Paternal age increases the risk for autism in an Iranian population sample

Background: Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder which is known to have a strong genetic component and is most likely oligogenic. However, the necessary role of environmental factors has been well documented. Prior research suggests that parental characteristics, such as age and level of education, may be associated with a risk of autism. Parental age has been shown to be associated with many disorders, such as schizophrenia, childhood cancer and fetal death. However, results from studies of parental age and autism are inconsistent. Methods: In the present study, we investigated the association of autism with parental age in 179 autism cases and 1611 matched cohort children from Iran. Each case was matched with nine cohort controls on parental education, sex, order of birth, consanguineous marriage, urbanism and province of residence. The Cox regression model was used to carry out conditional logistic regression on the matched data. Results: There was a significant association between higher paternal age, but not maternal age, and an increasing risk of autism. An analysis of the combined effect of parental age and education also revealed that parents with higher education had an increased risk of having autistic children, with a dose-response effect of parental age. Conclusions: This study, which is the first epidemiological study of autism in Iran, provides evidence of the association of paternal age and risk of autism

Comparative Investigation of Genital Selfimage and Sexual Function in Women with and Without a History of Female Genital Cosmetic Procedures: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Despite the increasing growth of female genital cosmetic procedures, the long-term effects ofthese procedures are not clearly understood. This study was conducted to compare the genital self-image andsexual function in women with and without female genital cosmetic procedures.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 315 participants (210 women without a history of genitalcosmetic surgery and 105 women with it) in Alborz province, Iran, from early February 2023 to mid-May 2023.The sampling was done conveniently. Data collection instruments were Female Genital Self Image Scale andFemale Sexual Function Index. Statistical analysis was done in SPSS 16 software using t-test, chi-square, andlogistic regression, and P0.05).Conclusion: No difference in sexual self-image and lack of difference in sexual function after cosmeticprocedures show the need to pay attention to recommending and selecting these procedures. Public awarenessabout the diverse and natural forms of the female genitalia, education about the variety of the factors affectingsexual function, reduction of unnecessary interventions, increase in physiological births, retraining doctorsand midwives, and multidimensional counseling can help to choose more appropriate candidates for cosmeticprocedures

Adherence to low-carbohydrate diet in relation to gastric cancer : Findings from a case-control study in Iran

This study examined the association between adherence to low carbohydrate diet (LCD) and risk of gastric cancer (GC). This hospital-based case-control study was conducted in Iran Cancer Institute, Tehran, Iran between 2010 and 2012. Totally, 178 patients with GC and 276 apparently healthy controls participated in this study. Cases were histo-pathologically confirmed GC patients aged ≥40 years diagnosed with GC in the last year. Dietary intakes were assessed using a validated 146-item Diet History Questionnaire. We computed the LCD score trough the protocol explained by Halton. Patients with GC were older (60.8 vs. 53.2 years, P < 0.001) and more likely to be male (74.2 vs. 63.8%, P = 0.02), married (97.8 vs. 86.6%, P < 0.001) and illiterate (62.4% vs. 26.1%, P < 0.001) than controls. Before adjusting for covariates, adherence to LCD-diet was not associated with risk of GC [odds ratio (OR) 1.31; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.82-2.09 for highest vs. lowest tertile; Ptrend< 0.26]. Adjustments for several potential confounders including H-pylori infection and BMI, participants in the highest tertile of LCD score were 7% more likely to have GC than those in the lowest tertile; however, it was not statistically significant (OR 1.07; 95% CI 0.59-1.95 for highest vs. lowest tertile; Ptrend< 0.79). No significant association was also seen between adherence to animal- or vegetable-based LCD diet and risk of GC. In conclusion, we failed to find any evidence on the association between consumption of LCD and odds of GC. Further studies, in particular of prospective design, are required to confirm these findings.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

Report of a new mutation and frequency of connexin 26 gene (GJB2) mutations in patients from three provinces of Iran

Autosomal recessive and sporadic non-syndromic hearing loss (ARSNSHL) is the major form of hereditary deafness. Mutations in the GJB2 gene encoding the gap-junction protein Connexin 26 have been identified to be highly associated with ARSNSHL. In this study we have analyzed 196 deaf subjects from 179 families having one or more deaf children in 3 proviences of Iran, including Kordestan, Khuzestan and Golestan. The nested PCR prescreening strategy and direct sequencing technique were used to detect the mutations in coding exon of the gene. Altogether 3 GJB2 recessive mutations including 35delG, 167delT and V27I+E114G, were identified in 23 of 179 families (12.8). Fourteen of 179 families were observed to have GJB2 mutation in both alleles (7.8). A novel variant (R159H) also was found in a deaf family from Khuzestan. Four polymorphisms V27I, E114G, S86T and V153 I also were detected in 7 families. A polymorphism(S86T) was seen in the whole population studied. Our data indicated that the rate of connexin 26 mutations is different in this three Irainian population and is lower than the high frequency of 35delG (26) reported from Gilan province in the north of Iran

Frequency of a very rare 35delG mutation in two ethnic groups of Iranian populations

The 35delG mutation in the Connexin 26 gene (Cx26), at the DNFB1 locus is the most common mutation in the patients with autosomal recessive non-syndromic hearing loss (ARNSHL). We have studied a total of 224 deaf cases from 189 families in two populations of Iran (Sistan va Bluchestan and Hormozgan provinces) by prescreening nested PCR, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and consequent direct sequencing method for all cases. The aim of the present work was to find prevalence of GJB2 mutations in the populations studied. Four different GJB2 mutations including 35delG, W24X, R127H and (V27I + E114 G) were identified in 11 of 189 families (5.8). Two polymorphisms (V27I and V153I) also were detected in 14 families. A polymorphism S86T was determined in all cases. Homozygote 35delG mutation was found only in 1 of 189 families (0.5).The rate of Cx26 mutations found in this study was lower than other Iranian populations. So the cause of deafness in the populations studied remains to be detected in other loci or genes. © 2014, Iranian Journal of Public Health. All rights reserved

Association between gastric cancer and the intake of different types of iron and meats

Background: Heme and non-heme irons are two forms of iron in the diet. Few studies have evaluated the association between heme iron intake and the risk of gastric cancer (GC). We aimed to investigate the association between heme, non-heme and total iron intake and risk of GC in Iran. Methods: In a hospital-based case–control study, nutritionists interviewed 178 pathologically confirmed GC patients and 276 controls using a valid Diet History Questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression model was used to estimate Odds Ratios (OR) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs) for iron intake and risk of GC. Results: Subjects in the highest tertile of total iron intake were 46% less likely to get GC than those in the lowest (OR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.32–0.92), however, the associations were not significant for intake of heme and non-heme iron. The risk of GC in the highest tertile of total meat intake was 2.51 times higher than the lowest. We found significant associations between GC and chicken (OR = 2.95; 95% CI: 1.66–5.22) and fish intake (OR = 1.89; 95% CI: 1.09–3.27), However, we found no associations between the risk of GC and intake of red meat, salted fish, and liver. Conclusion: Total iron intake was associated with a lower risk of GC which could be partly due to the high prevalence of anemia in Iran. Although, we could not find any significant association between the risk of GC and the intake of heme and non-hem iron among the Iranian population.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

Frequencies of mutations in the connexin 26 gene (GJB2) in two populations of Iran (Tehran and Tabriz)

While hearing loss has been considered to be a very heterogeneous disorder, mutations in Gap junction beta 2 (GJB2) gene encoding Connexin 26 (Cx26) protein are the major cause of autosomal recessive and sporadic non-syndromic deafness in many populations. In this study, we have investigated the prevalence of the GJB2 gene mutations using nested PCR pre screening strategy and direct sequencing method. Two hundred and seventy two hearing impaired subjects were studied from 210 families obtained from two large cities of Iran (Tehran and Tabriz). Twenty four different genetic variants were identified. Cx26 mutations were found in 53 of the 210 families (25.2) including T8M, 35delG, W24X, R32H, V371, E47X, 167delT, delE120, Y136X, R143W, R184P, 235delC and V27I+E114G. Homozygosity and compound heterozygosity for the Cx26 mutations were found in 39 of 210 (18.5) families. Homozygosity for the 35delG mutation was the most common that causes hearing loss in 28 (13.3) patients. Six novel variants H16R, E101E, K102Q, G200R, 327delG and G130A were detected in this study. As a conclusion, the present survey revealed that the rate of mutation in Cx26 gene in our area is lower than in Europe; nevertheless, this rate is regarded as a considerable cause of deafness in the cited provinces in Iran

Dietary total antioxidant capacity and head and neck cancer: a large case-control study in Iran

BackgroundData on the association between head and neck cancer (HNC) and dietary factors are inconclusive. No study has so far investigated the association between dietary total antioxidant capacity (dTAC) and HNC concerning interactions with other risk factors.MethodPathologically confirmed new diagnosed HNC patients were included in this study. The control group was healthy hospital visitors who were frequently matched with patients on age (5 years interval), gender, and province of residence. Trained interviewers administered a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) to assess the participants’ food intake 1 year before the cancer diagnosis. Data on TAC scores of foods was collected by Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) and Total Radical-trapping Antioxidant Parameters (TRAP) from published data. We applied logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, energy intake, socioeconomic status, province, opium use, alcohol use, physical activity, and dental health. We also studied the interaction of dTAC with tobacco smoking status, and opium use on the risk of HNC.ResultsWe recruited 876 HNC patients and 3,409 healthy controls. We observed a significant decrease in the odds of HNC with increasing dTAC scores. The OR of HNC for the third vs. the first tertile was 0.49 (95%CI 0.39–0.61) for FRAP and 0.49 (95%CI 0.39–0.62) for TRAP. Both dTAC scores were inversely associated with lip and oral (T3 ver. T1 OR = 0.51; 95%CI 0.36–0.71 for FRAP and OR = 0.59; 95% CI 0.44–0.82 for TRAP) and larynx (T3 ver. T1 OR = 0.43; 95%CI 0.31–0.61 for FRAP and OR = 0.38; 95% CI 0.26–0.55 for TRAP) cancers. There was no interaction between tobacco smoking, opium use; and TRAP or FRAP on the risk of HNC.ConclusionAn antioxidant-rich diet in terms of FRAP or TRAP could decrease the risk of HNC and its subtypes

Patterns of Nutrient Intake in Relation to Gastric Cancer : A Case Control Study

Gastric Cancer (GC) is the most common cancer among Iranian men. We conducted a case-control study to investigate the association between patterns of nutrient intake and the risk of GC in Iran. We enrolled 178 GC patients and 271 controls matched for age and sex. We collected dietary intakes using a validated diet history questionnaire. We performed factor analysis on 28 nutrients using multivariate logistic regression models on tertiles of factor scores and estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). We identified three nutrient patterns. The first pattern included pantothenic acid, riboflavin, zinc, animal protein, and calcium. Selenium, thiamin, carbohydrate, vegetable protein, niacin and low intake of vitamin E loaded the second pattern, and the third pattern was abundant in fiber, carotene, vitamin C and A. We found no significant association between GC and any of the dietary patterns. However, in the first patterns, men in the highest tertile had significantly higher odds of GC than the lowest (OR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.13–4.09, p trend = 0.02). A dietary pattern loaded by animal products may increase the risk of GC among Iranian men. Larger studies are required to approve these findings in overall and in different subgroups. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/01635581.2021.1931697.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

Autosomal recessive and sporadic non syndromic hearing loss and the incidence of Cx26 mutations in a province of Iran

Despite the enormous heterogeneity of genetic hearing loss, mutations in the GJB2 (connexin 26) gene located on "DFNB1" locus (13q12) account for up to 50 of cases of autosomal recessive non-syndromic hearing loss (ARNSHL) in some populations. This study describes the analysis of 100 autosomal recessive and sporadic nonsyndromic hearing loss individuals from 79 families each having at least one deaf child in Chehar Mahal va Bakhtiari province in west of Iran. We have investigated the prevalence of the connexin 26 gene mutations using nested PCR strategy to screen the predominant 35delG mutation and subsequent direct sequencing to detect other Cx26 mutations. Seven different genetic variants were detected from which one novel variant was including 363delC. The 35delG was the most common mutation found in 5 of 79 families (6.3). Cx26 related deafness mutations (35delG,V27I; E114G) and R127H) were found in 12 of 158 chromosomes studied (7.8%). We conclude that the association of Cx26 mutations with deafness in Chehar Mahal va Bakhtiari province is low and looks like most other populations of Iran