Effects of dietary protein and energy levels on growth and body composition of Caspian trout larva (Salmo trutta caspius)

A 3t2 factorial feeding trial of three dietary protein levels (45, 50 and 55%) and two dietary crude energy levels (4200 and 4600 cal/g) with three replications was conducted to investigate the proper dietary protein and energy levels for the growth of fingerling Caspian trout (Salmo trutta caspius). Fingerlings with average weight of 135 plus or minus 0.24mg were fed the experimental diets for 45 days

Study of oral and gingival microbial flora in institutionalized mentally retarded patients of Sari-2011

Introduction and Objectives: Mental retardation (MR) is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive function and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors. The prevalence and severity of dental caries‚gingivitis and periodontitis is high in patients with mental retardation. This shift to a diseased state may lead to the experience of a high mortality from septicemia‚ sepsis‚ pneumonia and endocarditis.Our purpose was to study oral and gingival microbial flora in institutionalized mentally retarded patients of Sari and to estimate D% (percentage with untreated decayed teeth) and DMFT% (percentage of population affected with dental caries)Materials and Methods: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional type in which Plaque samples were collected from the mouth and gingiva of 138 institutionalized mentally retarded patients of Sari to culture in specific media to identify the microorganisms. In this study anaerobic bacteria were not isolated because the instrument was not available in the laboratory. The information has been analyzed by X2 T-test methods by SPSS 17 software.Results: The isolated microorganisms were: pnuemococci S(37.7%); Streptococci sp(18.8%); E.coli (16.7%); Staphylococcus(1.4%); Neisseria sp(45/6%); Salmonella(8.7%); Proteus(3.6%); Diphteroid (4.2%); Pseudomonas(0.7%). The percentage of resistant strains was found to be highest with penicillin(67.9%) and lowest with vancomycin(11%).Conclusion: D% between all the patients were (66.66%) . Bacterial flora in mentally retarded patients were significanty higher in frequency than in normal persons. With improvement in oral health care, we can decreasethese undesirable changes.Key words: Oral and gingival microbial flora, Mental retardation, D%, Sar

HLA-DP on Epithelial Cells Enables Tissue Damage by NKp44⁺ Natural Killer Cells in Ulcerative Colitis

Background &amp; Aims: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterized by severe inflammation and destruction of the intestinal epithelium, and is associated with specific risk single nucleotide polymorphisms in HLA class II. Given the recently discovered interactions between subsets of HLA-DP molecules and the activating natural killer (NK) cell receptor NKp44, genetic associations of UC and HLA-DP haplotypes and their functional implications were investigated. Methods: HLA-DP haplotype and UC risk association analyses were performed (UC: n = 13,927; control: n = 26,764). Expression levels of HLA-DP on intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) in individuals with and without UC were quantified. Human intestinal 3-dimensional (3D) organoid cocultures with human NK cells were used to determine functional consequences of interactions between HLA-DP and NKp44. Results: These studies identified HLA-DPA1∗01:03-DPB1∗04:01 (HLA-DP401) as a risk haplotype and HLA-DPA1∗01:03-DPB1∗03:01 (HLA-DP301) as a protective haplotype for UC in European populations. HLA-DP expression was significantly higher on IECs of individuals with UC compared with controls. IECs in human intestinal 3D organoids derived from HLA-DP401pos individuals showed significantly stronger binding of NKp44 compared with HLA-DP301pos IECs. HLA-DP401pos IECs in organoids triggered increased degranulation and tumor necrosis factor production by NKp44+ NK cells in cocultures, resulting in enhanced epithelial cell death compared with HLA-DP301pos organoids. Blocking of HLA-DP401–NKp44 interactions (anti-NKp44) abrogated NK cell activity in cocultures. Conclusions: We identified an UC risk HLA-DP haplotype that engages NKp44 and activates NKp44+ NK cells, mediating damage to intestinal epithelial cells in an HLA-DP haplotype–dependent manner. The molecular interaction between NKp44 and HLA-DP401 in UC can be targeted by therapeutic interventions to reduce NKp44+ NK cell–mediated destruction of the intestinal epithelium in UC.</p

HLA-DP on Epithelial Cells Enables Tissue Damage by NKp44⁺ Natural Killer Cells in Ulcerative Colitis

Background &amp; Aims: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterized by severe inflammation and destruction of the intestinal epithelium, and is associated with specific risk single nucleotide polymorphisms in HLA class II. Given the recently discovered interactions between subsets of HLA-DP molecules and the activating natural killer (NK) cell receptor NKp44, genetic associations of UC and HLA-DP haplotypes and their functional implications were investigated. Methods: HLA-DP haplotype and UC risk association analyses were performed (UC: n = 13,927; control: n = 26,764). Expression levels of HLA-DP on intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) in individuals with and without UC were quantified. Human intestinal 3-dimensional (3D) organoid cocultures with human NK cells were used to determine functional consequences of interactions between HLA-DP and NKp44. Results: These studies identified HLA-DPA1∗01:03-DPB1∗04:01 (HLA-DP401) as a risk haplotype and HLA-DPA1∗01:03-DPB1∗03:01 (HLA-DP301) as a protective haplotype for UC in European populations. HLA-DP expression was significantly higher on IECs of individuals with UC compared with controls. IECs in human intestinal 3D organoids derived from HLA-DP401pos individuals showed significantly stronger binding of NKp44 compared with HLA-DP301pos IECs. HLA-DP401pos IECs in organoids triggered increased degranulation and tumor necrosis factor production by NKp44+ NK cells in cocultures, resulting in enhanced epithelial cell death compared with HLA-DP301pos organoids. Blocking of HLA-DP401–NKp44 interactions (anti-NKp44) abrogated NK cell activity in cocultures. Conclusions: We identified an UC risk HLA-DP haplotype that engages NKp44 and activates NKp44+ NK cells, mediating damage to intestinal epithelial cells in an HLA-DP haplotype–dependent manner. The molecular interaction between NKp44 and HLA-DP401 in UC can be targeted by therapeutic interventions to reduce NKp44+ NK cell–mediated destruction of the intestinal epithelium in UC.</p

Transethnic analysis of the human leukocyte antigen region for ulcerative colitis reveals not only shared but also ethnicity-specific disease associations

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the gut. Genetic association studies have identified the highly variable human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region as the strongest susceptibility locus for IBD, and specifically DRB1*01:03 as a determining factor for ulcerative colitis (UC). However, for most of the association signal such a delineation could not be made due to tight structures of linkage disequilibrium within the HLA. The aim of this study was therefore to further characterize the HLA signal using a trans-ethnic approach. We performed a comprehensive fine mapping of single HLA alleles in UC in a cohort of 9,272 individuals with African American, East Asian, Puerto Rican, Indian and Iranian descent and 40,691 previously analyzed Caucasians, additionally analyzing whole HLA haplotypes. We computationally characterized the binding of associated HLA alleles to human self-peptides and analysed the physico-chemical properties of the HLA proteins and predicted self-peptidomes. Highlighting alleles of the HLA-DRB1*15 group and their correlated HLA-DQ-DR haplotypes, we identified consistent associations across different ethnicities but also identified population-specific signals. We observed that DRB1*01:03 is mostly present in individuals of Western European descent and hardly present in non-Caucasian individuals. We found peptides predicted to bind to risk HLA alleles to be rich in positively charged amino acids such. We conclude that the HLA plays an important role for UC susceptibility across different ethnicities. This research further implicates specific features of peptides that are predicted to bind risk and protective HLA proteins

Designing of Anti keratin Antibody kit by Immuno fluorescent assay (IFA) and it's evaluation in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) pathients

Background and purpose: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a systemic auto immune Rheumatoid diseases. Auto antibodies are detected in this disease, with diagnostic and prognostic properties. One of them is AKA which reacts with the fibrous keratin in epiderm and the stratum corneum of rat esophageal epithelium. Hence at first AKA – IFA kit was designed, then its sensitivety and specificity was measured, and the titer of Anti body was evaluated in RA patients, and finaly the results of AKA were compared with that of RF test.Materials and method: AKA-IFA kit was designed with protein antigens in the stratum corneum of rat esophageal and anti human IgG conjugated to FITC.52 patients with RA (mean age 48.0 ±15.8) according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria were selected for measuring the sensitivity and specificity. The results of AKA test in sera of RA patients were campared with 23 sera of patient control groupe (mean age 32.5 ±16.4) and 30 sera of healthy control groupe (mean age 32.1 ±16.9). Inter and intra assay method was used to determinig precision of AKA kit. RF test was also performed and it's results compared with result of designed AKA kit.Results: AKA were found in 75% of patients with RA (39/52), 13% of patient control groupe (3/23) and 3.3% of healthy control groupe .(YBO)The designed AKA kit by inter and intra assay method had 100% and 98% percision respectively. The sensitiviety and specificity of AKA in (1/10) serum dilution was 75% and 92.5% respectively but sensitiviety and specificity of RF was 88.5% , 86.8% respectively. Conclusion: According to the results, IFA– AKA test could be diagnostic and confirmative for RA , And AKA in (1/10)serum dilution has the best diagnostic Value for RA. (cut off)

The serum levels of Th1 and Th2 cytokine profiles in patients with different stages of chronic kidney disease

AbstractBackground and Purpose: Various abnormalities of the immune system have been demonstrated in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Patients with CKD commonly present with abnormalities of immune function related with impaired kidney function and the accumulation of uremic toxins. Th1 and Th2 cells produce predominantly some cytokine profiles. The aim of the present study was the determination of the levels of IL-13 and IFN- in sera of end-stage renal disease. The correlations of IL-13 and IFN- levels with clinical presentation of the disease were assessed.Materials and Methods: In this case-control study the serum levels of IL-13 and IFN- were determined by a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 30 patients on hemodialysis (HD), 30 patients with chronic renal failure (CRF), and 60 healthy individuals . Renal function was evaluated by measuring serum levels of creatinin, albumin and urea.Results: The serum levels of IL-13 and IFN- were differed significantly between patients and healthy controls. The serum levels of IL-13 was significantly increased in the HD group than in the CRF and control groups (13.7± 3.9, 6.7± 3.4, 4.5±3.3 pg/ml, respectively) (P=0.001). On the other hand, the IFN- plasma levels were significantly higher in CRF patients than HD patients and controls (38.8±18.8, 17.4±8.78, 12.5±8.9 pg/ml, respectively).Conclusion: In the HD patients, low production of IFN- in line with upregulation of IL-13 indicates that Th1/Th2 balance may shift towards Th2 dominance. It is possible that this imbalance contributes to the abnormality of the immune system in HD patients.Key words: Chronic renal failure, IL-13 and IFN- , HeamodialysisJ Mazand Univ Med Sci 2008; 18(63): 37-45 (Persian