👤 Masoud Ghorbani

IL-10, TGF-β, IL-4, IL-27, and EBI3 are cytokines that regulate inflammation, tissue repair, and fibrosis in the kidney and other organs. These cytokines may contribute to different aspects of chronic kidney disease (CKD), end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which are associated with renal dysfunction and aberrant immune regulation. This study investigates the role of these cytokines in patients with concurrent kidney disease and SLE to understand their contribution to the pathogenesis and progression of this complex condition. Cytokine levels were measured in five groups of CKD/ESRD patients with concurrent SLE, CKD/ESRD patients without SLE, and healthy controls. We conducted a cross-sectional modest size study with 78 patients and 40 healthy controls (n = 118 total). Serum levels of IL-10, TGF-β, IL-4, IL-27, and EBI3 were measured using the ELISA. The data were analyzed and compared using theKruskal-Wallis test. Significant differences in cytokine patterns were observed. IL-10, IL-4, and EBI3 levels were elevated in CKD/ESRD patients with SLE compared to healthy controls, indicating immune dysregulation. TGF-β levels were significantly lower, suggesting a deficiency in immune regulation. IL-27 levels were found to be increased in ESRD patients with SLE compared to those without SLE, indicating its potential role in disease activity. Our study suggests that cytokines like IL-27 may be associated with disease status in patients with both ESRD and SLE. However, its utility for monitoring disease activity or guiding treatment requires validation in larger, prospective cohorts to establish sensitivity, specificity, and a causal role. Show less

Encapsulation of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) ZGP-Lpl.19 in alginate-pectin-chitosan microcapsules significantly improved its survival under simulated gastrointestinal conditions and attenuated Shigella flexneri (S. flexneri) growth and pathogenicity through downregulation of the mdoH and IcsA virulence genes. Microencapsulation was achieved via extrusion using a polysaccharide blend, yielding an encapsulation efficiency of 98.44%. Structural integrity of the microcapsules was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Encapsulation markedly enhanced probiotic survivability, with viable counts of 5.37 log CFU/mL after 60 min in gastric fluid and 120 min in intestinal fluid, compared with 2.25 log CFU/mL for free cells. Both encapsulated and free L. plantarum ZGP-Lpl.19 demonstrated potent antimicrobial activity against S. flexneri ATCC 12022, with comparable antimicrobial metabolite production. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of cell-free supernatants from both forms was 1/8 of the original concentration. Importantly, real-time PCR analysis confirmed that both encapsulated and free cells significantly downregulated mdoH and IcsA expression. Overall, these findings demonstrate that alginate-pectin-chitosan microencapsulation provides effective protection for L. plantarum and enhances its functional delivery, positioning encapsulated L. plantarum as a promising therapeutic strategy to mitigate S. flexneri infections. Show less

Ionizing radiation (IR) is one of the major therapeutic approaches in the non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, it can paradoxically result in cancer progression likely through promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the cancer stem cell phenotype. Therefore, we aimed to determine whether IR promote EMT/CSC and to investigate the clinical relevance of EMT/CSC hallmark genes. In this experimental and bioinformatic study, A549 cell line was irradiated with a high dosage (6 Gy) or a fractionated regimen (2 Gy/day for 15 fractions). The EMT-related features, including cellular morphology, migratory and invasive capacities were evaluated using scratch assay and transwell migration/invasion assays. The mRNA levels of EMT-related genes ( Irradiation resulted in a dramatic elongation of cell shape and enhanced invasion and migration capabilities. These EMT-like alterations were accompanied with enhanced levels of Altogether, these findings demonstrated that IR promotes EMT phenotype and stem cell markers in A549 cell line and these genes could function as diagnostic or prognostic indicators in LUAD samples. Show less