Immunomodulatory effect of anise (Pimpinella anisum) in BALB/c mice

Purpose: The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of anise decoction consumption on lymphocytes activity, complete blood count (CBC) and nitric oxide (NO) production in BALB/c mice.Methods: BALB/c mice were given anise tea instead of drinking water and the effect on selected immune parameters was analyzed after 1 and 2 weeks of treatment.Results: Cell activity of anise treated mice was significantly higher than control group at week 2 as revealed by mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR2. The spleen cells of anise treated mice showed a significant higher lymphocyte proliferative response to in vitro challenge with phytohaemagglutinin (PHA).compared to controls at week two of treatment. The increase in mouse foot thickness as indicator of delayed type of hypersensitivity (DTH) was less in anise treated mice compared to control group. Nitric oxide production by peritoneal macrophages in response to activation with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) was reduced by anise treatment after 1 and 2 weeks of treatment andno significant changes in CD4 and CD8 were noticed either at week 1 or 2 of treatment.Conclusion: This study provides preclinical evidence that anise possesses immunomodulatory activity when administered orally in mice and selectively activates cell-mediated immune mechanismsKeywords: Immunomodulatory, Anise, Traditional medicin

Adoptively Transferred Vɣ2Vδ2 T cells Protect Against the Dissemination of M. Tuberculosis in Macaques

Scientific Background: Despite the discovery of γδ T cells for 30 years, there is still no definitive in vivo evidence indicating that phosphoantigen specific Vγ2Vδ2 T cells can protect against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection in humans. Here, we aimed at exploring the role of Vγ2Vδ2 T cells in protection against TB using the adoptive cell transfer approach in macaque TB model. Approach: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected from cynomologus macaques and frozen down over time. Prior to the adoptive transfer, PBMCs were thawed and cultured for expansion of Vγ2Vδ2 T cells using a modified stimulation/expansion protocol. Expanded autologous Vγ2Vδ2 T cells were transferred to infected macaques on early time points after MTB infection. Animals were evaluated for immune responses and infection status over time after adoptive transfer. At 8 weeks after infection, macaques were subjected to complete necropsy for evaluation of gross pathology and bacterial burdens. Results: Infused Vγ2Vδ2 cells could be detected in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells of monkeys 6 hours after infusion, peaked at 24-48 hours and still measurable at 7 days, suggesting pulmonary trafficking/accumulation of infused γδ T cells. The Vγ2Vδ2 T cell-infused group showed significantly less occurrence of weight loss and lymphocytopenia, and lower bacilli CFU counts in BAL fluid compared to the PBL-infused control group. At necropsy, Vγ2Vδ2 T cell-infused group showed significantly lower MTB burdens in right caudal lobe (infection site) and other lung lobes than the control group. Notably, the Vγ2Vδ2 T cell-infused group displayed significantly milder TB pathology or lesions in lungs, and much lower frequency of extrapulmonary TB dissemination than the control group. These results strongly support the hypothesis that Vγ2Vδ2 T effector cells are protective against TB. Conclusions: We are the first to expand macaque Vγ2Vδ2 T cells to large scales and adoptively transfer them into MTB-infected individuals. This study provides the first in vivo evidence that Vγ2Vδ2 T cells confer protection against TB. Findings support the concept that Vγ2Vδ2 T cells should be included for the design of new TB vaccine and immunotherapeutic

SARS-CoV-2 Antinucleocapsid Antibody Response of mRNA and Inactivated Virus Vaccines Compared to Unvaccinated Individuals

Comparative studies of SARS-CoV-2 antinucleocapsid (anti-N) antibody response in the context of inactivated virus vaccines versus natural infection are limited. This study aims to determine and compare the anti-N antibody levels in people vaccinated with Sinopharm’s (Wuhan, China) inactivated virus vaccine in comparison with naturally infected unvaccinated and Pfizer’s spike (S) mRNA-based vaccinated subjects. Two hundred ninety-nine Jordanian adults participated in the study including unvaccinated COVID-19-infected patients (n = 99), Pfizer-vaccinated (n = 100), and Sinopharm-vaccinated recipients (n = 100). Serum samples were assayed for anti-N IgG, anti-N IgM, and anti-S IgG. Sera of 64.6% of naturally infected unvaccinated participants had positive anti-S IgG (median = 36.35 U/mL; range: 0.04–532.5 U/mL) compared to 88% of Pfizer-vaccinated (Manhattan, NY, USA) (median = 26.52 U/mL; range: 0.39–1265 U/mL) and 58% of Sinopharm-vaccinated subjects (median = 14.35 U/mL; range: 0.39–870.17 U/mL). Samples of 60.6% of naturally infected unvaccinated people had positive anti-N IgG (median = 15.03 U/mL; range: 0–265.1 U/mL) compared to 25% of Pfizer-vaccinated (median = 0.02 U/mL; range: 0–68 U/mL) and 48% of Sinopharm-vaccinated subjects (median = 0.8 U/mL; range: 0–146.3 U/mL). Anti-N titers among the three groups were significantly different (p < 0.05). Anti-N IgM antibodies appeared in 23.2% of the naturally infected unvaccinated group (median = 0.29 U/mL; range: 0–15 U/mL) compared to only 9.0% of Pfizer-vaccinated (median = 018 U/mL; range: 0–33 U/mL) and 7.0% of Sinopharm-vaccinated subjects (median = 0.2 U/mL; range: 0–12.02 U/mL). A significant negative correlation was found between anti-S and age for both vaccines and between anti-S and the presence of chronic disease in Sinopharm-vaccinated subjects. A significant positive correlation between anti-N and anti-S titers was found among the three groups. This study shows that the inactivated virus vaccine, Sinopharm, induces an anti-N response that can boost that of natural infection or vice versa. On the other hand, the Pfizer mRNA-based vaccine induces a significantly stronger anti-S Ab response

Awareness and knowledge of physicians and residents on the non-sexual routes of human papilloma virus (HPV) infection and their perspectives on anti-HPV vaccination in Jordan.

Background and objectivesAlthough penetrative sex is the most common route of HPV infection, there is strong evidence of non-sexual modes of transmission. As the first of its kind, this study aimed to investigate the knowledge and awareness of Jordanian physicians on such routes.MethodsA questionnaire was conducted among a national Jordanian sample of physicians from Jordanian health sectors. The survey included questions assessing participants' knowledge on HPV, non-sexual routes of infection and HPV vaccines. Physicians' attitudes towards HPV screening and vaccination were covered. Statistical analysis was carried out using SAS 9.4, ANOVA, post-hoc Tukey-Honest test and Kruskal-Wallis test. All significant differences were set at α = 0.05.ResultsA total of 412 participants completed the survey. Physicians showed a huge deficit in knowledge on nonsexual routes of HPV transmission. They agreed that the most and least common routes of non-sexual transmission are skin to mucosa (64%) and contaminated water (15%), respectively. Females showed significantly better knowledge in all aspects of HPV transmission and vaccination (pConclusionsThe noteworthy findings of this study is the extremely low level of knowledge on non-sexual routes of HPV infection among Jordanian physicians. Increasing the level of awareness of physicians and healthcare workers on these routes and their association with cervical and other cancers through university curricula and other reliable sources is strongly recommended

Anti-S and Anti-N Antibody Responses of COVID-19 Vaccine Recipients

The long-term immunoglobulin responses of COVID-19 vaccinations is important to determine the efficacy of these vaccinations. This study aimed to investigate and compare the long-term immunoglobulin response of COVID-19 vaccination recipients, using anti-S IgG, anti-N IgG, and IgM titer levels. This study included 267 participants, comprising individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 through PCR testing (n = 125), and those who received the Pfizer (n = 133), Sinopharm (n = 112), AstraZeneca (n = 20), or Sputnik (n = 2) vaccines. Female participants comprised the largest share of this study (n = 147, 55.1%). This study found that most participants had positive IgG antibodies, with 96.3% having anti-S IgG and 75.7% having anti-N IgG. Most participants (90.3%) tested negative for anti-N IgM antibodies. Sinopharm-vaccinated individuals exhibited a notably lower rate of positive anti-S IgG (93.8%) and a significantly higher rate of positive anti-N IgG antibodies (91%). Anti-N IgG levels were significantly correlated with the number of prior COVID-19 infections (p = 0.015). Specifically, individuals with a history of four COVID-19 infections had higher anti-N IgG titers (14.1 ± 1.4) than those with only one experience of COVID-19 infection (9.4 ± 7.2). Individuals who were infected with COVID-19 after receiving the vaccine demonstrated higher levels of anti-N IgG, exhibiting a 25% increase in mean titer levels compared to those who were infected prior to vaccination. There was a statistically significant association between anti-N IgG positivity with age (p = 0.034), and smoking status (p = 0.006) of participants. Participants younger than 20 and older than 60 showed the highest positivity rate of anti-N (>90%). Smokers had a low positivity rate of anti-N (68.8%) compared to nonsmokers (83.6%). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that most COVID-19 vaccination recipients had positive IgG antibodies, with differences in the long-term immunoglobulin response depending on the type of vaccine administered and occurrence of COVID-19 infection

Assessment of participants attitude toward HPV screening and testing.

Assessment of participants attitude toward HPV screening and testing.</p

Human papillomavirus (HPV) attitude scores based on participants age, gender, specialty, experience, and workplace.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) attitude scores based on participants age, gender, specialty, experience, and workplace.</p

Reasons for not recommending the vaccine to the patients.

Reasons for not recommending the vaccine to the patients.</p

Human papillomavirus (HPV) total knowledge (K-total) scores based on participants’ age, gender, specialty, experience, and workplace.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) total knowledge (K-total) scores based on participants’ age, gender, specialty, experience, and workplace.</p

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Background and objectivesAlthough penetrative sex is the most common route of HPV infection, there is strong evidence of non-sexual modes of transmission. As the first of its kind, this study aimed to investigate the knowledge and awareness of Jordanian physicians on such routes.MethodsA questionnaire was conducted among a national Jordanian sample of physicians from Jordanian health sectors. The survey included questions assessing participants’ knowledge on HPV, non-sexual routes of infection and HPV vaccines. Physicians’ attitudes towards HPV screening and vaccination were covered. Statistical analysis was carried out using SAS 9.4, ANOVA, post-hoc Tukey-Honest test and Kruskal-Wallis test. All significant differences were set at α = 0.05.ResultsA total of 412 participants completed the survey. Physicians showed a huge deficit in knowledge on nonsexual routes of HPV transmission. They agreed that the most and least common routes of non-sexual transmission are skin to mucosa (64%) and contaminated water (15%), respectively. Females showed significantly better knowledge in all aspects of HPV transmission and vaccination (pConclusionsThe noteworthy findings of this study is the extremely low level of knowledge on non-sexual routes of HPV infection among Jordanian physicians. Increasing the level of awareness of physicians and healthcare workers on these routes and their association with cervical and other cancers through university curricula and other reliable sources is strongly recommended.</div