Objective(s): We previously conducted an in silico research on the interactions between the ribosome display-selected single chain variable fragment (scFv) and factor H binding protein (fHbp) of Neisseria meningitidis. We found that heavy chain variable (VH) fragment of this scFv had considerable affinity to fHbp. These results led us to evaluate the ability of this sm...

Western blot analysis was carried out in order to evaluate new serodiagnostic markers, Em18 and Em16, for differentiation of alveolar echinococcosis (AE) from cystic echinococcosis (CE) using 36 serum samples from hydatid patients from Xinjiang, China, where AE and CE are both endemic and one double infection case has been reported. All AE cases except one (5/6) who exhibited a calcified lesion...

Objectives: Immune regulation seems to be altered in cystic fibrosis (CF), thus potentially predisposing patients developing autoimmune diseases (AID). In this meta-analysis, we aimed evaluate the prevalence of celiac disease (CeD) among CF as by far most commonly reported population and, secondly, review observations on other, less frequently studied diseases. Methods: We conducted a systemati...

Members of the synaptotagmin family have been proposed to function as Ca2+ sensors in membrane fusion. Syt VII is a ubiquitously expressed synaptotagmin previously implicated in plasma membrane repair and Trypanosoma cruzi invasion, events which are mediated by the Ca2+-regulated exocytosis of lysosomes. Here, we show that embryonic fibroblasts from Syt VII-deficient mice are less susceptible t...

Background and Aims: Pertussis is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease. Determination of the seroepidemiology of pertussis makes possible the evaluation of pertussis immunity in a population. In this study, we determined the seroprevalence of Bordetella pertussis IgG antibodies in different age groups in Tehran, Iran. Materials and Methods: Overa...

Fluorescent immunocytochemistry (FICC) allows multiple labeling approaches when enzyme-based techniques are difficult to combine, such as in double-labeling experiments targeting small-caliber axonal segments. Nevertheless, the conversion of FICC to a product visible at the electron microscopic (EM) level requires labor-intensive procedures, thus justifying the development of more user-friendly...

BACKGROUND The detection of anti-transglutaminase IgA (tTG) and anti-endomysial (EMA) is used for screening of celiac disease (CD) with a sensitivity and specificity of 90 and 99% respectively. There is an association between CD and connective tissue diseases (CTD). AIM To report the frequency of IgA tTG and EMA in patients with a definite diagnosis of CTD and inflammatory arthropathies (IA)....

Brachio-cervical inflammatory myopathy (BCIM) is a unique clinicopathologic entity characterized by neck and upper extremity weakness with relative sparing of lower extremities and commonly associated with connective tissue diseases or myasthenia gravis and serum autoantibodies (e.g., antinuclear antibody [ANA], anti–double stranded DNA [dsDNA], and anti–acetylcholine receptor). Muscle patholog...

Introduction & Aim: The ethanol and aqueous extracts of Alhagi camelorum Fisch. (Fabaceae) whole plant, Scrophularia desertii Del. (Scrophulariaceae) whole plant and ethanol extracts of Echinophora platyloba DC. (Apiaceae) whole plant, Teucrium polium L. (Lamiaceae) whole plant and Berberis integerrima Bunge root b...

AIM To investigate the natural history of lymphocytic gastritis (LG) and its relation to Helicobacter pylori infection and to coeliac disease using serology, duodenal biopsy and a small intestinal permeability test. METHOD Twenty two patients diagnosed as having LG between 1984 and 1994 were investigated by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy at which gastric and duodenal biopsy specimens were t...