Cytokine Gene Expression Alterations in Human Macrophages Infected by Leishmania major

Leishmaniasis is caused by members of the species and constitute a group of infective diseases that range from cutaneous lesions to lethal visceral forms. In infected persons, macrophages recognize and eliminate the parasites via phagocytosis. In order to change a hostile environment into an environment adequate for survival and reproduction, the engulfed Leishmania species needs to modulate the function of its host macrophage. The expression patterns of cytokine genes such as interleukin-12 ( ), tumour necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma ( ) represent the immune response. In this study, we employed an RNA-seq approach for human monocyte-derived macrophages infected with Leishmania major ( ) to decipher cytokine gene expression alterations in host macrophages. In this descriptive study, human monocytes were isolated by magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) and cultured in the presence of monocyte colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) to obtain the macrophages. Monocyte-derived macrophages were then co-cultured with metacyclic promastigotes of for 4 hours. RNA isolation was performed using TRIzol reagent. RNA sequencing was performed using the Illumina sequencing platforms. Gene expression analysis was performed using a Bioconductor DESeq2 package. Our data revealed significant changes in immune response gene expressions in macrophages infected with , with an up-regulation of cytokines and mostly down-regulation of their receptors. The obtained data could shed more light on the biology of and how the host cell responds to leishmaniasis

Evaluation of Anemia Effect on HbA1c Level Measurement in Type 2 Diabetic People

Objective: For many years HbA1c used as diagnostic criteria for diabetes, however, measurement of HbA1 has some limitations that cannot be accurately assess blood glucose levels in conditions such as changes in red blood cell life. in this study, we evaluated and compared the levels of HbA1C in diabetic, pre-diabetic and non-diabetic individuals to understand the role and relationship of different values of RBC`s indices in these conditions. Materials and Methods: This study performed between august to December of year 2021, and the demographic information and hematologic indices of 706 individuals which referred to laboratories in Gorgan city were investigated. According to results of FBS and HbA1c, individuals categorized in three distinct healthy (H), pre-diabetic (PD), and diabetic (D) groups base on latest ADA criteria. Results: Evaluation of HbA1c level based on the presence or absence of anemia showed that in diabetic group with anemia significantly had a lower level 8.4 (± 1.5) than people without anemia 8.6 (± 1.5) (P= 0.045). Conclusion: In this study, it was shown that changes in RBC indices in anemia can lead to inaccurate measurement of HbA1c level

Seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus and its co-infection with hepatitis D virus and hepatitis C virus in Iranian adult population

Context: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the most prevalent public health problems worldwide (especially in developing countries). Aims: This study was carried out to determine the seroprevalence of HBV and its co-infection with hepatitis D (HDV) and C (HCV) viruses in the northeastern part of Iran. Setting and Design: A population-based cross-sectional study in Iran. Materials and Methods: As many as 1,850 subjects were explored for HBsAg. Anti-HDV and anti-HCV antibodies were assessed in HBsAg-positive cases. Statistical Analysis Used: Proportions were compared by Chi-square and Fisher′s exact tests. Results: The mean age of subjects was 43.86 ± 11.2 years. The age- and sex-standardized prevalence for HBsAg positivity was 9.7%. It was higher in males than in females (OR: 1.28; 95% CI: 0.9-1.7). The risk of infection in singles was significantly higher than in married cases (OR: 2.13). Eight (5.8%) of HBsAg-positive cases were infected with HDV, and 17 (12.3%) were positive for anti-HCV antibody. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the prevalence of HBsAg seropositivity in Golestan province of Iran is higher than the levels reported by WHO and previous studies from Iran. It is very important, especially for health providers and policy makers, to recognize the risk factors of HBV infection and its co-infection with HDV and HCV in this area and design effective preventive programs

Nutritional characteristics in patients with colorectal cancer in Golestan Province of Iran, A case-control study

Background and Objective: Colorectal cancer is the third common malignancy in the world. Personal habits including life style and nutrition have been proposed as risk factors of colorectal cancer. We conducted this study to assess the nutritional characteristics in colorectal cancer patients in Golestan province of Iran. Materials and Methods: This case-control study was done on 47 colorectal cancer cases, diagnosed during 2004-05 and 47 healthy controls. A questionnaire containing socio-demographic and nutritional characteristics (FFQ) was filled for each of the participants. Chi square test was used to assess the relationship between variables. Results: In each of the two groups, 40.4% were females and 59.6% were males. The mean±SD age of age in cases and controls were 52.4±13.4 and 52.1±13.1 years, respectively. Total energy expenditure of higher than 1837.5 Kcal/ day was significantly related to colorectal cancer (OR=3.8 95% CI: 1.2-11.3). Colorectal cancer risk was higher in individual with frying cooking method (OR=3 95% CI: 0. 8-11.1). The risk of colorectal cancer was 6.5 times higher in individuals with fat consumption of higher than 118.5 grams/day (95% CI: 1.5-28.8). No significant relationship was seen between vegetables consumption and the risk of colorectal cancer. Conclusion: This study showed that high total energy expenditure, high fat consumption and using frying method for cooking are risk factors of colorectal cancer in Golestan prevince in Nothern of Iran