Mahyar Malekzadeh

Shiraz University of Medical Sciences | SUMS · Institute for Cancer Research

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) has been shown to be a potent chemotactic factor for monocytes. It acts as an important factor in the cytokine network which regulates tumor proliferation. The association between serum MCP-1 level and oral squamous cell carcinoma has not been clarified yet. The aim of this study was to determine MCP-1 ser...

Background Bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and is associated with high treatment costs and mortality. The role of different enzymes and molecules in this cancer has been the subject of extensive research in recent years. Among these, the role of metabolic enzymes such as FASN and LDH has been studied less than others....

Background: This study aimed to evaluate serum vitamin D levels in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in comparison to healthy controls in an Iranian population. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted, which included 69 patients with OLP, 40 patients with OSCC, and 60 healthy controls. Serum vitami...

Introduction The active vitamin D metabolites have anticancer effects on many human neoplasms. The vitamin D receptors have been detected in salivary glands tissue. This study aimed to evaluate the serum level of vitamin D in patients with malignant and benign salivary gland tumors. Materials and Methods In this retrospective and cross-sectional s...

Statement of the problem: Heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) plays important roles in many cellular processes and has been implicated in different types of diseases such as cancers. Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the serum level of HSP27 in patients with salivary gland tumors and to determine its possible correlation with the prognosis of the...

Background: Different factors are involved in the incidence, etiology, metastasis, diagnosis, and treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma, including apoptosis inhibitor proteins. Baculoviral IAP repeat containing protein 6 (BIRC6) is one of the apoptosis inhibitor proteins contributing to cancer cells' survival in many cancer types with diagnost...

Background Meningiomas are one of the most common tumors of the brain and central nervous system. The key role of endocan in predicting tumor growth and prognosis has been shown for several types of cancers; however, this role in meningiomas has not been evaluated. In the current study, we investigated the relationship between endocan serum levels...

Background: Interleukin-37 (IL-37) is a recently described cytokine that emerges as a natural inhibitor of inflammatory and immune responses. However, IL-37 has not yet been investigated in bladder cancer, and its biological role is unknown. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate IL-37 serum levels in patients with bladder cance...

Despite a low prevalence, salivary gland tumors (SGTs) represent a diverse set of tumors with a broad range of biological behaviors. Implementation of early detection programs has significantly improved the outcome of treatment and patients' survival. High mobility group box one protein (HMGB1) may likely be a candidate for the detection of SGTs du...

The IJI's latest issue is published. This issue is mainly contains articles in the field of allergy and autoimmunity.

The IJI's latest issue is published. This issue is dedicated to the "Cancer Immunology" studies.

Background: Role of interleukin 17A (IL-17A) in carcinogenesis and cancer growth is controversial. Although some researches support its antitumor activity, some others suggest that it promotes the growth and development of different types of cancer including skin cancer by activation of STAT3. Although the function of the cytokines such as IL-17A...

Background: Protection against hepatitis B virus (HBV) is based on the presence of antibodies against hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Vaccination of newborns is the most effective means of prevention. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of anti-HBs antibody (anti-HBsAb), anti-HB core Ab (anti-HBcAb), HBsAg, and HBV DNA among university...

Objective: Cardiopulmonary bypass has been recognized as one of the main causes of systemic inflammatory response syndrome, leading to post-operative complications. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of melatonin on the serum levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IL-9 in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. M...

Objective Most patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) are diagnosed during advanced stages; hence, early detection programs might help the prognosis and survival rate. High mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) is a new biomarker, with possible association with the pathogenesis of human cancers. We aimed to investigate the diagnostic valu...

Objective: Cardiopulmonary bypass has been recognized as one of the main causes of systemic infl ammatory response syndrome, leading to post-operative complications. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of melatonin on the serum levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interleukin 9 (IL-9) in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graf...

Aim: Understanding the process of tumor cell proliferation and metastasis will have a substantial influence on management of the aggressive oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).The role of galectin-9 is well-known in several aspects of cancer progression, such as apoptosis, cell adhesion and immune system responses. The aim of the present study was...

Background: Environmental, genetic, and immunological factors may play a role in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In an attempt to better understand the pathogenesis of AMD, in this study, we evaluated the serum interferon (IFN) levels in patients with AMD and compared it with persons without AMD. Materials and methods:...

Background: Variation in serum levels of trace elements including zinc, copper and ferritin has been reported in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate these trace elements in the patients’ sera with benign and malignant salivary gland tumors (SGTs) and compare them with normal individuals. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 60...

Objectives Galectin‐3, a member of beta‐galactoside‐binding proteins, can be found in cytoplasm and nucleus as well as extracellularly in various tissues and involved in many physiological and pathological processes. We aimed to measure the serum levels of galectin‐3 in oral lichen planus (OLP) disease and compare the result with that observed in h...

Purpose: Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Antigen 4 (CTLA-4 or CD152) is among the immune checkpoint molecules and its abnormal expression in cancer predisposed individuals might make the person more susceptible to tumor initiation and progression. Considering the implication of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CTLA-4 gene expression and probably p...

Background Overexpression of human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G) and increased plasma levels of soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) have been reported in different human malignancies, and are believed to be involved in tumor immune evasion. Objectives This study was designed to evaluate the expression of HLA-G in tumor tissues and the plasma levels of sHLA-G in...

Background: Occupational exposures to respirable synthetic vitreous fiber (SVF) and dust are associated with many lung diseases including lung cancer. Low-dose computed tomography is used for screening patients who are highly suspicious of having lung carcinoma. However, it seems not to be cost-effective. Serum biomarkers could be a useful tool for...

Introduction Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is a member of the IL-1 family of cytokines that has a dual-function which acts both as an extracellular alarming cytokine and an intracellular nuclear factor. Previous studies have shown that IL-33 play important role in induction of type-2 immune responses. In addition, this cytokine is intrinsically expressed...

Introduction Salivary gland tumours (SGTs) are important parts of human neoplasms. The most common SGT is the pleomorphic adenoma (PA); and the most common malignant SGTs are mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) and adenoid cystic carcinoma(ADCC). T-helper-17 cells (Th17) are characterised with the ability to secrete cytokines including IL17A, IL17F, IL9...

Introduction Heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) plays important roles in many cellular processes and also has been implicated in different types of diseases such as cancers. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the serum level of HSP27 in patients with salivary gland tumours and to determine if it had a correlation with prognosis or not. Material a...

Background: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most frequent malignancy of the head and neck (HN) region. We here evaluated associations of stromal cell derived factor-1 (SDF-1or CXCL12) and its receptor, CXCR4, with HNSCCs. Materials and Methods: Sixty newly diagnosed HNSCC patients were enrolled in the patient group, and 28 healthy individuals...

Objective: To identify serum levels of galectin-3 in salivary gland cancer and healthy populations; a prospective analysis was performed on serum specimens from 105 patients with salivary gland cancer and 56 healthy persons. Methods: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure levels of galectin-3 (GAL-3). Serum levels were compar...

Lichen planus (LP) is an autoimmune chronic inflammatory disease. Interleukin 10 (IL-10) can inhibit the synthesis of pre-inflammatory cytokines. Regarding the role of inflammatory cytokines in lichen planus patients, evaluating the serums level of IL-10 in such patients can declare the potential role of this cytokine. In this study, 44 serum sampl...

Background: Occupational exposures to respirable synthetic vitreous fiber (SVF) and dust are associated with many lung diseases including lung cancer. Low-dose computed tomography is used for screening patients who are highly suspicious of having lung carcinoma. However, it seems not to be cost-effective. Serum biomarkers could be a useful tool fo...

Background Occupational exposures to respirable synthetic vitreous fiber (SVF) and dust are associated with many lung diseases including lung cancer. Low-dose computed tomography is used for screening patients who are highly suspicious of having lung carcinoma. However, it seems not to be cost-effective. Serum biomarkers could be a useful tool for...

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-33 (IL-33) has been recently discovered as an influential factor in the process of tumor immunity, and is presented in cancer pathogenesis. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the serum levels of IL-33 in patients with benign and malignant Salivary gland tumors (SGTs). METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was...

Aim: Meningiomas are the most frequently diagnosed primary central nervous system (CNS) neoplasms. Considering slightly higher incidence of meningiomas in breast cancer patients and breast cancer in meningioma patients, it can be assumed that both tumors share similar risk factors. HER2 gene amplification and/or over-expression have been found in...

Background: Glial fibrillaryacidic protein (GFAP), an intermediate filament protein, is mainly expressed by astrocytes, but some other cells like enteric glia and non-myelinating Schwann cells can also express GFAP. GFAP elevation has been reported in some types of meningioma and malignant brain tumors. In the present study, we analyzed the associa...

Introduction Cyfra 21 is a serum-soluble fragment of cytokeratin19. Increased Cyfra 21 serum levels and their benefit as a tumor marker have been shown in some malignancies. This study aimed to evaluate the serum levels of Cyfra 21 in patients with benign and malignant salivary gland tumors. Materials and Methods In this cross-sectional study, the...

Objective: Liver is the primary site for the metastasis from colorectal cancer (CRC). It has been proposed that carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) might have an instrumental role in the development of hepatic metastasis from human CRC. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate the association between preoperative serum CEA concentratio...

Background: The monocyte chemoattractant protein1 (MCP1/CCL2) is a potent chemoattractant for natural killer cells, monocytes, and memory T lymphocytes. However, any role in the genesis of salivary gland tumors (SGT) is unknown. To assess the diagnostic relevance of chemokines in SGT, MCP1 levels in the serum of patients were investigated in assoc...

Objectives/hypothesis: To investigate soluble syndecan-1 (Sdc-1) in the sera of patients with tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and its correlation with the histopathological criteria of tumors. Study design: In a case-control study using a convenient method of sampling, 18 female and 25 male patients with confirmed diagnosis of tongue SCC, a...

Background: Inflammation plays a major role in the development and progression of gastric and other gastrointestinal tumors. The IL-17 family of cytokines has been under investigation as targets of immunotherapy. Materials and methods: We investigated the levels of IL-17A inflammatory cytokine in the sera of 57 patients with gastric cancer (GC)...

AIM: To investigate the serum level of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in age -related macular degeneration (AMD) and healthy control subjects. The disruption in the tight balance of neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective processes in an immune -privileged site like retina is proposed to contribute to the pathogenesis of AMD. One of the...

Background: Interleukin-19, a member of the interleukin-10 family of cytokines, contributes to breast cancer pathogenesis. High interleukin-19 expression in breast tumor tissues is associated with poor clinical outcome. This study aimed to assess the changes in serum level of interleukin-19 in breast cancer patients in comparison with normal women...

Background: Interleukin-19, a member of the interleukin-10 family of cytokines, contributes to breast cancer pathogenesis. High interleukin-19 expression in breast tumor tissues is associated with poor clinical outcome. This study aimed to assess the changes in serum level of interleukin-19 in breast cancer patients in comparison with normal women...

Alterations of trace element concentrations adversely affect biological processes and could promote carcinogenesis. Only a few studies have investigated the degree of changes in copper and zinc levels in colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of the present study was to compare the serum copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) concentrations in patients with CRC from...

Statement of the Problem: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of certain diseases and cancers via tissue destruction and can be secreted into the blood stream. MMP9 expression in the salivary gland tissue was evaluated but their serum level in the salivary gland tumors was not studied. Purpose: The aim of our...

Background: CD138/Syndecan-1 (Sdc-1) is expressed on the tumor and stromal cells of invasive bladder carcinoma. CD138/Sdc-1 shedding from the cell surface is associated with the invasive phenotype in lung and breast cancers. Patients and methods: Soluble CD138/Sdc-1 was measured in the sera of 86 bladder cancer patients and 57 healthy individual...

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the association of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with serum levels of interleukin-7 (IL-7) and IL-8, the two cytokines whose associations with HNSCC need more clarifications. Materials and Methods: Commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits were used for the quantification...

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) has been shown to be a potent chemotactic factor for monocytes. It acts as an important factor in the cytokine network which regulates tumor proliferation. The association between serum MCP-1 level and oral squamous cell carcinoma has not been clarified yet. The aim of this study was to determine MCP-1 ser...

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is known as a fundamental regulator of angiogenesis that accelerates cellular proliferation, vascular permeability, and endothelial cell migration and is an inhibitor of apoptosis. Extracellular matrix degradation by matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) is necessary for endothelial cell proliferation, migration,...

Survival of Colorectal cancer (CRC) patients is considerably stage-dependent; therefore, early diagnosis is a pivotal factor in decreasing mortality and morbidity associated with this cancer. GM-CSF and IL-7 are reported to increase in different cancers and we aimed to investigate the pre-treatment serum levels of GM-CSF and IL-7 in Iranian patient...

IL-17A a member of IL-17 family of cytokines is an inflammatory cytokine produced by a subset of CD4+ T cells that links innate and adaptive immunity. IL-17A has been shown to be a key mediator of inflammation in autoimmune diseases, transplant rejection and cancers. To investigate the level of IL-17A in sera of southern Iranian patients with papil...

Background: There is a Th1/Th2 cytokine imbalance and expression of IL-17 in patients with brain tumours. We aimed to compare the levels of IL-17A and IL-6 in sera of glioma, meningioma and schwannoma patients as well as in healthy individuals. Materials and methods: IL-17A and IL-6 levels were measured in sera of 38 glioma, 24 meningioma and 18...

Neoangiogenesis is essential for tumor development, invasion, and dissemination. The most potent of the cytokines associated with angiogenesis is vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The aim of the present study was to determine VEGF serum level in patients with salivary gland tumor. Using an ELISA kit, the circulating levels of VEGF in sera...

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has been suggested to be linked with autoimmune processes. Laparoscopic ovarian electrocauterization has the potency to stimulate more autoimmune reactions in PCOS patients. In the present study, we considered anti-nuclear antibodies (ANAs) as the hallmark of autoimmune reactions, and investigated the serum level of...

Background: Mast cells can influence tumor progression via different pathways and increased mast cell density has been demonstrated in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). It has been shown that the serum tryptase level is elevated with some malignant tumours and may thus be a useful parameter. However, there are no data available about OSCC. The...

Furthermore, the findings showed higher expression level of pre-meiotic gene (Stra8) and lower level of meiotic entry markers (SCP1, SCP3 and REC8) in juvenile than newborn mouse ovaries. Introduction: To investigate of the effects of a poly L-lactic acid (PLLA) nanofiber scaffold on proliferation of frozen-thawed neonate mouse spermatogonial stem...

Aim: The interrelation between nicotine and IL-17A in bladder cancer (BC) patients was investigated. Methods: IL-17A in the sera of 121 BC patients who smoked nicotine, 80 nonsmoker BC patients, 29 and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy smokers and nonsmokers were also measured. Results: IL-17A was elevated in smoker and nonsmoker BC patients com...

The association between HER2 Ile655Val single nucleotide polymorphism and cancer is controversial. The aim of our study was to investigate this polymorphism in patients with ovarian cancer. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes of 107 patients and 130 healthy women. HER2 gene polymorphism was assessed by PCR-RFLP. No significan...

Introduction: Breast cancer cells and tumor stroma produce different cytokines and soluble factors. Cytokines, while playing crucial roles in immune responses to tumors, also favour tumor growth and progression. IL-7 and G-CSF are two cytokines that may exert influences on the pathophysiology of breast cancer. Materials and methods: Sera were co...

Background: MMP-3 is a proteolytic enzyme of the matrix metalloproteinase family. Protein degradation which is their fundamental action regulates different activities of tumor cell such as their growth, differentiation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, angiogenesis as well as their resistance to the immune system. Aim: The aim of this study was t...

Introduction: Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a widely used tumormarker inmanagement of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. CRC is the third most common cause of cancer death in the world. The liver metastasis is a frequent event in CRC patients and remains a major cause of cancer related death. Previous experimental studies have shown that soluble...

Three genome-wide association studies in Europe and the USA have reported eight urinary bladder cancer (UBC) susceptibility loci. Using extended case and control series and 1000 Genomes imputations of 5 340 737 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we searched for additional loci in the European GWAS. The discovery sample set consisted of 1631 ca...