The Reticulon-4 3-bp Deletion/Insertion Polymorphism Is Associated with Structural mRNA Changes and the Risk of Breast Cancer: A Population-Based Case-Control Study with Bioinformatics Analysis.

Breast cancer (BC) is a complex disease caused by molecular events that disrupt cellular survival and death. Discovering novel biomarkers is still required to better understand and treat BC. The reticulon-4 (RTN4) gene, encoding Nogo proteins, plays a critical role in apoptosis and cancer development, with genetic variations affecting its function. We investigated the rs34917480 in RTN4 and its association with BC risk in an Iranian population sample. We also predicted the rs34917480 effect on RTN4 mRNA structure and explored the RTN4's protein-protein interaction network (PPIN) and related pathways. In this case-control study, 437 women (212 BC and 225 healthy) were recruited. The rs34917480 was genotyped using AS-PCR, mRNA secondary structure was predicted with RNAfold, and PPIN was constructed using the STRING database. Our findings revealed that this variant was associated with a decreased risk of BC in heterozygous (p = 0.012), dominant (p = 0.015), over-dominant (p = 0.017), and allelic (p = 0.035) models. Our prediction model showed that this variant could modify RTN4's mRNA thermodynamics and potentially its translation. RTN4's PPIN also revealed a strong association with apoptosis regulation and key signaling pathways highly implicated in BC. Consequently, our findings, for the first time, demonstrate that rs34917480 could be a protective factor against BC in our cohort, probably via preceding mechanisms.

Large infratentorial cystic oligodendroglioma in a pregnant patient: A case report of a rare presentation and literature review.

Oligodendrogliomas (ODGs) are rare brain tumors in adults, mostly presenting as a supratentorial solid mass, while less than 10% occur infratentorially. Infratentorial cystic ODGs are extremely rare. We reported a large partially cystic cerebellar ODG in a 31-week pregnant patient with an unusual presentation and discussed the challenging management.

Association of miR-499 Polymorphism and Its Regulatory Networks with Hashimoto Thyroiditis Susceptibility: A Population-Based Case-Control Study.

Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) is a common autoimmune disorder with a strong genetic background. Several genetic factors have been suggested, yet numerous genetic contributors remain to be fully understood in HT pathogenesis. MicroRNAs (miRs) are gene expression regulators critically involved in biological processes, of which polymorphisms can alter their function, leading to pathologic conditions, including autoimmune diseases. We examined whether miR-499 rs3746444 polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to HT in an Iranian subpopulation. Furthermore, we investigated the potential interacting regulatory network of the miR-499. This case-control study included 150 HT patients and 152 healthy subjects. Genotyping of rs3746444 was performed by the PCR-RFLP method. Also, target genomic sites of the polymorphism were predicted using bioinformatics. Our results showed that miR-499 rs3746444 was positively associated with HT risk in heterozygous (OR = 3.32, 95%CI = 2.00-5.53, p < 0.001, CT vs. TT), homozygous (OR = 2.81, 95%CI = 1.30-6.10, p = 0.014, CC vs. TT), dominant (OR = 3.22, 95%CI = 1.97-5.25, p < 0.001, CT + CC vs. TT), overdominant (OR = 2.57, 95%CI = 1.62-4.09, p < 0.001, CC + TT vs. CT), and allelic (OR = 1.92, 95%CI = 1.37-2.69, p < 0.001, C vs. T) models. Mapping predicted target genes of miR-499 on tissue-specific-, co-expression-, and miR-TF networks indicated that main hub-driver nodes are implicated in regulating immune system functions, including immunorecognition and complement activity. We demonstrated that miR-499 rs3746444 is linked to HT susceptibility in our population. However, predicted regulatory networks revealed that this polymorphism is contributing to the regulation of immune system pathways.

Prevention of COVID-19: Preventive Strategies for General Population, Healthcare Setting, and Various Professions.

The disease 2019 (COVID-19) made a public health emergency in early 2020. Despite attempts for the development of therapeutic modalities, there is no effective treatment yet. Therefore, preventive measures in various settings could help reduce the burden of disease. In this chapter, the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing COVID-19, non-pharmaceutical approaches at individual and population level, chemoprevention, immunoprevention, preventive measures in different healthcare settings and other professions, special considerations in high-risk groups, and the role of organizations to hamper the psychosocial effects will be discussed.