Immunology, Cancer Research, Medicine, Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
7
Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
Altered inflammatory and coagulation markers in women with a history of recurrent pregnancy loss: A case-control study Fatemeh Bakhshipour, Mehdi Torabizadeh, Mohammad Ali Jalali Far, Farideh Moramezi, Najmaldin Saki International Journal of Reproductive Biomedicine, 2026 Background: Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a common pregnancy complication that significantly influences the lives of many couples worldwide. Previous studies have indicated that RPL may be associated with coagulation and inflammatory factors. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between calprotectin levels and coagulation disorders in women with RPL. Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, a total of 100 women aged between 18 and 45 yr who had been admitted to Golestan hospital, Ahvaz, Iran from February 2024 to January 2025 enrolled. Participants were divided into 2 groups: women with RPL as the case group (n = 50), and women with no history of infertility or miscarriage as the control group (n = 50). Blood samples collected, and levels of protein C, protein S, and calprotectin measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and chromogenic assays. Results: Protein S levels were significantly lower in the RPL group compared to controls (p = 0.03), whereas protein C and calprotectin levels did not differ significantly between the 2 groups (p = 0.14, 0.17). Altered hematological parameters, including a higher prevalence of anemia, were noted in RPL cases. Logistic regression indicated that reduced protein S levels were associated with a 4.38-fold increased risk of RPL. Conclusion: This study reinforces the role of protein S deficiency in RPL, suggesting that even modest reductions may predispose placental thrombosis and fetal loss. Although protein C and calprotectin levels did not differ significantly, the results underscore the importance of evaluating both coagulation profiles and inflammatory markers in RPL.
The role of platelet in systemic lupus erythematosus Fatemeh Bakhshipour, Emad Behboudi, Alireza Mohebbi, Mehdi Torabizadeh, Najmaldin Saki European Journal of Inflammation, 2026 Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease with manifestations ranging from mild skin symptoms to severe organ and neurological involvement. Thrombosis is a major complication and leading cause of mortality, though its mechanisms remain unclear. Emerging evidence highlights platelets, beyond their hemostatic role, as central players in SLE pathogenesis. This narrative review summarizes platelet-driven pathways in SLE, emphasizing their roles in thrombosis and immune regulation. Platelets interact with immune complexes, complement, and infectious agents, triggering activation and the release of mediators and microparticles. These processes increase circulating autoantigens and promote both thrombosis and autoimmune responses. Understanding these non-hemostatic platelet functions offers new insight into SLE mechanisms and may guide future platelet-targeted therapies.
Toxocara infection in pregnant women: seroprevalence and risk factors Marjan Noori, Mohammad Zibaei, Amir Bairami, Seyed Ali Hashemi, Aliehsan Heidari, et al. BMC Women S Health, 2025 BACKGROUND: Human toxocariasis caused by T. canis is a worldwide and typically neglected zoonotic parasitic disease. Certain behaviors such as a geophagia habit, poor personal hygiene, close contact with young dogs, and ingestion of raw meat, as well as age, and socioeconomic status, affect the prevalence of the disease. In this study, we aimed at investigating the frequency of Toxocara infection among pregnant women and the epidemiological factors associated with disease. METHODS: Toxocariasis-specific IgG antibodies were measured using a commercial ELISA technique in 200 pregnant women between December 2021 and May 2022. A questionnaire filled by participants included options for demographic information (age, gender, residency), gestational age, number of previous pregnancies, history of abortion, drug use, comorbidities, history of parasitic disease, and keeping pets (dogs or cats). RESULTS: In total, 15 (7.5%) of the 200 participants (mean age 29.7 ± 18.7 years) had anti-T. canis antibodies. High-titer antibodies were most prevalent among the subjects aged 25-29 years. Logistic regression analysis showed that the pregnant women who had a history of abortions (P = 0.029), and keeping pets and contact with dogs and cats (P = 0.031) had an increased risk of acquiring toxocariasis. The study showed that demographic characteristics such as age group, pregnancy trimester, and underlying conditions were not significantly associated with toxocariasis (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Considering the significant prevalence of toxocariasis in pregnant women as well as its health risks, preventive health measures against the toxocariasis risk factors seem more necessary.
The Association of Serum Level of TGF-β1 and Clinical Manifestations in Sickle Cell Anemia: A Case-Control Study Fatemeh Bakhshipour, Bita Bandar, Fatemeh Bineshfar, Najmeh Nameh Goshay Fard, Azar Babaahmadi, et al. Health Science Reports, 2025 Background and Aims Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is an inherited red blood cell disorder resulting from the polymerization of Hemoglobin S. Acute vaso‐occlusive crisis and multiple organ damage are the most common complications of SCA. Because of its multifunctional role in inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and fibrosis, TGF‐β 1 could be involved in SCA development, which may explain a variety of symptoms associated with this disease. This study aimed to investigate the role of TGF‐β 1 as a noninvasive biomarker for predicting the types of SCA clinical manifestations and highlights the complication frequency in this group. Methods The level of TGF‐β 1 in serum was measured using the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method in 98 SCA patients and 98 healthy individuals without any history of hemoglobinopathies, who served as the control group. Moreover, a questionnaire was completed for each patient to determine the type of clinical symptoms they experienced. Analysis of data was conducted on SPSS 26 using descriptive statistics like frequency distribution and central tendency measures. Results The laboratory parameters including hemoglobin, red blood cell (RBC), hematocrit (HCT), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) were lower in SCA patients compared to the control group, and white blood count (WBC), red cell distribution width‐coefficient of variation (RDW‐CV), platelet count, mean platelet volume (MPV), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were higher in these patients. No significant correlation was observed between laboratory parameters and Transforming Growth Factor Beta 1 (TGF‐β 1 ) level ( p > 0.05). The serum TGF‐β 1 level was higher in patients, but there was no significant correlation between TGF‐β 1 level and the type of clinical symptoms in these patients. Conclusion We observed a higher prevalence of certain complications in SCA patients in the Arab population of Khuzestan Province. There was no significant correlation between the clinical manifestation of SCA and TGF‐β 1 .
Plasma Calprotectin Level as a Potential Biomarker in Different Phases of Pediatric Hemato-Oncological Malignancies: A Pilot Study Bita Bandar, Fatemeh Bakhshipour, Najmaldin Saki, Azar Babaahmadi, Kaveh Jaseb Iranian Journal of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, 2025 Background: Calprotectin has been known as a biomarker for systemic inflammation, especially in autoimmune disorders. Inflammation is a process associated with malignant progression, and calprotectin is a potential prognostic biomarker in some hematologic malignancies. Our pilot study aimed to evaluate the plasma calprotectin level as a promising biomarker in the relapsed/refractory phase of pediatric hemato-oncological malignancies. Materials and Methods: This pilot research is a case-control study. A total of 168 individuals were included in the study. The analyses were conducted on 73 pediatric patients diagnosed with acute leukemia and 60 others with solid tumor cancers who had referred to Ahvaz Shafa Hospital in Iran. The patients were subdivided based on the three phases of the disease, including on-treatment, relapsed/refractory, and remission phases. Also, 35 healthy children were considered as the control group. After consent was received from all the participants, their blood samples were collected in ethylene diamine tetra acetate (EDTA) tubes to measure plasma calprotectin levels by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. The data were analyzed using the SPSS26 software. Kruskall-Wallis, Bonferroni Post hoc, and bivariate correlation tests were used, and a two-sided p-value < 0.05 was significant. Results: There was no statistically significant difference among the plasma calprotectin levels in different phases of acute leukemia (P = 0.099); however, the mean levels of the studied groups were higher than the healthy controls. This increase in the average calprotectin level was also observed in different phases of solid tumor cancers compared to the control group. Besides, a significant difference was seen between the on-treatment and remission groups compared to the control group (p = 0.011 and p = 0.016, respectively). Conclusion: The mean plasma calprotectin levels increase in different phases of some pediatric hemato-oncological malignancies, but it cannot be used as a specific biomarker for the relapsed/refractory phase.
Comparative evaluation of real-time PCR and ELISA for the detection of human fascioliasis Fatemeh Bakhshipour, Mohammad Zibaei, Mohammad Bagher Rokni, Abolfazl Miahipour, Farzaneh Firoozeh, et al. Scientific Reports, 2024 Fascioliasis is a zoonotic parasitic infection caused by Fasciola species in humans and animals. Despite significant advances in vaccination and new therapeutic agents, little attention has been paid to validating methods for the diagnosis of fascioliasis in humans. Serological techniques are convenient assays that significantly improves the diagnosis of Fasciola infection. However, a more sensitive method is required. The aim of this study was to compare the Real-Time PCR technique with the indirect-ELISA for the detection of Fasciola hepatica in human. Using a panel of sera from patients infected with Fasciola hepatica ( n = 51), other parasitic infections ( n = 7), and uninfected controls ( n = 12), we optimized an ELISA which employs an excretory–secretory antigens from F. hepatica for the detection of human fascioliasis. After DNA extraction from the samples, molecular analysis was done using Real-Time PCR technique based on the Fasciola ribosomal ITS1 sequence. Of 70 patient serum samples, 44 (62.86%) samples were identified as positive F. hepatica infection using ELISA and Real-Time PCR assays. There was no cross-reaction with other parasitic diseases such as toxoplasmosis, leishmaniasis, taeniasis, hydatidosis, trichinosis, toxocariasis, and strongyloidiasis. The significant difference between the agreement and similarity of the results of patients with indirect ELISA and Real-Time PCR was 94.4% and 99.2%, respectively (Cohen’s kappa ≥ 0.7; P = 0.02). Based on the Kappa agreement findings, the significant agreement between the results of ELISA and Real-Time PCR indicates the accuracy and reliability of these tests in the diagnosis of F. hepatica in humans.
Molecular investigation of Toxocara infection from the serum of people living with HIV in Alborz, Iran Mohammad Zibaei, Zahra Hatami, Farzaneh Firoozeh, Fatemeh Bakhshipour, Abolfazl Miahipour, et al. BMC Infectious Diseases, 2023 Background Toxocara infection is one of the most common neglected infections of poverty and a helminthiasis of global importance. Traditional diagnostic methods such as antibodies detection in serum samples are limited due to cross-reactivity and poor sensitivity. The use of molecular base methods for diagnosis of Toxocara infection in Iran has not been fully explored. The purpose of the current study was to estimate the prevalence of Toxocara infection from serum samples of people living with HIV in Alborz province, Iran using serological and molecular methods. Methods Blood samples were collected from 105 people living with HIV. Epidemiological data of participant were obtained through a structured questionnaire to investigate the risk factors. Patients CD4 + T cell count were recorded. Anti- Toxocara IgG antibodies were detected by ELISA, with a cut-off point of 11. PCR was performed to detect genetic material of Toxocara species in the serum samples. Results The mean CD4 + count in HIV-infected individuals with positive toxocariasis serology was 255.1 ± 21.6 cells/µL. Seropositivity for Toxocara species was observed in 12/105 (11.4%) people living with HIV. Three samples gave positive results on PCR analysis. Based on the data, a statistically significant relationship was found between anti- Toxocara IgG antibodies seropositivity and underlying conditions ( p = 0.017). No significant statistical association was observed between seropositivity for Toxocara and gender, age, exposure to domestic animals or pet keeping, education levels, and occupation ( p > 0.05). The findings of PCR confirmed Toxocara DNA in 3/12 (25.0%) serum samples. Conclusion These findings demonstrated for the first time that people living with HIV from Alborz province, are being exposed to this zoonosis and a relatively high seroprevalence of Toxocara in HIV/AIDS people needs comprehensive health education regarding personal hygiene and how to avoid exposure to this parasite infection, especially in people with an impaired immune system.
