Papers by Alireza Khabbazi
Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology, May 30, 2011
Objective: Behçet's disease (BD) is an inflammatory disorder of unknown cause with higher prevale... more Objective: Behçet's disease (BD) is an inflammatory disorder of unknown cause with higher prevalence along the ancient Silk Road. BD shares epidemiological and clinical features with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). Moreover, association of BD and certain MEFV gene mutations has been described in recent decades. We studied the role of MEFV mutations in Iranian Azeri Turkish patients with BD. Methods: Fifty-three BD patients who met the International Study Group criteria for BD were analysed for five common MEFV mutations (M694V, V726A, M680I, M694I, and E148Q) using amplification refractory mutation system and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) restriction-digestion testing methods. A cohort of 200 healthy Azeri Turkish individuals who had been previously genotyped regarding the five common MEFV mutations served as the control group. Results: Eighteen patients were found to carry a single MEFV mutation and one additional patient was compound heterozygote. There was a statistically significant difference between the patient group and ethnically matched healthy individuals regarding M694V and M680I mutations (p = 0.01 and p = 0.04, respectively). Both BD groups (carriers and non-carriers of MEFV mutations) were similar in their clinical symptoms. Conclusion: Definite MEFV mutations seem to be a susceptibility factor for BD in our cohort of Iranian Azeri Turkish patients.
Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences, Jun 23, 2020
Background/aim: This study aimed to evaluate the demographic, clinical, angiographic and prognost... more Background/aim: This study aimed to evaluate the demographic, clinical, angiographic and prognostic characteristics of Takayasu arteritis (TA) in Iran. Materials and methods: A total of 75 patients with TA based on the American College of Rheumatology 1990 criteria for TA classification referred to the Rheumatology Centres, were followed-up from 1989 to 2019. Demographic, clinical, angiographic and prognostic characteristics were collected at baseline and last visit. Results: The mean age was 31.9 ± 9.8 years at the disease onset. Female to male ratio was 14. The median latency in diagnosis was 24 months. Pulse discrepancy in the arms, blood pressure discrepancy in the arms, limb claudication, hypertension and constitutional symptoms were the most common clinical features. The most common angiographic type at the time of diagnosis was Type I (42.7%). The most frequent arterial lesion was stenosis (89.4%). Subclavian, carotid and aortic arteries were the most commonly involved arteries. New lesions developed in 28.6% of patients during the 5.25-year follow-up. Vasculitis-induced chronic damage was observed in all patients. Disease activity decreased and vascular damage remained stable throughout the follow-up period. Conclusions: The clinical features and angiographic type of TA in Iran are different from most Asian countries. Differences in angiographic and clinical features may lead to delayed diagnosis. The issue of delay in diagnosis should create awareness among health care providers that TA is not a very rare disease in Iranians and failure to pay attention to warning symptoms may delay the diagnosis.
Labmedicine, Dec 7, 2020
Objective: This study evaluated anti-modified citrullinated vimentin (anti-MCV) performance in de... more Objective: This study evaluated anti-modified citrullinated vimentin (anti-MCV) performance in determining the clinical picture and outcomes of palindromic rheumatism (PR). Methods: In a retrospective study, patients with PR with at least 1 year of follow-up diagnosed according to clinical criteria were enrolled. Anti-MCV antibodies were measured, and levels >20 IU/mL were considered positive. Disease prognosis was assessed according to patients acquiring remission and preventing PR from developing into rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or other diseases. Results: Seventy-six patients with PR with a mean follow-up of 30.57 months (median = 21 months; minimum = 12 months; maximum = 48 months) were included in the study. Anti-MCV antibodies were positive in 69.7% of patients. Metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint involvement and positive anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides were significantly higher in patients who were anti-MCV-positive, whereas ankle joint involvement was significantly lower. No significant correlation was observed between the anti-MCV titer and the severity of attacks. Remission in patients who were anti-MCV-positive and negative was 75.5% and 78.3%, respectively, with no significant difference. Evolution to RA was observed in only 3.8% of patients who were anti-MCV-positive. No patients who were anti-MCV-negative developed RA. Conclusion: Except for MCP and ankle joint involvement, anti-MCV was not helpful in determining the clinical picture and outcome of PR.
PubMed, Oct 1, 2018
Introduction: Lupus nephritis is a common and severe manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosu... more Introduction: Lupus nephritis is a common and severe manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus that can lead to end-stage renal disease and death. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and cyclophosphamide as induction therapy and subsequently as maintenance therapy for lupus nephritis. Materials and methods: In this retrospective case-control study, 67 patients with proliferative lupus nephritis who were treated with MMF (n = 45) and pulse of intravenous cyclophosphamide (n = 22) were included. Remission of the kidney disease, mortality, and adverse events were evaluated and compared between the two groups. Results: The 45 patients treated with MMF had a mean age of 33.8 ± 10.6 years and 17.1% of them were males. The 22 patients treated with pulse of intravenous cyclophosphamide had a mean age of 38.1 ± 11.1 years and 18.2% of them were males. Complete and partial kidney remission occurred in 40% and 42.2% of the patients treated with MMF and in 31.8% and 59.1% of the patients treated with cyclophosphamide, respectively. No significant differences were observed in complete and partial remission between the two groups. No mortality was reported in the studied patients. There were no significant differences in the frequency of adverse events between the two groups. Conclusions: The efficacy of MMF in long-term treatment of lupus nephritis was comparable to that of cyclophosphamide, and there is no significant differences in the rate of side effects between the two regimens.
Vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms in Iranian Azary patients with Behçet’s disease
Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology, Nov 25, 2014
The aim of our study was to investigate the association of four polymorphisms of the VDR gene (Fo... more The aim of our study was to investigate the association of four polymorphisms of the VDR gene (FokI, BsmI, TaqI, and ApaI) with their susceptibility to Behçet&#39;s disease (BD) and their clinical manifestations with respect to the Iranian Azari population. In this cross-sectional study we considered the BsmI, FokI, ApaI, and TaqI polymorphisms in 50 Iranian Azary patients with BD and 50 healthy controls, with the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). A significant difference was found for the FokI polymorphism between the case and control groups. The f allele frequency of 26% was present in BD patients, compared to only 13% in the control group. In addition, the f/f genotype was significantly associated with BD. We found no significant differences between the BD and control groups regarding the distribution of ApaI, BsmI, and TaqI genotype frequencies. We found no association between VDR polymorphisms and the clinical manifestations of BD. The VDR f allele and f/f genotype are associated with BD in the Iranian Azari population.
Immunology Letters, Aug 1, 2019
Serum 25(OH)D3 levels in SpA patients were significantly lower than healthy controls. Vitamin... more Serum 25(OH)D3 levels in SpA patients were significantly lower than healthy controls. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency frequency in the SpA group was significantly more than control group. No significant difference was observed in the activity of SpA in different serum levels of 25(OH)D3. No significant correlations were observed between serum 25(OH)D3 with clinical findings as well as with BASDAI and BASFI.
International Journal of Applied and Basic Medical Research, 2017
Background & Aims: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is one of the common autoimmune diseases with unknow... more Background & Aims: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is one of the common autoimmune diseases with unknown etiology. It has been suggested that antioxidant supplements may play a role in inflammation perpetuating process. This study examined the influence of combined antioxidant supplementation on serum asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) as inflammatory markers in RA patients. Materials & Methods: A three-month pre-post study was conducted on 40 female RA patients receiving one Selenplus capsule (Selenium 50μg, Zinc 8 mg, vitamin A 400 μg, vitamin C 125 mg and vitamin E 40 mg) daily. 5 ml venous blood samples were taken from all the participants before and after the administration period. The serum levels of ADMA, VEGF and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were measured by standard methods. Results: 39 out of 40 patients completed the study. In comparison with the baseline, we did not find any significant differences between serum ADMA and VEGF values before and after the intervention. The 3-month use of SelenPlus supplementation resulted in decreasing hs-CRP level (p<0.003). Conclusion: The combined antioxidant supplements for 3 months decreased serum hs-CRP levels in RA patients that may be helpful in RA treatment. The hs-CRP reduction may due to the anti-inflammatory effects of Zinc and Selenium in SelenPlus supplement.
BMC Research Notes
Objectives Osteoporosis is a common skeletal disorder attributed to age and is defined as a syste... more Objectives Osteoporosis is a common skeletal disorder attributed to age and is defined as a systematic degradation of bone mass and the microarchitecture leading to bone fractures. Exosomes have been reported in almost all biological fluids and during the failure of bone remodeling. 20 ml of blood samples were obtained from osteoporotic and non-osteoporotic postmenopausal women. After the isolation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), T cells were separated via the magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) technique. Exosomes were driven from T cells of non-osteoporotic and osteoporotic volunteers. Subsequently, normal osteoblasts were treated with obtained T cell exosomes to assess osteoblastic function and gene expression. Results Runx2, type I collagen, osteopontin, and osteocalcin expression decreased in osteoblasts treated by osteoporotic T cell exosomes. In contrast, an increased expression of the mentioned genes was observed following non-osteoporotic T cell exosome tr...
Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Background: Behcet’s disease (BD) is a chronic disease with adverse effects on sexual function an... more Background: Behcet’s disease (BD) is a chronic disease with adverse effects on sexual function and some likely effects on marital satisfaction, thereby posing some problems in family dynamics. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the effects of BD on sexual function in females and males and determine the relationship between the clinical manifestations of BD and sexual function. Methods: Fifty-one patients with BD and 50 healthy controls were included in this study. Inclusion criteria were: being married, aged 18 - 55 years, being sexually active, and having sex during the past four weeks. Sexual function was assessed for the groups using the female sexual function index (FSFI) for women and the international index of erectile function (IIEF) for men. Results: Sexual dysfunctions were observed in 82.9% of the females with BD and 14.3% of the healthy females. The total score of sexual performance and its subscales were significantly lower in the female patients with BD than the ...
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE; lupus) is an autoimmune disease. The common neurological manif... more Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE; lupus) is an autoimmune disease. The common neurological manifestations are psychosis, cognitive dysfunction, and headache. Transverse myelitis (TM) may be the first manifestation of lupus. We describe one such case in which TM was the only presentation of SLE.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease and may be associated with many autoi... more Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease and may be associated with many autoimmune conditions. hypoparathyroidism as an initial presentation of SLE is still a rare condition. In this study, we reported a young woman who presented the sign and symptoms of hypoparathyroidism.
Russian Open Medical Journal, 2019
Objective-Performing global population-based studies and comparing the results with other studies... more Objective-Performing global population-based studies and comparing the results with other studies can reveal regional differences in the distribution of HLA-B27 in patients with Behcet disease. The aim of study was reviewing the distribution of HLA-B27 and Behcet disease in the world. Material and Methods-A systematic review search was conducted of the MeSH keywords of Behcet disease, HLA-B27 and B27 in ProQuest, Scopus, EMBASE, SID, IranDoc and IranMedex from 1975 to 2017 in Iran. Data was analyzed using meta-analysis (random effect model) in Software CMA2. The heterogeneity of studies was assessed with I 2 index. Results-The pooled frequency of HLA-B27 in patients with patients throughout the world for 11,483 samples and 36 studies was 7.4%. A higher frequency of HLA-B27 was found in Europe for, followed by the Middle East (7.2 (4.5-11.7)%, P<0.001) and Far East (6.4 (2.1-19.4)%, P<0.001). By country, the highest frequency was found for Great Britain 16.7% (8.6-33.1), followed by Iran 7.2% (4.5-11.7) and Turkey 5.9 (3.6-9.9)%. Conclusion-The results demonstrate the role of HLA-B genes such as-B27 on Behcet disease and provide information about the causes and effects of the subject to help design health programs and carry out future investigations on the odds ratio.
Clinical Rheumatology, 2021
Objectives To present the clinical characteristics, disease course, management, and outcomes of C... more Objectives To present the clinical characteristics, disease course, management, and outcomes of COVID-19 infection in patients with Behcet's disease (BD). Methods In this retrospective cohort study, we retrieved BD patients with definite diagnosis of COVID-19 infection. Demographic data, comorbidities, features related both to BD and COVID-19 infection, treatments, and outcomes were collected. Comparisons between patients with or without hospitalization were performed. All statistical analyzes were performed using SPSS version 25. We considered p < 0.05 statistically significant. Results We identified 61 episodes of COVID-19 infection in 59 BD patients. The prevalence was 0.69%. The median age was 45 years (IQR = 20), and the median disease duration was 162 months (IQR = 195). BD features were similar except for higher rate of arterial involvement and positive pathergy test in infected patients. Thirty-five episodes (62.5%) happened in non-active patients; 39% had a comorbid disease. COVID manifestations were the same as the general population. Flu-like symptoms were the most common (85%), followed by fever (66%), ageusia/anosmia (56%), headache (51%), and pulmonary involvement (48%). There was no change in BD symptoms in 74%. Fifteen patients (25.4%) were hospitalized, and one patient (1.7%) died. Receiving glucocorticoids (p < 0.03) and cytotoxic drugs (p < 0.02) were associated with an increased rate of hospitalization. Conclusion The incidence of COVID-19 infection in BD patients was not higher than general population in Iran. They showed milder form of disease with lower morbidity and mortality rate. Most were on immunosuppressive drugs, or had a comorbidity apart from BD. No significant effect on BD course was shown. Key Points • The incidence of COVID-19 infection in patients with Behcet's disease is not higher. • They showed milder form of infection with lower morbidity and mortality rate. • No significant effect on Behcet's disease course was shown with COVID19 infection. • BD patients can be managed according to the guidelines used for general population.
Urmia medical journal, 2016
Scleroderma is a systemic condition with various manifestations in different organs. Among these ... more Scleroderma is a systemic condition with various manifestations in different organs. Among these organs, the lungs are affected very frequently, and the involvement is progressive and significant. Various medications have been suggested and tested in patients with scleroderma and lung involvement, but their efficacy and safety profile differ and enforce a difficult final decisionmaking. Since cyclophosphamide is an example of this kind, this study sought to examine the therapeutic effect of this drug in patients with scleroderma and lung disease. Materials & Methods: A total of 20 patients with scleroderma and lung parenchymal disease received intravenous cyclophosphamide (750 mg/m2) along with gradually tapering prednisolone (20-7.5 mg/day) and azathioprine (2mg/kg) after discontinuation of the former for six consecutive months. The Transition Dyspnea Index (TDI), Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Total Lung Capacity (TLC), 17 revised Rodnan Score were examined three and six months afte...
Results of Resistant Proliferative Lupus Nephritis Treatment with Cyclosporine a
Urmia medical journal, 2016
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by various autoa... more Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by various autoantibodies formation and immune complex deposition in various organs. Lupus nephritis is a common and severe manifestation of SLE that can lead to end stage renal disease and death. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term efficacy of cyclosporine A in the treatment of resistant proliferative lupus nephritis. Materials & Methods: In a retrospective study, patients with proliferative lupus nephritis that were resistant to treatment with mycophenolate mofetil and/or cyclophosphamide and treated with cyclosporine A were entered to the study. They were evaluated according to the remission of the renal disease, SLE disease activity index, occurrence of end stage renal disease, mortality and side effects of treatment. Results: Twenty-five patients with biopsy proven proliferative lupus nephritis with the mean age of 30±6.9 years including 5 men (20%) and 20 women (80%) were studied. ...
Laboratory Medicine, 2020
Objective This study evaluated anti-modified citrullinated vimentin (anti-MCV) performance in det... more Objective This study evaluated anti-modified citrullinated vimentin (anti-MCV) performance in determining the clinical picture and outcomes of palindromic rheumatism (PR). Methods In a retrospective study, patients with PR with at least 1 year of follow-up diagnosed according to clinical criteria were enrolled. Anti-MCV antibodies were measured, and levels >20 IU/mL were considered positive. Disease prognosis was assessed according to patients acquiring remission and preventing PR from developing into rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or other diseases. Results Seventy-six patients with PR with a mean follow-up of 30.57 months (median = 21 months; minimum = 12 months; maximum = 48 months) were included in the study. Anti-MCV antibodies were positive in 69.7% of patients. Metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint involvement and positive anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides were significantly higher in patients who were anti-MCV-positive, whereas ankle joint involvement was significantly lower. No si...
Cell & Bioscience, 2021
Drug resistance is a major impediment in cancer therapy which strongly reduces the efficiency of ... more Drug resistance is a major impediment in cancer therapy which strongly reduces the efficiency of anti-cancer drugs. Exosomes are extracellular vesicles with cup or spherical shape with a size range of 40–150 nm released by eukaryotic cells that contain genetic materials, proteins, and lipids which mediate a specific cell-to-cell communication. The potential roles of exosomes in intrinsic and acquired drug resistance have been reported in several studies. Furthermore, a line of evidence suggested that the content of exosomes released from tumor cells in biological samples may be associated with the clinical outcomes of cancer patients. In this review, we highlighted the recent studies regarding the potential roles of exosomes in tumor initiation, progression, and chemoresistance. This study suggests the possible role of exosomes for drug delivery and their contents in prognosis and resistance to chemotherapy in cancer patients.
British Journal of Nutrition, 2021
Immunity, Inflammation and Disease, 2019
IntroductionVitamin D has important roles as a natural immune modulator via regulating the expres... more IntroductionVitamin D has important roles as a natural immune modulator via regulating the expression of genes which have been implicated in the pathophysiology of autoimmune diseases. Vitamin D function and its deficiency have been linked to a wide range of metabolic disorders including disorders of calcium metabolism, malignant, cardiovascular, infectious, neuromuscular, and inflammatory diseases. Environmental factors, genetic factors, and epigenetic changes contribute to Behcet's disease (BD) development. The aim of our study was to analyze the expression level and methylation status of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene promoter in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with BD.MethodsIn a case‐control study, 48 Iranian Azeri patients with BD and 60 age‐, sex‐ and ethnically‐matched healthy controls were included. Venous blood samples were collected and PBMCs were isolated by Ficoll protocol. The DNA and RNA were subsequently extracted. Promoter methylati...
Biomarkers in Medicine, 2019
Aim: Behcet's disease (BD) is a vasculitis. Lines of evidence suggest miRNAs as diagnostic an... more Aim: Behcet's disease (BD) is a vasculitis. Lines of evidence suggest miRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic markers in autoimmune diseases. This study was designed to investigate the potential role of miR-21, miR-146b and miR-326 as biomarkers for diagnosis, predicting organs involvement and measuring BD activity. Patients & methods: In this cross-sectional study, the study groups consisted of 46 BD patients and 70 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. The expression rates of three miRNAs were determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Results: Our results demonstrated significantly lower expression of miR-21 and miR-146b and higher expression of miR-326 in BD patients. MiR-21 expression rate in patients with severe eye involvement and miR-326 expression rate in patients with uveitis and severe eye involvement were increased. Conclusion: MiR-326 expression rate can be used as a biomarker for prediction of uveitis and severe eye involvement in patients with BD.
Uploads
Papers by Alireza Khabbazi