The role of glycoprotein 130 in homing

Coordinated lymphocyte adhesion and migration is a hallmark of the adaptive immune response in both physiological and pathological conditions. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms underlying lymphocyte trafficking at the molecular level may provide novel targets for the treatment of immune-mediated diseases. The controlled migratory pattern of lymphocytes, commonly referred to as homing, is critically dependent on specialized microvasculature and is facilitated by the expression of adhesion molecules and signaling chemokines. During steady state conditions, homing of immune cells occurs continuously in the lymph nodes due to the constitutive expression of homing molecules, whereas during an inflammatory condition, a reactive up regulation of these adhesion molecules is necessary for immune cell trafficking to take place. The dynamics of immune cell recruitment, demonstrated by intravital microscopy, showed that lymphocyte adhesion in the target tissue's microvascular bed is mostly restricted to the post-capillary and collecting venules, whereas arterioles and capillaries can not support this interaction. High shear stress exerted by fluid dynamics in the lumen of venules requires intravascular lymphocytes to anchor using receptor molecules that form mechanically stable bonds with counter receptors in the vascular wall (von Andrian & Mackay, 2000). These molecules play a key role in lymphocyte binding and facilitate the directed migration of lymphocytes by functioning as a tissue specific recognition molecule differentially expressed on the surface of lymph node ECs (von Andrian & Mackay, 2000). Specialized venular ECs found in lymph nodes and Peyer's Patches (PPs) called high endothelial venules (HEVs) constitutively express on their surface a specialized type of this homing molecule called addressins, allowing for the continuous recruitment of lymphocytes during steady state conditions. Elsewhere in the body, ECs must be activated by exposure to inflammatory mediators in order to allow transendothelial migration to the inflamed tissue. There is strong evidence to show the homing signature of a lymphocyte is dependent on the expression of adhesion molecules and chemokine receptors on the cell surface as well as their ligands expressed by the venular endothelium. Here, we hypothesize that the cytokine signaling receptor subunit glycoprotein 130 (gp130) is a functional requirement for eliciting an effective recruitment of lymphocytes to secondary lymphoid organs during steady states. Glycoprotein 130 is a signaling subunit involved with the interleukin-6 (IL-6) family of cytokines. Previous studies done in the lab have shown that this glycoprotein is over expressed in the venular versus non-venular endothelial cells, indicating a potential role of gp130 in lymphocyte homing during steady state conditions. This hypothesis was tested by analyzing short term homing assays using donor β-actin-GFP splenocytes, with recipient litter-mate controls and recipient conditional or inducible conditional knockout mouse models that lack gp130 expression on ECs. By comparing the homing abilities of GFP+ splenocytes to various secondary lymphoid organs in wild type versus knockout mouse models, we were able to determine that gp130 expression on the endothelial cell compartment does have a role in lymphocyte homing, demonstrated by impaired homing capabilities evident in only the knockout mice. Identifying the function of gp130 expressed by venular ECs and its role in lymphocyte recruitment during steady state conditions may lead to a better understanding of the immune system and it's complexity during the dynamic maintenance of homeostatic health

Investigating the efficiency of the branch offices of the Tose'ye Ta'avon bank by the DEA method

The present research was designed and implemented with the aim of investigating the efficiency of the branch offices of the Tose'ye Ta'avon bank by the DEA method. For this purpose, the statistical population of this study was all the branch offices of the Tose'ye Ta'avon bank at the national level. The number of branches under study was estimated 31. The present research in terms of objective is an applied research while the data collection methodology is of a field research type. The library tool for collecting the data as well as the Delphi method was applied for finalization of the information. The information collected was analyzed by using the WINQSB software, where the findings indicated from among all the provinces indicated; 9 branch offices in 2012, 9 branch offices in 2011, 7 branch offices in 2010 and 8 branch offices in 2008 were highly efficient, branch offices of provinces of Kermanshah and Golestan in 2012 and branch offices in the province of Fars in 2009 had a weak efficiency while the rest of the offices were inefficient

Prooxidant-antioxidant balance in pregnancy: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of selenium supplementation

OBJECTIVE We assessed the impact of selenium, a trace element with antioxidant properties on a simple measure of oxidative stress in pregnant women. STUDY DESIGN A novel assay of prooxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) was applied in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of selenium supplementation in pregnancy. We measured the prooxidant burden and the antioxidant capacity simultaneously in one assay, thereby calculating a redox index. A total of 166 primigravid pregnant women in the first trimester of pregnancy, were randomized to receive 100 microg of selenium (n=83) or placebo (n=83) per day until delivery. PAB values and serum selenium concentrations were measured at baseline and at the end of study. RESULTS Pretreatment demographic data and biochemical indices including serum selenium concentrations did not differ significantly between the groups. The drop-out rates for the groups were 22/83 and 19/83 for the selenium and placebo groups, respectively. Supplementation with selenium was associated with a significant increase in mean serum selenium concentration (P<0.001) but without significant change in mean PAB value. In contrast, mean serum selenium concentration remained unchanged and mean PAB values increased significantly (P<0.05 in the control group). CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that selenium supplementation may reduce oxidative stress associated with pregnanc

Selenium supplementation and the incidence of preeclampsia in pregnant Iranian women: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial

OBJECTIVE Recent studies have reported that antioxidant status, including serum selenium concentrations, is altered in women who develop preeclampsia. We wished to examine the effects of selenium supplementation in the prevention of preeclampsia in high-risk pregnant women. DESIGN We carried out a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial. A total of 166 primigravid pregnant women, who were in the first trimester of pregnancy, were randomized to receive 100 microg of selenium (n = 83; dropouts, n = 22) or a placebo (n = 83; dropouts, n = 19) per day until delivery. The incidence of preeclampsia, serum selenium concentrations, lipid profile and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein status were evaluated at baseline and at the end of the study. RESULTS Supplementation with selenium was not associated with any reported major side effects and was associated with a significant increase in mean serum selenium concentrations at term (p 0.05). After treatment, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were significantly increased in both groups compared with pretreatment levels (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that selenium supplementation in pregnant women may be associated with a lower frequency of preeclampsia