Evaluation of In Vitro Production of IFN-gamma, IL-10, IL-12 and IL-13 by Blood Cells in Patients with Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Lesions

This study investigated the in vitro production of interferon-gamma, interleukin (IL)-10, IL-12, and IL-13, after antigenic stimulation of the cells (with Leishmania antigen and lipopolysaccharide) using whole blood from patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis lesions caused by Leishmania tropica and in normal volunteers with history of cutaneous leishmaniasis.ELISA results showed that the mean production of interferon-gamma by cells of whole blood in patients with lesions in response to Leishmania antigen was significantly lower than corresponding values in volunteers with history of cutaneous leishmaniasis (P< 0.05) and significantly higher levels of IL-10 production in patients with lesions were observed compared with cured volunteers of the disease (P<0.01). A similar level of IL-12, including p40 subunit of IL-12, was detected in both groups tested in this study in response to stimulation of parasite antigen. The levels of the IL-13 after stimulation with Leishmania antigen were significantly more in patients compared with volunteers with history of cutaneous leishmaniasis (P< 0.01). There was no significant difference in the mean production of IFN-gamma, IL-10, IL-12 and IL-13 by PHA or LPS stimulated cells from patients with lesions and volunteers with history of the disease, indicating that there was no qualitative defect in cytokine production in these patients.In this study, we have detected the decreased production of interferon- gamma by cells of patients with lesions of cutaneous leishmaniasis in response to parasite antigen and unbalanced production of regulatory cytokines such as IL-10 and IL-13 using the whole-blood stimulation assay technique. The required small volume of blood and the rapid set up time are the advantages in this assay technique. Using this assay for further immunodetection of cytokines may confirm its value for clinical investigation.     

Estimation of stature from upper limb anthropometry in Iranian population

ObjectivePersonal identification is an essential issue when mutilated and amputated limbs or parts of the body are found in mass disasters. Estimation of the stature from the size of different parts of the body is one of the most important items in personal identification. The aim of this study was to estimate the stature from upper limb anthropometry.Materials and methodsHeight, left upper limb, left arm, left forearm, length and breadth of the left hand, and length of the left second to fifth fingers were measured on 100 right-handed Iranian medical students aged between 21 and 26 years from February to may 2010.ResultsAfter analyzing the datas, it was shown that there is a meaningful relation between the stature and upper limb dimensions (p < 0.05), [correlation coefficients ranged from 0.310 to 0.696 in males and 0.299 to 0.735 in females].ConclusionThe regression formula derived in this study can be used for forensic pathologists and Anthropologists.     

Serum zinc and copper levels in children with chronic renal failure

We evaluated changes in serum zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) levels in two groups of children with chronic renal failure (CRF) – children with CRF who were on regular hemodialysis (Group 1, n=40) and children with CRF who were on conservative management (Group 2, n=31) – and in one group of healthy children (Group 3, n=30). All of the participants in the study were between 5–18 years old, and the composition of the three groups was almost identical with respect to age and sex. The length of time the children in Group 1 had been on hemodialysis varied between 3 and 52 months (mean: 20.97±14.8 months). To evaluate the impact of the duration of dialysis on serum levels of Zn, we further sub-divided Group 1 patients into two subgroups: Subgroup A patients (n=20) had been on hemodialysis therapy for less than 18 months (mean: 8.85±4.83 months); Subgroup B patients (n=20) had been on hemodialysis therapy for longer than 18 months (mean: 33.1±10.86 months). The PIXE (proton-induced X-ray emission) was used for measuring the trace elements. Results: The mean serum level of Zn was lower in the Group 1 (hemodialysis group) children than in the children of Group 2 (on conservative management) and group 3 (healthy children) (p<0.001), but the difference was not significant between Groups 2 and 3. No significant differences in serum levels of Cu were found among the three groups. The serum level of Zn was lower in Subgroup B than in Subgroup A (p<0.001). The correlation test showed that there was an inverse linear relation between the length of time the child was on the hemodialysis regimen and serum Zn levels. Conclusion: Chronic hemodialysis may lead to abnormalities in the serum levels of some trace elements in children with CRF that increase in severity with increasing duration of hemodialysis. Deficiencies of these trace elements – zinc in particular – may contribute to various conditions and symptoms in children undergoing chronic hemodialysis.     

Synthesis, analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of 4-(2-phenoxyphenyl)semicarbazones

A series of 4-(2-phenoxyphenyl)semicarbazones was synthesized and evaluated for their analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. Several compounds (e. g. 10h, 10i, and 11i) were found to be more potent than the reference drug mefenamic acid in the formalin test. Based on the results of an anti-inflammatory study, 1-(1-(2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)ethylidene)-4-(2-phenoxyphenyl)semicarbazide 11i was the most active compound.