Human immunodeficiency virus-1 Drug Resistance Mutations in Iranian Treatment-experienced Individuals.

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus-1 infection still remains a global health threat. While antiretroviral therapy is the primary treatment option, concerns about the emergence of drug-resistance mutations and treatment failure in HIV-infected patients persist. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we investigated the development of drug resistance in HIV-1-infected individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy for 6-10 years. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated 144 people living with HIV-1 who had received antiretroviral therapy for at least 6 years. Plasma specimens were collected, and HIV-1 viral load and drug-resistance mutations were assessed using molecular techniques. RESULTS: The demographic and epidemiological characteristics of the participants were also analyzed: Twelve [8.3%) of the studied patients showed a viral load over 1000 copies per/mL, which indicates the suboptimal response to antiretroviral therapy. Significant correlations were found between viral load and CD4 count, as well as epidemiological factors, such as vertical transmission, history of imprisonment, and needle stick injuries. Drug resistance mutations were detected in 10 (83.3%) of patients who failed on antiretroviral therapy, with the most common mutations observed against nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (5 (41.7%)) and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (9 (75%)). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 12 patients who failed treatment were infected with CRF35_AD. CONCLUSION: Our study provides important insights into the characteristics and development of drug resistance in HIV-1-infected individuals receiving long-term antiretroviral therapy in Iran. The findings underline the need for regular viral load monitoring, individualized treatment selection, and targeted interventions to optimize treatment outcomes and prevent the further spread of drug-resistant strains.

Implementation of an In-House Platform for Rapid Screening of SARS-CoV-2 Genome Variations.

BACKGROUND: Global real-time monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 variants is crucial to controlling the COVID-19 outbreak. The purpose of this study was to set up a Sanger-based platform for massive SARS-CoV-2 variant tracking in laboratories in low-resource settings. METHODS: We used nested RT-PCR assay, Sanger sequencing and lineage assignment for 930-bp of the SARS-CoV-2 spike gene, which harbors specific variants of concern (VOCs) mutations. We set up our platform by comparing its results with whole genome sequencing (WGS) data on 137 SARS-CoV-2 positive samples. Then, we applied it on 1028 samples from March-September 2021. RESULTS: In total, 125 out of 137 samples showed 91.24% concordance in mutation detection. In lineage assignment, 123 out of 137 samples demonstrated 89.78% concordance, 65 of which were assigned as VOCs and showed 100% concordance. Of 1028 samples screened by our in-house method, 78 distinct mutations were detected. The most common mutations were: S:D614G (21.91%), S:P681R (12.19%), S:L452R (12.15%), S:T478K (12.15%), S:N501Y (8.91%), S:A570D (8.89%), S:P681H (8.89%), S:T716I (8.74%), S:L699I (3.50%) and S:S477N (0.28%). Of 1028 samples, 980 were attributed as VOCs, which include the Delta (B.1.617.2) and Alpha (B.1.1.7) variants. CONCLUSION: Our proposed in-house Sanger-based assay for SARS-CoV-2 lineage assignment is an accessible strategy in countries with poor infrastructure facilities. It can be applied in the rapid tracking of SARS-CoV-2 VOCs in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Evaluation of MicroRNA Expression Pattern (miR-28, miR-181a, miR-34a, and miR-31) in Patients with COVID-19 Admitted to ICU and Diabetic COVID-19 Patients.

INTRODUCTION: MicroRNAs, or miRNAs, with regulatory performance in inflammatory responses and infection are the prevalent manifestations of severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This study aimed to evaluate whether PBMC miRNAs are diagnostic biomarkers to screen the ICU COVID-19 and diabetic COVID-19 subjects. METHODS: Candidate miRNAs were selected through previous studies, and then the PBMC levels of selected miRNAs (miR-28, miR-31, miR-34a, and miR-181a) were measured via quantitative reverse transcription PCR. The diagnostic value of miRNAs was determined by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The bioinformatics analysis was utilized to predict the DEM genes and relevant bio-functions. RESULTS: The COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU had significantly greater levels of selected miRNAs compared to non-hospitalized COVID-19 and healthy people. Besides, the mean miR-28 and miR-34a expression levels in the diabetic COVID-19 group were significantly upregulated when compared with the non-diabetic COVID-19 group. ROC analyses demonstrated the role of miR-28, miR-34a, and miR-181a as new biomarkers to discriminate the non-hospitalized COVID-19 group from the COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU samples, and also miR-34a can probably act as a useful biomarker for screening diabetic COVID-19 patients. Using bioinformatics analyses, we found the performance of target transcripts in many bioprocesses and diverse metabolic routes such as the regulation of multiple inflammatory parameters. DISCUSSION: The difference in miRNA expression patterns between the studied groups suggested that miR-28, miR-34a, and miR-181a could be helpful as potent biomarkers for diagnosing and controlling COVID-19.

Global epidemiology of HBV infection among hemodialysis patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Hemodialysis (HD) is a life-saving procedure that purifies the blood in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Among all major complications, blood-borne diseases like hepatitis B virus (HBV) may be exposed as serious side effects of hemodialysis. A comprehensive review of the global burden of HBV among HD patients has not been written so far. The aim of the current systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the globally epidemiology of HBV infection among HD patients. METHODS: Based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, articles that investigated the prevalence of HBV among HD patients were searched from the major databases such as EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science collection, and Scopus. Pooled prevalence with 95% CI and identification of heterogeneity were obtained using the random effects model and Cochran's Q-test, respectively, and quantification was evaluated using the I2 statistics. All statistical analyses were performed by STATA 14.1 statistical software. RESULTS: among 322 datasets (795,623 cases) that included in this study, the pooled prevalence of HBV infection among HD patients was 7.32% (95% CI: 6.53-8.15%; I2 = 97.91%), including 7.57% (95% CI: 6.69-8.48%) for HBsAg and 6.09% (95% CI: 4.05-8.49%) for DNA, respectively. In addition, based on geographic area, the prevalence was 7.44% (95% CI: 6.35-8.61%) in Asia, 4.32% (95% CI: 2.21-7.04%) in North America, 7.07% (95% CI: 6.35-8.61%) in Europe, 5.52% (95% CI: 3.60-7.78%) in Africa, 8.45% (95% CI: 5.81-11.78%) in Oceania, and 9.73% (95% CI: 7.11-12.70%) in South America. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis indicates a relatively high prevalence of HBV infection in HD patients, even in some developed countries. Considering that ESRD patients are not able to properly respond to the vaccination strategies in order to develop an acceptable immunity, vaccination of healthy individuals is highly recommended to arm their bodies for possible immunocompromise conditions in the future. Moreover, donated blood in blood transfusion centers should be checked for possible hepatitis B virus infection using sensitive molecular tests.

High resolution melting curve analysis for rapid detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants.

Since the emergence of the original Wuhan SARS-CoV-2 strain, several new variants of the virus have emerged. Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and the most recent Omicron variants have been introduced during this pandemic. Several methods including, but not restricted to, allele-specific PCR, ligation with rolling circle amplification and real-time PCR with allele-specific probes are able to detect mutations as low as a single nucleotide polymorphism. High-resolution melting curve analysis is ano-ther technique to assess any mutations in a nucleic acid chain. Confirmed samples with SARS-CoV-2 infection were subjected to variant identification using a de novo-designed HRM assay. In order to select for mutations with the highest effect on Tm of the amplicon, deletion mutations of NSP6 (Del 3675-3677), and S1 (Del 144) were chosen for HRM analysis. HRM analysis for the amplicon of the primer set-1 (NSP6) resulted in Tm differences of -0.39°C, +0.4°C, and -0.6°C between Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variants, respectively, in comparison to the original Wuhan strain. Moreover, HRM analysis of the amplification performed by primer set-2 (S1) led to Tm differences of +0.32°C, -0.26°C, and +0.24°C between Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variants, respectively, in comparison to original Wuhan strain. The test was able to specify each sample to its variant group with more than 90 percent of confidence. The results obtained in this study demonstrate that using a single closed-tube strategy with a HRM-equipped machine, screening new variants of the virus is possible in a fast and reliable way. Keywords: high resolution melting; SARS coronavirus 2; mutation; variant; genotyping.

Association between human herpesviruses and multiple sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and potential association between infection with different herpes viruses and multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed by finding relevant cross-sectional and case-control studies from a large online database. Heterogeneity, Odds ratio (OR), and corresponding 95% Confidence interval (CI) were applied to all studies by meta-analysis and forest plots. The analysis was performed using Stata Software v.14. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-four articles (289 datasets) were included in the meta-analysis, 128 (245 datasets) of which were case/control and the rest were cross-sectional. The pooled prevalence of all human herpes viruses among MS patients was 50% (95% CI: 45-55%; I2 = 96.91%). In subgroup analysis, the pooled prevalence of Herpes simplex virus (HSV), Varicella-zoster virus (VZV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6), Human herpes virus 7 (HHV-7), and Human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8) was 32%, 52%, 74%, 41%, 39% 28%, and 28%, respectively. An association was found between infection with human herpes viruses and MS [summary OR 2.07 (95% CI (1.80-2.37); I2 = 80%)]. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study showed that EBV, VZV, and HHV-6 infection are associated with multiple sclerosis and can be considered as potential risk factors for MS. Although the exact molecular mechanism of the role of herpes viruses in the development of MS is still unknown, it seems that molecular mimicry, the release of autoreactive antibodies, and inflammation in the CNS following viral infection can be important factors in the induction of MS.

Amlodipine and Diltiazem Significantly Repress Human Rotavirus Infection In Vitro.

BACKGROUND: Considering the role of calcium in the replication and morphogenesis of rotaviruses, it is hypothesized that decreased cytosolic calcium levels by using calcium channel blockers can subsequently interfere with rotavirus replication. OBJECTIVE: The present study investigated the effects of two calcium ion channel blockers, amlodipine and diltiazem, against human rotavirus infection. METHODS: Cytotoxic effects of the drugs on MA-104 cells were evaluated using the neutral red assay. The effects of amlodipine and diltiazem at non-toxic concentrations on human rotavirus were examined using cytopathic effect inhibition, TCID50, and real-time PCR assays. RESULTS: The highest inhibitory effect was obtained at concentrations of 0.5 µg/ml of amlodipine and 3 µg/ml of diltiazem, leading to 4.6 and 5.5 logarithmic reductions in infectious rotavirus titer and four- and a five-fold increase in the Ct values compared to the virus control, respectively (p-value < 0.001). Conversely, infectious rotavirus titers were significantly elevated compared to the virus control at concentrations above 0.9 µg/ml of amlodipine and above 25 µg/ml of diltiazem. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that in addition to cardiovascular diseases, calcium channel blockers at their optimal doses may also be used to treat gastroenteritis caused by rotavirus infection.

Association between human polyomavirus infection and brain cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and potential association between the infection with some members of the polyomaviridae family of viruses and development of the brain tumors. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed by finding relevant cross-sectional and case-control studies from a large online database. Heterogeneity, OR, and corresponding 95% CI were applied to all studies by meta-analysis and forest plots. The analysis was performed using Stata Software v.14. RESULTS: Twenty-three articles (33 datasets) were included in the meta-analysis, four (four datasets) of which were case/control studies and the rest were cross-sectional. The pooled prevalence of polyomaviruses among brain cancer patients was 13% (95% CI: 8-20%; I2 = 96.91%). In subgroup analysis, the pooled prevalence of JCV, SV40, BKV and Merkel cell polyomavirus was 20%, 8%, 6%, and 16%, respectively. An association was found between polyomavirus infection and brain cancer [summary OR 7.22 (95% CI (2.36-22.05); I2 = 0%)]. The subgroup analysis, based on the virus type, demonstrated a strong association between JCV infection and brain cancer development [summary OR 10.34 (95% CI 1.10-97.42; I2 = 0%)]. CONCLUSION: The present study showed a significant association between polyomavirus infection and brain tumors. Moreover, these results suggest that polyomavirus infection may be a potential risk factor for the development of brain cancer.

Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in neonates born to mothers or relatives with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: In December 2019, in Wuhan, China, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was emerged due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). It seems that children and neonates, similar to adult and elderly individuals, are at risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, adequate data are not available about neonates infected with SARS-CoV-2. METHODS: This study evaluated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in neonates born to mothers or relatives with COVID-19. This cross-sectional study was performed on 25,044 consecutive Iranian participants in Tehran, Iran, from January 2020 to August 2020. Viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) was extracted from 500 µl of the oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal specimens of the participants. The genomic RNA of SARS-CoV-2 was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. RESULTS: Out of all participants, 98 (0.40%) cases were neonates born to mothers or relatives with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Therefore, the current study was performed on these neonates. Out of 98 studied neonates, 6 (6.1%) cases had positive PCR results for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Moreover, among 98 studied neonates' mothers, 25 (25.5%) cases had positive PCR results for SARS-CoV-2 infection. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study demonstrated that the rate of COVID-19 in neonates born to mothers or relatives with SARS-CoV-2 infection in the Iranian population is about 6.1%.

Expression profiling of inflammation-related genes including IFI-16, NOTCH2, CXCL8, THBS1 in COVID-19 patients.

The present study aimed to scrutinize the expression profile of inflammatory-related genes (IFI-16, NOTCH2, CXCL8, and THBS1) from acute to post-acute stage of this infectious epidemic. The current cross-sectional study consisted of 53 acute-phase COVID-19 patients and 53 healthy individuals between February and March 2021. The extraction of total RNA was performed from PBMC specimens and also expression level of selected genes (IFI-16, NOTCH2, CXCL8, and THBS1) was evaluated by real-time PCR. Subsequently, levels of these factors were re-measured six weeks after the acute phase to determine if the levels of chosen genes returned to normal after the acute phase of COVID-19. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to test potential of genes as a diagnostic biomarker. The expression levels of inflammatory-related genes were significantly different between healthy and COVID-19 subjects. Besides, a significant higher CXCL8 level was found in the acute-phase COVID-19 compared to post-acute-phase infection which may be able to be considered as a potential biomarker for distinguishing between the acute phases from the post-acute-phase status. Deregulation of the inflammatory-related genes in COVID-19 patients, especially CXCL-8, can be serving as potent biomarkers to manage the COVID-19 infection.

The expression patterns of MALAT-1, NEAT-1, THRIL, and miR-155-5p in the acute to the post-acute phase of COVID-19 disease.

INTRODUCTION: One of the hallmarks of COVID-19 is overwhelming inflammation, which plays a very important role in the pathogenesis of COVID-19. Thus, identification of inflammatory factors that interact with the SARS-CoV-2 can be very important to control and diagnose the severity of COVID-19. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression patterns of inflammation-related non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) including MALAT-1, NEAT-1, THRIL, and miR-155-5p from the acute phase to the recovery phase of COVID-19. METHODS: Total RNA was extracted from Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell (PBMC) samples of 20 patients with acute COVID-19 infection and 20 healthy individuals and the expression levels of MALAT-1, NEAT-1, THRIL, and miR-155-5p were evaluated by real-time PCR assay. Besides, in order to monitor the expression pattern of selected ncRNAs from the acute phase to the recovery phase of COVID-19 disease, the levels of ncRNAs were re-measured 6‒7 weeks after the acute phase. RESULT: The mean expression levels of MALAT-1, THRIL, and miR-155-5p were significantly increased in the acute phase of COVID-19 compared with a healthy control group. In addition, the expression levels of MALAT-1 and THRIL in the post-acute phase of COVID-19 were significantly lower than in the acute phase of COVID-19. According to the ROC curve analysis, these ncRNAs could be considered useful biomarkers for COVID-19 diagnosis and for discriminating between acute and post-acute phase of COVID-19. DISCUSSION: Inflammation-related ncRNAs (MALAT-1, THRIL, and miR-150-5p) can act as hopeful biomarkers for the monitoring and diagnosis of COVID-19 disease.

Human papilloma virus (HPV) and prostate cancer (PCa): The potential role of HPV gene expression and selected cellular MiRNAs in PCa development.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common and health-threatening cancers in men worldwide. The human papillomavirus (HPV) is considered one of the organisms with the potential to be involved in the progression of this cancer. In the present study, we evaluated the association between the expression levels of HPV genes with the expression of selected cellular miRNAs (miR-19a, miR-21, miR-23b, miR-34a, miR-150-5p, and miR-155) and their targets genes (P53, Rb, c-Myc, TIMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-9, PDCD4, Bcl-2, and Survivin) in PCa tissue samples. METHODS: HPV detection and genotyping were performed on the tissues of 112 PCa patients and 39 healthy individuals. The expression profile of miRNA was evaluated by SYBR Green-based real-time PCR. As well Human Survivin ELISA Kit was utilized to determine the concentrations of Retinoblastoma, P53, survivin, Bcl-2, c-Myc, TIMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-9, and PDCD4 in the prostate tissues. RESULTS: According to our findings, HPV genome was detected in 28.7% (21/73) of PCa tissue specimens and 17.94% (7/39) control samples. There was no significant association between the presence of HPV infection with PCa (OR = 2.01, 95%CI = 0.8-5.68, P = 0.102). We found that mean expression level of miR-19a (3.7 ± 4.3, p-value: 0.0007), and -21 (2.5 ± 2.8, p-value<0.0001) were significantly higher and miR-23b (-2.14 ± 3.08, p-value: 0.003) and -34a (-3.12 ± 3.28, p-value: 0.0001) levels were significantly lower in PCa tissue samples than in control tissue samples. CONCLUSION: Present research indicated that HPV positive PCa has a distinct miRNA profile compared with HPV negative PCa.

Disease Waves of SARS-CoV-2 in Iran Closely Mirror Global Pandemic Trends.

BACKGROUND: Complete SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing in the early phase of the outbreak in Iran showed two independent viral entries. Subsequently, as part of a genome surveillance project, we aimed to characterize the genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 in Iran over one year after emerging. METHODS: We provided 319 SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome sequences used to monitor circulating lineages in March 2020-May 2021 time interval. RESULTS: The temporal dynamics of major SARS-CoV-2 clades/lineages circulating in Iran is comparable to the global perspective and represent the 19A clade (B.4) dominating the first disease wave, followed by 20A (B.1.36), 20B (B.1.1.413), 20I (B.1.1.7), leading the second, third and fourth waves, respectively. We observed a mixture of circulating B.1.36, B.1.1.413, B.1.1.7 lineages in winter 2021, paralleled in a fading manner for B.1.36/B.1.1.413 and a growing rise for B.1.1.7, prompting the fourth outbreak. Entry of the Delta variant, leading to the fifth disease wave in summer 2021, was detected in April 2021. This study highlights three lineages as hallmarks of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Iran; B4, dominating early periods of the epidemic, B.1.1.413 (B.1.1 with the combination of [D138Y-S477N-D614G] spike mutations) as a characterizing lineage in Iran, and the co-occurrence of [I100T-L699I] spike mutations in half of B.1.1.7 sequences mediating the fourth peak. It also designates the renowned combination of G and GR clades' mutations as the top recurrent mutations. CONCLUSION: In brief, we provided a real-time and comprehensive picture of the SARS-CoV-2 genetic diversity in Iran and shed light on the SARS-CoV-2 transmission and circulation on the regional scale.

Global prevalence and genotype distribution of norovirus infection in children with gastroenteritis: A meta-analysis on 6 years of research from 2015 to 2020.

In the post rotavirus vaccine era, norovirus (NoV) plays an increasingly important role in epidemic and sporadic gastroenteritis among children. This study was designed to provide an updated meta-analytic review of the prevalence of NoV among paediatric patients with gastroenteritis and to clarify the relationship between NoV infection and gastroenteritis. Systematic searches of the literature for potentially relevant studies were carried out from 1 January 2015 to 29 May 2020. The inverse variance method was chosen for weighting of the studies, and the random-effects model was used to analyse data. To determine the association between NoV infection and gastroenteritis in children, pooled odds ratio (OR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) were computed for case-control studies. The pooled prevalence of NoV infection among 12,0531 children with gastroenteritis from 45 countries across the world was 17.7% (95% CI: 16.3%-19.2%). There were 28 studies with a case-control design, and the pooled prevalence of NoV infection among 11,954 control subjects was 6.7% (95% CI: 5.1%-8.8%). The pooled OR of the association of NoV infection and gastroenteritis was 2.7 (95% CI: 2.2-3.4). The most common NoV genotypes were GII.4 (59.3%) and GII.3 (14.9%). The highest frequency of NoV was found in the age group below 1 year. Our findings indicated a substantial burden of gastroenteritis caused by NoV globally, with GII.4 and GII.3 the major genotypes responsible for the majority of NoV-associated gastroenteritis cases among children. Younger age and male sex can be considered risk factors for NoV-associated gastroenteritis among children.

Expression levels of miR-22, miR-30c, miR-145, and miR-519d and their possible associations with inflammatory markers among patients with coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of death around the world. Micro-ribonucleic acid (miRNA) can be involved in forming of atherosclerotic plaques, inflammation, cholesterol metabolism, and other mechanisms involved in CAD development. This study aimed to evaluate the expression level of miR-22, miR-30c, miR-145, and miR-519d and their possible association with inflammatory markers among patients with CAD. METHODS: The expression level of miR-22, miR-30c, miR-145, miR-519d, interleukin 6 (IL-6), and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß) was determined in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 46 patients with CAD and 39 healthy controls using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay. RESULTS: 53.8% (n = 21) and 52.2% (n = 24) of controls and cases were men, respectively; the mean age was 59.8 ± 7.4 and 57.0 ± 9.8 years, respectively. The miRNA expression pattern of each group showed significantly different expression profiles. In the CAD patients group, miR-22, miR-30c, and miR-145 were down-regulated compared to the control group. On the opposite, miR-519d was up-regulated in patients with CAD compared to the control group. Our results also showed that the expression levels of IL-6 and TGF-ß were up-regulated among patients with CAD compared to the control group. In addition, the expression of miR-145 and miR-519d had a significantly negative and positive correlation with TGF-ß and IL-6, respectively. CONCLUSION: The change in expression levels of miR-22, miR-30c, miR-145, and miR-519d in PBMCs of patients with CAD could be considered as a potential biomarker for CAD.

The expression patterns of MALAT-1, NEAT-1, THRIL, and miR-155-5p in the acute to the post-acute phase of COVID-19 disease

ABSTRACT Introduction: One of the hallmarks of COVID-19 is overwhelming inflammation, which plays a very important role in the pathogenesis of COVID-19. Thus, identification of inflammatory factors that interact with the SARS-CoV-2 can be very important to control and diagnose the severity of COVID-19. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression patterns of inflammation-related non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) including MALAT-1, NEAT-1, THRIL, and miR-155-5p from the acute phase to the recovery phase of COVID-19. Methods: Total RNA was extracted from Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell (PBMC) samples of 20 patients with acute COVID-19 infection and 20 healthy individuals and the expression levels of MALAT-1, NEAT-1, THRIL, and miR-155-5p were evaluated by real-time PCR assay. Besides, in order to monitor the expression pattern of selected ncRNAs from the acute phase to the recovery phase of COVID-19 disease, the levels of ncRNAs were re-measured 6-7 weeks after the acute phase. Result: The mean expression levels of MALAT-1, THRIL, and miR-155-5p were significantly increased in the acute phase of COVID-19 compared with a healthy control group. In addition, the expression levels of MALAT-1 and THRIL in the post-acute phase of COVID-19 were significantly lower than in the acute phase of COVID-19. According to the ROC curve analysis, these ncRNAs could be considered useful biomarkers for COVID-19 diagnosis and for discriminating between acute and post-acute phase of COVID-19. Discussion: Inflammation-related ncRNAs (MALAT-1, THRIL, and miR-150-5p) can act as hopeful biomarkers for the monitoring and diagnosis of COVID-19 disease.

Molecular and serological markers of human parvovirus B19 infection in blood donors: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Human parvovirus B19 (B19V) is one of the blood-borne viruses. The virus can be transmitted to susceptible individuals by blood or blood products. The virus is not associated with significant disease in general population, while people with underlying problems such as immunodeficiency can cause anemia and arthritis. The current systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the overall prevalence of B19V DNA, anti-B19V IgG, and anti-B19V IgM antibodies in blood donors worldwide. METHODS: A systematic search was carried out in online databases for relevant studies from inception until March 30, 2019. Study selection was performed based on predesigned eligibility criteria. The proportion of B19V DNA, anti-B19V IgG, and anti-B19V IgM antibodies were pooled using the inverse variance method. All statistical analyses were performed using the R version 3.5.3, package "meta." RESULTS: According to the random-effects model, the pool prevalence of B19V DNA, anti-B19V IgM, and anti-B19V IgG among blood donors was calculated to be 0.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] =0.3%-0.6%), 2.2% (95% CI = 1.3%-3.7%), and 50.1% (95% CI = 43.1%-57.1%), respectively. CONCLUSION: For the transmission of B19V through blood, the presence of the virus genome is required, and the present study showed that the prevalence of the virus genome in blood donors is <1%. Therefore, there is no need to screen donated blood for B19V infection.

Molecular Investigation of Human Cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus in Glioblastoma Brain Tumor: A Case-Control Study in Iran

Background: Glioblastoma multiforme is the most invasive and lethal form of brain cancer with unclear etiology. Our study aimed to investigate the molecular prevalence of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections in patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Methods: This case-control study was conducted on 42 FFPE brain tumor samples from GBM patients and 42 brain autopsies from subjects without neurological disorders. The presence of EBV and HCMV DNA was determined, using PCR and nested-PCR assays, respectively. Results: HCMV DNA was detected in 3 out of 42 (7.1%) of GBM samples and was absent from the control group (p = 0.07). Importantly, EBV DNA was detected in 9 out of 42 (21.4%) brain tissue specimens of GBM subjects, but again in none of the control group (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that infection with EBV is associated with GBM.

Destruction mechanisms of ozone over SARS-CoV-2.

In this pandemic SARS-CoV-2 crisis, any attempt to contain and eliminate the virus will also stop its spread and consequently decrease the risk of severe illness and death. While ozone treatment has been suggested as an effective disinfection process, no precise mechanism of action has been previously reported. This study aimed to further investigate the effect of ozone treatment on SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, virus collected from nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab and sputum samples from symptomatic patients was exposed to ozone for different exposure times. The virus morphology and structure were monitored and analyzed through Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS), and ATR-FTIR. The obtained results showed that ozone treatment not only unsettles the virus morphology but also alters the virus proteins' structure and conformation through amino acid disturbance and Zn ion release from the virus non-structural proteins. These results could provide a clearer pathway for virus elimination and therapeutics preparation.

Prevalence and genotype distribution of genital human papillomavirus infection in female sex workers in the world: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Female sex workers (FSWs) are amongst the most susceptible groups to acquire human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and consequently, to develop cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer. This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis to provide estimates of the pooled prevalence of HPV infection and the distribution of HPV types among FSWs across the world. METHODS: Five computerized databases were searched for relevant studies published since the inception date of databases to September 2019. The pooled HPV prevalence was calculated by the random effect model described by DerSimonian-Laird. Subgroup analysis was performed to identify the probable sources of heterogeneity. The meta-analysis was performed using the "Metaprop" function in the R package Meta. RESULTS: Sixty-two studies involving 21,402 FSWs from 33 countries were included in this meta-analysis, and the pooled HPV prevalence was 42.6% (95% confidence interval (CI): 38.5-46.7%). HPV-16 (10.1, 95% CI: 8.2-12.5%), HPV-52 (7.9, 95% CI: 5.9-10.7%), and HPV-53 (6.0, 95% CI: 4.4-8.1%) were the most common high-risk HPV types identified among FSWs. The pooled estimated prevalence of HPV infection among FSWs before and after 2010 were slightly different, 43.6% (95% CI: 36.1-51.4%) and 41.9% (95% CI: 37.2-46.8%), respectively. CONCLUSION: Due to the high prevalence of HPV infection, particularly with high-risk types, FSWs have a great susceptibility to the development of cervical and vaginal cancers. Furthermore, they can transmit their infection to their clients, which may result in a high prevalence of HPV and the incidence of HPV-associated malignancies among the general population.