Anticancer Effect of Sargassum oligocystom Hydroalcoholic Extract Against SW742, HT-29, WiDr, and CT-26 Colorectal Cancer Cell Lines and Expression of P53 and APC Genes.

PURPOSE: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in the world, with enhancing morbidity and mortality each year. Due to the drug resistance against CRC, the use of novel compounds besides chemotherapy is required. Natural seafood contains large amounts of biologically active substances with new chemical structures and new medicinal activities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Sargassum oligocystom algae on SW742, HT-29, WiDr, and CT-26 CRC cell lines, and to evaluate the expression of P53 and APC genes using quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). METHODS: The cytotoxicity of S. oligocystom hydroalcoholic extract was determined by MTT and trypan blue methods in six different concentrations including 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 mg/mL on various CRC cell lines and a control group. The expression of P53 and APC genes in exposure to 2 mg/mL of the extract was also evaluated using RT-qPCR. RESULTS: The LD50 and LD90 of S. oligocystom included 0.5-1 and > 2 mg/mL, respectively mostly affecting SW742 and CT-26 cells. In the trypan blue test, 90% viability and death of cells were observed at 0.1 and 4 mg/mL of extract, respectively. The 2 mg/mL was a safe cytotoxic concentration. A significant viability decrease was observed at concentrations ≥ 1 mg/mL (p < 0.001). Sargassum oligocystom extract at 2 mg/mL significantly increased the expression of APC ranging 1.98-2.2-fold (p < 0.001) but not P53 gene which ranged 0.5-0.68-fold (p = 0.323) after 24 h. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that the brown algae S. oligocystom extract had significant antitumor effects against the SW742, HT-29, WiDr, and CT-26 CRC cell lines and especially CT-26, suggesting that it may be a potential candidate for further studies and therefore designing drugs of natural anticancer origin. The S. oligocystom had an anticancer effect via an increase in the APC gene expression.

Association amongst human A1166C polymorphism of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor gene with coronary artery disease in the Iraqi population.

Purpose: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major cause of death worldwide. There is relatively little data available on the genetic susceptibility to CAD in the Iraqi population. We have therefore investigated the association between angiotensin II type 1 receptor gene polymorphism A1166C and the presence of CAD in a sample of the Iraqi population. Methods: This case-control study enrolled 150 CAD patients, with CAD confirmed by coronary angiography, and 200 controls. The AT1R polymorphism A1166C was analyzed by the allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR) technique. Serum analyses, such as lipid concentrations, were measured and analyzed. Results: The C allele and CC genotype frequencies were significantly higher in patients with CAD compared to the controls. Logistic regression analysis showed that the codominant, dominant, and recessive models were associated with risk of CAD of (OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.2-1.4, P = 0.000; OR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.1-1.3, P = 0.000, OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.1-1.3, P = 0.000, OR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.0-1.4), respectively. In the patient group, the presence of the mutant C allele was significantly associated with higher levels of CAD risk factors such as total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Conclusion: The study indicated that the A1166C polymorphism may be associated with the presence of CAD in the Iraqi population. The AT1R polymorphism may therefore be a useful marker of susceptibility to CAD.

The risk factor for instability metabolic health and severity.

Coronavirus disease -19 (COVID-19) pandemic has extended from late 2019 and continues to this day. The degree of the disease is related to some factors, including age and comorbidities. Obesity is now more widely considered as a main factor of infection, mainly because it has been shown that individuals who are obese have a more severe course of infection with COVID-19. This review study summarized the relationship between the risk of obesity and COVID-19 and detected a difference in reporting from the period of the first pandemic in China to more recent studies. Obesity is a risk factor for developing signs and symptoms of patients with COVID-19 and this review will benefit clinicians by recognizing the role of obesity when giving COVID-19 diagnosis, follow-up, and treatment programs.

Assessment of the Risk of Breast Cancer Development Applying NCI Tool among Iraqi Women.

OBJECTIVE: As part of the bioinformatics studies, we utilized National Cancer Institute (NCI)'s Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool to estimate the five-year period and lifetime risk of breast cancer development among Iraqi risky women. METHODS: Totally, 110 risky women aged 21-67 (mean=36±7.4) years were interviewed by a series of questions regarding the risk of breast cancer development. Moreover, 100 cases with mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes were included. RESULTS: Our results demonstrated that the patient's estimated risk of breast cancer development during the next five years and lifetime (until the age 90 years) included 0.96% (p=0.211) and 9.97% (p=0.002), respectively being relatively low. Accordingly, the lifetime risk for the breast cancer development was significantly higher (10.38%) than that of 5-year. However, the age of patients was not significantly associated to the breast cancer development as there was no significant difference among various age groups. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that long-term or lifetime period plays as a significant risk factor for developing breast cancer among female patients who had had a screening episode in Iraq.

Relationship of angiotensin converting enzyme (I/D) polymorphism (rs4646994) and coronary heart disease among a male Iraqi population with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Insertion deletion (I/D) polymorphism (rs4646994) in the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) has a substantial effect on coronary heart disease (CHD). The amplification of an Alu repetitive element in an intron of the ACE has shown three potential genotypes of I/I and D/D as homozygous, and I/D as heterozygous. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the association between the ACE gene polymorphism and CHD among male Iraqi patients with and without type2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: A case-control study of total 217 male subjects participated in this study, divided into three groups; Group 1 including 86 CHD patients with T2DM, group 2 including 78 CHD patients without T2DM, and group 3 including 53 age and sex-matched healthy individuals (as a control group). Genotyping of ACE (I/D) gene was performed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. RESULTS: The II allele was significantly more frequent in CHD patients without T2DM compared to the control population, but not from those patients with T2DM (p < 0.05). Nonetheless, the ID allele was significantly more frequent in each of CHD with T2DM and control populations compared to the CHD without T2DM. The DD allele was significantly more frequent in CHD patients with T2DM compared to each of CHD patients without T2DM and control populations (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: We conclude that the D/D and I/D genotypes are implicated as risk factors for development of CHD with T2DM, but not CHD without T2DM among the male Iraqi population. However, larger sample sizes are needed to monitor the CHD patients and to validate this study.

Point mutation detection by economic HRM protocol primer design.

Globally more than 100 million SNPs in populations. These variations approximately 4-5 million SNPs in a people genome, occur almost every 1000 nucleotides on average and present either unique or in many in individuals. They can act as genetic signs, associated with illness and respond to chemicals and drugs. SNPs occurrence within or near a gene play important role in disease throughout affecting gene task. Frequently many protocols have been used to study single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) among human variants genome. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), Amplification refractory mutation system PCR(ARMS-PCR), sequencing and SNaPshot assays considered familial methods. The potential risk of contamination after PCR is common due to further other steps. In this direction, a high resolution melting (HRM) real-time PCR method is an alternative, reducing the post-PCR transferring steps. uVariants is clarified as appropriate website for designing primers used for SNP recognition by easy and inexpensive protocol called HRM. The researchers can focus on the interest of reference SNP ID number, or "rs" ID to avoid loss time. In this article description how to uses uVariants website for primer design used in HRM technique. AIMS: To describe uVariants and uDesign software, application and usefulness of HRM technique primer design in the genotyping SNPs among people and public health. ACCESSIBILITY AND REQUIREMENTS: uVariants and uDesign are freely accessible at: https://www.dna.utah.edu/variants/;https://www.dna.utah.edu/udesign/app.php respectively.The network server supports the browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Torch, CoolNovo, 360 Browser, Internet Explorer, Opera, and Safari.

Retraction notice to 'Point mutation detection by economic HRM protocol primer design '[Biochem. Biophys. Rep. 18 (2019) 100628].

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2019.100628.].