title: Defective NF-kB transcription factor as the mediator of inflammatory responses: a study on depressed Iranian medical students.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  NF-kB is a transcription factor that is a downstream target of several cell signaling systems including TLRs. Defective expression of the molecule can lead to inappropriate immune responses. Previous studies revealed that depression can affect immune responses, but its molecular mechanisms are yet to be fully understood. Thus, the main aim of this study was to identify if mRNA levels of NF-kB are changed in the PBMCs isolated from Iranian depressed medical students.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was done on 38 Iranian depressed medical students and 43 healthy students as a control group. The mRNA levels of NF-kB were assessed in parallel with beta-actin (as the housekeeping gene) using Real-Time PCR technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results showed that mRNA levels of NF-kB were significantly decreased in isolated PBMCs from depressed patients compared to healthy controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to the results obtained in the present study, it seems that depressed patients are unable to appropriately express NF-kB at mRNA levels which may in turn lead to defective molecule expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nazari
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Khodadadi
authors.forename: Javad
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fathalizadeh
authors.forename: Gholamhossein
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hassanshahi
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bidaki
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ayoobi
authors.forename: Batool
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hajebrahimi
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bagheri
authors.forename: Mohammad Kazemi
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Arababadi
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017931:DNA Primers; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000502:physiology*; D007492:Iran; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000502:physiology*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D016328:NF-kappa B