African Journal of Immunology Research

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 9431-5833 Vol. 4 (4), pp. 234-241, April, 2017. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Effect of water pollution on expression of immune response genes of Solea aegyptiaca in Lake Qarun

Fagr Kh. Ali¹, Saber A. El-Shafai¹, Farag A. Samhan¹ and Wagdy K.B. Khalil²*

¹Department of Water Pollution Research, National Research Center, El-Behoos street, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.

²Department of Cell Biology, National Research Center, El-Behoos street, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel and Fax: +20233353498. Mobile: +20127410600.

Accepted 09 January, 2016

Abstract

This research was aimed to study quality of water in Lake Qarun and effects of pollution on expression of immune genes in Egyptian sole (Solea aegyptiaca) fish. The study was carried out from August 2006 to the end of April 2007. The water samples were collected from different locations of Lake Qarun at Al-Oberge within an area of 200 to 1500 meter from the shore. The samples were subjected to different physical and chemical analyses. The concentration of total dissolved solids (TDS) recorded an average value of 37.8 g/l while the chloride content was 14.3 g/l on average. The corresponding value of salinity was 25.9 g/l. For the chemical oxygen demand and biochemical oxygen demand the results revealed that the average values were 98 ± 22 mg O₂/l and 8.0 ± 2.1 mg O₂/l for the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), respectively. Analyses of nitrogen group indicated presence of low concentrations of all. For total pesticides which might be one of the most potential pollutants in the lake, the results showed an average value of 0.62 mg/l. Furthermore, the total viable bacterial count (TVBC) ranged from 10³ colony forming unit (CFU) in the middle of the Lake to 10⁷ (CFU) near the shore. Stressed total coliform group (STC), stressed faecal coliform group (SFC) and stressed faecal streptococci group (SFS) increased from the middle of the Lake to the shore. The differential expression of the immune genes, that is, GARP and SIMP genes, as a result of pollution influence was further confirmed by RT-PCR, with the up-regulation of these genes in the liver of the collected fish. The application of the expression of the immune genes of fish might be time safe and cost effective in case there are different source of pollution.

Key words: Pollution, Lake Qarun, Solea aegyptiaca, immune genes.

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 9431-5833 Vol. 4 (4), pp. 228-233, April, 2017. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper 

Solution to an HIV- immune dynamic system

Zeinab A. Elsady

Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Nasr City- Cairo, Egypt. E-mail: [email protected].

Accepted 09 July, 2016

Abstract

Some mathematical properties of nonlinear system associated with an HIV- Immune dynamic model will be given. The considered model will be solved numerically. The numerical method permits the examination of the behavior of the dynamic system on long -term. In the same time, it is easy to implement, fast convergent and has a very competitive stability results. Numerical results demonstrate the effect of improving the function of the thymus on the viral growth and T cell population.

Key words: Mathematical immunology, dynamic system, HIV, critical points, finite difference, convergence.

2000 Mathematical Subject Classifications: 92B05, 70K75, 65L12, 65L20.

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 9431-5833 Vol. 4 (7), pp. 268-276, July, 2017. © International Scholars Journals

Review

Immune response and possible causes of CD4⁺T-cell depletion in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infection

O. O. Oguntibeju¹*, W. M. J. van den Heever² and F. E. Van Schalkwyk³

¹Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of

Technology, Bellville Campus, South Africa.

²School of Health Technology, South Africa.

³School of Hospitality and Tourism, Central University of Technology, Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.

*Corresponding author. [email protected]. Tel.: +27 21 953 8495. Fax: +27 21 959 6770.

Accepted 03 March, 2017

Abstract

This review work examines immune response and possible causes of depletion of CD4⁺ T-cells in patients with human immunodeficiency (HIV)-1 infection. HIV has been accepted as a global problem however, the developing countries are the most affected by the epidemic. Countries in the sub-Saharan Africa seem to bear the bulk of the HIV burden among the developing countries with about 24.7 million (almost 63%) of all people living with HIV globally in 2006 live in sub-Saharan Africa. The major factor obstructing progress towards an effective vaccine to prevent or modulate HIV-1 infection is that the critical features needed for a protective immune response are not fully understood. Although, it has been found that potent neutralizing antibodies can protect against experimentally acquired HIV infection in animal models, they are scarcely generated in vivo in the infected person and neutralization resistant viral variants have been noticed to develop rapidly in chronic infection. It is generally believed that cellular immune responses, particularly specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), are important in the host response to HIV-1 infection. Scientists have observed that CTL develop very early in acute HIV-1 infection, coincident with a rapid fall in plasma vireamia, whereas in chronic infection their levels are inversely related to viral load. However, the powerful HIV-specific CTL response ultimately fails to control HIV replication. This could be due to the emergence of viral variants that escape CTL recognition or impairment of CTL function.

Key words: Immune system, immune suppression, virus-mediated cell destruction, chronic infection.

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 9431-5833 Vol. 3 (6), pp. 183-193, June, 2016. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

A study of selected biomarkers for monitoring effects of pollution in coastal areas of Indonesia

Khusnul Yaqin¹*, Bibiana Widiati Lay², Etty Riani², Zainal Alim Masud² and Peter-Diedrich Hansen³

¹Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Marine science and Fisheries, Hasanuddin University, Jalan Perintis Kemerdekaan

Km 10, Makassar 90245, Indonesia.

²Environmental Science Study Programme, Bogor Agricultural University, Darmaga Campus, Bogor 16680, Indonesia.

³Department of Ecotoxicology, Technische Universitaet, Faculty VI, Franklin Strasse 29 (OE4), D-10587 Berlin, Germany.

*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected].

Accepted 04 May, 2016

Abstract

Selected biomakers, Cholinesterase (ChE) and phagocytic activities have been investigated with the exposed green mussel PERNA VIRIDIS in Indonesian coastal waters. An operative effect-based monitoring on two polluted sites and one reference area were investigated for aquaculture enterprises and human health aspects. Between two heavily polluted sites, green mussels from Cilincing indicated a lower level of the ChE activity than those from Kamal Muara. The phagocytic activity of green mussels from the polluted sites demonstrated significant higher activity than that of green mussels from the pristine site, Pangkep. However, there were no significant differences of phagocytic activities between the polluted sites. This might indicate that the existing pollutants in Jakarta Bay were more neurotoxic rather than immonotoxic substances. The results showed clearly that both selected biomarkers were potential valuable tools for effect-based monitoring and pollution impacts in coastal zones of Indonesia.

Key words: Green mussel, biomarkers, coastal zone management, Indonesia.

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 9431-5833 Vol. 3 (5), pp. 171-176, May, 2016. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Effect of Astragalus mongholicus injection liquid on the immunity function in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) after undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery

Li Tong¹, Yu Shaoyi², Zhang Ge³ and Huang Weizhe⁴*

¹Department of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of School of Medicine of Shantou University, Shantou, PR China.

²Department of Urinary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of School of Medicine of Shantou University, Shantou, PR China.

³Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China.

⁴Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of School of Medicine of Shantou University, Shantou, PR China.

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

Accepted 09 January, 2016

Abstract

The effect of the administration of Astragalus mongholicus injection liquid on the immunity function in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) after undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery was examined. Results showed that A. mongholicus injection liquid can improve the immunity function in children with CHD after undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery.

Key words: Astragalus mongholicus injection liquid, cardiopulmonary bypass surgery, congenital heart disease (CHD), sVCAM-1.

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 9431-5833 Vol. 3 (3), pp. 155-161, March, 2016. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Application of different levels of yarrow compared to a probiotic supplement on immune responses of broiler chicks

Majid Toghyani¹*, Mohsen Tohidi¹, Mehdi Toghyani², Abbasali Gheisari^1,3 and Seyed Ali Tabeidian¹

¹Department of Animal Science, Khorasgan (Isfahan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.

²Young Researchers Club, Khorasgan (Isfahan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.

³Department of Animal Science, Isfahan Research Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Isfahan, Iran.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Tel: +98 913 314 1302. Fax: 98 311 5354038.

Accepted 11 January, 2016

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential of yarrow in comparison with probiotic as growth promoter on performance, immune responses, and some biochemical and hematological parameters in broiler chicks. One hundred and ninety two day-old mix broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to four treatment groups (control, probiotic 15 mg/kg Protoxin™, and yarrow powder of 5 and 10 g/kg of diet). Four floor pen replicates of 12 chicks were randomly allocated to each treatment. Body weight, feed intake, and feed conversion ratios were recorded at 14, 28 and 42 d. On day 42 blood samples were collected in heparinized and none-heparinized vials from the wing vein and hematological and biochemical parameters were determined, respectively. Albumin to globulin and heterophil to lymphocyte ratios were also calculated. Antibody titers against Newcastle and Influenza viruses and sheep red blood cell (SRBC) were measured at 24 and 28 d of age, respectively. Results showed that body weight of broilers significantly (P<0.05) increased in probiotic treatment and decreased in 10 g/kg yarrow. Feed intake of broilers not significantly tended to decrease in control but feed conversion was not affected by dietary treatments. Most of the carcass characteristics of broilers slaughtered at 42 d were not influenced by treatments but abdominal fat pad significantly reduced (P<0.05) in probiotic group compared to control birds. Serum triglyceride level in probiotic and dietary yarrow groups was significantly lower than control birds (P<0.05). Other blood parameters were not statistically affected by dietary treatments. No significant impact of additives was observed on humoral immune responses but H/L ratio decreased markedly in birds fed probiotic. The current results suggest that addition of yarrow powder seem not to have a positive influence on growth performance and failed to elevate immune responses thus, it could not be considered as a natural growth promoter for broiler chicks.

Key words: Broiler, yarrow, probiotic, immunity, serum biochemistry, hematology.