Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a gram negative bacilli that causes the stomach and duodenum diseases in human. An important virulence factor of H. pylori is a CagA gene that increases of colonization it in stomach epithelial cells and lead to inflammation and peptic ulcers. The aim of the present study was to production of recombinant protein containing highly antigenic region of CagA in E. coli.

Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, the antigenic region (1245 base pair) of CagA gene was detected by bioinformatics methods, proliferated by PCR method, digested by BamHI and XhoI restriction enzymes and cloned into pET32a plasmid and was expressed in the E. coli BL21 (DE3) pLysS with induced by IPTG. The expressed protein was purified with Ni-NTA kit and its antigenicity was studied by western blotting method.

Results: Data showed the successful cloning and expression of the target gene. Recombinant CagA protein purified by Ni-NTA kit and dialysis with concentration of 1.5 mg/ml. In western blotting, the produced protein was interacted with infected human and mice sera.

Conclusion: Results indicated that recombinant CagA protein (65 KDa) maintains its antigenicity, so could be used for serological diagnosis of H. pylori diseases and production of vaccine.

Background: Influenza A viruses are globally important respiratory pathogens which cause a high degree of morbidity and mortality during annual epidemics. M2 protein which expressed on the viral surface facilitates virus entry to the host cells. The extracellular domain of M2 protein (M2e) consists of N-terminal 24 residue which shows remarkable conservation among all subtypes of influenza A viruses. In this study, we evaluated the immunogenicity of three tandem repeats of M2e along with different adjuvants in BALB/C mice model.

Materials and Methods: Recombinant protein (3M2e) was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. Six weeks old BALB/c mice were immunized interdermally with three doses of 3M2e alone or supplemented with Alum/CpG motif as adjuvant. Control group was injected with PBS. Two weeks after the last immunization, specific anti-M2 was measured using ELISA method and finally mice were challenged with one lethal dose (LD90) of PR8 virus.

Results: The results showed that 3M2e can induce specific antibody alone. However, 3M2e protein supplemented with Alum-CpG induced higher level of specific antibodies, so that, there was a significant difference with 3M2e group (p<0.05). Anti-M2 antibodies mostly consisted of IgG2a subclass which considered as activity index of TH1 Cells. Moreover, this group showed enhanced protection against wild-type virus (survival rate=60%).

Conclusion: Applying Alum-CpG as a complex adjuvant may play a crucial role in integrating innate and acquisitive immunity. We increased density of M2e in combination with complex adjuvant and showed that this vaccine induced power immune responses and semi-protected mice against lethal challenge.

Abstract

Background: Ureaplasma and M. genitalium species belong to a kind of bacteria that are sexually transmitted and are the possible cause of pelvic inflammatory disease and nongonococcal urethritis, and et al. The aim of this study was to determine the urea plasma and Mycoplasma genitalium species frequency in women with vaginal infection and various sexual partners who referred to women^, s health promotion and treatment center in Arak.

Materials and Methods: Endocervical swab samples from 110 women with vaginal infections referred to women^’s health promotion and treatment center in Arak, were prepared. Patients’ personal information and identities during reception process were registered. The samples were transferred to the laboratory in the transport environment and after DNA extraction, were evaluated according to Real-time PCR assay.

Results: Urea plasma and Mycoplasma genitalium bacteria existed in 96(87.27%) and 4(3.63%) of patients, respectively. Among them, 4 cases had both bacteria infections. The amount of isolation in young women between 30-39 years old was more than others.

Conclusion: The results show that the colonization of urea plasma species in adult women is 40-80% and in studied group is 87.27%. These results indicate that with due attention to the increasing number of sexual partners and the increase of sexual activity, the urea plasma colonization of women will increase. In view of the potential influence of mycoplasma species on side effects resulted from pregnancy infection of mothers and mortality, on-time diagnosis and treatment will be increasingly essential.