UNC93B1 variants underlie TLR7-dependent autoimmunity.

UNC93B1 is critical for trafficking and function of nucleic acid-sensing Toll-like receptors (TLRs) TLR3, TLR7, TLR8, and TLR9, which are essential for antiviral immunity. Overactive TLR7 signaling induced by recognition of self-nucleic acids has been implicated in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Here, we report UNC93B1 variants (E92G and R336L) in four patients with early-onset SLE. Patient cells or mouse macrophages carrying the UNC93B1 variants produced high amounts of TNF-α and IL-6 and upon stimulation with TLR7/TLR8 agonist, but not with TLR3 or TLR9 agonists. E92G causes UNC93B1 protein instability and reduced interaction with TLR7, leading to selective TLR7 hyperactivation with constitutive type I IFN signaling. Thus, UNC93B1 regulates TLR subtype-specific mechanisms of ligand recognition. Our findings establish a pivotal role for UNC93B1 in TLR7-dependent autoimmunity and highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting TLR7 in SLE.

Allelic and Genotypic Analysis of LncRNA ANRIL rs4977574 A/G Mutations in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients: Insights into Tumor Characteristics and Genotypic Correlations.

Aim: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) ANRIL and its genetic polymorphisms are shown to be associated with the risk of several cancers. However, the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of lncRNA ANRIL are not thoroughly assessed in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) which is the most prevalent cancer in the head and neck area. Thus, this study aimed to assess the association of SNP of lncRNA ANRIL rs4977574 in patients with OSCC. Methods and Materials: 106 blood samples from the patients with OSCC were obtained with a gender- and age-matched control group to evaluate the SNP of rs4977574 of lncRNA ANRIL. The DNA was extracted using the salt-out technique and DNA genotyping was undertaken using specific primer pairs in the tetra-primer ARMS-PCR technique. Eventually, the frequency of wild-type (A) and the mutated allele (G), as well as the genotypes were estimated between the groups of patients with OSCC and healthy individuals. Results: The results of our study indicated no statistically significant difference in the frequency of rs4977574 A/G of lncRNA ANRIL among the patients with OSCC and healthy individuals (p > 0.05). Likewise, no significant difference was found in the genotypes' frequencies (p > 0.05). Nevertheless, the marked association of GG with smaller tumor size and the high level of differentiation of OSCC cells in the presence of AA or AG genotypes were interesting outcomes of this study (p < 0.05). Similarly, all the genotypes AA, AG, and GG were correlated with the site of the occurrence of OSCC. Furthermore, the association of the genotypes with the lymph node metastasis and the tumors stage was not found to be significant (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The results of our study indicate that rs4977574 A/G and its genotypes do not have any direct correlation with the presence of OSCC; however, its association with the smaller tumor size and the level of the cancer cells differentiation could imply its possible indirect role.

Poly lactic-co-glycolic acid-alginate nanocarrier for efficient drug delivery to liver cancer cells.

Efficient drug delivery systems (DDSs) can potentially replace with conventional modalities in cancer therapy, like liver cancer. In this study, a novel folic acid (FA)-functionalised and alginate (Alg)-modified poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanocomposite was developed for delivery of doxorubicin (Dox) to HepG2 and Huh7 liver cancer cells. After synthesising the nanocarrier, several analytical devices, including FT-IR, DLS, TGA, and TEM, were employed for its characterisation. Nano-metric size (55 and 85 nm in diameter), close to neutral surface charge, semi-spherical morphology, and successful synthesis were approved. Dox entrapment efficiency was determined near 1%, and sustained and pH-sensitive drug release behaviours of nanocarrier were ascertained for DDS. Afterwards, the cell viability test was carried out to study the HepG2 and Huh7 cells suppression capability of FA-PLGA-Dox-Alg. About 12% and 10% cell viabilities were observed in HepG2 and Huh7 cancer cells after 24 h treatment with 400 nM concentration of FA-PLGA-Dox-Alg nanocarrier respectively. The IC50 value was observed for 100 nM after 24 h of treatment in cancer cells. These data have indicated that fabricated nanocarrier could be promising DDS against liver cancer and replace with conventional approaches in cancer treatment, like chemotherapy.

Association of Circulating Circular RNAs (hg38_circ_0008980, and CircDLGAP4) in Diagnosis, Diseases Severity, and Prognosis of Ischemic Stroke.

Background: Fast diagnosing ischemic stroke (IS) is a critical issue in clinical studies, as it allows more effective therapy and stops the progression of IS. The blood level of circular RNAs (CircRNAs) after stroke may be a rapid diagnostic marker. Methods: In this study, the blood level of circRNAs was evaluated using a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We used logistic and linear regression analysis to assess the potential of circRNAs levels with the risk of IS. Results: circRNA DLG associated protein 4 (CircDLGAP4) was decreased in patients compared with controls, and logistic regression showed its expression negatively associated with IS risk. The expression level of human genome version 38_Circular_0008980 (hg38_circ_0008980) was reduced significantly in patients with small vessel disease (SVD), and the linear regression analysis showed a negative relationship between hg38_circ_0008980 expressions with SVD subtype. hg38_circ_0008980 expression relative to controls showed a significant association with IS risk. Conclusion: Taken together, we found a significant decrease in the level of hg38_circ_0008980 after IS; it may act as a novel circRNA in IS pathophysiology with a positive correlation with stroke severity.

Association between Genetic Polymorphism of The lncRNA MIAT rs1894720 with Ischemic Stroke Risk and lncRNA MIAT Expression Levels in The Blood after An Ischemic Stroke: A Case-Control Study.

OBJECTIVE: Genetic aspects can play an essential role in the occurrence and development of ischemic stroke (IS). Rs1894720 polymorphism is one of the eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) myocardial infarction-associated transcript (MIAT) locus. The aim of study is the lncRNA MIAT rs1894720 polymorphism decreases IS risk by reducing lncRNA MIAT expression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this case-control study, we studied 232 Iranian patients and 232 controls. The blood samples were collected from patients admitted at different times after stroke symptoms. We enrolled 80, 78, and 74 patients who arrived at the hospital between 0-24, 24-48, and 48-72 hours after the first appearance of symptoms, respectively. DNA genotyping was done by the tetra-primer ARMS-PCR method. Circulating MIAT levels were evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: The GT genotype of MIAT rs1894720 showed a significant association with the risk of IS (OR=3.53, 95% CI=2.13-5.84, P<0.001). MIAT expression was higher relative to the control within the first hours after IS. The MIAT levels in IS patients with rs1894720 (GT) were significantly lower relative to patients who had the GG and TT genotypes. Linear regression model indicated a significant correlation between MIAT expression with atherosclerotic risk factors and types of stroke in IS patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the level of lncRNA MIAT after IS could be diagnostic with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.82. The sensitivity and specificity were 80.17 and 67.24%, respectively (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that the MIAT rs1894720 polymorphism (GT) might increase the risk of IS in the Iranian population. MIAT expression was up-regulated in our IS patients. Hence, it could be a diagnostic biomarker for IS.

Genetic Polymorphisms in miR-137 and Its Target Genes, TCF4 and CACNA1C, Contribute to the Risk of Bipolar Disorder: A Preliminary Case-Control Study and Bioinformatics Analysis.

Accumulating evidence has suggested that miR-137 and its target genes, CACNA1C, and TCF4, are amongst the most robustly implicated genes in psychiatric disorders. This preliminary study is aimed at investigating the effects of genetic variations in miR-137 (rs1625579A/C), TCF4 (rs1261084C/T), and CACNA1C (rs10774053A/G and rs10466907G/T) on BD susceptibility. We recruited 252 BD patients and 213 healthy subjects as the control group. Genotyping was performed using PCR-RFLP and ARMS-PCR methods. Enhanced risk of BD was found under the codominant homozygous, dominant, and allelic models of TCF4 rs1261084C/T, codominant homozygous and allelic models of CACNA1C rs10466907G/T polymorphisms, as well as codominant homozygous, dominant, recessive, and allelic models of the CACNA1C rs10774053A/G. Moreover, both TT/AG/GT/AA and TT/GG/GT/AC genotype combinations strongly increased the risk of BD in the participants. The bioinformatics analyses revealed that rs1261084C/T and rs10466907G/T created and disrupted binding sites of some miRNAs in the 3'-untranslated region of TCF4 and CACNA1C genes. In contrast, the rs10774053A/G created a new binding site for a major splicing factor and might have an effective role in the function of the CACNA1C protein. We have found that all the studied SNPs are positively associated with BD susceptibility. Replicated studies on different ethnicities are required to confirm these findings.

Impact of microencapsulated Ziziphora tenuior essential oil and orange fiber as natural-functional additives on chemical and microbial qualities of cooked beef sausage.

The aim of the current study was to investigate the suitability of Ziziphora tenuior essential oil (ZEO) as a preservative. For this purpose, the effect of free and microencapsulated ZEO, combined with orange fiber, was determined on the chemical and microbial qualities of cooked beef sausage. In this study, modified starch was used for encapsulation of essential oil, and subsequently, 0.5% ZEO and 1% orange fiber were used for preparing cooked beef sausages during 60 days of storage at 4°C. To assess the microbial quality of samples, total viable count (TVC), psychrophilic count (PSY), and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were analyzed. Furthermore, peroxide value (PV) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were tested to examine lipid oxidation. The most components of ZEO were pulegone (47.12%), isomenthone (14.57%), and 1,8-cineole (12.84%) according to GC-MS analysis. The reducing power, DPPH radical scavenging activity, MIC, and MBC of ZEO were 16.44 (EC50), 8.36 (IC50), 0.625-2.5, and 1.25-5 mg/ml, respectively. Moreover, sausage containing 0.5% microencapsulated ZEO in combination with 1% orange fiber showed the best results with the following values (p ≤ .05): TVC (3.69 log CFU/g), PSY (3.51 log CFU/g), LAB (3.1 log CFU/g), PV (10.41 meq/kg lipid), and TBARS (3.1 mg MDA/kg). This is due to the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of microencapsulated essential oil. Therefore, the results of the present study can be applied in the meat industries as a new natural preservation method.

Amelioration for an ignored pitfall in reference gene selection by considering the mean expression and standard deviation of target genes.

Routine tissue-specific reference genes are often used in expression studies, but target genes are not taken into account. Using the relative RT-qPCR approach, we evaluated the expression of three target genes. At the same time, meta-analyses were conducted in various ethnic groups, genders, and thyroid cancer subtypes. When eight common reference genes were examined, it was discovered that some of them not only lacked consistent expression but also had considerable expression variance. It is worth noting that while choosing a reference gene, the mean gene expression and its standard deviation should be carefully addressed. An equation was developed based on this, and it was used to perform statistical analysis on over 25,000 genes. According to the subtype of thyroid cancer and, of course, the target genes in this investigation, appropriate reference genes were proposed. The intuitive choice of GAPDH as a common reference gene caused a major shift in the quantitative expression data of target genes, inverting the relative expression values. As a result, choosing the appropriate reference gene(s) for quantification of transcription data, and especially for relative studies of the expression of target gene(s), is critical and should be carefully considered during the study design.

The effect of BKV reactivation on cytokines behavior in kidney transplanted patients.

BACKGROUND: BK virus associated nephropathy (BKVAN) is one of the common causes of graft loss among kidney transplanted recipients (KTRs). The current treatment for BKV nephropathy is decreasing the immunosuppressive regimen in KTRs. Interleukin-27 (IL-27) is a multifunctional cytokine that might be the front-runner of an important pathway in this regard. Therefore, in current study it is tried to evaluate the changes in the expression level of IL-27 and some related molecules, resulting from BKV reactivation in KTR patients. METHODS: EDTA-treated blood samples were collected from all participants. Patients were divided into two groups, 31 kidney transplant recipients with active and 32 inactive BKV infection, after being monitored by Real time PCR (Taq-Man) in plasma. Total of 30 normal individuals were considered as healthy control group. Real time PCR (SYBR Green) technique is used to determine the expression level of studied genes. RESULTS: The results of gene expression comparisons showed that the expression level of IL-27, IFN-γ, TNF-α, TNFR2 and IRF7 genes was significantly higher in inactive group in comparison to active group. The expression level of TLR4 was lower in both active and inactive groups in comparison to control group. ROC curve analysis showed that IL-27 and IRF7 are significantly different amongst other studied genes. Finally, the analyses revealed that the expression level of most of the studied genes (except for TNF-α and TLR4) have significant correlation with viral load. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings revealed that IL-27, IFN-γ, TNF-α, TNFR2 and IRF7 expression level is higher in inactive group and TLR4 expression level is lower in patients' groups in comparison to control group. Also, ROC curve analysis showed IL-27 and IRF7 can significantly differentiate studied groups (BKV active vs. inactive). Therefore, these results might help elucidating the pattern in charge of BKV reactivation in kidney transplanted patients.

Clinical manifestation and maternal complications and neonatal outcomes in pregnant women with COVID-19: a comprehensive evidence synthesis and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: There is little known about pregnancy-related complications and comorbidity in this group of women. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to find out whether COVID-19 may cause different manifestations and outcomes in the antepartum and postpartum period or not. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We searched databases, including Medline (PubMed), Embase, Scopus, Web of sciences, Cochrane library, Ovid, and CINHAL to retrieve all articles reporting the prevalence of maternal and neonatal complications, in addition to clinical manifestations, in pregnant women with COVID-19 that published with English language January to November 2020. RESULTS: Seventy-four studies with total 5560 pregnant women included in this systematic review. The results show that the pooled prevalence of neonatal mortality, lower birth weight, stillbirth, premature birth, and intrauterine fetal distress in women with COVID-19 was 4% (95% Cl: 1 - 9%), 21% (95% Cl: 11 - 31%), 2% (95% Cl: 1 - 6%), 28% (95% Cl: 13 - 43%), and 14% (95% Cl: 4 - 25%); respectively. Moreover, the pooled prevalence of fever, cough, diarrhea, and dyspnea were 56% (95% Cl: 32 - 81%), 29% (95% Cl: 21 - 38%), 9% (95% Cl: 2 - 16%), and 3% (95% Cl: 1 - 6%) in pregnant women with COVID-19. Two studies reported that pregnant women with severe COVID pneumonia have higher levels of d-dimer. Also, COVID pneumonia is more common in pregnant women than non-pregnant. CONCLUSION: According to this meta-analysis, pregnant women with COVID-19 with or without pneumonia, are at a higher risk of preeclampsia, preterm birth, miscarriage and cesarean delivery. Furthermore, the risk of LBW and intrauterine fetal distress seems to be increased in neonates. In addition, our evaluations are investigative of higher risk of COVID-19 in the third trimester in pregnant women comparing to the first and second trimester. It can be due to higher BMI in the third trimester causing to increase the likelihood of disease deterioration, which can trigger a cascade of side effects starting with coagulation, pneumonia, hypoxemia affecting the placenta leading to ICU admission, fetal distress, premature birth and higher rates of C-section.

Quercetin Can Inhibit Angiogenesis via the Down Regulation of MALAT1 and MIAT LncRNAs in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells.

BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis is an important step in cancer metastasis since it enables the growing tumor to receive nutrients and oxygen. Quercetin is a generic flavonoid and has been investigated for its ability to inhibit angiogenesis in different types of cancers. MALAT1 and MIAT lncRNAs are associated with the angiogenesis process. MALAT1 induces hypoxia-driven angiogenesis via the overexpression of angiogenic genes. Down regulation of MIAT1 could inhibit the proliferation of endothelial cells, tube formation, and migration. In this study, we assessed the anti-angiogenic activity of quercetin on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) via the expression of MALAT1 and MIAT genes. METHODS: In the present study, HUVEC cells were incubated with various concentrations of quercetin for 24, 48, and 72 h. Cell proliferation was then evaluated by MTT assay. RNA was extracted by TRIzol and cDNA synthesis. The expression levels of MALAT1 and MIAT genes relative to the GAPDH gene were quantified using the highly sensitive real-time PCR method. RESULTS: Our results demonstrated that quercetin has an inhibitory impact on the cell viability of HUVEC cells. The IC50 values of quercetin after 24, 48, and 72 h were 282.05 µM, 228.25 µM, and 131.65 µM, respectively. The MALAT1/GAPDH ratio was computed as 0.21 for 24h, 0.18 for 48h, and 0.29 for 72 h. The MIAT/GAPDH ratio was computed as 0.82 for 24h, 0.84 for 48h, and 0.78 for 72 h. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, quercetin treatment had an anti-angiogenic effect on HUVEC cells, at least partially via the down regulation of MALAT1 and MIAT LncRNAs gene expression.

The Effects of Tranexamic Acid on Bleeding Control During and after Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL): A Randomized Clinical Trial.

PURPOSE: Tranexamic acid is a fibrinolysis suppressor that is used for a variety of bleeding control procedures such as hematuria, surgery bleeding, and trauma caused bleeding. The advantages of using the tranexamic acid are bleeding control and less need for blood transfusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This double blind clinical trial was conducted on 108 patients in Imam Khomeni Hospital, Urmia, Iran 2013-14. The control and intervention groups consisted of 54 randomly selected participants each. The intervention group received 1gr of intravenous tranexamic acid with initiation of surgery and 500mg orally each 8hrs afterwards up to three days. The control group received placebo capsules containing starch of the same form. RESULTS: The mean term of hospitalization in the intervention group was significantly shorter than that of the control group (P<0.001). The difference between the two groups in terms of preoperative hemoglobin was not significant. However, the decrease in postoperative hemoglobin, intraoperative hemoglobin count in washing liquid, and hemoglobin count in the intervention group were significantly different from those of the control group (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The findings showed that tranexamic acid decreased bleeding during PCNL and the need for blood transfusion. It also decreased the hospitalization term.

TXNDC2 joint molecular marker is associated with testis pathology and is an accurate predictor of sperm retrieval.

The association of PRM1/2 with male azoospermia is well-documented, but the relationship between TXNDC2 deficiency and the azoospermia phenotype, sperm retrieval, and pathology has not been elucidated. Here we identified the association of TXNDC2 and protamines in evaluating testis pathology and sperm retrieval. An extensive microarray meta-analysis of men with idiopathic azoospermia was performed, and after undergoing several steps of data quality controls, the data passing QC were pooled and batch effect corrected. As redox imbalance has been shown to have a variable relationship with fertility, our relative expression studies began with candidate protamination and thioredoxin genes. We constructed a logistic regression model of TXNDC2 with PRM1 and PRM2 genes, and collective ROC analysis indicated a sensitivity of 96.8% and specificity of 95.5% with a ROC value of 0.995 (SE = 0.0070, 95% CI 0.982-1.000). These results demonstrate that TXNDC2, PRM1, and PRM2 combined have a robust power to predict sperm retrieval and correlate with severe azoospermia pathology.

Long non-coding RNA H19 expression and functional polymorphism rs217727 are linked to increased ischemic stroke risk.

BACKGROUND: Efforts to identify potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of ischemic stroke (IS) are valuable. The H19 gene plays a functional role in increasing the prevalence of IS risk factors. We evaluated the correlation between H19 rs217727 polymorphism and the expression level of H19 lncRNA with susceptibility to IS among the Iranian population. METHODS: Blood samples were collected from IS patients (n = 114) and controls (n = 114). We concentrated on the expression pattern of H19 at different time points (i.e., 0-24, 24-48, and 48-72 h after stroke). The tetra-amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (T-ARMS-PCR) method was applied for DNA genotyping. We used the quantitative real-time PCR to evaluate H19 expression levels. We used the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to evaluate the diagnosis and prognosis of IS. RESULTS: The rs217727polymorphism of H19 was related with IS susceptibility in the co-dominant (OR = 2.92, 95% CI = 0.91-10.92, P = 0.04) and recessive models (OR = 2.80, 95% CI = 0.96-8.15, P = 0.04). H19 expression was significantly upregulated in IS and remained high for 72 h after stroke. ROC curves showed that H19 expression within the first 24 h from stroke onset might serve as a biomarker for the early diagnosis of IS with 79.49% sensitivity and 80.00% specificity. H19 expression in small vessel occlusion (SVO) and large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA) patients were 3.74 and 3.34 times higher than the undetermined (UD) subtype, respectively [OR = 3.74 95% CL (1.14-12.27) P = 0.030 and OR = 3.34 95% CL (1.13-9.85) P = 0.029]. CONCLUSION: The rs217727 polymorphism of the H19 is correlated with IS susceptibility, and H19 expression levels were higher in SVO and LAA patients. The upregulation of H19 may be considered as a diagnostic biomarker in IS among the Iranian population, but it cannot serve as a useful prognostic marker.

Quercetin Arrests in G2 phase, Upregulates INXS LncRNA and Downregulates UCA1 LncRNA in MCF-7 Cells.

One of the most prevalent malignancies, which have severe effects on women's health, is breast cancer. Quercetin, a flavonoid found in vegetables, tea, and fruits, is known to have bioactive properties, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, as well as anti-cancer. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been recognized to function as primary regulators of diverse cellular processes, including differentiation, development, and cell fate. INXS and UCA1 are lncRNAs that are up regulated and down regulated respectively in cancer cells. This research aimed to assess the impact of quercetin on the expression of INXS and UCA1 genes in MCF-7 cells. Various quercetin concentrations at different times were used to treat MCF-7 cells. The cell viability and IC50 values were determined using MTT assay. Then, MCF-7 cells were incubated with various quercetin concentrations for 24, 48, and 72 h. Cell cycle analyses were evaluated by flow cytometry. The levels of INXS and UCA1 gene expression compared with the GAPDH gene at different concentrations of quercetin were quantified using real-time PCR method. Based on the results, quercetin exerted a dose- and time-dependent inhibitory impact on the viability of MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, quercetin induced cell cycle arrest at the G2 phase in MCF-7 cells. Also, quercetin induced INXS upregulation and UCA1 downregulation in the MCF-7 cell line. These data suggest that quercetin might increase cell death by up regulating INXS and down regulating UCA1 lncRNAs in MCF-7 cells.

The pseudogene problem and RT-qPCR data normalization; SYMPK: a suitable reference gene for papillary thyroid carcinoma.

In RT-qPCR, accuracy requires multiple levels of standardization, but results could be obfuscated by human errors and technical limitations. Data normalization against suitable reference genes is critical, yet their observed expression can be confounded by pseudogenes. Eight reference genes were selected based on literature review and analysis of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) microarray data. RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis were followed by RT-qPCR amplification in triplicate with exon-junction or intron-spanning primers. Several statistical analyses were applied using Microsoft Excel, NormFinder, and BestKeeper. In normal tissues, the least correlation of variation (CqCV%) and the lowest maximum fold change (MFC) were respectively recorded for PYCR1 and SYMPK. In PTC tissues, SYMPK had the lowest CqCV% (5.16%) and MFC (1.17). According to NormFinder, the best reference combination was SYMPK and ACTB (stability value = 0.209). BestKeeper suggested SYMPK as the best reference in both normal (r = 0.969) and PTC tissues (r = 0.958). SYMPK is suggested as the best reference gene for overcoming the pseudogene problem in RT-qPCR data normalization, with a stability value of 0.319.

The LncRNA H19 rs217727 Polymorphism Is Associated with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Susceptibility in Iranian Population.

Lack of protein-coding capacity is a main characteristic of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) which, as molecular biomarkers, have found a novel pharmacological application in cancer and are reported to be important regulators of gene expression. H19 is reportedly involved in cancer progression and tumorigenesis. One of the most common types of head and neck cancers is oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the correlation of OSCC susceptibility with H19 gene in an Iranian population. This research was performed on 400 subjects of both sexes referred to the Namazi Hospital affiliated with the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS). Individuals aged 15-88 years were divided into two groups: pathologically diagnosed patients with new-onset OSCC and healthy controls. After written and informed consent was obtained from the individuals, genomic DNA was extracted. The tetra-primer ARMS-PCR technique was performed for DNA genotyping by the use of specific primer pairs. The susceptibility of OSCC and H19 gene polymorphism sites was further analyzed (rs217727 and rs2107425). The allele and genotype frequencies of H19 rs2107425 polymorphism were similar between OSCC cases and controls. The H19 rs217727T allele frequency was significantly higher in OSCC cases (P = 0.002), and the polymorphism of H19 rs217727 was associated with OSCC susceptibility in the codominant (OR = 6.04, 95%CI = 1.70 - 21.42, P = 0.001 for TT genotype), dominant (OR = 1.62, 95%CI = 1.08 - 2.43, P = 0.01), and recessive (OR = 5.32, 95%CI = 1.51 - 18.69, P = 0.003) models. This study showed that rs217727 and OSCC susceptibility were statistically correlated in the Iranian population.

Comparison of the effectiveness of a 12 step substance use recovery program on quality of life.

Substance-related disorders can adversely impact quality of life. This study assessed a 12 step program on health-related quality of life for Iranian individuals seeking to recover from substance use. The study used a quasi-experimental, two group, three stage, pre- and post-test design and collected data at baseline, and at 1 and 3 months' post-intervention. The treatment group comprised 35 participants in a 12 step program with a non-equivalent comparison group of individuals admitted to addiction treatment centers. Physical and mental health quality-of-life domains were assessed using the Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire. The treatment group improved in all aspects of health-related quality of life. The treatment group improved compared to the comparison group for two of eight quality of life dimensions - physical functioning and role limitations due to emotional problems - at 1 month post-intervention. There were additional improvements at 3 months' follow up in six of eight quality-of-life subscales compared to the comparison group. The benefits to quality of life related to mental health recovery extended beyond the treatment program, indicating that the program principles were effectively implemented in daily life.

Association of the Risk of Dental Caries and Polymorphism of MBL2 rs11003125 Gene in Iranian Adults.

This case-control study aimed to investigate the effect of rs11003125 in dental caries. For this purpose, a total number of 404 individuals - from Fars Province in Iran - were studied. The technique of this research was the tetra-primer amplification-refractory mutation system (ARMS)-PCR. Dental caries prevalence among the 404 individuals was assessed by counting the number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth. In this research, individuals were divided into two groups: cases (n = 238) and controls (n = 166), and the peripheral blood samples were used to extract the genomic DNA. For genotyping of DNA, the tetra-primer ARMS-PCR method was conducted using specific primer pairs. While examining MBL2 rs11003125 polymorphism, we found significant differences in the genotype frequencies between the case and the control group. The pooled estimates indicated that the GG and GC genotypes of MBL2 rs11003125 polymorphism significantly increased, and therefore caries risk (OR = 2.40, 95% CI = 1.31-4.40, p = 0.004) under the dominant model. These findings suggested that polymorphism in MBL2 gene was associated with dental caries in Iranian adults. Further verification is needed with more ethnic groups and larger sample sizes to determine whether rs11003125 polymorphism is related to dental caries in other regions or not.

AMELX Gene Association with Dental Caries in Iranian Adults.

Dental decay is a disease that is greatly affected by environmental components, but recently there have been an increasing number of documents supporting a genetic factor in the development of caries. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between dental caries and single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the AMELX gene. This research was carried out on 360 individuals of both sexes, who were referred to the dental school at the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. In this research, individuals aged 20-65 years were divided into two groups: controls (decayed, missed, or filled teeth (DMFT) ≤ 5; n = 180) and cases (DMFT ≥ 14; n = 180). The tetra-primer ARMS-PCR technique was performed for genotyping the DNA extracted from blood cells. Analysis of the AMELX rs946252 polymorphism showed that the T allele of rs946252 was a significant protective factor against dental caries in Iranian adults (T vs. C: OR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.49-0.98, P = 0.04). We demonstrated the significant differences in the genotype frequencies under two genetic models: overdominant (TC vs. TT + CC: OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.19-0.64, P = 0.0006) and recessive (CC vs. TC + TT: OR 2.57, 95% CI 1.39-4.76, P = 0.002). Our results show that the SNPs of the AMELX gene may be related with susceptibility to dental caries in Iranian adults.