Regulatory T (Treg) cells are essential for maintenance of peripheral tolerance and prevention of autoimmune diseases in part by producing immunosuppressive cytokines. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have also been involved in autoimmune disorders, not least for their crucial role in the regulation of Treg biology and function. We simultaneously investigated the concentration of IL-35, IL-10, TGF-β, and sCD25 in supernatant of cell culture and the expression patterns of several miRNAs in CD4(+)CD25(+) CD127(-/low) FoxP3(+) Tregs of ulcerative colitis (UC) patients. Significantly lower levels of IL-10 and IL-35 were observed in Treg cultures of UC patients. miR-21, miR-146a, and miR-155 levels were downregulated and miR-31 level was upregulated in Tregs of patients. Our results suggest that microRNAs may serve as a novel regulator in function and homoeostasis of UC Treg cells, providing a key role for them in pathophysiology of UC.
Although plasma levels of cell adhesion molecules are different in T1D patients and healthy controls, they might not be good candidate markers for prognosis of disease.
Background: Cystic echinococcosis (CE), caused by the larval stage of the Echinococcus granulosus, is a common human and animal disease that occurs worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the clinico-epidemiological characteristics of patients with hydatid cyst in surgical cases from 2001 to 2019 in Qom hospitals. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Qom province, the center of Iran, from 2001 to 2019. The study population included all cases with hydatid cyst who operated in governmental and private hospitals. The participants’ characteristics such as age, gender, occupation, place of residence, organ involved, clinical signs and, diagnosis and treatment methods were collected using a questionnaire. The statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS (version 23) software package. Results: The results revealed that 53.21% and 46.79% of patients were females and males, respectively. Most cases were uban residents (57.69%), and 62.18% of them were housewives. Liver involvement was the most common localization of hydatid cysts reported in 73.7% of patients. The main diagnostic procedures were computed tomography scanning and indirect hemagglutination (IHA). Abdominal pain was reported in 62.2% of cases, and the most common treatment method for the disease was surgical (84.6%). Further, recurrence occurred in 13.47% of patients. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that the majority of patients with CE were housewives. Therefore, proper washing of fruits and vegetables is very important. To prevent the occurrence of CE, the public awareness level should be increased. In addition, educational programs must be conducted by the Ministry of Health to identify whether the control measures are needed in the high risk population.
MIMO radar is a new promising research area. In MIMO radar in compare to conventional phase array radar each radar antenna can transmit arbitrary waveform. This degree of freedom in waveforms design brings numerous benefits for MIMO radar. But to deploy these benefits, a waveform optimization problem should be solved. One of the most important criteria in designing waveforms is achieving prescribed correlation matrix. In this paper we propose a novel stochastic method based on copula for constant modulus waveform synthesis to obtain a given correlation matrix. This method is compared to existing methods for pros and cons. Simulation is carried to verify the theoretical results.
Background: Cystic echinococcosis (CE), caused by the larval stage of the Echinococcus granulosus, is a zoonotic disease and has a global distribution. Today, herbal compounds are highly regarded in order to inactivate hydatid cyst protoscoleces. This study aimed to compare the scolicidal activity of hydroalcoholic extract of Pulicaria gnaphalodes and Alhagi maurorum against hydatid cyst protoscoleces in vitro. Methods: The scolicidal activity of P. gnaphalodes and A. maurorum extracts were evaluated at 50, 100, 150, and 200 mg/mL concentrations following 15, 30, and 60 minutes of exposure. Then, they were compared with Albendazole (5 g/100 mL) as positive control and distilled water as negative one in similar doses. The viability of protoscoleces was confirmed with a 0.1% eosin stain test under a light microscope. The experiments were performed twice, and data were analyzed by GraphPad software version 5.0. Results: The results of this study indicated that P. gnaphalodes extract killed 100% of the protoscoleces at a concentration of 200 mg/mL after 30 minutes of exposure, but the hydroalcoholic extract of A. maurorum at the same concentration and time could kill 90% of protoscoleces. Conclusion: The findings of the present study confirmed that P. gnaphalodes had a strong scolicidal effect; however; in vivo studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of P. gnaphalodes plant.
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