Adverse reactions following immunization with MMR vaccine in children at selected provinces of Iran

Background: Several adverse events following immunization (AEFI) have been attributed to immunization with live attenuated measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccines. The MMR vaccine was introduced into the routine infant immunization schedule in 2003, followed by a second dose of vaccine at school-entry for children 4 to 6 years of age. The objective of this study was to characterize adverse reactions following MMR vaccination in Iran. Methods: Children who received the MMR vaccine and resided in five selected provinces of Iran were examined weekly for four weeks to detect well-known AEFIs that included: parotitis, fever and convulsions, convulsions without fever, encephalopathy, and anaphylactic reactions. Incidence of AEFIs were calculated and compared among recipients in both age groups. Results: During the follow-up period, trained providers reported 792 AEFIs. Parotitis was the most frequent event occurring in 1.8 of recipients. Of 14,109 children vaccinated at 12 months of age the following AEFIs occurred: parotitis (147), fever and convulsions (8), convulsions (7), encephalopathy (1), and anaphylactic reactions (1). Of 29,338 children vaccinated at 4 to 6 years of age, parotitis, fever and convulsions, encephalopathy, and anaphylaxis occurred in 626, 5, 1, and 1 child, respectively; no convulsions without fever were reported in this age group. Conclusion: Parotitis is the most frequent AEFI among MMR vaccine recipients in Iran. Incidence rates of AEFIs following MMR vaccination in Iran are similar to rates of AEFIs reported in other studies

Investigating the association of matrix metalloproteinase-2 gene variants with endometriosis in an Iranian population

Objectives: matrix metalloproteinases including matrix metalloproteinase-2 play a key role in endometrial extra cellular matrix breakdown in endometriosis. Aberrant expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 has been reported in eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissue of endometriosis patients so altered expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 due to polymorphisms may lead to establishment and progression of endometriosis. In this study the association between -735 C/T (rs2285053) and â��1575 G/A (rs243866) variants of matrix metalloproteinase-2 gene with presence of endometriosis in an Iranian population were investigated for the first time. Study design: A case-control association study was conducted to investigate the role of MMP-2â��735 C/T and ₁₅₇₅ G/A variants in development of endometriosis. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method was used to determine genotype frequencies of these variants in 100 endometriosis patients and 200 normal samples. Total genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples and single-nucleotide polymorphism flanking regions were amplified using designed specific primers. Enzymatic digestion was performed using Pag I and Hinf I restriction enzymes for rs2285053 and rs243866 variants, respectively. Statistical analysis was ascertained using statistical package for social science version 16 and â��SHEsisâ�� software. Results: There were no significant differences in genotype frequencies of rs2285035 (-735C/T) variant between case and control groups (CC + CT vs. TT p = 0.40; OR = 0.50, 95 CI 0.100â��2.551). There were also no significant differences for C allele frequencies in both case and control groups (p = 0.9). For variant rs243866 (â��1575 G/A) the differences in genotype frequencies between case and controls group were determined to be significant (GG + GA vs. AA p = 0.041; OR = 6.46, 95 CI 0.82â��50.43). The frequency of G allele was significantly different in case and control groups (p = 0.037). Conclusion: In conclusion, existence of rs243866 variant in promoter region of matrix metalloproteinase-2 gene can increase the risk of endometriosis in Iranian women. © 202

A Large Retrospective Study of Epidemiological Characteristics of COVID-19 Patients in the North of Iran: Association between SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Ct Values with Demographic Data

Objectives: To avoid worsening from mild, moderate, and severe diseases and to reduce mortality, it is necessary to identify the subpopulation that is more vulnerable to the development of COVID-19 unfavorable consequences. This study aims to investigate the demographic information, prevalence rates of common comorbidities among negative and positive real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) patients, and the association between SARS-CoV-2 cycle threshold (Ct) at hospital admission, demographic data, and outcomes of the patients in a large population in Northern Iran. Methods: This large retrospective cross-sectional study was performed from 7 March to 20 December 2020. Demographic data, including gender, age, underlying diseases, clinical outcomes, and Ct values, were obtained from 8,318 cases suspected of COVID-19, who were admitted to four teaching hospitals affiliated to Babol University of Medical Sciences (MUBABOL), in the north of Iran. Results: Since 7 March 2020, the data were collected from 8,318 cases suspected of COVID-19 (48.5 female and 51.5 male) with a mean age of 53�±�25.3 years. Among 8,318 suspected COVID-19 patients, 3,250 (39.1) had a positive rRT-PCR result; 1,632 (50.2) patients were male and 335 (10.3) patients died during their hospital stay. The distribution of positive rRT-PCR revealed that most patients (464 (75.7)) had a Ct between 21 and 30 (Group B). Conclusion: Elderly patients, lower Ct, patients having at least one comorbidity, and male cases were significantly associated with increased risk for COVID-19-related mortality. Moreover, mortality was significantly higher in patients with diabetes, kidney disease, and respiratory disease. Copyright © 2022 Farzin Sadeghi et al