Alteration in inflammatory mediators in seriously eye-injured war veterans, long-term after sulfur mustard exposure.

BACKGROUND: Sulfur mustard (SM) exposure produces extensive systemic and ocular adverse effects on the victims. One of the most important effects is immunological insults that can lead to other organ damages, including the eyes. METHODS: In this descriptive study, 128 SM-exposed veterans with severe eye injury were compared with 31 healthy controls. Tear levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and serum concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1ß, IL1Ra, IL-6, TNF-α, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and Fas Ligand (FasL) were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD); tear breakup time (TBUT < 10″); and conjunctival, limbal, and corneal abnormalities were more frequent among the cases (MS-exposed veterans) than the controls. Ocular involvement was mild in 14.8%, moderate in 24.2%, and severe in 60.9% of the cases. Serum levels of IL-1α and FasL were significantly higher among the cases than among the controls (P < 0.001 and P = 0.037, respectively). Also, a significant decrease was observed in serum and tear levels of TNF-α in the cases as compared with controls (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively). Serum levels of FasL were significantly higher in cases with severe ocular involvement than in the controls (P = 0.03). Nonetheless, serum levels of IL-1ß, IL-1Ra, IL-1α/IL-1Ra, and IL-6 were not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Serum levels of IL-1α and FasL may cause different ocular surface abnormalities in SM-exposed patients. Lower tear TNF-α concentration may be due to lower serum levels of this cytokine in these patients.

Alteration in serum levels of ICAM-1 and P-, E- and L-selectins in seriously eye-injured long-term following sulfur-mustard exposure.

INTRODUCTION: In this study, the serum levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), P-, E-, and L-selectins were investigated in seriously eye-injured patients exposed to sulfur mustard (SM). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 128 individuals with SM-induced serious eye injuries and 31 healthy male controls were included in this study. The serum concentration of soluble forms of adhesion molecules was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. RESULT: The serum level of soluble ICAM-1 was significantly higher in the SM-exposed individuals with an abnormality in tear meniscus height, corneal verticillata, and pannus compared with SM-exposed individuals without these abnormalities. There were no significant differences in the level of all three measured selectins between the SM-exposed group and the control groups. SM-exposed individuals with corneal defect had a significantly higher level of soluble E-selectin than SM-exposed individuals without this abnormality. The serum level of soluble P-selectin in the SM-exposed group with limbal abnormality was significantly lower than that in the SM-exposed without this abnormality; also it was significantly higher in SM-exposed group with fundus abnormality compared to that in the control group or SM-exposed group without this abnormality. CONCLUSION: The changes in the levels of selectins and ICAM-1 in the SM-exposed group with various ocular abnormalities is a defense mechanism against the toxicity of SM. Further analysis is required to understand the molecular mechanisms of the relationship between adhesion molecules with ocular complications in SM-exposed individuals.

Association of Macrophage Activating Syndrome with Castleman's Syndrome in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Macrophage Activating Syndrome (MAS) is a life-threatening disease seen in autoimmune diseases including lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Still's disease, polyarteritis nodosa. It is characterized by fever, pancytopenia, liver failure, coagulopathy, and neurologic symptoms and high serum ferritin. A 27 yr. old female patient was admitted in shahid Mostafa Khomeini Hospital (Tehran-Iran) in May 2011 because of lower extremities edema and ascites and fever from 1.5 month ago. In physical examinations she had generalized lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly and pleural effusion. In laboratory tests she had pancytopenia, positive ANA and Anti DNA (ds), hypocomplementemia, hypertriglyceridemia and high ferritin level. Gradually she had signs of RPGN and ARDS. The patient had no skin and musculoskeletal signs of SLE and no liver failure nor coagulopathy of MAS. Her lymph node biopsy was reported as Castleman syndrome. Unlike other studies, the patient showed MAS before treatment with cytotoxic for lupus nephritis.

The Study of Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Oil-Based Dill (Anethum graveolens L.) Extract Used Topically in Formalin-Induced Inflammation Male Rat Paw.

Inflammation is one of the symptoms of many common and harmful diseases. As it is incurable through chemical drugs, the study on this ailment using new methods and drugs seems necessary. In addition, the adverse effects of the present anti-inflammatory drugs like NSAIDS and Glucocorticoid appeared in the long time use make such study more demanded. Accordingly, in this study we examined the effects of aerial organs' extract and seed of a plant commonly used in Iranian traditional medicine named Dill on the inflammation caused by plantar injection of formalin in rats and compared them with Diclofenac-gel. One of the methods used for the inflammation assessment is injecting formalin in the rat paw and then measuring the paw volume by the new plethysmometer (weighing method). The assessment is done at a specific time on day for 8 days and then recorded. This study includes 3 groups of 6 male rats: Formalin, Dill-Oil and Diclofenac-gel groups. The Dill-Oil group received 2 g of Dill-Oil, containing 100 mg Dill-extract and the Diclofenac group received 2 g gel containing, 20 mg Diclofenac Na. Data were analyzed with SPSS 17 using ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, and Repeated-Measures. The average paw volumes changes in these groups after Formalin-induced inflammation on 1st day, were 0.31 (standard error (SEM) = 0.02), 0.30 (SEM = 0.01) and 0.32 (SEM = 0.05) respectively, with no significant difference. Regarding the peak of inflammation on the 2nd day, it was indicated that the average inflammations in Formalin, Dill-Oil and Diclofenac-gel groups were 0.44 (SEM = 0.03), 0.15 (SEM = 0.04) and 0.36 (SEM = 0.08), respectively. The paw volume changes in groups receiving Dill-oil and Diclofenac-gel, after the daily formalin injection in 8 days compared to the blank group, had a significant decrease (p < 0.001). The Dill group showed even more decrease in the paw volume compared to the Diclofenac one. The results of paw volume measurement analyzed by the Plethysmometer manifest that the Dill-Oil is able to decrease the paw volume significantly.