Altered levels of immune-regulatory microRNAs in plasma samples of patients with lupus nephritis

Introduction: Lupus nephritis (LN) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in the patients with lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease. The role of genetic and epigenetic factors is emphasized in the pathogenesis of LN. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the levels of immune-regulatory microRNAs (e.g., miR-31, miR-125a, miR-142-3p, miR-146a, and miR-155) in plasma samples of patients with LN. Methods: In this study, 26 patients with LN and 26 healthy individuals were included. The plasma levels of the microRNAs were evaluated by a quantitative real-time PCR. Moreover, the correlation of circulating plasma microRNAs with disease activity and pathological findings along with their ability to distinguish patients with LN were assessed. Results: Plasma levels of miR-125a (P = 0.048), miR-146a (P = 0.005), and miR-155 (P< 0.001) were significantly higher in comparison between the cases and controls. The plasma level of miR-146a significantly correlated with the level of anti-double strand-DNA antibody and proteinuria. Moreover, there was a significant correlation between miR-142-3p levels and disease chronicity and activity index (P <0.05). The multivariate ROC curve analysis indicated the plasma circulating miR-125a, miR-142-3p, miR-146, and miR-155 together could discriminate most of the patients with LN from controls with area an under curve (AUC) of 0.89 [95% CI, 0.80-0.98, P<0.001], 88% sensitivity, and 78% specificity. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present study, the studied microRNAs may be involved in the pathogenesis and development of LN and have the potential to be used as diagnostic and therapeutic markers in LN

EXTENDED-SPECTRUM BETA-LACTAMASE PRODUCING GRAM NEGATIVE BACTERIA IN IRAN

Background: The emergence and spread of extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Gram- negative bacteria (GNB), particularly in Enterobacteriaceae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, have increased all over the world. ESBLs are characterized by their ability to hydrolyze β-lactams, early cephalosporins, oxyimino-thiazolyl cephalosporins, and monobactams, but not cephamycins or carbapenems. The rate of nosocomial infections caused by ESBL-producing GNB in Asia Pacific has increased and several studies have identified their prevalence in the region. The aim of this study is to review the prevalence of ESBL-producing GNB in the West Asia and the Middle East with a particular focus on Iran. Materials and Methods: The available evidence from various studies (Microbia and clinical studies, retrieved from the PubMed, and Scopus databases) regarding the ESBL producing Gram negative bacteria in Iran were evaluated. Results: In almost all parts of the country, high resistance has been observed, especially in the central part of Iran. Up to 89.8% Escherichia coli, 72.1% Klebsiella pneumonia, 84.2% Acinetobacter baumannii, and 83.8% Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates are ESBL positive. Conclusion: The present study showed the increasing prevalence of ESBLs in different regions of Iran, which could be useful to strategic policy towards reducing reduce their prevalence

Association of serum immunoglobulin G level with peritonitis in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis: An analytical study

Introduction: Peritonitis is one of the most common complications of peritoneal dialysis. On the other hand, reduced levels of immunoglobulins (Igs), mainly IgG, can increase the risk of infection in various pathologic conditions. Here, we aimed to determine the association of severity and frequency of peritonitis with serum IgG levels in peritoneal dialysis patients. Methods: 100 patients with chronic renal failure referred to Imam Reza Hospital, Tabriz, Iran, for peritoneal dialysis were included in the study. Serum IgG levels were measured in all of these patients at the beginning of the study and after six months of follow-up. In case of peritonitis, serum IgG levels were also measured, and samples were sent to Imam Reza Hospital laboratory for analysis. Results: 40 cases (40%) were women, and 60 cases (60%) were men with a mean age of 47 years. 24 cases (24.0%) had at least one episode of peritonitis during the study. Among those with peritonitis, 14 cases (60.9%) had at least one more peritonitis episode in the 6-month follow up. The mean serum IgG levels were 1079 mg/dl and 429 mg/dl at the beginning and after six months of follow up, respectively. The difference was shown to be statistically significant (P = 0.006). There was no correlation between serum IgG level reduction and peritonitis in these patients (P > 0.999). Conclusion: This study found reduced levels of serum IgG in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis. However, it was not associated with increased risk of peritonitis in these patients

Comparison of nuclear P16 immunostaining in atypical and normal endocervical glands: A descriptive analytical study

Background: Cervical cancer is one of the most common malignancies worldwide and a major problem in the healthcare system. Nowadays, the importance of biomarkers in the diagnosis of malignancies is proven. Some studies have pointed to the role of P16 in the diagnosis of cervical cancer. The purpose of this study was to compare the nucleic reactivity with P16 antibody in atypical vs normal endocervical glands. Methods: We enrolled 60 patients who had undergone the hysterectomy due to non-endocervical causes at Alzahra University Hospital of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences to a descriptive-analytical study. We selected 25 patients with atypical endocervical glands and 35 subjects with normal glands based on the pathologic examination using hematoxylin-eosin staining. Then, we assessed the frequency of nucleic reactivity of the tissues with P16 antibody in both groups. Results: No P16 expression was observed in any of the samples from normal subjects. However, only 2 (8.0%) out of 25 samples from the atypical group, were not reactive to the P16 antibody. Also, 20 samples (80.0%) were diffusely stained continuous, whereas three samples (12.0%) were stained locally. Accordingly, in the group with atypical endocervical glands, the reaction with P16 antibody was significantly higher than that of normal endocervical glands (p= 0.001). Conclusion: P16 biomarker may play a role in the pathogenesis and progression of cervical cancer and can be used as a diagnostic marker for this purpose

The diagnostic value of interleukin-6 in the degree of pulmonary destruction in patients with covid-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: This is because the development of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) as the pathologic basis for the progression of severe Covid-19 disease is possible. Material and Methods: A two-step selection process that involved first screening studies based on their titles and abstracts and then reading the full texts of those studies was carried out independently by the two reviewers. Studies were considered if they were RCTs, observational cohorts, or case-control in design, described two or more patients diagnosed with Covid19, and reported measures of cytokine levels. The use of standardized data extraction tables allowed for the duplication of the data extraction process. Data were taken from the text of the article, the tables, and the graphs. Results: In all of the studies that were included, elevated IL-6 levels were found in Covid-19 patients. Numerous studies specifically found that patients with more severe diseases had higher levels of IL-6 descriptions of other inflammatory markers, such as ferritin and IL2R. Six studies in total compared the levels of IL-6 in patients with complicated disease and noncomplicated disease. Conclusion: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we show that elevated serum IL-6 levels are associated with complicated Covid 19 disease and that these elevated IL-6 levels are also significantly associated with poor clinical outcomes. These results underline the necessity of continuing, carefully designed clinical studies to clarify the function of immunomodulation, specifically IL-6 inhibition, in the treatment of severe Covid-19

Role of Helicobacter Pylori stool antigen test in the diagnosis of Helicobacter Pylori infection

Introduction: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is common in developing countries. There are various invasive and non-invasive methods for diagnosing H. pylori infection. Stool antigen test is a new non-invasive method to diagnose H. pylori infection. In this study we evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of HpSA for H. pylori infection in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) complaints. Methods: Sixty patients including 28 men and 32 women with mean age of 49.2 ± 19.8 years undergoing diagnostic endoscopy with 30 positive and 30 negative rapid urease test (RUT) and histology results for H. pylori infection were evaluated. H. pylori stool antigen test (HpSA) was measured in these patients and sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy for HpSA were calculated. Results: Among 31 positive HpSA results, 2 were negative in RUT and histology and among 29 negative HpSA results, 1 was positive in RUT and histology results. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy for HpSA in diagnosing H. pylori infection were 96.67%, 93.33%, 93.55%, 96.55% and 95%, respectively. Conclusion: Although the sensitivity and specificity of the HpSA are evaluated in a relatively small sample size, these results showed that HpSA is a useful test in diagnosing H. pylori infection in patients with upper GI complaints

Comparison of edema and ecchymosis in rhinoplasty candidates after lateral nasal osteotomy using piezosurgery and external osteotomy

Rhinoplasty is done with external and endonasal methods. One of the main stages of rhinoplasty in both external and endonasal methods is the lateral nasal osteotomy. Lateral nasal osteotomy is the main cause of edema and ecchymosis after rhinoplasty, which is annoying and unpleasant for patients. Piezosurgery is a new method that uses electronic-ultrasonic waves to perform nasal osteotomies. The aim of this study was to compare of edema and ecchymosis after lateral nasal osteotomy using piezosurgery with external osteotomy in rhinoplasty candidates. In this clinical trial, 66 experimental patients for rhinoplasty surgery were selected from Imam Reza hospital in Tabriz, Iran. After examination, the patients were randomly divided into two groups. One group of patients had lateral nasal osteotomy by using the piezosurgery technique, and the other group had a lateral osteotomy with the conventional method of external subcutaneous. On the third and 7 days after the operation, the level of edema and ecchymosis in the patients were examined as per the Gökalan questionnaire (adopted by Yucel) by two persons who were not aware of the goals of the study, and then, they evaluated and scored the questionnaire. The obtained data were analyzed by the SPSS 19 software. The highest level of edema and ecchymosis was observed 3 days after surgery in both groups. Meanwhile, the findings revealed a significant difference between the two groups in the amount of edema and ecchymosis on day 3 after surgery. Furthermore on day 7, the amount of edema and ecchymosis compared to that of the 3rd day was statistically significant for both groups. In general, in all studied groups, edema, and ecchymosis decreased in 7 days compared to 3 days and also piezosurgery is more promising and effective than osteotomy

A Comparative Study of Macrophage Density in Odontogenic Cysts and Tumors with Diverse Clinical Behavior

Statement of the Problem: Macrophages are the target of attention in numerous diseases. Many studies reported them as the regulators of the growth, dissemination, and clinical behavior of various lesions. There are relatively scarce data regarding the role of macrophages in oral lesions, particularly odontogenic lesions. Purpose: This study investigated the macrophage density in odontogenic lesions of diverse biologic performance. Materials and Method: In this comparative analytical study, 60 cases of odontogenic lesions including ameloblastoma, keratocystic odontogenic tumor, dentigerous cyst, and radicular cyst were immunohistochemically stained with anti-CD68 antibody. One-way ANOVA and Tukey's HSD test were used for statistical analysis. Results: The results showed that the macrophage density in keratocystic odontogenic tumor (35.72±7.74) and ameloblastoma (46.12±9.84) was not significantly different from that in dentigerous cyst (43.87±8.13). Interestingly, the macrophage density in keratocystic odontogenic tumor was lower than that in dentigerous cyst. No significant difference was observed in macrophage density between the ameloblastoma and much less aggressive lesions like dentigerous cyst (p= 0.59). Macrophage density in radicular cyst (81.53±11.04) was significantly higher than other odontogenic lesions (p< 0.001). Conclusion: The lack of significant differences in macrophage density between the known aggressive odontogenic tumors and much less aggressive lesions implied that macrophages might not contribute to the biological behavior of the odontogenic lesions. Therefore, it could support the notion that targeted therapy would not have prominent clinical potential to decrease the extent of mutilating surgeries in odontogenic lesions