Association between XRCC2 Arg188His Polymorphism and Breast Cancer Susceptibility: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and leading cause of cancer-related death among women. Several studies indicated that Arg188His (rs3218536) polymorphism of X-ray repair cross-complementing 2 (XRCC2) may be associated with breast cancer risk. However, this association remains ambiguous. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis to provide more precise conclusion on this issue. A comprehensive search in PubMed, Google Scholar and ISI Web of Science was performed to select all relevant studies. Odds ratios (OR) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were applied to assess the strength of the relationships. A total of 17 studies with 5694 breast cancer cases and 6450 healthy subjects were identified. The pooled data revealed that XRCC2 Arg188His polymorphism was marginally with susceptibility to breast cancer globally under the heterozygote contrast (OR = 0.929, 95% CI = 0.873-0.987, p=0.018). Moreover, subgroup analysis by ethnicity revealed that this polymorphism was associated with breast cancer risk among Caucasians. On the whole, the present study demonstrates that the XRCC2 Arg188His polymorphism may contribute to an increased risk of breast cancer.

Simultaneous Expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 in Peripheral and Central Immune Cells and Tumor Cells in the Benign and Malignant Salivary Gland Tumors Microenvironment.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the differential expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 in salivary gland tumors (SGTs, malignant and benign subtypes) and determine their association with the clinicopathological characterization of the patients. METHODS: The immunohistochemistry was used to examine PD-1 and PD-L1 expression in specimens from 83 patients with primary SGTs including salivary ductal carcinoma (SDC), adenoid cystic carcinoma (AdCC), acinic cell carcinoma (ACC), mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC), warthin's tumors (WT), poleomorphic adenoma (PA) and other subtypes. RESULTS: The expression of PD-1 in peripheral and central immune cells (ICs) of MEC, and peripheral ICs of ACC was significantly higher than those with AdCC (P = 0.02, P = 0.02, P = 0.03, respectively). Interestingly, the expression of PD-1 was also observed in peripheral and central malignant tumor cells (TCs), particularly in SDC and ACC. Despite no significant difference in PD-L1 expression of TCs among malignant subtypes, the peripheral and central ICs of ACC and MEC were revealed to express PDL-1 significantly more than those with AdCC (P < 0.05). WTs were rich in PD-1/PD-L1 expressing ICs. However, the tumor microenvironment of PA generally had low levels of PD-1/PD-L1 expression. In general, the expression of PD-1 in peripheral and central TCs was found to be significantly higher in malignant tumors than in benign ones (P = 0.002 and P = 0.003, respectively). CONCLUSION: The simultaneous presentation of PD-1 and PD-L1 in TCs and ICs of SGTs, their significant association with disease severity as well as the positive correlation between these immune checkpoints may suggest the therapeutic potential of anti-PD-1 and anti-PDL-1 combinational immunotherapy for SGTs.

Associations of MTHFR rs1801133 (677C>T) and rs180113 (1298A>C) Polymorphisms with Susceptibility to Bladder Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The effects of the MTHFR rs1801133 (677C>T) and rs180113 (1298A>C) polymorphisms on bladder cancer risk have been evaluated in some studies. However, the results were conflicting and ambiguous. Therefore, we aimed to perform a comprehensive meta-analysis to investigate the association of these polymorphisms with risk of bladder cancer from all eligible case-control studies. PubMed, Web of science, Scopus, SID, CNKI and SciELO databases were searched to identify all relevant studies published up to 1 January, 2021. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to estimate the strength of associations. A total of 20 case-control studies including 11 studies with 3463 cases and 3927 controls on MTHFR rs1801133 (677C>T) and 9 studies with 3177 cases and 3502 controls on rs180113 (1298A>C) polymorphism were selected. Pooled data revealed that the MTHFR rs1801133 (677C>T) and rs180113 (1298A>C) polymorphisms were not associated with risk bladder cancer in overall. Stratified analysis by ethnicity revealed that the MTHFR rs1801133 (677C>T) and rs180113 (1298A>C) polymorphisms were associated with bladder cancer risk in Asians, but not in Caucasians. There was no publication bias. The current meta-analysis revealed that the MTHFR rs1801133 (677C>T) and rs180113 (1298A>C) polymorphisms were not risk factor for development of bladder cancer globally. However, large sample size, well-designed, and population-based studies should be performed to verify the association of the MTHFR polymorphisms with bladder cancer risk.

Association of Interleukin-10 Polymorphisms with Susceptibility to Colorectal Cancer and Gastric Cancer: an Updated Meta-analysis Based on 106 Studies.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to explore the association of IL-10 polymorphisms with susceptibility to colorectal cancer (CRC) and gastric cancer (GC). METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, Embase, SciELO, medRxiv, China Biology Medicine Disc, DeepDyve, CNKI, and Web of Science were used to identify all relevant articles published up to 20th June 2021, without any restrictions on ethnicity. Summary odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to determine the strength of the associations. RESULTS: A total of 106 case-control studies were included. For CRC, 15 studies with 2772 cases and 3719 controls on -1082A/G, 11 studies with 3259 cases and 4992 controls on -592C/A, and 3 studies with 477 cases and 544 controls on -819 T/C were selected. For GC, 31 studies with 6229 cases and 8666 controls on -1082A/G, 27 studies with 5457 cases and 8381 controls on -592C/A, and 19 studies with 3556 cases and 6218 controls on -819 T/C were included. Pooled data showed a significant association between IL-10-819 T/C polymorphism and CRC susceptibility in overall population, but not for IL-10-1082A/G and -592C/A polymorphisms. However, IL-10-592C/A polymorphism was associated with CRC risk in Asians. A significant association of IL-10-1082A/G polymorphism with the GC risk was found. In the ethnicity subgroup analysis, a significant association was found between IL-10-1082A/G polymorphism and GC risk among Asians. The IL-10-819 T/C was not associated with GC risk in overall population and by ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: Our pooled data show a significant association of IL-10-819 T/C and IL-10-1082A/G polymorphisms with CRC and GC in overall population, respectively. However, other factors may influence these associations, and large-scale studies with adequate methodological quality are necessary to confirm the impact on CRC and GC risk.

Association of Epidermal Growth Factor 61A>G, Survivin -31G>C, and EFNA1 -1732G>A Polymorphisms with Susceptibility to Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Genetic polymorphisms play an important role in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). Functional variants in the epidermal growth factor (EGF), survivin, and Ephrin A1 (EFNA1) genes have been previously reported to play a potential role in susceptibility to CRC, but these polymorphisms have not been well replicated. The aim of this study was to assess the association of the EGF 61A>G, Survivin -31G>C, and EFNA1 -1732G>A polymorphisms with the susceptibility to CRC in an Iranian population. METHODS: A total of 148 cases diagnosed with CRC and 160 healthy subjects were recruited. The EGF 61A>G, survivin -31G>C, and EFNA1 -1732G>A polymorphisms were genotyped using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay. RESULTS: Our data revealed that the homozygous mutant genotype (CC: OR = 2.895, 95% CI = 1.092-7.673, p = 0.033) and mutant allele (C: OR = 1.629, 95% CI = 1.152-2.303, p = 0.006) of the survivin -31G>C were associated with an increased risk of CRC in the Iranian population. However, our results failed to show an association between the EGF 61A>G and EFNA1 -1732G>A polymorphisms and CRC risk. CONCLUSION: Our results revealed that the survivin -31G>C polymorphism might play an important role in development of CRC in Iranian population. However, no association of EGF 61A>G and EFNA1 -1732G>A polymorphisms with CRC risk was found.

A Meta-Analysis for Association of XRCC3 rs861539, MTHFR rs1801133, IL-6 rs1800795, IL-12B rs3212227, TNF-α rs1800629, and TLR9 rs352140 Polymorphisms with Susceptibility to Cervical Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: In spite of substantial declines in both incidence and mortality rates in the past 50 years, cervical cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer associated mortality among women globally. We performed this meta-analysis to explore the role of XRCC3 rs861539, MTHFR rs1801133, IL-6 rs1800795, IL-12B rs3212227, TNF-α rs1800629 and TLR9 rs352140 polymorphism with susceptibility to cervical carcinoma. METHODS: The search databases include PubMed, SciELO, MedRxiv, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and China Biology Medicine disc up to 30 June 2021. The language is limited to English and Chinese. The comparison between the polymorphisms and cervical cancer was assessed using pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). The data are statistically analyzed by Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) 2.0 software. RESULTS: A total of 59 studies including seven studies with 1,112 cases and 1,233 controls on XRCC3 rs861539, 14 studies with 2,694 cases and 3349 controls MTHFR rs1801133, four studies with 1,121 cases and 1,109 controls on IL-12B rs3212227, seven studies with 1,452 cases and 2,186 controls on IL-6 rs1800795, 20 studies with 4,781 cases and 4909 controls on TNF-α rs1800629, and seven studies with 1743 cases and 2292 controls on TLR9 rs352140 were included. There was a significant association between XRCC3 RS861539, TNF-α rs1800629, and IL-6 rs1800795 polymorphisms and an increased risk of cervical carcinoma in overall population. However, the MTHFR rs1801133, IL-12B rs3212227 and TLR9 rs352140 polymorphisms were not associated. CONCLUSION: The pooled analysis showed that XRCC3 RS861539, TNF-α rs1800629, and IL-6 rs1800795 were associated with cervical carcinoma susceptibility, but not MTHFR rs1801133, IL-12B rs3212227 and TLR9 rs352140 polymorphisms.

Association of IL-6 -174G>C and -572G>C Polymorphisms with Susceptibility to Cervical Cancer and Ovarian Cancer.

BACKGROUND: During the past decades, the expansion of molecular development has had a key role in understanding the basis of gynecological cancer. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is known to be involved in the pathogenesis of different cancers. Here, we evaluated the association of IL-6 -174G>C and -572 G>C polymorphisms with susceptibility to cervical and ovarian cancers in an Iranian population. METHODS: A total of 131 cases with ovarian cancer, 124 cases with cervical cancer and 140 healthy subjects were enrolled to the study. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood cells of subjects to genotype the IL-6 -174G>C and -572 G>C polymorphisms by amplification refractory mutation system (RFLP) polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: There was a significant association of IL-6 -174G>C CC genotype (OR= 3.231, 95% CI: 1.130-9.239, p=0.029) and C allele (OR = 1.915; 95%CI: 1.266-2.896, p=0.002) with an increased risk of ovarian cancer. Moreover, the IL-6 -174G>C CC genotype (OR= 3.162, 95% CI: 1.094-9.141, p=0.034) and C allele (OR = 1.724; 95%CI: 1.129-2.633, p=0.012) was associated with increased risk of cervical cancer. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the IL-6 -174G>C polymorphism was associated with ovarian cancer and cervical cancer risk. However, IL-6 -572 G>C polymorphism was not associated.

Association of PON1, LEP and LEPR Polymorphisms with Susceptibility to Breast Cancer: A Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women, except for skin cancers. In this meta-analysis, the associations of polymorphisms within paraoxonase 1 (PON1), leptin (LEP) and leptin receptor (LEPR) genes with susceptibility to breast cancer were comprehensively evaluated. METHODS: A universal search in PubMed, Scopus, CNKI, SID, Web of Knowledge and Google Scholar was performed to identify relevant studies up to 01 May, 2021. The strength of the associations was estimated by Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). RESULTS: A total of 39 case-control studies including 7 studies with 2005 cases and 2748 controls were on PON1 rs662, 6 studies with 2,031 cases and 1,973 controls on PON1 rs854560, 12 studies with 3,444 cases and 3,583 controls on LEP rs7799039, and 14 studies with 5,330 cases and 6,188 controls on LEPR rs1137101 were selected. Pooled data showed that PON1 rs662 and rs854560 polymorphisms were associated with risk of breast cancer in overall population, but not LEP rs7799039 and LEPR rs1137101. CONCLUSIONS: Our pooled data revealed that the PON1 rs662 and rs854560 polymorphisms were significantly associated with an increased risk of breast cancer in the overall population. However, LEP rs7799039 and LEPR rs1137101 polymorphisms were not associated.

Association of AXIN2 s2240308 C>T, rs1133683 C>T, rs7224837 A>G Polymorphisms with Susceptibility to Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The association of genetic polymorphisms at Axis inhibition protein 2 (AXIN2) gene and susceptibility to different cancer has attracted much interest. The present study aimed to evaluate the association between AXIN2 rs2240308 C>T, rs1133683 C>T, rs7224837 A>G polymorphisms with susceptibility to breast cancer. METHODS: A polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay was designed to genotype the AXIN2 rs2240308 C>T, rs1133683 C>T, rs7224837 A>G polymorphisms among 150 breast cancer patients and 150 healthy subjects. RESULTS: The frequencies of these genetic variants were in agreement with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in healthy controls (p>0.05). The frequencies of AXIN2 rs2240308 C>T, rs1133683 C>T, rs7224837 A>G genotypes were similar in breast cancer patients and controls. There was no a significant association between the AXIN2 SNP and risk of breast cancer. CONCLUSION: The impact of AXIN2 polymorphisms in the breast cancer development remains unclear. Our results indicated that AXIN2 rs2240308, rs7224837 and rs1133683 polymorphisms did not contribute to increased risk of breast cancer. More studies with larger sample sizes and diverse ethnicities are warranted to verify our finding.

A Meta-Analysis for Association of XRCC1, XRCC2 and XRCC3 Polymorphisms with Susceptibility to Thyroid Cancer.

BACKGROUND: We conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis to explore the association of polymorphisms at XRCC1, XRCC2 and XRCC3 genes with susceptibility to thyroid cancer (TC). METHODS: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and CNKI for relevant available studies. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to evaluate the strength of the associations. RESULTS: A total of 67 studies including 17 studies with 6,806 cases and 5,229 controls on XRCC1 Arg399Gln, 13 studies with 3,234 cases and 4,807 controls on XRCC1 Arg280His, 13 studies with 2,956 cases and 3,860 controls on XRCC1 Arg194Trp, five studies with 1,287 cases and 1,422 controls on XRCC2 Arg188His, 13 studies with 2,488 cases and 3,586 controls on XRCC3 Thr241Met, and six studies with 1,828 cases and 2,060 controls on XRCC3 IVS5-14 polymorphism were selected. Polled data revealed that the XRCC1 Arg399Gln, Arg280His, Arg194Trp, XRCC2 Arg188His and XRCC3 Thr241Met and IVS5-14 polymorphisms were not significantly associated with an increased risk of TC. Stratified analyses by ethnicity showed that the XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymorphism was associated with TC risk in Caucasians, but not in Asians. CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis indicated that the XRCC1 Arg399Gln, Arg280His, Arg194Trp, XRCC2 Arg188His, XRCC3 Thr241Met and IVS5-14 polymorphisms were not associated with risk of TC in the global population.  Further well-designed investigations with large sample sizes are required to confirm our results.
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Antimicrobial core-shell electrospun nanofibers containing Ajwain essential oil for accelerating infected wound healing.

Treatment of skin injuries is still facing major challenges, such as chronicity and infections, particularly those caused by multi-drug resistance pathogens. An effective treatment of such wounds should accelerate the wound healing process while preventing bacterial contamination. Here, a novel core-shell nanofiber mat was fabricated comprising gelatin/polyvinyl alcohol (as a core) and aloe vera/arabinose/polyvinylpyrrolidone (as a shell) for accelerating the healing process of bacteria-infected wounds. Trachyspermum Ammi (Ajwain) essential oil (EO), as a potent and natural antimicrobial agent against microorganisms, was incorporated into the core of nanofiber mats using coaxial electrospinning. The microscopy images demonstrated the successful fabrication of the core-shell structure with a uniform fiber size of 564 ± 106.35 nm. Moreover, Ajwain EO-loaded nanofiber mat (core-shell/EO) provided excellent antimicrobial activity and antioxidant ability. The in vitro and ex vivo release of Ajwain EO from the fabricated nanofiber mat corroborated a prolonged release profile. Furthermore, in vivo antibacterial activity, wound closure, and histomorphological examinations showed the high efficacy of the core-shell/EO mat in the treatment of Staphylococcus aureus-infected full-thickness rat wounds compared to standard control treatment with a gauze. Overall, these results represent the core-shell/EO mat's potential as a newly developed wound dressing for bacteria-infected full-thickness skin injuries.

Association Between the hOGG1 1245C>G (rs1052133) Polymorphism and Susceptibility to Colorectal Cancer: a Meta-analysis Based on 7010 Cases and 10,674 Controls.

BACKGROUND: The 1245C>G (rs1052133) polymorphism of human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase 1 (hOGG1) gene has been indicated to be correlated with colorectal (CRC) susceptibility, but studies have yielded conflicting results. Thus, the present meta-analysis was performed to derive a more precise estimation between hOGG1 1245C>G polymorphism and CRC risk. METHODS: Data were collected from several electronic databases such as PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases, with the last search up to September 01, 2020. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of the association. RESULTS: A total of 24 case-control studies with 7010 CRC cases and 10,674 controls were selected. Pooled data showed that the hOGG1 1245C>G polymorphism was significantly associated with CRC risk under three genetic models, i.e., homozygote (GG vs. CC: OR = 1.229, 95% CI 1.031-1.465, p = 0.022); heterozygote (GC vs. CC: OR = 1.142, 95% CI 1.008-1.294, p = 0.037); and dominant (GG+GC vs. CC: OR = 1.162, 95% CI 1.034-1.304, p = 0.011). When stratified analysis by ethnicity, a significant association of the hOGG1 1245C>G polymorphism with risk of CRC was found in the Caucasians, but not in Asians. Moreover, there were significant associations between hOGG1 1245C>G polymorphism and CRC by PCR-RFLP and hospital-based subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Inconsistent with the previous meta-analysis, these meta-analysis results revealed that the hOGG1 1245C>G polymorphism might be associated with an increased risk of CRC, especially in Caucasians.

Association of ACE I/D, -240A > T and AT1R A1166C polymorphisms with susceptibility to breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis based on 35 case-control studies.

The objective of this meta-analysis was to estimate the association of ACE I/D, -240 A > T and AT1R 1166 A > C polymorphisms with breast cancer (BC) risk. A comprehensive search on databases was conducted to identify all eligible case-control studies. Finally, 35 case-control studies, including 20 studies for ACE I/D, seven studies for ACE 240 A > T, and eight studies for AT1R 1166 A > C were included. The pooled analysis showed a significant association between ACE I/D polymorphism and BC risk under three genetic models, i.e., heterozygote (ID vs. DD: OR = 0.707, 95% CI 0.528-0.946, p = 0.020), homozygote (II vs. DD: OR = 0.662, 95% CI 0.462-0.947, p = 0.024), and dominant (II + ID vs. DD: OR = 0.691, 95% CI 0.507-0.941, p = 0.019). A significant association was also observed in ACE I/D polymorphism with BC risk among Asians and Caucasians. However, ACE -240 A > T and AT1R 1166 A > C polymorphisms were not associated with BC. Stratified analyses by ethnicity showed a significant association of ACE -240 A > T and AT1R 1166 A > C polymorphisms with BC risk in Latinos populations, but not in Asians. This meta-analysis inconsistence with all previous meta-analyses suggests that the ACE I/D might be associated with BC in overall and by ethnicity. However, the ACE -240 A > T and AT1R 1166 A > C were associated with BC risk only among Latinos populations.

Cancer and Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): Comorbidity, Mechanical Ventilation, and Death Risk.

BACKGROUND: The presence of comorbidity poses a major clinical challenge in the care and treatment of COVID-19 patients. Moreover, having one or more comorbidities could be a life-threatening situation in COVID-19 patients. Cancer is substantially associated with significant morbidity and mortality in COVID-19 patients. However, there is not sufficient data to conclude that cancer patients have a higher risk of COVID-19 infection. In this study, we reviewed cancer comorbidity and risk of mechanical ventilation or death in patients with confirmed COVID-19. METHODS: A comprehensive systematic search was performed on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO, and CNKI, to find articles published until August 01, 2020. All relevant case series, case reports, systematic and narrative reviews, meta-analyses, and prospective and retrospective studies that reported clinical characteristics and epidemiological information of cancer patients infected with COVID-19 were included in the study. RESULTS: A total of 12 cohort studies exclusively on cancer patients with confirmed COVID-19 were selected. CONCLUSIONS: According to the findings of this study, cancer was not among the most prevalent underlying diseases in patients with confirmed COVID-19. Moreover, cancer patients infected with COVID-19 had the lowest risk of mechanical ventilation or death than the non-cancer infected patients.

Cumulative Evidence for Association Between IL-8 -251T>A and IL-18 -607C>A Polymorphisms and Colorectal Cancer Susceptibility: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The correlation of IL-8 and IL-18 gene polymorphisms with colorectal cancer (CRC) was investigated by previous studies, though the results remained conflicting. Thus, the meta-analysis was performed to investigate the association of IL-8 -251T>A and IL-18 -607C>A polymorphisms with CRC risk. METHODS: A comprehensive search of the PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, SciELO, and Wanfang databases was performed up to February 20, 2020. The strength of the associations was calculated with odds ratios (ORs) and their corresponding 95% of confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: A total of 16 case-control studies including 13 studies with 3908 cases and 5005 controls on IL-8 -251T>A polymorphism and three studies with 396 cases and 560 controls on IL-18 -607C>A polymorphism were selected. Pooled data revealed that the IL-8 -251T>A and IL-18 -607C>A polymorphisms were not significantly associated with an increased risk of CRC in global population. When stratified by ethnicity, source of controls, sample size, and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE), there were still no significant association between IL-8 -251T>A polymorphism and risk of CRC. CONCLUSIONS: Our results revealed that the IL-8 -251T>A and IL-18 -607C>A polymorphisms were not associated with an increased susceptibility to CRC. We strongly call for further studies with larger sample sizes and different ethnicities to confirm our findings.

Association of XPC Polymorphisms with Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma Risk: Evidence from a Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: A number of studies have reported that the xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group C (XPC) polymorphisms are associated with cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) susceptibility. But the results of those studies were inconsistent. Here, we performed a study to obtain a more conclusive result on the association of XPC polymorphisms with risk of CMM. METHODS: The XPC Lys939Gln and Ala499Val polymorphisms were genotyped in 150 CMM cases and 150 controls by PCR-RFLP assay. Subsequently, all published relevant studies were identified through a comprehensive literature search in PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI databases. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to estimate the strength of correlation. RESULTS: There was no significant association between XPC Lys939Gln and Ala499Val polymorphisms and CMM risk in our population. A total of 15 case-control studies including ten studies with 5,990 cases and 7,697 controls on XPC Lys939Gln and five studies with 3,139 cases and 3,721 controls on XPC Ala499Val polymorphism were selected. Pooled data revealed that XPC Lys939Gln (C vs. A: OR = 1.108, 95% CI 1.008- 1.217; P = 0.033) and Ala499Val (C vs. A: OR = 0.918, 95% CI 0.850-0.992; p = 0.031; CC+CA vs. AA: OR = 0.904, 95% CI 0.819-0.997; p = 0.043) polymorphisms were significantly associated with an increased risk of CMM. Moreover, stratified analyses by ethnicity revealed that the XPC Ala499Val and Lys939Gln polymorphisms were significantly associated with risk of CMM in Caucasians and mixed populations, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis result suggested that XPC Lys939Gln and Ala499Val polymorphisms were significantly associated with risk of CMM.

Role of the 820 A/G variant in the IGF-2 gene and recurrent spontaneous abortion in southern Iran: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2) is a polypeptide growth factor and one of the first genes expressed prior to the implantation of the embryo, with its highest expression in the placental cells. Its activity strongly depends on the genomic imprinting, and the result of the loss of genetic imprinting is the termination of the early stages of embryonic development, which can lead to recurrent spontaneous abortion. OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the role of 820A/G variant of the IGF-2 gene and the probability to recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) in southern Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 50 aborted fetuses tissue for the study group and blood samples umbilical-cord from newborns as control group (n = 50) were collected from Shiraz-Iran (2017). The genotyping of the target point in the IGF-2 gene was performed by Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction and analyzed through high-resolution melting (HRM) curve. RESULTS: Based on the collected data (AA genotype = reference), allele "A" frequency in aborted fetus was 51% and control 68% as well as allele G 49% and 32%, respectively. Moreover, 27 aborted embryos (54%) were heterozygous (A/G) (OR = 3.274, 95% CI = 1.015-10.561, p = 0.04), while 18 cases (36%) in control sample showed heterozygosity. Considering the phenotypic status, the G allele had a dominant effect on the incidence of RSA (p = 0.008, OR = 3.167). CONCLUSION: Based on the present study, the risk of abortion due to loss of heterozygosity or quantitative decline of the IGF-2 is about three-fold in the southern Iran.

The role of cytokine profile and lymphocyte subsets in the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS: This study aimed to make a comparison between the clinical laboratory-related factors, complete blood count (CBC) indices, cytokines, and lymphocyte subsets in order to distinguish severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases from the non-severe ones. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Relevant studies were searched in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases until March 31, 2020. Cochrane's Q test and the I2 statistic were used to determine heterogeneity. We used the random-effect models to pool the weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). KEY FINDINGS: Out of a total of 8557 initial records, 44 articles (50 studies) with 7865 patients (ranging from 13 to 1582), were included. Our meta-analyses with random-effect models showed a significant decrease in lymphocytes, monocyte, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, CD3 cells, CD19 cells, and natural killer (NK) cells and an increase in the white blood cell (WBC), neutrophils, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), C-reactive protein (CRP)/hs-CRP, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), ferritin, procalcitonin (PCT), and serum amyloid A (SAA), interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-2R, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interferon-gamma (INF-γ) in the severe group compared to the non-severe group. However, no significant differences were found in IL-1ß, IL-17, and CD4/CD8 T cell ratio between the two groups. SIGNIFICANCE: Decrease in total lymphocytes and lymphocyte subsets as well as the elevation of CRP, ESR, SAA, PCT, ferritin, and cytokines, but not IL-1ß and IL-17, were closely associated with COVID-19 severity, implying reliable indicators of severe COVID-19.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Abdominal Ultrasonography in Pediatric Acute Appendicitis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography in pediatric acute appendicitis. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 230 children aged 5-15 years with the diagnosis of acute appendicitis were studied. This study included the evaluation of demographic indices, ultrasound findings at diagnosis, and then comparing the results with the description of the patient's procedure and the pathology report of these patients. Patients who did not undergo ultrasound before surgery or their ultrasound did not include the evaluation of appendicitis or their pathologic report was not available were excluded. RESULTS: Overall, we have included a total number of 230 children with clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis among whom there were 121 (52.6%) girls and 109 (47.4%) boys with mean age of 11.44 ± 2.90 years. Preoperative ultrasound report showed that 51.3% were normal and 48.7% had acute appendicitis. 34.8% had normal appendix and 65.2% had a pathological diagnosis of acute appendicitis. The sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound in these children were 58% and 68%, respectively. Positive and negative predictive values ​​were 77% and 46%, respectively. The area under curve (AUC) was 0.853 (CI 95% 0.788-0.917) indicating a test with moderate accuracy. CONCLUSION: According to the obtained results, abdominal ultrasonography is of acceptable diagnostic accuracy in pediatric patients with acute appendicitis. The use of auxiliary techniques in ultrasound would increase the sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in children.