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Biomedical subjects

B Shohat

Publications and source records attributed to B Shohat.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I in Iranian-born Mashhadi Jews: genetic and phylogenetic evidence for common source of infection.

High prevalence of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) infection and disease has been identified among Iranian-born Mashhadi Jews, an ethnically segregated, highly inbred population. To determine the origin and genetic diversity of HTLV-I in this group, 1,039 bp spanning selected regions of the HTLV-I gag, pol, env and pX genes were enzymatically amplified and sequenced directly from DNA of five Mashhadi Jews (three with spastic myelopathy and two asymptomatic carriers). Alignment and comparison of these sequences with cosmopolitan and Australo-Melanesian topotypes of HTLV-I indicated that the HTLV-I strains from Mashhadi Jews, which were > or = 99.9% identical among themselves, exhibited considerable sequence similarity (> or = 99%) to HTLV-I strains from southern India, suggesting a common source of infection. Phylogenetic analysis, using the maximum parsimony method, was consistent with a single-source introduction of HTLV-I into the Mashhadi Jewish community.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Elevated serum interleukin 1 receptors and interleukin 1B in patients with Behçet's disease: correlations with disease activity and severity.

Soluble interleukin 2 receptor (SIL-2R) and interleukin 1-B (IL-1B) levels in peripheral blood were assayed by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent method in 25 patients with Behçet's disease and in 20 healthy controls. Eighteen patients suffered from active Behçet's disease and 6 patients had severe disease manifestations. SIL-2R levels were followed for a period of 16 months and were correlated with disease activity. In all the patients with Behçet's disease the levels of SIL-2R and IL-1B were significantly higher than their control, 958 +/- 712 vs. 404 +/- 119 u/ml (P < 0.001) for SIL-2R and 639 +/- 741 vs. 59 +/- 53 pg/ml (P < 0.001) for IL-1B. No correlation was found between disease activity and severity and the levels of SIL-2R and IL-1B. It is suggested that levels of SIL-2R and IL-1B are elevated in patients with Behçet's disease but do not serve as disease activity markers.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Levels of T-lymphocyte subpopulations, interleukin-1 beta, and soluble interleukin-2 receptor in acute myocardial infarction.

T-lymphocyte levels may adversely affect the clinical course and outcome of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). To characterize the T-lymphocyte profile during AMI and to explore whether these cells play a detrimental role in the extent of myocardial insult, levels of T-lymphocyte subpopulations, free soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), were measured during the first week of AMI. Results were correlated with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), age, sex, survival rate, thrombolytic therapy, and the occurrence of reinfarction. Thirty-nine patients, 20 men and 19 women aged 30 to 80 years, with first AMI were included. Patients were divided into two groups. Group A (13 patients) experienced reinfarction; group B (26 patients) did not. T-helper and-suppressor cells were measured by the indirect immunofluorescence method and sIL-2R and IL-1 serum levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods on days 1, 4, and 7 after AMI. A low count of T-helper cells (CD4) was found on the first day after AMI in both AMI groups; however, the count returned to normal in group B but not in group A. A significant correlation (r = 0.63) was found between T-helper cell count on day 4 of AMI and LVEF assessed by radionuclide ventriculography, and between the CD4/CD8 ratio on day 1 and the creatine phosphokinase level (r = -0.6950). High sIL-2R levels were found in groups A and B of the AMI patients as compared with the control group (p < or = 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1994

T cells number and function in young asthmatic children during 2 years treatment with inhaled budesonide.

Corticosteroids are known to affect the number and function of circulating lymphocytes in humans. The effect of 2 years administration of inhaled budesonide (200 micrograms/day) on the number and function of B and T lymphocytes and T cell subsets was evaluated in 16 young children with severe asthma. The number of T and B cells and T suppressor/cytotoxic cells (CD8 T cell) and T helper/inducer cells (CD4 T cell) before therapy was found to be comparable to the number of cells observed in the healthy control group. Two years administration of inhaled budesonide did not significantly alter the percentage and absolute number of all these cells. The functional activity of T lymphocytes was evaluated by the "local xenogeneic graft versus host reaction" (GVHR). A positive (normal) GVHR was observed in only 5 of the 16 children (31%) in the budesonide group before therapy, compared to 15 of 16 children (94%) in the healthy control group. During the 2 years treatment with inhaled budesonide, the percentage of patients having positive GVHR increased from 31% before therapy to 69% and 77% after 1 and 2 years of therapy (P = 0.05 and 0.02), respectively. The data observed in this study indicate that 2 years administration of inhaled budesonide did not alter the number of B and T lymphocytes and T cell subsets. However, it was associated with improvement in the GVHR function of T cells.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1993

Spastic paraparesis associated with human T-lymphotropic virus type I: a clinical, serological, and genomic study in Iranian-born Mashhadi Jews.

The Mashhadi-Jewish community originating in Iran is a closed and ethnically segregated population with a unique history and a high rate of intrafamilial marriage among its members. A high risk of infection by human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) and of adult T-cell leukemia associated with such infection was found in this population. HTLV-I is also associated with a syndrome of progressive spastic paraparesis. We therefore evaluated the occurrence of HTLV-I infection and spastic paraparesis in Mashhadi-born Iranian Jews who immigrated to Israel. We examined 83 Mashhadi-born subjects (52 women, 31 men; mean age, 61 +/- 15.5 years) and 73 age-matched non-Mashhadi Iranian-born Jews. Blood samples were tested for HTLV-I antibodies by particle agglutination test. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect HTLV-I proviral DNA sequences from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Fifteen Mashhadi-born Jews (18%) were both seropositive and PCR-positive for HTLV-I. Four HTLV-I-seronegative subjects were found to be positive for HTLV-I proviral DNA by PCR. Of the 19 HTLV-I-infected subjects (11 women, 8 men; mean age, 59 +/- 16 years), 13 (68%) had spastic paraparesis of varying severity. There were no signs of myelopathy in the Mashhadi-born subjects who were negative for HTLV-I proviral DNA by PCR. None of the non-Mashhadi Iranian Jews was seropositive or PCR-positive for HTLV-I proviral DNA, or had clinical signs of spastic paraparesis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Soluble interleukin-2 receptor and interleukin-2 in human amniotic fluid of normal and abnormal pregnancies.

In the present study, 63 specimens of human amniotic fluid were tested for the presence of free soluble interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R). Thirty-two of these were also tested for the presence of IL-2. Significant reduction in free soluble IL-2R (IU/ml) or free IL-2R (IU/mg albumin) levels were found in the amniotic fluid obtained from pregnant women with Down's syndrome fetuses as compared with normal pregnancies. In addition normal amniotic fluid was found to contain low levels of IL-2, while no IL-2 was found in amniotic fluid from pregnant women with Down's syndrome fetuses when tested by two different tests.

Amniotic Fluid↗
PubMed1992

Mumps orchitis among soldiers: frequency, effect on sperm quality, and sperm antibodies.

This study reports on 72 young soldiers who suffered from a recent epidemic of acute mumps, with special emphasis on 19 who suffered from mumps orchitis and whose spermograms were in the fertility range. The immunological work-up for antibodies in sera or seminal plasma gave normal results for the patients diagnosed with orchitis, as well as the controls. The only remarkable finding was an increased risk of borderline significance for orchitis in smokers. The present study has proven that the presence of antisperm antibodies does not play a role in the etiology of mumps orchitis.

Antibodies↗
PubMed1992

Immunomodulatory effects of AS101 on interleukin-2 production and T-lymphocyte function of lymphocytes treated with psoralens and ultraviolet A.

This study tested the immunomodulatory effects of AS101, a synthetic organotellurium compound, on interleukin (IL-2) production and functional activity of normal human lymphocytes. Normal human lymphocytes were treated in vitro with 8-methoxypsoralen alone, ultraviolet A (UVA) and psoralen plus UVA (PUVA) as well as with a combination of AS101 + phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)+phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and the above-mentioned treatments. Following treatment IL-2 production, free IL-2 receptor (IL-2R), the ability of lymphocytes to induce a local graft-versus-host reaction (GVHR) and the ability of separated CD4 cells to induce help were tested. 8-Methoxypsoralen alone did not significantly affect either cell proliferation or IL-2 production or functional activity. However, UVA and PUVA had a high inhibitory effect on cell proliferation, IL-2 production, IL-2R release and the functional activity of T- and T-helper lymphocytes. In the present study, the addition of AS101 and PMA serve to restore the impaired IL-2 production, T- and T-helper lymphocyte functional activity, but not the IL-2R release. AS101 alone without PMA was also effective in restoring GVHR and helper activity of CD4 lymphocytes, without affecting cell proliferation.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1991

B lymphocyte changes induced by peri-operative blood transfusions and surgery in patients with colorectal cancer.

Seventy patients with Duke's C adenocarcinoma scheduled to undergo surgery were divided into two groups, those who received no peri-operative transfusion (Group I, 26 patients) and those who received an average of 2.1 units of packed red blood cells per person peri-operatively (Group II, 44 patients). Immunological parameters were tested 1 week before and 1 and 5 weeks after surgery in order to determine the influence of the transfusion of these parameters. Comparison of the mean values obtained before operation with those obtained one week post-operatively revealed a significant change in the number of B cells (P = 0.014), with a decrease in Group I and an increase in Group II, which was seen to persist for the mean values obtained 5 weeks after surgery. The higher rates of recurrence and the lower rates of survival reported in patients who received transfusion may be related to an as yet unidentified role of B cells or a subpopulation in the immune system, manifested in the suppression of activity of those components responsible for destroying micrometastases. In relation to the site of the tumor no definite conclusions can yet be drawn as to the prognostic importance of our findings concerning the immunological parameters.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1990

Adult T-cell lymphoma in Israeli patients of Iranian origin.

The clinical and laboratory features of four Israeli patients with adult T-cell lymphoma-leukemia (ATL) are presented. In three of them evidence for human T-cell lymphotropic leukemia virus (HTLV-I) infection was obtained. Interestingly, all of the patients immigrated to Israel from the same regions in Iran. Except for lack of skin involvement, the clinical course was typical for ATL as described worldwide. This is the first report of ATL in an Iranian cohort. This observation suggests that Iranian patients with ATL-like illness should be studied for the presence of HTLV-I infection.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Effect of etretinate on peripheral T lymphocytes in psoriatic patients before, during and after 6 months of therapy.

Total peripheral T lymphocytes, OKT4 helper/inducer cells and OKT8 suppressor/cytotoxic cells, as well as T lymphocyte function determined by the local xenogeneic graft-versus-host reaction (GVHR), were investigated in 14 psoriatic patients prior to institution of treatment with etretinate, during the course of treatment and 6 months after its initiation. After approximately 2 months of treatment, there was a significant increase in the number of E-rosette-forming lymphocytes and OKT4 subpopulations with a return to normal levels after 6 months of treatment. The GVHR was positive in only 5/11 patients prior to therapy but in 9/11 patients after 2 and 6 months. Our results indicate that etretinate has a stimulatory effect on T lymphocytes and their subset counts.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Immunosuppressive activity and polyamine levels of seminal plasma in azo-ospermic, oligospermic, and normospermic men.

Seventy specimens of human seminal plasma obtained from azo-ospermic, oligospermic, and normospermic men were tested for immunosuppressive activity on normal donor lymphocytes. Spermine and spermidine levels in acidic extracts were determined in 32 specimens of seminal plasma from the three groups. The original seminal plasma as well as the neutralized spermine extracts were examined for their effect on the functional activity of the lymphocytes. Seminal plasma obtained from the normospermic and oligospermic semen showed significant immunosuppressive activity, whereas no immunosuppressive activity was induced by seminal plasma from azo-ospermic semen. The latter finding was in accordance with the low spermine levels in azo-ospermic semen, which were about 50% of those found in normospermic and oligospermic seman. Acidic extraction of the seminal plasma of azo-ospermic origin resulted in an increase in spermine levels and also in immunosuppressive activity, demonstrating that in azo-ospermic men spermine is bound probably to a protein and is released after acidification, exerting its immunosuppressive activity only when unbound.

Graft vs Host Reaction↗
PubMed1988

Theophylline prolongs survival and decreases renal damage in female NZB/W F-1 mice.

Theophylline (Th) augments suppressor T cell activity (STCA). We attempted to test this immunoregulatory effect of TH on survival, renal disease and several immunologic parameters in NZB/W F-1 female mice. The median survival was 274 +/- 50 days for the mice receiving Th and 235 +/- 39 days for the controls (p less than 0.01). Assessment of the extent of renal damage by light microscopy revealed activity scores of 1.86 +/- 2 and 4.71 +/- 2.7 for the Th and control groups, respectively (p less than 0.001). T cell activity of NZB/W F-1 lymphocytes was assessed by the local xenogeneic GVH reaction. The mean GVH reaction volume of the Th group was significantly lower (9.3 +/- 8.8 mm3) as compared to controls (31 +/- 9 mm3) (p less than 0.001). The proportion of Lyt-1 versus Lyt-2 spleen lymphocytes did not change significantly. It is concluded that Th prolongs survival and decreases the extent of renal damage in female NZB/W F-1 mice.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

The immunologic profile of anesthetists.

Reports in the literature have suggested possible impairment of immunocompetence in operating theater personnel. In a group of 18 physician anesthesiologists the following were determined: hemoglobin concentration; white blood cell count; numbers of T, B, and natural killer (NK) lymphocytes; number of T-active cells; and numbers of T-helper/inducer (Th) and T-suppressor/cytotoxic (Ts) cells; and the Th/Ts ratio. Function of T lymphocytes was evaluated using the local xenogeneic graft-versus-host reaction and spontaneous suppressor or helper activity of T cells. The same parameters were determined in a group of 18 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. It was found that no matter what their age or how long they have been engaged in anesthetic practice, anesthetists show no immunosuppression as evidenced by these parameters.

Adult↗