International Biological and Biomedical Journal
Volume:1 Issue: 1, Winter 2015

Few studies have been conducted on the causative factors associated with the development of cancer. Infection by high risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) have been implicated as causative agents in a variety of cancers. HPV is capable of evading immune system and establishing persistent infections. Prolonged infection and lesion maintenance are associated with higher risk of neoplastic progression. Hence, curtailing the ability of the virus to escape host immunosurveilance should reduce this risk by accelerating resolution of infection and lesion progression. One of the potential effectors of HPV escape from host immunosurveilance is the E5 oncoprotein, which we have shown to down-regulate surface major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC I), without apparent effect on non-classical MHC. These effects would interfere with both cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) killing of the virally infected cells, and with the natural killer (NK) cell illumination of infected cells.
In this review we address mechanisms of immunomodulation by Papillomavirus and discuss our current findings on the association of HPV and cancers.

Previous, Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) has been used for treatment of patients with immunodeficiency. However, recent studies have shown that IVIG is a suitable approach for treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Although the exact mechanism of IVIG action is not well known, recent findings have demonstrated that IVIG impacts on expression and function of FC receptors of immunoglobulins, modulation of complement activation and cytokines. In addition, IVIG regulates cell proliferation, affects on differentiation of T, B and dendritic cells. Its side effects are classified into three categories, including immediate side effects (which can occur during infusion, including anaphylaxis reactions, facial flushing, and dyspnea), delay effects (which in a few hours a few days after the injection occur as side effects on the skin, lung, kidney, aseptic meningitis, arthritis, cerebral symptoms, leukopenia, and hemolysis) and late side effects (such as transmission of infectious agents). In this review, we are summarizing recent applications, mechanism and side effects of IVIG.

This study was conducted to monitor the rate of inpatient mortality and its associated factors following open reconstruction of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in a tertiary hospital in Tehran, Iran. This retrospective study was a chart review of 112 patients undergoing open in­frarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery in one of the main tertiary hospitals in Tehran, Iran. Baseline data (demographic data, risk factors) and outcome data (any cause mortality) were available in 106 cases, which included into this study. The inpatient mortality was very high (23.5%). Regression analysis revealed that in-patient mortality was higher in those with age over 70 years (OR=3.028, 95% CI= 1.099- 8.337) and those who developed temporary worsening of the renal function (OR=3.141, 95% CI= 1.071-9.21). High inpatient mortality rate of the AAA reconstruction in this study is alarming. The decrease in the renal function in the wake of infra-renal aortic surgery and also high age seem to be main risk factors of the increased inpatient mortality.

Oligohydramnios is frequently used to identify at risk fetuses. The purpose of this study was to assess adverse perinatal outcomes in oligohydramnios. Subjects comprised pregnant women diagnosed either with (590) or without (597) oligohydramnios who delivered after hospital admittance from 2000 to 2010 . Data, including the resuscitation of newborn, Apgar score at 5 min, NICU admission, death in 24 hours after birth, still birth, intrauterine growth restriction, fetal distress, meconium passage, and neonatal birth weight were abstracted from records. Chi – square, Fisher’s exact test, and t tests were used for analysis. An amniotic fluid index of 5 cm or less had a higher rate of meconium passage. Antepartum oligohydramnios is associated with an increased risk of perinatal morbidity and mortality.

Clostridium perfringens is a gram-positive, obligate anaerobic bacterium, which is widely distributed in the environment. C. perfringens is subdivided to 5 groups (types A to E), based on its four major toxin (alpha, beta, epsilon and iota). C. perfringens type B beta toxin causes inflammation and bloody necrotic enteritis. Type B related enterotoxaemia is a major problem of veterinary sciences. The aim of the present study was to molecular cloning and sequencing of C. perfringens type B vaccine strain beta toxin gene. Genomic DNA was extracted using phenol-chloroform method. Beta toxin sequence was retrieve from GenBank and using oligo software, appropriate primers were designed. Using Pfu DNA polymerase, beta toxin gene was amplified and after purification it was ligated into pJET1.2/blunt cloning vector. The ligation product was transformed using E. coli/TOP10 competent cells and the recombinant pJETβ clones were chosen on LB-amp. pJETβ recombinant plasmid was extracted from recombinant bacterium host and was sequenced using universal primers. Sequencing and BLAST and phylogenetic analysis of cpb showed over 99% identity to other previously deposited cpb in the GenBank.

The ability to maintain and study human tissues in in-vivo environment has proved to be a valuable tool in breast cancer research for several decades. The most widely tissues have been xenografts established human breast cancer cell lines into athymic nude mice. The aim of this study was to provide a new accurate and affordable method for the establishment of breast cancer xenograftin nude mice. Injectable estradiol valerate was assayed as a substitute for estradiol pellets that are rather expensive in order to create cancer tumors by MCF7 xenograft method in nude mice (B6). Twenty four healthy adult female nude mice (B6) were injected with different concentrations of pre-counted MCF7 cells. Then estradiol valerate and Matrigel B.D. were injected either alone or combined in two different groups of animals. In a period of 6 to 9 weeks, mice injected with increased amount of MCF7 cells, estradiol valerate and Matrigel (combined or alone) developed faster and larger tumors than animals which received MCF7 only or MCF7 and Matrigel combined. The results indicate that estradiol valerate which is way less expensive than estradiol pellets can be used as tumor proliferator to create animal breast cancer models.

Disorder in re-methylation process of homocysteine to methionine due to mutation in betaine homocysteine methyltransferase enzyme (BHMT) coding gene, leads to decrease in S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) synthesis which takes part in DNA methylation as a methyl donor. As a result, it can promote hypo-methylation of DNA, chromosome instability, and chromosome missegregation, which in turn is one of the main risk factors in trisomy 21 occurrence. The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of BHMT polymorphism among mothers of Down syndrome and normal children. Genomic DNA extracted from blood samples of 45 mothers with at least one child presenting Down syndrome, as test group, and 30 mothers without affected children, as control group. G>A Single nucleotide polymorphism rs3733890 was investigated by PCR-RFLP method. The frequency of A allele was 37% in test group and 20% in control group. The frequency of G allele was 63% and 80% in test and control groups, respectively. The abundance of homozygous GG genotype was higher in control group (P= 0.03 ORGG = 1 and ORAA, AG = 1.4). Higher frequency of A allele in mothers with children affected with Down syndrome compared to control group, indicates that there might be an involvement of BHMT gene polymorphism in chromosomal nondisjunction leading to trisomy 21 children birth.