Association of levels of interleukin 17 and T-helper 17 count with symptom severity and etiology of chronic heart failure: a case-control study.

AIM: To assess the association between the levels of interleukin 17 (IL-17) and T-helper 17 count and symptom severity and etiology of chronic heart failure. METHODS: This single-center prospective case-control study, conducted from December 1, 2015 to January 1, 2017 in Tehran Heart Center, evaluated gene expression of IL-17, relative count of (CD4+IL17+) Th17 cells and CD4+ helper T-cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 42 patients with CHF and 42 matched controls. A multiple regression model assessed the predictors of peripheral IL-17 expression and Th17 count in patients with CHF. RESULTS: IL-17 expression was increased in patients with CHF, both at baseline and after stimulation. IL-17 and Th17 counts were higher in patients with advanced New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class (class IV) than in controls and patients with class I. Th17 cell population expanded in patients with CHF, more prominently in patients with class IV than in controls and patients with class I, regardless of the ischemic or non-ischemic CHF origin. Multiple regression model showed that NYHA was the only meaningful predictor of IL-17 levels and Th17 count. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated the lymphocytic origin of IL-17 production in advanced CHF and the ability of disease severity to predict IL-17 levels. Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine level of evidence: 3.

Gene Expression and Levels of TGF-B in PBMC Is Associated with Severity of Symptoms in Chronic Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: TGF-ß1 is known to promote cardiac remodeling and fibrosis during Congestive Heart Failure (CHF). In this study, an attempt was made to investigate expression of Transforming Growth Factor beta1 (TGF-ß1) and relative expansion or contraction of regulatory T-cell (Tregs) population in peripheral blood of patients with Chronic Heart Failure (CHF). METHODS: Real-time PCR assay was used to investigate expression and post-stimulation levels of TGF-ß1 in cell culture supernatant of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC) of 42 patients with CHF and 42 controls. Flow cytometry was used to identify relative counts of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ Tregs. RESULTS: PBMCs in patients with CHF expressed higher levels of TGF-ß1 compared to controls. Post-stimulation levels of TGF-ß1 expression were significantly higher in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class IV patients compared to stage I patients. Tregs were significantly expanded in PBMC in CHF, while the CD4+ helper T-cells were unchanged. Treg expansion was more significant in NYHA functional class I patients compared to class IV patients. CONCLUSION: Expansion of Treg population in CHF provides an extrinsic source for TGF-ß1 production to induce reactive fibrosis and cardiac remodeling. Relative decrease in Treg population at advanced stages of CHF is indicative of a loss of regulatory characteristics in these cells and unopposed proinflammatory milieu.

Preparation of hierarchical HZSM-5 zeolites with combined desilication with NaAlO2/tetrapropylammonium hydroxide and acid modification for converting methanol to propylene.

In the present work, mesoporosity is introduced into highly siliceous HZSM-5 zeolites (SiO2/Al2O3 = 400) by a two-step path including desilication using NaAlO2 and TPAOH (tetrapropylammonium hydroxide) mixtures, followed by acid washing treatment. The physicochemical properties of conventional microporous HZSM-5 and all treated samples were characterized by ICP-OES, XRD, FE-SEM, BET and NH3-TPD methods. The catalytic performance of the HZSM-5 samples was determined in methanol to propylene conversion reaction at 460 °C and methanol WHSV of 0.9 h-1 using feed containing 50 wt% methanol in water. The results showed that the porosity of the desilicated samples has been mainly blocked by sodium aluminate derived deposits and silicon-containing debris. After a subsequent acid washing step with hydrochloric acid, the blocking species were removed which resulted in improving the mesoporosity generated in the desilication step. It was found that alkaline-acid treatment in a NaAlO2/TPAOH solution with TPAOH/(NaAlO2 + TPAOH) = 0.4 followed by acid washing, leads to the formation of narrow and uniform mesoporosity without severely destroying the crystal structure. Also, it exhibits higher selectivities to propylene (37.7 vs. 30.7%) and total butylenes (21.2 vs. 16.1%), propylene to ethylene ratio (4.0 vs. 2.7), as well as total light olefins (68.4 vs. 57.9%) compared to the parent catalyst, while its selectivities to C1-C4 alkanes (9.6 vs. 13.7%) and heavy hydrocarbons (13.8 vs. 28.4%) are relatively lower. The lifetime of the optimum alkaline-acid treated sample (640 h) showed a significant increase compared to that of the parent catalyst (425 h). The results exhibited that desilication process leads to a considerable mesoporosity development, while acid washing treatment mostly influences on the catalyst acidity. Therefore, the combination of the alkaline-acid treatment leads to hierarchical HZSM-5 catalyst formation with tailored pore architecture and surface acidic properties.