Effects of resistance training combined with a ketogenic diet on body composition: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

We evaluated the effects of ketogenic diets (KDs) on body mass (BM), fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), body mass index (BMI), and body fat percentage (BFP) compared to non-KDs in individuals performing resistance training (RT). Online electronic databases including PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, SCOPUS, and Ovid were searched to identify initial studies until February 2021. Data were pooled using both fixed and random-effects methods and were expressed as weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Out of 1372 studies, 13 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that enrolled 244 volunteers were included. The pooled results demonstrated that KDs significantly decreased BM [(WMD = -3.67 kg; 95% CI: -4.44, -2.90, p < 0.001)], FM [(WMD = -2.21 kg; 95% CI: -3.09, -1.34, p < 0.001)], FFM [(WMD = -1.26 kg; 95% CI: -1.82, -0.70, p < 0.001)], BMI [(WMD = -1.37 kg.m-2; 95% CI: -2.14, -0.59, p = 0.022)], and BFP [(WMD = -2.27%; 95% CI: -3.63, -0.90, p = 0.001)] compared to non-KDs. We observed beneficial effects of KDs compared to non-KDs on BM and body fat (both FM and BFP) in individuals performing RT. However, adherence to KDs may have a negative effect on FFM, which is not ameliorated by the addition of RT.

Effects of betaine supplementation on cardiovascular markers: A systematic review and Meta-analysis.

Controversy regarding the effects of betaine supplementation on cardiovascular markers has persisted for decades. This systematic review and meta-analysis compared the effects of betaine supplementation on cardiovascular disease (CVD) markers. Studies examining betaine supplementation on CVD markers published up to February 2021 were identified through PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, and SCOPUS. Betaine supplementation had a significant effect on concentrations of betaine (MD: 82.14 µmol/L, 95% CI: 67.09 to 97.20), total cholesterol (TC) (MD: 14.12 mg/dl, 95% CI%: 9.23 to 19.02), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (MD: 10.26 mg/dl, 95% CI: 6.14 to 14.38)], homocysteine (WMD: -1.30 micromol/L, 95% CI: -1.61 to -0.98), dimethylglycine (DMG) (MD: 21.33 micromol/L, 95% CI: 13.87 to 28.80), and methionine (MD: 2.06 micromol/L, 95% CI: 0.23 to 3.88). Moreover, our analysis indicated that betaine supplementation did not affect serum concentrations of triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), fasting blood glucose (FBG), C-reactive protein (CRP), liver enzymes [alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)], and blood pressure. Our subgroup analysis suggested that a maximum dose of 4 g/d might have homocysteine-lowering effects without any adverse effect on lipid profiles reported with doses of ≥4 g/d. In conclusion, the present systematic review and meta-analysis supports the advantage of a lower dose of betaine supplementation (<4 g/d) on homocysteine concentrations without the lipid-augmenting effect observed with a higher dosage.

Betaine supplementation fails to improve body composition: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Previous studies evaluating the effects of betaine supplementation on body composition offer contradictory findings. This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the effects of betaine supplementation on body composition indices (body mass (BM), BMI, body fat percentage (BFP), fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM)), and dietary intakes. Studies examining the effects of betaine supplementation on body composition and dietary intakes published up to August 2021 were identified through PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, SCOPUS and Ovid databases. Betaine supplementation failed to significantly affect BM ((weighted mean difference (WMD): -0·40 kg, 95 % CI -1·46, 0·64), P = 0·447), BMI ((WMD: -0·05 kg/m2, 95 % CI -0·36, 0·25), P = 0·719), BFP ((WMD: 0·26 %, 95 % CI -0·82, 1·36), P = 0·663), FM ((WMD: -0·57 kg, 95 % CI -2·14, 0·99), P = 0·473) and FFM ((WMD: 0·61 kg, 95 % CI -1·27, 2·49), P = 0·527). Subgroup analyses based on participant's age (< 40 and > 40 years), sex, BMI, trial duration (< 8 and ≥ 8 weeks), betaine supplementation dosage (< 4 and ≥ 4 g) and health status (healthy or unhealthy) demonstrated similar results. Other than a potential negligible increase in protein intake (WMD: 3·56 g, 95 % CI 0·24, 6·88, P = 0·035), no changes in dietary intakes were observed following betaine supplementation compared with control. The present systematic review and meta-analysis does not show any beneficial effects of betaine supplementation on body composition indices (BM, BMI, FM and FFM).

The effect of 12 weeks of euenergetic high-protein diet in regulating appetite and body composition of women with normal-weight obesity: a randomised controlled trial.

Normal-weight obesity (NWO) syndrome is associated with metabolic diseases. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of 12 weeks of a high-protein (HP) v. a standard protein (SP) diet on appetite, anthropometry and body composition in NWO women. In this clinical trial, fifty NWO women were randomly allocated to HP (n 25) or SP (n 25) diet groups. Women in the HP and SP groups consumed 25 and 15 % of their total energy intake from protein for 12 weeks. Weight, fat mass (FM), lean body mass (LBM), waist circumference (WC) and appetite were evaluated at baseline and following their 3-month intervention. After 12 weeks, the LBM was higher in HP compared with no significant changes in the SP group (mean between-group difference = 1·5 kg; 95 % CI 3·1, 0·01; effect size (d) = 0·4). Furthermore, the HP group had lower FM (mean between-group difference -1·1 kg; 95 % CI 1, -3·3; d = -0·2), body fat percentage (BFP) (mean between-group difference -2 %; 95 % CI 0·7, -5·2; d = -0·3) and WC (mean between-group difference -1·4 cm; 95 % CI 0·6, -3·6; d = -0·2) at the end of the study in comparison with the SP group. In both groups, weight and appetite were unchanged over time without significant differences between groups. Twelve weeks of euenergetic diets with different dietary protein contents resulted in no significant weight loss in women with NWO. However, an HP diet significantly improved body composition (LBM, FM, BFP and WC) in this population.

Seroprevalence and factors associated with hepatitis B virus infection in blood donors in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) can be transmitted during blood donation. This study estimated the pooled prevalence of hepatitis B and associated risk factors in blood donors in Ethiopia. The study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. PubMed, African Journals Online (AJOL), the Excerpta Medica database (EMBASE), SCOPUS, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and JSTOR were accessed. Articles were searched from the Addis Ababa University research repository. The core search terms and phrases were "Hepatitis", "Hepatitis B", "Blood Donation", "Blood Donor", "Transfusion", "Transfusion Transmissible Infections", "Ethiopia", "Addis Ababa", "Adama", "Bahirdar", "Dire Dawa", "Gondar", "Mekelle", "Hawassa". The data were analyzed based on a DerSimonian-Laird random-effects model using STATA 14 and Review Manager version 5.3. I2 was used to quantify between-study heterogeneity. Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis was done. Twenty-seven articles with 308,188 samples were included in the meta-analysis. The studies used HBsAg to diagnose hepatitis B. The pooled prevalence of HBV infection among blood donors was 4.91% (95% CI: 4.21-5.60; I2 = 99%). Male sex (p < 0.001), replacement donors (p = 0.007), history of tooth extraction (p < 0.001), and sharp material sharing (p < 0.001) were associated with increased risk, while being a repetitive blood donor was associated with a decreased risk of being infected with HBV (p = 0.02).

Epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii among blood donors in Iran: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Asymptomatic Toxoplasma gondii transmitted from blood donors to receiving patients has become a concern. Numerous articles have been published on the epidemiology of T. gondii in blood donors in Iran and a systematic review of the results shows quite different findings, hence this study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii in Iranian blood donors using meta-analysis. METHODS: We searched for epidemiological studies that were published until July 2016 in eight English databases including: Scopus, PubMed, Ovid, Science Direct, Cochrane, Web of Science, Springer, Wiley Online Library, and four Iranian databases: Magiran, Iranmedex, SID and Medlib as well as Google Scholar. To estimate pooled estimator, regarding high heterogeneity and significance of I2 index, Random effects model was used. Data analysis was conducted using Review Manager Ver5.3.5 and P<0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Among 10 studies with a sample size of 4538 Iranian blood donors, the seroprevalence of T. gondii was calculated to be 34.4% (CI95%: 24.9-43.9). The rate in males and females was 33.36% (CI95%: 19.92-46.81) and 37.63% (CI95%: 20.81-54.45), respectively. The seroprevalence of IgM and IgG antibodies among blood donors were 2.74% (CI95%: 0.55-4.92) and 31.84% (CI95%: 20.61-43.08), respectively. The seroprevalence of T. gondii was significantly associated regarding blood group (P=0.04), but this relation was not significant with blood transfusion (P=0.62). CONCLUSION: The results of this review indicate a high seroprevalence of T. gondii (about one-third) in Iranian blood donors and emphasizes the importance of screening the seroprevalence of T. gondii of donated blood in Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization.

Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease Polymorphisms; a review study.

Aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) is a condition caused by increased bronchoconstriction in people with asthma after taking aspirin or another NSAID. Molecular analysis of the human genome has opened up new perspectives on human polymorphisms and disease. This study was conducted to identify the genetic factors that influence this disease due to its unknown genetic factors. We evaluated research studies, letters, comments, editorials, eBooks, and reviews. PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Sciences, Cochrane Library, and Scopus were searched for information. We used the keywords polymorphisms, aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease, asthma, allergy as search terms. This study included 38 studies. AERD complications were associated with polymorphisms in ALOX15, EP2, ADRB2, SLC6A12, CCR3, CRTH2, CysLTs, DPCR1, DPP10, FPR2, HSP70, IL8, IL1B, IL5RA, IL-13, IL17RA, ILVBL, TBXA2R, TLR3, HLA-DRB and HLA-DQ, HLA-DR7, HLA-DP. AERD was associated with heterogeneity in gene polymorphisms, making it difficult to pinpoint specific gene changes. Therefore, diagnosing and treating AERD may be facilitated by examining common variants involving the disease.

The effects of gradual vs. rapid weight loss on serum concentrations of myokines and body composition in overweight and obese females.

Context: Research has shown the modulations of Follistatin (FST) and Myostatin (MST) following weight loss.Objective: We evaluated the effects of gradual weight loss (GWL) and rapid weight loss (RWL) on serum MST, FST, and body composition in overweight and obese females.Materials and methods: Thirty-six overweight and obese females successfully completed the study interventions: GWL (n = 18) or RWL (n = 18). Serum MST and FST concentrations, as well as anthropometric measurements, were collected at baseline and at the conclusion of each weight loss intervention.Results: MST concentration significantly (p < .05) decreased in the GWL; while FST concentration, body fat percentage and skeletal muscle mass significantly declined in both conditions. The loss in skeletal muscle mass was significantly greater in RWL relative to GWL.Discussion and conclusion: GWL was more effective than RWL in preserving skeletal muscle mass in overweight and obese females. Moreover, GWL leads to declines in MST concentrations.

Comparative Study on Clinical Characteristics of COVID-19 Patients with or without Digestive Symptoms in Razi Hospital, Ahvaz, Khuzestan.

BACKGROUND: Most commonly reported clinical manifestations are fever, fatigue and dry cough. Interestingly, a small percentage of patients experience GI symptoms, with the most common being anorexia, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. We aimed to conduct a comparative study on COVID-19 patients with or without gastrointestinal patients (GI). AIMS: The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as a dire health problem, causing a massive crisis for global health. METHODS: Collective data of clinical manifestations and laboratory reports of patients admitted to Razi Hospital, Ahvaz, Khuzestan, Iran, for two weeks were analyzed. RESULTS: Our results showed that GI symptoms are not statistically significant criteria to be predictive or prognostic factors in COVID-19 patients, although they are probably related to the acute or non-acute phase of the disease. Moreover, non-specific GI symptoms seem to result from cytokine storm that occurred during the disease. CONCLUSION: Therefore, our results did not support GI tract involvement as a common route of COVID- 19 infection. Maybe future research will shed light on why and how the gastrointestinal system becomes infected by COVID-19.

Platelet Count and IgE Level in Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria: A Case-control Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Chronic Urticaria is an allergic disorder that affects about 0.5 to 5% of the population in different communities. The disease's chronic course and long-term onset impose high economic and psychological costs on communities, adversely affecting individual and social life. Platelets play a role in various pathophysiological processes, including inflammation and immunology. Growing evidence suggests that platelets are actively involved in the pathogenesis of various inflammatory disorders, including inflammatory skin diseases. This study investigated the relationship between platelet and immunoglobulin-E markers and chronic idiopathic urticaria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the present case-control study, for the study population, patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria were referred to the Asthma and Allergy Clinic, and their caregivers were selected as the case and control groups, respectively. In this study, the mean platelet count (PLT), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), and Total IgE values were simultaneously measured in the case and control groups. After taking 5CCs of venous blood, a blood sample was sent to the laboratory for platelet and IgE marker measurements. RESULTS: 100 patients and 100 healthy persons were evaluated in this study. The mean age in the case group was 34.95, and in the control group was 35.78 years. The results showed that the mean values of PLT, MPV, PDW, and Total IgE in the case group were 12.86, 9.83, 252190, and 147.05, respectively. The mean values of PLT, MPV, PDW, and Total IgE in the control group were 16.93, 7.53, 231410, and 15.29, respectively, which was statistically significant (P = 0.001). Moreover, total IgE in the Autologous Serum Skin Test (ASST) positive group was higher than ASST negative group and was statistically significant (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The study results indicate the possible role of platelets in urticaria and inflammation. MPV in patients with chronic urticaria was higher than in the control group. The present study showed no significant relationship between the severity of urticaria and platelet markers, but there was a significant relationship between the severity of urticaria and ASST. Moreover, the severity of urticaria was higher in the positive skin test group.

Oncolytic Viruses and Cancer, Do You Know the Main Mechanism?

The global rate of cancer has increased in recent years, and cancer is still a threat to human health. Recent developments in cancer treatment have yielded the understanding that viruses have a high potential in cancer treatment. Using oncolytic viruses (OVs) is a promising approach in the treatment of malignant tumors. OVs can achieve their targeted treatment effects through selective cell death and induction of specific antitumor immunity. Targeting tumors and the mechanism for killing cancer cells are among the critical roles of OVs. Therefore, evaluating OVs and understanding their precise mechanisms of action can be beneficial in cancer therapy. This review study aimed to evaluate OVs and the mechanisms of their effects on cancer cells.

The Prevalence of Asthma among Iranian Children and Adolescent: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is an important reason for hospitalization in children aged under five years. Information about the current status of asthma in Iranian children can help the Iranian health sector plan carefully and prevent asthma incidence by educating the families. The present systematic review and meta-analysis is aimed at estimating asthma prevalence in Iranian children and adolescents. METHOD: Data were found using keywords such as prevalence, epidemiology, asthma, adolescent, children, pediatrics, Iran in Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases. Three national databases, including Magiran, Barakat Pharmed Co (Iran medex), and Scientific Information Databank (SID) were searched until 1 October 2020. Cross-sectional and original studies were included in the study, and then, quality assessment was done using the National Institutes of Health's Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. A pooled estimated prevalence of asthma was calculated using Der Simonian-Laird random model. Egger's test was used to evaluate publication bias. The data were analyzed using the STATA software version 16. RESULTS: 30 studies were selected and investigated. The prevalence of asthma in children and adolescents was 6% and 8%, and the prevalence in boys and girls was 9% and 8%, respectively. Among the asthma symptoms, wheezing had the most prevalence (17% in children and 19% in adolescents) and sleep disturbance had the lowest prevalence (6% in children and 6% in adolescents). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of asthma in Iranian children and adolescents is lower than in the world. Existing strategies should be pursued followed. Also, guidelines for asthma control and prevention should be considered in the future.

Seroprevalence of Rubella among Women of Reproductive Age in Iran: A Prisma-Based Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Rubella is a highly contagious viral disease with a significant teratogenic effect. Various results have been published about the seroprevalence of rubella in Iran. A PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses)-systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to assess the immunity against rubella in Iranian women. METHODS: Eleven English and Persian electronic databases including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Embase, Scientific Information Database, Iran doc, Iran Medex, Magiran, and Medlib were searched using the keywords: Epidemiology, Prevalence, Rubella, Women, Childbearing age, Reproductive age, and Iran. A mathematician (NS) reviewed all steps for accuracy. RESULTS: Out of 1,520 articles, 25 well-conducted studies with a total amount of 10,145 women were reviewed. The pooled prevalence rate of anti-rubella IgG was 84% (95% CI: 83%-86%). The highest prevalence rate of IgG was in Zahedan, Rasht, and Arak (each 100%), while the lowest prevalence was in Jahrom (54%). Subgroup analysis showed that from 1989 through 2012, the IgG prevalence rate increased from 78% (95% CI: 73-83%) to 99% (95% CI: 98 100%). CONCLUSIONS: Although the vaccination program seems working in Iran, some peripheral regions may be a target to improve health care policies.

Aligned Expression of IFI16 and STING Genes in RRMS Patients' Blood.

OBJECTIVE: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system. The most common disease phenotype is Relapsing-Remitting MS (RRMS). Beta interferons are the first line of RRMS patients' treatment. Interferon-inducible protein 16 (IFI16) as a DNA sensing molecule and its downstream complex stimulator of interferon genes (STING) play a critical role in the activation of type I interferons. Hence we aimed to evaluate the expression rate of IFI16 and STING in RRMS patients' blood under a different type of IFNß treatment. METHODS: In the present study, 99 individuals participated. The participants were divided into 4 groups: 28 control subjects, 25 new cases of RRMS patients, 25 RRMS patients treated with IFNß-1a (B1a), 21 RRMS patients treated with IFNß-1b (B1b). The EDTA-treated blood samples were taken and transferred at standard conditions to the Cellular and Molecular Research Center of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, RNA was extracted and converted into cDNA. To evaluate the expression of IFI16 and STING, the Real-Time PCR method using SYBR Green/ROX qPCR master mix was performed done. The level of genes expression was measured using 2-ΔΔCt method. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS v22 software. RESULTS: Comparison of the IFI and STING mRNA expression in blood samples in association with gender and age showed no significant differences (p>0.05). Also, the evaluation of IFI16 mRNA level revealed that the IFI16 genes' expressions were remarkably higher in the new case group compared to the control group, however, STING expression did not show any significant difference. The mRNA levels of IFI16 and STING in IFNß-treated groups were significantly lower than the new case group (p<0.001). Also, the genes' expressions in both the IFNß-treated groups were significantly lower compared to the control group (p<0.001). In the assessment of the correlation of IFI16 and STING expressions with age and sex in different research groups, no statistically significant differences were seen (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Perhaps the IFNß therapy decreases the IFI16 and STING expression in a STINGdependent pathway as a negative feedback mechanism for regulation of the immune system and suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines production. The important role of DNA sensing molecules and STING-dependent pathway in MS gives a new insight into future treatment based on STING-direct therapies.

The Association Between Hemoglobin HbA1c with Serum Inorganic Phosphate in Children with Type 1 Diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common chronic metabolic diseases in children and adolescents, which changes the cellular metabolism. Phosphorus is an essential element for metabolism. Early in the progression of diabetes, a paradoxical metabolic imbalance in inorganic phosphate (Pi) occurs that may lead to reduced high energy phosphate and tissue hypoxia. While low and high uncontrolled blood sugars can be easily recognized by clinical symptoms, low and high plasma inorganic phosphate remain unrecognizable. Therefore, we aimed to assess the association between hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) with serum inorganic phosphate in children with type 1 diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 102 patients selected from a pediatric ward in 17th Shahrivar hospital in Rasht, North of Iran. Clinical data including age, sex, height, weight, BMI, duration of diabetes, the level of HbA1c, and phosphorus were gathered. The level of HbA1c was adjusted by age in the final analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of samples was 9.98±3.91 years old and 46 participants (45.1%) were male. It was found that HbA1c had a reversed and significant relationship with BMI (r=-0.215 and P=0.03), but there was no correlation between phosphate, age, height and weight, duration of diabetes mellitus, or rate of insulin consumption with HbA1c (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The finding showed that HbA1c had a reversed relationship with BMI but there was no correlation between phosphate and HbA1c.

The Prevalence of Allergic Rhinitis among Iranian Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of allergic rhinitis in the world is 10-15%, and it is currently the most common chronic disease among children. There is no comprehensive statistics about the prevalence of allergic rhinitis among Iranian children, therefore, this systematic review and metaanalysis was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of allergic rhinitis among the Iranian children. METHODS: The present study was conducted based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist. The data was collected using key words including allergic rhinitis, prevalence, epidemiology, child OR children, pediatrics and Iran, in international databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane, Embase, and three national databases including Magiran, Iran Medex, and Scientific Information Databank (SID) till December 2018. The STROBE checklist was used for quality assessment. The data were analyzed using STATA software version 12.1. RESULTS: The prevalence of allergic rhinitis in children and adolescents were 18% (99.7% CI: 10-28% with publication bias of 0.174) and 25% (99.8% CI: 17-33 with publication bias of 0.617) respectively. The prevalence of allergic rhinitis in males was estimated to be 27% (99.4% CI: 17-36) with publication bias of 0.538 and in females was 23% (99.4% CI: 14-31) with publication bias of 0.926. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of allergic rhinitis is approximately high among Iranian children and adolescents; thus, educational strategies should be considered to decrease the prevalence of this disease in Iran.

Association of CYP2C19 and HSP70 Genes Polymorphism with Aspirin- Exacerbated Respiratory Disease in a Kurd Population.

BACKGROUND: CYP2C19 a metabolizing enzyme and Heat Shock Proteins (HSP) are induced in stress conditions, such as hypoxia and ischemia. Recently, polymorphism in the CYP2C19 and HSP genes has been established in Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease (AERD). OBJECTIVE: We investigated the polymorphism of these two genes in Kurdish patients with AERD. METHODS: This study involved 306 subjects, referred to the Be'sat hospital in Kurdistan Province, which were divided into three groups, (i) Aspirin Induced Asthma (AIA), (ii) Aspirin Tolerant Asthma (ATA), and (iii) healthy subjects as control. The subjects as control and ATA\AIA groups were verified by the physician. The demographic data of each subject with respect to age, sex, parental education, and residence was collected. Spirometry was performed on subjects and blood samples were collected for serum Immunoglobulin E (IgE) estimation and molecular tests. Genotyping was done for CYP2C19 681G>A، CYP2C19 636G>A, and HSPA1B1267A>G by using PCR- Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) and for HSPA1B-179C>T by High Resolution Melting (HRM). RESULTS: Demographic statistics were not significantly different between the three groups (p>0.05). Further, genotypes were also not observed to be significantly different in the genes of CYP2C19 681G>A, CYP2C19 636G>A and HSPA1B1267A>G (p>0.05). However, the heterozygote genotype in HSPA1B-179 C>T in AIA group was higher than the control group (p<0.05). Notably, 92.8 % of the subjects showed heterozygote genotype in HSPA1B1267 A>G. In clinical tests, FEV-1, FVC, and asthma severity in the AIA group were higher than control and additionally IgE levels were lower in this group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The results confirm the association of polymorphism in the HSPA1B-179C>T and HSPA1B1267A>G with AERD in the Kurdish population.

The Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Clinical Outcomes of Asthmatic Children with Vitamin D Insufficiency.

BACKGROUND: The extensive impacts of vitamin D on the immune system has gathered the attention of scholars in last years. In this regard, studies about vitamin D and incidence of asthma have showed various results. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of vitamin D supplements on clinical outcomes in asthmatic children with vitamin D insufficiency. MATERIALS & METHODS: This before-after interventional study was conducted on all asthmatic children who attended the Be'sat Hospital, Iran. Serum levels of 25(OH)D, asthma severity and pulmonary function tests before and after therapeutic prescription of vitamin D were evaluated. Serum levels of 25(OH)D were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The mean age of the samples was 10.69±9.78 years and 39 subjects (57.4%) were male. The primary mean level of serum 25(OH)D (18.21±8.22, ng/mL) has significantly (p<0.05) increased after treatment (35.45±9.35, ng/mL). Also, asthma severity, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and FEV1/FVC indicators were significantly (p<0.05) increased after treatment. CONCLUSION: We can conclude that therapeutic prescription of vitamin D is very effective in improving the clinical status of asthmatic children.

Sensitization of MDA-MBA231 breast cancer cell to docetaxel by myricetin loaded into biocompatible lipid nanoparticles via sub-G1 cell cycle arrest mechanism.

The harmful dose-dependent side effects of chemotherapy drugs have caused the discovery of novel perspective to evaluate chemotherapy protocols. In this study, the potential application of Compritol was investigated as a major scaffold into nanostructured lipid careers to highlight myricetin efficiency in treatment of breast cancer cells along with codelivery of docetaxel (DXT). Characterization of myricetin-loaded NLCs was carried out by measuring the particle size and zeta potential, using the scanning electron microscopy. MTT, DAPI staining, flow cytometric, and RT-PCR (real-time) assays were used to recognize novel formulation behavior on cell cytotoxicity as well as recognizing molecular mechanism of formulation concerning apoptosis phenomenon. Myricetin-loaded NLCs reduced the cell viability from 50 ± 2.3 to 40 ± 1.3% (p < 0.05). Percentage of apoptosis improved with combination treatment of myricetin-loaded NLCs and DXT in the MDA-MBA231 breast cancer cells. Expression of antiapoptotic genes (survivin, Cyclin B1, and Mcl1) indicated a significant reduction in factor along with increment in proapoptotic factor Bax and Bid mRNA rates. Overall, our results represented that the NLC delivery system could be a promising strategy to enhance the effect of anticancer agents such as DXT on breast cancer.