Interleukin (IL) 17 is produced by T-helper (Th) 17 with a vigorous effect on cells of the immune system playing important roles in pathogenesis of immune-mediated diseases, including autoimmune disorders and cancers. Therefore, the aim of current study was to determine the serum levels of IL-6, IL-17, and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) in Iranian bladder cancer patients, and to correlate them with disease status. Blood samples were collected from 40 bladder cancer patients and 38 healthy individuals with no history of malignancies or autoimmune disorders. The serum levels of IL-6, IL-17, and TGF-beta were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results showed that the levels of IL-17 (p<0.0001) and TGF-beta (p<0.0001) were significantly lower in the patients compared to the controls. No significant differences in the level of serum IL-6 (p=0.16) was observed between the patients and controls. In addition, demographic characteristics between control and patients groups were not significantly different. As most of the cases studied in this investigation were in stage I and II, it is concluded that reduced Th17-related cytokines can be used as indicators for following the course and clinical stages of bladder carcinoma progress and immune response to cancer.
Cytokines ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Immune System ; Interleukin-17* ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukins ; Transforming Growth Factor beta* ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms*

Toxoplasma gondii is an important opportunistic agent especially in immunocompromised hosts and can cause significant morbidity and mortality. Hence, detection and monitoring of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies are of a great interest in HIV-infected patients. A study on the prevalence of toxoplasmosis and associated risk factors was carried out among HIV-infected patients in Jahrom, southern Iran. The prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies was 21.1% in HIV-infected patients by ELISA. PCR was performed on all of the samples, and 1 of the blood samples was positively detected. Among the HIV patients, anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies were significantly higher in age group of 30–39 years old (P=0.05). The seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in patients with CD4+<100 cells/μl was 33.3% that was significantly higher than the other groups (P=0.042) with or without IgG antibodies. The CD4+ count mean of seropositive patients was lower than that of seronegative patients. The seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in patients with highly active antiretroviral therapy was significantly less than patients without therapy (P=0.02). In conclusion, this study showed low seroprevalence of latent toxoplasmosis among HIV-infected patients in the region and confirmed the need for intensifying prevention efforts among this high-risk population and also the risk of toxoplasmosis reactivation which could be important among this population.
Antibodies ; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active ; CD4 Lymphocyte Count ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; HIV* ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Immunoglobulin G ; Iran* ; Mortality ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Seroepidemiologic Studies* ; Toxoplasma* ; Toxoplasmosis