Papers by Abdolkarim Sheikhi
Deleted Journal, Jan 14, 2024
The editor would like to acknowledge all those peer-reviewers who have generously dedicated their... more The editor would like to acknowledge all those peer-reviewers who have generously dedicated their time during the year 2015 to this journal. The following individuals have reviewed the submitted manuscripts to Iranian Journal of Immunology and their critical comments and helpful suggestions have played a major role in the success of IJI. Thank you all very much.
Epidemiology and Infection
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic commenced in 2019 and with high global mortality still ongoing. Early sym... more The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic commenced in 2019 and with high global mortality still ongoing. Early symptoms of COVID-19 include pneumonia, fever, myalgia, and fatigue. The human immune system produces IgM and IgG antibodies as a response to SARS-CoV-2 exposure. Despite many previous studies, there are limited information on the relation between clinical features and the humoral immune response of patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between level of serum IgM/IgG and severity of clinical symptoms in patients with COVID-19. From 188 patients with COVID-19 recruited to Ganjavian hospital in Dezful, finally 134 patients were fully included in the study. The patients were divided into three (including mild, moderate and severe) groups based on their symptoms. The levels of IgM and IgG in serum were measured on three occasions, one month apart using the ELISA method. The results showed that serum IgG level was significantly higher in patients with moderate symptoms in comparison with patients with mild symptoms (p<0.001). IgG production was also significantly higher in patients with severe symptoms in comparison with mild (p<0.0001) and moderate (p<0.05) groups. IgM and IgG titers were highest in the first samples and decreases over time. Although it is expected that the anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies have protective role against the virus, the direct association between IgG levels and the severity of symptoms could be due to the reason that the immune system has acted late and tried to produce antibodies in a burst against the virus in patients with severe compared to the mild symptoms. As evidences indicate that the late functioning of the immune system is associated with a dysregulated innate immune response, so, to complete the data it is suggested to measure not only the serum IgG and IgM, but also the serum type I interferons earliest at the onset of the symptoms.
Drug research, Feb 24, 2016
Medical laboratory sciences, May 1, 2015
Background: Receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) plays a causative role in diabete... more Background: Receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) plays a causative role in diabetes. Garlic (Allium sativum) belongs to compounds with anti-glycation activity that can be considered as probable therapeutic approaches in delaying or preventing the onset of diabetes complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of garlic on the RAGE expression and proinflammatory cytokines secretion in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Materials and Methods: The PBMCs were isolated from 20 patients with fasting blood sugar level above 126 mg/dl and treated with R10 fraction and whole garlic extract in presence or absence of glycated albumin. The expression of RAGE was detected using flow cytometry and the proinflammatory cytokines secretion was evaluated by ELISA. Results: Glycated albumin increased RAGE expression and proinflammatory cytokines secretion. Treatment with whole garlic extract significantly reduced TNF-α and IL-1β secretion and RAGE expression by PBMCs but R10 fraction augmented the proinflammatory cytokines and RAGE expression in absence or presence of glycated albumin. Conclusion: Downregulation of RAGE expression was associated with decreased secretion of IL-1β and TNF-α from PBMCs after treatment with whole garlic, while R10 fraction of garlic significantly augmented RAGE expression and proinflammatory cytokines secretion. These data indicates that modulation of RAGE expression may be one plausible reason for the garlic effects on proinflammatory cytokines secretion.
international journal of endocrinology and metabolism, Apr 30, 2010
PubMed, Mar 1, 2018
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) involved in regulation of the genes. The CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-α (CEB... more MicroRNAs (miRNAs) involved in regulation of the genes. The CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-α (CEBPα) is a crucial transcription factor for normal hematopoiesis and cell cycle that frequently disrupted in human acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The miR-182 up-regulation in several malignant diseases such as AML was reported, in the other hand bioinformatics analysis revealed CEBPα targeted by miR-182.miR-182-5p inhibition in human acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cell line was performed by using locked nucleic acid (LNA) and subsequently miR-182-5p and CEBPα expression, apoptosis, necrosis and cell proliferation were measured. After LNA-anti-miR-182-5p transfection to cells at different time points, miR-182-5p down regulation and CEBPα overexpression was revealed in the LNA-anti-miR group compared to the control groups. The cell viability was meaningfully varied between LNA-anti-miR and control groups. Increasing of the apoptotic ratio was linked to miR-182-5p inhibition in the LNA-anti-miR group rather than other groups. Similarly, the necrotic ratio in the LNA-anti-miR group was higher.Our results supported the hypothesis that miR-182-5p inhibition can reduce the cell viability predominantly due to induces apoptosis and necrosis. The present results can apply in translational medicine for investigation of antisense therapy and drug development in leukemia.
PubMed, Jan 5, 2017
Background: Interleukin (IL)-17/IL-23 axis performs a prominent role in the pathogenesis of sever... more Background: Interleukin (IL)-17/IL-23 axis performs a prominent role in the pathogenesis of several autoimmune disorders. This study aimed to investigate the concentrations of IL-17 in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and its relationship with gender, medication, disease forms and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in IL-23R gene, including rs11209026 and rs1004819. Methods: The blood specimens were obtained from 135 healthy individuals and 135 MS patients. The patients exhibited relapsing-remitting (RRMS; n = 65), primary progressive (PPMS; n = 19), secondary progressive (SPMS; n = 35) or progressive relapsing (PRMS; n = 14) MS. The DNA was analyzed for SNPs using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and IL-17 concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: We have observed elevated serum IL-17 concentrations in MS patients compared with healthy individuals (P < 0.001). The men with MS had higher IL-17 concentrations than women patients (P < 0.050). Untreated patients had significantly higher IL-17 concentrations than healthy individuals and treated patients (P < 0.001 and P < 0.010, respectively). The IL-17 concentrations were significantly decreased in patients treated with interferon-β (IFN-β), methylprednisolone or both drugs as compared with untreated MS patients (P < 0.050, P < 0.020 and P < 0.050, respectively). The IL-17 concentrations were also significantly higher in patients with RRMS and PRMS compared with healthy individuals (P < 0.005 and P < 0.010, respectively). The genetic variations at SNPs rs11209026 and rs1004819 were not significantly different between healthy individuals and patients. The IL-17 concentrations were not influenced by genetic variations at investigated SNPs. Conclusion: These results indicated higher levels of IL-17 in MS patients that may be influenced by disease patterns, medication and gender. No association was observed between investigated SNPs and MS.
PubMed, Feb 16, 2018
Background: The mouth cavity hosts various types of anaerobic bacteria including Porphyromonas gi... more Background: The mouth cavity hosts various types of anaerobic bacteria including Porphyromonas gingivalis, which causes periodontal inflammatory diseases. P. gingivalis is a gram-negative oral anaerobe and is considered as a main etiological factor in periodontal diseases. Several studies have reported a relationship between P. gingivalis in individuals with periodontal diseases and a critical role of this bacterium in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases. The present study aimed at estimating this probability using a meta-analysis. Methods: We searched several databases including PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science to identify case-control studies addressing the relationship between P. gingivalis with periodontal diseases. A total of 49 reports published from different countries from 1993 to 2014 were included in this study. I² (heterogeneity index) statistics were calculated to examine heterogeneity. Data were analyzed using STATA Version 11. Results: After a detailed analysis of the selected articles, 49 case-control studies with 5924 individuals fulfilled the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis. The healthy controls included 2600 healthy individuals with a Mean±SD age of 36.56±7.45 years. The periodontal diseases group included 3356 patients with a mean age of 43.62±8.35 years. There was a statistically significant difference between P. gingivalis in periodontal patients and healthy controls; 9.24 (95% CI: 5.78 to 14.77; P = 0.000). In the other word, there was a significant relationship between the presence of P. gingivalis and periodontal diseases. Conclusion: Analyzing the results of the present study, we found a strong association between the presence of P. gingivalis and periodontal diseases. This result suggests that another research is needed to further assess this subject.
Asian journal of sports medicine, May 31, 2017
Background: A session of resistance training (RT) will lead to metabolic and inflammatory changes... more Background: A session of resistance training (RT) will lead to metabolic and inflammatory changes. The aim of this study is to investigate metabolic and inflammatory changes in trained and untrained men. Methods: Twenty-eight young healthy men (14 trained and 14 untrained people) participated in this present study. To assess metabolic and inflammatory responses and muscle damage, blood samples were gathered before, immediately and 1 hour after training. Results: The percentage of muscle mass and baseline CK activity were significantly greater within the trained than the untrained group. After conducting a RT session, there was a significant reduction in insulin concentration and resistance within the two groups and in blood glucose only within the untrained group. In addition, RT was also associated with an increase in muscle damage biomarkers, CK, and LDH after training. Unlike CK, the activity of LDH was reduced during 1 hour of training (P < 0.05). Among the different inflammatory markers, only IL-6 concentration significantly increased within the two groups, which remained after 1 hour of training at the untrained group (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The results of this study have shown that a RT session causes metabolic and inflammatory changes. The inflammatory response is significantly greater among subjects within the untrained group. Moreover, blood pressure response was also greater within the untrained group, which is directly related to the training intensity. However, there were no significant differences in metabolic responses and muscle damages between the trained and untrained subjects.
Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences, May 1, 2007
Trends in medical sciences, Sep 19, 2022
Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is widely known as the essential receptor for severe acute... more Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is widely known as the essential receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). SARS-CoV-2 is the cause of the globally known coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has been the leading cause of virus-related mortality since early 2020. A wide range of human cells in different human organs express ACE2. The importance of ACE2 in the involvement of human organs during COVID-19 and its critical role in the process of target cell infection have rendered it an interesting therapeutic target. In this review, we briefly focus on ACE2 and its general roles in the human body and highlight the roles of ACE2 in the emergence of COVID19. Ultimately, we discuss the strategies for preventing virus entry using ACE2 blocking.
Production of specific antibody responses against hTSH is a cumbersome process due to the high id... more Production of specific antibody responses against hTSH is a cumbersome process due to the high identity between the hTSH and the other members of the glycoprotein hormone family (FSH, LH and HCG) and the high identity between the human hTSH and host animals for antibody production. Therefore, two polyclonal antibodies were purified against two recombinant proteins. Four possible ELISA tests were designed based on these antibodies. These ELISA tests were checked against hTSH and other glycoprotein hormones, and their sensitivity and specificity were assessed. Bioinformatics tools were used to analyze the immunological properties. After the immunogen region selection from hTSH protein, c terminal of B hTSH was selected and applied. Two recombinant genes, with these cut pieces (first: two repeats of C terminal of B hTSH, second: tetanous toxin+B hTSH C terminal), were designed and sub-cloned into the pET32a expression vector. Standard methods were used for protein expression, purificat...
Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences, Aug 15, 2007
Trends in Medical Sciences
Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, May 11, 2017
Tumor cells escape from immune recognition by several mechanisms such as down-regulating of MHC c... more Tumor cells escape from immune recognition by several mechanisms such as down-regulating of MHC class I molecules, losing of tumor antigens, etc. The purpose of cancer immunotherapy is to robust or reconstruct the capacity of the immune system to recognize and kill tumor cells by overwhelming the mechanisms by which tumors escape the immune response. One of the novel immunotherapeutic strategies were used to potentiate NK-and T cell functions is chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). CARs are composed of an antigen-binding domain of a molecule such as an antibody (that binds to a tumor associated antigens expressed on the surface of tumor cells) and an intracellular T cell activation domain. The CARs provide the recognition of target antigen in a MHC-independent manner. CAR-armed T cells may be unable to kill their targets in the absence of co-stimulators like NK cells. On the other hand, CARarmed NK cells may also be unable to destroy their targets without receiving help signals from Th cells. Thus, if CAR-armed NK cells use together with CAR-armed T cells, NK cells will be aggregated to the tumor site. Thus, not only CAR T cells will obtain the necessary cytokines/costimulators from NK cells, but also other tumor specific T cells will be primed by recognition of tumor specific antigen (TSA) associated with MHC class I. These new specific primed T cells probably combat against tumor cells which have lost their TAAs that CART cells are redirected to them.
Gene, cell and tissue, Aug 1, 2022
Background: Invasion and metastasis in tumors are considered as two most important reasons for th... more Background: Invasion and metastasis in tumors are considered as two most important reasons for the reduction of treatment efficiency, as well as an increase in the mortality rate among the patients. According to the evidence, HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) accounts for one of the main IncRNAs associated with the development and expansion of gastric cancer (GC). Objectives: This research investigates the impact of HOTAIR suppression on the expression and translation of the ZEB1 marker in GC. Methods: The knockdown HOTAIR was in the AGS cell line using small interfering RNA targeting against HOTAIR (si-HOTAIR). The impact of HOTAIR expression on the cell proliferation was previously evaluated by the MTT assay. The expression of the zinc finger Ebox binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) gene in transfected cell lines was quantified compared to the control samples using the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was also used to assess the HOTAIR suppression impact on the ZEB1 protein. Results: The findings revealed that a decrease in the HOTAIR expression could cause a reduction in the proliferation and growth of cancer cells (Fold changes = 0/28, P-value < 0.01). According to the impact of changes in the HOTAIR expression levels on the ZEB1 expression, the ZEB1 expression level was directly correlated with HOTAIR so that a decrease in the HOTAIR expression led to a significant decline in the ZEB1 expression level (P-value < 0.05). At the protein level, the effect of the knockdown of HOTAIR expression on the reduction of ZEB1 protein was also observed. Conclusions: Our findings showed a significant association between the HOTAIR and ZEB1 expression levels. Overall, the HOTAIR-ZEB1 axis plays a vital role in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in human GC and represents a new therapeutic strategy for future GC treatment.
Trends in medical sciences, May 23, 2022
Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, Jul 14, 2020
The third outbreak of coronavirus (CoV) infection (after SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV) caused by a novel... more The third outbreak of coronavirus (CoV) infection (after SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV) caused by a novel CoV (SARS-CoV-2) of the genus Beta-coronavirus has become a global pandemic. CoVs are enveloped viruses whose proteins include spike (S), membrane (M), and envelope (E) which are embedded in the viral envelope. The glycosylated S protein, which forms homo-trimeric spikes on the surface of the viral particle, mediates viral entry into host cells. SARS-CoV-2, like SARS-CoV, uses the Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) cell surface protein for cellular entry. An attractive anti-viral approach is targeting virus entry into cells, for which three strategies are suggested: 1) direct targeting of the viral glycoprotein; 2) targeting the viral receptor on the cell surface; and 3) using soluble (s) ACE2 that binds to S protein thereby neutralizing the virus. In this article, the advantages and disadvantages of these strategies are explained. Moreover, we propose that fusion of the sACE2 to anti-CD16 to produce a bi-specific molecule could be a promising anti-viral strategy.
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Papers by Abdolkarim Sheikhi