CA and AA can be used as antifibrotic agents.

Context:Pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases (AD) is one of a multifactorial milieu. A genetic predisposition, an immune system failure, hormonal imbalance and environmental factors play important roles. Among the many environmental factors, the role of infection is gaining importance in the pathogenesis of various autoimmune disorders; among them, Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) plays a pivotal role. Literature states an association of various AD with EBV namely multiple sclerosis, autoimmune thyroiditis, systemic lupus erythematous, oral lichen planus (OLP), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), autoimmune hepatitis, Sjögren's syndrome and Kawasaki disease; among these, the most commonly occurring are OLP and RA.Aim:Considering the frequency of occurrences, our aim was to perform a qualitative analysis of EBV viral capsid antigen (EBV VCA) IgG in the sera of patients with RA, OLP and establish a comparison with normal.Settings and Design:In-vitro experiment in a research laboratory.Subjects and Methods:Five-milliliter blood sample was collected from 25 patients diagnosed with RA and OLP. Serum was separated and EBV VCA IgG antibody titer was detected using NovaTec EBV VCA IgG ELISA kit.Statistical Analysis Used:Chi-square test.Results:Six out of 25 subjects with RA and 4 out of 25 subjects with OLP tested positive for EBV VCA IgG.Conclusions:Both environmental and genetic factors are important contributory components for autoimmune conditions. Screening for viral etiology would improve the efficacy of conventional treatment and reduce the risk of relapses.

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Aim: To explore Ocimum basilicum L. (sweet basil) and linalool for their antifibrotic activity in an arecoline-induced in vitro fibrotic model. Methods: Leaf extract of O. basilicum L. (LEOB) and linalool were used as experimental agents to test their antifibrogenic activity in vitro. Half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) for arecoline, ethanolic LEOB, and linalool was determined using the 3-(4,5dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. To evaluate the antifibrotic effect of ethanolic LEOB and linalool on pretreatment, that is, both the testing agents were added to the human buccal fibroblasts (HBFs) prior to induction with arecoline, and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was carried out to study the response of transforming growth factor beta (TGFb), collagen 1 subtype A2 (COL1A2), and collagen 3 subtype A1 (COL3A1). To appreciate the morphological alterations in HBFs on treatment with arecoline, ethanolic LEOB, and linalool, Masson's trichrome staining was performed. Results: Arecoline enhanced fibrotic activity by upregulating TGFb1, COL1A2, and COL3A1 levels, whereas ethanolic LEOB and linalool on pretreatment significantly downregulated the increased levels of TGFb1, COL1A2, and COL3A1 in primary HBF cell cultures. Conclusion and implication to clinic: Both ethanolic LEOB and linalool exhibited significant antifibrotic activity in an in vitro model. Further studies in an in vitro model can help attain a foundation for an herbal formulation in gel form that can be prescribed to patients diagnosed with oral submucous fibrosis for topical application. It can also be used synergistically with Western medicine.

Background: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a chronic debilitating condition of the oral mucosa that has been classified as a potentially malignant disorder with a malignant transformation rate of 2%–8%. Several in vitro and in vivo experiments have been performed to formulate a treatment modality for OSMF, yet no ideal in vitro primary oral fibroblast model has been developed. Aim: To establish an in vitro primary oral fibroblast model. Setting and Design: In vitro laboratory setting. Materials and Methodology: Primary cell culture protocol was performed after obtaining normal oral tissue. Karyotyping was performed to rule out chromosomal abnormalities. Immunofluorescence staining was carried with a panel of fibroblast-specific markers (vimentin, phalloidin, transforming growth factor-β receptor 1 [TGFβR1] and s100a4) and Masson trichrome staining (MTS) to demonstrate the presence of extracellular matrix (ECM) qualitatively. Results: A monolayer of oral fibroblasts was observed on the 9 th -day postseeding. No chromosomal abnormality was observed in the patient samples. Positive staining was observed with vimentin, phalloidin, TGFβR1 and s100a4, thereby confirming the cell type. MTS revealed fibroblasts with spindle morphology and scanty ECM. Conclusion: The present study lays down a protocol to design and characterize primary buccal fibroblast cell culture model that would aid researchers in performing in vitro preliminary experiments in areas concerning fibrosis.