Dendritic cell-based immunization induces Coccidioides Ag2/PRA-specific immune response

Valley Fever, or coccidioidomycosis, is caused by a soil-borne, highly virulent fungal pathogen, Coccidioides spp. Infection with Coccidioides can be life-threatening. Since an effective treatment is not available and the T cell-mediated immune response is protective, vaccine development is of interest. In this study, a primary dendritic cell (DC)-vaccine was evaluated for its ability to stimulate Coccidioides antigen-specific immune response in an extremely susceptible BALB/c mouse model. The DC-vaccine (Ag2-DC) was prepared by non-virally transfecting the primary bone marrow-derived DCs with a plasmid DNA encoding Ag2/PRA (protective epitope of Coccidioides). Mice were intranasally immunized with Ag2-DC on days 2 and 10. Immunized mice were necropsied on days 8, 32, and 44. Major organs and blood samples were harvested. The most common indicators of injury (protein, lactate, and albumin), Ag/PRA-specific cytokine-secreting cells, and IgG and its isotypes were determined by biochemical and immunologic assays, respectively. No signs of sickness were noted. Similarly, no significant changes were observed in the levels of total lung protein, lactate, and albumin, in immunized mice compared with healthy control mice. Interferon (IFN-γ), and interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-17 cytokine-secreting cells were observed in lung and lymph nodes upon Ag2-DC immunization. Our results showed that the levels of serum IgG and its isotypes were increased in Ag2-DC-immunized mice. This report provides evidence of DC immunization-stimulated Ag2/PRA-specific immune responses.     

Shoulder pain prevalence and risk factors in middle-aged women: A cross-sectional study

PurposeThe aim of the current study was to investigate the prevalence of shoulder pain and to explore the possible associated risk factors in middle-aged women.MethodsA total of 500 middle-aged women, aged 45–65 years, participated in this cross-sectional study. The point and lifetime prevalence of shoulder pain were calculated. Linear and logistic regressions were used to determine the possible associations between the risk factors and present shoulder pain.ResultsThe point and lifetime prevalence of shoulder pain were 18.6% and 27.6%, respectively. The logistic regression analysis demonstrated a significant association between present shoulder pain and history of shoulder pain and trauma, osteoporosis, trapezius muscle pain, and cervical radiculopathy (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant association between present shoulder pain and diabetes mellitus or postural deviation (p > 0.05).ConclusionThe results indicated that shoulder pain has considerable prevalence in middle-aged women. In addition, a history of shoulder pain and trauma, osteoporosis, trapezius muscle pain, and cervical radiculopathy were found to be associated with present shoulder pain. Future research should concentrate on longitudinal designs that explore preventive strategies and risk factors for shoulder pain.     

Evaluation of corneal thickness alterations during menstrual cycle in productive age women

Purpose:

To determine the change in corneal thickness through different phases of menstrual cycle in women who are in their productive age.

Materials and Methods:

Fifty healthy women with normal past medical history were enrolled in this prospective study. Central corneal thickness was measured with ultrasound pachymeter three times during a menstrual cycle: Beginning of the cycle (days 1-3), ovulation time, and at the end of cycle (days 27-32). We confirmed ovulation time with determining a peak in luteinizing hormone in urine. To avoid the diurnal variation of the corneal thickness which is well recognized, we checked all our subjects at 10 in the morning.

Results:

In days 1 to 3 of menstruation, mean corneal thickness was 541.40±11.36 and 540.82±11.70 microns for left and right eyes respectively. At ovulation time the mean thickness changed to 556.50±7.11 and 555.98±7.26 microns for left and right eyes respectively, and at the end of the cycle, the corneal thickness turned in to 536.38±12.83 and 535.48±13.08 microns for left and right eyes respectively. The difference of corneal thickness was statistically significant relating to the different stages of menstrual cycle.

Conclusion:

The thickest cornea during the menstruation cycle is achieved at the ovulation time and the thinnest at the end of the cycle and this should be taken in to account whilst plan to do a corneal refractive surgery.     

The Calciotropic Hormone Response to Omega-3 Supple-Mentation During Long-Term Weight-Bearing Exercise Training in Post Menopausal Women

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of ingestion of omega-3 (n-3) and aerobic exercise intervention on the calcium regulating hormones in healthy postmenopausal women. To this end, 56 healthy sedentary postmenopausal women with mean age 57.7 ± 3.5 yrs participated in this study. Participants were randomly divided into exercise plus supple-ment (E+S; n = 14), exercise (E; n = 14), supplement (S; n = 14) and control (Con, n = 14) groups. The subjects in E+S and E groups performed aerobic exercise training (walking and jog-ging) up to 65% of exercise HRmax, three times a week for 16 weeks. Subjects in E+S and S groups were asked to consume 1000 mg/d omega-3 for 16 weeks. The blood ionized Calcium (Ca⁺²), Parathyroid hormone (PTH), estrogen and Calcitonin (CT) were measured before and after 16 weeks of exercise training. Results indicated that consuming 1000 mg·day^-1 omega-3 during 16 weeks and or the aerobic exercise, significantly increased CT (p = 0.001) in E+S, E and S groups and significantly decreased PTH (p = 0.001) levels in E+S and E groups, also significantly increased estrogen (p = 0.024) levels in E+S and E groups, but had no significant effects on blood Ca⁺² (p = 0.619) levels. The results of present study demonstrate that omega-3 in combination with regular aerobic exercise training have significant effects on serum CT, estrogen and PTH in non-athletic post-menopausal women, suggesting that participating in moderate intensity weight-bearing exercise and incorporating sources of omega-3 in the diet a possible intervention to help slow the loss of bone that occurs following menopause.

Key points

• Long-term weight-bearing exercise was shown to prove positive effects on bone metabolism.
• Serum calciotropic hormone levels and Ca⁺² can be affected by exercise intensity as well as dura-tion.
• There is a good relationship between dietary omega-3 (n-3) and bone metabolism in post-menopausal women.
• Omega-3 in combination with long-term weight-bearing exercise training has significant effects on serum calciotropic hormone levels in non-athlete post-menopausal women.

Key words: Postmenopausal women, physical activity, parathyroid hormone, calcitonin, omega-3 fatty acids, bone mineral density     

Outcome of lupus nephritis in Iranian children: prognostic significance of certain features

The objective of this study was to determine the clinical and histopathological features and outcome of children with lupus nephritis (LN). Of 84 children with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), we retrospectively studied 58 children (69%) under 15 years of age with biopsy-proven LN who had been followed between October 1989 and January 2005. The mean age at diagnosis or initial referral was 10.6 ± 2.25 years, and the mean follow-up was 5.3 ± 4.1 years. Class IV LN was observed in 34 (58.6%) patients. The 5-year patient and renal survival rates were 82.5 and 78.5%, respectively, in the total group, and 75 and 85.8%, respectively, in patients with Class IV LN. No independent predictor of unfavorable outcome, including renal histology, was detected by multivariate analysis. The mid-term patient and the renal survival rates of Iranian children with biopsy-proven LN are high. Within 5 years of follow-up, renal histology was not a predictor for survival.