AIM The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of celiac disease in Iranian patients suffering from chronic depression or schizophrenia. BACKGROUND Psychiatric disorders are common in untreated celiac disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS Two hundred Iranian inpatient men with in chronic phase of depressive disorders or schizophrenia, and 200 age-matched healthy male subjects were screen...

Among the adaptations of aquatic species during evolution of terrestrial tetrapods was the development of an epidermis preventing desiccation. In present day mammals, keratinocytes of the epidermis, using a membrane-bound transglutaminase (Tgm1), accomplish this function by synthesizing a scaffold of cross-linked protein to which a lipid envelope is attached. This study characterizes the abilit...

Thirteen recombinant alpha A-crystallin mutants were constructed that differed in the type of amino acid residue directly preceding the sole amine donor lysine for transglutaminases in this protein. The capacity of these mutants to be cross-linked to amine acceptor substrates by tissue transglutaminase and factor XIII was assessed. Two different biotinylated glutamine-containing oligopeptides w...

Short peptide substrates with high specificity toward transglutaminase (TGase) enzyme were designed, characterized, and coupled to a biocompatible polymer, allowing for rapid enzymatic cross-linking of peptide-polymer conjugates into hydrogels. Eight acyl acceptor Lys-peptide substrates and three acyl donor Gln-peptide substrates were rationally designed and synthesized. The kinetic constants o...

BACKGROUND Celiac disease has been reported to be associated with gastric abnormalities. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between the prevalence of celiac disease and Helicobacter pylori infection in an Iranian population of 250 patients. METHODS Biopsies were taken from the gastric antrum and duodenum. Morphology and histology were evaluated using the updated Sydney syste...

AIM To evaluate the experience of a single coeliac center over a 10-year-observational period. MATERIAL AND METHODS Between January 2003 and December 2013 a total of 195 consecutive patients admitted with celiac disease were tested by multiple duodenal biopsies, anti-tissue transglutaminase and anti-gliadin antibodies, and baseline demographic, clinical, biological and immunological parameter...

GOALS AND BACKGROUND Relatives of patients with celiac disease have an increased lifetime risk of developing celiac disease. Repeat screening of relatives would improve diagnosis rates, but at significant cost. Genetic testing before screening would potentially reduce costs by eliminating HLA-DQ2 and DQ8 negative patients who are at extremely low risk for developing celiac disease. STUDY A de...

PURPOSE. To study whether glaucomatous extracellular matrix (ECM) modifications in the lamina cribrosa might be induced by TGF2, the effect of TGF2 on the expression of collagen types I (Col1 1), III (Col3 1), and IV (Col4 2); fibronectin (FN); tissue transglutaminase (TGM2); connective tissue growth factor (CTGF); and thrombospondin (TSP-1) in cultured human optic nerve head (ONH) astrocytes w...