Long-Term Variations of Antithyroperoxidase Antibodies and its Clinical Significance.

Various cut-offs have been proposed for thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) positivity. Considering that the long-term trend of TPOAb levels and its positivity incidence is not clearly understood, we conducted the current study to determine the longitudinal variations of TPOAb in a population-based cohort study. We followed 5783 individuals of Tehran Thyroid cohort Study (TTS) for 10 years (4 phases). After exclusions, data of 3493 euthyroid participants remained for analyses. The baseline prevalence rates of TPOAb positivity were 19.8, 17, and 11.4% and the annual incidence rates (95% CI) of TPOAb positivity were 8.53 (8.29-8.77), 7.59 (7.37-7.80) and 6.79 (6.60-6.98) per 1000 persons for the 3 proposed cut-offs of 14.77, 18.38, and 40 U/l; respectively. Although a slightly increasing trend was observed for TPOAb levels (p=0.001) and its conventional positivity (TPOAb>40U/l), the recently proposed cut-offs of 14.77 and 18.38 U/l showed constant TPOAb positivity over 10 years. The time trends of the TPOAb levels among younger participants were significantly different from older participants (time×age effect p=0.004), with the former having an increasing trend and the latter, a relatively decreasing trend. Although the prevalence of TPOAb positivity was significantly (p<0.001) higher among women as compared to men, the longitudinal changes of TPOAb were similar in men and women. TPOAb positivity along with TSH values between 2.5 and 5.0 mU/l or free T4 values between 0.93 and 1.7 ng/dl exerted a significantly increased risk of subclinical or overt hypothyroidism. In an iodine sufficient population, an increasing trend in TPOAb levels was observed in line with the increasing incidence of subclinical and overt hypothyroidism.

Beneficial Effects of n-3 Fatty Acids on Cardiometabolic and Inflammatory Markers in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on circulatory resistin and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This was a 10-week, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial of n-3 PUFAs (2,700 mg/day) versus placebo (soft gels containing 900 mg of edible paraffin). Forty-four T2DM patients were supplemented with n-3 PUFAs and another 44 patients received placebo (3 patients discontinued the trial). Serum resistin, MCP-1, and the lipid profile were measured before and after supplementation. The adiponectin-resistin index (1 + log10 [resistin] - log10 [adiponectin]) and atherogenic index (log10 triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) of plasma (an indicator of cardiovascular complications) were assessed. The independent Student t test was used to assess the differences between the supplement and placebo groups and the paired t test to analyze the before/after changes. RESULTS: In this study, n-3 PUFAs reduced serum MCP-1 levels (from 260.5 to 230.5 pg/mL; p = 0.002), but they remained unchanged in the placebo group. n-3 PUFAs could not decrease serum resistin levels. The adiponectin-resistin index was significantly reduced after supplementation with n-3 PUFAs when compared to the placebo. The atherogenic index was also significantly improved after supplementation with n-3 PUFAs (from 1.459 to 1.412; p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: The MCP-1 levels and lipid profile were improved after supplementation with n-3 PUFAs, but resistin serum levels were not changed. Hence, the anti-inflammatory effects of n-3 PUFAs might be mediated by targeting MCP-1.

Determination of IL1 R2, ANTXR2, CARD9, and SNAPC4 single nucleotide polymorphisms in Iranian patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown origin, while both genetic and environmental factors have been demonstrated to be etiologically involved. Recent genome-wide association and replication studies have suggested that anthrax toxin receptor 2 (ANTXR2), interleukin-1 receptor 2 (IL1R2), caspase recruitment domain-containing protein 9 (CARD9), and small nuclear RNA-activating complex polypeptide 4 (SNAPC4) seem to be associated with AS pathogenesis. This case-control study was performed on 349 unrelated AS patients and 469 age- and gender-matched healthy controls, to investigate whether these non-MHC genes (IL1R2 rs2310173, ANTXR2 rs4333130, CARD9 rs4077515, and SNAPC4 rs3812571) influence the AS risk in Iranian population. ANTXR2 rs4333130 allele C (p = 0.0328; OR 0.744, 95% CI 0.598-0.927) and genotype CC (p = 0.0108; OR 0.273, 95% CI 0.123-0.605) were found to be significantly protective against AS. No other associations were found between AS and studied genes. The association between ANTXR2 rs4333130 and AS was independent of HLA-B27 status. Moreover, we found clinical disease severity scores (BASDAI and BASFI) and pain score were higher in ANTXR2 rs4333130 CT genotype. However, we observed that CARD9 allele C (p = 0.012) and genotype CC (p = 0.012) were significant protective factors against AS only in HLA-B27-negative patients, and IL1R2 rs2310173 genotype GT was mildly protective against AS only in HLA-B27-negative status. These findings support the role of non-MHC pathogenic pathways in susceptibility to AS and warrants more comprehensive studies focusing on these non-MHC pathways for developing novel therapeutic strategies.

Effect of subchronic zinc toxicity on rat salivary glands and serum composition.

BACKGROUND: Zinc plays an important role in a wide variety of metabolic processes in animal systems. The role of zinc in preservative treatment, fungicidal action and medicine, and addition of supplementary zinc have increased the probability of zinc toxicity, specially the chronic type. It is known that the composition and quantity of saliva influence the oral health. Regarding people's exposure to zinc in routine life and the importance of saliva, our purpose was to investigate the effects of oral zinc intoxication on secretory function in rat salivary glands and also on serum composition. METHODS: In this study, there were five groups of female rats. Four groups received zinc acetate dehydrate through their drinking water. After 3 months of experiment, the chemical characteristics and flow rate of saliva and weight of salivary glands were determined. The effects of zinc on hematological and chemical factors of plasma were assessed too. RESULTS: Flow rate of submandibular glands was significantly lower in experimental groups and there were significant changes in Na(+), Ca(2+) and K(+) concentration both in saliva and in plasma. The serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase, glucose levels in the plasma and urine creatinine levels were also altered in experimental groups in comparison with the control group. CONCLUSION: Our results show that zinc toxicity will affect the quantity and quality of saliva probably through changes in the various neurologic pathways to the salivary glands or effects on acinar cells of the salivary glands. Furthermore, our results showed that zinc toxicity will affect the liver and renal function.

Synergistic Effects of Ad-Libitum Low-Dose Fructose Drinking and Low-Dose Streptozotocin Treatment in Wistar Rats: A Mild Model of Type 2 Diabetes.

To develop a convenient animal model of T2D by pretreatment with low-dose 10% w/v fructose (FRC) solution followed by the injection of low doses of streptozotocin (STZ) in Wistar rats. For this 8-week experimental study; rats were first fed a standard chow ad-libitum diet and either tap water (n=40) or 10% w/v FRC solution (n=40) for 4 weeks. Next, rats in each category were randomly allocated to 4 subgroups (n=10 each) of low-dose STZ (25,35, and 45 mg/kg). The final mean fasting blood sugar (FBG) of FRC+STZ45 (197±55.87 mg/dl) were significantly higher than that of the STZ45 (P=0.015) and FRC (P=0.019) groups. FRC+STZ45 showed the highest insulin resistance demonstrated by insulin tolerance test [area under the curve (AUC) of insulin tolerance test; P<0.05]. AUC was not significantly different between the STZ45 and non-STZ groups and between FRC and non-FRC fed groups. Furthermore, FBG levels did not differ between FRC and non-FRC groups. Body weight measurement showed that the FRC+STZ45 group had the lowest body weight compared to all other groups. Our data provide the evidence that FRC and STZ45 synergistically could induce hyperglycemia and insulin resistance in Wistar rats. Here we presented a feasible model for initial forms of T2D by employing pretreatment with low-dose FRC solution and treatment with low-dose STZ.

Natural Course of Euthyroidism and Clues for Early Diagnosis of Thyroid Dysfunction: Tehran Thyroid Study.

OBJECTIVE: Considering the limited data available on the natural course of euthyroidism, this study was designed to evaluate the progression in time from euthyroidism to subclinical or overt hypo- or hyperthyroidism. METHODS: This study was conducted within the framework of the Tehran Thyroid Cohort Study, in which 5783 individuals aged 40.4 ± 0.2 years were followed for six years. The overall loss to follow-up rate was 8.3%. After applying exclusion criteria, data of 4204 euthyroid subjects remained for analysis of a six-year natural course analysis. Thyroid function tests, clinical characteristics, and metabolic characteristics were assessed at baseline and every three years. RESULTS: The annual incidence rates [confidence intervals (CI)] of subclinical and overt hypothyroidism were 7.62 [CI 7.39-7.85) and 2.0 [CI 1.94-2.06] per 1000 persons, respectively. For thyroid hyperfunction, the annual incidence rates of subclinical and overt hyperthyroidism were 0.92 [0.90-0.95) and 0.68 [0.66-0.70) per 1000 persons, respectively. Euthyroid persistency was 93.24% during 6 years. Predictive factors for conversion to thyroid dysfunction were thyrotropin, free thyroxine and thyroid peroxidase antibody levels, sex, and smoking. Criteria for early diagnosis of hypothyroidism (i.e., sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 82%, p < 0.0001) were obtained based on baseline and three-year follow-ups of thyroid function tests and thyroid peroxidase antibody. Early diagnosis of hypothyroidism was significantly associated with impaired glucose tolerance (relative risk with 3.03 [CI 1.36-6.75]; p = 0.007), high cholesterol (relative risk 2.46 [CI 1.45-4.18]; p = 0.001), obesity (relative risk 2.92 [CI 1.64-5.2]; p < 0.001), and hypertension (relative risk 1.68 [CI 1.53-1.84]; p < 0.04). CONCLUSION: This study shows that after a six-year follow-up in an iodine sufficient area, 6.7% of euthyroid subjects were found to progress to thyroid dysfunction, in particular subclinical hypothyroidism.

Students' medical ethics rounds: a combinatorial program for medical ethics education.

It has long been a common goal for both medical educators and ethicists to develop effective methods or programs for medical ethics education. The current lecture-based courses of medical ethics programs in medical schools are demonstrated as insufficient models for training "good doctors''. In this study, we introduce an innovative program for medical ethics education in an extra-curricular student-based design named Students' Medical Ethics Rounds (SMER). In SMER, a combination of educational methods, including theater-based case presentation, large group discussion, expert opinions, role playing and role modeling were employed. The pretest-posttest experimental design was used to assess the impact of interventions on the participants' knowledge and attitude regarding selected ethical topics. A total of 335 students participated in this study and 86.57% of them filled the pretest and posttest forms. We observed significant improvements in the knowledge (P < 0.0500) and attitude (P < 0.0001) of participants. Interestingly, 89.8% of participants declared that their confidence regarding how to deal with the ethical problems outlined in the sessions was increased. All of the applied educational methods were reported as helpful. We found that SMER might be an effective method of teaching medical ethics. We highly recommend the investigation of the advantages of SMER in larger studies and interdisciplinary settings.

Effects of Resveratrol on Crosstalk between Canonical Β-Catenin/Wnt and FOXO Pathways in Coronary Artery Disease Patients with Metabolic Syndrome: A Case Control Study.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of resveratrol (RES) on Canonical ß-catenin/Wnt and forkhead box O (FOXO) pathways in CAD patients. We performed this study on 10 metabolic syndrome patients with three-vessel CAD and 10 sex-aged matched healthy subjects. The effects of RES on ß-Catenin, manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPAR-δ) expression were evaluated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of participants. RES could increase the MnSOD expression in CAD patients (38%, p < 0.0001). After RES treatment, the MnSOD expression of patients is still non-significantly lower than controls. In both blank and RES treatments, a significant positive correlation between ß-catenin and MnSOD mRNA expressions was found in controls, whereas no correlation between these gene expressions was found in untreated PBMCs of CAD patients. However, RES could modestly improve this pathway in CAD. RES could increase the MnSOD activity in healthy and CAD subjects (p = 0.051 and p = 0.009, respectively). Furthermore, in both blank and RES treatments, the significant correlation was found between total ß-catenin protein and the MnSOD activity in PBMCs of the controls but not in patients. The cross-talk between ß-catenin/Wnt and FOXO pathways was impaired in PBMCs of CAD patients. RES treatment could lead to a modest increase in the MnSOD activity independent of ß-catenin/FOXO pathway. Despite a modest improvement in the ß-catenin/FOXO pathway after RES treatment, this pathway was not completely repaired in CAD patients.

Platelet-Rich Plasma for Frozen Shoulder: A Case Report.

Frozen shoulder is a glenohumeral joint disorder that movement because of adhesion and the existence of fibrosis in the shoulder capsule. Platelet-rich plasma can produce collagen and growth factors, which increases stem cells and consequently enhances the healing. To date, there is no evidence regarding the effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma in frozen shoulder. A 45-year-old man with shoulder adhesive capsulitis volunteered for this treatment. He underwent two consecutive platelet-rich plasma injections at the seventh and eighth month after initiation of symptoms. We measured pain, function, ROM by the visual analogue scale (VAS), scores from the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire and goniometer; respectively. After first injection, the patient reported 60% improvement regarding diurnal shoulder pain, and no night pain. Also, two-fold improvement for ROM and more than 70% improvement for function were reported. This study suggests the use of platelet-rich plasma in frozen shoulder to be tested in randomized trials.

The association of circulating levels of complement-C1q TNF-related protein 5 (CTRP5) with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: It is well-established that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Complement-C1q TNF-related protein 5 (CTRP5) is a novel adipokine involved in the regulation of lipid and glucose metabolism. We aimed to assess plasma levels of CTRP5 in patients with NAFLD (n = 22), T2DM (n = 22) and NAFLD with T2DM (NAFLD + T2DM) (n = 22) in comparison with healthy subjects (n = 21) and also to study the association between CTRP5 levels and NAFLD and diabetes-related parameters. METHODS: All subjects underwent anthropometric assessment, biochemical evaluation and liver stiffness (LS) measurement. Insulin resistance (IR) was determined by the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA). Plasma CTRP5 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: We found significantly lower plasma levels of CTRP5 in patients with NAFLD + T2DM, NAFLD and T2DM (122.52 ± 1.92, 124.7 ± 1.82 and 118.31 ± 1.99 ng/ml, respectively) in comparison with controls (164.96 ± 2.95 ng/ml). In the whole study population, there was a significant negative correlations between CTRP5 and body mass index (r = -0.337; p = 0.002), fasting blood glucose (FBG) (r = -0.488; p < 0.001), triglyceride (TG) (r = -0.245; p = 0.031), HOMA-IR (r = -0.492; p < 0.001), insulin(r = -0.338; p = 0.002), LS (r = -0.544; p < 0.001), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (r = -0.251; p = 0.027), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) (r = -0.352; p = 0.002) and waist circumference (WC) (r = -0.357; p = 0.001). After adjustment for BMI, decrease in circulating levels of CTRP5 remained as a significant risk factor for NAFLD, T2DM and NAFLD + T2DM. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of circulating CTRP5 in predicting NAFLD and T2DM demonstrated an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.763 in T2DM, and 0.659 in NAFLD + T2DM. CONCLUSIONS: It appears that the decreased levels of CTRP5 contribute to the increased risk of T2DM and NAFLD.

Circulating level of CTRP1 in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): is it through insulin resistance?

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered as one of the most common liver diseases. It is robustly linked to obesity and insulin resistance and is regarded as hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Adipokines are involved in the pathophysiology of liver diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the plasma concentrations of CTRP1 (complement-C1q TNF-related protein 1) in 22 patients with NAFLD, 22 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), 22 patients with NAFLD+T2DM and 21 healthy controls, as well as their correlation with the level of metabolic and hepatic parameters. Plasma concentration of CTRP1 was measured with ELISA method. Plasma concentration of CTRP1 in patients with NAFLD, T2DM and NAFLD+T2DM were significantly higher than healthy subjects (p<0.0001). Moreover, we observed significant positive correlations between plasma level of CTRP1 and fasting blood glucose (FBG) (p<0.001), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (p<0.001), body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.001), alanine amino transferase (ALT) (p = 0.002), gamma glutamyl transferase (γ-GT) (p<0.001) and liver stiffness (LS) (p<0.001). Our results indicate the strong association of CTRP1 with insulin resistance in NAFLD. Also, it seems that CTRP1 can be considered as an emerging biomarker for NAFLD, however, more studies are necessary to unravel the role of CTRP1 in NAFLD pathogenesis.

Association of Killer Cell Immunoglobulin- Like Receptor Genes in Iranian Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by persistent synovitis, ultimately leading to cartilage and bone degeneration. Natural Killer cells and CD28 null T-cells are suspected as role players in RA pathogenesis. These cells are similar in feature and function, as they both exert their cytotoxic effect via Killer Cell Immunoglobulin- Like Receptors (KIR) on their surface. KIR genes have either an inhibitory or activating effect depending on their intracytoplasmic structure. Herein we genotyped 16 KIR genes, 3 pseudo genes and 6 HLA class І genes as their corresponding ligands in RA patients and control subjects. METHODS: In this case-control study, KIR and HLA genes were genotyped in 400 RA patients and 372 matched healthy controls using sequence-specific primers (SSP-PCR). Differences in the frequency of genes and haplotypes were determined by χ² test. RESULTS: KIR2DL2, 2DL5a, 2DL5b and activating KIR: KIR2DS5 and 3DS1 were all protective against RA. KIR2DL5 removal from a full Inhibitory KIR haplotype converted the mild protection (OR = 0.56) to a powerful predisposition to RA (OR = 16.47). Inhibitory haplotype No. 7 comprising KIR2DL5 in the absence of KIR2DL1 and KIR2DL3 confers a 14-fold protective effect against RA. CONCLUSION: Individuals carrying the inhibitory KIR haplotype No. 6 have a high potential risk for developing RA.

Toll-like receptors in lymphoid malignancies: double-edged sword.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are the best characterized pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), which play an essential role in the recognition of invading pathogens via specific microbial molecular motifs, comprising a bridge between the innate and adaptive immune responses. Toll-like receptors expression is determined in both normal immune cells and malignant cells, with a distinctive pattern compared to each other, rendering them plausible targets for cancer therapy. Improved molecular profiling of lymphoid malignancies may give new insights into pathogenesis of these cancers and pave the way for novel therapeutic agents, including TLR agonists. In the current review, we summarize the immunopathogenic roles of TLRs in B cell and T cell lymphomas, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, multiple myeloma, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, as well as the results of studies on TLR ligands and their future implications to manage these hematologic malignancies.

Hydrodynamic-based delivery of PTP1B shRNA reduces plasma glucose levels in diabetic mice.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is a negative regulator of insulin signaling which is overexpressed in the liver of diabetic animals. The aims of this study were to generate liver-specific PTP1B knockout mice using a PTP1B­short hairpin RNA (shRNA) plasmid and to investigate the effect of PTP1B inhibition on plasma glucose levels in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. We first validated the hydrodynamic tail vein injection in mice using a vector carrying the luciferase gene. Expression of the PTP1B gene was quantified by real-time PCR. The level of phosphorylated Akt was examined by western blot analysis. The injection of the plasmid containing firefly luciferase revealed that the highest transfer of the vector into the liver was obtained 24 h after the injection of 20 µg plasmid. The injection of PTP1B-shRNA, but not the scrambled shRNA plasmid, resulted in a reduction in PTP1B expression levels by up to 84% in the liver of the diabetic mice. Plasma glucose levels following the injection of PTP1B-shRNA remained significantly lower in the diabetic mice for 5 days. In addition, mice receiving PTP1B-shRNA in the basal and insulin-stimulated states had higher levels of Akt phosphorylation in the liver cells compared with mice that were injected with the scrambled sequence (35 and 60%, respectively; p<0.01). Furthermore, PTP1B overexpression was observed in the muscle, liver, adipose, heart and kidney tissues of the diabetic mice. The data from this study demonstrate that PTP1B inhibition may be a promising approach for lowering plasma glucose levels in diabetic patients. However, further studies using non-viral carriers are required to deliver the plasmid safely into the liver.