Association between serum levels of high sensitive C-reactive protein and inflammation activity in chronic gastritis patients.

BACKGROUND: Gastritis is an important premalignant lesion and recent studies suggested a production of inflammatory cytokine-like C-reactive protein during gastritis. This study aimed to determine any relationship between high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and inflammation activity among patients with gastritis. METHODS: Demographic and clinical variables of participants were collected by a validated questionnaire. Using histology of the gastric mucosa, Helicobacter pylori status was investigated and serum concentrations of hs-CRP were measured among dyspeptic patients. Correlation between hs-CRP serum levels and inflammation activities was evaluated by logistic regression analysis. The relation between active inflammation and other variables was evaluated by logic link function model. RESULTS: Totally 239 patients (56.6% female) were analysed. The prevalence of mild, moderate and severe inflammation activities was 66.5%, 23.8% and 9.6% respectively. Mean ± SD of hs-CRP among men and women were 2.85 ± 2.84 mg/dl and 2.80 ± 4.80 mg/dl (p = 0.047) respectively. Mean ± SD of hs-CRP among patients with H. pylori infection, gland atrophy, metaplasia and dysplasia were 2.83 ± 3.80 mg/dl, 3.52 ± 5.1 mg/dl, 2.22 ± 2.3 mg/dl and 5.3 ± 5.04 mg/dl respectively. Relationship between hs-CRP and inflammation activities (p < 0.01) was significant. A significant relationship between dysplasia and hs-CRP (p < 0.04) was revealed. A significant relationship between age and hs-CRP was detected (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Although serum hs-CRP is not a specific biomarker for gastritis, elevated hs-CRP levels may be considered as a predictive marker of changes in gastric mucosa and a promising therapeutic target for patients with gastritis.

Correlation of rs35753505 polymorphism in Neuregulin 1 gene with psychopathology and intelligence of people with schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Schizophrenia is one of the most severe psychiatric disorders. About 0.5 to 1% of the world's population suffers from this non-Mendelian disorder. Environmental and genetic factors seem to be involved in this disorder. In this article, we investigate the alleles and genotypic correlation of mononucleotide rs35753505 polymorphism of Neuregulin 1 (NRG1), one of the selected genes of schizophrenia, with psychopathology and intelligence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 102 independent and 98 healthy patients participated in this study. DNA was extracted by the salting out method and the polymorphism (rs35753505) were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Sanger sequencing was performed on PCR products. Allele frequency analysis was performed using COCAPHASE software, and genotype analysis was performed using Clump22 software. RESULTS: According to our study's statistical findings, all case samples from the three categories of men, women, and overall participants significantly differed from the control group in terms of the prevalence of allele C and the CC risk genotype. The rs35753505 polymorphism significantly raised Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) test results, according to a correlation analysis between the two variables. However, this polymorphism led to a significant decrease in overall intelligence in case samples compared to control samples. CONCLUSION: In this study, it seems that the rs35753505 polymorphism of NRG1 gene has a significant role in the sample of patients with schizophrenia in Iran and also in psychopathology and intelligence disorders.

Serotonin transporter functional polymorphisms potentially increase risk of schizophrenia separately and as a haplotype.

Schizophrenia is a severe, disabling psychiatric disorder with unclear etiology. Family-based, twins, and adoption studies have shown that genetic factors have major contributions in schizophrenia occurrence. Until now, many studies have discovered the association of schizophrenia and its comorbid symptoms with functional polymorphisms that lie within serotonin reuptake pathway genes. Here, we aimed to investigate the association of three variable number tandem repeats (VNTR) functional polymorphisms in MAOA and SLC6A4 with schizophrenia in the Iranian population. Two hundred and forty-one subjects with schizophrenia and three hundred and seventy age and sex-matched healthy controls were genotyped for MAOA promoter uVNTR, 5-HTTLPR, and STin2 polymorphisms. Genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with locus-specific primers and running the PCR product on agarose 2.5% gel electrophoresis. Finally, the statistical inference was performed using R programming language and Haploview software. MAOA promoter uVNTR analysis of allele frequency showed no differences between schizophrenia subjects and healthy controls in both males and females and no significant differences were observed between female cases and female controls in MAOA promoter uVNTR 4 repeat frequency. Also, there were no differences between Schizophrenia and healthy control groups in 5-HTTLPR allele and genotype frequency but, 5-HTTLPR S allele carriers are significantly more frequent among cases. In addition, STin2.12 repeats were significantly more frequent among schizophrenia patients. Genotype comparison suggested that 5-HTTLPR S allele and STin2.12 repeat carriers were significantly more frequent among schizophrenia cases and being STin2.12 repeat carrier significantly increase the risk of schizophrenia occurrence. Besides, analysis of haplotype showed stronger linkage disequilibrium between 5-HTTLPR and STin2 haplotype block in cases than controls. These results suggest that SLC6A4 functional polymorphisms potentially could play a possible role as risk factors for the incidence of schizophrenia.

What do the genetic association data say about the high risk of suicide in people with depression? A novel network-based approach to find common molecular basis for depression and suicidal behavior and related therapeutic targets.

BACKGROUND: Available sources indicate that the risk of suicide in people with major depression is higher than other psychiatric disorders. Although it seems that these two conditions may have a shared cause in some cases, no studies have been conducted to identify a common basis for them. METHODS: In this study, following an extensive review of literature, we found almost all the genes that are involved in major depression and suicidal behavior, and we isolated genes shared between the two conditions. Then, we found all physical or functional interactions within three mentioned gene sets and reconstructed three genetic interactive networks. All networks were analyzed topologically and enriched functionally. Finally, using a drug repurposing approach, we found the main available drugs that interacted with the most central genes shared between suicidal behavior and depression. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that BDNF, SLC6A4, CREB1, and TNF are the most fundamental shared genes; and generally, disordered dopaminergic, serotonergic, and immunologic pathways in neuronal projections are the main shared deficient pathways. In addition, we found two genes, SLC6A4 and SLC6A2, to be the main therapeutic targets, and Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRI) and Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCA) to be the most effective drugs for individuals with depression at risk for suicide. CONCLUSIONS: Our results, in addition to shedding light on the integrated molecular basis of depression-suicide, offer new therapeutic targets for individuals with depression at high risk for suicide and could pave the way for future preclinical and clinical studies. However, integrative systems biology-based studies highly depend on existing data and related databases, as well as the arrival of new experimental data sources in the future, possibly affecting the current results.

The Effects of Creatine Monohydrate on Permeability of Coronary Artery Endothelium and Level of Blood Lipoprotein in Diabetic Rats.

BACKGROUND: Creatine monohydrate has beneficial effects on serum glucose. This study aimed to investigate the effects of creatine on serum biochemical markers and permeability of coronary arteries among diabetic rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 32 Wistar rats, which weighed 150-200 grams were randomly divided into 4 groups including: group I, control; group II, creatine monohydrate; group III, diabetic rats; and group IV, diabetic rats + creatine. Creatine monohydrate was applied by 400 mg/kg/daily for 5 months. Animals' weights and blood samples were taken before and after the study. Endothelial permeability rate was measured by Evans Blue method. Data were analysed by SPSS 16. RESULTS: At the end of fifth month, rats' weights in diabetic group under treatment with creatine, compared to those without, increased significantly (p<0.0001). Also, the serum levels of triglyceride (TG), cholesterol, glucose and low density lipoprotein (LDL)- cholesterol decreased significantly among those under treatment with creatine (p<0.05), but high density lipoprotein (HDL)- cholesterol increased significantly (p<0.002). Permeability rate of coronary arteries was reduced significantly in the diabetic group treated by creatine compared to untreated groups, closed to the intact group (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Results of this study showed that creatine monohydrate caused an improvement of serum biochemical markers associated with diabetes and reduced the permeability rate of coronary arteries among diabetic rats.

Precancerous histopathologic lesions of upper gastrointestinal tract among dyspeptic patients upon endoscopic evaluations.

PURPOSE: Gastric cancer is one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide which is influenced by different risk factors. This study aimed to investigate the effects of various factors associated with precancerous lesions among dyspeptic patients. METHODS: Among dyspeptic patients admitted to gastrointestinal clinics in Ilam city, west of Iran, 1123 were investigated during 2008 to 2011. All patients were evaluated by endoscopy and their biopsy samples were examined for histological differentiations and their pathology reports were classified according to Sydney criteria. RESULTS: One thousand out of 1123 admitted dyspeptic patients were finally analyzed. The mean age of participants was 48 years (ranged 21-84 years), and 64.8% of patients were male. The frequency of patients with atrophy, metaplasia, or both was 14.4%, adenocarcinoma 1.2%, and polyp hyperplasia 0.7%, respectively. The highest frequency was related to those with chronic gastritis accompanied by Helicobacter pylori infection with a figure of 80.8%. The frequency of precancerous lesions among smokers compared to non-smokers was higher significantly (p < 0.03). Though non-significant, BMI was associated with the higher risk of premalignant lesions among dyspeptic patients by an increasing manner. CONCLUSION: Chronic gastritis accompanied with H. pylori infection was revealed as the most prevalent variable among dyspeptic patients. Also, higher BMI compared to normal and smokers compared to non-smokers were more involved by precancerous lesions.

Coenzyme Q10 in combination with triple therapy regimens ameliorates oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in chronic gastritis associated with H. pylori infection.

Chronic gastritis associated with H. pylori infection causes oxidative stress in the stomach. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of coenzyme q10 among gastric patients infected by H. pylori. By a clinical trial, chronic gastric patients infected by H. pylori were randomly divided into 2 groups: intervention and placebo. The placebo group received a standard triple therapy regimen, and the intervention group received the triple regimen + coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). Mean inflammation score; serum levels of 3 serum markers were then compared. A total of 100 participants of whom 67% were female were evaluated. The mean age of participants was 59.4 ± 11.4 years. The mean inflammation score was considerably decreased at the end of the study, in the intervention group. The mean levels of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) at the end of the study were reduced among the triple therapy group (P < .05, P =.03 respectively). The mean levels of TAC and GPx were significantly higher among the intervention group at the end of the study compared with those at the start of the study. The combination of triple therapy with CoQ10 demonstrated an effective outcome on the mucosal inflammation, and stress oxidative in patients with chronic gastritis.