A Survey on the association of glycosylated hemoglobin A1C and hyperlipidemia in patients with type 2 diabetes

Background: Type 2 diabetes includes a series of disorders characterized by hyperglycemia, which are followed by dysfunction in insulin secretion. In the clinical laboratory, A1C test defines blood glucose levels over a three-month period. The aim of this study is to evaluate the correlation between HbA1c and hyperlipidemia in patients with type 2 diabetes.Materials and Methods: An cross-sectional study was performed on 209 diabetic patients men (n=109) and women (n=100) with a mean age of 57.1 ± 11.1 years. Diagnosis of diabetes was performed according to the WHO criteria. In this study, venous blood (5 ml) was collected from participants after overnight fasting, and HbA1C levels and lipid profiles were determined using enzymatic methods and auto-analyzer device. Risk factor values (TCH/HDL-C) and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) (logTG/HDL-c), as well as LDL-C/HDL-C ratio, were calculated.Results: HDL-C and TCH / HDL-C were significantly increased in women. On the other hand, LDL-C/HDL-C and HbA1c levels were significantly higher in men. There was no significant difference in the levels of cholesterol, triglyceride, fast blood sugar (FBS), LDL-C, and AIP between women and men. Cholesterol, FBS, LDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C also showed a significant direct correlation with HbA1c, but no significant correlation was observed between triglyceride, HDL, AIP, and risk ratio with HbA1c.Conclusion: HbA1c may be considered as a biomarker for dyslipidemia screening in patients with type 2 diabete

Diagnostic value of serum HER2 levels in breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND:Measurement of serum human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2/neu) levels might play an essential role as a diagnostic/screening marker for the early selection of therapeutic approaches and predict prognosis in breast cancer patients. We aimed to undertake a systematic review and meta-analysis focusing on the diagnostic/screening value of serum HER-2 levels in comparison to routine methods. METHODS:We performed a systematic search via PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane-Library, and Web of Science databases for human diagnostic studies reporting the levels of serum HER-2 in breast cancer patients, which was confirmed using the histopathological examination. Meta-analyses were carried out for sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, area under the ROC curve (AUC), positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), positive likelihood ratio (PLR), and negative likelihood ratio (NLR). RESULTS:Fourteen studies entered into this investigation. The meta-analysis indicated the low sensitivity for serum HER2 levels (Sensitivity: 53.05, 95%CI 40.82-65.28), but reasonable specificity of 79.27 (95%CI 73.02-85.51), accuracy of 72.06 (95%CI 67.04-77.08) and AUC of 0.79 (95%CI 0.66-0.92). We also found a significant differences for PPV (PPV: 56.18, 95%CI 44.16-68.20), NPV (NPV: 76.93, 95%CI 69.56-84.31), PLR (PLR: 2.10, 95%CI 1.69-2.50) and NLR (NLR: 0.58, 95%CI 0.44-0.71). CONCLUSION:Our findings revealed that although serum HER-2 levels showed low se nsitivity for breast cancer diagnosis, its specificity, accuracy and AUC were reasonable. Hence, it seems that the measurement of serum HER-2 levels can play a significant role as a verification test for initial negative screening test results, especially in low-income regions due to its cost-effectiveness and ease of implementation

Drug-Drug Interaction between Psychiatric Medications and Experimental Treatments for Coronavirus Disease-19: A Mini-Review

The pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID)-2019 has been affected many people all around the world. Patients with mental disorders are not as safe as others; also, they might be more vulnerable in such situations. These patients take various medications, which can lead to numerous drug-drug interactions with experimental drugs uses against COVID-19. According to the potential critical interactions, we reviewed the reputable databases to find the interactions between main categories of psychiatric medications (e.g., antidepressants, anti-psychotics, sedative/hypnotics, and mood stabilizers) when used in concomitant with COVID-19 experimental agents (e.g., hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir/ritonavir, atazanavir, and chloroquine). We hope the list provided in this review helps the clinical care staff in treating patients with mental illness infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 during the COVID-19 pandemic

Clinical Features of Patients with Probable 2019 Novel Coronavirus Infected Pneumonia in Rasht, Iran: A Retrospective Case Series

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is the first pandemic infectious disease caused by a novel coronavirus. Viral pneumonia is a severe complication of COVID-19. AIM: Due to the high prevalence of this disease globally, especially in Iran, the aim of this study was to determine the clinical features of seven patients with probable COVID-19 infected pneumonia in Rasht, North Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective case series study, we described the clinical, laboratory, and radiological features of seven patients with probable COVID-19 infected pneumonia at Razi Hospital, Rasht, north of Iran, from February 27 to March 16, 2020. RESULTS: In this study, the most common clinical symptoms during hospitalization in patients with COVID-19 were poor appetite (seven cases), dehydration (seven cases), cough (six cases), dyspnea (six cases), fatigue (six cases), fever above 38°C (five cases), myalgia (five cases), Chills (five cases), feeling fever (five cases), sore throat (five cases), and nausea (five cases), respectively. The average body temperature in these patients was 39.32°C. In laboratory findings, erythrocyte sedimentation rate was elevated in three patients. Contrary to most of the evidence, C-reactive protein was not elevated in five patients. All patients received antibiotic and antiviral medications and received symptomatic treatment. Finally, four patients responded to the treatments and were discharged from the hospital; two patients were still hospitalized and only one patient died. CONCLUSION: Patients with COVID-19 associated pneumonia can be treated by evaluating and implementing appropriate therapeutic management. However, at the moment the disease progression for patients with COVID-19 cannot be accurately predicted

Curcumin inhibits NF-kB and Wnt/β-catenin pathways in cervical cancer cells

Curcumin is a natural non-toxic phenol which is isolated from Curcumin longa L. Mounting evidence has revealed the anticancer properties of curcumin in various tumors, but the underlying molecular mechanisms of this suppression in cervical cancer is still remained unclear. Here we assessed the antitumor effects of curcumin compared with 5-Fluorouracil in Hella cells in spheroids models and monolayer cell cultures. The anti-proliferative effects of curcumin and 5-Fluorouracil were as examined in spheroid and monolayer models. The expression levels of Wnt/β-catenin and NF-kB pathways as well as the influence of the cell cycle were evaluated. Curcumin inhibited cell growth in Hella cells through the regulation of NF-kB and Wnt pathways. Also, cells developed a G2/M cell cycle arrest followed by sub-G1 apoptosis with 5-Fluorouracil and curcumin. It was also shown that curcumin either considerably affects the Wnt/β-catenin and NF-kB pathways. We showed that curcumin inhibits invasion and proliferation of cervical cancer cells via impairment of NF-kB and Wnt/β-catenin pathways, proposing further studies on the potential impacts of this compound on cancer therapy. © 2019 Elsevier Gmb

Breast cancer risk factors in Iran: A systematic review & Meta-analysis

Objectives: Breast cancer is known as one of the deadliest forms of cancer, and it is increasing globally. There are a variety of proven and controversial risk factors for this malignancy. Herein, we aimed to undertake a systematic review and meta-analysis focus on the epidemiology of breast cancer risk factors in Iran. Methods: We performed a systematic search via PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Persian databases for identifying studies published on breast cancer risk factors up to March 2019. Meta-analyses were done for risk factors reported in more than one study. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95 confidence intervals (CIs) using a fixed/random-effects models. Results: Thirty-nine studies entered into the meta-analysis. Pooling of ORs showed a significant harmful effect for risk factors including family history (OR: 1.80, 95CI 1.47-2.12), hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) (OR: 5.48, 95CI 0.84-1.74), passive smokers (OR: 1.68, 95CI 1.34-2.03), full-term pregnancy at age 30 (OR: 3.41, 95CI 1.19-5.63), abortion (OR: 1.84, 95CI 1.35-2.33), sweets consumption (OR: 1.71, 95CI 1.32-2.11) and genotype Arg/Arg (crude OR: 1.59, 95CI 1.07-2.10), whereas a significant protective effect for late menarche (OR: 0.58, 95CI 0.32-0.83), nulliparity (OR: 0.68, 95CI 0.39-0.96), 13-24 months of breastfeeding (OR: 0.68, 95CI 0.46-0.90), daily exercise (OR: 0.59, 95CI 0.44-0.73) and vegetable consumption (crude OR: 0.28, 95CI 0.10-0.46). Conclusions: This study suggests that factors such as family history, HRT, passive smokers, late full-term pregnancy, abortion, sweets consumption and genotype Arg/Arg might increase risk of breast cancer development, whereas late menarche, nulliparity, 13-24 months breastfeeding, daily exercise and vegetable consumption had an inverse association with breast cancer development. © 2020 Amir Shamshirian et al., published by De Gruyter

Normal values of neutrophils/lymphocytes ratio, lymphocytes/monocytes ratio and platelets/lymphocytes ratio among Iranian population: Results of Tabari cohort

Background: Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have a prognostic value in several types of diseases such as cancers and they vary in different races. So, we aimed to evaluate the normal range of these markers among healthy people to determine the normal value in Iranian population. Methods: In the present study, cross-sectional data of population-based cohort study named “Tabari cohort study” was utilized. In the first phase of Tabari cohort, 10255 participants aged 35-70 years from urban and rural areas of Sari, Mazandaran, Iran entered into the study. The study included a questionnaire survey and blood collection. Blood samples were collected after 12 hours fasting from all participants during the study. Hematological indices were measured for all samples using Celltac Alpha MEK-6510 K (Tokyo, Japan). Results: After sample exclusion, 2212 healthy subjects of Tabari's normal cohort population were investigated. The mean age of the samples was 47.9±9.29 years. The mean of NLR, LMR, PLR were 1.70±0.70, 11.15±3.14 and 117.05±47.73, respectively. Conclusion: Our investigation provides preliminary reference values for NLR, LMR, and PMR among Iranian population that can be used for disease progress in various clinical procedures

Levels of Blood Biomarkers among Patients with Myocardial Infarction in Comparison to Control Group

BACKGROUND: Myocardial infarction (MI) as a term for a heart attack happens due to reduced blood flow to heart myocardium and lack of oxygen supply caused by plaques inthe interior walls of coronary arteries. With respect to the importance of MI etiology, we aimed to study the relationship of MI and blood examination variables.METHODS: This study was conducted in Mazandaran Heart Center as a hospital-based case-control Comprising 894 participants including 465 cases and 429 controls, individually matched by sex and age. Considered blood markers were analyzed using routine laboratory methods and equipment.RESULTS: Of all participants, 64.3% of the cases and 51.0% of the controls were males with a mean age of 61.2 (±13.8) in cases and 62.4 (±14.) in controls. We could not find any differences between cases and controls for total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and alkaline-phosphatase (ALP) (P>0.05). However, levels of creatine-kinase-muscle/brain (CK-MB) (P<0.0001), fasting-blood-sugar (FBS) (P<0.0001), aspartateaminotransferase (AST) (P<0.0001), alanine-transferase (ALT) (P<0.0001) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (P=0.001) were significantly higher in cases compared to the controls (P<0.05). Multivariable analyses revealed that the risk of MI was associated with high levels of AST (adjusted OR=24.3, 95%CI=3.5±165.6, P=0.001) and LDL (adjusted OR=7.4, 95%CI=1.0±51.8, P=0.001).CONCLUSION: Our investigation indicated that the levels of CK-MB, FBS, AST, ALT and ESR were significantly higher in patients with MI. Besides, our findings showed that the risk of MI in cases with high levels of AST and LDL was about 24 and 7 times more than the control group respectively

The Prevalence of Iron Deficiency Anemia among High School Students in Iran: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Iron is one of the most important elements forming the body and an essential metal for many biological processes in mammals. According to studies, anemia can cause numerous side effects in the body. Because of the effectiveness of iron in myelinated nerves, this illness can cause hearing loss and vision problems as well, and in students, it can even cause academic failure and learning problems and intensify behavioral disorders. Therefore, to collect the statistics of the prevalence of the disorder in order to inform parents, the present study was conducted to assess the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in high school students in Iran using meta-analysis method.Method: This study was continued in review form using the key words anemia, iron deficiency anemia, and anemia prevalence with a review of the articles in Pubmed, Iranmedex databases and Scientific Information Database of SID in related topics with 89 articles. Time domain for searching articles and related books and was mainly from 1991 onwards.Results: Studies on the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in high school students show different results. Recent statistics based on published articles at home and abroad show the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia equal to 10.6%, (with a 95% confidence interval: 9.7 to 11.5) until 2014.Conclusion: The disease can cause hearing and vision disorders in adolescents. Moreover, it can cause academic failure and learning problems and intensify behavioral disorders in students.  Given that children's health is an indicator of health planning of family for them, attention to the factors preventing iron deficiency anemia and its treatment is essential for students. Following this study, it is suggested that by correcting diet as the first step of prevention of catching this diseases, we take a step towards preventing it

Mapping 123 million neonatal, infant and child deaths between 2000 and 2017

Since 2000, many countries have achieved considerable success in improving child survival, but localized progress remains unclear. To inform efforts towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.2—to end preventable child deaths by 2030—we need consistently estimated data at the subnational level regarding child mortality rates and trends. Here we quantified, for the period 2000–2017, the subnational variation in mortality rates and number of deaths of neonates, infants and children under 5 years of age within 99 low- and middle-income countries using a geostatistical survival model. We estimated that 32% of children under 5 in these countries lived in districts that had attained rates of 25 or fewer child deaths per 1,000 live births by 2017, and that 58% of child deaths between 2000 and 2017 in these countries could have been averted in the absence of geographical inequality. This study enables the identification of high-mortality clusters, patterns of progress and geographical inequalities to inform appropriate investments and implementations that will help to improve the health of all populations