Evaluation of IFNAR2 and TYK2 transcripts' prognostic role in COVID-19 patients: a retrospective study.

Background and objectives: This study aimed to investigate the possible prognostic significance of interferon alpha-beta receptor subunit 2 (IFNAR2) and tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) expressions. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study including COVID-19 adult patients. All blood samples were collected before any interventions. The expressions of IFNAR2 and TYK2 were assessed using real-time PCR in venous blood samples of 54 cases and 56 controls. The transcript quantities of IFNAR2 and TYK2 genes were assessed using a Delta-Ct method. Results: Our findings show no significant differences in gene expression levels for IFNAR2 and TYK2 between patients who required oxygen (O2) therapy and those who did not (p-value = 0.732 and p-value = 0.629, respectively). Likewise, there were no significant differences in IFNAR2 and TYK2 expressions between patients hospitalized for less than 7 days and those hospitalized for 7 days or more (p-value = 0.455 and p-value = 0.626, respectively). We also observed a weak correlation between IFNAR2 expression and CRP (p-value = 0.045, r = 0.192). There was a negative correlation between the expression levels of IFNAR2 and TYK2 transcripts in COVID-19 patients (p-value = 0.044; partial correlation coefficient = -0.283). Additionally, IFNAR2 and TYK2 were significantly downregulated in the COVID-19 group compared to healthy subjects (p-value = 0.002 and p-value = 0.028, respectively). However, neither IFNAR2 nor TYK2 expression was significantly different between the case subgroups based on COVID-19 severity. The IFNAR2 ΔΔCt (B = -0.184, 95% CI: -0.524-0.157, p-value = 0.275) and the TYK2 ΔΔCt (B = 0.114, 95% CI: -0.268-0.496, p-value = 0.543) were not found to be significant predictors of hospitalization duration. The area under the curve (AUC) for IFNAR2 expression is 0.655 (p-value = 0.005, 95% CI: 0.554-0.757), suggesting its poor discriminative value. Conclusion: We were unable to comment definitively on the prognostic power of IFNAR2 and TYK2 expressions in COVID-19 patients, and larger-scale studies are needed. The principal limitations of this study included the lack of longitudinal analysis and limited sample size.

Association between MUC1 rs4072037 polymorphism and Helicobacter pylori in patients with gastric cancer.

Background: The MUC1 gene encodes glycoproteins attached to cell membrane that play a protective role in gastric cancer and protect epithelial surfaces against external factors such as Helicobacter pylori. H. pylori infection can induce a cascade of innate and acquired immune responses in gastric mucosa. Relationship between rs4072037G>A polymorphism of MUC1 gene and increased susceptibility to H. pylori infection aimed to investigate in patients with gastric cancer in Mazandaran, northern Iran. Methods: A case-control study was conducted on 99 patients with gastric cancer (H. pylori positive and negative) and 98 controls (H. pylori positive and negative) without gastric cancer (confirmed by pathological biopsy samples obtained during endoscopy). H. pylori infection was diagnosed by histological examination using Giemsa staining. Genomic DNA extracted from peripheral blood was analyzed by PCR-RFLP technique. Results: Analysis of all genetic models showed no significant relationship between rs4072037G>A polymorphism and risk of gastric cancer (GC). The relationship between H. pylori infection and rs4072037G>A polymorphism showed an increased susceptibility to gastric cancer in both positive and negative H. pylori groups (including case and control groups). The genetic model of GA/GG and H. pylori- positive versus GA/GG and H. pylori-negative showed a significantly increased susceptibility to gastric cancer (OR=0.251, CI: 0.128-0.493, P=0.000). Conclusion: These findings indicate that rs4072037G>A polymorphism may interact with H. pylori infection to increase the risk of GC.

Repurposing naproxen as a potential nucleocapsid antagonist of beta-coronaviruses: targeting a conserved protein in the search for a broad-spectrum treatment option.

Ongoing mutations in the coronavirus family, especially beta-coronaviruses, raise new concerns about the possibility of new unexpected outbreaks. Therefore, it is crucial to explore new alternative treatments to reduce the impact of potential future strains until new vaccines can be developed. A promising approach to combat the virus is to target its conserved parts such as the nucleocapsid, especially via repurposing of existing drugs. The possibility of this approach is explored here to find a potential anti-nucleocapsid compound to target these viruses. 3D models of the N- and C-terminal domains (CTDs) of the nucleocapsid consensus sequence were constructed. Each domain was then screened against an FDA-approved drug database, and the most promising candidate was selected for further analysis. A 100 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was conducted to analyze the final candidate in more detail. Naproxen was selected and found to interact with the N-terminal domain via conserved salt bridges and hydrogen bonds which are completely conserved among all Coronaviridae members. MD analysis also revealed that all relevant coordinates of naproxen with N terminal domain were kept during 100 ns of simulation time. This study also provides insights into the specific interaction of naproxen with conserved RNA binding pocket of the nucleocapsid that could interfere with the packaging of the viral genome into capsid and virus assembly. Additionally, the in-vitro binding assay demonstrated direct interaction between naproxen and recombinant nucleocapsid protein, further supporting the computational predictions.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Opium use and risk of colorectal cancer: a multi-center case-referent study in Iran.

BACKGROUND: Opium use has been associated with an increased risk of cancers of the lung, oesophagus, and pancreas, and it was recently classified by the International Agency for Cancer Research as carcinogenic to humans. It is not clear whether opium also increases the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of our study was to assess the association between various metrics of opium use and the risk of CRC. METHODS: This case-referent study from seven provinces in Iran comprised 848 CRC cases and 3215 referents. Data on opium use (duration, amount, frequency) and potential confounders were collected by trained interviewers. Multivariable unconditional logistic regression models were used to measure odds ratios (OR) adjusted for age, gender, province, marital status, family history of CRC-linked cancers, consumption of red meat, fruits and vegetables, body shape, occupational physical activity, and socioeconomic status. RESULTS: Regular opium consumption was not associated with the risk of CRC (OR 0.9, 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.7, 1.2) compared to subjects who never used opium. However, frequent opium use more than twice a day was associated with an increased risk of CRC compared to non-users of opium (OR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.1, 3.8; p for quadratic trend 0.008). CONCLUSION: There seems to be no overall association between opium use and CRC, but the risk of CRC might be increased among persons who use opium many times a day.

Evaluation of Circulating Leptin and Its Receptor (Ob-R) Tissue Expression in Colorectal Cancer, a Report From North of Iran.

Background & Objective: Leptin is an adipocyte-derived hormone with a critical role in energy balance. As demonstrated by previous investigations, leptin acts as a proliferative and angiogenic factor in cancer cells. However, results regarding its role in colorectal cancer are still inconclusive. We aimed to evaluate serum leptin and tissue expression of leptin receptor (Ob-R) in normal and malignant samples of colorectal. Methods: Serum and tissue samples from pathology-confirmed colorectal cancer patients and normal controls referring to a university hospital of Mazandaran were obtained during 2019-21. ELISA and immunohistochemistry were applied to determine leptin and Ob-R expression respectively. Results: A total of 90 samples belonging to 46 normal and 44 CRC patients were enrolled. Normal and CRC groups included 32 (69.56%) and 21 (47.72%) female subjects respectively. The average leptin concentration in the normal group was 115.80 and, in the patient, group was 124.47 ng/mL (P=0.897). CRC cases showed an insignificantly higher Ob-R detection rate (P=0.086). Conclusion: There was no significant difference in leptin and Ob-R expression between CRC patients and normal subjects. Thus, leptin and its receptor may not be useful as a biomarker of CRC.

Combination therapy of acute myeloid leukemia by dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor BEZ235 and TLR-7/8 agonist R848 in murine model.

BACKGROUND: Due to the high relapse rate and toxicity of the common therapies in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), modifications in the treatment strategies are required. The present study was conducted to determine the effects of combinational therapy with a dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor, BEZ235, and TLR7/8 agonist, R848, on murine AML model. METHODS: BEZ235 and R848 were administered to AML leukemic mice in either a single or combination treatment. Frequency of T-CD4+, T-CD8+, MDSCs, NK, exhausted T cells and the degranulation levels was measured via flow cytometry. The cytotoxicity and proliferation levels were evaluated by MTT assay. Then, the expression of iNOS, arginase-1, PD-L1, Gal-9, PVR, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12 and IL-17 was investigated by Real-Time PCR. Organomegaly, body weight and survival rate were also monitored. RESULTS: Following combinational therapy with BEZ235 and R848, increasing in the frequency of anti-tumor immune cells including T-CD4+ cells and M1 macroghages, and decreasing in pro-tumor immune cells including MDSCs, exhausted T-CD4+ and T-CD8+ cells and also M2 macrophages were observed. The functional defects of immune cells in term of proliferation, cytotoxicity, degranulation, and cytokines expression were improved in leukemic mice after treatment with BEZ235 and R848. Finally, organomegaly, body weight and survival analysis showed significant improvements after treatment with BEZ235 and R848. CONCLUSION: Taken together, we indicated that the combinational therapy with BEZ235 and R848 could be considered as a potential and powerful therapeutic option for AML patients. Further clinical studies are required to expand our current findings.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte, platelet-to-lymphocyte and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratios, any association with metabolic syndrome?

Background: Metabolic syndrome is a critical health concern associated with an elevated risk of chronic health problems including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. There are shreds of evidence that novel inflammatory ratios including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte, platelet-to-lymphocyte and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratios serve as prognostic biomarkers for metabolic syndrome (MetS). This hypothesis was investigated in a cohort of the Iranian population. Methods: selection of MetS + subjects was based on the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria 3 (NCEP ATP 3). The control group consisted of participants negative for any of the five MetS criteria. Demographic and laboratory data were extracted from the Tabari cohort study. Results: A total of 1930 subjects including 965 Mets positive and 965 MetS criteria negative participants were evaluated. Diabetes (84.8%), hypertension (48.9%), hypertriglyceridemia (81.7%), low HDL cholesterol (70.3%), and high waist circumference (78.9%) were observed in patients. There were no differences between NLR (1.66±0.71 vs. 1.69±0.72 P=0.42), LMR (11.23±3.13 vs. 11.30±11.99, P= 0.86) and PLR (113.85±68.67 vs 114.11±35.85, P=0.91) between case and control groups, respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed no association between ratios and MetS risk even after adjusting for potential confounders including age, gender, living place, and BMI. Conclusion: In a relatively large population from Northern Iran, no association was observed between CBC-derived inflammatory ratios and the presence of MetS.

Depression and anxiety in adolescents and young women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the depression and anxiety symptoms, or both in adolescents and young women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to those without PCOS. CONTENTS: A comprehensive electronic search was conducted to identify observational studies on PCOS patients (January 1991-December 2020). The population study included adolescents and young women (14-29 years of age) in two groups of cases (with PCOS) and controls (without PCOS) who were diagnosed with PCOS using the Rotterdam or National Institutes of Health criteria (NIH). Symptoms of depression, anxiety, or both, reported separately, were of interest. Mean (SD) of depression or anxiety symptoms, or both, as measured by a quantitatively validated scale for both the case and control groups. All eligible studies were quality assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) tool. The initial database search resulted in the discovery of 1,582 papers, of which 806 were selected after screening the titles and abstracts and removing duplicates. A total of 49 papers were found to be suitable for full-text reading. This meta-analysis included ten studies comprising 941 adolescent/young women (391 with PCOS and 550 without PCOS). The standard mean difference (SMD) and its corresponding confidence interval (CI) at 95 % were used to compare depression or anxiety symptoms, or both, between two groups. SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK: The results, which included 192 cases, demonstrated that adolescents/young women with PCOS had significantly more depressive symptoms than those without PCOS (n=360) (SMD 0.72; 95 % CI, 0.09-1.34; Z=2.25, p=0.025; Heterogeneity: I2=89.7 %; p=0.000). Also, the results which included 299 cases demonstrated that adolescents/young women with PCOS had significantly more anxiety symptoms than those without PCOS (n=421) (SMD 0.59; 95 % CI, 0.13-1.05; Z=2.51, p=0.012; Heterogeneity: I2=86.1 %; p=0.000). This meta-analysis demonstrates that adolescent/young women with PCOS have significantly more depression or anxiety symptoms than those without PCOS.

Significance of Serum Apelin Levels as a Biomarker for Gastric Cancer Diagnosis.

OBJECTIVES: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the common lethal disease and the most common cancers worldwide and in Iran. North of Iran is known as a common area of gastric cancer and a high-risk zone in Iran. Apelin is a biomolecule that plays roles in various types of cancers. This study was designed to investigate the serum apelin-12 levels in patients with gastric cancer as a predictive marker and affordable noninvasive alternative. METHODS: In this case-control study, the case group included 42 patients with gastric cancer who were diagnosed by endoscopy and pathological findings. The participants in the case group were compared with the control group including 43 healthy individuals with no history of gastric cancer in their first-degree relatives and visiting the lab for routine tests. Apelin-12 serum level was assessed using ELISA kit. Data were analyzed in SPSS V16.0 applying Fisher's exact test, Mann-Whitney U test, and t-test. RESULTS: Serum apelin-12 in patients with gastric cancer was found to be statistically lower than that in healthy individuals (p< 0.05). There were no significant differences between clinicopathological characteristics and apelin-12 expression. The median survival time in experimental and control groups was 16.0 months. CONCLUSIONS: In the current study, serum levels of apelin were significantly different between cases and controls.

Evaluation of LGR5 Cancer Stem Cell Marker Expression in Breast Cancer and Its Relationship with Hormonal Profile and Clinical Pathological Features.

BACKGROUND: Due to the high prevalence of breast cancer and the importance of evaluating new prognostic criteria for effective treatment of these patients, this study was performed to investigate the role of LGR5 in breast cancer and its relationship with hormonal and clinicalopathological features of the disease. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed on breast cancer tissue samples in the archives of the pathology department of Firoozabadi Hospital in Tehran between 2019 and 2021. Inclusion criteria included invasive ductal carcinoma and exclusion criteria were preoperative chemotherapy. Blocks were examined for LGR5 marker expression by IHC method using LGR5 monoclonal antibody kits (Abcam). The expression pattern of LGR5 marker was cytoplasmic and cells presenting brown staining in the cytoplasm were considered positive for this marker and in terms of distribution and severity of staining were divided into three groups: mild, moderate and severe. RESULTS: This study was performed on 60 patients with breast cancer with a mean age of 55.5±9.7. Most of the patients (55%) were in grade II. The KI67 marker was positive in 45 cases (75%) and the HER2 marker in 14 cases (23.3%) and 8 cases (13.3%) were triple-negative. The expression severity of staining of LGR5 marker in 41 cases (68.3%) was moderate and the distribution of marker expression in 31 cases (51.7%) was moderate. No significant relationship was observed between LGR5 expression severity and tumor characteristics. CONCLUSION: LGR5 marker is expressed in a remarkable percentage of breast cancer patients and has no significant relationship with tumor characteristics.

Efficacy of therapies targeting TGF-ß in solid tumors: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.

Aims: A comprehensive meta-analysis was conducted to explore the efficacy of TGF-ß blockade therapies in solid tumors. Patients & methods: Results of overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), time to progression (TTP) and overall response rate (ORR) with their 95% CI were calculated. Also, subgroup analyses were conducted according to the categories of TGF-ß blocker alone or combined with chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Results: Overall OS, PFS, TTP and ORR were 10.5 months (95% CI: 7.76-13.25), 2.54 months (95% CI: 1.66-3.43), 4.69 months (95% CI: 3.18-6.21) and 0.83% (95% CI: 0.82-0.85), respectively. Conclusion: Collectively, TGF-ß blockade combined with chemotherapy or radiotherapy showed more favorable clinical outcomes than monotherapy using TGF-ß blockade.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world after cardiovascular diseases. Metastasis has a vital role in mortality rate of cancer patients. TGF-ß, which regulates cell proliferation and invasion, is a key regulator of this process, in which activation of TGF-ß is related to poor prognosis in cancer patients. Although several studies have shown therapeutic effects of inhibition of TGF-ß in animal models and human clinical trials, a comprehensive report of the clinical effects, patient responsiveness and safety of TGF-ß inhibitors in cancer patients would be of note. This study aims to investigate and analyze reported clinical outcomes after administration of TGF-ß inhibitors in various cancers. The results of this study will be helpful for the study of dosages and sequencing of therapies in future combinatorial immunotherapy.

Clinical and MRI characteristics of multiple sclerosis in Iranian Children and Adolescents.

Objective: To determine the clinical and MRI characteristics of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the children and adolescents. Material & Methods: In this cross-sectional study, information of 95 MS patients was obtained from the Iranian MS registry. Disease characteristics and imaging data were collected using medical records. Results: Ninety-five patients including 64 female and 31 male subjects with mean age of 13.97±2.4 years (range, 8-18) years were enrolled. The most frequent signs and symptoms were ophthalmic symptoms (n=61, 64.2%), brainstem signs (n=44, 46.3%), cerebellar signs (n=32, 33.6%) and pyramidal signs (n=26, 27.3%). Blurred vision (n=21, 34.4%) was the most common ophthalmic symptom and ataxia (n=24, 75%) the most prevalent cerebellar sign. The most common brainstem signs/symptoms were motor symptoms and vertigo (each n=14, 31.8%) and the most common pyramidal sign/symptom was right upper monoparesis (n=14, 23.3%). Active demyelinating lesions were reported in brain MRI of all patients, mostly appeared as periventricular (n=91, 95.8%) and pericallosal (n=55, 57.9%) lesions. Acute demyelinating spinal lesions were presented in 38 patients (51.3%) with a prominent involvement of the cervical spine (n=33, 86.8%). Conclusion: In our study, the most frequent signs and symptoms were eye symptoms, brainstem signs, cerebellar signs and pyramidal signs, respectively. Moreover, our results showed that MRI plays a critical role in the diagnostic evaluation of MS in children with presence of brain lesions in all patients and spinal lesion in a considerable portion of patients.

Efficacy of drug regimen with and without oseltamivir in hospitalized patients with COVID-19: A retrospective study.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the most critical issue in nowadays medicine. We aimed to evaluate the use and therapeutic outcomes of oseltamivir, an antiviral drug for patients with COVID-19. Materials and method: In an observational study conducted at Imam Khomeini Hospital in Amol, Iran, data for 544 patients with laboratory and CT scan result confirmed COVID-19 were retrospectively collected between February 24th and April 13th 2020. To compare the characteristics of patients based on gender, the chi-square test was used. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the effect of oseltamivir on the outcome of treatment. Logrank test were used to compare the length of hospital stay in people treated with oseltamivir and drugs other than oseltamivir. Results: Kaplan-Meier and logrank test showed no significant reduction in hospitalization time and survival rate following treatment with oseltamivir. However, a significant increase in lymphocytes count and reduction of C-reactive protein (CRP) level detected. Conclusion: Administration of oseltamivir for patients with COVID-19 didn't show any improvement in hospitalization duration and survival rate.

Introducción: la enfermedad por coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) es el tema más crítico en la medicina actual. Nuestro objetivo fue evaluar el uso y los resultados terapéuticos de oseltamivir, un medicamento antiviral para pacientes con COVID-19. Materiales y método: en un estudio observacional realizado en el Hospital Imam Khomeini en Amol, Irán, los datos de 544 pacientes con resultados de laboratorio y tomografía computarizada confirmados de COVID-19 se recopilaron retrospectivamente entre el 24 de febrero y el 13 de abril de 2020. Para comparar las características de los pacientes en función del género se utilizó la prueba de chi-cuadrado. Se utilizó regresión logística para evaluar el efecto de oseltamivir en el resultado del tratamiento. Se utilizó la prueba de rango logarítmico para comparar la duración de la estancia hospitalaria en personas tratadas con oseltamivir y otros fármacos distintos del oseltamivir. Resultados: Kaplan­Meier y la prueba de rango logarítmico no mostraron una reducción significativa en el tiempo de hospitalización y la tasa de supervivencia después del tratamiento con oseltamivir. Sin embargo, se detectó un aumento significativo en el recuento de linfocitos y una reducción del nivel de proteína C reactiva (PCR). Conclusión: la administración de oseltamivir para pacientes con COVID-19 no mostró ninguna mejora en la duración de la hospitalización y la tasa de supervivencia.

LGR5 As a Potential Therapeutic Target for Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Breast cancer is the world's most common malignancy. Despite significant advances in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease, the associated mortality rate is still high. Tumor initiating cells known as cancer stem cells with unique abilities are suspected responsible for therapy failure and poor prognosis. Leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptor 5 (LGR5) is a cancer stem cell marker that promotes aggressive features in breast cancer cells. So, the aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate LGR5 as a therapeutic target for breast cancer. METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis were performed using databases of Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed. We searched these databases with LGR5 and Breast Cancer and related keywords based on the mesh database until Oct12, 2021. All studies that reported the rate of LGR5 high expression with Immunohistochemistry in breast cancer patients were included in this review. We used the STATA and random effect models for data analysis. RESULTS: Finally, 7 studies including 2632 breast cancer samples were studied. The pooled prevalence of LGR5 high expression in breast cancer was 48.6 % (CI95%: 40.5-56.7%, I2=0.0) and in triple negative was 48.6% (CI95%: 38.4-58.7%, I2= 0.0). CONCLUSION: Our findings show that the rate of LGR5 high expression in breast cancer in general and especially in triple-negative was considerable and it seems that this is a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer.

The Psychometric Properties of the Fear of Progression Questionnaire (FoP-Q) for Cancer Patients in Iran.

PURPOSE: Fear of progression or recurrence is assumed as a rational response to the threat of cancers and types of cancer treatment. However, the elevated levels of fear in cancer patients can become dysfunctional. Therefore, a valid and reliable questionnaire is unquestionably required for this purpose. This study aimed to translate the Fear of Progression Questionnaire and evaluate its psychometric properties for patients with gastrointestinal cancers in Iran. METHODS: In this study with a methodological research design, a total number of 430 patients affected with gastrointestinal cancers referring to Northern Iran completed the 43-item Fear of Progression Questionnaire. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire were evaluated, including the face validity and content validity. Then construct validity was assessed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Finally, the reliability was assessed using internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and stability (intraclass correlation coefficient). RESULTS: Based on the result of the face and content validity, no items were revised and removed. The five extracted factors included were emotional response, employment, and loss of independence, economy/family, and coping. These factors explained 37% of the total variance of Fear of Progression Questionnaire. Reliability (by Cronbach's alpha) and stability (test retest was evaluated by intraclass correlation coefficient) were more than 0.7. CONCLUSION: The study results revealed that the Persian version of the Fear of Progression Questionnaire had acceptable reliability and validity for cancer patients in Iran. Emotional responses explained the most variance of the concept of fear of progression among cancer patients.

Opium use and risk of lung cancer: A multicenter case-control study in Iran.

Opium use was recently classified as a human carcinogen for lung cancer by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. We conducted a large, multicenter case-control study evaluating the association between opium use and the risk of lung cancer. We recruited 627 cases and 3477 controls from May 2017 to July 2020. We used unconditional logistic regression analyses to estimate the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) and measured the association between opium use and the risk of lung cancer. The ORs were adjusted for the residential place, age, gender, socioeconomic status, cigarettes, and water pipe smoking. We found a 3.6-fold risk of lung cancer for regular opium users compared to never users (95% CI: 2.9, 4.6). There was a strong dose-response association between a cumulative count of opium use and lung cancer risk. The OR for regular opium use was higher for small cell carcinoma than in other histology (8.3, 95% CI: 4.8, 14.4). The OR of developing lung cancer among opium users was higher in females (7.4, 95% CI: 3.8, 14.5) than in males (3.3, 95% CI: 2.6, 4.2). The OR for users of both opium and tobacco was 13.4 (95% CI: 10.2, 17.7) compared to nonusers of anything. The risk of developing lung cancer is higher in regular opium users, and these results strengthen the conclusions on the carcinogenicity of opium. The association is stronger for small cell carcinoma cases than in other histology.

Association between dietary fat intake and colorectal cancer: A multicenter case-control study in Iran.

The evolving trends in colorectal cancer (CRC) as one of the most common malignancies worldwide, have likely been influenced by the implementation of screening programs and changes in lifestyle habits. Changing lifestyle, including the shift in diet composition with higher fat, sugar, and animal-source foods intake, led to an increasing burden of CRC in countries undergoing rapid socioeconomic improvement. Results for the link between specific fatty acids (FAs) and CRC are generally inconclusive and more limited in developing countries than elsewhere. This study aims to investigate the association between FA intakes and CRC and its anatomical subsites in a large Iranian case-control study. A food frequency questionnaire was used to collect information on dietary intake in 865 cases and 3206 controls. We conducted multivariate logistic regression models to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). We found positive association between CRC and high intake of dietary total fat (OR highest quartile Q4 = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.32-2.38), cholesterol (ORQ4 = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.22-2.05), and palmitoleic acid (ORQ4 = 2.16, 95% CI = 1.19, 3.91), and an inverse association with high intake of dietary heptanoic acid (ORQ4 = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.14, 0.79) and low intake of palmitic acid (OR lowest quartile Q2 = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.31-0.88). None of the fat variables were associated with rectal cancer. Our study suggests that the recommendation of limited consumption of fats may decrease the risk of CRC among the Iranian population.

Association between hair dye use and cancer in women: a systematic review and meta-analysis of case-control studies.

Background: The use of hair dye for cosmetic purposes appears to be increasing worldwide. As 50-80% of women use hair dye throughout their lifetimes, the possible association between hair dye use and cancer is a public health concern. Method: This systematic review was performed by retrieving studies from PubMed, Scopus, WOS, and ProQuest databases. The inclusion criteria were case-control studies evaluating the association between hair dye use and cancer in women. Women with cancer who have used any hair dye were the focus of our study. Results: The present study combined 28 studies, to assess the association between hair dye use and cancer. The pooled odds ratio (OR) of hematopoietic system cancers among those who have generally ever used any type of hair dyes was 1.10 (95% CI:1.01-1.20) in 17 studies. In 11 studies investigating hair dye made before and after 1980 as a risk factor for cancer, the pooled OR for cancer was 1.31(95% CI:1.08-1.59). Likewise, in the 13 studies that evaluated the association of light and dark hair dye with cancer, the risk among those using dark hair dye increased by 9%, compared to non-users (OR=1.09; 95% CI:0.95-1.25). Conclusion: The present study suggests that, although the use of hair dye may increase the risk of cancer among users, a more detailed evaluation is required to assess the type of hair dye use in terms of guidelines and metrics.

The immunogenicity of an inactivated vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 in healthy individuals: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Inactivated (killed) vaccines against COVID-19 have been widely used for the control of the pandemic condition. We performed a systematic and meta-analysis review of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of the immunogenicity of inactivated vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 in healthy individuals. METHODS: In the present study, all research and evidence were extracted from the available online databases. Two researchers randomly evaluated the assessment of the research sensitivity. Finally, after quality assessment and regarding the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, the eligible articles were entered for meta-analysis. The heterogeneity between the results of the studies was measured using test statistics (Cochran's Q) and the I2 index. The forest plots illustrated the point and pooled estimates with 95% confidence intervals (crossed lines). All statistical analyses were performed using Comprehensive meta-Analysis V.2 software. RESULTS: This meta-analysis included six primary studies investigating the immunogenicity of inactivated vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 in healthy individuals. According to the pooled prevalence (95% confidence interval), neutralizing antibody responses 28 days after receiving the second dose regarding different ages and micrograms per dose was 95.50% (CI: 93.2-97.1%). Our results showed that antibody levels were higher in the 6 µg group than in other groups. 98.3% (CI: 94.2-99.5%). CONCLUSION: Since the rapid development of vaccinations has sparked widespread public anxiety regarding vaccine efficacy. Governments and unvaccinated individuals, particularly those with vaccination reluctance, will be interested in and benefit from the findings of this systematic study.

Pyridoxine for treatment of levetiracetam-induced behavioral adverse events: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Levetiracetam is a broad-spectrum antiseizure medication with known behavioral side effects. The possible beneficial effect of pyridoxine on improvement of these psychiatric problems has been suggested in few previous studies. This clinical trial aimed to investigate the effect of pyridoxine on behavioral side effects of levetiracetam in adult patients with epilepsy. METHODS: This study was a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial on 53 adult patients with epilepsy with behavioral side effects after treatment by levetiracetam. Patients who met the study criteria were randomized to receive 40 mg/day pyridoxine or placebo. Their psychiatric state was surveyed by SCL-90-R questionnaire before and three weeks after initiation of treatment. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in the behavioral adverse effects between the pyridoxine-treated group and the placebo group. CONCLUSION: Although this study showed no statistically significant beneficial effects of pyridoxine on the behavioral adverse effects of levetiracetam, placebo-controlled trials with a larger size and higher doses are needed to determine whether it is effective or not.