Tehran University Medical Journal

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Background: The cause of osteoporosis is multifactorial and many dietary factors are important in the prevention of this disease. Antioxidants as free radical scavengers may influence osteoporosis by reducing the effects of oxidative stress that may be associated with bone loss. Vitamin E is an important antioxidant that protects polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in cell membranes from oxidation. There are only two studies regarding vitamin E plasma levels in subjects suffering from osteoporosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between plasma vitamin E levels and bone mineral density (BMD) in Iranian patients.
Methods: Subjects were consecutively recruited between May and September 2005 from among a total of approximately 1000 people referred for instrumental screening for osteoporosis to the Jami Clinic in Tehran. Inclusion criteria for the study group were: a femoral neck T-score of -1 or less, osteopenia, severe osteopenia and osteoporosis. A total of 137 subjects were enrolled. According to their femoral and spinal BMD scores, 54 persons were selected as a control group. The control group consisted of subjects with a femoral neck T-score and spine T-score of -1 or more. In selecting the case group, only the femoral BMD score was used. Plasma vitamin E was measured, after extraction with methanol, by HPLC with UV detection at 280 nm. Methanol, deionized water and butanol (90:4:6) was used as a mobile phase with a C8 column. The flow rate was 1.0 ml. min-1 and the acetate ester of vitamin E was used as an internal standard.
Results: The results show no significant difference in plasma vitamin E between the control and case groups, however linear regression analysis does reveal a significant difference between the T-score and plasma vitamin E.
Conclusion: Deceleration Femoral bone Density during osteoporosis will be Accelerated with Decrease of Vitamin E Antioxidant level.

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Background: The influenza virus is one of the most important factors for higher morbidity and mortality in the world. Recently, researchers have been focused on influenza conserved antigenic proteins such as hemagglutinin stalk domain (HA2) for vaccine production and serological studies. The HA2 plays a major role in the fusion of the virus with host cells membrane. The immunity system enables to produce antibody against HA2. The aim of this study is polyclonal antibody production against influenza HA2. Methods: This study was done in the Influenza Research Lab, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran for one year from September 2013 to October 2014. In the present study, recombinant HA2 protein was produced in prokaryotic system and purified using Nickel affinity chromatography. The purified HA2 was mixed with Freund’s adjuvant (complete and incomplete) and injected into two New Zealand white rabbits by intramuscularly and subcutaneously routes. Immunization was continued for several months with two weeks interval. Before each immunization, blood was drawn by venous puncture from the rabbit ear. Function of rabbit's sera was evaluated using radial immunodiffusion (RID) in both forms, Single RID (SRID) and Double RID (DRID). Finally, antiserum activity against HA2 was evaluated using western blotting as serological assay. Results: Sedimentary line and zone was observed in RID assays (SRID and DRID) represent interaction between HA2 protein and anti- HA2 antibody. As well as, western blotting results was positive for HA2 protein. Therefore, these results showed that polyclonal antibody produced against HA2 protein can identify HA2 protein antigenic sites. Conclusion: These findings show that humoral immune responses have properly been stimulated in rabbits and these antibodies can identify HA2 protein and may be suitable for other serological methods.