Study the effect of recombinant leukemia inhibitory factor on maintenance of pregnancy and frequency of regulatory T cells in abortion-prone mice.

Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) can have a significant impact on a woman's quality of life. Understanding the mechanisms behind abortion is crucial for developing potential treatments. Among various models of abortion, the CBA/J(♀) × DBA/2J(♂) model stands out as the most extensively studied. This model reveals the influence of an altered immune system on resorption during pregnancy. The leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) holds considerable importance as a secretory glycoprotein essential for successful implantation. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been found to produce high levels of LIF in both mice and humans. LIF plays a vital role in the development of Tregs by upregulating the expression of the Foxp3 transcription factor while downregulating the expression of RORγt. To investigate the impact of recombinant LIF (rLIF) on pregnancy maintenance and Treg cell frequency in abortion-prone (AP) mice, a specific recombinant protein was used in this study. The AP group consisted of CBA/J(♀) × DBA/2J(♂) mice, while the control group comprised CBA/J(♀) × BALB/c(♂) mice. Intraperitoneal injections of rLIF were administered to the AP group on the third day of pregnancy, and its effects on Treg cell frequency and pregnancy maintenance were examined during this period. Following rLIF injections on the fourteenth day of pregnancy, the expression of Foxp3 significantly increased in AP mice (p = 0.02,0.008). Additionally, AP mice injected with rLIF demonstrated a significant reduction in resorption rate (p = 0.01) and a notable increase in birth rate (p = 0.01,0.0005). These findings provide new insights into the potential benefits of LIF in treating RSA patients.

Immunologic deviations in recurrent spontaneous abortion mouse model.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) or recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is an abnormality that has a great impact on women's quality of life. RSA is defined as at least three unexplained abortions (without prior live birth) occurring before the 20th week of pregnancy. AIM: The present review attempts to discuss immunologic deviations in mouse models of RSA. CONTENT: The mating of DBA/2J males with CBA/J female mice has provided specialists with a homologous model of RSA. Much of the research using the CBA/J × DBA/2J mouse model has shown immune system alteration results in rejection. The link between RSA and the immune system suggests new approaches to prevent RSA from an immunological perspective. Rejection in this model is linked with the changed immune system during pregnancy, including change in Th1/Th2 ratio and defects in T and NK cells function, and so forth. IMPLICATIONS: The use of animal models prone to RSA can help a lot to solve the remained mysteries. This study reviews the existing knowledge of immune system roles in the RSA mouse models.

Investigating the Antiangiogenic, Anti-drug Resistance and Apoptotic Effects of Soy Isoflavone Extract Alone or in Combination with Docetaxel on Murine 4T1 Breast Tumor Model.

BACKGROUND: One major concern in the treatment of cancer patients during chemotherapy is drug resistance. Here we investigated the effects of soy isoflavone extracts alone or in combination with Docetaxel on the drug resistance, angiogenesis, apoptosis, and tumor volume in mouse 4T1 breast tumor model. METHODS: Sixty female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 4 groups: control, dietary soy isoflavone extract [Iso, 100 mg/kg diet (0.01%)], Docetaxel (10 mg/kg) injection, and the combination of dietary soy isoflavone extract and intravenous Docetaxel injection (Docetaxel + Iso). One week after the third injection, the breast tumors of eight mice from each group were excised to analyze NF-κBp65' vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2) and Pgp gene and protein expressions and the other seven mice were monitored for survival rate analysis until they died. RESULTS: NF-κBp65 gene and protein expressions were significantly lower in the Docetaxel + Iso group in comparison with that of the Docetaxel group. VEGFR2 protein expression in the Docetaxel + Iso and Iso groups was significantly lower than that of the Docetaxel group. CONCLUSION: These findings may indicate that the combined use of isoflavone extracts together with chemotherapeutic agents has more efficient anti-carcinogenic effects than their individual use.

Polymorphisms in the Estrogen Receptor Beta Gene and the Risk of Unexplained Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion (RSA) is caused by multiple genetic and non-genetic factors. Around 50% of the RSA cases have no known etiology and are considered as Unexplained RSA (URSA). Estrogens, via binding to their receptors, play an important role in female reproduction. This study aimed to investigate whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; +1082G/A, +1730G/A and rs1256030 C/T) in the estrogen receptor beta (ESR2) gene are associated with susceptibility to URSA in a population of Iranian women. METHODS: In this case-control study, the study groups consisted of 240 subjects with a history of URSA and 102 fertile women as controls. Serum levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and estradiol (E2) were measured on day 2-3 of menstrual cycle. Two functional SNPs, +1082G/A (a silent mutation in exon 5) and +1730G/A (3' untranslated region of the exon 8), and one intron, rs1256030C/T, in the ESR2 gene were genotyped, using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis. RESULTS: Serum levels of LH were significantly increased in URSA women. No significant differences in distribution of +1082G/A, +1730G/A and rs1256030C/T between URSA and control groups were observed. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the studied SNPs on ESR2 gene may not be associated with URSA.

Low 17ß-estradiol Levels Are Better Inducers of Regulatory Conditioned T Cells In-Vitro.

BACKGROUND: 17ß-estradiol (E2) has been known to modulate immune response. Recent studies indicate that E2 at pregnancy level plays a role in regulating T cell response. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the optimum dose of E2 (from 10-9 to 10-7 M) in mediating the generation of regulatory T cells (Tregs), using naive human CD4+ T cells from healthy women. METHODS: Naive peripheral T cells were purified and conditioned with soluble anti-CD28 in anti-CD3-coated plates in the presence or absence of E2. Flow cytometry was employed to assess the expression pattern of forkhead boxP3 (FOXP3) and programmed death-1 (PD-1). Proliferation and cytokine secretions were analyzed, using XTT and ELISA assays. RESULTS: In the presence of different doses of E2, the expression levels of anti-CD3/CD28 antibody-stimulated CD25/ FOXP3 and FOXP3/PD-1 in conditioned T cells (cT) were peaked at 1 ng/ml (early pregnancy level, E2(1)) (47.14% (37.3-74.9) and 32% (27.7-52.5), respectively) and a slight, but not significant, increase after declining at 36 ng/ml (late pregnancy/pharmaceutical, E2(36)) (19.4% (15.2-24.5) and 15.8% (10.6-26.8), respectively). E2(1) cT showed a significantly reduced proliferation capacity (p<0.05) and secretion of IL-10 was enhanced in supernatants of E2(1 and 36) cT (p<0.05). In contrast to decreased TNF-α and IFN-γ secretions in E2(1) cT supernatants, E2(36) stimulated TNF-α and IFN-γ secretions (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that the differential effect of E2 on generation of Tregs is consistent with the possibility that lower levels of pregnancy E2 are most efficient in induction of Tregs.

Differential expression profiles of the salivary proteins SP15 and SP44 from Phlebotomus papatasi.

BACKGROUND: Sand fly saliva has been shown to help parasite establishment and to induce immune responses in vertebrate hosts. In the current study, we investigated the pattern of expression of two Phlebotomus papatasi salivary transcripts in specific physiological and seasonal conditions at a hyperendemic area of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) in Iran. METHODS: Sand flies were collected during 2012-2013, and grouped according to physiological stages such as unfed, fed, semi-gravid, gravid, parous, nulliparous, infected or non-infected with Leishmania major and also based on the season in which they were collected. Quantitative Real-Time PCR was applied for assessment of the expression of two relevant salivary transcripts, PpSP15 and PpSP44, associated to protection from and exacerbation of ZCL, respectively. RESULTS: The expression of PpSP15 and PpSP44 transcripts was significantly up-regulated (1.74 and 1.4 folds, respectively) in blood fed compared to unfed flies. Among four groups of fed, unfed, semi-gravid and gravid flies, the lowest levels of PpSP15 and PpSP44 expression were observed in gravid flies. Additionally, the expression levels of both PpSP15 and PpSP44 transcripts in P. papatasi collected during summer were significantly up-regulated (3.7 and 4.4 folds, respectively) compared to spring collections. In addition, the PpSP15 transcript exhibited a significant up-regulation (P < 0.05) in non-infected flies compared to those infected with L. major. CONCLUSIONS: This study contributes to our knowledge of the differential expression of salivary genes among different groups within a P. papatasi population under natural field conditions. Cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis are of public health importance in many parts of Iran and neighbouring countries where P. papatasi is the proven and dominant sand fly vector for ZCL, the most prevalent and endemic form of the disease in Iran. Therefore, the current study could be helpful in understanding the influence of salivary genes on Leishmania transmission by phlebotomine sand flies. Our findings demonstrate the differential expression of salivary transcripts under various physiological conditions potentially influencing the sand fly capacity for parasite transmission as well as the outcome of disease.

Seasonal and Physiological Variations of Phlebotomus papatasi Salivary Gland Antigens in Central Iran.

BACKGROUND: Sand fly saliva helps parasite establishment and induce immune responses in vertebrate hosts. In the current study, we investigated the modulation of Phlebotomus papatasi salivary gland antigen expression by seasonal and biological factors. METHODS: Sand flies were grouped according to physiological stages such as unfed, fed, semi-gravid, gravid, parous, nulliparous, infected or non-infected with Leishmania major and based on the season in which they were collected. Salivary gland antigens (SGAs) were analyzed using SDS-PAGE and the antibody response against SGAs in Rhombomys opimus was determined by ELISA and Western blot. RESULTS: The highest protein content was found in the salivary glands of unfed sand flies. The saliva content was higher in parous compared to nulliparous, in summer compared to spring, and in Leishmania-infected compared to non-infected flies. The salivary gland lysate (SGL) electrophoretic pattern variations were observed among sand flies with various physiological stages particularly from 4-9 protein bands of 14-70 kDa. The SGL of unfed and gravid flies had extra protein bands compared to fed and semi-gravid sand flies. There was missing protein bands in SGL of parous compared to nulliparous; and in summer compared to spring collected flies. Rhombomys opimus serum reacted strongly with an antigenic band of around 28 kDa in the SGL of all sand fly groups. CONCLUSION: Certain biological and environmental characteristics of wild populations of vector sand flies affect the protein content and antigenicity of saliva. This might have an important implication in the design of vector-based vaccines.

Association study of forkhead box P3 gene polymorphisms with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion.

Unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA) has been suggested to be associated with the failure of fetal-maternal immunological tolerance in which the regulatory T lymphocytes (Tregs) play a crucial role. This study evaluated the association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the forkhead/winged helix transcription factor (FOXP3) gene, a key factor for the development and function of Tregs, and URSA, in an Iranian population. In this case-control study, 195 patients with a history of URSA and101 healthy women were included as case and control groups respectively. Four SNPs in the FOXP3 gene, two in the promoter region: -924A/G and -3279C/A, and two intronic, -20G/A and +459T/C, were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis. The -924A/G (p<0.0001) and -20G/A (p=0.008) polymorphisms were found to be associated with URSA. The respective odds ratios (OR) for bearing -924A/G and -20G/A gene polymorphisms were 4.1 [95% CI 2.3-7.5] and 2.1 [95% CI 1.2-3.6] fold higher in URSA women than those in controls. Thus, there were significant differences in the distribution of A and G alleles of -924A/G and -20G/A between URSA and controls (p=0.001, OR; 3.6 [95% CI 2.1-6.1] and p=0.006, OR; 1.6 [95% CI 1-2.6] respectively). No associations were found for -3279C/A and +459T/C polymorphisms between URSA and controls. These results suggest that polymorphisms of the FOXP3 gene might confer susceptibility to URSA, probably by altering FOXP3 function and/or its expression.

Effects of Combined Soy Isoflavone Extract and Docetaxel Treatment on Murine 4T1 Breast Tumor Model.

BACKGROUND: Emergence of drug resistance has brought major problems in chemotherapy. Using nutrients in combination with chemotherapy could be beneficial for improvement of sensitivity of tumors to drug resistance. Soybean-derived isoflavones have been suggested as chemopreventive agents for certain types of cancer, particularly breast cancer. In this study, the synergistic effects of soy isoflavone extract in combination with docetaxel in murine 4T1 breast tumor model were investigated. METHODS: In this study, mice were divided into 4 groups (15 mice per group) of control, the dietary Soy Isoflavone Extract (SIE, 100 mg/kg diet), the Docetaxel (DOCE, 10 mg/kg) injection and the combination of dietary soy isoflavone extract and intravenous docetaxel injection (DOCE+SIE). After 3 injections of docetaxel (once a week), 7 mice were sacrificed to analyze MKI67 gene and protein expressions and the rest were monitored for diet consumption, tumor growth and survival rates. RESULTS: In DOCE+SIE group, diet consumption was significantly higher than DOCE group. While lifespan showed a trend towards improvement in DOCE+SIE group, no significant difference was observed among the 4 studied groups. Tumor volume was not significantly affected in treated groups. A lower but not significant MKI67 protein expression was detected in western blot in DOCE+SIE group. The mRNA expression was not significantly different among groups. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the combination of soy isoflavone as an adjunct to docetaxel chemotherapy can be effective in improving diet consumption in breast cancer.

Investigation on estrogen receptor alpha gene polymorphisms in Iranian women with recurrent pregnancy loss.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a multifactorial disorder. Environmental factors and genetics can affect pregnancy outcomes. OBJECTIVE: Conflicting data suggest an association between estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) gene polymorphisms and RPL. In this study, such association was investigated in Iranian women with RPL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this case control study, blood samples were collected from 244 women with a history of three or more consecutive pregnancy losses and 104 healthy women with at least two live births. Using polymerase chain reaction- restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), we studied -397C/T and -351A/G polymorphisms on ESR1 gene in case and control subjects. RESULTS: The genotypic frequencies of -397C/T and -351A/G polymorphisms on ESR1were not significantly different between RPL and control groups (p=0.20 and p=0.09, respectively). A significantly negative correlation was observed between -397C/T and -351A/G (r=-0.852, p<0.001) in RPL women and complete linkage disequilibrium between the investigated polymorphisms was found (D': 0.959; r-square= 0.758, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: This investigation suggests that the analyzed polymorphisms on ESR1gene are not associated with an increased risk of RPL in the studied population.

IL-6, IL-10 and IL-17 gene polymorphisms in Iranian women with recurrent miscarriage.

BACKGROUND: Pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines and polymorphisms of their genes have been described to be involved in the pathogenesis of recurrent miscarriage (RM). OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between RM and five polymorphisms of cytokine genes, interleukin 10 (IL-10), (-592 A/C, -819 C/T, -1082 A/G), IL-6 (-174 C/G) and IL-17 (-197 G/A) in Iranian women. METHOD: Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was performed to determine the frequencies of the IL-6, IL-10 and IL-17 gene polymorphisms in 85 women with RM compared with 104 healthy controls. RESULTS: The frequencies of IL-10 promoter gene polymorphisms (-592 A/C and -819 C/T) were significantly higher in RM women than those in controls (p=0.003). However, no statistically significant differences were observed in the frequencies of IL-6 (-174 C/G), IL-10 (-1082 A/G) and IL-17 (-197 G/A) polymorphisms between RM women and controls. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that IL-10 gene polymorphism screening might have some relevance in patients with RM, a suggestion which requires further studies.

Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene mutations in iranian women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

PROBLEM: Mutations in genes related to thrombophilia and hypofibrinolysis have been associated with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). METHODS: Using PCR-RFLP, we investigated the frequencies of MTHFR (A1298C and C677T) as well as PAI-1 (-675 4G/5G) gene polymorphisms in 177 RPL and 100 control women. RPL women were stratified into 38 women with PCOS (RPL-PCOS), 33 with ovarian PCO (RPL-ovarian PCO), and 106 without PCOS (RPL). RESULTS: RPL, RPL-PCOS, and RPL-ovarian PCO groups showed significantly higher frequencies of MTHFR A1298C (P < 0.001) and PAI-1 4G/5G (P < 0.001) mutations than the controls. No significant differences were found between the RPL groups. The respective odds ratios (OR) for bearing MTHFR (A1298C, C677T) and PAI-1 (4G/5G) gene mutations were 33.9-, 2.2-, and 5.2-fold higher in RPL, 66.3-, 6.7-, and 2.8-fold higher in RPL-PCOS, and 27.3-, 1.9-, and 3.9-fold higher in RPL-ovarian PCO women than those in controls. CONCLUSION: Our results showed the significance of MTHFR A1298C and PAI-1 4G/5G mutations in Iranian women suffering from RPL with and without PCOS.

Analysis of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, integrin beta3, beta fibrinogen, and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase polymorphisms in Iranian women with recurrent pregnancy loss.

PROBLEM: To identify the associations of the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) -675 4G/5G, beta fibrinogen (BF) -455G/A, integrin beta 3 (ITGB3) 1565T/C, and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677C/T and 1298A/C polymorphisms with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). METHOD OF STUDY: Polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) were performed to assess the frequency of five candidate genetic risk factors for RPL, and the frequencies of the polymorphisms were calculated and compared between case and control groups. RESULTS: The BF -455G/A, MTHFR 677C/T, and 1298A/C polymorphisms were found to be positively, and ITGB3 1565T/C polymorphism negatively, associated with RPL. Homozygosity but not heterozygosity for PAI-1 -675 4G/5G polymorphism was significantly higher in patients with RPL than in the control group. The presence of both mutations of MTHFR genes highly increased the risk of RPL. CONCLUSION: The data highlight the importance of thrombophilia screening in patients with RPL.

No evidence of altered alveolar macrophage polarization, but reduced expression of TLR2, in bronchoalveolar lavage cells in sarcoidosis.

BACKGROUND: Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous inflammatory disease, possibly of infectious aetiology. We aimed to investigate whether the degree of functional polarization of alveolar macrophages (AMs), or Toll-like receptor (TLR) expression, is associated with sarcoidosis or with distinct clinical manifestations of this disease. METHODS: Total BAL cells (cultured four or 24 h in medium, or stimulated 24 h with LPS) from 14 patients and six healthy subjects, sorted AMs from 22 patients (Löfgren's syndrome n = 11) and 11 healthy subjects, and sorted CD4+ T cells from 26 patients (Löfgren's syndrome n = 13) and seven healthy subjects, were included. Using real-time PCR, the relative gene expression of IL-10, IL-12p35, IL-12p40, IL-23p19, CCR2, CCR7, iNOS, CXCL10, CXCL11, CXCL16, CCL18, CCL20, CD80, and CD86, and innate immune receptors TLR2, TLR4, and TLR9, was quantified in sorted AMs, and for selected genes in total BAL cells, while IL-17A was quantified in T cells. RESULTS: We did not find evidence of a difference with regard to alveolar macrophage M1/M2 polarization between sarcoidosis patients and healthy controls. TLR2 gene expression was significantly lower in sorted AMs from patients, particular in Löfgren's patients. CCL18 gene expression in AMs was significantly higher in patients compared to controls. Additionally, the IL-17A expression was lower in Löfgren's patients' CD4+ T cells. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, there was no evidence for alveolar macrophage polarization in sarcoidosis. However, there was a reduced TLR2 mRNA expression in patients with Löfgren's syndrome, which may be of relevance for macrophage interactions with a postulated sarcoidosis pathogen, and for the characteristics of the ensuing T cell response.

Altered expression of T cell immunoglobulin-mucin (TIM) molecules in bronchoalveolar lavage CD4+ T cells in sarcoidosis.

BACKGROUND: Activated T helper (Th)-1 pulmonary CD4+ cells and their mediators are essential for the inflammation and granulomatous process in sarcoidosis. Recently, T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain (TIM) molecules were suggested to be important regulators of immune function. In this study, we wanted to investigate whether TIM molecules could play a role in sarcoidosis. METHODS: We used real-time polymerase chain reaction to investigate the differential gene expression of TIM-1 and TIM-3 as well as a few Th1 and Th2 cytokines (IL-2, IFN-gamma, IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13) in CD4+ T cells isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of patients (n = 28) and healthy controls (n = 8). Using flow cytometry, we were also able to analyse TIM-3 protein expression in 10 patients and 6 healthy controls. RESULTS: A decreased TIM-3 mRNA (p < 0.05) and protein (p < 0.05) expression was observed in patients, and the level of TIM-3 mRNA correlated negatively with the CD4/CD8 T cell ratio in BALF cells of patients. Compared to a distinct subgroup of patients i.e. those with Löfgren's syndrome, BALF CD4+ T cells from non- Löfgren's patients expressed decreased mRNA levels of TIM-1 (p < 0.05). mRNA expression of IL-2 was increased in patients (p < 0.01) and non-Löfgren's patients expressed significantly higher levels of IFN-gamma mRNA (p < 0.05) versus patients with Löfgren's syndrome. CONCLUSION: These findings are the first data on the expression of TIM-1 and TIM-3 molecules in sarcoidosis. The reduced TIM-3 expression in the lungs of patients may result in a defective T cell ability to control the Th1 immune response and could thus contribute to the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis. The down-regulated TIM-1 expression in non-Löfgren'spatients is in agreement with an exaggerated Th1 response in these patients.