Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Group Intervention for Parents of Children with Disabilities (Navigator ACT): An Open Feasibility Trial

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and other disabilities report high levels of distress, but systematically evaluated interventions are few. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a novel, manualized Acceptance and Commitment Therapy group intervention (Navigator ACT) in a sample of 94 parents of children with disabilities. Feasibility was measured by treatment completion, credibility, and satisfaction, and preliminary outcomes by using self-rating scales administered at the baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up. The results imply the intervention is feasible in the context of Swedish outpatient habilitation services. A preliminary analysis of the outcome measures suggests that parents experienced significant improvements in well-being. The results indicate that the treatment is feasible and should be evaluated in a randomized controlled trial.

Determination of thallium in urine, blood, and hair in illicit opioid users in Iran

CONTEXT

Heavy metals, including thallium and lead, are introduced to illicit drug users' body as a result of using drugs such as cocaine and heroin.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine urine, blood, and hair thallium (Tl) concentrations in illicit opioid users along with the relevant clinical signs and symptoms consistent with thallotoxicosis and to compare them with the corresponding variables in the control non-opioid user group.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This case-control study was conducted on 50 illicit opioid users who had abused opioids continuously for more than a year, referred to Amirie Drug Abuse Treatment Clinic in Kashan, Iran. The control group included 50 non-opioid users. Thallium concentrations in urine, blood, and hair were assessed in both groups (n = 100) using electrothermal (graphite furnace) atomic absorption spectrometry (ET AAS, GF AAS).

RESULTS

In the studied group, the median (interquartile range) concentrations of thallium in urine, blood, and hair were 54.8 ± 79.9 μg/L, 14.5 ± 11.1 μg/L, and 5.4 ± 3.7 µg/g, respectively; these values were 4.8 ± 5.2 μg/L, 2.5 ± 2.4 μg/L, and 1.4 ± 1.1 µg/g, respectively, in the control group. There were significant differences in urine, blood, and hair thallium concentrations between the study group and the control group (p < 0.001). There were significant correlations between duration of illicit opioid use and urine thallium concentrations (r = 0.394, p = 0.005) and hair thallium concentrations (r = 0.293, p = 0.039), but not with blood thallium concentrations (r = 0.246, p = 0.085). Urine and blood thallium concentrations of illicit opioid users with clinical signs and symptoms consistent with thallotoxicosis of weakness (p = 0.01), depression (p = 0.03), and headache (p = 0.03) were higher than users without these problems.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The results of the study showed that thallium concentrations in urine, blood, and hair in illicit opioid users were significantly higher than the comparable concentrations in the control group. This can be due to the use of illicit opioids adulterated with thallium. Also, this study showed long-term illicit opioid use may lead to thallium exposure. In addition, cigarette smoking was associated with increased thallium exposure.

Association of PDCD1 gene markers with susceptibility to thyroid cancer

PURPOSE

PD-1 receptor is a co-signaling molecule with an important role in regulation of T-lymphocyte activity. Correlation between PD-1 gene (PDCD1) polymorphisms and some immune-related diseases has been reported before. In current study, we aimed to investigate the association of PD-1 polymorphisms at positions +7146 G/A (PD-1.3) and +7785 C/T (PD-1.5), as well as the emerged haplotypes with susceptibility to thyroid carcinoma.

METHODS

One hundred five patients with confirmed thyroid cancer and 160 healthy individuals as control group were enrolled. Genotypes were identified using PCR-RFLP and nested PCR-RFLP methods. Results were analyzed by Arlequin and SPSS software packages.

RESULTS

Analysis revealed a significant increase in the frequency of PD-1.5 mutant T allele and heterozygous CT genotype in patients with thyroid cancer in comparison with controls [79 (37.7%) vs. 71 (22.2%), and 51 (48.6%) vs. 51 (31.9%), p = 0.0001 and p = 0.009, receptively]. CC genotype at this position observed to be significantly higher among controls than the patients [99 (61.9%) vs. 40 (38.1%), p = 0.0002]. There were no significant differences in the frequencies of genotypes and alleles at locus PD-1.3 between patients and control group. Despite this, GT haplotype emerged from both positions (PD-1.3 G and PD-1.5 T) has also been observed with significant increased frequency between patients and controls [70 (36.8%) vs. 71 (22.2%), p = 0.0005].

CONCLUSION

As the first study to investigate two mentioned polymorphisms in thyroid cancer, current study confirmed the association of PD-1.5 C/T polymorphism and a haplotype resulted from both loci, PD-1.3 and PD-1.5, with susceptibility of Iranians to thyroid cancer.

Fractal features and surface micromorphology of diamond nanocrystals

This paper analyses the three-dimensional (3-D) surface texture of growing diamond nanocrystals on Au thin films as catalyst on p-type Si substrate using hot filament chemical vapour deposition (HFCVD). Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses were applied also to characterize the 3-D surface texture data in connection with the statistical, and fractal analyses. This type of 3-D morphology allows a deeper understanding of structure/property relationships and surface defects in prepared samples. Our results indicate a promising way for preparing high-quality diamond nanocrystals on Au thin films as catalyst on p-type Si substrate via HFCVD method.

HLA class I variation in Iranian Lur and Kurd populations: high haplotype and allotype diversity with an abundance of KIR ligands

HLA-A, -B and -C alleles of 285 individuals, representing three Iranian Lur populations and one Iranian Kurd population were sequenced completely, yielding human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I genotypes at high resolution and filling four fields of the official HLA nomenclature. Each population has 87-99 alleles, evenly distributed between the three HLA class I genes, 145 alleles being identified in total. These alleles were already known, named and deposited in the HLA database. The alleles form 316 different HLA A-B-C haplotypes, with each population having between 80 and 112 haplotypes. The four Iranian populations form a related group that is distinguished from other populations, including other Iranians. All four KIR ligands - the A3/11, Bw4, C1 and C2 epitopes - are well represented, particularly Bw4, which is carried by three high-frequency allotypes: HLA-A*24:02, HLA-A*32:01 and HLA-B*51:01. In the Lur and Kurd populations, between 82% and 94% of individuals have the Bw4 epitope, the ligand for KIR3DL1. HLA-B*51:01 is likely of Neandertal origin and associated with Behcet's disease, also known as the Silk Road disease. The Lordegan Lur have the highest frequency of HLA-B*51:01 in the world. This allele is present on 46 Lur and Kurd haplotypes. Present at lower frequency is HLA-B*51:08, which is also associated with Behcet's disease. In the four Iranian populations, 31 haplotypes encode both Bw4(+) HLA-A and Bw4(+) HLA-B, a dual combination of Bw4 epitopes that is relatively rare in other populations, worldwide. This study both demonstrates and emphasizes the value of studying HLA class I polymorphism at highest resolution in anthropologically well-defined populations.

Increased B Regulatory Phenotype in Non-Metastatic Lymph Nodes of Node-Positive Breast Cancer Patients

Tumour-draining lymph nodes (TDLNs) are centre in orchestrating the immune responses against cancer. The cellularity and lymphocyte subpopulations change in the process of cancer progression and lymph node involvement. B lymphocyte subsets and their function in breast cancer-draining lymph nodes have not been well elucidated. Here, we studied the influence of tumour metastasis on the frequencies of different B cell subsets including naïve and memory B cells as well as those which are known to be enriched in the regulatory pool in TDLNs of 30 patients with breast cancer. Lymphocytes were obtained from a fresh piece of each lymph node and stained for CD19 and other B cell-associated markers and subjected to flow cytometry. Our investigation revealed that metastatic TDLN showed a significant decrease in active, memory and class-switched B cells while the frequencies of B cells with regulatory phenotypes were not changed. However, CD27(hi) CD25(+) and CD1d(hi) CD5(+) B regulatory subsets significantly increased in non-metastatic lymph nodes (nMLNs) of node-positive patients compared with node-negative patients. Our data provided evidence that in breast cancer, metastasis of tumour to axillary lymph nodes altered B cell populations in favour of resting, inactive and unswitched phenotypes. We assume that the lymphatic involvement may cause an increase in a subset of regulatory B cells in non-metastatic lymph nodes.

Serum levels of interleukin-7 and interleukin-8 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the association of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with serum levels of interleukin-7 (IL-7) and IL-8, the two cytokines whose associations with HNSCC need more clarifications. Materials and Methods: Commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits were used for the quantification of the cytokines. Sera were collected from 48 untreated patients (36 men and 12 women; mean age: 52.7 ± 9.8 years) and 34 healthy donors (26 men and 8 women; mean age: 53.1 ± 9.0 years). Results: Serum IL-8 level was neither significantly different between HNSCC patients and control individuals nor associated with smoking status, gender, age, tumor location, tumor grade, and stage of the patients (P > 0.05). Regarding IL-7, all control individuals had serum levels below the sensitivity of the kit (3 pg/ml), but nine patients had detectable levels, and that the mean serum IL-7 was significantly higher in the patients compared to the controls (P = 0.008). Conclusions: Serum IL-8 level is not significantly associated with HNSCC. With the sensitivity of the kit we employed, it seems that serum IL-7 levels are specifically elevated in HNSCC patients compared to healthy individuals. Data from other independent studies are required to clarify the possible employment of IL-7 as an HNSCC biomarker.

Self-reported symptoms of adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among obese patients seeking bariatric surgery and its relation to alcohol consumption, disordered eating and gender

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT

Symptoms of adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are common among people with obesity. Symptoms of ADHD are associated with other impulsive behaviours. Impulsivity can manifest differently in women and men.

WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS

The prevalence of ADHD symptoms was equal in both sexes in this patient group. ADHD symptoms were associated with hazardous alcohol consumption in men but not in women. It may be important to investigate several comorbid conditions simultaneously instead of a single diagnosis. Eating disorders and adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), both characterized by deficits in impulse control, are common among bariatric surgery patients. Previous studies in other groups have found gender differences in how symptoms of ADHD and eating disorders manifest as women show more disordered eating and men show more risk consumption of alcohol. In the present study, the association between symptoms of adult ADHD, eating disorders and hazardous alcohol consumption was investigated, while considering gender differences. Self-report questionnaires were obtained from 276 bariatric surgery patients 3-6 months before surgery. The prevalence rates of adult ADHD and binge eating disorder (BED) were 8.6% and 6.3%, respectively, with no evidence of gender difference in the prevalence rates. Hazardous alcohol consumption was reported by a significantly larger portion of men (16.9%) than women (8.6%). There was an association between adult ADHD and both BED and hazardous alcohol consumption. However, symptoms of adult ADHD were associated with hazardous alcohol consumption in men but not in women. Our results suggest gender differences in hazardous alcohol consumption and self-reported symptoms of disordered eating despite similar prevalence rate of BED, but no gender difference in symptoms of adult ADHD. Finally, as the associations between these variables seem to be different in women and men, future studies need to investigate potential gender-specific functional and temporal relations between these variables.

Infrequent attention to dietary and physical activity behaviours in conversations in Swedish child health services

AIM

To investigate conversations between nurses and parents in Swedish child health services and to assess to what extent attention is directed towards dietary and physical activity behaviours in children.

METHODS

Twenty-three nurses audio-recorded one session each. Recordings were assessed and topics were classified according to predetermined categories.

RESULTS

The three most frequent topics of conversation concerned physical examinations of the child (30% of session time), talking to the child to establish or maintain contact and interest (15%), and development of language skills (12%). Dietary habits came on fourth place (10%), and physical activity ranked 14 (4%).

CONCLUSION

Attention to dietary and physical activity behaviours in children is infrequent in Swedish child health services. Concern is raised about the efficacy of prevention efforts against childhood obesity.

Development and validation of a new questionnaire measuring eating disordered behaviours post bariatric surgery

Contextualization of post-surgery circumstances in terms of key behaviours and emotions related to eating is crucial for reliable screening. Disordered eating post surgery is characterized by frequent snacking and a sense of loss of control over food intake. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of a short self-report questionnaire entitled Disordered Eating after Bariatric Surgery (DEBS). Results indicate that the DEBS possesses satisfactory psychometric properties in terms of reliability, validity, internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The DEBS may facilitate both systematic clinical evaluation and future research within the area of bariatric surgery.

Repellency Effects of Essential Oils of Myrtle (Myrtus communis), Marigold (Calendula officinalis) Compared with DEET against Anopheles stephensi on Human Volunteers

BACKGROUND

Malaria and leishmaniasis are two most significant parasitic diseases which are endemic in Iran. Over the past decades, interest in botanical repellents has increased as a result of safety to human. The comparative efficacy of essential oils of two native plants, myrtle (Myrtus communis) and marigold (Calendula officinalis) collected from natural habitats at southern Iran was compared with DEET as synthetic repellent against Anopheles stephensi on human subjects under laboratory condition.

METHODS

Essential oils from two species of native plants were obtained by Clevenger-type water distillation. The protection time of DEET, marigold and myrtle was assessed on human subject using screened cage method against An. stephensi. The effective dose of 50% essential oils of two latter species and DEET were determined by modified ASTM method. ED(50) and ED(90) values and related statistical parameters were calculated by probit analysis.

RESULTS

The protection time of 50% essential oils of marigold and myrtle were respectively 2.15 and 4.36 hours compared to 6.23 hours for DEET 25%. The median effective dose (ED(50)) of 50% essential oils was 0.1105 and 0.6034 mg/cm(2) respectively in myrtle and marigold. The figure for DEET was 0.0023 mg/cm(2).

CONCLUSION

This study exhibited that the repellency of both botanical repellents was generally lower than DEET as a synthetic repellent. However the 50% essential oil of myrtle showed a moderate repellency effects compared to marigold against An. stephensi.

Binge eating in surgical weight-loss treatments. Long-term associations with weight loss, health related quality of life (HRQL), and psychopathology

BACKGROUND

Studies that have investigated the relationship between binge eating and the long-term outcome of bariatric surgery have shown mixed results. Does binge eating affect long-term BMI, health-related quality of life (HRQL), or psychopathology after surgery?

METHODS

We assessed 173 bariatric patients before and three years after weight loss surgery with regard to weight, binge eating, HRQL, and psychopathology.

RESULTS

Binge eating before and after weight loss surgery was unrelated to long-term BMI outcome. Binge eating after weight loss surgery was associated with more psychopathology and lower HRQL.

CONCLUSIONS

Binge eating before or after weight loss surgery does not predict long-term BMI outcome. Therefore, exclusions from surgery for this reason alone are difficult to motivate. However, results show that binge eating after weight loss surgery is common and is associated with more psychopathology and lower HRQL, which might increase the vulnerability for future weight regain and complications beyond the follow-up period of the present study. The high rate of binge eating after surgery and its negative association with HRQL and psychopathology suggest that we need to be observant of the occurrence and potential effects of binge eating in the context of bariatric surgery.

Discordant patterns of mtDNA and ethno-linguistic variation in 14 Iranian Ethnic groups

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Present-day Iran has long represented a natural hub for the expansion of human genes and cultures. That being so, the overlapping of prehistoric and more recent demographic events interacting at different time scales with geographical and cultural barriers has yielded a tangled patchwork of anthropological types within this narrow area. This study aims to comprehensively evaluate this ethnic mosaic by depicting a fine-grained picture of the Iranian mitochondrial landscape.

METHODS

mtDNA variability at both HVS-I and coding regions was surveyed in 718 unrelated individuals belonging to 14 Iranian ethnic groups characterized by different languages, religions and patterns of subsistence.

RESULTS

A discordant pattern of high ethno-linguistic and low mtDNA heterogeneity was observed for the whole examined Iranian sample. Geographical factors and cultural/linguistic differences actually represented barriers to matrilineal gene flow only for the Baloch, Lur from Yasouj, Zoroastrian and Jewish groups, for which unusual reduced levels of mtDNA variability and high inter-population distances were found.

CONCLUSION

Deep rooting genealogies and endogamy in a few of the examined ethnic groups might have preserved ancestral lineages that can be representative of Proto-Indo-Iranian or prehistoric mitochondrial profiles which survived relatively recent external contributions to the Iranian gene pool.

Treatment of osteoarthritis with infrapatellar fat pad derived mesenchymal stem cells in Rabbit

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressively debilitating disease that affects mostly cartilage, with associated changes in the bone. Increasing incidence of OA and the aging population coupled with insufficient therapeutic choices has led to focus on the potential of stem cells as a novel strategy for cartilage repair. In this study, we used scaffold free mesenchymal stem cells obtained from infrapatellar fat pad in an experimental animal model of OA by direct intraarticular injection. Mesenchymal stem cells isolated from a 2.8kg White New Zealand rabbit. The cells were expanded and grown in vitro. OA was induced by unilaterally anterior cruciate ligament transection of knee joints. Twelve weeks after operation, a single dose of 1 million cells suspended in 1ml of medium was delivered to the injured knee by direct intraarticular injection. Control group received 1ml of medium without cells. The knees were examined after sixteen and twenty weeks from the surgery. Repairing was investigated radiologically, grossly and histologically using haematoxylin and eosin, Safranin-O and toluidine blue staining. Radiological assessment confirmed development of OA changes after 12 weeks. Rabbits receiving mesenchymal stem cells showed lower degree of cartilage degeneration, osteophyte formation, and Subchondral sclerosis than control group at 20 week after surgery. The quality of cartilage was significantly better in cell-treated group compared with control group after 20 weeks. In conclusion, infrapatellar fat pad derived mesenchymal stem cells could be the promising cell sources for the treatment of OA.

Survival of male breast cancer in fars, South of iran

BACKGROUND

Although breast cancer in men is uncommon, its incidence rate has an increasing trend. Due to its low incidence, there are few studies in this subject and limited information is available. The purpose of this study was to investigate clinicopathological characteristics and survival of male breast cancer (MBC) in Fars Province, south of Iran.

METHODS

The data for this study were obtained from the population based cancer registry of Vice-Chancellor for Health Affairs of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences and Shiraz hospitals between January 1, 1989 and January 1, 2008, including 64 patients with MBC. Demographic, clinical and pathological aspects were investigated. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for the determination of survival rate and Log Rank test for the comparison. The Cox proportional hazards model was used for the multiple analysis.

RESULTS

The patients' mean age at the time of diagnosis was 60.3 years (SD=12.7). The most frequent age group (26.6%) was 51-60 years. The most common symptom (96.8%) was a palpable mass. The majority of patients (44.4%) had a symptom duration of less than or equal to 6 months. 56.3% of the patients had a tumor size of 2-4.9 cm. Forty six percent of the cases had axillary lymph node involvement. The median survival time was 10.0 years [95% confidence interval (CI): 6.0-14.0]. The 5 year overall survival rate was 66.0% (95% CI=51.0-81.0%). The median survival time of patients with axillary lymph node involvement was 8.2 years (95% CI=6.7-9.6) and for the cases without involvement was 12.0 years (95% CI=8.4-15.2). In addition to axillary lymph node involvement, positive family history in contrast to negative family history and left tumors in compari-son with right tumors were poorer prognostic factors in univariate analysis respectively (p=0.006, p=0.031). In multiple analysis, axillary lymph node involvement was an independent predictor of poorer survival (Hazard ratio=1.6, 95% CI=1.1-6.4, p=0.030) and the other variables did not have a significant effect.

CONCLUSION

The mean age of MBC in this series is lower than that in western countries. It is compatible to the mean age of female breast cancer which is approximately one decade less than that in developed countries. The survival rate of MBC is relatively lower than that in western countries. Axillary lymph node involvement is an important prognostic factor in the survival of MBC. Multicenter population based studies with greater number of patients are required for better estimation of different aspects of MBC in Iran.

p 53 codon 72 polymorphism in stomach and colorectal adenocarcinomas in Iranian patients

BACKGROUND

The association of a functional single nucleotide polymorphism at codon 72 of the p53 gene (Arg72Pro) with malignancy is a subject of controversy. We analyzed this polymorphism in 224 patients with gastrointestinal cancers (92 with stomach cancer and 132 with colorectal cancer) and in 163 healthy controls.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

DNA was extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells and amplified with an allele-specific polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS

There was no significant association between p53 alleles and gastrointestinal cancers. The frequency of the Arg allele was 59.7, 58.8, and 59.2% in the stomach cancer patients, colorectal cancer patients, and controls, respectively. Frequencies of the Pro allele were 40.3% in patients with stomach cancer, 41.2% in patients with colorectal cancer, and 40.8% in controls. Likewise, genotype frequencies did not differ significantly between the two patient groups and controls. There were no differences in genotype or allele frequencies by gender, age, or histological grade.

CONCLUSIONS

The data do not support the association of the p53 codon 72 polymorphism with stomach or colorectal cancers in Iranian patients.

CTLA4 exon 1 and promoter polymorphisms in patients with multiple sclerosis

OBJECTIVE

The polymorphisms of exon 1 (+49 A/G) and promoter regions (-1722 T/C, -1661 A/G and -318 C/T)of cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4) and also haplotypes constructed from mentioned loci were investigated amongst 153 Iranian patients with definite multiple sclerosis (MS) and 190 healthy controls.

METHODS

The polymorphisms were genotyped by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphisms and PCR-amplification refractory mutation system. The 4-locus haplotypes were estimated by Arlequin software (University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland).

RESULTS

Preliminary results showed significant increase of +49 G allele and -1661 AG genotype, as well as TGCA haplotype among patients than controls (P < 0.036, P = 0.009 and P < 0.010, respectively). The distribution of -1722 T/C, -1661 A/G, -318 C/T and +49 A/G (TACA) haplotype, from the contrary, was observed to be significantly increased among controls (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

After Bonferroni correction, the results provide preliminary evidence that CTLA4 genetic variation at -1661 locus may render Iranian individuals to be more susceptible to MS, whereas harboring TACA haplotype might be protective.

Cell cycle analysis and cytotoxic potential of Ruta graveolens against human tumor cell lines

There are reports on the presence of various compounds exerting different biological activities in Ruta graveolens, a plant of Rutaceae family. The aim of the present study was to evaluate in vitro cytotoxicity of the total extract of R. graveolens against tumor cell lines of different origin. Aerial parts of the plant was extracted with 70% ethanol by sonication method and cytotoxic activity was examined on RAJI, RAMOS, RPMI8866, U937, Jurkat, MDA-MB-453, MCF-7, LNCap-FGC-10, 5637, HeLa, SK-OV-3, A549, Mehr-80 and also peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) by the use of WST-1 assay. Results were expressed as IC(50) values. R. graveolens extract showed high cytotoxic activity against RAJI and RAMOS, two Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines, with an IC(50) equal to 24.3 microg/ml and 35.2 microg/ml respectively and LNCap-FGC-10, a prostate adenocarcinoma cell line with an IC(50) equal to 27.6 microg/ml as well as Mehr-80, a newly established Large Cell Lung Carcinoma (IC(50)=46.2 microg/ml). No significant anti-proliferative activity was observed on other cell lines including MCF-7, MDA-MB-453, SK-OV-3, HeLa, 5637, JURKAT and RPMI8866. Adverse cytotoxic effect of R. graveolens was investigated against PBMCs and a significantly lower effect of this extract (IC(50)=104 microg/ml) was seen on normal cells compared with RAJI and RAMOS, two haematopoietic cell lines.

Exon-1 Polymorphism of ctla-4 Gene in Iranian Patients with Graves' Disease

Polymorphisms in ctla-4 gene have been shown to be associated with the Graves' disease (GD) susceptibility in different populations in the world. This study was undertaken to disclose the probable association of exon-1 polymorphism of ctla-4 with GD in Iranian patients. A49G polymorphism was investigated in 90 patients and 90 age/sex matched normal healthy controls, using PCR-SSCP and PCR-RFLP methods. Frequencies of AA, AG and GG genotypes among patients were found to be 21 (23.3%), 49 (54.5%) and 20 (22.2%) while these frequencies among healthy controls were 30 (33.3%), 53 (58.9%) and 7(7.8%), respectively. A significant increase of GG genotype and G allele was observed in patients (p = 0.012 and p = 0.025). In conclusion, consistent with the results of most other studies, the presence of a G allele in position 49 of ctla-4 exon-1 is associated with susceptibility to GD in Iranian population.

Placental transfer of tetanus-specific immunoglobulin G in Iranian mothers

OBJECTIVES

To investigate placental transfer of anti-tetanus immunoglobulin (Ig)G antibodies in Iranian mothers.

METHODS

Sera collected from 209 pregnant women and their paired infants were evaluated for tetanus-specific antibodies by a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTS

In total, 15 (7.2%) out of 209 mothers and 12 (5.7%) out of 209 newborns were negative for anti-tetanus IgG. A highly significant correlation was observed between maternal and fetal anti-tetanus IgG (r = 0.80). The mean cord/maternal blood ratio of anti-tetanus IgG was 1.22 +/- 0.97. The mean cord/maternal blood ratio of anti-tetanus IgG in mothers with blood groups B+ and AB+ was lower than in mothers with other blood groups (p = 0.027). In addition, among mothers who had more than 0.5 IU/ml anti-tetanus IgG, a higher percentage of cases with cord/maternal blood ratio of < 1 was observed in carriers of blood groups B+ and AB+ compared to those with other blood groups (45.2% vs. 41.8%). Parity of more than 4 had a significant negative effect on both frequency of high positive sera and the mean of anti-tetanus IgG level in maternal and neonatal sera.

CONCLUSIONS

A relatively high percentage of pregnant women were not immune against tetanus. It was also found that the main factors that affect infants' tetanus-specific IgG are maternal concentration of this immunoglobulin, parity and maternal blood group.

Association of interleukin-18 gene promoter polymorphisms with breast cancer

Interleukin-18 [IL-18] gene promoter polymorphism is reported to be a genetic risk factor for several types of cancer. The aims of this investigation were to evaluate and compare the frequencies of IL-18 gene promoter polymorphisms at positions -137 [G/C] and -607 [C/A] in breast cancer patients and healthy controls as well as to study the contribution of these data with clinicopathological parameters at diagnosis. The studied populations comprised 250 cases with breast carcinoma and 206 healthy subjects. IL-18 gene promoter polymorphisms at positions -137 and -607 were amplified in patient and control groups using allele specific polymerase chain reaction [AS-PCR]. The frequencies of GG, GC and CC genotypes of -137 SNP were 141 [56.4%], 96 [38.4%] and 13 [5.2%] in patients vs. 110 [53.4%], 72 [34.9%] and 24 [11.7%] in controls, respectively. A significant decrease of the CC genotype was observed in patients [p = 0.04]. The frequency of the CC genotype at position -137 was also significantly higher in patients with metastasis than non-metastatic patients [21.4% vs. 4.3%] [p = 0.02]. There was no significant association between genotype frequencies at position -607 with breast cancer or its clinicopathological parameters at diagnosis. Moreover, allelic frequencies at these positions did not contribute to breast cancer incidence. The distribution of IL-18 gene haplotypes and genotype combinations were not significantly different between patients and normal control individuals. This is the first report investigating the contribution of IL-18 gene promoter polymorphisms to breast cancer. These results suggest contrast effects of IL-18 gene in cancer induction and progression. Key words: Breast cancer, IL-18, polymorphism.

A novel duplex SSP-PCR typing method for KIR gene profiling

Killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) control the function of natural killer cells. The number and type of KIR genes are substantially variable among individuals. Sequence-specific primer-directed polymerase chain reaction (SSP-PCR) based genotyping is the most commonly used method to assess the KIR gene content. However, it requires a minimum of 16 gene-specific amplifications and often yields false-negative results. Herein, we describe the development of a simple and efficient duplex SSP-PCR assay to identify the presence and absence of 16 KIR genes. This system further distinguishes subsets of KIR2DS4 and KIR3DP1 alleles. The assay was subjected to a blind validation using a panel of 78 reference DNA standards from the UCLA KIR Exchange Program, which showed 100% specificity and accuracy. Compared with the conventional SSP typing methods, the present method is an accurate, simple, cost-effective and labor-saving KIR genotyping method for high volume testing.

The frequency of transforming growth factor-beta1 gene polymorphisms in a normal southern Iranian population

Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the transforming growth factor-beta1 gene (TGFB1) have been reported. Determination of TGFB1 SNPs allele frequencies in different ethnic groups is useful for both population genetic analyses and association studies with immunological diseases. In this study, five SNPs of TGFB1 were determined in 325 individuals from a normal southern Iranian population using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. This population was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for these SNPs. Of the 12 constructed haplotypes, GTCGC and GCTGC were the most frequent in the normal southern Iranian population. Comparison of genotype and allele frequencies of TGFB SNPs between Iranian and other populations (meta-analysis) showed significant differences, and in this case the southern Iranian population seems genetically similar to Caucasoid populations. However, neighbour-joining tree using Nei's genetic distances based on TGF-beta1 allele frequencies showed that southern Iranians are genetically far from people from the USA, Germany, UK, Denmark and the Czech Republic. In conclusion, this is the first report of the distribution of TGFB1 SNPs in an Iranian population and the results of this investigation may provide useful information for both population genetic and disease studies.

A 2-year longitudinal study of eating attitudes, BMI, perfectionism, asceticism and family climate in adolescent girls and their parents

The aim of this longitudinal study of 383 Swedish adolescent girls (11 and 13 years old at year 1) and their parents was to examine changes in eating attitudes over a two-year period, and to investigate the predictive value of eating attitudes, perfectionism, asceticism, family climate and body mass index (BMI) for the development of disturbed eating attitudes. The following self-report questionnaires were used: Children's Eating Attitudes test, Eating Attitudes Test, Eating Disorder Inventory for Children, Eating Disorder Inventory 2, I Think I Am and The Family Climate. The frequency of disturbed eating attitudes increased with increased age in the girls. Children's eating attitudes, higher BMI than peers, the girls rating of a less healthy relation to family and their fathers' eating attitudes at year 1 contributed most to the prediction of disturbed eating attitudes for the girls 2 years later. The results suggest that early signs of disturbed eating attitudes and higher BMI than peers may be important predictors for the development of more serious eating disturbances among adolescent girls.

HLA class II similarities in Iranian Kurds and Azeris

The genetic relationship between Kurds and Azeris of Iran was investigated based on human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II profiles. HLA typing was performed using polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment-length polymorphism (PCR/RFLP) and PCR/sequence-specific primer (PCR/SSP) methods in 100 Kurds and 100 Azeris. DRB1*1103/04, DQA1*0501 and DQB1*0301 were the most common alleles and DRB1*1103/04-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0301 was the most frequent haplotype in both populations. No significant difference was observed in HLA class II allele distribution between these populations except for DQB1*0503 which showed a higher frequency in Kurds. Neighbor-joining tree based on Nei's genetic distances and correspondence analysis according to DRB1, DQA1 and DQB1 allele frequencies showed a strong genetic tie between Kurds and Azeris of Iran. The results of amova revealed no significant difference between these populations and other major ethnic groups of Iran. No close genetic relationship was observed between Azeris of Iran and the people of Turkey or Central Asians. According to the current results, present-day Kurds and Azeris of Iran seem to belong to a common genetic pool.

Promoter polymorphism of transforming growth factor-β1 gene and ulcerative colitis

AIM: To elucidate the possible difference in two promoter polymorphisms of the transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) gene (-800G > A, -509C > T) between ulcerative colitis (UC) patients and normal subjects.

METHODS: A total of 155 patients with established ulcerative colitis and 139 normal subjects were selected as controls. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms within the promoter region of TGF-β1 gene (-509C > T and -800G > A) were genotyped using PCR-RFLP.

RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in genotype and allele frequency distributions between UC patients and controls for the -800G > A polymorphism of the TGF-β1 gene (P < 0.05). The frequency of the TGF-β1 gene polymorphism at position -800 showed that the AA genotype and the allele A frequencies significantly differed between the patients and healthy controls (P < 0.05). At position -509, there was no statically significant difference in genotype and allele frequency between the patients and control subjects.

CONCLUSION: The results of our study indicate that there is a significant difference in both allele and genotype frequency at position -800G > A of TGF-β1 gene promoter between Iranian patients with UC and normal subjects.

Psychometric properties of the Eating Disorders in Obesity questionnaire: validating against the Eating Disorder Examination interview

Inconclusive results of how weight-loss treatment (WLT) results are affected by participants' eating disorders and/or binge eating are partly due to the variation caused by the multitude of assessment instruments used. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of a short DSM-IV-based assessment instrument designed to be used specifically in WLT settings, the Eating Disorders in Obesity (EDO) questionnaire. Participants were 97 patients seeking WLT at four surgical and one non-surgical clinics. Participants were assessed by the EDO and the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) interview . The validity and reliability of the EDO was measured as concordance with the EDE, and test-retest agreement of the EDO, respectively. Validity as well as reliability was found to be good for both eating disorders diagnoses and binge eating as a distinct symptom. Results suggest that the EDO is a short, easily administered instrument with good psychometric properties which makes it a suitable, economical method of assessing eating disorders and binge eating in clinical WLT settings.

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 gene polymorphism in Iranian patients with multiple sclerosis

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), an important molecule in leucocyte activation and migration, is expressed on the CNS endothelial cells of patients with multiple sclerosis. This study was conducted to determine whether ICAM-1 gene polymorphism influences the risk of developing multiple sclerosis in an Iranian population. We studied 157 patients with definite multiple sclerosis and 156 ethnically matched controls. The patients and the controls were genotyped for ICAM-1 gene polymorphism at codons 241 (exon 4) and 469 (exon 6). G/R241 and K/E 469 allele and genotype distribution did not show any significant difference between patient and control groups. We concluded that role of the ICAM-1 gene polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis is still controversial and should be studied further.

Remote treatment of bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder: A randomized trial of Internet-assisted cognitive behavioural therapy

The present study investigated the efficacy of self-help based on cognitive behaviour therapy in combination with Internet support in the treatment of bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. After confirming the diagnosis with an in-person interview, 73 patients were randomly allocated to treatment or a waiting list control group. Treated individuals showed marked improvement after 12 weeks of self-help compared to the control group on both primary and secondary outcome measures. Intent-to-treat analyses revealed that 37% (46% among completers) had no binge eating or purging at the end of the treatment and a considerable number of patients achieved clinically significant improvement on most of the other measures as well. The results were maintained at the 6-month follow-up, and provide evidence to support the continued use and development of self-help programmes.

Association of chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) delta32 mutation with Behçet's disease is dependent on gender in Iranian patients

OBJECTIVE

Behçet's disease (BD) is a recurrent multi-system inflammatory disorder caused by the combinations of multiple genetic and environmental factors. CCR5 is a Th1-dominant chemokine receptor whose levels are increased in patients with active BD. It is believed that a 32 bp deletion in the CCR5 gene reduces the expression of this receptor on the cell surface. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of CCR5 delta32 allele with BD in Iranian patients.

METHODS

The study included 100 patients with BD and 380 healthy controls. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification was used for analysis of CCR5 delta32 allele.

RESULTS

The frequency of CCR5 delta32 allele was not statistically different between 100 patients with BD and 380 healthy individuals. However, categorizing patients according to gender revealed a significant difference in distribution of the CCR5 delta32 allele in female patients compared with female control individuals (p = 0.047, fisher's exact test, OR = 2.66).

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that the CCR5 delta32 allele may be a genetic risk factor for BD in Iranian women. These results warrant further investigation to clarify the underlying mechanism of CCR5 deficiency in the initiation of BD.

HLA class II gene polymorphism in Parsees and Zoroastrians of Iran

Extensive polymorphism of the HLA genes in different ethnic groups has been used as an invaluable tool for anthropological studies. In this study, HLA-DRB1, DQA1 and DQB1 allele frequencies and haplotypes were determined in 72 Parsees and 65 Zoroastrians living in Iran. The predominant DRB1 allele was *1103 = 4 in Parsees and *0701 in Zoroastrians. DQA1*0501 was the most common alleles in both spopulations. The most frequent DQB1 allele was *0301 in Parsees and *0201 in Zoroastrians. DRB1*1103 = 4-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0301 and DRB1*0701-DQA1*0201-DQB1*0201 were the most prevalent haplotypes in Parsees and Zoroastrians, respectively. Significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was observed in DQA1 and DQB1 loci of Zoroastrians. The former locus also departed from neutrality due to balancing selection. All pairs of the studied loci in this study showed significant linkage disequilibrium. Analysis of molecular variance indicated that the main variation was confined to individuals within the studied populations. Neighbour-joining tree based on Nei's genetic distances according to DRB1 and DQB1 allele frequencies showed that Parsees and Zoroastrians of Iran were located in the same cluster of the phylogenetic tree. Furthermore, Zoroastrians of Iran and Pakistan are very close to each other. This study will serve as a reference for further anthropological studies when the HLA profile of all ethnic groups of Iran is investigated.

Association of CTLA-4 gene promoter polymorphisms with systemic sclerosis in Iranian population

In a recent study, we were unable to show any association between CTLA-4 exon-1 polymorphism and systemic sclerosis (SSc) in Iranian population. In order to further explore the role of this immune inhibitory gene in SSc development, in the present study, the polymorphisms in the CTLA-4 promoter region (-1,722 T/C, -1,661 A/G and -318 C/T) were investigated in 83 SSc patients and 166 healthy controls. All genotypes and allele frequencies in patients were significantly different from the control group (P=0.022 for -1,722 T/C, P=0.03 for -1,661 A/G and P=0.014 for -318 C/T genotypes). The -1,722C, -1,661G and -318T alleles contributed to SSc with P=0.012, odds ratio (OR) 2.16, P=0.031, OR 1.82 and P=0.023, OR 2.45, respectively. A significant difference was observed in the frequency homozygous 'genotype combination' -1,722TT/-1,661AA/-318CC of these three polymorphisms (P(c)=0.003). The frequency of this genotype combination was significantly higher in the control group than in patients. Results of this investigation indicate that -1,722C, -1,661G and -318T alleles of CTLA-4 gene promoter appear to be associated with SSc, and individuals carrying these alleles may be more susceptible to this disease.

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 promoter variants in breast cancer

CTLA4 is a coinhibitory molecule expressed mainly on activated T lymphocytes. To test the putative involvement of CTLA-4 in inhibitory state of immunity to breast cancer, we genotyped 283 patients and 245 healthy control subjects for -1722 T/C, -1661 A/G, and -318 C/T single nucleotide polymorphisms in the promoter region of the CTLA4 gene. There were no significant differences in genotype, allele, or haplotype frequencies in all three loci between patients and healthy controls. Moreover, the incidence of the most frequent haplotype combination (TAC/TAC, T -1722, A -1661, C -318) was only slightly higher among healthy controls than patients (68.4 vs. 64.8%, P = 0.2). This haplotype combination was associated with lower stages of the disease (P = 0.0007), however, and higher estrogen receptor (ER) expression in patients (P = 0.006). Association with tumor prognostic or predictive factors was also observed with certain genotypes: the -1661 AA genotype was associated with lesser lymph node (LN) involvement (P = 0.017) and higher ER expression (P = 0.004), and the -318 CC genotype with lesser LN involvement (P = 0.007). These results suggest that CTLA4 promoter variants participate in the progression of breast cancer rather than in its initial development.

Association of IL-18 promoter polymorphisms with predisposition to Type 1 diabetes

AIMS

IL-18, a potent IFN-gamma-inducing cytokine, is capable of polarizing the immune response to a Th1 phenotype. Recent studies have demonstrated an association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms located at positions -607 (A/C) and -137 (C/G) in the promoter region of IL-18 gene and Type 1 diabetes. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the same polymorphisms of the gene were associated with Type 1 diabetes in Iranians.

METHODS

In 112 patients with Type 1 diabetes and 194 non-diabetic control subjects, these two single-nucleotide polymorphisms were analysed by sequence-specific PCR.

RESULTS

Allele and genotype frequencies of the IL-18 gene polymorphisms were similar in the whole group of Type 1 diabetic patients and controls. However, categorizing patients according to age at onset of diabetes revealed a significant difference in distribution of the genotypes at position -137 between patients with older age at onset (> 15 years) (GG 49%, GC 34%, CC 17%) and control subjects (GG 57.7%, GC 36.6%, CC 5.7%) (P = 0.027). Frequency of the C allele at position -137 was significantly higher in these patients than in controls (P = 0.038). Moreover, there was an association between -607AA/-137CC genotype combination and susceptibility to Type 1 diabetes in this subgroup of patients (pc = 0.027).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study show that polymorphisms of IL-18 promoter confer susceptibility to Type 1 diabetes in Iranian individuals with onset at older ages. Further investigations are necessary to clarify the effect of IL-18 variants on immune regulation.

Exon-1 polymorphism of ctla-4 gene is not associated with systemic sclerosis in Iranian patients

Although, the cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 gene polymorphism at position 49 of exon-1 has been strongly elucidated in different autoimmune diseases, but its role in predisposition to systemic sclerosis (SSc) is yet controversial. This study intends to analyze the genetic correlation of the ctla-4 gene locus with diffuse systemic sclerosis (dSSc), as well as to understand the influence of these genotypes in disease expression. Seventy known cases of SSc, and 151 age-matched healthy controls, were participated in this investigation. The frequencies of AA, GG and AG genotypes were found to be 26 (37.1%), 5 (7.2%) and 39 (55.7%) in patients, and 60 (39.7%), 19 (12.6%) and 72 (47.7%) in controls, respectively. As indicated, the differences in genotype and allele frequencies between patients and controls were insignificant (P>0.05). Moreover, the distribution of CTLA-4 polymorphism between patients did not differ significantly according to clinical and serologic features. In Iranian patients, susceptibility to SSc is not influenced by a bi-allelic ctla-4 gene (A49G) polymorphism.

Molecular analysis of HLA allele frequencies and haplotypes in Baloch of Iran compared with related populations of Pakistan

The extreme polymorphism in different loci of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system has been used as an invaluable tool for anthropological studies. Determination of HLA allele and haplotype frequencies in different ethnic groups is useful for population genetic analyses and the study of genetic relationships among them. In the present study, molecular analysis of HLA-A, -B, -C, -DQA1, -DQB1, and -DRB1 genes has been used to assign HLA allele and haplotype frequencies in 100 unrelated healthy individuals from the Baloch ethnic group of Iran. The results were compared with Baloch and other ethnic groups in the neighboring Pakistan. The results of this study showed that the most frequent HLA class I alleles were A*02011 (20.2%), B*4006 (11.1%), and C*04011 (28.6%). The most common HLA class II alleles were DQA1*0101/2 (42.5%), DQB1*0201 (32%), and DRB1*0301 (29%). Three-locus haplotype analysis revealed that A*11011-B*4006-C*15021 (5.8%) and DQA1*0501-DQB1*0201-DRB1*0301 (22.1%) were the most common HLA class I and II haplotypes, respectively, in this population. Neighbor-joining tree based on DA genetic distances and correspondence analysis according to HLA-A, -B, -DQB1, and -DRB1 allele frequencies showed that Baloch of Iran are genetically very close to Baloch and Brahui of Pakistan. This may reflect an admixture of Brahui and Baloch ethnic groups of Pakistan in the Balochistan province of Iran.

Heterozygosity inCTLA-4 gene and severe preeclampsia

OBJECTIVE

One of the major complications of pregnancy, preeclampsia makes pregnancy termination inevitable in most cases. Similarities exist between the mechanisms that maintain normal pregnancy, allograft transplants, and, it is postulated, peripheral self-tolerance. In addition, the critical role of the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) molecule in maintaining self-tolerance has been established. Therefore, the frequency of CTLA-4 A49G polymorphism was investigated in severe preeclampsia.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Genomic DNA extracted from mononuclear cells of the peripheral blood of 36 pregnant women with severe preeclampsia and 151 healthy women was analyzed. A49G polymorphism in position 49 of exon-1 of the CTLA-4 gene was studied by the polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) method.

RESULTS

The frequency of the GG genotype was 2 (5.6%) in patients and 19 (12.6%) in controls, while the frequency of the AA genotype was 4 (11.1%) and 60 (39.7%). Interestingly, the frequency of the AG genotype was significantly higher in preeclamptic than in healthy women from the general population (83.3% vs. 47.7%; P=0.0005).

CONCLUSION

These data suggest that heterozygosity in the CTLA-4 A49G allele might be a predisposing factor for severe preeclampsia. Whether the observed association results from linkage imbalance with other loci on chromosome 2 or other polymorphisms of the CTLA-4 gene or even from a preferential transfer and/or expression of one allele from a heterozygous mother to the fetus will be the subject of future investigations.