Association between percentage of TCD4 and TCD8 lymphocytes with iron status in female adolescents

Background: Iron deficiency impairs the proliferation and function of T lymphocytes. This study was conducted to assess the relationship between serum iron with percentage of TCD4 and TCD8 lymphocytes in peripheral blood of female high school students in Hamadan. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 355 female high school students with an age range of 15-18 years were enrolled from January 2016 to March 2017. After approval by the ethics committee of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, taking written consent of parents, and completion of a questionnaire involving demographic information, serum iron profile, the percentage of TCD4 and TCD8 cells, and TCD4/TCD8 ratio were measured using standard methods. The results were analyzed by SPSS software, version 13. Results: The prevalence of iron deficiency anemia was 16.1% in 355 female high school students of Hamadan. There was no correlation between transferrin saturation with percentage of TCD4 lymphocytes and TCD4/TCD8 ratio in the two groups of students with and without iron deficiency (P>0.05). However, a significant correlation was found between Tfs with percentage of TCD8 lymphocytes in the group of patients with iron deficiency anemia (P<0.05). Conclusion: This study indicated an increased percentage of TCD8 lymphocytes with reduced Tfs in patients with iron deficiency anemia. In addition to reduced Tfs, other factors may be associated with the alterations in percentage of TCD4 and TCD8 lymphocytes and TCD4/TCD8 ratio

Improving the neuronal differentiation efficiency of umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells cultivated under appropriate conditions

Objective(s): Umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (UCB-MSCs) are ideally suited for use in various cell-based therapies. We investigated a novel induction protocol (NIP) to improve the neuronal differentiation of human UCB-MSCs under appropriate conditions. Materials and Methods: This experimental study was performed in Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization (IBTO), Tehran, Iran. UCB-MSCs were cultured in DMEM medium supplemented with 10% FBS in a humidified incubator in equilibration with 5% CO2 at 37oC. For neuronal differentiation of UCB-MSCs, DMEM was removed and replaced with pre-induction medium containing RA, bFGF, EGF, and basal medium for two days. Then, NGF, IBMX, AsA, and Neurobasal medium were used for six days for this purpose. Real-time PCR was performed to analyze the neuronal differentiation of UCB-MSCs for the first time in Iran. Results: We found that the maximum and minimum levels of gene expression were related to GFAP and nestin, respectively. In addition, our study showed that compared to other neuronal inducers, RA might play the main role in neuronal differentiation and fate of MSCs compared to other neuronal inducers. Conclusion: Our data showed that the combination of chemical (RA, IBMX, AsA) and growth factors (NGF, EGF, bFGF) in NIP may improve the efficiency of neuronal differentiation of UCB-MSCs and may provide a new method for easy and quick application of UCB-MSCs in regenerative medicine in the future. However, the functionality of neuron-like cells must be carefully assessed in animal experiments prior to use in clinical applications

Survival analysis of coagulation disorders: A retrospective study with a 5-year follow-up

Objective: Rare bleeding disorders (RBDs) are the diseases in which patients experience a deficiency of coagulation factors. In the management of these disorders, surveillance is a significant challenge. This study aimed to assess the survival of patients with RBDs in a five-year follow-up. Materials and methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 146 patients with RBDs who had referred to Be'sat Hospital of Hamadan, Iran from July 2017 to August 2022. A computerized record search was performed to identify the patients. The surveillance time for a five-year follow-up was assessed with the Kaplan–Meier curve. A log-rank test also served to compare the survival rates according to the type of factor. Results: Out of 146 patients, 117 (80.2%) were males and 29 (19.8%) were females. They were in the range of 2–59 years of age with a mean of 23.11 ± 14.6. The most common disorder was FVIII deficiency (65.8%), and the rarest one was FXIII deficiency (4.8%). The rate of survival for any reason was 54.42 ± 1.3 months. The survival in combined FV and FVIII deficiencies was found to be longer than in the other deficiencies (55.9 ± 5.7), but there was no significant difference (P ≥ 0.05). In contrast, the survival in FXIII deficiency was observed to be lower than the other cases (44 ± 9.6); however, no significant difference was found in this regard (P ≥ 0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study show that patients with RBDs have different rates of survival, which suggests that identifying high-risk patients may be helpful for the improvement of their survival time through timely therapeutic interventions

Global Research in Iron Deficiency Anemia during 1934–2019: A Bibliometrics and Visualization Study

ntroduction: This analysis aimed to investigate the global research output in Iron Deficiency Anemia from a bibliometric perspective. Methods: All 29,789 publications in IDA indexed in Scopus from 1934-2019 were included. Using MeSH-assigned keyword search, this research analyzed and visualized the bibliometric data, including annual publication trends and languages and&nbsp; publications, as well as&nbsp; active and influential authors, research institutes, countries, and journals. The scientific visualization was done by co-authorship, co-citation, and word co-occurrence techniques in VOSviewer. Results: The trend in IDA annual publication growth was increasing. Publications were in over 40 languages, with English as the predominant one. The majority of publications were original research. The highest scientific collaboration was between the USA and UK. Seven out of 13 top authors were from the USA. The top high influential journals were the Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine and Blood, respectively. Highly-frequent keywords were in two clusters: epidemiology and IDA management, iron metabolism, and Iron Deficiency Anemia pathophysiology. Conclusion: The increasing trend of publication growth in IDA demonstrates the importance of research on it and being as an international concern. IDA needs to be investigated from many perspectives, with the main contributions of developing countries where the disease has its causes and consequences. More prolific and highly-cited journals in Iron Deficiency Anemia are of prestigious and known journals that can potentially widen the reach of publications and increase their readability and citation rates. Research on Iron Deficiency Anemia has found its way, and many topics have been considered

Bismuth selenide nanoparticles enhance radiation sensitivity in colon cancer cells in-vitro

Background: Radiotherapy is one of the primary treatments for cancer, but it can cause damage to normal tissues and lead to side effects. The use of radiosensitizers can enhance the sensitivity of cancer cells to radiation, thereby reducing the amount of radiation required and minimizing damage to healthy tissues. Bismuth selenide nanoparticles (Bi2Se3 NPs) have been shown to have potential as radiosensitizers. Materials and methods: In this study, we investigated the potential of Bi2Se3 NPs as a radiosensitizer in colon cancer cells (HCT-116) in vitro. The cells were treated with various concentrations of Bi2Se3 NPs and then exposed to ionizing radiation. The viability of the cells was assessed using the MTT assay, and the survival rate was evaluated. Results: Our results showed that Bi2Se3 NPs significantly enhanced the sensitivity of colon cancer cells to ionizing radiation in a dose-dependent manner. The combination of Bi2Se3 NPs and radiation resulted in a significant decrease in cell viability and survival rate compared to radiation alone. Conclusion: Bi2Se3 NPs have the potential to be used as a radiosensitizer in the treatment of colon cancer. The findings of this study suggest that combining Bi2Se3 NPs with radiation may enhance the effectiveness of radiotherapy and reduce the mortality rate associated with colon cancer. Further studies are needed to investigate the safety and efficacy of this approach in vivo

Effect of fresh red grape juice and grape fermentative product on oxidative-stress in human erythrocytes in vitro

Introduction: Oxidative stress is a phenomenon induced by an imbalance between production and the biological system's ability to readily detoxify oxygen reactive species (ROS) in cells. It has been shown that grape juice can reduce oxidative stress due to the presence of polyphenols. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of fresh red grape juice and grape fermentative product on oxidative stress in human erythrocytes.Methods: 5 ml of blood from 125 healthy individuals as control group collected in EDTA containing tubes. To perform biochemical assays, erythrocytes were incubated at 37 &ordm;C for different times including 4, 24, 48, and 72 hours in the presence or absence of grape juice and grape red wine in amounts of 5 ml.&nbsp;Results: Grape juice and grape red wine reduced lipid peroxidation and increase of thiol groups, and total antioxidant capacity after 24 hours of treatment (p &lt; 0.05). Also, the activity of catalase enzyme was increased 4 and 24 hours after treatment with red wine and grape juice, respectively.&nbsp;Conclusion: Grape juice and grape fermentative product may improve the antioxidant power of erythrocytes. This may lead to reducing the risk of free-radical damage and chronic diseases. However, more research with a higher number of samples is necessary to confirm the antioxidant effect of grape juice and red wine on human erythrocytes

Human umbilical cord-mesenchymal stem cells conditioned medium attenuates CCl 4 induced chronic liver fibrosis

Although the efficacy of MSCs on the liver fibrosis is investigated, it is not exactly clear whether released molecules by MSCs are sufficient to mediate the anti-fibrotic effects or not. In this study, the possible hepatoprotective effects of human umbilical cord MSCs derived conditioned medium (UC-CM) was investigated. 30 male rats were divided into 3 groups (n = 10): C: control; F: fibrosis were intraperitoneally injected with CCl 4 (1 ml/kg, i.p); F/UC-CM: fibrosis rats that received UC-CM (100 µg/kg, i.v). At the end of the 12th week, serum and liver samples were collected to analyze biochemical, molecular, and histopathological parameters. In comparison with CCl 4 intoxicated animals, the results showed a significant amelioration of weight loss, histological changes as well as attenuation of serum activity of ALT, AST, and ALP in F/UC-CM. The liver hydroxyproline content was significantly reduced by UC-CM treatment. Accordingly, improvement in oxidative parameters such as MDA, TAC, and TOS was also observed in the F/UC-CM group. UC-CM administration down-regulated gene expression of TGF-β1, TNF-α, TβRII, MMP-2, and MMP-9 as well as the protein level in TGF-β1 and TNF-α. Immunohistochemical analysis showed a notable lower hepatic α-SMA expression in the F/UC-CM group. In conclusion, these findings revealed that the remarkable hepatoprotective property of UC-CM could lend support to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidative and anti-fibrotic effects

Radioprotective effect of Malva sylvestris L. against radiation-induced liver, kidney and intestine damages in rat: A histopathological study

Background: Ionizing radiation (IR) is widely used in the treatment of cancer in radiotherapy. One of the main concerns of patients with gastrointestinal cancers undergoing radiotherapy is the harmful side effects of IR on normal tissues. The liver, kidney, and duodenum are usually exposed to high doses of radiation in the treatment of some cancers in abdominal region radiotherapy. We aimed to assess the radioprotective effects of Malva sylvestris L. against IR damages to the abdominal region. Materials and methods: This current study was conducted on 45 rats divided randomly into nine groups of five: A) negative control group, B) sham group, C) irradiation group, D) mallow treatment-1(200gr/kg), E) mallow treatment-2(400gr/kg), F) mallow treatment-3(600gr/kg), G) mallow treatment-4(200gr/kg) plus irradiation, H) mallow treatment-5(400gr/kg) plus irradiation, I) mallow treatment-6(600gr/kg) plus irradiation. Irradiation was performed with a 6Gy x-ray. Histopathological evaluations were performed 10 days after irradiation. Results: The histopathological examination results confirmed that preventive therapy with the effective dose of mallow reduced the liver, kidney, and intestine damage induced by radiation. The dose of 400 mg/kg was more effective than other selected dose in improving the damage caused by irradiation in the studied tissues. Conclusion: This study concludes that Malva sylvestris L. contributed to significant improvements in radiation-induced histological parameters of the liver and kidney and, to a lesser extent, in the intestine. These results collectively indicate that mallow is an effective radioprotective agent

Injury burden in individuals aged 50 years or older in the Eastern Mediterranean region, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: Injury poses a major threat to health and longevity in adults aged 50 years or older. The increased life expectancy in the Eastern Mediterranean region warrants a further understanding of the ageing population's inevitable changing health demands and challenges. We aimed to examine injury-related morbidity and mortality among adults aged 50 years or older in 22 Eastern Mediterranean countries. Methods: Drawing on data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, we categorised the population into adults aged 50–69 years and adults aged 70 years and older. We examined estimates for transport injuries, self-harm injuries, and unintentional injuries for both age groups, with sex differences reported, and analysed the percentage changes from 1990 to 2019. We reported injury-related mortality rates and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). The Socio-demographic Index (SDI) and the Healthcare Access and Quality (HAQ) Index were used to better understand the association of socioeconomic factors and health-care system performance, respectively, with injuries and health status in older people. Healthy life expectancy (HALE) was compared with injury-related deaths and DALYs and to the SDI and HAQ Index to understand the effect of injuries on healthy ageing. Finally, risk factors for injury deaths between 1990 and 2019 were assessed. 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) are given for all estimates. Findings: Estimated injury mortality rates in the Eastern Mediterranean region exceeded the global rates in 2019, with higher injury mortality rates in males than in females for both age groups. Transport injuries were the leading cause of deaths in adults aged 50–69 years (43·0 [95% UI 31·0–51·8] per 100 000 population) and in adults aged 70 years or older (66·2 [52·5–75·5] per 100 000 population), closely followed by conflict and terrorism for both age groups (10·2 [9·3–11·3] deaths per 100 000 population for 50–69 years and 45·7 [41·5–50·3] deaths per 100 000 population for ≥70 years). The highest annual percentage change in mortality rates due to injury was observed in Afghanistan among people aged 70 years or older (400·4% increase; mortality rate 1109·7 [1017·7–1214·7] per 100 000 population). The leading cause of DALYs was transport injuries for people aged 50–69 years (1798·8 [1394·1–2116·0] per 100 000 population) and unintentional injuries for those aged 70 years or older (2013·2 [1682·2–2408·7] per 100 000 population). The estimates for HALE at 50 years and at 70 years in the Eastern Mediterranean region were lower than global estimates. Eastern Mediterranean countries with the lowest SDIs and HAQ Index values had high prevalence of injury DALYs and ranked the lowest for HALE at 50 years of age and HALE at 70 years. The leading injury mortality risk factors were occupational exposure in people aged 50–69 years and low bone mineral density in those aged 70 years or older. Interpretation: Injuries still pose a real threat to people aged 50 years or older living in the Eastern Mediterranean region, mainly due to transport and violence-related injuries. Dedicated efforts should be implemented to devise injury prevention strategies that are appropriate for older adults and cost-effective injury programmes tailored to the needs and resources of local health-care systems, and to curtail injury-associated risk and promote healthy ageing. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation