African Journal of Immunology Research

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 9431-5833 Vol. 6 (1), pp. 001-008, January, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Discoid lupus erythematosus: Description of 130 cases and review of their natural history and clinical course

Metavee Insawang, Kanokvalai Kulthanan*, Leena Chularojanamontri, Papapit Tuchinda and Sumrauy Pinkaew

Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Accepted 15 August, 2018

Abstract

Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is one of the most common forms of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical manifestations, laboratory findings and the natural course of Thai patients with DLE, as well as the factors that may incline DLE patients to develop systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We retrospectively studied 130 patients with DLE between January 2002 and December 2007. Seventy-six patients (58%) presented with a localized form of classic DLE with the primarily involved location on the face (52.3%). Fifty-nine of 130 patients (45.4%) fulfilled American College of Rheumatology criteria for SLE. Twenty-seven of 59 patients (45.7%) had DLE which preceded the diagnosis of SLE. Among these patients, 50% would progress to develop SLE 2 years from the disease onset. In our study, the presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) had the highest statistical relevance for distinguishing between those patients with only DLE lesions and those who would transit into SLE. Seventy one patients (54.6%) had only cutaneous lesions without fulfilling the criteria of SLE even after long-term follow up. Comparing with Caucasians’ data, our study revealed a higher percentage of positive ANA, less frequency of photosensitivity but more progression to SLE even with the same risk factors.

Key words: Discoid lupus erythematosus, natural history, clinical course.

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 9431-5833 Vol. 6 (1), pp. 001-006, January, 2019. © International Scholars Journals 

Full Length Research Paper

Survey of the feline AIDS prevalence in the Slovak Republic

Róbert Ondrejka, Eva Slepecká, Anna Ondrejková, Judit Süli, Serena Pošiváková, Zdenek Beníšek and Marián Prokeš

University of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Epizootiology and Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Komenského 73 04181 Košice, Slovak Republic.

Accepted 23 November, 2018

Abstract

The authors have carried out an epizootiological and serological survey in the Slovak Republic aimed to the determination of the prevalence of Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) in autochthon domestic and stray cat populations. At the same time the prevalence of feline leukaemia and toxoplasmosis was also researched in the cat populations. One hundred and ninty eight cats of younger and older age categories were examined in 9 districts of the Slovak Republic during the years 2007 and 2009. The antibodies against FIV and the Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV) antigen were determined by commercial rapid diagnostic tests; the antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii were determined by ELISA method using a commercial kit. From the total One hundred and ninty eight cats, nine were FIV-positive (4.5%) and 4 of them were also FeLV positive (2%). Fifty two cats (26.3%) were toxoplasmosis-positive; the 9 FIV-positive cats were also positive for toxoplasmosis.

Key words: Domestic and stray cats, feline AIDS, feline leukaemia, toxoplasmosis.

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 9431-5833 Vol. 6 (1), pp. 001-006, January, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Propranolol effect on proliferation and vascular endothelial growth factor secretion in human immunocompetent cells

Fatemeh Hajighasemi¹* and Abbas Mirshafiey²

¹Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.

²Department of Pathobiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Accepted 22 November, 2018

Abstract

Beta-blockers are widely used drugs in cardiovascular diseases. Propranolol is a non selective beta-adrenergic blocker extensively used in treatment of arrhythmias, hypertension and several other cardiac problems. The inhibitory effects of propranolol on tumor growth, inflammation and angiogenesis have been shown by many investigations. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) play important role in inflammation and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a key regulator of angiogenesis. The present study was conducted to evaluate the propranolol effect on human PBMCs proliferation and VEGF secretion IN VITRO. PBMCs from healthy adult volunteers were isolated by ficoll-hypaque-gradiant centrifugation. Then the cells were cultured in complete RPMI-1640 medium and after that incubated with different concentrations of propranolol (0.00034 - 0.34 mM) in the presence or absence of phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) (10 µg/ml) for 12, 24 and 48 h. The cell viability was then assessed by trypan blue dye exclusion and also 3-[4, 5-dimethyl thiazol-2, 5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromide (MTT) reduction methods. Amount of VEGF produced by PBMCs was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Propranolol significantly reduced the viability of human PBMCs at ≥ 0.17 mM concentration, after 12 hours incubation onwards, compared to untreated control cells. Moreover propranolol significantly decreased the VEGF production in PHA-stimulated human PBMCs at 0.034 mM concentration of drug. Our results suggest that propranolol with inhibitory effect on PBMCs proliferative activity and VEGF production may be useful in immunoproliferative, inflammatory and angiogenesis related disorders. Moreover, anti-inflammatory characteristic of propranolol may be other beneficial effect of this drug in treatment of inflammatory based cardiovascular diseases.

Key words: Propranolol, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, proliferation, VEGF.

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 2343-6549 Vol. 5 (12), pp. 453-462, December, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Naturally acquired antibody to DBL5 and ID1-ID2a dynamics in primigravid women during postpartum in a rural setting of Burkina Faso

Ousmane Traoré^1,2*, Hermann Sorgho¹, W. Isidore Yerbanga¹, Toussaint Rouamba¹, Guillaume S. Sanou³, Innocent Valea¹, Maminata Traoré-Coulibaly¹, Susana Scott⁷, Petra F. Mens⁵, Henk Schallig⁵, Yves Traoré⁴, Adrien M. G. Belem², Umberto D’Alessandro⁶ and Halidou Tinto¹

¹Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Unité de Recherche Clinique de Nanoro (IRSS-URCN), Nanoro, Burkina Faso.

²Université Nazi Boni de Bobo-Dioulasso (UNB), Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.

³Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme (CNRFP), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

⁴Université Ouaga I, Pr Joseph Ki-Zerbo, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

⁵Department of Medical Microbiology-Parasitology Unit, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands.

⁶Disease Control and Elimination Theme, Medical Research Council Unit, Fajara, The Gambia.

⁷Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.

Corresponding author E-mail: [email protected]; Tel. +226 70 58 99 41. 

Accepted 30 October, 2018

Abstract

Pregnancy is challenging for women, as their immune system is required not only to protect their body against pathogens, but also to develop an immune tolerance for the foetus growth in utero. However, after delivery little is known about the immunological basis of women susceptibility to malaria infection. The aim of this study was to assess the antibody profiles against VAR2CSA recombinant fragments at delivery and to evaluate their dynamics at 1 and 3 months post-delivery. Sera levels of anti-VAR2CSA antibodies were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay using sera samples collected from primiparous and nulliparous women, using DBL5 and ID1-ID2a domains. Pregnancy background information showed that 51.5% of primiparous women experienced at least one malaria episode during their pregnancy. Placental malaria was diagnosed in 23.8% of women at delivery. Women infected during pregnancy showed higher levels of VAR2CSA-specific antibodies. However, the proportion of seropositive individuals decreased during the follow up period. Malaria infection during pregnancy contributes to establish the specific humoral immunity to placental malaria antigens in women living in endemic areas. The naturally acquired specific antibodies are not boosted by postpartum infections; but rather declines overtime.

Keywords: Antibody, DBL5, ID1-ID2a, postpartum, malaria. 

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 9431-5833 Vol. 5 (9), pp. 411-414, September, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

The effect of Aloe vera extract on humoral and cellular immune response in rabbit

Ghasem Vahedi¹*, Mehdi Taghavi¹, Amin Kheirollahzade Maleki¹ and Reza Habibian²

¹Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz Branch, Tabriz, Iran.

²Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Islamic Azad University, Urmia Branch, Urmia, Iran.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: +98935339777.

Accepted 13 October, 2017

Abstract

Some plant polysaccharides are well known to possess immunostimulatory effects. ALOE VERA possesses confirmed curative or healing actions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the administration of A. VERA plant extract on cellular and humoral immune response in rabbits. 20 healthy male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into five treatment groups: Groups consisted of: 1)   control  group  (normal  saline);  2)  A.  VERA   control;  3)  vaccine  control;  4)  50  mg  A.  VERA   extract  + vaccine; 5) 150 mg A. VERA extract + vaccine. The used vaccine was for myxomatosis. Blood samples were obtained at four time points: days 0, 7, 14 and 21 of the study. CD⁴⁺ and CD⁸⁺ lymphocytes frequency and serum immunoglobulin concentrations were evaluated. According to the results, oral administration of A. VERA affected the composition of lymphocyte subsets and serum immunoglobulins positively. These findings demonstrated that A. VERA may stimulate both cellular and humoral immune responses after immunization.

Key words: Aloe vera, cellular and humoral immune, immunization, rabbits.