An introduction to the role of immunology in medical anthropology and molecular epidemiology

Medical anthropology is a multi-disciplinary approach to the medical sciences and humanities. Immunology is of the basic medical sciences dealing with anthropology as a science which involves in recognition of self and non-self. We performed this review paper to introduce the role of immunology in medical anthropology and molecular epidemiology. This narrative review was based on the authors� original experience and current literature. We discussed about human leukocyte antigens (HLA) and killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) and their disease associations. Bioinformatics and biostatistics help us to use this topic in evidence-based medicine. Immunogenetics is an important part of the molecular anthropology being a part of medical anthropology in turn. There were different notions of the integration of immunology and medical anthropology including environmental, ecological and cultural effects, historical and philosophical approaches, immunological biomarkers in different patients, and immunogenetics. Such studies can be used in pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine especially for immunotherapy. © 2018 The Author

Association of vitamin D level and vitamin D deficiency with risk of preeclampsia: A systematic review and updated meta-analysis

Objectives: Because of the immune modulatory effects of vitamin D3 in preeclampsia, we intend to have a systematic review and meta-analysis on association of both 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OHD) level (parametric approach) and 25-OHD deficiency (non-parametric approach) with preeclampsia. As well, for the parametric part, we used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve model. Materials and methods: We used Web of Science, PubMed and Science Direct data bases through searching in titles. Google Scholar search engine was used in order to find missing papers. Finally 23 studies were imported. Both random and fixed models were reported. Results: Based on the forest plot, lower levels of 25-OHD were significantly associated with risk of preeclampsia (fixed and random P < 0.001). Based on the forest plot, vitamin D deficiency (25-OHD < 20 ng/ml) was significantly associated with risk of preeclampsia (fixed P < 0.0001; random P = 0.0029; fixed OR = 1.33; random OR = 1.54). Based on ROC curve results, we found 2 cutoffs of 10.60 and 20.05 ng/ml. Conclusion: Women with vitamin D deficiency at cutoff 20 ng/ml are more at risk of preeclampsia. This association can be specific up to 90 at 10.60 ng/ml cutoff. Treatment of vitamin D deficiency is necessary before pregnancy. © 201

Association of vitamin D level and vitamin D deficiency with risk of preeclampsia: A systematic review and updated meta-analysis

Objectives: Because of the immune modulatory effects of vitamin D3 in preeclampsia, we intend to have a systematic review and meta-analysis on association of both 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OHD) level (parametric approach) and 25-OHD deficiency (non-parametric approach) with preeclampsia. As well, for the parametric part, we used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve model. Materials and methods: We used Web of Science, PubMed and Science Direct data bases through searching in titles. Google Scholar search engine was used in order to find missing papers. Finally 23 studies were imported. Both random and fixed models were reported. Results: Based on the forest plot, lower levels of 25-OHD were significantly associated with risk of preeclampsia (fixed and random P < 0.001). Based on the forest plot, vitamin D deficiency (25-OHD < 20 ng/ml) was significantly associated with risk of preeclampsia (fixed P < 0.0001; random P = 0.0029; fixed OR = 1.33; random OR = 1.54). Based on ROC curve results, we found 2 cutoffs of 10.60 and 20.05 ng/ml. Conclusion: Women with vitamin D deficiency at cutoff 20 ng/ml are more at risk of preeclampsia. This association can be specific up to 90 at 10.60 ng/ml cutoff. Treatment of vitamin D deficiency is necessary before pregnancy. © 201

The susceptibility to diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetic patients of Iran is not affected by the M55V polymorphism of SUMO4

Introduction: Recent reports showed that the small ubiquitin-like modifier 4 (SUMO4) M55V polymorphism is affected development of type 2 diabetes and its complications such as diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy in some populations. In this regard we intend to investigate the impact of M55V polymorphism of SUMO4 on susceptibility to diabetic retinopathy in the type 2 diabetic patients of Iran. Methods: In current study, the control group had included 100 individuals of type 2 diabetic patients of Iran who have not retinopathy, while the patient group had included 100 individuals of type 2 diabetic patients of Iran suffering from retinopathy. We have matched all the confounding factors between patients and controls. The genotyping method was PCR-RFLP to trace a prevalent single nucleotide polymorphism at codon 55 encoding a substitution of methionine to valine (M55V) specified in the SUMO4 gene. Results: Genotype frequency of AA, AG, and GG of SUMO4 were obtained respectively 52, 30, and 18 in the patient group and 44, 36, and 20 in the control group. The frequencies of alleles A and G of SUMO4 were 67 and 33 in the patients with type 2 diabetes having retinopathy and 62 and 38 in the patients with type 2 diabetes without retinopathy. There genotypic and allelic frequencies of SUMO4 were not significantly (p>0.05) different between the patient and the control groups. Conclusions: The findings of the present study showed no correlation between M55V polymorphism of SUMO4 gene and diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetes patients of Iran. However, we emphasize that further studies is necessary to clarify the exact role of M55V polymorphism of SUMO4 in diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes

A meta-analysis on diagnostic accuracy of serum HLA-G level in breast cancer

Background: According to the role of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G in tumor progression and tumor escape from immune system as well as diagnostic role of biomarkers in breast cancer, this meta-analysis is designed to reach a pooled diagnostic accuracy for this biomarker. Methods: The present work is a meta-analysis on diagnostic accuracy studies using preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guideline. All documents studying the serum level of HLA-G both in breast cancer patients and in healthy controls using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve with reporting area under ROC curve (AUC) were eligible for inclusion. Results: Five articles including 754 participants were eligible for quantitative synthesis. The range of AUC of the selected studies was 0.735�0.953. The pooled AUC was 0.922 (95 confidence interval CI 0.903�0.941) based on fixed effect model (P < 0.001) and 0.896 (95% CI 0.834�0.959) based on random effect model (P < 0.001). Conclusion: This meta-analysis updated the level of evidence for using serum HLA-G in diagnosis of breast cancer. However, this piece of evidence cannot be used as a diagnostic tool. This biomarker can be used for investigation of recurrence and response to treatment in future. Further studies are suggested to complete this evidence gap. © 2020, © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group