The neuroprotective roles of Dietary Micronutrients on Parkinson's disease: a review.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a prevalent elderly neurodegenerative disease. The nature of PD is strongly bounded with certain cellular processes, including oxidative stress, neuro-inflammation, apoptosis, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Therefore, many clinical and pre-clinical studies have reported protective effects of certain dietary micronutrients for PD. Hence, this review tried to introduce a series of important dietary micronutrients, which to our best of knowledge, were among those compounds known as beneficial for PD with a high consensus. The compounds possess neuroprotective properties (e.g. anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-apoptosis, boosting mitochondrial performance, regulating autophagy process). Thus, the compounds probably may act on several cellular targets to prevent the development of PD or to attenuate the progress of the disease. Investigating these compounds probably can lead to the development of novel supplementary therapeutic approaches, as well as refinement of dietary regimen of PD patients.

Overall survival and prognostic factors prostate cancer in Kurdistan Province-Iran: a population-based study (2011-2018).

BACKGROUND: The population-based survival rate is affected by the quality and effectiveness of health care systems. Overall, the survival of prostate cancer (PC) patients has improved over the past two decades worldwide. This study aimed to determine the overall survival rate and correlate it with the prognostic factors in patients with PC diagnosed in Kurdistan province. METHODS: In a retrospective cohort study, 410 PC patients registered in Kurdistan province population-based cancer registry from March 2011 to 2018 were recruited. Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to analyze the overall survival rates of PC patients. A Multivariate Cox regression model was used to determine adjusted hazard ratios for different variables. RESULTS: Of 410 patients with PC, 263 (64.1%) died within seven years due to the disease. The 1, 3, and 5 years survival rates were 93, 64.1, and 40.7%, respectively. According to the results of multiple Cox regression, the following factors were significantly related to PC survival: age at diagnosis (≥81-years old) (HR=2.23, 95% CI: 1.23-4.42) and 71-80 years old was (HR=1.26, 95% CI: 1.12-2.31), occupation (employee) (HR=0.42, 95% CI: 0.20-0.87), educational level: academic (HR=0.78, 95% CI: 0.64-0.91), AJCC stage of disease (HR=2.18, 95% CI: 1.9-3.68), Gleason score ≥ 9 (HR=7.12, 95% CI: 5.35-10.28), and Gleason score= 8 (HR=4.16, 95% CI: 2.50-6.93). There was less mortality rate among the patients who had received active care, radical prostatectomy, radiotherapy, combined treatment, and orchiectomy had a lower mortality rate than those who received no treatment (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that factors such as age at diagnosis, level of education, occupation, AJCC stage of disease, Gleason score, and type of treatments were influential factors in the survival of PC patients in Kurdistan province and needed more attention.

Melanoma antigens in pediatric medulloblastoma contribute to tumor heterogeneity and species-specificity of group 3 tumors.

Background: Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most malignant childhood brain cancer. Group 3 MB subtype accounts for about 25% of MB diagnoses and is associated with the most unfavorable outcomes. Herein, we report that more than half of group 3 MB tumors express melanoma antigens (MAGEs), which are potential prognostic and therapeutic markers. MAGEs are tumor antigens, expressed in several types of adult cancers and associated with poorer prognosis and therapy resistance; however, their expression in pediatric cancers is mostly unknown. The aim of this study was to determine whether MAGEs are activated in pediatric MB. Methods: To determine MAGE frequency in pediatric MB, we obtained formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue (FFPE) samples of 34 patients, collected between 2008 - 2015, from the Children's Medical Center Dallas pathology archives and applied our validated reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) assay to measure the relative expression of 23 MAGE cancer-testis antigen genes. To validate our data, we analyzed several published datasets from pediatric MB patients and patient-derived orthotopic xenografts, totaling 860 patients. We then examined how MAGE expression affects the growth and oncogenic potential of medulloblastoma cells by CRISPR-Cas9- and siRNA-mediated gene depletion. Results: Our RT-qPCR analysis suggested that MAGEs were expressed in group 3/4 medulloblastoma. Further mining of bulk and single-cell RNA-sequencing datasets confirmed that 50-75% of group 3 tumors activate a subset of MAGE genes. Depletion of MAGEAs, B2, and Cs alter MB cell survival, viability, and clonogenic growth due to decreased proliferation and increased apoptosis. Conclusions: These results indicate that targeting MAGEs in medulloblastoma may be a potential therapeutic option for group 3 medulloblastomas. Key Points: Several Type I MAGE CTAs are expressed in >60% of group 3 MBs. Type I MAGEs affect MB cell proliferation and apoptosis. MAGEs are potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for group 3 MBs. Importance of the Study: This study is the first comprehensive analysis of all Type I MAGE CTAs ( MAGEA , -B , and -C subfamily members) in pediatric MBs. Our results show that more than 60% of group 3 MBs express MAGE genes, which are required for the viability and growth of cells in which they are expressed. Collectively, these data provide novel insights into the antigen landscape of pediatric MBs. The activation of MAGE genes in group 3 MBs presents potential stratifying and therapeutic options.

Safety of Inactivated Influenza Vaccine in Patients with Egg Allergy in Kurdistan Province, Iran.

BACKGROUND: Most influenza vaccines are grown in embryonated eggs and residual egg proteins can cause allergic reactions in patients with egg allergy. The aim of the present study was to determine the safety of inactivated influenza vaccine in patients with egg allergy in Kurdistan Province, Iran. METHODS: This case-control study was done on 876 patients referred to Kurdistan Asthma and Allergy Clinic, Sanandaj, Iran; 635 patients with egg allergy (cases) and 241 patients without egg allergy (controls) from 2012 to 2016. All of the patients were injected seasonal influenza vaccine. Side effects including anaphylactic shock, local reaction, vomiting, coughing, sneezing, wheezing, low blood pressure, redness and itching in the eyes, abdominal pain, dyspnea, oral/facial angioedema, swollen and itching of throat were checked by an allergist within 30 min after vaccination, and followed up to 24 h. Demographic and vaccination data were entered into the SPSS software and analyzed. RESULTS: Out of 876 patients, 460 (52.5%) were male. Patients' ages ranged from 6 months to 80 yr (mean 13.38 ± 15.22 SD). Overall, 63 patients with egg allergy had local reactions to vaccine. Difference of local reactions between case and control groups was statistically significant (P=0.001). No anaphylactic reactions were seen after vaccination. CONCLUSION: Although the risk of anaphylactic reactions to influenza vaccine in patients with egg allergy was rare, the vaccine should be administered by an allergist with precaution. The results of present study can be a confirmation of the existing evidences to prevent acute complications to influenza vaccine.