ABSTRACT
Opium use was recently classified as a human carcinogen for lung cancer by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. We conducted a large, multicenter case-control study evaluating the association between opium use and the risk of lung cancer. We recruited 627 cases and 3477 controls from May 2017 to July 2020. We used unconditional logistic regression analyses to estimate the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) and measured the association between opium use and the risk of lung cancer. The ORs were adjusted for the residential place, age, gender, socioeconomic status, cigarettes, and water pipe smoking. We found a 3.6-fold risk of lung cancer for regular opium users compared to never users (95% CI: 2.9, 4.6). There was a strong dose-response association between a cumulative count of opium use and lung cancer risk. The OR for regular opium use was higher for small cell carcinoma than in other histology (8.3, 95% CI: 4.8, 14.4). The OR of developing lung cancer among opium users was higher in females (7.4, 95% CI: 3.8, 14.5) than in males (3.3, 95% CI: 2.6, 4.2). The OR for users of both opium and tobacco was 13.4 (95% CI: 10.2, 17.7) compared to nonusers of anything. The risk of developing lung cancer is higher in regular opium users, and these results strengthen the conclusions on the carcinogenicity of opium. The association is stronger for small cell carcinoma cases than in other histology.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Small Cell , Lung Neoplasms , Opium Dependence , Small Cell Lung Carcinoma , Humans , Female , Male , Opium Dependence/epidemiology , Case-Control Studies , Opium/adverse effects , Iran/epidemiology , Small Cell Lung Carcinoma/epidemiology , Small Cell Lung Carcinoma/etiology , Lung Neoplasms/chemically induced , Lung Neoplasms/epidemiologyABSTRACT
The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) has been shown to play a role as a receptor for the COVID-19 virus. This virus usually gets into cells and infects them by attaching to their glycoprotein receptors, which are found on the ACE2 receptor. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and inheritance of ACE1 I/D and ACE2 rs2285666 polymorphisms in COVID-19 patients with varying severity of lung involvement and its effect on serum cytokines levels of interleukin (IL)-1 and IL-6 and laboratory parameters. One hundred eighty-five COVID-19 patients were grouped according to the severity of lung involvement. (I/D) polymorphism of the ACE1 gene and rs2285666 polymorphism of the ACE2 gene were determined by single specific primer-polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length reaction-polymerase chain reaction methods, respectively. Serum levels of IL-1 and IL-6 were also measured by the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay technique. No statistically significant association of ACE2 rs2285666 polymorphism genotypes and ACE1 I/D with the severity of lung involvement was noted. However, there was a statistically significant association between I/D ACE1 polymorphism genotypes and IL-6, white blood cells (WBC), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) levels. Also, there was no statistically significant association between rs2285666 polymorphism genotypes and patients' blood oxygen saturation level, IL-6, IL-1ß, lactate dehydrogenase activity, WBC count, and NLR. In patients with COVID-19, the rs2285666 polymorphism of the ACE2 gene and the I/D polymorphism of the ACE1 gene were not significantly associated with the severity of COVID-19 disease and serum IL-6 and IL-1 cytokine levels.
Subject(s)
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 , COVID-19 , Humans , Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2/genetics , COVID-19/genetics , COVID-19/pathology , COVID-19/virology , Cytokines , Interleukin-1 , Interleukin-6 , LungABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Elevated blood pressure is associated with cardiovascular disease, stroke and chronic kidney disease. In this study, we examined the socioeconomic inequality and its related factors in prevalence, Awareness, Treatment and Control (ATC) of hypertension (HTN) in Iran. METHOD: The study used data from the recruitment phase of The Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in IrAN (PERSIAN). A sample of 162,842 adults aged > = 35 years was analyzed. HTN was defined according to the Joint National Committee)JNC-7(. socioeconomic inequality was measured using concentration index (Cn) and curve. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 49.38(SD = ± 9.14) years and 44.74% of the them were men. The prevalence of HTN in the total population was 22.3%(95% CI: 20.6%; 24.1%), and 18.8%(95% CI: 16.8%; 20.9%) and 25.2%(95% CI: 24.2%; 27.7%) in men and women, respectively. The percentage of awareness treatment and control among individuals with HTN were 77.5%(95% CI: 73.3%; 81.8%), 82.2%(95% CI: 70.2%; 81.6%) and 75.9%(95% CI: 70.2%; 81.6%), respectively. The Cn for prevalence of HTN was -0.084. Two factors, age (58.46%) and wealth (32.40%), contributed most to the socioeconomic inequality in the prevalence of HTN. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of HTN was higher among low-SES individuals, who also showed higher levels of awareness. However, treatment and control of HTN were more concentrated among those who had higher levels of SES, indicating that people at a higher risk of adverse event related to HTN (the low SES individuals) are not benefiting from the advantage of treatment and control of HTN. Such a gap between diagnosis (prevalence) and control (treatment and control) of HTN needs to be addressed by public health policymakers.
Subject(s)
Hypertension , Adult , Cohort Studies , Female , Humans , Hypertension/diagnosis , Hypertension/epidemiology , Hypertension/therapy , Iran/epidemiology , Male , Middle Aged , Prevalence , Prospective Studies , Risk Factors , Socioeconomic FactorsABSTRACT
Scant evidence exists to support the association of opium use with head and neck cancer, limited to the larynx and oral cavity. In a multicenter case-control study-Iran Opium and Cancer study, we recruited 633 cases of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) (254 lip and oral cavity, 54 pharynx, 327 larynx and 28 other subsites within the head and neck) and 3065 frequency-matched controls from April 2016 to April 2019. Odds ratios (ORs) for opium use and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were obtained using mixed-effects logistic regression because of heterogeneity among centers. The adjusted OR (95% CI) for regular opium use was 3.76 (2.96-4.79) for all HNSCC combined. Strong dose-response effects were observed by frequency or amount of use, and duration of use. Regular opium uses significantly increased the risk of HNSCC of the pharynx, larynx and other subsites within the head and neck with OR (95% CI) of 2.90 (1.40-6.02), 6.55 (4.69-9.13) and 5.95 (2.41-14.71), respectively. The observed associations were significant even among never tobacco smokers (including cigarette and water-pipe smoking). Moreover, by the multiplicative interaction scale, the effect of opium use could be varied by cigarette smoking on HNSCC, 8.16 (6.20-10.74). For the first time, the current study showed opium users have an increased risk of several anatomic subsites of HNSCC.
Subject(s)
Opium Dependence/complications , Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck/chemically induced , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Female , Humans , Logistic Models , Male , Middle Aged , RiskABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Obesity is a substantial risk factor for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Epidemiologic studies have shown that some obese and overweight individuals are metabolically healthy. We aimed to determine the prevalence of metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO), metabolically unhealthy overweight (MUOW), and metabolically unhealthy normal weight (MUNW) in a southern coastal area of Iran, Bandare-Kong Non-Communicable Diseases (BKNCD) Cohort Study. METHODS: This population-based study included the participants of BKNCD, as part of the Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in IrAN (PERSIAN). Metabolic health was defined as not fulfilling the metabolic syndrome (MetS) criteria. RESULTS: Among the 3917 participants in this study with the mean age of 48.29 ± 9.39 years, including 1691 (43.2%) males, the age- and sex-standardized prevalence of MUO, MUOW, and MUNW was 13.9, 16.8, and 6.4%, respectively. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that the adjusted odds of all metabolically unhealthy states were higher in older age groups, except for MUO whose adjusted odds were lower in the 65-70 age group compared to the 55-64 age group. Illiteracy was significantly correlated with MUOW (adjusted OR: 1.43, 95% CI 1.09-1.87, P = 0.010); however, it was not associated with MUO or MUNW. Higher body mass index (BMI) was significantly correlated with MUNW but it was not associated with MUOW or MUO. Higher waist circumference (WC) was also significantly associated with all metabolically unhealthy states. CONCLUSION: The age- and sex-standardized prevalence of MUO, MUOW, and MUNW was 13.9, 16.8, and 6.4%, respectively in the current study. Advanced age and higher WC were significantly correlated with all metabolically unhealthy states, while illiteracy and higher BMI were only associated with MUOW and MUNW, respectively. Metabolic health rather than weight loss should be the focus and objective of public prevention programs.
Subject(s)
Metabolic Syndrome , Overweight , Adult , Aged , Body Mass Index , Cohort Studies , Cross-Sectional Studies , Epidemiologic Studies , Humans , Iran/epidemiology , Male , Metabolic Syndrome/epidemiology , Middle Aged , Obesity/epidemiology , Overweight/epidemiology , Prevalence , Prospective Studies , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic inequality in mental health in Iran is poorly understood. This study aimed to assess socioeconomic inequality in poor mental health among Iranian adults. METHODS: The study used the baseline data of PERSIAN cohort study including 131,813 participants from 17 geographically distinct areas of Iran. The Erreygers Concentration index (E) was used to quantify the socioeconomic inequalities in poor mental health. Moreover, we decomposed the E to identify factors contributing to the observed socioeconomic inequality in poor mental health in Iran. RESULTS: The estimated E for poor mental health was - 0.012 (95% CI: - 0.0144, - 0.0089), indicating slightly higher concentration of mental health problem among socioeconomically disadvantaged adults in Iran. Socioeconomic inequality in poor mental health was mainly explained by gender (19.93%) and age (12.70%). Region, SES itself, and physical activity were other important factors that contributed to the concentration of poor mental health among adults with low socioeconomic status. CONCLUSION: There exists nearly equitable distribution in poor mental health among Iranian adults, but with important variations by gender, SES, and geography. These results suggested that interventional programs in Iran should focus on should focus more on socioeconomically disadvantaged people as a whole, with particular attention to the needs of women and those living in more socially disadvantaged regions.
Subject(s)
Mental Health/economics , Mental Health/statistics & numerical data , Social Class , Socioeconomic Factors , Adult , Cohort Studies , Female , Humans , Iran/epidemiology , Male , Sex Factors , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity are major health concerns worldwide, with adverse health consequences during the life span. This study measured socioeconomic inequality in overweight and obesity among Iranian adults. METHODS: Data were extracted from 129,257 Iranian adults (aged 35 years and older) participated in the Prospective Epidemiologic Research Studies in IrAN (PERSIAN) in 14 provinces of Iran in 2014. Socioeconomic-related inequality in overweight and obesity was estimated using the Concentration Index (Cn). The Cn further decomposed to find factors explaining the variability within the Socioeconomic related inequality in overweight and obesity. RESULTS: Of the total number of participants, 1.98, 26.82, 40.76 and 30.43% had underweight, normal weight, overweight and obesity respectively. The age-and sex standardized prevalence of obesity was higher in females than males (39.85% vs 18.79%). People with high socioeconomic status (SES) had a 39 and 15% higher chance of being overweight and obese than low SES people, respectively. The positive value of Cn suggested a higher concentration of overweight (0.081, 95% confidence interval [CI]; 0.074-0.087) and obesity (0.027, 95% CI; 0.021-0.034) among groups with high SES. There was a wide variation in socioeconomic-related inequality in overweight and obesity rate across 14 provinces. The decomposition results suggested that SES factor itself explained 66.77 and 89.07% of the observed socioeconomic inequalities in overweight and obesity among Iranian adults respectively. Following SES, province of residence, physical activity, using hookah and smoking were the major contributors to the concentration of overweight and obesity among the rich. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, we found that overweight and obesity is concentrated among high SES people in the study population. . Accordingly, it seems that intersectional actions should be taken to control and prevent overweight and obesity among higher socioeconomic groups.
Subject(s)
Health Status Disparities , Obesity/epidemiology , Overweight/epidemiology , Social Class , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Iran/epidemiology , Male , Middle Aged , Prevalence , Prospective Studies , Socioeconomic FactorsABSTRACT
Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase (eNOS) is an indispensable regulator of blood pressure through producing Nitric Oxide (NO). There is some evidence to suggest that eNOS gene polymorphisms are associated with Essential Hypertension (EHT). In this study, the potential association between eNOS 4a/4b, A922G, G894T, T786C gene polymorphisms and EHT as individual risk factors and as haplotypes are examined in the southern population of Iran (Bandar-Abbas). In this study, 200 EHT patients and 200 normotensive subjects which were matched for age and sex were included. Genotyping was performed by either utilizing Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) or PCR followed by Restriction Fragment length Polymorphism (RFLP) method. Our results demonstrated statistically significant associations between T786C, G894T, and 4a/4a and EHT (p < 0.05); however, A922G had no significant association with EHT (p > 0.05). Haplotype analysis also suggested that - 786C/- 922A/4a, - 786C/- 922A/4b and - 786C/- 922G/4a haplotypes were more frequent in EHT group than control group, hypothesizing a positive association with EHT. The present study has identified that the eNOS genetic variations are associated with EHT in southern population of Iran (Bandar-Abbas). These findings also suggested that a number of haplotypes of eNOS gene may be a driving factor for EHT susceptibility in respected population.
Subject(s)
Essential Hypertension/enzymology , Essential Hypertension/genetics , Haplotypes , Introns , Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III/genetics , Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide , Adult , Case-Control Studies , Essential Hypertension/blood , Essential Hypertension/epidemiology , Female , Gene Frequency , Genetic Association Studies , Genetic Predisposition to Disease , Humans , Iran/epidemiology , Male , Middle Aged , Polymerase Chain ReactionABSTRACT
Considering the application of human genome variation databases in precision medicine, population-specific genome projects are continuously being developed. However, the Middle Eastern population is underrepresented in current databases. Accordingly, we established Iranome database (www.iranome.com) by performing whole exome sequencing on 800 individuals from eight major Iranian ethnic groups representing the second largest population of Middle East. We identified 1,575,702 variants of which 308,311 were novel (19.6%). Also, by presenting higher frequency for 37,384 novel or known rare variants, Iranome database can improve the power of molecular diagnosis. Moreover, attainable clinical information makes this database a good resource for classifying pathogenicity of rare variants. Principal components analysis indicated that, apart from Iranian-Baluchs, Iranian-Turkmen, and Iranian-Persian Gulf Islanders, who form their own clusters, rest of the population were genetically linked, forming a super-population. Furthermore, only 0.6% of novel variants showed counterparts in "Greater Middle East Variome Project", emphasizing the value of Iranome at national level by releasing a comprehensive catalog of Iranian genomic variations and also filling another gap in the catalog of human genome variations at international level. We introduce Iranome as a resource which may also be applicable in other countries located in neighboring regions historically called Greater Iran (Persia).
Subject(s)
Computational Biology/methods , Databases, Genetic , Ethnicity/genetics , Genome, Human , Genomics , Web Browser , Genetic Variation , Genetics, Population , Genomics/methods , Genotype , Geography , Humans , Iran , Middle East , Molecular Sequence AnnotationABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The level of socioeconomic-related inequality in physical activity in Iran is largely unknown. This study investigates socioeconomic-related inequality in poor-physical activity (PPA) among Iranian adults. METHODS: A total of 129,257 adult participants enrolled in the PERSIAN (Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in IrAN) Cohort were included in this study. Physical activity of adults was measured using metabolic equivalent rates (METs). Physical activity less than 41 METs/hour/day was considered PPA. The Concentration index (C) was used to quantify socioeconomic-related inequality in PPA. Moreover, the C was decomposed to identify the relative contribution of explanatory variables to inequality in PPA. RESULTS: There were significant regional variations in physical activity level among Iranian adults (29.8-76.5%). The positive value of C (0.098, 95% CI = 0.092 to 0.104) suggested that the higher concentration of PPA among higher socioeconomic status (SES) adults in Iran which was consistently observed in all cohort sites. CONCLUSIONS: The higher prevalence of PPA among Iranian adults, especially, women and older adults, warrant further public health attention. Since PPA is concentrated more among the high-SES population in Iran, strategies for the promotion of physical activity should focus more on economically well-off population.
Subject(s)
Exercise , Social Class , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Iran , Male , Middle Aged , Prospective Studies , Socioeconomic FactorsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: We aimed to determine the contribution of four DFNB loci and mutation analysis of gap junction beta-2 (GJB2) and GJB4 genes in autosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearing loss (ARNSHL) in South of Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 36 large ARNSHL pedigrees with at least two affected subjects were enrolled in the current study. The GJB2 and GJB4 genes mutations were screened using direct sequencing method. The GJB2 and GJB4 negative families were analyzed for the linkage to DFNB21, DFNB24, DFNB29, and DFNB42 loci by genotyping the corresponding STR markers using polymerase chain reaction-PAGE method. RESULTS: We found a homozygous nonsense mutation W77X and a homozygous missense mutation C169W in 5.55% of studied families in GJB2 and GJB4 genes, respectively. Five heterozygous mutations including V63G, A78T, and R127H in GJB2 gene, and R103C and R227W in GJB4 gene were detected. We identified two novel variations V63G in GJB2 and R227W in GJB4. In silico analysis predicted that both novel variations are deleterious mutations. We did not unveil any linkage between DFNB21, DFNB24, DFNB29, and DFNB42 loci and ARNSHL among studied families. CONCLUSION: This is the first report of GJB2 and GJB4 mutations from Hormozgan population. According to the previous publications regarding GJB2 and GJB4 mutations, the distribution of the mutations is different from other parts of Iran that should be considered in primary health-care programs. Further investigations are needed to evaluate the contribution of other loci in ARNSHL subjects in South of Iran.
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Background: Hookah smoking has pointedly increased worldwide and could have different harmful health effects. However, long term hookah smoking effects on chronic diseases has not been well studied. This study was aimed to investigate the relationship between hookah smoking with metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Methods: In this prospective study, the baseline data from 3695 participant (35-70 years old) of Bandar-e-Kong cohort study in Hormozgan province, Iran were used. In this study, data were collected through the questionnaires designed in the Kong cohort study and 25 mm of blood sample. All analyses were performed using SPSS version 27.0 and the ggplot2 package in RStudio version 2023.06.1 + 524. p < 0.05 was considered a significant difference. Results: The prevalence of hookah smoking was 17.3% in total. Also, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome, diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia were 35.6, 15.2, 31.2, and 78.0%, respectively. Our results showed that there were statistically significant relationship between hookah smoking and metabolic syndrome, hypertension and diabetes (p < 0.05). In the case of dyslipidemia, hookah smoking was also associated with increase in dyslipidemia (p < 0.05). Conclusions: More evidence is needed to understand the mechanism of hookah smoking and these health effects. As well as, health education and increasing public awareness about the health effects of hookah smoking and implementation of smoking prohibition policies are highly recommended.
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BACKGROUND: Limited data exist for the association between bladder cancers and waterpipe smoking, an emerging global public health concern. METHODS: We used the IROPICAN database in Iran and used multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for cigarette smoking, opium use, and other confounding factors. In addition, we studied the association between exclusive waterpipe smoking and bladder cancer. RESULTS: We analyzed 717 cases and 3,477 controls and a subset of 215 patients and 2,145 controls who did not use opium or cigarettes. Although the OR adjusted for opium, cigarettes, and other tobacco products was 0.92 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.69-1.20], we observed a statistically significant elevated risk in exclusive waterpipe smokers (OR = 1.78; 95% CI, 1.16-2.72) compared with non-users of opium or any tobacco. Associations were strongest for smoking more than two heads/day (OR = 2.25; 95% CI, 1.21-4.18) and for initiating waterpipe smoking at an age less than 20 (OR = 2.73; 95% CI, 1.11-6.72). The OR for urothelial bladder cancer was higher in ex-smokers (OR = 2.35; 95% CI, 1.24-4.42) than in current smokers (OR = 1.52; 95% CI, 0.72-3.15). All observed associations were consistently higher for urothelial histology. CONCLUSIONS: Waterpipe smoking may be associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer, notably among individuals who are not exposed to cigarette smoking and opium. IMPACT: The study provides compelling evidence that waterpipe smoking is a confirmed human carcinogen, demanding action from policymakers. See related In the Spotlight, p. 461.
Subject(s)
Urinary Bladder Neoplasms , Water Pipe Smoking , Humans , Water Pipe Smoking/adverse effects , Water Pipe Smoking/epidemiology , Iran/epidemiology , Case-Control Studies , Opium , Nicotiana , Urinary Bladder Neoplasms/epidemiology , Urinary Bladder Neoplasms/etiologyABSTRACT
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.
Subject(s)
Gastroesophageal Reflux , Humans , Gastroesophageal Reflux/epidemiology , Iran/epidemiology , Male , Female , Middle Aged , Risk Factors , Cross-Sectional Studies , Adult , Prevalence , Aged , Cohort StudiesABSTRACT
AIMS: The role of SNHG4 in the initiation and development of gastric cancer. BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. Studies have shown that lncRNAs have a regulatory function in human diseases, particularly cancers. Small nuclear RNA host gene 4 (SNHG4) has been known as an oncogenic long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) in various cancers, and its dysregulation can lead to tumorigenesis and cancer progression. OBJECTIVE: Alteration of SNHG4 expression in gastric cancer and its correlation with clinical features of patients with stomach cancer; also, the accomplishment of bioinformatic analysis to find the potential pathways which could be impressed by changes in SNHG4 RNA expression. METHODS: The present study aims to determine the molecular mechanism of SNHG4 and the effects of its expression on the development of GC. Based on the bioinformatics investigations, we studied gene expression analysis, Kaplan-Meier survival, Gene ontology (GO), KEGG pathway enrichment, microRNA targets, transcription factor targets, and proteins interacting with SNHG4. During the experimental phase, SNHG4 expression was examined by quantitative real-time PCR (qRTPCR) in 40 paired gastric adenocarcinoma tissues and normal neighboring tissues. Also, we investigated the correlation between SNHG4 expression and patients' clinicopathological characteristics. RESULTS: Increased SNHG4 expression was detected in GC tissues, which is significantly associated with the TNM stage, grade group, tumor size, and metastatic status. Evaluation survival analysis demonstrated that overexpression of SNHG4 in GC tissues is remarkably related to poor overall survival (OS). SNHG4 is closely related to miR-490 and E2F family transcription factors. GO analysis suggested the possible role of SNHG4 in cell-cell adhesion, and KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that SNHG4 could be associated with the gastric cancer signaling pathway. ELAVL1 and IGF2BP2 have the highest number of SNHG4 target sites, and these proteins are involved in the PI3K-Akt-mTOR and ERK-MAPK signaling pathways. CONCLUSION: Based on our results, we conclude that SNHG4 may have a function in GC development by regulating tumor-related signaling pathways.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Waterpipe smoking has become increasingly popular in Western countries, particularly among young individuals. This study aims to identify the factors influencing waterpipe smoking by focusing on consumption patterns. Methods: We utilized data from a multicenter case-control study (IROPICAN) conducted in Iran. Multivariate logistic regression estimated the adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals as a measure of association between waterpipe smoking and different factors. Results: Among 3,477 subjects were included, 11.8% were waterpipe smokers. Most of <50 years old smokers were occasional (80%), while daily smokers were often >50 years (85%). Around 59% of occasional users started it before 30 years old. Low education, low SES, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, secondhand smoke exposure, and opium use were associated with waterpipe smoking. Stratified analysis by frequency pattern showed an association between occasional smoking with age 0.97 (0.96-0.98), university degree 0.36 (0.17-0.76), urban dwellers 1.40 (1.06-1.86) and between high SES and daily smoking 0.34 (0.17-0.69). Conclusion: Our results offer valuable information to policymakers for developing waterpipe smoking control measures. The occasional waterpipe smoking results may be generalized to the younger people in Western countries.
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Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is defined as the presence of several metabolic risk factors. The traditional MetS criteria have been considered insufficient for evaluating individuals at risk. MetS has always been categorized using binary criteria, which deny that the risk associated with MetS is likely to exist as a continuum. Also, MetS may present differently depending on age, sex, race, or ethnicity. We aimed to derive age-sex-specific equations for MetS severity scores within a southern Iranian population. Methods: This study used first-phase data from the Bandare-Kong Non-Communicable Diseases (BKNCD) Cohort Study as part of the Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in IrAN (PERSIAN). After exclusion of the pregnant women, diabetic patients, and individuals taking antihypertensive, antihyperlipidemic, and antidiabetic medications, 2,735 individuals aged 35 to 70 years were selected for analysis. The diagnosis of MetS was based on the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) criteria for the Iranian population. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to formulate MetS severity scores. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to validate MetS severity score equations for age-sex-specific categories. Results: Triglyceride had the highest factor loading range in all age-sex categories for determining the MetS severity score. Conversely, systolic blood pressure and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) exhibited the lowest factor loadings across all age-sex groups. In both sexes, when age was considered, systolic blood pressure and FPG factor loadings were less significant among subjects aged ≥45 and 35-44 years, respectively. Conclusion: MetS severity scores might be more applicable than the current criteria of MetS. Prospective population-based studies should be conducted to assess the accuracy and validity of the MetS severity score for predicting cardiometabolic diseases.