African Journal of Immunology Research

African Journal of Immunology Research Vol.  1 (3) pp. 055-061, December, 2014. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Categorization of two T4-like acteriophages aligned with pathogenic Escherichia coli of piglet 

Wayne Lau Cheng

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.

Email: [email protected]

Accepted 27 November, 2014

Abstract 

This study, has described the isolation of two T4-like JH11 and JH14 phages. All bacteriophages produced clear plaques in double Luria Bertani (LB) agar, but JH11 produced the larger plaques. These phages lysed Escherichia coli O141: F18 (ETEC), they have icosahedral heads, necks and contractile tails, and belonged to the Myoviridae family. The genomes of these phages were a strand DNA, predicted to be larger than 2 kb. Titer of the two phages were unaffected by exposure to pH 5 - 9 for 16 h. Among the phages, JH11 and JH14 were resistance to enterotoxigenic E. coli O141: F18 (ETEC). Both phages contain three abundant protein bands with approximate molecular sizes of 80, 75 and 50 kDa for JH11, and 50, 38, and 36 kDa for JH14. According to the blast results, the phage JH11 random clones are in close relation with phage T4 gene 23 for major capsid protein MVSS (98%), ECML-134 (98%), T6(97%) and T4 (96% identity) identity. Phage JH14 random clones are in close relation with HX01 (96%), CEV1 (95%) and T4 (93 %) identity. The two strains belong to T4-like phage genus. Gene of JH11 and JH14 were (93%) identical.

Key words: Bacteriophage, enterotoxigenic, Escherichia coli, T4-like phage.

African Journal of Immunology Research Vol.  1 (3) pp. 052-054, December, 2014. © International Scholars Journals

Short Communication

Polymorphism in the CC-chemokine receptor-5 (CCR5) gene

Dilip Rajinikanth¹*, Chandra Kumar¹, Aishwarya Mukerji ¹, Jamsetji Mohanlal¹, Azim Gangandhar^1,2,

¹Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India.

²Center of Animal Biotechnology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, Bengaluru, India.

E-mail: [email protected] 

Accepted 15 November, 2014

Abstract

Chemokine  receptors  and  their  ligands  may  confer  resistance  to  HIV-1  infection  and/or  AIDS progression. Our aim was to study our population for the most frequently studied polymorphism CCR5-32  for  evaluating  their  contribution  to  a  protective  genetic  background  against  HIV  infection  and progression.  One  hundred  and  fifty  blood  samples  from  normal  controls  were  recruited  at  random among prospective normal  blood  donors and  forty blood  samples of  HIV/AIDS  patients from Ethnic Kashmiri population were collected from Blood Bank and National AIDS Control Organisation of Sheri Kashmir  Institute  of  Medical  Sciences  Soura,  Kashmir  respectively.  Genotyping  was  performed  by polymerase  chain  reaction  (PCR)  analysis  followed  by  electrophoresis.  The  CCR5-    32  genotype frequency among our study group was wt/wt (93.3%), wt/mt (4%) and mt/mt (3%) from control group, revealing CCR5  32 allele frequency of  5%.  The frequency of the CCR5-   32 allele among our study population seems to be remarkably higher compared to previously reported frequencies in other Asian populations. However, since this polymorphism is related with delayed progression from HIV infection to AIDS, it could be used for prognostic genotyping in HIV infected Kashmiri individuals.

Key words: CCR5- 32, HIV (Human immuno deficiency virus), mt (mutant type), wt (wild type).

African Journal of Immunology Research Vol.  1 (3) pp. 046-051, December, 2014.  © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

MHC Class II binders/non-binders using negative collection algorithm in vaccine scheming

Shahid E. Kapoor

Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India.

Email: [email protected] 

Accepted 5 November, 2014

Abstract 

The identification of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class-II restricted peptides is an important goal in human immunological research leading to peptide based vaccine designing. These MHC class II peptides are predominantly recognized by CD4+ T-helper cells, which when turned on, have profound immune regulatory effects. Thus, prediction of such MHC class-II binding peptide is very helpful towards epitope based vaccine designing. HLA-DR proteins were found to be associated with autoimmune diseases e.g. HLA-DRB1*0401 with rheumatoid arthritis. It is important for the treatment of autoimmune diseases to determine, which peptides bind to MHC class II molecules. The experimental methods for identification of these peptides are both time consuming and cost intensive. Therefore, computational methods have been found helpful in classifying these peptides as binders or non-binders. We have applied negative selection algorithm, an artificial immune system approach to predict MHC class-II binders and non-binders. For the evaluation of the NSA algorithm, five fold cross validation has been used and six MHC class-II alleles have been taken. The average area under ROC curve for HLA-DRB1*0301, DRB1*0401, DRB1*0701, DRB1*1101, DRB1*1501, DRB1*1301 have been found to be 0.75, 0.77, 0.71, 0.72, 0.69, and 0.84, respectively indicating good predictive performance for the small training set.

Key words: Negative selection algorithm, MHC class-II peptides, artificial immune system, epitope, vaccine designing, human immunology.

African Journal of Immunology Research Vol.  1 (2) pp. 039-045, November, 2014. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Causes of rice bran extract on immunological and physiological parameters of Biomphalaria alexandrina

*Ahmed E. Pashar, Ali Lutfi Tawfiq and Hassan Zaghloul

Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Sinai University, Cairo, Egypt.

Email: [email protected]

Accepted 25 October, 2014

Abstract 

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of rice bran extract on immunological and physiological parameters of Biomphalaria alexandrina snails and Schistosoma mansoni infection. Rice bran methanolic extract showed the strongest antioxidant activity. IC50 values for scavenging DPPH was 344.22 µg/ml and reducing power was increased with increasing amounts of the extract. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were 4.23 mg gallic acid-equivalent (GAE)/g bran and 2.11 mg quercetin-equivalent (QE)/g bran, respectively. The presence of rice bran during infection causes reduction in  infection  rate  by  33.3%.  The  exposure  of  snails  to infection for 24h  followed by treatment with 500 ppm  of rice bran  for 24 h caused a reduction in  infection rate  by 56.5% as compared to t h e  control (80%). The reduction in infection rate of Schistosoma haematobium may be due to the increase in immune activity response, activation and vacuolation of haemocytes distributed in hemolymph of snails which represent the important system in immunity defense against any invaders. These results could provide useful information for control of Schistosomiasis in integrated pest management program and environmental protection.

Key words: Schistosomiasis, antioxidant, rice bran, control, immunological and physiological parameters, snail.

African Journal of Immunology Research Vol.  1 (2) pp. 026-038, November, 2014. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Psycho-immunological treatment of complex cancer patients suffering from psychogenic therapeutic history

Alexandra I. Brezhnev

Department of Psycho Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia.

Email: [email protected]

Accepted 15 October, 2014

Abstract 

The aim of this work is approbation of the pathogenetically substantiated psycho-immunological rehabilitation of advanced cancer patients with psychogenic medical history. 17 advanced cancer patients (with 6 various types of cancer) took part in this study. All psycho-emotional disorders were diagnosed clinically and psychometrically (SCL 90). The treatment of signs and symptoms of mentioned disorders included hypnotherapy and psychotropic drugs. The specific anti-tumor activity of the immune system was assessed by the delayed type hypersensitivity skin reaction on the tumor-associated antigens. An activation of specific anti-tumor immunity was provided only after stable clinical effect of psycho-correction by specially developed methods of epicutaneous and modified extra-corporeal activation. The effective treatment of psycho-emotional disorders had a direct correlation with spontaneous increase in specific anti-tumor activity of the immune system (p < 0.0008). The catamnesis showed that only 5 advanced cancer patients, who were provided with whole course of psycho-immunological rehabilitation survived for 1.5 years and up to 7 years after psycho-immunological rehabilitation. The rest 12 patients died. This study showed some clinical opportunities of positive influence of special psycho-immunological rehabilitation on to the course of a disease of advanced cancer patients with psychogenic medical history.

Key words: Advanced cancer, anti-tumor immunity, cancer rehabilitation, psycho-emotional disorders, psychogenic medical history.

African Journal of Immunology Research Vol.  1 (2) pp. 019-025, November, 2014.  © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Bacterial pathogens of exterior ocular Infections and their antibiotic vulnerability pattern in Southern Ethiopia

Tilahun Aweke¹* Gelila Dibaba², Kenenisa Ashenafi² and Mengistu Kebede³

¹Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

²Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia.

³Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.

E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 05 October, 2014

Abstract 

Bacterial external ocular infection is a common health problem along with increase and spread of drug resistance in Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to identify potential bacterial isolate of external ocular infections and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in patients attending eye clinic of the Hawassa University Teaching and Referral Hospital, from December 2012 to April 2013. A total of 281 consecutive, non-repetitive ocular specimens were collected among conjunctivitis cases (n=140), blepharitis cases (n=55), keratitis cases (n=31), dacryocystitis cases (n=19), and other cases (n=36). All samples were processed for culture and identification by standard methods. Susceptibility testing was done by Kirby-Bauer method as per Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guideline. Out of 281 ocular specimens submitted to culture, 137 (48.8%) specimen were positive. The most common bacterial isolates were Gram positive cocci (n=88; 61.5%). The predominant bacterial species isolated was Staphylococcus aureus (n=30; 21.0%) followed by coagulase negative Staphylococci (CoNS) (n=26; 18.2%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (n=20; 14.0%). In vitro ciprofloxacin was effective against 86% of isolated pathogen. Multi-drug resistance was observed in 69.9% of the bacterial isolates. Our study confirmed that S. aureus was the overall predominant isolated pathogen followed by CoNS, S. pneumoniae and Klebsiella spp. Gram positive isolates were more susceptible to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and vancomycin, whereas Gram negative isolates were more susceptible to ciprofloxacin and gentamicin. Relatively, ciprofloxacin is effective against most isolated pathogen.

Key words: External ocular infections, conjunctivitis, blepharitis, keratitis, dacryocystitis, susceptibility.