Evaluation of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), angiotensin II (Ang II), miR-141-3p, and miR-421 levels in SARS-CoV-2 patients: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a highly contagious virus that uses angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a pivotal member of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), as its cell-entry receptor. Another member of the RAS, angiotensin II (Ang II), is the major biologically active component in this system. There is growing evidence suggesting that serum miRNAs could serve as prognostic biomarkers for SARS-CoV-2 infection and regulate ACE2 expression. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the changes in the serum levels of sACE2 and Ang II, as well as the expression level of miR-141-3p and miR-421 in SARS-CoV-2 positive and negative subjects. METHODS: In the present study, the serum levels of sACE2 and Ang II were measured in 94 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients and 94 SARS-CoV-2 negative subjects with some symptoms similar to those of SARS-CoV-2 positive patients using the ELISA method. In addition, the expression level of miR-141-3p and miR-421 as ACE2 regulators and biomarkers was evaluated using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) method. RESULTS: The mean serum sACE2 concentration in the SARS-CoV-2-positive group was 3.268 ± 0.410 ng/ml, whereas in the SARS-CoV-2 negative group, it was 3.564 ± 0.437 ng/ml. Additionally, the mean serum Ang II level in the SARS-CoV-2 positive and negative groups were 60.67 ± 6.192 ng/L and 67.97 ± 6.837 ng/L, respectively. However, there was no significant difference in the serum levels of sACE2 (P value: 0.516) and Ang II (P value: 0.134) between the SARS-CoV-2 positive and negative groups. Meanwhile, our findings indicated that the expression levels of miR-141-3p and miR-421 in SARS-CoV-2 positive group were significantly lower and higher than SARS-CoV-2 negative group, respectively (P value < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, the results of this study showed that the serum levels of sACE2 and Ang II in SARS-CoV-2 positive and negative subjects were not significantly different, but the expression levels of miR-141-3p and miR-421 were altered in SARS-CoV-2 positive patients which need more investigation to be used as biomarkers for COVID-19 diagnosis.

Beyond prediction: unveiling the prognostic power of µ-opioid and cannabinoid receptors, alongside immune mediators, in assessing the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to explore the potential of utilizing the expression levels of cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2), µ-opioid receptor (MOR), MCP-1, IL-17, IFN-γ, and osteopontin as predictors for the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The overarching goal is to delineate the pathogenic mechanisms associated with SARS-CoV-2. METHODS: Using quantitative Real-time PCR, we analyzed the gene expression levels of CB2 and MOR in nasopharynx specimens obtained from patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection, with 46 individuals classified as having severe symptoms and 46 as non-severe. Additionally, we measured the circulating levels of MCP-1, IL-17, IFN-γ, and osteopontin using an ELISA assay. We examined the predictive capabilities of these variables and explored their correlations across all patient groups. RESULTS: Our results demonstrated a significant increase in MOR gene expression in the epithelium of patients with severe infection. The expression of CB2 receptor was also elevated in both male and female patients with severe symptoms. Furthermore, we observed concurrent rises in MCP-1, IL-17, IFN-γ, and osteopontin levels in patients, which were linked to disease severity. CB2, MOR, MCP-1, IL-17, IFN-γ, and osteopontin showed strong predictive abilities in distinguishing between patients with varying degrees of SARS-CoV-2 severity. Moreover, we identified a significant correlation between CB2 expression and the levels of MOR, MCP-1, osteopontin, and IFN-γ. CONCLUSIONS: These results underline the interconnected nature of molecular mediators in a sequential manner, suggesting that their overexpression may play a role in the development of SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Congenital cytomegalovirus infection in newborns suspected of congenital rubella syndrome in Iran: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Following rubella virus control, the most important cause of congenital infections is human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). Congenital CMV (cCMV) may happen both in primary and non-primary maternal infections. The present study aimed to screen cCMV in symptomatic newborns suspected of congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) in Iran. METHODS: Out of 1629 collected infants' serum samples suspected of CRS but negative for rubella IgM, 524 samples were selected regarding cCMV complications. These samples were divided into two age groups: 1- one month and younger, 2- older than 1 month up to one year. Anti-HCMV IgM detection was performed on these serums. Then HCMV IgG avidity assay and HCMV DNA detection were carried out on all samples with positive and borderline results in IgM detection. RESULTS: Herein, 3.67% of symptomatic infants aged one month and younger had positive and borderline HCMV IgM, 12.5% of which had a low avidity index (AI). HCMV IgM detection rate among symptomatic infants older than one month to one year was 14.5%. Identified genotypes in this study were gB-1(63.63%), gB2 (18.18%), and gB3 (18.18%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This comprehensive study was performed on serum samples of symptomatic infants clinically suspected of cCMV from all over Iran. There was a good correlation between serology findings and PCR.

SARS-CoV-2 intrahost evolution in immunocompromised patients in comparison with immunocompetent populations after treatment.

Many evidence suggests that long-lasting infection can develop with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This occurrence has been widely described in immunocompromised individuals. In these patients, ineffective clearance of virus infection provides an opportunity for developing immune escape mutants. This study aimed to characterize SARS-CoV-2 intrahost evolution in five immunocompromised in comparison with five immunocompetent COVID-19 patients during treatment. We performed next-generation sequencing (NGS) on collected two oropharyngeal samples from immunocompromised and immunocompetent COVID-19 patients before and after treatment. In this study, we detected alpha and delta variants of SARS-CoV-2. The most common substitutions in structural proteins in patients with alpha variant were S-ΔY143-144, A570D, D614G and D1118H, and N-R203K and G204R, and in delta variant S-T19R, G142D, E156G, 157-158del, L452R, T478K, D614G, D950N and N-D63G, R203M and D377Y were dominant. The common variations in nonstructural and accessory proteins including nsp3-A488S, P1228L, nsp6-T77A, nsp12-P323L, G671S, nsp13-P77L, NS3-S26L, and NS7a-T120I were detected. Also some infrequent substitutions were seen in immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients. After treatment, nsp12-V166A was emerged as a remdesivir resistance and S-L452M in a patient with common variable immunodeficiency. S-E484Q was detected in a patient with acute lymphoma leukemia. This study showed the possibility of the genetic diversity and development of some new mutations in immunocompromised patients. Therefore, surveillance of these patients to characterize any new variants is necessary.

Impact of COVID-19 on the changing pattern of human orthopneumovirus (respiratory syncytial virus) infection in Iran.

BACKGROUND: Human orthopneumovirus (HOPV) or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the important causes of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) during the cold months of the year worldwide. Many countries have reported an absence of ARIs due to HOPV during the winter of 2020-2021 associated with preventive measures to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV2. However, with the reduction of COVID-19 public health restrictions and the absence of immunity in the community due to the lack of exposure in the previous season, many countries had a delayed HOPV outbreak. Here we reported the impact of COVID-19 on the changing pattern of HOPV infection in Iran. METHODS: Throat and nasopharyngeal swab samples were collected from patients (children and adults) with ARIs and sent to the Iran National Influenza Center. After RNA extraction, Real time RT-PCR was performed for HOPV detection. RESULTS: In 260 samples collected from patients with ARIs in three different groups, which included children in March 2021, pilgrims in July 2022, and outpatients during November and December 2022, no HOPV was detected in any group. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of HOPV activity in Iran during the winter of 2020-2021 and then the resurgence in spring 2022 and again the absence of activity in summer and autumn 2022 was extraordinary in the HOPV epidemiology, and probably due to the implementation of public health non-pharmaceutical interventions to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV2. Although it is not possible to keep such restrictions, similar methods can be taken to control outbreaks caused by respiratory viruses.

No human respiratory syncytial virus but SARS-CoV-2 found in children under 5 years old referred to Children Medical Center in 2021, Tehran, Iran.

Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are one of the leading causes of illness and death among community members worldwide. Viral infections are the most common agents estimated to be involved in these patients. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) among children with ARIs. This study evaluated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 and hRSV in 168 throat and nasopharyngeal swab samples using real-time RT-PCR. All samples were collected from children under 5 years old with ARIs who attended Children's Medical Center, Tehran, Iran, and sent to the Iranian National Influenza Center with appropriate conditions in 2021. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used for comparison of the data of the prevalence of hRSV and SARS-CoV-2 infections among children. Of 168 patients examined, 95 (57%) were male and 73 (43%) female. Out of them, 47 (28%) cases were younger than 1 year old and 121 cases (72%) were 1-5 years old. The most common clinical manifestations of patients were cough (78%), nausea (31%), diarrhea (27%), and fever (18%). Among 168 patients, no hRSV was detected, while the SARS-CoV-2 genome was identified in 16 (9.5%) patients. Among 16 positive cases of SARS-CoV-2, 8 (50%) were under 1 year old and 8 positive cases were 1-5 years old. This study was performed at cold months of the year but due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and adherence to health protocols, school closures, and virtual classes, no cases of hRSV infections were identified.

A delayed resurgence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) during the COVID-19 pandemic: An unpredictable outbreak in a small proportion of children in the Southwest of Iran, April 2022.

The global outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an emerging disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), and strict restrictions implemented to control the infection have impacted the circulation and transmission of common seasonal viruses worldwide and subsequently the rate of hospitalizations in children at young ages. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) surprisingly disappeared in 2020-2021 in many countries due to lockdown and precautions were taken because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Herein, we showed a notable change in the rate of hospitalization and reported an unpredictable outbreak of RSV in a small proportion of children admitted to a children's hospital in Dezful (a city in Southwest Iran) in the early spring of 2022. We performed a descriptive study of hospitalized young children (aged ≤ 5 years) with acute respiratory infections. Together with clinical information, 30 nasopharyngeal swabs were prospectively collected and 3 important respiratory viruses (RSV, influenza viruses, and SARS-CoV-2) were tested through the real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) method. The age distribution of 30 hospital-admitted children was 1 month to 5 years old and males were the most included subjects 18/30 (60%) in this study. Although the viral genome of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses was not detected, the presence of RSV was confirmed in 16/30 (53.33%) patients. Results showed that the majority of RSV-infected cases were males 10/16 (62.5%), within 12 months of life, and had changes in parameters of the complete blood count. Almost all patients with RSV infection had a cough as the most common clinical manifestation and had no history of past medical conditions as a risk factor. The presented study is the first investigation that documented an outbreak of RSV infection in young children reported since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran. Our cases highlight the potential threats of important but neglected pathogens during the ongoing pandemic as described here for RSV, which would be challenging by easing the preimposed restrictions.

Molecular detection and genotyping of Human Cytomegalovirus in kidney transplant recipients under ganciclovir prophylaxis in Iran.

INTRODUCTION: Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is one of the most common viral complications in kidney transplant recipients. Although there are effective treatments strategies for the HCMV infection, this infection is still one of the causes of kidney transplant rejection. METHODS: A total of 246 kidney transplant recipients participated in this cross-sectional study. Viral DNA was extracted from these plasma samples and the presence of HCMV genome was determined by Semi-nested PCR with specific primers for HCMV B glycoprotein gene. Sanger sequencing analyses were carried out to determine HCMV genotypes and Mega x software was used for nucleotide alignment and construction of a phylogenetic tree. RESULTS: Human cytomegalovirus DNA was detected in 11 (4.47%) recipients. According to the phylogenetic analysis, HCMV gB3 was 50% among kidney transplant recipients, followed by gB4 30% and gB1 20% however, the gB2 genotype was not detected. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that the HCMV infection in our patients is relatively low because all transplant recipients received appropriate prophylaxis, thereby antiviral prophylaxis is recommended for all patients at risk of HCMV infection after kidney transplantation. Also, gB3 was the most predominant genotype among our kidney transplant recipients that was related to the higher rate of prevalence of severe HCMV infections. Moreover, elevated serum creatinine level was detected in patients at the time of detection of HCMV infection.

Usage of peptidases by SARS-CoV-2 and several human coronaviruses as receptors: A mysterious story.

Coronaviruses recognize a variety of host receptors to infect many humans and animals. Newly emerged severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus2 (SARS-CoV-2) recognizes angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) to gain entry into different cells. Interestingly, besides SARS-CoV2, four other human coronaviruses (HCoVs) use three different ectopeptidases (ACE2, dipeptidyl peptidase 4, and aminopeptidase N) as receptors independent of their common peptidase activity. This issue has led to the important question "why do several HCoVs rely on peptidases as their receptors?." In this paper, we discussed to answer this question. Mostly, it seems that the use of peptidases by HCoVs may be more related to their widespread presence on target cells and also viruses prefer to take advantage of molecules with relatively low affinity for their natural ligands through evolving a stronger binding affinity to the surface receptors for entry and endocytosis. Meanwhile evolutionary conservation of these receptors may allow HCoVs to switch between different host species. Finally, the choice of peptidases by HCoVs may reflect the "trial and error" nature of evolution. In conclusion, substantial efforts are needed to get a strong picture of this fascinating question and poorly explored area. Detailed understanding of the entry mechanisms offers opportunities for the development of refined strategies to stop viruses.

Molecular epidemiology of human adenoviruses in children with and without respiratory symptoms: Preliminary findings from a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Human adenovirus (HAdV) is an important viral agent in children which can lead to severe acute respiratory infection (SARI). Reports on molecular epidemiology of HAdVs in Iran are limited. This case-control study is conducted to compare the HAdV infection rate and molecular epidemiology among two groups of children with and without respiratory symptoms in Tehran, Iran during 2018-2019. METHODS: Nested PCR was performed on 120 oropharyngeal swabs taken from children aged five and younger with SARI who were hospitalized as the case group, and 120 oropharyngeal swabs were collected from children of the same age without respiratory symptoms as the control group. For positive samples Sanger sequencing was done and a phylogenetic tree was drawn afterward. RESULTS: Out of 120 cases, 8 (6.6%) tested positive for eachHAdV types including 6 (75%) HAdV-B7, 1 (12.5%) HAdV-C2, and 1 (12.5%) HAdV-C6. Among the control group, out of 120 samples, 8 (6.6%) were positive comprising 5 (62.5%) HAdV-C5, 2 (25%) HAdV-F41, and 1 (12.5%) HAdV-C6. CONCLUSION: The present study indicated a different viewpoint of HAdV molecular epidemiology in which the genotypes were compared in children with and without respiratory symptoms. HAdV prevalence was equally common in cases and controls but different genotypes were detected in these two groups. HAdV-B7 was the main type among children with SARI, dissimilar to children with no respiratory symptoms where HAdV-C5 was the predominant type. Detecting HAdV-F in oropharyngeal swabs was a rare finding, which requires further investigation.

Molecular characterization of low pathogenic avian influenza H9N2 virus during co-circulation with newly-emerged highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8 virus in Iran.

 Identification of molecular characteristics of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) H9N2 virus provides insights into the evolution of this subtype due to the modulation of genomic characteristics in co-circulation with another subtype. The present study aimed to analyze the molecular and phylogenetic characteristics of the current LPAI H9N2 virus in characteristics of internal proteins are crucial for the adaptations of AIVs viruses to a new host. Since H9N2 is indigenous among poultry, continuous monitoring of viral genetic changes is needed for risk assessment of potential transmissibility to human population and emergence of new reassortant virus. domestic poultry during the emergence of new highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N8 virus in Iran. To this end, deep sequencing of LPAI H9N2 virus was performed on Illumina MiSeq sequencing platform and the complete sequences of avian influenza viruses were obtained from GISAID EpiFlu database. Phylogenetic analysis of the surface and internal gene segments showed that the H9N2 2018 virus was closely related to Pakistani H9N2 isolates. HA cleavage site motif sequence of the Iranian isolate was 317KSSR GLF323. The A/chicken/Iran/1/2018 H9N2 strain carried the amino acid substitution (Q216L), which is a mutation correlated with a shift in the affinity of the HA from avian type sialic receptors to human type. Besides surface glycoproteins, molecular. Keywords: A/H9N2; molecular characterization; A/H5N8; co-circulation; A/H5N1; Illumina MiSeq.

Prevalence of Human Metapneumovirus Infections in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BackgroundWe sought to systematically review the literature and perform a meta-analysis by assessing the prevalence of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) infections from a number of studies conducted in Iran. Methods: Entire studies addressing epidemiology of hMPV in Iran using data from PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of science, Google Scholar, Embase, and national Persian databases up to June 2019 were included. Results: The estimated prevalence of hMPV was 8.9% (95% CI 5.4-14.2) in different regions in Iran. Compared to the global rate, in Iran hMPV infection presented an intermediate prevalence rate. The majority of hMPV positive patients were pediatric populations with pooled prevalence of 7.6% (I2 = 95%, 95% CI 3.5-15.6). Conclusion: This first comprehensive review covering researches over the last 11 years expanded our knowledge about hMPV circulating in Iran. Future large epidemiological studies are needed for the evaluation of hMPV prevalence and genotype distribution in different unanalyzed regions in Iran.

Phylogenetic analysis of human bocavirus in children with acute respiratory infections in Iran.

Human bocavirus (HBoV) was first characterized in nasopharyngeal aspirates from young children with acute respiratory infections. It is prevalent among children with acute wheezing. This study was carried out in order to analyze the infection frequency and coinfection rates of HBoV with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and to perform phylogenetic analysis of HBoV in samples of children with acute respiratory infection in Isfahan, Iran. During the time period 2016-2017, altogether 75 respiratory samples from children hospitalized with acute respiratory infection were collected. The samples were first screened for RSV by direct immunofluorescence method and then subjected to detect HBoV DNA by PCR. Genotyping of HBoV-positive samples was conducted by direct sequencing of PCR products using NP and VP1/VP2 genes. Out of 75 respiratory samples, 20 (26.7%) and 10 (13.3%) were positive for RSV and HBoV, respectively. The coinfection rate was 40% (p = 0.048). Considering the seasonal distribution, winter has the highest extent outbreak (p = 0.036). Sequence analysis of positive samples exhibits that all of the isolated HBoV were related to genotype 1 (HBoV-1) with minimal sequence variations. Increasing frequency of HBoV suggests that the virus is related to acute respiratory infection in children. A single genetic lineage of HBoV1 seems to be the major genotype in Iran.

Human papilloma virus infection and fascin over-expression in squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix.

Background: Human papilloma virus (HPV) is involved in development of almost all cervical cancers, mainly through the subversion of cellular mechanisms of growth control. Fascin plays central role in subsequent cell transformation events. Fascin mediates stabilization of parallel actin bundles where cellular protrusions are formed; this represents primary stages of cell migration and metastasis. Immunohistochemical assays have shown up-regulation of fascin expression in many epithelial and non-epithelial neoplasms. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate HPV infection and fascin expression in samples of cervical cancer. Methods: Of 66 patients with confirmed SCC, formalin-fixed specimens, embedded in paraffin blocks were evaluated for HPV infection with nested multiplex polymerase chain reaction (NM-PCR) and for fascin expression with immunohistochemical assays. Statistical analysis was performed using Wilcoxon rank-sum test and SPSS software. A p<0.05 was considered for statistical significance. Results: Of 66 samples, 52 (78.7%) were found positive for HPV infection and fascin over-expression was shown in all squamous cell carcinoma samples. Conclusion: This study showed fascin overexpression in squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix which might be involved in metastasis of cancers induced by some types of HPV, hypothetically through attenuation of inter-cellular adhesions, and induction of cell motility.

Cluster of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infections in Iran, 2014.

During January 2013-August 2014, a total of 1,800 patients in Iran who had respiratory illness were tested for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. A cluster of 5 cases occurred in Kerman Province during May-July 2014, but virus transmission routes for some infections were unclear.

The etiology of Rubella IgM positivity in patients with rubella-like illness in Iran from 2011 to 2013.

Rubella is a mild self-limiting contagious viral disease caused by the rubella virus (RV). Although symptoms are often mild, the concern is centralized around the possible effect on a fetus growth and development in case of primary infection during early months of pregnancy. Recently acquired rubella is commonly confirmed by RV-specific IgM antibody detection in the serum. However, rubella primary infection is not always the only cause of IgM positivity. Other possible causes of rubella IgM positivity may include IgM persistence following vaccination or naturally acquired infection or even re-infection. Moreover, nonspecific IgM reactivity can cause false-positive results. There are few articles to differentiate the aetiology of rash in rubella-like illnesses. However, limited studies have been conducted on clarifying the source of IgM positivity in these cases. This article reports the study of 10,896 clinical cases demonstrating rubella-like illness between 2011 and 2013 in Iran. The rate of IgM positivity among these cases was 0.52% (57 cases). As predicted based on the high coverage of vaccination in Iran fewer than 16% of cases with ELISA IgM positive result, were due to current rubella primary infections. The greater part of the positive IgM reactions occurred in cross reactivity with other viruses (31.6%) or in prolonged IgM response post vaccination (24.6%). This research confirmed that the positive result of rubella IgM assay in vaccinated individuals is mainly caused by prolonged IgM production, rubella re-infection, and false positivity due to infection with other viruses, rather than the rubella primary infection itself.

Type specific Real time PCR for detection of human herpes virus 6 in schizophrenia and bipolar patients: a case control study.

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia (SC) and bipolar disorder (BD) are among the most devastating diseases worldwide. There are several lines of evidence suggesting that viruses may play significant roles in the etiology of these mental disorders. The aim of this study was the detection of HHV-6A/B in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of SC and BD patients versus the healthy control (HC) subjects using a new method of type-specific Real time PCR analysis. METHODS: A type-specific Real time PCR was performed for simultaneous detection and typing of HHV-6A/B in the PBMCs of 120 SC and BD patients and 75 HCs. RESULTS: Only one case of HHV-6B out of 120 (0.8 %) SC and BD patients and two cases of HHV-6A (2.7 %) in 75 HCs were detected. CONCLUSIONS: The low levels of HHV-6 detection in PBMCs, severely limited the capacity of this study to investigate the association between the presence of HHV-6 and BD or SC in this population, thus no conclusions can be drawn in this regard. Meanwhile this study introduces a Real time PCR based method for type specific detection of HHV-6A/B in clinical samples.

Epidemiological and clinical evaluation of children with respiratory virus infections.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory viruses are the leading cause of respiratory tract infections among children and are responsible for causing morbidity and mortality worldwide. This study was performed to detect viruses in children with respiratory infections and describe their epidemiology and clinical characteristics. METHODS: In this descriptive cross sectional study, throat swabs and wash specimens from 202 children younger than six years of age with diagnosis of a respiratory tract infection from a total of 897 specimens were evaluated using multiplex PCR method. RESULTS: Respiratory viruses were detected in 92 children: respiratory synsytial virus, 16.8%; influenza virus, 5.4%; parainfluenza virus, 8.4%; adenovirus, 14.4% and human metapneumo virus 0.49% with male predominance and higher distribution in children younger than 1 year of age with preference in the cold months of year. The clinical presentations of all detected viruses were almost similar. CONCLUSION: In the present study, nine different respiratory viruses were detected. RSV causes the great majority of respiratory virus infections in children. There was no significant difference in epidemiologic patterns of these viruses in comparison to other studies.

Oncolytic viruses against cancer, promising or delusion?

Cancer treatment is one of the most challenging topics in medical sciences. Different methods such as chemotherapy, tumor surgery, and immune checkpoint inhibitors therapy (ICIs) are potential approaches to treating cancer and killing tumor cells, but clinical studies have shown that they have been successful for a limited group of patients. Using viruses as a treatment can be considered as an effective treatment in the field of medicine. This is considered as a potential treatment, especially in comparison to chemotherapy, which has severe side effects related to the immune system. Most oncolytic viruses (OVs) have the potential to multiply in cancer cells, which are more than normal cells in malignant tissue and can induce immune responses. Therefore, tons of efforts and research have been started on the utilization of OVs as a treatment for cancer and have shown promising in treating cancers with less side effects. In this article, we have gathered studies about oncolytic viruses and their effectiveness in cancer treatment.Please confirm if the author names are presented accurately and in the correct sequence (given name, middle name/initial, family name). Author 1 Given name: [Omid Salahi] Last name [Ardekani], Author 2 Given name: [Mohammad Mehdi] Last name [Fazeli], Author 3 Given name: [Nillofar Asadi] Last name [Jemezghani]. Also, kindly confirm the details in the metadata are correct.Confirmed.

Phylogenetic characterization of rhinovirus and adenovirus in hospitalized children aged ≤ 18 years with severe acute respiratory infection in Iran.

Background and Objectives: Human rhinoviruses (HRVs) and human adenoviruses (HAdVs) are among the most prevalent viruses in hospitalized patients with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI). This study aimed to evaluate the molecular characterization of HRV and HAdV in hospitalized patients with SARI, who aged ≤ 18 years in Tehran, Iran. Materials and Methods: To detect these two viruses, a conventional nested RT-PCR (Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) assay was performed on 264 throat swabs collected from December 2018 to March 2019. The epidemiological data were analyzed and phylogenetic trees were constructed. Results: Of 264 cases with SARI, 36 (13.6%) and 28 (10.6%) were positive for HAdV and HRV respectively. Of 21 HRV sequenced samples, HRV-A (42.9%), HRV-B (9.5%) and HRV-C (47.6%) and of 36 HAdV sequenced samples, HAdV-C6 (38.9%), HAdV-B7 (22.2%), HAdV-B3 (11.1%), HAdV-B16 (5.6%), HAdV-C5 (13.9%), HAdV-C57 (5.6%), HAdV-E4 (2.8%); were detected in children with SARI. Some viral genotypes appeared to cause more severe disease, which may lead to hospitalization. Conclusion: Large-scale studies are recommended to investigate the epidemiology and molecular characterizations through surveillance networks to provide useful information on etiology, seasonality, and demographic associations in patients with SARI.