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Background: Increasing incidence rates of diabetes related to air pollution have been reported in high-income countries. However, few studies evaluated air pollution effect on plasma glucose indices, in addition to diabetes and prediabetes incidence in developing countries. This study investigated the association between exposure to common air pollutants and the changes plasma glucose indices over time. The incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and prediabetes in future were also examined in association with exposure to air pollution. Materials and Methods: A total of 3828 first-degree relatives of patients with T2D who were prediabetes or had normal glucose tolerance (NGT) were enrolled in this study. Cox regression was used to assess the relationships between particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen monoxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide, nitric oxides, sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone exposure and the incidence of T2D and prediabetes. We also applied a linear mixed model to assess the association between exposure to these air pollutants and changes in plasma glucose indices over time. Results: Air pollutants showed a significant positive association with changes in fasting plasma glucose (FPG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and 2 h oral glucose tolerance (OGTT) in participants with NGT and prediabetes. The maximum increase in plasma glucose indices was associated with NO concentration. Our study also showed exposure to all air pollutants except SO2 was significantly associated with an increased risk of developing T2D and prediabetes (Hazard ratio > 1, P < 0.001). Conclusion: According to our results, exposure to air pollution increases the risk of T2D and prediabetes incidence in our population. The exposure to air pollutants was also associated with increasing trend in FPG, HbA1c, and OGTT levels in both groups of NGT and prediabetic participants.

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G is a nonclassical MHC class I molecule with modulatory effects on NK and T cells. Unlike classical HLA class I molecules, HLA-G has seven isoforms, three of which are soluble. Soluble HLA-G molecules are reportedly able to transduce negative signals to immune cells after interacting with their corresponding receptors. The expression of these molecules plays significant roles in maternal tolerance against semi-allogenic fetuses. Overexpression of HLA-G in tumors and increased serum levels of soluble HLA-G have been reported in different malignancies, and these changes may be involved in tumoral immune evasion and cancer progression. To improve immune responses against tumor cells, the downmodulation of HLA-G by siRNA or blocking monoclonal antibodies can be helpful in cancer immunotherapy. Additionally, HLA-G can be considered a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and/or prognosis of certain cancers. Although polymorphism of the HLA-G gene-coding region is more limited than in classical HLA class I, some genetic variations in regulatory regions of the gene control the expression level of this molecule. Furthermore, epigenetic factors such as infections may affect the expression of HLA-G in infection-related cancers.

Background: Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G is a nonclassical HLA class I molecule with modulatory effects on NK and T cells. Because HLA-G expression is frequently detected in different solid tumors, it may be involved in tumor immune evasion. Objective: This study was designed to elucidate the prognostic value of HLA-G in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PADC). The influence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection on HLA-G expression was also evaluated in patients with HCC. Methods: HLA-G expression was investigated in tumor tissues from patients with HCC (n=74) or PADC (n=42) with immunohistochemical techniques. The presence of HBV genome was also examined in HCC tumor tissues by PCR. Results: HLA-G expression was detected in 66% of PADC and in 31% of HCC samples. In contrast to HCC, HLA-G overexpression was associated with advanced stages and grades in PADC. HBV genome was detected in 31% of HCC samples but we found no correlation between HLA-G expression and the presence of HBV genome in these tumors. Conclusion: Our findings showed that HLA-G overexpression in tumor tissue correlated with poor prognosis in PADC. HLA-G expression is apparently affected by the patient’s genetic background and other epigenetic factors rather than by HBV infection.

Background: Today, Glycosylated hemoglobin A (HbA1c) is used as a diagnostic criterion for diabetes and long-term monitoring of plasma glucose level. Therefore, it is essential that HbA1c be measured accurately. The aim of this study was to investigate the common HbA1c index measurement methods in laboratories in Isfahan and compare the accuracy of their results with the reference method. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, three blood sample of a volunteer had been sent to 37 laboratories. Among them, two laboratories measured this parameter by HPLC method and were considered as a reference. For each laboratory, the coefficient of variation (CV) was calculated. One-way ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc test were used to compare the results of different methods of measuring HbA1c with the reference method. Findings: Comparison of the laboratories results with the reference method showed that 60% of the laboratories reported the percent of HbA1c index beyond the permitted range with an unfavorable report. The mean and standard deviation and CV index range were 2.8 and 4.4, (from 0.65 to 25.18%), respectively. Comparison of the different methods results with the reference method showed that capillary electrophoresis and immunoturbidometry and enzymatics had good accuracy. The highest accuracy was related to capillary electrophoresis. The methods with the lowest measurement accuracy were nephelometry and column chromatography, respectively. Conclusion: Despite the standardization of methods for measuring HbA1c, it was noted that different results of the same blood sample was reported. In addition to the High Performance Liquid Chromatography method, the capillary electrophoresis seems to provide a more acceptable result than other methods.