One-year prevalence and the association between SARS-CoV-2 cycle threshold, comorbidity and outcomes in population of Babol, North of Iran (2020-2021).

Background: The present study aimed to investigate the one-year prevalence of SARS-CoV-2, common comorbidities and demographic information among negative- and positive rRT-PCR in health care workers (HCW), hospitalized and outpatients. Also, the association between SARS-CoV-2 cycle threshold (Ct) and the outcomes of patients were analyzed in Babol, northern Iran. Methods: This large retrospective cross-sectional study was performed between March 2020 and March 2021. The records of 19232 hospitalized, outpatients and HCW suspected to COVID-19 were collected from teaching hospitals in the North of Iran. Results: Out of the 19232 suspected to COVID-19 patients, 7251 (37.7%) had a positive rRT-PCR result; 652 (9%), 4599 (63.4%) and 2000 (27.6%) of those were categorized as HCW, hospitalized and outpatients, respectively. Moreover, between the hospitalized and the outpatient group, 10.2 and 0.8% cases died, whereas no death cases were reported in the HCW. Furthermore, it seems that death rate was significantly different between the three groups of Ct value, the highest mortality in those with Ct between 21 and 30 (group B=7.6%) and the lowest in the group with the highest Ct (between 31 and 40 = 5.5%) (p<0.001). Conclusion: In summary, 37.7% of cases were positive for SARS-CoV-2; of which, 63.4, 27.6 and 9% were hospitalized, outpatients and HCW, respectively. With regard to the mortality rate in hospitalized patients and the significant association with Ct under 20 and 30, it seems that the early detection and the initial quantification of SARS-CoV-2 in the first week of the conflict and therapeutic considerations to reduce the relative load can reduce the mortality rate.

Design of a new multi-epitope peptide vaccine for non-small cell Lung cancer via vaccinology methods: an in silico study.

Lung cancer is the most common type of tumor worldwide. Non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is considered any epithelial cell-related lung cancer, which includes more than 85% of all lung cancer cases. NSCLC is less responsive to chemotherapy than SCLC. Therefore, the need for other treatments has become more pronounced and immunotherapy has gained increasing attention as a promising therapy in recent years. The current study aimed to design a multi-epitope peptide vaccine targeting main cancer/testis antigens of SP17, AKAP4, and PTTG1, which have a major function in tumor cell proliferation invasion. The protein vaccine was constructed using the rigorous immunoinformatics analysis and investigation of several immune system parameters, considering B cell epitopes and CD4 and CD8 induced epitopes as the most important cells to respond to cancer cells. Inverse translation and optimization of codons were performed to have the designed protein's cloning as well as expression potential in E.coli. Physicochemical, antigenic, and allergenic features were assessed to confirm the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine. The secondary and tertiary structures were predicted. Finally, intrinsic disorder and 3D model refinement and validation were performed to eliminate structural problems. The designed construct had a stable structure that could be an antigen and stimulate the immune system and not be an allergen. The built model 3D structure was valid and stable. Further investigations are needed to approve the safety and immunogenic property of this new vaccine for NSCLC before it can be used in patients.

Potential antidiabetic phytochemicals in plant roots: a review of in vivo studies.

BACKGROUND: Medicinal plants are used to treat various disorders, including diabetes, globally in a range of formulations. While attention has mainly been on the aerial plant parts, there are only a few review studies to date that are focused on the natural constituents present in the plant roots with health benefits. Thus, the present study was performed to review in vivo studies investigating the antidiabetic potential of the natural compounds in plant roots. METHODS: We sorted relevant data in 2001-2019 from scientific databases and search engines, including Web of Knowledge, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Medline, Reaxys, and Google Scholar. The class of phytochemicals, plant families, major compounds, active constituents, effective dosages, type of extracts, time of experiments, and type of diabetic induction were described. RESULTS: In our literature review, we found 104 plants with determined antidiabetic activity in their root extracts. The biosynthesis pathways and mechanism of actions of the most frequent class of compounds were also proposed. The results of this review indicated that flavonoids, phenolic compounds, alkaloids, and phytosteroids are the most abundant natural compounds in plant roots with antidiabetic activity. Phytochemicals in plant roots possess different mechanisms of action to control diabetes, including inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes, oxidative stress reduction, secretion of insulin, improvement of diabetic retinopathy/nephropathy, slow the starch digestion, and contribution against hyperglycemia. CONCLUSION: This review concludes that plant roots are a promising source of bioactive compounds which can be explored to develop against diabetes and diabetes-related complications.