Association of rs16917496 polymorphism at the miR-502 binding site in the SET8 3'UTR with the risk of Prostate Cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can bind to the 3'-untranslated regions (UTRs) of messenger RNAs, where they interfere with translation and thereby regulate cell differentiation, apoptosis, and tumorigenesis. Genetic polymorphisms in the 3'-UTRs targeted by miRNAs alter the strength of miRNA binding in a manner that affects the behavior of individual miRNAs. The histone methyltransferase SET8 has been reported to be a regulator of Tumor Protein 53 (TP53) methylation, a tumor suppressor gene, and regulate genomic stability. Furthermore, an association between the TP53 and Prostate Cancer has been reported in several studies. The present study aimed to evaluate whether (rs16917496) polymorphism at the miR-502 binding site in the 3' untranslated region of the histone methyltransferase SET8 is associated with the expression of this gene in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa) patients.Materials and Methods: We examined whether an rs16917496 polymorphism is associated with the risk of PCa and BPH in the Iranian population. This case-control study included 40 patients with pathologically confirmed PCa, 59 patients with BPH, and 45 controls. The rs16917496 polymorphism was determined using a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP).Results: We found significant association of rs16917496 in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The most frequent genotype in the control, prostate cancer, and BPH groups were TT, TC, and CC, respectively.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the heterozygote genotype of the SET8 polymorphism in the mir-502 gene could be considered a risk factor for the emergence of prostate cancer

The structure Biology and Application of Phytohemagglutinin (PHA) in Phytomedicine: With special up-to-date references to lectins

Lectins first discovered more than 100 years ago in plants, they are now known to be present throughout nature. Phytohemagglutinin (PHA), the lectin extract from the red kidney bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris), contain potent, cell agglutinating and mitogenic activities. They play a role in biological recognition phenomena involving cells and proteins towards medical applications. The present article is a brief review of the history of lectin in nature.  By reviewing the web-based search for all types of peer review articles published, was initiated using ISI web of Sciences and Medline / PubMed, and other pertinent references on websites about lectins. Here, we present a brief account of 100-plus years of lectin research and show how these proteins have become the focus of intense interest for biologists and in particular for the research and applications in medicine. Phytohemagglutinin, has been widely used for mitotic stimulation to human lymphocytes, cell arrest, or apoptosis, potential sources for developing novel  pharmaceutical preparation    and intensive interest for health care services, biologist and phytomedicine  research can be considere

Significance of Decipher genomic classifier risk scores for Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review

Prostate Cancer (PCa) is a non-cutaneous malignancy in men. Considering the severity of the disease, it is essential to consider the early detection and screening of prostate-specific antigen for decreasing the incidence of death due to this disease. Decipher is a genomic test that has gained increasing attention in estimating the risk of developing a recurrence or metastatic PCa disease in patients. Therefore, this study is focused on evaluating the association of Decipher score risk with recurrence of prostate cancer patients based on their medical, genetic predictors, and demographics (e.g., races) by conducting a systematic review. Moreover, the study would also assess whether Decipher score risk can be a good predictor for prostate patients’ metastasis and prostate cancer-specific mortality in men and clinical decision-making regarding Treatment Recommendations for patients. The research study reviewed 120 research articles, and the results of the systematic review have been presented in the form of themes. The studies' review indicated that Decipher acts as a genomic metastasis signature to predict metastatic disease among patients and make better decisions about treating the disease. Moreover, this genomic test can also be used in conjunction with MRI for identifying the lesions that may carry the biological potential for early metastases. Furthermore, the studies also identified that treatment options for PCa might range from ART and SRT to RP; however, the selection of treatment methodology depends upon the GC score and risk stratification. The results further suggested that the occurrence of PCa is two folds greater among AA men than non-AA men. The increasing incidence of PCa among AA and discrimination within AA's health and socio-economic conditions plays a significant role in treating AA. In this scenario, the Decipher score plays an essential role in making treatment decisions. Hence, this research has reviewed the evidence of benefits of the Decipher test, placed the usage into clinical context, made recommendations to help providers and patients know which treatment might be more appropriate based on the GC score, and when they should consider using the Decipher score based on the works of literature. To conclude, further trials are still required for validating the Decipher biomarkers. All treatment options should be managed based on the individual risk profile and sensitivity to particular medical treatment. As a future direction, scientists could enhance decipher score ability to be run on blood samples of a patient instead of tumor tissue, which will help patients to use decipher test as a screening test at the asymptomatic level. In this way, this test can be routinely done for patients with a family history of prostate cancer, and the biopsy will not be required during the screening stage

Analysis of the androgen receptor CAG repeats length in Iranian patients with idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia

Objective: The present study was performed to determine whether expansion of the CAG repeat in exon 1 of the AR gene is correlated with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) in Iranian infertile men. Methods: The CAG repeat length was investigated in 307 Iranian men, 104 infertile men with NOA and 203 fertile controls using primers flanking the CAG repeat region in exon 1 of the AR gene. Results: The most common allele in the patients and controls was 23 (18.39%) and 21 (19.70%) CAG repeats with the mean number of 21.97 ± 2.772 and 21.10 ± 2.674, respectively (P = 0.013). Conclusion: Although our results indicate a significant negative correlation between the length of CAG repeat and male infertility, however, other genetic modifiers may be required in order to cause male infertility

Soluble Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products (sRAGE) is Up-Regulated in Multiple Sclerosis Patients Treated with Interferon β-1a

Background/Aims: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system. Considering the role of immune system in its pathogenesis, researchers have focused on evaluation of the expression of immune-related genes or proteins in MS patients. Among proteins whose participation in inflammatory process has been documented is the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). Methods: In the present study, we compared RAGE transcript levels by means of quantitative real-time PCR as well as the serum level of soluble RAGE (sRAGE) by means of enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 50 IFNβ-1a responsive relapsing-remitting MS patients when compared with age and sex-matched healthy subjects. Results: Elevated expression of RAGE as well as higher levels of sRAGE were detected in IFN-β responsive MS patients compared with the controls. A significant inverse correlation between sRAGE plasma concentrations and the expanded disability status scale (EDSS) was also detected in which each unit of increase in sRAGE level resulted in a 0.308 unit decrease in EDSS. Conclusion: Considering the stable clinical state of the MS patients in this study and their response to IFNβ-1a, the elevated levels of sRAGE in patients compared with healthy subjects could be related to the effects of this kind of treatment