Association of Helicobacter Pylori Infection with ABO and Rh Blood Groups in Military Students and Soldiers

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. Pylori) is one of the most common infectious bacteria cause diseases such as chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, adenocarcinoma, etc. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that individuals who had O blood group were more likely to develop peptic ulcers. The aim of present study was to investigate the association between the prevalence of H. Pylori infection in soldiers and military students with ABO, Rh blood group in Tehran city. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study 417 individuals aged 18-27 years who were selected among military students of AJAUMS (Aja University of Medical Sciences) University of Afsari Imam Ali and soldiers. Personal, social and health information of individuals were collected through questionnaires. Phenotype of ABO blood groups and Rh in all participants were studied by a standard hemagglutination test. Antibody levels of Anti- H. pylori IgG in serum of all participants were determined by ELISA test. Collected data analyzed by using SPSSsoftware version 16 and Chi-square test. Results: Overall 183 (43.9%) of 417 subjects were seropositive, and 234 (56.1%) subjects were seronegative. Prevalence of infection in AJAUMS students compared to other two groups showed a significant decrease. However, the prevalence of infection in the group of persons with more than five family members was significantly higher than the group with less than 5. Conclusion: There was no association between ABO, Rh blood groups with H. Pylori infection

Humanized Culture Medium for Clinical-Grade Generation of Erythroid Cells from Umbilical Cord Blood CD34+ Cells

Purpose: Transfusion of red blood cells (RBCs) is a supportive and common treatment in surgical care, trauma, and anemia. However, in vivo production of RBC seems to be a suitable alternative for blood transfusions due to the limitation of blood resources, the possibility of disease transmission, immune reactions, and the presence of rare blood groups. Cell cultures require serum-free or culture media supplemented with highly expensive animal serum, which can transmit xenoviruses. Platelet lysate (PL) can be considered as a suitable alternative containing a high level of growth factors and a low production cost. Methods: Three-step culture media supplemented with PL or fetal bovine serum (FBS) were used for proliferation and differentiation of CD34+ umbilical cord blood stem cells to erythrocytes in co-culture with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs). The cells were cultivated for 15 days and cell proliferation and expansion were assessed using cell counts at different days. Erythroid differentiation genes, CD71 and glycophorin A expression levels were evaluated. Results: Maximum hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) proliferation was observed on day 15 in PL-containing medium (99±17×103 -fold). Gene expression and surface markers showed higher differentiation of cells in PL-containing medium. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that PL can enhance erythroid proliferation and differentiation of CD34+ HSCs. PL can also be used as a proper alternative for FBS in the culture medium and HSCs differentiation

CAR-engineered NK cells; a promising therapeutic option for treatment of hematological malignancies

Adoptive cell therapy has received a great deal of interest in the treatment of advanced cancers that are resistant to traditional therapy. The tremendous success of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered T (CAR-T) cells in the treatment of cancer, especially hematological cancers, has exposed CAR’s potential. However, the toxicity and significant limitations of CAR-T cell immunotherapy prompted research into other immune cells as potential candidates for CAR engineering. NK cells are a major component of the innate immune system, especially for tumor immunosurveillance. They have a higher propensity for immunotherapy in hematologic malignancies because they can detect and eliminate cancerous cells more effectively. In comparison to CAR-T cells, CAR-NK cells can be prepared from allogeneic donors and are safer with a lower chance of cytokine release syndrome and graft-versus-host disease, as well as being a more efficient antitumor activity with high efficiency for off-the-shelf production. Moreover, CAR-NK cells may be modified to target various antigens while also increasing their expansion and survival in vivo. Extensive preclinical research has shown that NK cells can be effectively engineered to express CARs with substantial cytotoxic activity against both hematological and solid tumors, establishing evidence for potential clinical trials of CAR-NK cells. In this review, we discuss recent advances in CAR-NK cell engineering in a variety of hematological malignancies, as well as the main challenges that influence the outcomes of CAR-NK cell-based tumor immunotherapies