Characteristics, outcome, duration of hospitalization, and cycle threshold of patients with COVID-19 referred to four hospitals in Babol City: a multicenter retrospective observational study on the fourth, fifth, and sixth waves.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to compare the epidemiological patterns of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) infections, hospitalizations, deaths, and duration of hospitalization during the fourth, fifth and sixth epidemic waves of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Iran. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective observational study was conducted on hospitalized patients in four hospitals in the Babol district of northern Iran. The study periods were during the fourth, fifth, and sixth waves of the epidemic in Iran, (March 2021 to March 2022). A total of 13,312 patients with suspected COVID-19 were included. Patient demographics, medical history, length of hospital stay, and clinical outcomes were obtained from the hospital information system. Data on the cycle threshold (Ct) and SARS-CoV2 variant were collected for SARS-CoV2-positive cases. RESULTS: The highest number of hospitalized patients was reported during the fifth (Delta) wave (5231; 39.3%), while the lowest number of hospitalized patients was reported during the sixth (Omicron) wave (2143; 16.1%). In total, 6459 (48.5%) out of 13,312 hospitalized patients with suspected COVID-19 had a positive rRT-PCR result. The fifth (Delta) wave had the highest number of SARS-CoV2 rRT-PCR-positive hospitalized patients (3573, 55.3%), while the sixth (Omicron) wave had the lowest number (835, 12.9%). Moreover, 238 (3.7%) patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 died. The hospital mortality rate was 6.8% in the fourth (Alpha) wave, which reduced to 2.7 and 3.5% in the fifth (Delta) and sixth (Omicron) waves, respectively (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This is the most comprehensive study evaluating the epidemiologic characteristics of laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV2 cases in Iran during the Alpha, Delta, and Omicron waves. The highest number of SARS-CoV2-positive hospitalized patients was in the fifth wave of COVID-19 (dominance of the Delta variant), while the sixth wave (dominance of the Omicron variant) had the lowest number. Comorbidities were similar, and cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and hypertension were the main risk factors in all waves.

Higher viral load of Epstein-Barr virus in gastric cancer compared with non-cancerous gastroduodenal tissues.

Introduction: Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-associated gastric cancer is a distinct molecular subtype of gastrointestinal carcinomas as defined by the Cancer Genome Atlas. Methods: In the present study 237 samples from Iranian patients diagnosed with gastric cancer and gastroduodenal disease were retrospectively examined for EBV infection by quantitative Real-Time PCR. Results: Of the 237 samples tested, EBV DNA was detected in 37 samples (15.6%), in 13 of the 81 gastric cancer cases (16%), and 24 of the 156 non-cancerous samples (15.4%). The EBV infection rate was found higher in patients with gastric ulcer (35%) and duodenal ulcer (21.9%) compared to patients with gastric cancer (16%) and gastritis (19.6%). The EBV-encoded small RNA (EBER) copy number in the gastric cancer group (mean = 2.14×10-1 with range of 2.14×10-2 to 4.10×10-1 copies/ cell) was higher than gastroduodenal diseases group (mean = 1.39×10-2 with range 1.11×10-3 to 2.35×10-2 copies/ cell), and this difference was statistically significant (P >0.001). Conclusion: The higher number of copies of EBV-EBER in the gastric cancer group compared to the non-cancer group confirmed the possible role of EBV in inducing cancer.

A Large Retrospective Study of Epidemiological Characteristics of COVID-19 Patients in the North of Iran: Association between SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Ct Values with Demographic Data.

Objectives: To avoid worsening from mild, moderate, and severe diseases and to reduce mortality, it is necessary to identify the subpopulation that is more vulnerable to the development of COVID-19 unfavorable consequences. This study aims to investigate the demographic information, prevalence rates of common comorbidities among negative and positive real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) patients, and the association between SARS-CoV-2 cycle threshold (Ct) at hospital admission, demographic data, and outcomes of the patients in a large population in Northern Iran. Methods: This large retrospective cross-sectional study was performed from 7 March to 20 December 2020. Demographic data, including gender, age, underlying diseases, clinical outcomes, and Ct values, were obtained from 8,318 cases suspected of COVID-19, who were admitted to four teaching hospitals affiliated to Babol University of Medical Sciences (MUBABOL), in the north of Iran. Results: Since 7 March 2020, the data were collected from 8,318 cases suspected of COVID-19 (48.5% female and 51.5% male) with a mean age of 53 ± 25.3 years. Among 8,318 suspected COVID-19 patients, 3,250 (39.1%) had a positive rRT-PCR result; 1,632 (50.2%) patients were male and 335 (10.3%) patients died during their hospital stay. The distribution of positive rRT-PCR revealed that most patients (464 (75.7%)) had a Ct between 21 and 30 (Group B). Conclusion: Elderly patients, lower Ct, patients having at least one comorbidity, and male cases were significantly associated with increased risk for COVID-19-related mortality. Moreover, mortality was significantly higher in patients with diabetes, kidney disease, and respiratory disease.