title: 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin decrease expression of aryl hydrocarbon receptor in peripheral lymphocyte of β-thalassemia major patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  β-thalassemia major is a hereditary disease with inefficient erythropoiesis. Level of inflammatory cytokine is elevated in these patients. In this study, we investigate the effect of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) ligand, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), on the expression of inflammatory mediators in β-thalassemia major patient's lymphocytes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients and healthy participants was isolated and cultured in favor of lymphocytes increment. Based on the treatment, we divided the cell into four groups. The orders of group's treatments were no treatment, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) treatment, TNF-α and TCDD treatment, TCDD treatment in Group 1-4, respectively. After cell culture, we extracted the cells RNA and converted them to cDNA. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to assessment relative expression of caspase-1, NLRP3, and AhR. We compared all patient groups with equal healthy (control) groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results showed that expression of caspase-1 in patients (Groups 1 and 2) was significantly lower than healthy individuals (P < 0.05). Although, no significant difference was found (Groups 1, 2, and control) in AhR gene expression (P > 0.05). Expression of AhR in other groups of patients (3 and 4) was significantly lower than control groups (P < 0.05). Expression of caspase-1 in Group 4 was significantly larger than the control group (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We show here that chronic inflammation decrease caspase-1 expression and exposure of human lymphocytes to TCDD promote caspase-1 expression. Furthermore, activation of AhR with TCDD decreases AhR expression in lymphocytes of β-thalassemia major disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran ; Department of Stem Cell Biology, Stem Cell Technology Research Center, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghatrehsamani
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soleimani
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Behjat Al-Sadat Moayedi
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Esfahani
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mazdak Ganjalikhani
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Hakemi
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran.
authors.forename: Hedayatollah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shirzad
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Nahid
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Eskandari
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Minoo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adib
keywords: 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin; aryl hydrocarbon receptor; caspase-1; β-thalassemia major