Batch studies on the removal of Ni (II) from aqueous solution by Azolla filiculoides

There are many plants which have the ability to accumulate large amounts of heavy metals and one of them is the aquatic fern, Azolla filiculoides. Toxic metals constitute a serious health risk because they accumulate in soils, water and organisms. One of the methods for removing these pollutants from water and soil is the use of plants. The aim of this study was to test the ability of A. filiculoides to adsorb Ni from polluted waters. The maximum uptake of nickel ions by the collected A. filiculoides biomass under the optimal conditions was approximately 45.32 mg/g dry Azolla. Desorption experiments indicated that EDTA was an efficient desorbent for recovery from nickel ions.Key words: Nickel, Azolla filiculoides, wastewater, biosorption

The impaired balance of CD4+/CD8+ ratio in patients with chronic hepatitis B

Background: The role of immune system in natural course of viral hepatitis has been drawn some attention. One of the main diagnostic markers of the immune system function in different diseases might be the ratio of CD4+ to CD8+ T lymphocytes (CD4+/CD8+ ratio). Objectives: This research aimed to measure and compare CD4+/CD8+ ratio in the patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and control group. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, thirty-three CHB patients and thirty age and sex-matched healthy controls were included. Immunophenotyping of isolated T cells was performed using specific anti-CD4 and anti-CD8 antibodies by flow cytometry. Conse-quently, CD4+, CD8+ and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+were counted and compared between the two groups. Results: CD4+ counts () were considerably reduced in patients with CHB compared to the healthy controls (51.22 ± 10.5 vs. 63.14 ± 9.9, P = 0.00), whereas CD8+ counts () were higher in the patients with CHB than healthy controls (48.8 ± 10.5 vs. 36.85 ± 9.86, P = 0.00). Moreover, CD4+/CD8+ ratio remarkably decreased in the patients with CHB (1.15 ± 0.5) than healthy controls (1.93 ± 0.9) (P = 0.00). Area under curve (AUC) of 0.79 (SE = 0.06, CI = 0.68-0.90, P value = 0.05) was reported for CD4+/CD8+ ratio with a sensitivity of 72.73 and specificity of 73.33 in 1.35 cut-off (likelihood ratio = 2.72). Conclusions: The research indicated an impaired balance between T cell subsets associated with a higher proportion of CD8+ T cells and a lower proportion of CD4+ T cells and CD4+/CD8+ ratio in patients with CHB. © 2020, Author(s)