Cytotoxic Activity of Rosa Damascene Mill, Allium sativum, Allium Hirtifolium Boiss, and Prosopis Farcta Extracts on Human Cervical Carcinoma Cell Line

Background: Cervical cancer is one of the major reasons of cancer-related mortality. Human papillomavirus is the most common sexually transmitted viral infection, which can lead to cervical cancer. There is no powerful chemotherapeutic agent for HPV infection and cervical cancer. Some plants have the proper potential to be used for treatment of cervical cancer caused by HPV type 18.Materials and Methods: In this study, cytotoxic effect of extract of four indigenous Iranian plants including Rosa damascene mill, Allium sativum, Allium hirtifolium boiss and Prosopis farcta were investigated on the HeLa cell line. HeLa cells were incubated with different concentrations of extracts and then the cell viability was measured by MTT assay.Results: The viable cell numbers were decreased by increase of the extracts concentration. The Allium sativum showed the higher cytotoxicity in all concentrations than the other ones. Afterwards, Allium hirtifolium Boiss, Rosa damascene mill, and Prosopis farcta showed maximum efficiency to decrease cell viability, respectively.Conclusion: The above four mentioned plants might be used for death of HeLa cell harboring HPV type 18. Therefore, they could be employed as a chemotherapeutic agent in the cervical cancer treatment in future

Antitumor effects of a recombinant baculovirus displaying anti-HER2 scFv expressing Apoptin in HER2 positive SK-BR-3 breast cancer cells

Aim: Since HER2 targeted therapies have shown clinical benefit in breast cancer, in the present study recombinant baculovirus (BV) displaying anti-HER2 single-chain variable domain fragment (scFv) expressing Apoptin was generated. Methods: The binding specificity and surface display of anti-HER2 scFv were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent andassay (ELISA) and electron microscopy, respectively. The targeting properties and cytotoxic effect on breast cancer cells determined by fluorescence microscopy and MTT assays. Results: The results demonstrated that recombinant BV could specifically bind to HER2-overexpressing SK-BR-3 cells but not to the HER2 negative MCF-7 cells and reduced the viability of SK-BR-3 cells by expressing Apoptin. Conclusion: These results suggest that the antitumor effect of Apoptin in combination with HER2 targeting of this recombinant BV makes it a promising vector in targeted cancer therap

Detection of human herpes viruses 1-5 in miscarriage: A case-control study

Background: Miscarriage is the spontaneous pregnancy loss before 24 wk of gestation. The incidence rate of miscarriage over the past few decades has shown steady or even growing trends. Viral intrauterine infections are one of the probable etiological causes of miscarriage. Previous evidence have shown that human herpes viruses (HHVs) could be considered as the potential reasons for intrauterine infections and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Objective: This case-control study aimed to detect HHV1-5 DNAs in placental tissues and assess their association with miscarriage during the first 24 wk of pregnancy in spontaneous and therapeutic abortions. Materials and Methods: Placental tissues from 83 women with spontaneous abortions during the first and the second trimesters of pregnancy and 81 women with therapeutic abortion during the same gestational age were collected. The DNA extraction was performed by the phenol/chloroform method. A part of the DNA polymerase gene of HHVs was amplified with multiplex nested-polymerase chain reaction. The polymerase chain reaction products were subjected to sequencing. Results: The results showed the presence of human cytomegalovirus genome in the placenta of both spontaneous (8.4%) and therapeutic (4.9%) abortions. No statistically significant differences were found between these two groups. The other investigated viruses were not detected here. Conclusion: In conclusion, like some other studies, no correlation was detected between the HHVs placental infections and the increased risk of spontaneous abortions. In order to find the actual role of HHVs infections in miscarriage, further investigations should be performed on a larger sample size in different areas. Key words: Spontaneous abortion, Therapeutic abortion, Infections, Human herpes viruses

Corresponding Author

ABSTRACT Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA has been identified in esophageal carcinomas. However, the incidence of HPV varies significantly in different geographical locations. In this study, neoplasms from Turkmen Sahra, a region in Golestan province in northeast part of Iran, with a high incidence of squamous cell carcinoma were analyzed for the presence of HPV DNA. Turkmen Sahra is located in the cancer belt in Asia. Eighty-five squamous cell carcinomas were examined for the presence of HPV DNA. PCR was utilized to amplify a 124-bp segment of the HPV L1 gene using the consensus primers. The amplified region was subsequently sequenced to identify the HPV. The results indicated that the rates of HPV detection in squamous cell carcinoma specimen for men and women were 52.8% and 43.7% respectively. The positive cases included HPV-16 (54.7%), HPV-18 (4.8%), HPV-6 (14.3%), HPV-66 (7.1%), HPV-52 (4.8%) and 14.3% of cases were positive for more than one type of HPV. Human papillomavirus type 16 that can be potentially oncogenic was prevalent in 54.8% of the cases of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Our results confirm the previously reported HPV involvement in the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and support the possible role of HPV as an etiological agent in esophageal carcinogenesis

An insight to HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) pathogenesis; evidence from high-throughput data integration and meta-analysis

Background Human T-lymphotropic virus 1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is a progressive disease of the central nervous system that significantly affected spinal cord, nevertheless, the pathogenesis pathway and reliable biomarkers have not been well determined. This study aimed to employ high throughput meta-analysis to find major genes that are possibly involved in the pathogenesis of HAM/TSP. Results High-throughput statistical analyses identified 832, 49, and 22 differentially expressed genes for normal vs. ACs, normal vs. HAM/TSP, and ACs vs. HAM/TSP groups, respectively. The protein-protein interactions between DEGs were identified in STRING and further network analyses highlighted 24 and 6 hub genes for normal vs. HAM/TSP and ACs vs. HAM/TSP groups, respectively. Moreover, four biologically meaningful modules including 251 genes were identified for normal vs. ACs. Biological network analyses indicated the involvement of hub genes in many vital pathways like JAK-STAT signaling pathway, interferon, Interleukins, and immune pathways in the normal vs. HAM/TSP group and Metabolism of RNA, Viral mRNA Translation, Human T cell leukemia virus 1 infection, and Cell cycle in the normal vs. ACs group. Moreover, three major genes including STAT1, TAP1, and PSMB8 were identified by network analysis. Real-time PCR revealed the meaningful down-regulation of STAT1 in HAM/TSP samples than AC and normal samples (P = 0.01 and P = 0.02, respectively), up-regulation of PSMB8 in HAM/TSP samples than AC and normal samples (P = 0.04 and P = 0.01, respectively), and down-regulation of TAP1 in HAM/TSP samples than those in AC and normal samples (P = 0.008 and P = 0.02, respectively). No significant difference was found among three groups in terms of the percentage of T helper and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (P = 0.55 and P = 0.12). Conclusions High-throughput data integration disclosed novel hub genes involved in important pathways in virus infection and immune systems. The comprehensive studies are needed to improve our knowledge about the pathogenesis pathways and also biomarkers of complex diseases.Peer reviewe

The Pathogenesis of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): COVID-19 pathogenesis

In December 2019, unknown pneumonia appeared in Wuhan, China. The virus was then identified as a beta-coronavirus and referred to as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). On 2 March 2020, ICTV named its disease COVID-19. This virus rapidly spread to many countries and regions in the world because of its human-to-human route of transmission. COVID-19 was declared as a pandemic on 11 March 2020. The average incubation period of the disease is 4 to 6 days and the clinical features of the infection vary, ranging from asymptomatic, mild to acute respiratory syndrome, multiple organ failure, and in people with underlying diseases, can lead to death. The pathogenesis of COVID-19 starts by binding the virus spike to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) cellular receptor that expresses in many tissues. SARS-COV2 can manipulate the host cell immune elements by its specific proteins to evade the antiviral responses. Dysregulation in the host immune system activation can result in different outcomes of the disease. Although the exact mechanism of COVID-19 pathogenesis is still unclear, Preventive and control measures are needed to inhibit the virus rapid spreading. In the present study, we will briefly review the different aspects of COVID-19 pathogenesis

A review on Zika virus, a re-emerging arbovirus: review article

Before the recent outbreaks of Zika virus, few people have ever heard of its name. Even virologists had paid little attention to this member of the Flaviviridae family. Hence, up to January 2016, only 269 articles about Zika virus had been indexed in PubMed compared to the 9187 articles related to dengue virus. However, declaration of the World health organization (WHO) about the global Zika virus spreading, which has been associated with birth defects and some neurological problems, diverted more attention to this forgotten virus. Afterwards, the virus hit the headlines and became a research interest. Since then, up to 9 August 2017, the number of Zika related articles indexed in PubMed reached to 3214. Zika virus is a re-emerging arbovirus. The First detection of Zika virus was in Uganda in 1947. It belongs to the Flavivirus genus in the Flaviviridae family. Zika can typically cause a mild and self-limiting disease in a healthy person. However, in pregnant women, it might cause birth defects and occasionally it can be associated with peripheral neuropathy such as Guillain-Barre syndrome. Although many research have been conducted to find out the casual link between this virus and these disorders but this relationship is still dim and controversial. Considering its recent epidemics in 2015 and 2016 the geographical distribution of Zika virus seems to expand all over the world progressively. Interaction between virus and vector is dynamic. Variety of competent vectors and adaptability of virus to new arthropod vectors are the two major factors for this process. According to the last report published by WHO, 84 countries/territories in five continents have reported the circulation of Zika virus in their area. In the recent outbreak, WHO regional office in our region (EMRO) have reported no case of Zika virus transmission from this region. Nonetheless, because specific and competent vectors exist in some countries, this region has a potential of epidemic risk. Until now we have neither autochthonous nor imported case of Zika virus in our country but we should prepare for any unexpected situation. In this review, we will discuss new findings about the history, virological features, vectors, transmission routes and epidemiological aspects as well as laboratory diagnosis of Zika virus. In addition, the epidemiology of this virus in Iran will be discussed

Seroprevalence of antibodies to measles and rubella eight months after a vaccination campaign in the southeast of Iran

Eight months after the mass immunization campaign of November 2015 against measles and rubella in the southeast of Iran, in order to evaluate the sero-immunity level of the people living in the mentioned region, a serosurvey study was performed. Using a multi-stage probability proportional to size cluster sampling, the sera of 1,056 participants, ranging from 15 months to 20 years old, were tested for measles and rubella IgG antibodies in the National Reference Laboratory at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. The seroprevalence rates of antibodies against measles and rubella in the age groups below 16 years were respectively 98.4 and 93.2%. In the age group of 16 to 20 years, who was not the target of the mass immunization campaign, the said rates were respectively 91.7% and 87.4%. The herd immunity of the age groups below 16 years, who were the target of the campaign, is favourably high and reassuring both for measles and for rubella. Campaigns of supplementary vaccination play a substantial role for filling the gaps in the herd immunity

Evaluation of Antibody and Cytokines Responses in Intranasally and Intramuscularly Administrated BALB/C Mice With Influenza Virus-Like Particle

We previously developed an influenza virus like particle with HA, M, and NA proteins using Bac-to-Bac expression system and SF9 cell line. To evaluate the immunogenicity of our construct, we assessed the humoral, cytokine induced by H1N1-VLP in BALB/c mice immunized intranasally and intramuscularly. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Relative quantitative real-time PCR were used to evaluate the antibody (IgG and IgA) and mRNA levels of IL-6, IL-4, IL-10 and IFN-g in PBMCs. Our results showed that VLP was capable of intranasal (I.N.) and intramuscular (I.M.) induction of serum IgG and IgA responses. Interestingly, I.N. route induced higher IgG and IgA titer than I.M. route, which was statistically significant. Moreover, mRNA levels of IL-6 (4.2-4.5 folds), IFN-g (5.5-5.7 folds), and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 (2.5-3 folds) and IL-4 (2.4-2.8 folds) were significantly elevated in mice immunized I.N. and I.M. with H1N1-VLP compared to the control group. Our findings indicated that a non-infectious genome-less VLP approach mimics parenteral virus with multiple viral antigens and epitopes that stimulate a diverse set of immune responses such as innate immunity, specific serum IgG antibody, cell-mediated immunity, and local antibodies

Seroprevalence of Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) and incidence of Kaposi's sarcoma in Iran

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Seroepidemiological surveys show that the prevalence of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) infection mostly varies in various geographical areas and reflects the local incidence of classic and endemic KS, being widespread in sub-Saharan Africa and Mediterranean countries and uncommon in the USA and Northern Europe. In the Middle East only few populations, such as Ashkenazi and Sephardic groups in Israel, have been adequately evaluated for HHV-8 seroprevalence. Among Iranian population a striking higher seroprevalence of HHV8 has been reported among haemodialysis (16.9%), renal transplant recipients (25%) and HIV (45.7%) patients compared to blood donors (2%). Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is the rarest cancer in Iran, with an annual age-standardized incidence varying from 0.10 to 0.17 per 100,000 in males and from 0.06 to 0.08 per 100,000 in females. KS, however, is one of the most important malignancies in Iranian renal transplanted patients affecting up to 2.4% of organ recipients. The epidemiology of HHV8 and KS in Iran needs further evaluation. While the high prevalence of HHV-8 antibodies in HIV positive and haemodialysis individuals may be attributed to high-risk sexual behavior and polytransfusions, respectively, unknown determinants may be responsible for high seroprevalence of HHV8 and high incidence of KS in solid organ recipients. A global survey on HHV8 seroprevalence in Iran is mandatory to define co-factors associated with HHV8 infection and KS risk in the general Iranian population and in specific patient groups.</p