Associations of circulating advanced glycation end products and their soluble receptors with cancer risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

Advanced glycation end products (AGE) in complex with their receptors (RAGE) cause a chronic inflammatory state in the body, which is the major mechanism in cancer development. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis on the observational studies investigating the association between AGEs / sRAGE and cancer incidence. The PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were comprehensively searched to identify papers focused on the associations of sRAGE and AGEs with cancer incidence up to May 2023. Eight studies with a total of 7690 participants were included in the analysis to evaluate the association between circulating sRAGE and cancer incidence. The results indicated that circulating sRAGE (per 100 ng/L) had a significant inverse association with cancer incidence (RR 0.977; 95% CI 0.956, 0.999; p = 0.036; I 2 = 73.3%). The association between AGEs and cancer incidence was evaluated in 8 studies with a total of 3718 individuals. Serum concentrations of AGEs (per 100 µg/L) were not associated with the risk of cancer incidence (RR 0.988; 95% CI 0.974, 1.002; p = 0.08; I2 = 78.8%). Our findings revealed that a higher circulating sRAGE may have a protective effect against cancer incidence.

The prevalence of obesity and underweight in celiac patients at the time of diagnosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of obesity, overweight, and underweight in celiac disease (CD) at diagnosis before starting the Gluten-free diet (GFD). METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science until July 2024 to find the cross-sectional and longitudinal studies that measured the body mass index (BMI) in CD patients at diagnosis. The risk of bias assessment was conducted using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment scale. Meta-regression analyses were applied to understand whether weight status is associated with CD. RESULTS: A total of 23 studies involving 15,299 CD patients and 815,167 healthy individuals were included in this study. In newly diagnosed CD patients, pooled estimates of the prevalence of obesity, overweight, and underweight before GFD were 11.78%, 18.42%, and 11.04%, respectively. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in newly diagnosed CD patients increased from 22.15% in 2003-2009 to 32.51% in 2016-2021. Meta-regression analyses indicated that the CD patients with higher BMI had a higher mean age (p = 0.001), and female gender had a marginally significant (p = 0.055) association with higher BMI. Only a few CD patients were underweight at the time of diagnosis, and more patients were overweight/obese. CONCLUSIONS: our meta-analysis demonstrated that only a few CD patients were underweight at the time of diagnosis, and almost 37% were overweight or obese. Meta-regression showed a significant association between higher BMI and higher mean age and female gender. A delay or failure for diagnosis of CD is more common in overweight/obese patients, resulting in more progression of the disease and counteracting any advantages of diagnosis.

Immunopathogenesis of viral infections in neurological autoimmune disease.

Autoimmune diseases develop due to self-tolerance failure in recognizing self and non-self-antigens. Several factors play a role in inducing autoimmunity, including genetic and environmental elements. Several studies demonstrated the causative role of viruses; however, some studies showed the preventive effect of viruses in the development of autoimmunity. Neurological autoimmune diseases are classified based on the targets of autoantibodies, which target intracellular or extracellular antigens rather than neurons. Several theories have been hypothesized to explain the role of viruses in the pathogenesis of neuroinflammation and autoimmune diseases. This study reviewed the current data on the immunopathogenesis of viruses in autoimmunity of the nervous system.

Sitagliptin exhibits protective effects against methotrexate-induced testicular toxicity: The involvement of oxidative stress-related factors.

Methotrexate (MTX) is widely prescribed to treat different malignancies as well as autoimmune diseases. However, it causes a range of side effects in different organs such as testis. This study aims to clarify the role of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) in MTX-induced testicular damage via pathways involved in oxidative stress and evaluates the protective effects of sitagliptin as a DPP4 inhibitor. Twenty-four animals randomly allocated into four groups including: (I) control, (II) MTX (20 mg/kg, i.p.), (III) sitagliptin (20 mg/kg, i.p., for four consecutive days), and MTX + sitagliptin in which received chemicals resembling group II and III. Histopathological examinations conducted to assess the structural changes in testes of different experimental groups. Also, ELISA method employed to investigate the levels of DPP4, AKT, p-AKT, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). In addition, the total malondialdehyde (MDA) content and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were assessed. The results indicated that MTX administration was accompanied with testicular damage, which reversed by sitagliptin treatment. The biochemical observations demonstrated that MTX markedly increased the levels of DPP4, decreased p-AKT/AKT ratio followed by a marked decrement in Nrf2 and HO-1 levels. Also, it was observed that MTX decreased the activity of SOD and increased total MDA content in testicular specimen. However, sitagliptin treatment diminished mentioned alterations effectively. Altogether, our findings supported the possible role of DPP4 in MTX-induced testicular toxicity along with the potential protective features of sitagliptin via suppressing of the histopathological and biochemical alterations induced by MTX.

Comparison of the Effects of Govarcin Herbal Capsule and Metoclopramide for Alleviating Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Patients with Functional Dyspepsia: A Randomized Double-blind Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is felt as a discomfort or pain on the center line or upper abdomen. In this study, we aimed to compare the effects of Govarcin herbal capsule and Metoclopramide for alleviating gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with FD. METHODS: Totally, 106 patients enrolled in a double-blind, clinical trial study. The participants had FD and were divided into two groups receiving Govarcin and Metoclopramide by block randomization. The patients were treated for four weeks, taking one Govarcin capsule or Metoclopramide tablet after each meal. The rate of improvement in patients was assessed by mitigation of clinical symptoms, including epigastric pain, fullness, discomfort, nausea, vomiting and heartburn. Also, before and after intervention, we used Nepin questionnaire and ROME III. SPSS statistics 25 software was used for data analyzing. RESULTS: Clinical symptom score changes between Govarcin and Metoclopramide patients' groups showed that there was no significant difference in any of the clinical symptom scores (except for heartburn, p-value=0.012) between the study groups. Nepean score in Govarcin group before and after treatment were 19.3±4.8 and 8.9±2.8, respectively (p-value<0.001). For Metoclopramide group, these values were 19.8±3.5 and 9.4±2.1 respectively (p-value<0.001). No significant difference was found in terms of Nepean score between the Govarcin and Metoclopramide groups (p-value=0.995). CONCLUSION: Govarcin herbal capsule can be used to remedy symptoms in patients with FD. It seems that Govarcin is as effective as Metoclopramide in fighting symptoms of FD as no significant difference in efficacy has been demonstrated between them.

Effect of Iron Deficiency Anemia on Blood Glucose and Insulin Resistance in Women with Type II Diabetes: A Single-group, Clinical Interventional Study.

AIMS: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is one of the disorders recently associated with an increase in insulin resistance (IR) and, consequently, diabetes mellitus (DM) affection by causing oxidative stress. In this study, we look at how IDA may contribute to developing type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM), controlling diabetes, and reducing IR in women with T2DM. METHODS: In this single group, clinical interventional study, we enrolled 40 women with T2DM and IDA. Before and after intervention with ferrous sulfate tablets, their blood glucose (BG) levels and IR levels were evaluated. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Qom University of Medical Sciences (ethics code: IR.MUQ.REC.1397.031) and registered at the Iranian Center for Clinical Trials (No. IRCT20170215032587N3). A significant level was considered p <0.05. RESULT: The mean age of patients was 48.18 ± 4.6 years, with 5.3-5.8 years duration of T2DM. After the intervention, the mean fasting blood glucose (FBG) level reached 198.53 ± 48.11 to 170.93 ± 37.41, which was significant (p <0.0001). Also, hemoglobin A1C level reached from 8.49 ± 0.9 to 7.96 ± 0.58, which was significant (p <0.0001). Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) demonstrating a significant reduction of IR levels after intervention with ferrous sulfate tablets (p <0.018). CONCLUSIONS: IDA treatment in patients with T2DM can significantly reduce the BG and IR levels. To better control BG, checking iron status and its correction may provide better clinical outcomes in these patients.

WITHDRAWN: Comparison of the Efficacy of Oral Magnesium with Oral Ketorolac for Postoperative Pain Management in Anorectal Surgery: A Double-blinded Randomized Clinical Trial

The article has been withdrawn at the request of the editor of the journal Reviews on Recent Clinical Trials.Bentham Science apologizes to the readers of the journal for any inconvenience this may have caused.The Bentham Editorial Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at https://benthamscience.com/editorial-policies-main.php BENTHAM SCIENCE DISCLAIMER: It is a condition of publication that manuscripts submitted to this journal have not been published and will not be simultaneously submitted or published elsewhere. Furthermore, any data, illustration, structure or table that has been published elsewhere must be reported, and copyright permission for reproduction must be obtained. Plagiarism is strictly forbidden, and by submitting the article for publication the authors agree that the publishers have the legal right to take appropriate action against the authors, if plagiarism or fabricated information is discovered. By submitting a manuscript the authors agree that the copyright of their article is transferred to the publishers if and when the article is accepted for publication.

The role of the endometrial microbiome in embryo implantation and recurrent implantation failure.

There is a suggested pathophysiology associated with endometrial microbiota in cases where repeated implantation failure of high-quality embryos is observed. However, there is a suspected association between endometrial microbiota and the pathogenesis of implantation failure. However, there is still a lack of agreement on the fundamental composition of the physiological microbiome within the uterine cavity. This is primarily due to various limitations in the studies conducted, including small sample sizes and variations in experimental designs. As a result, the impact of bacterial communities in the endometrium on human reproduction is still a subject of debate. In this discourse, we undertake a comprehensive examination of the existing body of research pertaining to the uterine microbiota and its intricate interplay with the process of embryo implantation.

Infertility: Focus on the therapeutic potential of extracellular vesicles.

Infertility is a well-known problem that arises from a variety of reproductive diseases. Until now, researchers have tried various methods to restore fertility, including medication specific to the cause, hormone treatments, surgical removals, and assisted reproductive technologies. While these methods do produce results, they do not consistently lead to fertility restoration in every instance. The use of exosome therapy has significant potential in treating infertility in patients. This is because exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies, which are different types of vesicles, play a crucial role in transferring bioactive molecules that aid in cell-to-cell communication. Reproductive fluids can transport a variety of molecular cargos, such as miRNAs, mRNAs, proteins, lipids, and DNA molecules. The percentage of these cargos in the fluids can be linked to their physiological and pathological status. EVs are involved in several physiological and pathological processes and offer interesting non-cellular therapeutic possibilities to treat infertility. EVs (extracellular vesicles) transplantation has been shown in many studies to be a key part of regenerating different parts of the reproductive system, including the production of oocytes and the start of sperm production. Nevertheless, the existing evidence necessitates testifying to the effectiveness of injecting EVs in resolving reproductive problems among humans. This review focuses on the current literature about infertility issues in both females and males, specifically examining the potential treatments involving extracellular vesicles (EVs).

Prevalence and risk factors of gastroesophageal reflux disease in Iran: A cross-sectional analysis from the PERSIAN cohort.

BACKGROUND: This study assessed the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in a general adult population in Iran. The association between GERD and various factors was also evaluated. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study on 163,018 individuals aged over 35 who were enrolled in the PERSIAN cohort. GERD was defined as the occurrence of heartburn and/or regurgitation symptoms at least several days a month. Survey design analysis for pooled data was performed and multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine the independent risk factors for GERD. RESULTS: The prevalence of GERD in our study was estimated at 21.86% (95% confidence interval:17.4%-36.4%). The mean age of the participants was 49.84 years±9.25 (35-70) and 44.75% of the participants were male. Symptoms of heartburn and regurgitation were reported in 18.65% (n: 29,170) and 6.06% (n: 9,717) of participants, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, several factors were found to be associated with a higher prevalence of GERD: female sex, age >50, current smoking, opium use, weekly consumption of fried foods, frequent consumption of hot tea, less than 6 hours of sleep per night, psychiatric disorders, usage of NSAIDs, and poor oral hygiene, were associated with a higher prevalence of GERD. Conversely, higher education levels and average physical activity were found to be less commonly associated with GERD. CONCLUSION: We found a relatively high prevalence of GERD (21.86%) in this population-based study in Iran. By identifying modifiable risk factors, this research offers opportunities for targeted interventions and lifestyle modifications to reduce the burden of GERD.

Effects of Pregabalin as a Neural Pathway Inhibitor for the Treatment of Resistant Subacute and Chronic Cough: A Pilot Clinical Trials Study.

BACKGROUND: Cough hypersensitivity syndrome is one of the causes of chronic cough. Small clinical trials have suggested the effects of pregabalin as a neural pathway inhibitor in treating subacute and chronic cough resistance. METHODS: This study is an 8-week, pilot study randomized, double-blind clinical trial on 30 patients' resistant to treatment of the underlying cause who were referred to an ultra-specialized lung clinic, Shahid Beheshti Hospital, between 2021-2022. The samples were randomly divided into control (dextromethorphan and placebo) and intervention (dextromethorphan and pregabalin). Patients were evaluated at the beginning, during, and after eight weeks of treatment, using the modified standard Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) regarding the changes and the rate of recovery compared to before Participation in the study. FINDINGS: The quality of life score of patients eight weeks after treatment had a significant difference and was higher in the intervention group (In the pregabalin group) than in the control group (p =0.006). The recovery rate of cough in 26% of patients was equal to 70%, but others were reported up to 50%. CONCLUSION: Pregabalin increases the quality of life in patients with subacute and chronic cough resistant to standard treatment and increases the rate of recovery in these patients.

MicroRNA electrochemical biosensors for pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide. MicroRNAs (miRs) are sensitive molecular diagnostic tools that can serve as highly accurate biomarkers in many disease states in general and cancer specifically. MiR-based electrochemical biosensors can be easily and inexpensively manufactured, making them suitable for clinical use and mass production for point-of-care use. This paper reviews nanomaterial-enhanced miR-based electrochemical biosensors in pancreatic cancer detection, analyzing both labeled and label-free approaches, as well as enzyme-based and enzyme-free methods.

Evaluation of the Relationship Between Celiac Disease and Refractory Epilepsy in Patients Referring to Imam Khomeini Hospital, Urmia.

Introduction: Celiac disease can be associated with other diseases, including neurological disorders. In this study, the relationship between celiac disease and refractory epilepsy was evaluated in patients who were referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital in Urmia. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, patients with refractory epilepsy who were referred to the neurology clinic of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Urmia, during the second half of 2019 and cases with controlled epilepsy were studied as a control group. The statistical population of the present study included 50 patients with refractory seizures and 50 patients with controlled seizures. The mean age of patients was 32.96±11.35 years. Five milliliters of blood samples were taken from the patients, and a serum anti-tTG test was performed using the ELISA kit. Then, in patients with positive anti-tTG, a duodenal biopsy sample was prepared using an endoscopy. Results: This study showed that the mean serum level of anti-tTG in patients with refractory epilepsy was higher than in patients with controlled epilepsy. Anti-tTG test results were positive in five out of 50 patients with refractory epilepsy, and it was positive in two out of 50 patients with controlled epilepsy. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of serum levels of anti-tTG (P=0.14). Also, there was no significant relationship between serum levels of anti-tTG, age, and genus (P>0.05). Biopsy results in three patients in the refractory epilepsy group and one patient in the controlled epilepsy group were in favor of a definitive diagnosis of celiac disease. Patients with confirmed celiac disease using endoscopy had higher anti-tTG levels (P=0.006). Conclusion: There was no significant difference between celiac disease in cases with refractory epilepsy and controlled epilepsy.

Tenofovir in the treatment of hepatitis B virus infection after liver transplantation, a single center large population study.

AIM: This study investigated the safety and efficacy of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) compared with lamivudine (LAM) in the prevention of recurrent HBV infection after liver transplantation (LT). BACKGROUND: Although the recurrence of hepatitis B virus after liver transplantation (LT) is now very uncommon with both nucleoside and nucleotide analogs represented with lamivudine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, respectively, few studies have compared the two classes. METHODS: A total of 302 HBV-related post-transplant patients who received liver transplants from deceased donors were enrolled in this retrospective study from 2011 to 2015 in the Shiraz Organ Transplant Center, Iran. The demographic data, kidney function, recurrence, resistance rate, and acute rejections at 1-, 6-, and 12-month intervals and after 12 months were compared on TDF (n=209) and lamivudine (n=93) groups. RESULTS: During a median follow-up period of 42.9 months, mean creatinine level was not significantly different between the two groups. Hepatitis B virus recurrence rate as well as acute graft rejection episode had no statistical difference in either group over the study period. CONCLUSION: Kidney function, creatinine level, disease recurrence, and acute graft rejection were comparable between tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and lamivudine in patients who received follow-up periods.

The prevalence of celiac disease among patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Iran.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Some patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease have no obesity-related etiologies. Celiac disease could potentially present with elevated liver enzymes and chronic liver disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of celiac disease among patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. METHODS: Three hundred sixteen patients defined as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease based on elevated transaminases, liver ultrasound and/or liver biopsy were enrolled. Body mass index, waist circumference and symptoms were recorded. All were tested for recombinant IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase antibody and total IgA level. In patients with positive serology for anti-tissue transglutaminase, IgA class endomysial antibody values were determined with a commercially available indirect immunofluorescence method, and then endoscopy with duodenal biopsies was performed. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 40.56±11.48 years and 50.9% were female. Celiac disease was confirmed in 7 patients (2.2%). Of these, all had body mass index between 18.37 and 26.91 kg/m². Celiac disease was more commonly diagnosed among non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients with body mass index <27 kg/m² compared to patients with body mass index >27 kg/m² (5.83% vs. 0%; p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of celiac disease among patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is significantly higher than what was previously reported in the general population of Iran; thus, screening for celiac disease in these patients is reasonable, particularly in patients with body mass index <27 kg/m².

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and influence of age and gender on histopathologic findings.

AIM: To characterize the histopathologic specifications of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) according to age and gender. METHODS: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in two private gastroenterology clinics on biopsy proven patients suffering from NASH. Biopsy histopathologic findings as well as demographic and laboratory data of the patients at the time of biopsy were gathered retrospectively from clinical records. The grading and staging of histopathologic findings were performed according to the Brunt method after reevaluation of the slides by a pathologist. Patients were divided into two groups according to age (below and above 55 years). Mean quantitative grade of all pathologic findings were also calculated according to Brunt scoring values. RESULTS: A total number of 77 NASH patients, consisting of 58 males (75.3%) and 19 (24.7%) females with a mean age of 41.99 +/- 11.80 years (range, 18-70 years), were enrolled. The mean age (48.72 +/- 13.99 years vs 39.74 +/- 10.16 years, P = 0.004) and aspartate aminotransferase level (75.11 +/- 29.68 U/L vs 52.78 +/- 25.00 U/L, P = 0.002) was significantly higher in female patients. Mean quantitative grade of hepatosteatosis was significantly higher in females (2.00 +/- 0.82 vs 1.59 +/- 0.68, P = 0.031) compared to males. Fifty four percent (34/65) of young patients had mild hepatosteatosis (Grade I) while only one patient (11.2%) in the older group had grade I hepatosteatosis. Patients aged > or = 55 had significantly more severe hepatosteatosis (Grade III) (44.4% vs 9.5%, P = 0.007) and the mean quantitative grade of hepatosteatosis was significantly higher among them (2.33 +/- 0.71 vs 1.56 +/- 0.67, P = 0.002). Multivariate analysis after omitting the confounding role of age revealed a higher grade of hepatosteatosis in female patients (P = 0.010). CONCLUSION: These findings point toward the possible influence of age in the severity of steatohepatitis, portal and lobar inflammation in patients suffering from NASH while gender independently might contribute to the level of steatohepatitis.

Colonic diverticular abscess presenting as chronic diarrhea: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Several complications have been reported with diverticular disease of colon. Perforation of the diverticulum of colon may lead to development of abdominal abscesses which can have diverse manifestations. CASE PRESENTATION: This report describes a 72 year-old woman presented with a one month history of non-bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, and low grade fever. Computed tomography scan confirmed presence of a large local air-fluid level within the culdesac area. Laparotomy revealed a large pelvic abscess which was surrounded between rectosigmoid and uterus with severe tissue necrosis of rectosigmoid colon and uterus. CONCLUSION: Although rarely reported, abdominal abscesses due to colonic diverticulitis may present as refractory chronic diarrhea.