Drugs Side Effects in Pregnant Women Infected with HIV Referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital, Voluntary Counseling and Testing Center Tehran, Iran 2009 – 2013

Objective: To have enough information about the prevalence of the ARV side effects in pregnant women infected with HIV and their infants and also evaluate drug efficacy in decreasing HIV infection in their children.Method: This descriptive study was based on information of 40 pregnant women infected with HIV files at voluntary and counseling center, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran, Iran during 2009 -2013. In this study, we evaluated epidemiologic, demographic, clinical, laboratory data and drugs side effects,.Results: The most commonly used drug group was AZT/3TC/EFV; about 75.5% of patients received mother to child prevention and 27.5% received ARV Antiretroviral therapy treatment. 5% anemia, 2.5% rash and 2.5% pre rupture of membranes were reported and no preeclampsia or gestational diabetes were reported in patients files. Only one abortion (2.5%) was occurred in late first trimester. Except rash, other adverse effects were solely reported in ARV treatment group. All neonates had normal Apgar score. Fetal defects were not reported at birth.Conclusion: In this evaluation, safety of ARV in pregnancy period and at birth was observed especially in the group received prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT). So we advise ARV treatment or PMTCT in pregnancy period

The effect of marine algae-derived exosomes on breast cancer cells: Hypothesis on a new treatment for cancer

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women worldwide. Therefore, further research in this area remains necessary. In pursuit of cancer treatment, the use of aquatic and marine resources has been considered in recent years. Marine algae create a wide variety of metabolites with different biological activities, and their anticancer properties have been reported in several studies. With particles ranging in size between 30 and 100 nm in size, exosomes are a class of cell-released extracellular vesicles that contain DNA, RNA, and proteins. Nontoxic properties and lack of an immune response are critical considerations in the medical use of exosome nanoparticles. Studies have demonstrated that exosomes are used for cancer therapy and in several drug delivery trials; however, no study so far has been done on exosomes derived from marine algae. Research has shown that three-dimensional (3D) models of cancer are advantageous for studying drug effects. This hypothesis aims to design a 3D model of breast cancer in vitro and evaluate cell growth after treatment with a marine algae-derived exosome

Comparing Social Problem Solving Ability, Copying Styles and Risk-Taking Behaviors between People Living with HIV and Healthy Individuals, Tehran, Iran

Background: The present study aimed to compare social problem solving ability, coping with stressful situation and risk-taking behaviors among people living with HIV (PLWH) and healthy individuals in Tehran, Iran, 2013. Methods: In the study, 50 patients aged 20 to 45 years living with HIV were assessed in Valfajr health center in Tehran, 2013. Moreover, 50 healthy individuals considered as the control group. To evaluate the ability to solve a social problem, standard questionnaires were used for social problem solving, coping for stressful situation and assessing the risk-taking. Data analyses were done by MANOVA test and independent T-test. Results: The results showed that there was significant difference in social problem solving ability, coping inventory for stressful situation and risk-taking behaviors between the PLWH and the healthy individuals. Moreover, there was significant difference in all of subscales social problem solving ability (positive problem orientation, negative problem orientation, rational problem solving, impulsivity/carelessness and avoidant style). There was significant difference in all of subscales coping inventory for stressful situation (problem oriented coping, excitement oriented coping, avoidance coping and attention handling) but there is no significant difference found in social entertainment among the two groups. Furthermore, there was not seen any differences in the rate of risk taking between the two groups. Conclusion: PLWH in social problem solving are using the negative problem orientation, impulsivity/careless style and avoidance style more than healthy individuals, this people mostly use emotional and avoidance-coping in stressful situation and also have more risk than the healthy individuals in their life

The effect of macronutrient and micronutrient supplements on COVID-19: an umbrella review

Abstract Background and aims A healthy diet play an important role in the prevention and even treatment of various diseases. Proper nutrition plays an important role in boosting of immune system. These include the consumption of macronutrients such as proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and also micronutrients including vitamins. Here, we aimed to systematically review the effects of macronutrients and micronutrients on the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. Methods We searched the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science on December 23, 2023. The records were downloaded into an EndNote file, the duplicates were removed, and the studies underwent a two-phase screening process based on their title/abstracts and full texts. The included articles were screened and underwent inclusion and exclusion criteria. We included the English systematic reviews and meta-analyses that concurred with the aim of our study. The selected articles were assessed by Cochrane's Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews for the quality check. The data of the eligible studies were extracted in a pre-designed word table and were used for the qualitative synthesis. Results A total of 28 reviews were included in this study. Most studies have shown that micronutrients are effective in morbidity and mortality controlling in viral respiratory infections such as COVID-19 but some studies have shown that micronutrients are sometimes not effective in controlling severity. On the other hand, calcifediol was by far the most successful agent in reducing intensive care needs and mortality between studies. Conclusion Individuals without malnutrition had a reduced risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe disease. The administration of Vitamin D is effective in reducing the morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 patients. Patients with vitamin D deficiency were more prone to experience severe infection, and they were at higher risk of morbidities and mortality. Other micronutrients such as Vitamin A, Vitamin B, and Zinc also showed some benefits in patients with COVID-19. Vitamin C showed no efficacy in COVID-19 management even in intravenous form or in high doses

Reinfection risk of novel coronavirus (CoVID-19): A systematic ‎review of current evidence

International audienceThere is recently a concern regarding the reinfection and reactivation of previously reCoVered coronavirus disease 2019 (CoVID-19) patients

Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections and associated risk behaviors in prisoners: A systematic review

Abstract Background and Aims Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are one of the major health concerns globally. Generally, prisoners are at higher risks for STIs due to risk factors including; drug‐use, high‐risk sexual behaviors, densely populated prisons, and poor living conditions. Therefore, we aimed to conduct a systematic review to evaluate the existing data on STI prevalence, and its associated risk factors among prisoners. Methods We conducted a systematic search of the literature using the keywords in Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar online databases. We selected all the relevant original studies in English through title/abstract and full‐text screening process.‎ Results Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we selected and reviewed 32 studies out of 96 identified papers. The most important STI‐associated risk factors among prisoners were drug use, low educational levels, and unsafe sex. The prevalence of STIs was heterogenous in selected studies and was reported as follows; Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (0%−14.5%), hepatitis B viruses (HBV) (0.04%−27.23%), hepatitis C viruses (HCV) (0.17%−49.7%), Syphilis (0.2%−22.1%), Chlamydia Trachomatis (CT) (1.02%−6.7%), Gonorrhea (0.6%−7.8%), and herpes simplex virus‐2 (HSV‐2) 22.4%. Conclusion This systematic review indicates that the prevalence of STIs (HIV, HBV, HCV, Syphilis, Chlamydia Trachomatis, Gonorrhea, and HSV‐2) among prisoners appears to be higher than the general population, with drug abuse, low educational levels, and unsafe sex as major risk factors

Public acceptability of COVID-19 vaccines and its predictors in Middle ‎Eastern/North African (MENA) countries: a systematic review‎

Introduction COVID-19 vaccines emerged as a worldwide hope to contain the pandemic. However, many people ‎are still hesitant to receive these vaccines. We aimed to systematically review the public knowledge, perception, and acceptability of COVID-19 vaccines in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries and the predictors of vaccine acceptability in this region. Methods We systematically searched databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane and retrieved ‎all relevant studies by 5 August 2021. Results There was a considerable variation in the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance ‎rates, from 12% in a study from Israel to 83.3% in Kuwait, although two other studies from Israel mentioned 75% ‎and 82.2% acceptability rates. Concerns about the side effects and safety of the vaccine were the main reasons for ‎the lack of acceptability of taking the vaccine, which was reported in 19 studies. ‎ Conclusion Several factors, such as age, gender, education level, and comorbidities, ‎are worthy of attention as they could expand vaccine coverage in the target population.

Genetic susceptibility of COVID-19: a systematic review of current evidence

International audienceAbstract Introduction While COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread worldwide, researchers have linked patterns of traits to poor disease outcomes. Risk factors for COVID-19 include asthma, elderly age, being pregnant, having any underlying diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and experiencing lifelong systemic racism. Recently, connections to certain genes have also been found, although the susceptibility has not yet been established. We aimed to investigate the available evidence for the genetic susceptibility to COVID-19. Methods This study was a systematic review of current evidence to investigate the genetic susceptibility of COVID-19. By systematic search and utilizing the keywords in the online databases including Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Science Direct, we retrieved all the related papers and reports published in English from December 2019 to September 2020. Results According to the findings, COVID-19 uses the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor for cell entry. Previous studies have shown that people with ACE2 polymorphism who have type 2 transmembrane serine proteases (TMPRSS2) are at high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Also, two studies have shown that males are more likely to become infected with SARS-CoV-2 than females. Besides, research has also shown that patients possessing HLA-B*15:03 genotype may become immune to the infection. Conclusion Combing through the genome, several genes related to immune system’s response were related to the severity and susceptibility to the COVID-19. In conclusion, a correlation was found between the ACE2 levels and the susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection

COVID-19 mortality in patients with immunodeficiency and its predictors: a systematic review

Introduction Patients with immunodeficiency are usually more prone to worse outcomes of infectious diseases. However, there are some disagreements in the context of COVID-19, for example, in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Herein, we aimed to systematically review the risk and predictors of COVID-19 mortality in people with primary or secondary immunodeficiency. Methods PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Direct were searched. We followed a two-step screening process to identify eligible results. We first reviewed the title and abstract of the records and the unqualified studies were removed. Then, their full texts were evaluated based on their coherence with the purpose and inclusion/exclusion criteria, and those eligible for qualitative synthesis were included. Results Twenty-two articles were included, which investigated a total of 109,326 with primary or secondary immunodeficiencies. Three studies investigated the pediatric and infant population, while other studies were conducted on the adult population. Overall, studies on both primary and secondary immunodeficiency conflicted as some reported higher and some mentioned lower mortality rates in patients with immunodeficiency. Conclusions Overall, there were two points of view in both types of immunodeficiencies. The first is the classical viewpoint that all immunodeficient patients are at a higher risk of infection leading to a higher mortality rate. The second types of studies found that immunodeficiency might play a less important or even an inverse role in mortality rates by lowering the severity of the inflammatory response. However, it is important to take note to comorbidities, such as DM, HTN, CAD, ESRD, history of lower respiratory infection, etc., and demographic factors, such as obesity and age > 70 years, as they appear to influence the mortality rate, especially in patients with secondary immunodeficiency.publishedVersio