COVID-19 and its implications on the clinico-radiological course of multiple sclerosis: A case-control study.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disease that has been related to several risk factors such as various viral infections. We carried out this study in order to establish a relationship between COVID-19 infection and MS severity. Methods: In a case-control study, we recruited patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Patients were divided into two groups based on positive COVID-19 PCR at the end of the enrollment phase. Each patient was prospectively followed for 12 months. Demographical, clinical, and past medical history were collected during routine clinical practice. Assessments were performed every six months; MRI was performed at enrollment and 12 months later. Results: Three hundred and sixty-two patients participated in this study. MS patients with COVID-19 infection had significantly higher increases in the number of MRI lesions (p: 0.019, OR(CI): 6.37(1.54-26.34)) and EDSS scores (p: 0.017), but no difference was found in total annual relapses or relapse rates. COVID-19 infections were positively correlated with EDSS progression (p: 0.02) and the number of new MRI lesions (p: 0.004) and predicted the likelihood of the number of new MRI lesions by an odds of 5.92 (p: 0.018). Conclusion: COVID-19 may lead to higher disability scores in the RRMS population and is associated with developing new Gd-enhancing lesions in MRI imaging. However, no difference was observed between the groups regarding the number of relapses during follow-up.

Antecedentes: La esclerosis múltiple (EM) es una enfermedad inmunomediada que se ha relacionado con varios factores de riesgo, como diversas infecciones virales. Realizamos este estudio para establecer una relación entre la infección por COVID-19 y la gravedad de la EM. Métodos: En un estudio de casos y controles, reclutamos pacientes con esclerosis múltiple remitente-recurrente (EMRR). Los pacientes se dividieron en dos grupos según la PCR positiva para COVID-19 al final de la fase de inscripción. Cada paciente fue seguido prospectivamente durante 12 meses. Los antecedentes demográficos, clínicos y médicos anteriores se recogieron durante la práctica clínica habitual. Las evaluaciones se realizaron cada 6 meses. La resonancia magnética se realizó en el momento de la inscripción y 12 meses después. Resultados: Trescientos sesenta y dos pacientes participaron en este estudio. Los pacientes con EM con infección por COVID-19 tuvieron aumentos significativamente más altos en el número de lesiones de resonancia magnética (p = 0,019; OR = 6,37 [IC 95%: 1,54-26,34]) y puntajes EDSS (p = 0,017), pero no se encontraron diferencias en el total de recaídas anuales o en las tasas de recaída. Las infecciones por COVID-19 se correlacionaron positivamente con la progresión de EDSS (p = 0,02) y la cantidad de nuevas lesiones en la resonancia magnética (p = 0,004) y predijeron la probabilidad de la cantidad de nuevas lesiones en la resonancia magnética con una probabilidad de 5,92 (p = 0,018). Conclusión: COVID-19 puede conducir a puntajes de discapacidad más altos en la población de EMRR y está asociado con el desarrollo de nuevas lesiones realzadas con Gd en imágenes de resonancia magnética. Sin embargo, no se observó diferencia entre los grupos en cuanto al número de recaídas durante el seguimiento.

COVID-19 and its implications on the clinico-radiological course of multiple sclerosis: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disease that has been related to several risk factors such as various viral infections. We carried out this study in order to establish a relationship between COVID-19 infection and MS severity. METHODS: In a case-control study, we recruited patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Patients were divided into two groups based on positive COVID-19 PCR at the end of the enrollment phase. Each patient was prospectively followed for 12 months. Demographical, clinical, and past medical history were collected during routine clinical practice. Assessments were performed every six months; MRI was performed at enrollment and 12 months later. RESULTS: Three hundred and sixty-two patients participated in this study. MS patients with COVID-19 infection had significantly higher increases in the number of MRI lesions (p: 0.019, OR(CI): 6.37(1.54-26.34)) and EDSS scores (p: 0.017), but no difference was found in total annual relapses or relapse rates. COVID-19 infections were positively correlated with EDSS progression (p: 0.02) and the number of new MRI lesions (p: 0.004) and predicted the likelihood of the number of new MRI lesions by an odds of 5.92 (p: 0.018). CONCLUSION: COVID-19 may lead to higher disability scores in the RRMS population and is associated with developing new Gd-enhancing lesions in MRI imaging. However, no difference was observed between the groups regarding the number of relapses during follow-up.

Cardio-Pulmonary Histopathology with Clinical Correlations of Deceased Patients with COVID-19: A Case Series in Tehran, Iran.

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 may affect vital organs. The present study investigated the histopathology of pulmonary and cardiac tissues with clinical correlation in deceased patients with COVID-19. METHODS: We obtained pulmonary and cardiac tissues from 30 deceased patients with COVID-19 in Tehran, Iran, from January to May 2021. Sampling was performed through a percutaneous needle biopsy. After slide preparation, two expert pathologists studied them. We assessed the correlation between clinical and pathological data by Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 73.8±13.4 years, and the male-to-female ratio was 23/7. The most common underlying disease was hypertension (HTN) in 25 patients (83%). Fifty-five tissue samples were achieved, including 28 pulmonary and 27 cardiac samples. Our results showed that all patients (100%) developed diffuse alveolar damage (DAD), and 26 (93%) developed hyaline membrane formation. The most common phase of DAD was the exudative-proliferative phase in 16 (57.1%). Three cardiac samples (11%) revealed myocarditis, and seven (26%) showed cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. In univariate analysis using Fischer's exact test, myocarditis had significant relationships with C-reactive protein (CRP) levels higher than 80 mg/dL (P=0.008) and elevated cardiac troponin levels higher than two-fold (P=0.01). CONCLUSION: COVID-19 can affect the major vital organs. However, only myocarditis had a significant relationship with the circulating levels of inflammatory factors.

Efficacy of a standardized herbal formulation from Glycyrrhiza glabra L. as an adjuvant treatment in hospitalized patients with COVID-19: A Randomized Controlled trial.

Introduction: As no specific pharmacological intervention has been known for COVID-19, medicinal plants may be a suitable candidate for management of this disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a herbal syrup from licorice as an adjuvant treatment in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Materials and methods: 213 hospitalized patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were assigned to receive either standardized licorice syrup as an adjuvant treatment plus standard care [Syrup Group (SYRUP), N = 91], or standard care alone [Standard Group (STANDARD), N = 104], for 7 days. The primary endpoint was duration of hospitalization in survivors. The secondary endpoints included 25% increase in oxygen saturation, C-reactive protein (CRP) difference and lymphocyte difference from baseline, number of death and number of patients transferred to ICU. Results: Mean duration of admission was 5.24 days in SYRUP and 7.14 days in STANDARD (p < 0.001). Oxygen saturation increased in 86 of 91 patients (94.5%) in the licorice group, compared to 83 of 104 patients (79.8%) in the control group (p = 0.002). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the number of patients died during hospitalization (p = 0.837). Five patients in SYRUP and 16 patients in STANDARD were transferred to ICU (p < 0.026). Mean reduction in CRP (p < 0.001) and mean increase in the number of lymphocytes (p = 0.008) in SYRUP were significantly higher than STANDARD. Discussion: Licorice syrup as an adjuvant treatment demonstrated promising results on duration of hospital admission, O2 saturation as well as inflammatory markers in COVID-19 patients; however, further clinical studies with larger sample size are suggested to achieve more conclusive results.

Efficacy of Red Blood Cell Exchange as Adjunctive Treatment for Hypoxemia and Survival Rate of Patients With Severe Coronavirus-2 Disease: An Open-Labeled Phase 2 Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus-2 may infect red blood cells (RBCs) and impact oxygenation. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of RBC exchange as an adjunctive treatment for hypoxemia and the survival rate of patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: In a randomized clinical trial, we divided sixty patients with severe COVID-19 into two groups. The intervention group received the standard treatment of severe COVID-19 with RBC exchange three to four times in 2 days. The control group only received the standard treatment. Our primary outcomes were improving hypoxemia in 7 days, recovery or discharge, and death in 28 days. We conducted Chi-square test, independent samples t-test, and Fisher's exact test to analyze the results. The ethical committee of Aja University of Medical Sciences approved the study (IR.AJAUMS.REC.1399.054), and the Iranian clinical trial registration organization registered it (IRCT20160316027081N2). Results: Twenty-nine men and thirty-one women with a mean age of 67.5 years entered the study. The frequency of hypertension and diabetes mellitus was 86.7 and 68.3%, respectively. The most common symptoms of severe COVID-19 were dyspnea (91.6%), cough (75%), and fever (66.6%). Our results showed that hypoxemia improved in 21 of the 30 patients (70%) in the intervention group and 10 of the 30 patients (33.3%) in the control group (P < 0.004). The recovery and discharge rates were 19 of 30 patients (63.3%) in the intervention group and 2 of 30 patients (6.7%) in the control group (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The RBC exchange improved the oxygenation and survival rate in patients with severe COVID-19.

Identification of Knockdown Resistance Mutations in the Cimex hemipterus (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) in Iran.

The worldwide resurgence of tropical bed bug Cimex hemipterus beginning in the late 1990s has led to growing concern. Molecular data on pyrethroid resistance, which is essential for the control strategies, is unknown for C. hemipterus in Iran. The current study evaluated the deltamethrin resistance status of C. hemipterus by bioassay and molecular tests. Live bed bugs were collected from sleeping quarters (dormitories) in the city of Tehran and used for insecticide bioassay tests. For bioassay evaluation, mixed-sex pools of adult bugs were exposed to deltamethrin (0.025%)-treated paper. Polymerase chain reaction assay evaluated resistance-related mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel gene (VGSC) gene of studied populations. On the basis of the bioassay test within the 48-h exposure to deltamethrin, C. hemipterus were determined to be resistant. Knockdown time ratios (KR50) in the studied populations of C. hemipterus was 5.5-fold compared with those of the C. lectularius Teh strain. DNA sequencing of the VGSC gene revealed the presence of mutations at M918I and L1014 in C. hemipterus. According to the bioassay and molecular results of current study, C. hemipterus showed a high degree of pyrethroid resistance. The application of multiple approaches including physical, biological, and chemical tests should be regarded in future bed bug control strategies.

A multi-method and structure-based in silico vaccine designing against Echinococcus granulosus through investigating enolase protein.

Introduction: Hydatid disease is a ubiquitous parasitic zoonotic disease, which causes different medical, economic and serious public health problems in some parts of the world. The causal organism is a multi-stage parasite named Echinococcus granulosus whose life cycle is dependent on two types of mammalian hosts viz definitive and intermediate hosts. Methods: In this study, enolase, as a key functional enzyme in the metabolism of E. granulosus (EgEnolase), was targeted through a comprehensive in silico modeling analysis and designing a host-specific multi-epitope vaccine. Three-dimensional (3D) structure of enolase was modeled using MODELLER v9.18 software. The B-cell epitopes (BEs) were predicted based on the multi-method approach and via some authentic online predictors. ClusPro v2.0 server was used for docking-based T-helper epitope prediction. The 3D structure of the vaccine was modeled using the RaptorX server. The designed vaccine was evaluated for its immunogenicity, physicochemical properties, and allergenicity. The codon optimization of the vaccine sequence was performed based on the codon usage table of E. coli K12. Finally, the energy minimization and molecular docking were implemented for simulating the vaccine binding affinity to the TLR-2 and TLR-4 and the complex stability. Results: The designed multi-epitope vaccine was found to induce anti-EgEnolase immunity which may have the potential to prevent the survival and proliferation of E. granulosus into the definitive host. Conclusion: Based on the results, this step-by-step immunoinformatics approach could be considered as a rational platform for designing vaccines against such multi-stage parasites. Furthermore, it is proposed that this multi-epitope vaccine is served as a promising preventive anti-echinococcosis agent.

In vitro and in vivo Assessment of Silver Nanoparticles Against Clostridium botulinum Type A Botulinum.

BACKGROUND: Clostridium botulinum causes botulism, a serious paralytic illness that results from the ingestion of a botulinum toxin. Because silver nanoparticle products exhibit strong antimicrobial activity, applications for silver nanoparticles in healthcare have expanded. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to assess a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of botulism toxicity using silver nanoparticles. METHODS: A preliminary test was conducted using doses that produce illness in laboratory animals to determine the absolute lethal dose (LD100) of botulinum toxin type A (BoNT/A) in mice. Next, the test animals were divided into six groups containing six mice each. Groups I, II and III were the negative control (botulinum toxin only), positive control-1 (nano-silver only) and positive control-2 (no treatment), respectively. The remaining groups were allocated to the toxin that was supplemented with three nano-silver treatments. RESULTS: The mortality rates of mice caused by BoNT/A significantly reduced in the treatment groups with different doses and injection intervals of nano-silver when compared to the negative control group. BoNT/A toxicity induced by intraperitoneal injection of the toxin of Clostridium botulinum causes rapid death while when coupled with nano-osilver results in delayed death in mice. CONCLUSION: These results, while open to future improvement, represent a preliminary step towards the satisfactory control of BoNT/A with the use of silver nanoparticles for human protection against this bioterrorism threat. Further study in this area can elucidate the underlying mechanism for detoxifying BoNT/A by silver nanoparticles.

Antibiotic resistance in patients suffering from nosocomial infections in Besat Hospital.

This study was performed to determine the trend of antibiotic resistance of the causative organisms among the patients suffering from nosocomial infections in Besat Hospital since 2013 to 2015. In this observational study that was performed as a retrospective cohort, 935 consecutive patients with nosocomial infection were enrolled in Besat Hospital since 2013 to 2015. The trend of antibiotic resistance of the causative organisms among them was determined and contributing factors were assessed. The finding of this study revealed that type of microorganisms had significant variation (p = 0.024): while the gram-negative bacilli have shown an increased level of resistance, the gram positive cocci had less resistance. The antibiotic resistance was increased for ampicillin/sulbactam, piperacillin/tazoactam, ceftriaxone, ceftazidime, cefepime, meropenem, gentamicin, amikacin, ciprofloxacine, levofloxacine, nitrofurantoin, and ampicilline. However, it was decreased for colistin. In conclusion, antibiotic resistance has an increasing trend and strategic measures of prevention are needed to reduce nosocomial infections.

Evaluation of hepatitis C, hepatitis B, and HIV virus Serology pandemic in thalassemia patients of Shahid Mohammadi Hospital of Bandar Abbas, Iran.

INTRODUCTION: Thalassemia patients are prone to the hepatitis C, B, and HIV virus, due to their constant need to receive blood transfusions. Therefore, this research was aimed to determine the epidemic of the aforementioned diseases in thalassemia patients of Shahid Mohammadi Hospital of Bandar Abbas, Iran. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out on thalassemia patients visiting the Thalassemia Hospital of Bandar Abbas from March 21, 2014, to March 22, 2015. Checklists were used to collect the data. HBS-Ag, HCV-Ab, and HIV-Ab tests have been registered for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV virus, respectively. The data were analyzed using SPSS 19 by Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test, and independent samples t-test. RESULTS: Among 587 records administered into the research, 280 individuals (47.7 %) were men and (52.3 %) were female. The average age of participants was 18.01 ± 9.31 years. The youngest was 1 years old, and the oldest was 46 years old. Four patients under the study (0.7 %) were positive for HBV; 60 (10.2 %) were HCV positive. However, no one in the study was diagnosed HIV positive. In the case of spread, there was no significant difference regarding age and sex in HBV patients. However, in HCV patients, significant differences were found (p=0.044 for gender and p=0.001 for age). CONCLUSION: In thalassemia, hepatitis C had the highest rate of spread. According to the screening, it was much anticipated that the trend should be falling, but the results show the contrary. Hence, it is recommended that more precise methods such as PCR be used.

The Accuracy of Emergency Physicians in Ultrasonographic Screening of Acute Appendicitis; a Cross Sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Diagnostic values reported for ultrasonographic screening of acute appendicitis vary widely and are dependent on the operator's skill, patient's gender, weight, etc. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of operator skill on the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography in detection of appendicitis by comparing the results of ultrasonography done by radiologists and emergency physicians. METHODS: This prospective diagnostic accuracy was carried out on patients suspected to acute appendicitis presenting to EDs of 2 hospitals. After the initial clinical examinations, all the patients underwent ultrasonography for appendicitis by emergency physician and radiologist, respectively. The final diagnosis of appendicitis was based on either pathology report or 48-hour follow-up. Screening performance characteristics of appendix ultrasonography by emergency physician and radiologist were compared using STATA 11.0 software. RESULTS: 108 patients with the mean age of 23.91 ± 7.46 years were studied (61.1% male). Appendicitis was confirmed for 37 (34.26%) cases. Cohen's kappa coefficient between ultrasonography by the radiologist and emergency physician in diagnosis of acute appendicitis was 0.51 (95% CI: 0.35 - 0.76). Area under the ROC curve of ultrasonography in appendicitis diagnosis was 0.78 (95% CI: 0.69 - 0.86) for emergency physician and 0.88 (95% CI: 0.81 - 0.94) for radiologist (p = 0.052). Sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography by radiologist and emergency physician in appendicitis diagnosis were 83.87% (95% CI: 67.32 - 93.23), 91.5% (95% CI: 81.89 - 96.52), 72.97% (95% CI: 55.61 - 85.63), and 83.10% (95% CI: 71.94 - 90.59), respectively. CONCLUSION: Findings of the present study showed that the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography carried out by radiologist (89%) is a little better compared to that of emergency physician (80%) in diagnosis of appendicitis, but none are excellent.