Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the molecular profile of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) via Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis and gene ontology (GO) investigation. Background: GERD which affects the life of about 30% of people is associated with high costs in the human papulation. Several risk factors such as smoking, eating habits, BMI, and dysfunction of lower esophageal sphincter have been reported to contribute to the onset and progression of GERD. The roles of some types of interleukins and inflammatory factors as molecular features of GERD are investigated. Methods: Genes related to GERD were analyzed by Cytoscape v. 3. 7. 2 and the corresponding plug-ins. ClueGO and CluePedia assessed the gene ontology and action type properties for the central nodes. Results: The results indicated that there are 12 hub-bottlenecks almost all of which except ALB are dispersed in the network clusters 1 and 2. Il17 signaling pathway among 7 identified biochemical pathways was also detected as a most related annotation for these central genes. Conclusion: Numbers of 11 critical genes and one pathway (IL17 signaling pathway) were highlighted as the deregulate genes and pathway in GERD. Common molecular features of GERD and cancer appeared.

Introduction: IL17 is a pro-inflammatory cytokine which is often produced from CD4+Th17 cells and uncertainty exists about its protective or destructive function. One of destructive functions of IL17 is through acting on osteoclasts. The aim of this study was to evaluate IL17 protein expression in tissue obtained from normal and symptomatic dental pulps.Materials & Methods: Healthy dental pulp samples and irreversible dental pulp samples were obtained from 20 third molars and 20 carious molars respectively. After tissue processing, pulp samples were immunostained with IL17 antibodies. Thereafter, distribution and staining intensity of IL17 protein was evaluated by the SID score and findings were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test.Results: Analysing SID score with Mann-whitney test showed significant difference in IL17 (P=0.002) between symptomatic dental pulp tissues (2.35±1.23) and healthy samples (1.15±0.93).Conclusion: The results indicated that significantly a greater level of IL17 is found in pulps of symptomatic teeth than those of normal teeth. Therefore IL17 may be suggested as a pathologic marker of inflammatory function in irreversible pulpitis.

Background: Considering the role of T cells in the pathogenesis of periodontitis, the purpose of this study was to compare the amount of IFNg, IL4 and IL17 in advanced periodontal lesions with healthy gum areas to determine each TH1, TH2 and TH17 cells activity in comparison with each other and finally, to compare the value and the role of humoral, cell mediate and autoimmune responses.Methods: In this descriptive analytical study, those with moderate to advanced periodontitis, having pocket with 4 to 7 mm in depth, were randomly selected. After preparing the healthy and affected sample tissues, the amount of the specific antibody in I IFNg, IL4 and IL17 cytokines were measured using ELISA method and were compared between the two groups. The findings were analyzed using the software and descriptive statistical methods and Pearson correlation statistical analysis (a=0.05).Results: This study was performed on 37 patients with moderate to severe periodontitis and 22 healthy individuals without any periodontal disease. IL4 and IFNg levels in the patients with chronic periodontitis compared to those of healthy gingival samples showed a significant reduction (P>0.05) whereas the amount of IL17 in tissue samples of chronic periodontitis compared to healthy gums had a significant increase (P<0.05).Conclusion: It appears that in the periodontitis pathogenesis, as well as TH1 and TH2 responses, IL17 causes the host immunological response to the periodontal pathogenesis.

Background and aims: Studies have shown that a HOXB13: IL17BR expression ratio index predicts clinical outcome in ER-positive, lymph node-negative breast cancer patients that treated with adjuvant tamoxifen. All of these experiments were conducted with qReal Time RT-PCR using TaqMan probes. The aim of this study was to determine the ratio using SYBR Green I qReal Time RT-PCR.Methods: In this case- control study, expression levels of HOXB13: IL17BR was measured in 40 paired formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded primary breast tumor specimens. After extracting RNA from the tissues, cDNA synthesis and amplification with the polymerase chain reaction to obtain the optimum annealing temperature, the expression levels was measured by SYBR Green I qReal Time RT-PCR. To determine and normalize the expression levels, Best Keeper software was used to obtain the Best Keeper Index using the geometric mean of expression levels of housekeeping genes. Comparison of mean expression of genes between tumoral and non-tumoral tissues was performed by t-test and association between patient grouping (high/low risk) and time for disease free survival was assessed by Fisher`s Exact test.Results: HOXB13: IL17BR expression value did not show significant difference between tumoral and non-tumoral tissues. The results showed that there was a direct and significant association between patient grouping (based onHOXB13: IL17BR ratio) and disease free survival status.Conclusion: Results in the current study showed that in spite of using SYBR Green dye (instead of TaqMan probes), there is still a significant correlation betweenHOXB13: IL17BR ratio and disease free survival status.

Health professionals believe in the effective role of training in improving the health of MS patients. The present study investigated changes in serum IL4 and 17, as well as muscle strength changes after 8 weeks of regular resistance training in women with MS in Mashhad city. The present study was applied with pretest-posttest design. 22 women with multiple sclerosis in the age range of 25 to 40 years old and with disability (EDSS=4) were purposively assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group performed the training for 8 weeks, 3 sessions per week with 40-60% 1RM intensity and the control group did not participate in any regular physical activity. Before and after the training, anthropometric tests (using caliper, tape measure and level), upper and lower limb strength (with 1RM test in chest and leg presses) and blood sampling were used to measure the levels of interleukin 17 and 4. Oneway ANOVA was used for potential differences in the groups and paired t test was used to examine the within-group changes using SPSS software version 18. Statistical analysis showed that the muscle strength of the subjects in the experimental group was significantly higher in both upper and lower parts of the trunk than the control group (P=0. 001, P=0. 0001). Interleukin 4 showed a significant increase in the experimental group compared with the control group (P=0. 002), but interleukin 17 did not differ between the two groups. It seems that women with multiple sclerosis can use regular resistance training with moderate intensity to improve their immune system's efficiency and enhance their level of strength.

Purpose: The nicotine derived nitrosamine ketone (NNK) is one of the strongest carcinogens in tobacco that involved in induction of lung cancer by changing the stimulation of tumor associated macrophages. The aim of this study was to effect of swimming training and exposure to nicotine derived nitrosamine ketone (NNK) on the immunohistochemical response of tumor-associated macrophages in wistar rats. Methods: For this purpose, 46 Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups consist of training, training + NNK, NNK, saline and control. NNK-induced groups received NNK subcutaneously one day per week at a rate of 12/5 mg per kg body weight and the training groups performed submaximal swimming training for 12 weeks. Levels of CD68-Tumor associated macrophages in homogenized lung tissue were measured by immunohistochemistry. To analyze the data; ANOVA and tukey’ s test were used at a significance level of p≤ 0. 05. Results: The results showed that immunohistochemical expression of TAM in the training group was significantly lower than the NNK group (P = 0. 001) (92%). Immunohistochemical expression of TAM was also significantly lower in the NNK + training group than in the NNK group (P = 0. 001) (92%). In addition, the immunohistochemical expression of TAM in the NNK group was significantly higher than the solvent group (P = 0. 001) (766%). Conclusion: Generally, it could be confirmed that regular submaximal swimming training plays an important role in inhibition of the effects of lung inflammation induced by NNK via decreased of Tumor associated macrophages activity.

Background: The development of a cytokine storm in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection can make the disease fatal. We hypothesize that this excessive cytokine production impairs mucosal healing. IL-17 and IL-22 are cytokines that play a key role in protecting and regenerating mucosal tissues. IL-17 and IL-22 support each other, and the imbalance between them plays a role in the pathogenesis of many rheumatologic diseases.Objective: To investigate whether COVID-19 severity is related to IL17, IL-22, and the IL-17/IL-22 ratio.Methods: The study was planned prospectively and included 69 patients with active COVID-19 infection. Three groups were created: patients with upper respiratory tract infection, pneumonia, and cytokine storm. Blood samples were taken from the patients upon their first admission and serum levels of IL-17 and IL-22 were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We assessed the relationship between IL17, IL22, IL17/ IL22 ratio, clinical and lung involvement by comparing them with the healthy group.Results: The levels of IL-17 were significantly higher in COVID-19 patients with upper respiratory tract infection compared to the control group (p=0.027). IL17/IL-22 ratio significantly increased in patients with cytokine storm compared to the healthy controls (p=0.027). Serum levels of IL-22 were negatively correlated with the CO-RADS score (r=-0.31, p=0.004), while IL-17/IL-22 ratio was positively correlated with the CO-RADS score (r=0.29, p=0.008). Conclusion: Levels of IL-17, IL-22, and IL-17/IL-22 may provide valuable insights into the progression of COVID-19.

Fingolimod is a novel immunomodulatory drug used in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) which reversibly inhibits egress of lymphocytes from lymph nodes. In this longitudinal study, the frequency of Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ )+, IL4+, IL17+ and IL10+ CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets were measured in Fingolimod treated patients before and after 12 months’ (12M) therapy using flow cytometry and compared to those of naive, Betaferon treated MS patients and healthy individuals. Additionally, the level of transcription factor IRF4 and IL-6, IL-23, TGF-β 1 cytokines, required for differentiation of IL-17+ T cells, were assessed by RT-PCR and ELISA, respectively. In Fingolimod treated MS patients, we observed a significant decrease in the percentage of IFN-γ +/IL17+ CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets. In contrast, Fingolimod increased IL10+ CD4+ T cells. We also showed that IFN-γ +IL17+ co-producing CD8+ T cells were reduced in patients under fingolimod therapy. furthermore, Fingolimod could reduce the expression level of IRF4 in patients while IL6 was increased in the supernatant of cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Our data showed that Fingolimod treatment alters CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets and reduces expression of IRF-4, which affects the proportion of pathogenic memory T cells in peripheral blood.

Background: Interleukin 17 (IL17) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine with pivotal modulatory effects on antitumor immune responses and has been reported to play a particularly important role in the occurrence and development of bladder cancer. We aimed to investigate the possible influence of IL17 genetic variations on loci rs22775913 and rs763780 with genetic susceptibility to bladder cancer in southern Iran. Method: In this case-control study, we enrolled 180 patients with urothelial bladder cancer (mean age 64 years) and 180 age/gender matched healthy controls without any family history of cancer and autoimmune disorders. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral whole blood and genotyping was performed using PCR-RFLP method. Results: Genotype distributions in both the patients and controls were in agreement with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The frequency of GG, GA, and AA genotypes for IL17A were 87 (48. 3%), 72 (40%), and 21 (11. 7%) among patients; and 92 (51. 1%), 75 (41. 6%), and 13 (7. 3%) in the controls. The frequency of AA, AG, and GG genotypes for IL17F in both the patients/controls were 160 (88. 9%)/ 158 (87. 8%), 16 (8. 9%)/ 21 (11. 7%), and 4 (2. 2%)/ 1 (0. 5%), respectively. Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences between the two groups regarding the frequency of genotypes and alleles (P>0. 05). Conclusion: Our data collectively suggested that genetic variations on loci rs22775913 and rs763780 of IL17 genes were not associated with bladder cancer susceptibility in the Iranian population. Our finding has to be confirmed in different ethnic groups.