Trichomonas vaginalis infection is one of the sexually transmitted diseases. It is a health problem all over the world, including Iraq. It has also been associated with adverse outcomes of pregnancy and increased risk of HIV. Trichomoniasis typically elicits aggressive local cellular immune responses with inflammation of the vaginal epithelium and exocervix in women and urethra in men. The present study was aimed to assess serum level of interferon gamma (IFN-γ), Interleukin 10 (IL-10), C-reactive protein, antiphospholipid, anticardiolipin antibodies with eosinophil count as well. Four hundred and forty women with ages ranging between 16 and 60 years old (average of 34.2 years) who attended Maternity Teaching Hospital and a number of public health centers in Erbil Governorate were screened for trichomoniasis by direct wet mount preparation and culture technique. Serum IFN-γ, IL-10, antiphospholipid, and anticardiolipin were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. C-reactive protein (CRP) and eosinophil count were assessed by I CROMA and Coulter, respectively. The results revealed that IL-10 level (96.46 ± 1.97 pg/ml vs. 91.86 ± 1.48 pg/ml), eosinophil count (0.1 ± 0.07 × 10³/μL vs. 0.1 ± 0.01 × 10³/μL), and CRP concentration (2.55 ± 0.74 mg/l vs. 2.27 ± 0.37 mg/l) were non-significantly (P > 0.05) changed in infected women in comparison with negative control group. However, serum IFN-γ level (484.83 ± 38.35 pg/ml vs. 372.15 ± 9.49 pg/ml) was significantly (P < 0.05) elevated in infected women in comparison to the control group. The results also revealed significant increase (P < 0.05) of antiphospholipid immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies (4.75 ± 0.3 U/ml vs. 3.79 ± 0.11 U/ml) in the sera of infected women, but antiphospholipid immunoglobulin M (IgM), anticardiolipin IgG, and anticardiolipin IgM antibodies were non-significantly altered in response to T. vaginalis infection.
Background and objectives: Echinococcus granulosus exists as a complex of different strains that differ in a wide variety of criteria that impact on the epidemiology, immunology, pathology and control of hydatid disease. This study was undertaken to investigate both humoral and cellular immune responses that are developed against hydatid cysts in Erbil. Methods: Thirty patients (9 males and 21 female) with surgically confirmed cystic echinococcosis and 10 apparently healthy individuals were included in this study. IgG ELISA was performed to asses humoral immune responses. CD4/ CD8 ratio, eosinophil count and lymphocyte transformation response were done to asses the cellular immune responses. The level of IFN-γ and TNF-α was also assayed. Results: The sensitivity of ELISA to detect anti-hydatid antibodies was shown to be 83.33%. CD4 / CD8 ratio was significantly (P< 0.001) decreased in patients with cystic echinococcosis as compared to normal control group, while eosinophil count (P< 0.001), lymphocyte transformation response (P< 0.001) and IFN-γ level (P< 0.01) were significantly increased. In contrast the level of TNFα was non- significantly changed in echinococcosis patients. Conclusion: The current study showed that the local strain of Echinococcus granulosus induces both cellular and humoral immune responses, and the number of peripheral blood CD8 T cells was significantly increased in cystic echinococcosis patients. However, hyporesponsivness to hydatid specific antigens has not been induced.
ABSTRAK (11,7%). Puncak infeksi terjadi selama musim semi 9 (65,9% vs 14,1%, p<0,05). ,5%). Tingkat deteksi rotavirus (32,0%) sedikit lebih tinggi pada laki-laki (34,4% vs 30,0%) dan anak usia 1 sampai 3 tahun (39,3%). Tingkat deteksi tertinggi (38,6%) terjadi selama musim dingin (Januari dan Februari). Infeksi lebih tinggi bermakna pada anak yang tidak divaksin Kesimpulan: Insidens cryptosporidiosis mengalami penurunan tetapi gastroenteritis akibat rotavirus cukup banyak terjadi pada anak-anak di Erbil. Vaksin rotavirus menurunkan insidens infeksiakibat rotavirus secara bermakna. ABSTRACTBackground: Watery diarrhea is the most common medical problem among infants and young children, caused by different microbial etiology including Cryptosporidium spp. and rotavirus, which are usually misdiagnosed in conventional stool test. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of Cryptosporidium and rotavirus gastroenteritis among children in Erbil as well as evaluate the efficacy of rotavirus vaccination procedure applied in Erbil.
Background and objectives: Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a ubiquitous apicomplexan parasite. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii must invade host cells to survive and replicate. Five cathepsin proteases are encoded in the genome of T. gondii, cathepsin L like protein, cathepsin B like protein, and three cathepsin C like proteins. The present study was aimed to investigate the prevalence of toxoplasmosis among women in Erbil, and to study the role of cathepsin B and cathepsin L genes in the pathogenesis of toxoplasmosis as well as their role as risk factors for abnormal pregnancy outcome. Methods: This is a cross sectional study was carried out in Erbil from October 2018 to March 2019. A total of 230 women at their reproductive age and who attended Maternity Teaching Hospital and Nazdar Bamarni primary Health Center were enrolled. Anti- toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies were detected by cobas 6000. Toxoplasma cathepsin B and cathepsin L – like genes were selected to be targets in PCR. Results: Anti-toxoplasma IgG and IgM were seropositive in 105 (45.7%) and 18 (7.8%) women, respectively. Of those women who were seropositive for toxoplasmosis, only 15(6.5%) of them were carrying both anti-toxoplasma IgG and IgM. No significant association of toxoplasmosis and educational level, socioeconomic level, age, history of abortion, abnormal baby birth weight were observed. PCR targeting cathepsin L was more sensitive to be used in the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis. Conclusion: Sero-prevalence of toxoplasmosis is relatively high in Erbil and cathepsin L gene is an efficient target for PCR and could be used as risk factor for abnormal pregnancy outcome.
Diagnosis of cystic echinococcosis is complex and has to be confirmed by the combination of immunological tests and imaging techniques. In this study heat shock proteins were induced and their immunoreactivity was assessed by ELISA. Sera were collected from 34 hydatid patients who were admitted to the Rizgary Teaching Hospital through October 2013 to July 2017, in addition to 29 healthy donors and 18 non-hydatid cases. For heat shock response, two batches of 25000 protoscoleces (Ps) were incubated separately at 42°C and 45 °C for 4 hours. Heat treated and normal Ps were disrupted and the extracts were divided into two parts. One part was directly used as source of antigens (PE, PE42 and PE45) and the other one was partially purified on Sephadex G150. The immunoreactivity of these antigens, as well as hydatid fluidwas assessed by ELISA. The cutoff value to differentiate positive from negative sera was established by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Two peaks of PE42 and three peaks of PE45 resulted by Sephadex G150. Extracts of 42ºC treated Ps resulted in two protein peaks and were used as PE42P1 and PE42P2 antigens. For 45°C treated Ps, the chromatography patterns resulted in three protein peaks and were used as PE45P1, PE45P2 and PE45P3 antigens. Highest rates of sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy were detected with PE42P2 (91.2%) and PE45P2 (91.2%). Sensitivity of ELISA was consistent for liver cysts with all applied antigens. Hydatid antigens extracted from heat treated Ps markedly raised the sensitivity of ELISA to detect anti-hydatid IgG.
Helicobacter pylori is resident in human stomach and causes chronic disease (peptic ulcer and gastritis). The mouth and colon were both known to host a large number of microbes. This study was carried out to investigate the seroprevalence of H. pylori infection among Cihan University students. A total of 197 blood samples were collected from the students (53 females and 144 males) from 13 departments of Cihan University, Erbil, and tested for anti-H. pylori antibodies, using rapid immunochromatography assay. Among 197 students tested, 44 (22.3%) showed positive reaction for H. pylori, 32 males and 12 females. It was non-significantly higher among students with ages ranged between 29 and 32 years old. Twenty-one of infected students were using tap water for drinking. Twenty-six (59.1%) of positive students experienced no symptoms and 18 (40.9%) were symptomatic (13.63% epigastric pain and 27.2% abdominal pain).
Yousif et al.: Immunological Parameters and Rhoptry Pseudokinases Gene Expression in ToxoplasmosisToxoplasma affects about one-third of the world's population and is a common disease between humans and animals. The most common cause of toxoplasmosis is infection with Toxoplasma gondii. The main virulence factors of Toxoplasma gondii in toxoplasmosis are rhoptry pseudokinases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the seroprevalence and immunological parameters of toxoplasmosis and investigate the expression of rhoptry protein 5, rhoptry protein 16 and rhoptry protein 18 genes in women in Erbil. Also, evaluation of the serum levels of interleukin-12 and interleukin-6 in women with recurrent miscarriage were performed. In this study, 300 women at their reproductive age who referred to Maternity Teaching Hospital of Erbil were registered. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay technique has been applied to detect anti toxoplasma immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M. Statistical analysis was done via statistical package for the social sciences version 21.0 and the p value of ≤0.05 was considered as statistically significant. A total of 50 seropositive samples with and without history of miscarriage were tested by polymerase chain reaction for detection of rhoptry protein 5, rhoptry protein 16 and rhoptry protein 18 genes using home designed primers. A significant association was found between toxoplasmosis and history of abortion, but no association was found between toxoplasmosis and education level, socioeconomic status, age and residence. According to the results, the interleukin-6 level was non-significantly (p>0.05) changed in infected women. Nevertheless, serum interleukin-12 level was remarkably (p<0.05) elevated in infected women compared to control group. Polymerase chain reaction targeting both toxoplasma genes detected more abortive cases than non-abortive one among anti-toxoplasma seropositive women. The results of quantification and detection of rhoptry protein 5, rhoptry protein 16 and rhoptry protein 18 genes of Toxoplasma gondii among 50 samples by polymerase chain reaction, confirmed the expression of these genes in toxoplasmosis condition. Finally, it was concluded that the prevalence of toxoplasmosis has increased in Erbil women and the level of interleukin-12 in the serum of women infected with Toxoplasma gondii has increased significantly. Also, rhoptry protein 5, rhoptry protein 16 and rhoptry protein 18 genes can be used as markers in the first level of toxoplasmosis. Therefore, quantification of these genes can help in determining Toxoplasma gondii strain virulence.
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