ACTA ENDOCRINOLOGICA (BUC)

Context. In obesity, the infiltration of leukocytes into adipose tissue seems to play a key role in the development of inflammation and insulin resistance. Over-expression of adipophilin (ADPH) in adipose tissue, a protein which regulates lipid droplet structure and formation, has been reported in some studies. Objective. To investigate the role of ADPH 129- 137 as a target for CD8+ T-cells in PBMCs of patients with obesity. Subjects and Methods. PBMCs were obtained from 9 non-diabetic obese patients and 11 healthy subjects expressing the HLA-A0201 molecule. The ELISPOT assay used to monitor the presence of IFN-γ producing CD8+ T-cells against a HLA class I-restricted epitope derived from Adipophilin (ADPH 129-137) and two control peptides: Flu MP58-66 and Melan-A27-35. Results. The outcomes showed no significant difference between patient group and healthy donors in response to ADPH 129-137. Conclusion. These results demonstrated that ADPH 129-137 peptide possibly does not act as an autoantigen in patients with obesity.

Study Objective. To elucidate the association between POF and inhibin alpha (inhibin α) G769A gene mutation and BMP15 variants in patients with POF.\r\nDesign. Prospective analytic study.\r\nSetting: University hospital.\r\nPatients. Forty subjects were included, twenty patients with premature ovarian failure, of them 12 presented with primary amenorrhea and 8 with secondary amenorrhea, and twenty control subjects. Genetic analysis for inhibin α gene was\r\ndone by Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism analysis (PCR- RFLP) and Bone Morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15) by PCR- sequencing analysis. \r\nMeasurements and Results. Regarding the inhibin α G769A gene\r\nmutation, heterozygous form was found in 3 patients of the primary amenorrhea group, while none of the secondary amenorrhea group or the control group displayed this mutation. A statistically significant prevalence of the G769A mutation among Egyptian women with POF presenting with\r\nprimary amenorrhea was found. Mutational analysis of BMP15 gene performed by sequencing analysis showed no mutation\r\namong the patient or control group.\r\nConclusion. In this study we concluded that inhibin α G769A gene mutation is more frequent among cases of POF presenting with primary amenorrhea and its presence conferred higher risk to development of POF. Variations of BMP15 gene were not encountered in the subjects of this study.