The decrease in NKG2D+ Natural Killer cells in peripheral blood of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

Background: Natural killer (NK) cells play important roles in the immune defense against tumors such as colorectal cancer. In humans, NKG2D is an activating immune receptor constitutively expressed in most cytotoxic lymphocytes including NK and CD8+ T cells. In this study, the expression of NKG2D molecule was investigated in peripheral blood NK cells from colorectal cancer patients and compared with healthy subjects. Methods: We studied 21 non-metastatic (low-grade), 17 non-metastatic (high-grade), 16 metastatic colorectal cancer patients, and 24 healthy controls. Peripheral blood samples were obtained to isolate peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and the percentage of peripheral blood NKG2D+CD3-CD56+ NK cells was analyzed by flow cytometry. The expression of NKG2D at mRNA level was also measured by real-time PCR in both, patients and control subjects. Results: The results showed a significant reduction in the percentage of NKG2D+NK cells as well as NKG2D mRNA expression in peripheral blood of metastatic colon cancer patients. Conclusion: This result suggests that decreased expression of activating NKG2D receptor in metastatic colorectal cancer might compromise NK cell function and allow tumor to evade immunity (Tab. 3, Fig. 4, Ref. 33). Text in PDF www.elis.sk

The relationship between a plant-based diet and mental health: Evidence from a cross-sectional multicentric community trial (LIPOKAP study)

BACKGROUND: Dietary patterns emphasizing plant foods might be neuroprotective and exert health benefits on mental health. However, there is a paucity of evidence on the association between a plant-based dietary index and mental health measures. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to examine the association between plant-based dietary indices, depression and anxiety in a large multicentric sample of Iranian adults. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed in a sample of 2,033 participants. A validated food frequency questionnaire was used to evaluate dietary intakes of participants. Three versions of PDI including an overall PDI, a healthy PDI (hPDI), and an unhealthy PDI (uPDI) were created. The presence of anxiety and depression was examined via a validated Iranian version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). RESULTS: PDI and hPDI were not associated to depression and anxiety after adjustment for potential covariates (age, sex, energy, marital status, physical activity level and smoking). However, in the crude model, the highest consumption of uPDI approximately doubled the risk of depression (OR= 2.07, 95% CI: 1.49, 2.87; P<0.0001) and increased the risk of anxiety by almost 50% (OR= 1.56, 95% CI: 1.14, 2.14; P= 0.001). Adjustment for potential confounders just slightly changed the associations (OR for depression in the fourth quartile= 1.96; 95% CI: 1.34, 2.85, and OR for anxiety in the fourth quartile= 1.53; 95% CI: 1.07, 2.19). CONCLUSIONS: An unhealthy plant-based dietary index is associated with a higher risk of depression and anxiety, while plant-based dietary index and healthy plant-based dietary index were not associated to depression and anxiety

Decline in peripheral blood NKG2D+CD3+CD56+ NKT cells in metastatic colorectal cancer patients

OBJECTIVE: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the main causes of cancer deaths in the world. This cancer can be divided into non-metastatic and metastatic CRC stages. CD3+CD56+ NKT cell subsets are a minor T cell subset in peripheral blood and conduct the killing of tumor cells in direct manner. Little is obvious about levels and surface markers of these cells such as NKG2D in different cancers, especially in CRC. METHODS: We included 15 non-metastatic (low-grade), 11 non-metastatic (high-grade), 10 metastatic colorectal cancer patients and 18 healthy controls. The percentages of CD3+CD56+ NKT cells and NKG2D+CD56+ NKT cells from samples were analyzed by flow cytometry in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of samples. RESULTS: We found that there was a significantly lower number of NKG2D+CD3+CD56+ cells in peripheral blood of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer compared with normal controls (77.53 ± 5.79 vs 90.74 ± 9.84 ; p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The fact that frequency of NKG2D+CD56+ NKT cells was significantly lower in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer compared to healthy controls strengthens the hypothesis that NKT cells can play a substantial role in the protection against human colorectal cancer, and this opens up avenues for novel studies about elucidating the other aspects of tumor surveillance in CRC progression and immunotherapy

Comprehensive analysis of Enterococcus strains isolated from human microbiome and evaluation of their benefits for digestive system

Background: Some studies have highlighted a mutualistic relationship between human and Enterococcus spp.; however, other surveys have showed only a commensal connection. This study aimed to clearly answer this question that whether or not Enterococci strains have a beneficial potential for the human GI tract? Methods: The fecal samples were collected from 1000 healthy volunteers. Inhibitory potency of these bacteria was evaluated on three intestinal pathogens using phenotypic agar spot assay and genotypic PCR method. After typing bacteria by PFGE, the probiotic supplemented tests were used for evaluating Enterococci beneficial potential. Results: Out of 1000 fecal isolated Enterococci strains, 91 isolates were identified as E. faecium; entA (88.6) and entB (26.8) were present almost in all of the isolates. Also, 100 of the E. faecium isolates were active against EAEC and Shigella dysenteriae (zone �10 mm); however, these E. faecium isolates weren't effective against EPEC. Moreover, it was found that 9 out of 91 E. faecium isolates had >50 viability in bile salts and acid stress assays, and only 4 of these 9 acid-bile resistant isolates were able to adhere to HT-29 cell line. Conclusions: To sum up, almost 4 of human isolated Enterococcus spp. were shown to have a mutualistic behavior with an impressive probiotic potential. It is believed that in the future, these mutualistic Enterococci could be replaced by commensal ones in all people by taking probiotic supplements containing Enterococci. © 202

Proanthocyanidin as a crosslinking agent for fibrin, collagen hydrogels and their composites with decellularized Wharton�s-jelly-extract for tissue engineering applications

In tissue engineering, natural hydrogel scaffolds gained considerable attention due to their biocompatibility and similarity to macromolecular-based components in the body. However, their low mechanical strength and high degradation degree limit their biomedical application. By varying the composition of hydrogels, their biochemical and mechanical properties can be improved. In this study, the stability of fibrin and collagen hydrogels and their composites with decellularized Wharton�s jelly extract (DEWJ) was improved using proanthocyanidin (PA) as a cross-linker, extracted from grape seeds. The cytocompatibility, physicochemical and mechanical properties of the hydrogels were evaluated. Human endometrial stem cells (hEnSCs) were seeded on the hydrogels and their attachment, morphology, and proliferation were investigated using a scanning electron and optical microscopy. Our results showed that hydrogels containing DEWJ along with PA enhance cell proliferation and showed higher mechanical properties compared with the fibrin and collagen hydrogel. The results present the potential utility of these hydrogels in tissue engineering and for application in three-dimensional culture. © The Author(s) 2020