antimicrobial effect of different root canal sealers against oral pathogens

Background and Purpose

Root canal therapy is the primary method for the treatment of an infected pulp in modern dentistry. The main aim of endodontic treatment is the elimination of bacteria and their products from infected root canals. In this study, we attempted to investigate the antimicrobial activity of three root canal sealers against oral pathogens.

Materials and Methods

The antimicrobial effectiveness of three endodontic sealers with different chemical compositions, namely resin (AH 26), zinc oxide eugenol (ZOE), and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), against Candida albicans, Streptococcus sanguis, Streptococcus salivarius, Streptococcus mutans, and Lactobacillus casei was assayed by agar well diffusion method (AWDM). The tested sealers were prepared according to the manufacturer's instructions and poured in the prepared wells of agar plates; diluted inocula (10⁵ and 10⁶ CFU/ml) of the tested microorganism strains were also used. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the selected canal sealers ranged between 3.12 and 50 mg.ml^-1 against the employed microorganism strains. All the plates were incubated at 37°C under anaerobic condition for bacteria and at 30°C for C. albicans. After three days, the inhibition zones were measured.

Results

In this investigation, AH 26 exhibited strong activity against C. albicans with the minimum inhibitory concentration of 12.5 mg.ml^-1, but ZOE and MTA did not act against C. albicans. ZOE sealer had the highest antimicrobial activity against the tested bacteria, while MTA showed the lowest antimicrobial activity.

Conclusion

The ascending sequence of microbial growth inhibition zones was as follows AH 26 > ZOE > MTA.

In vitro antimicrobial effect of different root canal sealers against oral pathogens

Background and Purpose:

Root canal therapy is the primary method for the treatment of an infected pulp in modern dentistry. The main aim of endodontic treatment is the elimination of bacteria and their products from infected root canals. In this study, we attempted to investigate the antimicrobial activity of three root canal sealers against oral pathogens.

Materials and Methods:

The antimicrobial effectiveness of three endodontic sealers with different chemical compositions, namely resin (AH 26), zinc oxide eugenol (ZOE), and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), against Candida albicans, Streptococcus sanguis, Streptococcus salivarius, Streptococcus mutans, and Lactobacillus casei was assayed by agar well diffusion method (AWDM). The tested sealers were prepared according to the manufacturer’s instructions and poured in the prepared wells of agar plates; diluted inocula (10⁵ and 10⁶ CFU/ml) of the tested microorganism strains were also used. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the selected canal sealers ranged between 3.12 and 50 mg.ml^-1 against the employed microorganism strains. All the plates were incubated at 37°C under anaerobic condition for bacteria and at 30°C for C. albicans. After three days, the inhibition zones were measured.

Results:

In this investigation, AH 26 exhibited strong activity against C. albicans with the minimum inhibitory concentration of 12.5 mg.ml^-1, but ZOE and MTA did not act against C. albicans. ZOE sealer had the highest antimicrobial activity against the tested bacteria, while MTA showed the lowest antimicrobial activity.

Conclusion:

The ascending sequence of microbial growth inhibition zones was as follows AH 26 > ZOE > MTA.

Novel application of talc nanoparticles as collector in flotation

The objective of this work is to study the application of natural hydrophobic talc nanoparticle as a new class of solid flotation collector.

The effect of high-fat diet on rat's mood, feeding behavior and response to stress

An association between obesity and depression has been indicated in studies addressing common physical (metabolic) and psychological (anxiety, low self-esteem) outcomes. Of consideration in both obesity and depression are chronic mild stressors to which individuals are exposed to on a daily basis. However, the response to stress is remarkably variable depending on numerous factors, such as the physical health and the mental state at the time of exposure. Here a chronic mild stress (CMS) protocol was used to assess the effect of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity on response to stress in a rat model. In addition to the development of metabolic complications, such as glucose intolerance, diet-induced obesity caused behavioral alterations. Specifically, animals fed on HFD displayed depressive- and anxious-like behaviors that were only present in the normal diet (ND) group upon exposure to CMS. Of notice, these mood impairments were not further aggravated when the HFD animals were exposed to CMS, which suggest a ceiling effect. Moreover, although there was a sudden drop of food consumption in the first 3 weeks of the CMS protocol in both ND and HFD groups, only the CMS-HFD displayed an overall noticeable decrease in total food intake during the 6 weeks of the CMS protocol. Altogether, the study suggests that HFD impacts on the response to CMS, which should be considered when addressing the consequences of obesity in behavior.

Inhibition of protein glycation by essential oils of branchlets and fruits of Juniperus communis subsp. hemisphaerica

Oxidative stress and protein glycation play pivotal roles in the pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus and its vascular complications. The present study aimed to investigate the anti-glycation properties of essential oils obtained from different parts of Juniperus communis subsp. hemisphaerica. The branchlets of male tree (BMT) and branchlets of female (BFT) tree, and fruits of J. communis subsp. hemisphaerica were extracted using steam distillation method. The oils were phytochemically analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Anti-glycation properties were evaluated using hemoglobin and insulin glycation assays. Overall, 18 volatile components were identified in the J. communis subsp. hemisphaerica oils, amounting to 82.1%, 100.0% and 96.4% of the BMT, BFT and fruit oils, respectively. Promising inhibitory activity was observed from all concentrations of the tested oils in the hemoglobin and insulin glycation assays. The inhibitory activities peaked to 89.9% (BFT oil; 200 μg mL(-1)) and 81.0% (BFT oil; 600 μg mL(-1)) in the hemoglobin and insulin glycation assays, respectively. The evidence from this study suggests that essential oils obtained from the fruits and branchlets of J. communis subsp. hemisphaerica possess anti-glycation properties. These activities may find implication for the prevention and treatment of diabetic complications.

Genetic variation in macrophage migration inhibitory factor associated with gestational diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome

The aim of this study was to investigate the association of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) polymorphism rs1007888 with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and its association with postpartum metabolic syndrome. In a case-control study, 147 GDM and 169 healthy pregnant patients were recruited. Blood sample was taken 2 times from all the participants; one at 24-28 weeks of gestation, second at 6-12 weeks of postpartum. Biochemical measurement and DNA extraction were performed. The PCR_SSP was performed for genotyping. The frequencies of AA, AG, and GG genotypes were 11.24% (19), 76.92% (130), and 11.83% (20) in healthy pregnancies and were 7.48% (11), 70.74% (104), and 21.76% (32) in GDM individuals. The distributions of MIF genotypes were significantly different in GDM and healthy subjects (p=0.04). Moreover, GG genotype had a significant association with pre-pregnancy obesity and family history of diabetes. In postpartum follow-up GG genotype was two-fold more frequent in women with metabolic syndrome (p=0.01, odds ratio=2.30, CI 95%; 1.23-4.30) and relative risk was equal 1.77 (CI 95%; 1.19-2.64). Our findings demonstrate an association between MIF polymorphism rs1007888 and susceptibility to GDM in pregnancy and metabolic syndrome development.

MIF Expression in Induced Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells by Vitamin D3 and its Potential Correlation with Resting Metabolic Rate in Obesity

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) plays a pivotal role in systemic and local inflammatory and immune responses. The aim of this study is to assess MIF gene expression in PBMCs harvested from obese individuals and to compare it with that of lean subjects to analyze any potential relationship between resting metabolic rate as well as several different parameters and MIF expression in PBMC. We also aim to assess anti-inflammatory characteristics of vitamin D3 on MIF expression in vitro. Participants were 30 obese and 18 non-obese subjects who were assessed following an overnight fasting for RMR by means of indirect calorimetry. Body composition was measured using a Bodystat device. The PBMCs were separated from whole blood by the Ficoll-hypaque technique. The mRNA was extracted and the cDNA was synthesized. This process was followed by real-time PCR using primer pairs specific for MIF mRNA and beta actin as internal control. Our findings clearly demonstrate that there were significant differences in terms of BMI, BMR predict, fat proportion, fat mass, free fat mass, TBW, visceral fat, fasting serum glucose, TG, HDL, Hs-CRP and RMR between the two groups. Moreover, the level of MIF expression in the obese group was approximately 2.5 times higher compared to the lean group. An increased level of MIF expression in the obese group and a decreased expression of that non-obese was observed after inducing PBMCs with vitamin D3. One of the intriguing results of this study was the observed reverse correlation between MIF expression and fat mass as well as fat proportion after PBMCs were cultured in the presence of vitamin D3. Therefore, it could be concluded that MIF expression, which is in turn influenced by vitamin D3, has a role in the hyperactive immune profile and the pro-inflammatory state observed in obese individuals which is suggested to have a causal relationship with obesity.

Tandem Repeats of the Catt Element of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor Gene May Predict Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Severity

Previous investigations have demonstrated the association of the CATT repeated allele in the Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) with obesity and diabetes. Since there are common risk factors and molecular pathways in Type 2 Diabetes and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM), we focused on the associations of MIF variation with GDM. In a case-control study we enrolled 157 GDM and 217 healthy pregnant women, referred to the outpatient clinic of Shariati Hospital. The different repeats of CATT in MIF promoter were determined. MIF relative gene expression was evaluated in Peripheral blood mononuclear cells of all the participants. The GDM group had higher mean age and pre-gravid BMI. Also fasting serum glucose, insulin and MIF gene expression were significantly higher in the GDM patients. The statistically significant difference was observed between GDM and a healthy group in carrying 7-CATT allele and MIF gene expression. Regarding GDM risk factors, MIF 7-CATT allele showed significant relation with pre-pregnancy obesity, as well as the need for insulin therapy. Our results indicate that an association between MIF genotypes and its expression with GDM, obesity and the need of insulin for management of GDM patients exists.

Compositional changes of PBL population in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection

In this report we have analysed the peripheral blood lymphocyte of several patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection with flow cytometry. Based on the presence and absence of the HBeAb, patients were divided into two groups. In both, all the patients were HBsAg positive with normal range of serum alanine aminotranferase (23.9 +/- 17.8). We have found that the immunophenotypic profiles of patients were different from healthy donors with significant decrease in CD(3)(+) T cells, specially CD(8)(+) T cells and a significant increase in the CD(19)(+) B cells. The differences were seen in other subset of T cells (CD(4)(+)) or NK cells (CD(56)(+)/CD(16)(+)) and HLA-DR markers were not significant. When the phenotypic profiles of both groups were compared with each other, such changes were more dominant in group II, with HBeAb positive than in group I, with HBeAb negative. Also, we have seen a correlation between the increase of CD(19)(+) B cells and the decrease of CD CD(3)(+) T cells. No such correlation was observed with other cells.