NBS superfood: a promising adjunctive therapy in critically ill ICU patients with omicron variant of COVID-19.

This clinical trial aimed to assess the impact of Nutrition Bio-shield superfood (NBS) on clinical status among critically ill ICU patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19. A total of 400 patients with confirmed Omicron-related ARDS were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n = 200) or the control group (n = 200). Patients in the intervention group received 1.5 g of NBS powder daily for 2 weeks in addition to standard antiviral treatment, while the control group received a placebo alongside standard antiviral therapy. Serum samples were collected from all patients in both groups, and various clinical and laboratory parameters, including ESR, CRP, D-Dimer, CPK, WBC count, lymphocyte count, and lymphocyte percentage, were measured using established methodologies. Following a 14-day intervention period, the intervention group exhibited a significant reduction in mean serum levels of CRP (15.39 vs. 48.49; P < 0.001), ESR (14.28 vs. 34.03; P < 0.001), D-Dimer (485.18 vs. 1009.13; P = 0.001), and CPK (68.93 vs. 131.48; P < 0.001) compared to the control group. Conversely, a significant increase was observed in the mean serum levels of lymphocytes (1537.06 vs. 1152.60; P < 0.001) in the intervention group after 14 days of treatment compared to the control group. The remarkable reduction in inflammatory markers and mortality rates observed with NBS supplementation alongside standard antiviral treatment underscores its crucial role in mitigating inflammation and achieving an important milestone in the fight against COVID-19.

Promising Modulatory Effects of Cenicriviroc on the Progression of Mouse Colorectal Cancer through Inhibition of CCR2_CCL2 Signaling Pathway.

The study was designed to assay the efficacy of cenicriviroc (CVC) on the progression of mouse colorectal cancer by downregulation of CCR2_CCL2. In this study, CVC was used to inhibit the CCR2 receptor. Next, an MTT assay was performed to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of CVC on the CT26 cell line. CT26 cells were implanted subcutaneously in BALB/c mice. After tumor implantation, one group of animals received 20 mg/kg of CVC several times. The mRNA levels of CCR2, CCL2, VEGF, NF-κB, c-Myc, vimentin, and IL33 were determined in the CT26 cell line and then tumor tissues (after 21 days), by qRT-PCR. Protein levels of the above-mentioned targets were determined by western blot and ELISA. Flow cytometry was performed to assess the changes in apoptosis. Tumor growth inhibition was measured on the 1st, 7th, and 21st days after the first treatment. In both cell line and tumor cells treated with CVC, expression levels of the markers of our interest in mRNA and protein levels were significantly reduced compared to controls. A significantly higher apoptotic index was observed in CVC-treated groups. The rates of tumor growth were significantly decreased on the 7th and 21st days after the first injection. To our knowledge, this was the first time that we demonstrated the promising effect of CVC on the development of CRC through inhibition of the CCR2_CCL2 signaling and its downstream biomarkers.

Effect of Convalescent Plasma Therapy on Clinical Improvement of COVID-19 Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: Due to the critical condition of COVID-19, it is necessary to evaluate the efficacy of administrating convalescent plasma to COVID-19 patients. Therefore, we decided to design a clinical trial to investigate the effect of convalescent plasma of patients recovered from COVID-19 on the treatment outcome of COVID-19-infected patients. Materials and Methods: In this parallel randomized controlled clinical trial, patients in the intervention group received standard treatment plus convalescent plasma of patients recovered from COVID-19. We allocated 60 patients to each treatment group through balanced block randomization. Then, COVID-19 outcomes, vital signs, and biochemical parameters were compared between the two treatment groups by the independent t test and ANCOVA. Results: The mean age (SD) of the patients in the intervention and standard treatment groups was 52.84 (15.77) and 55.15 (14.34) years, respectively. Although patients in the intervention group reported more hospitalization days (11.45±5.86 vs. 10.42±6.79), death rates (26.67% vs. 18.13%), ICU admission (45 vs. 41.67%), and ARDS (11.67% vs. 3.33%), these differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Moreover, the two groups were homogenous in vital signs and biochemical parameters before and after treatment (P>0.05). Conclusion: The present study indicated that convalescent plasma therapy has no significant effect on the survival, hospitalization, and ICU admission of COVID-19 patients.

The effects of nutrition bio-shield superfood powder on immune system function: A clinical trial study among patients with COVID-19.

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of Nutrition Bio-shield Superfood (NBS) powder on the immune system function and clinical manifestations in patients with COVID-19. We compare the effects of NBS powder on the immune system function and clinical manifestations among two different groups: 1) intervention group receiving standard treatment scheduled according to treatment guidelines plus NBS powder, and 2) control group receiving only the same standard treatment. The serum levels of IL-2, IL-6, IL-17, IFNγ, and TNFα were determined after four weeks of treatment by specific ELISA kits according to the manufacturer's instructions. Finally, the level of immune system stimulation and inflammatory markers were compared at baseline and after intervention in both groups. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 22). A p-value of ≤ 0.05 was set as significant. A total of 47 patients with COVID-19 (24 patients in the intervention group and 23 patients in the control group) were included in this study. Results showed that the differences in the mean decrease of IL-2, IL-6, and TNF-α in the intervention group in comparison to the control group were 0.93, 10.28, and 8.11 pg/ml, respectively (P<0.001). On the other hand, there was no difference in IL-17, IFNγ, monocytes, eosinophil, and other inflammatory indices between the intervention and control groups. Although NBS powder was able to significantly decrease the levels of some proinflammatory cytokines in patients with COVID-19, however, it is noteworthy that the course of the disease was to large part unaffected by NBS power and there was a reduction independent of treatment. The present study indicates that NBS powder could provide a beneficial anti-inflammatory effect in patients with COVID-19. Hence, NBS in treating patients with COVID-19 shows promise as an adjuvant to the current standard antiviral treatment of such patients. Clinical Trial Registration: https://www.irct.ir, identifier IRCT20200426047206N1.

miR-1290 contributes to oncogenesis and angiogenesis via targeting of THBS1, DKK3 and, SCAI.

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in the world with high mortality, hence, understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in the tumor progression are important for CRC diagnosis and treatment. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key gene expression regulators that can function as tumor suppressors or oncogenes in tumor cells, and modulate angiogenesis as a critical process in tumor metastasis. MiR-1290 has been demonstrated as an onco-miRNA in various types of cancer, however, the role of miR-1290 in CRC is not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the oncogenic and angiogenic potential of miR-1290 in CRC. Methods: Lenti-miR-1290 was transduced into HCT116, SW480, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). By bioinformatics analysis, we identified thrombospondin 1 (THBS1) as a novel predicted target for miR-1290. Quantitative real-time PCR, western blotting, and luciferase reporter assay were used to demonstrate suppression of miR-1290 target genes including THBS1, Dickkopf Wnt signaling pathway inhibitor 3 (DKK3), and suppressor of cancer cell invasion (SCAI) in HCT116 and HUVECs. Cell cycle analysis, proliferation, migration and, tube formation were determined by flow cytometry, MTT, wound healing, and tube formation assays, respectively. Results: MiR-1290 significantly decreased the expression of THBS1, DKK3, and SCAI. We demonstrated that miR-1290 enhanced proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis partially through suppression of THBS1, DKK3, and SCAI in CRC. Conclusion: These results suggest a novel function of miR-1290 which may contribute to tumorigenesis and angiogenesis in CRC.

Association between Influenza and COVID-19 Viruses and the Risk of Atherosclerosis: Meta-Analysis Study and Systematic Review.

There is a lot of evidence to suggest that patients infected with the COVID-19 and influenza viruses are at risk of atherosclerosis. Additionally, there are heterogeneous studies on the risk of arthrosclerosis in patients infected with the influenza and COVID-19 viruses. We conducted a case−control and cross-sectional study and examined the association between the risk of atherosclerosis, and influenza virus (IV-A and IV-B) and COVID-19 infections in this study. We searched for keywords such as influenza virus, COVID-19 and atherosclerosis in English and Persian in well-known databases such as PubMed, SID, Magiran and Google Scholar. In this study, we analyzed the information using a meta-analysis, the random effect model, the I2 index and STAT (version 11.2). The results from the analysis of ten studies on influenza virus and nine studies on COVID-19 reviewed individually (totaling 6428 samples for influenza virus infections and 10,785 samples for COVID-19 infections) demonstrated a risk of arthrosclerosis in patients with influenza and COVID-19 infections, with an OR (odds ratio) = 0.45 ((95% CI): 0.25 to 0.64) and an OR (odds ratio) = 1.04 ((95% CI): 0.82 to 1.26), respectively. The present study provides new insights into the risk of atherosclerosis in patients infected with the COVID-19 and influenza viruses. Therefore, it seems necessary to consider different strategies for managing and eradicating viral infections among individuals.

Effect of Chlorhexidine (CHX) and Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) on the Biofilm Formation of Enterococcus faecalis.

BACKGROUND: Biofilm makes bacteria resistant to antimicrobial agents and facilitates the transmission of infectious diseases in hospitals. Disinfectant compounds are frequently used to control surface contamination. This study was designed to investigate the effect of chlorhexidine (CHX) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on biofilm formation of Enterococcus faecalis. METHODS: This study was performed on 40 E. faecalis clinical isolates. After the determination of MIC, the effect of different concentrations of CHX and H2O2 on the biofilm formation was evaluated. Also, the relative expression level of the studied biofilm genes, following exposure to sublethal concentration of CHX and H2O2, was assessed using quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). RESULTS: The frequency of the asa1, efaA, epaI, and esp biofilm genes were 80%, 92.5%, 100%, and 75%, respectively. Various concentrations of CHX increased the biofilm mass in E. faecalis. Also, the combination of CHX and H2O2 at sub-minimal inhibitory concentrations, significantly elevated the expression of asa1, epaI, and esp genes. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that the improper use of disinfectants can increase the ability of biofilm formation in E. faecalis and may cause selective pressure leading to the emergence of biocide-resistant microorganisms.

Investigation of the Relationship between Oral Human Papillomavirus Infection and Oral Health.

Statement of the Problem: Oral health status has been suggested as one of the possible risk factors for oral human papillomavirus (OHPV) infection. There is inconsistent evidence concerning its relationship with the presence of OHPV. Purpose: This study aimed to compare oral health status between two groups of patients with and without OHPV infection. Materials and Method: This cross-sectional study was performed on 272 oral rinse samples, collected from our previous study population. After signing the written informed consents, the oral examination was performed to determine some clinical parameters of oral health status including periodontal disease status, oral hygiene status, decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) of participants. Next, viral deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extraction, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and HPV genotyping tests were performed on the samples. Results: OHPV DNA was detected in a total 31 (11.40%) samples that were considered as OHPV+ group. None of the determined clinical parameters of oral health status was significantly different between OHPV+ and OHPV DNA negative (OHPV-) groups (p> 0.05). Conclusion: The findings of the current study did not indicate a significant association between oral health status and OHPV. Further studies with larger sample size are recommended to reach a definite conclusion.

Evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 in Indoor Air of Sina and Shahid Beheshti Hospitals and Patients' Houses.

Side by side air sampling was conducted using a PTFE filter membrane as dry sampler and an impinger containing a suitable culture medium as a wet sampler. Most of the samples were collected from two hospitals and few air samples were collected from private houses of non-hospitalized confirmed COVID-19 patients. The collected air samples were analyzed using RT-PCR. The results indicated that all air samples collected from the hospitals were PCR negative for SARS-CoV-2. While two of four air samples collected from the house of non-hospitalized patients were PCR positive. In this study, most of the hospitalized patients had oxygen mask and face mask, and hence this may be a reason for our negative results regarding the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in indoor air of the hospitals, while non-hospitalized patients did not wear oxygen and protective face masks in their houses. Moreover, a very high concentration of particles in the size range of droplet nuclei (< 5 µm) was identified compared to particles in the size range of respiratory droplets (> 5-10 µm) in the areas where patients were hospitalized. It can be concluded that using face mask by patients can prevent the release of viruses into the indoor air, even in hospitals with a high density of patients.

Household Secondary Attack Rate of COVID-19 among Healthcare Workers and Related Factors.

Background: The risk for transmission of COVID-19 to people in close contact with infected people, especially healthcare workers, has not been well estimated. Therefore the present study was conducted to assess the household secondary attack rate (SAR) of COVID-19 among healthcare workers and related factors. Materials and Methods: The present prospective case-ascertained study was conducted on 202 healthcare workers with confirmed COVID-19 in Hamadan, diagnosed from March 1, 2020, to August 20, 2020. For households with close contact with the index case, RT-PCR was performed regardless of symptoms. We defined SAR as the proportion of secondary cases from the total contacts that live in the index case household. SAR was reported as a percentage and 95% confidence interval (CI). Multiple logistic regression was performed to explore the predictors of COVID-19 transmission of index cases to their households. Results: We found 36 secondary cases out of 391 household contacts with laboratory confirmation (RT-PCR), representing a household SAR of 9.2% (95% CI: 6.3, 12.1). Among factors related to the family member, female gender (OR: 2.9, 95% CI: 1.2, 6.9), being the patient's spouse (OR: 2.2, 95% CI: 1.0, 4.6), and living in the apartment (OR: 2.78, 95% CI: 1.24, 6.23), and among factors related to index cases, hospitalization (OR: 5.9, 95% CI: 1.3, 26.9) and caught (OR: 2.4, 95% CI: 1.1, 5.2) were the significant predictors of disease transmission to other family members (P<0.05). Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that the SAR is remarkable in household contacts of infected healthcare workers. Some characteristics of family members of the index case, including female gender, being the patient's spouse, and living in the apartment, and some characteristics of the index case, including hospitalization and caught, were associated with the increased SAR.

Designing of DNA Vaccine Based on a Secretory Form of Major Capsid Protein of Human Papillomavirus Type 18.

More than 99% of cervical cancers are associated with human papillomaviruses (HPVs) worldwide. Current HPV vaccines are safe, highly immunogenic, with effective immunity against specific HPV types. However, DNA vaccines are a new appealing platform which can be considered for designing the HPV vaccines. This study aimed to construct a recombinant eukaryotic expression plasmid containing L1 of HPV-18, tissue plasminogen activators (tPA), and pan HLA DR-binding epitope (PADRE) genes into the pVAX1 vector. The L1, tPA, and PADRE genes were amplified in a thermocycler. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products were cloned and insertion of the genes was confirmed using colony PCR, restriction enzymes analysis, and sequencing methods. Indirect immunofluorescence, RT-PCR, and western blot assays were applied to identify the target gene in HEK-293 cells. Total IgG and its isotypes in immunized mice were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. Western blot analysis showed a protein band of about 67.5 kDa in supernatant and cell lysate of transfected cells. The results of mice immunization with different constructs (group 1: the pVAX-L1, group 2: pVAX-tPA-PADRE-L1, group 3: pVAX1, and group 4: PBS as controls) indicated that the pVAX1-tPA-PADRE-L1 construct induced a significantly higher level of total IgG than pVAX1-L1 (p=0.003). In conclusion, pVAX1-tPA-PADRE-L1 recombinant plasmid is a highly immunogenic construct and suggests as a promising candidate for vaccine development against HPV type 18 in low-middle-income countries.

Hairpin-Spherical Nucleic Acids for Diagnosing COVID-19: a Simple Method to Generalize the Conventional PCR for Molecular Assays.

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed during the first global wave of this infectious disease that mass diagnostic testing was necessary to more rapidly detect infection in patients and control the pandemic. Therefore, extra research efforts to develop reliable and more accessible techniques for disease diagnosis are of supreme importance. Here, a target-responsive assembly of gold nanoparticle-core hairpin-spherical nucleic acids (AuNP-core H-SNAs) was implemented to modify the conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the "naked-eye" colorimetric detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA. Two hairpin DNA ligands are designed based on the two highly conserved regions within N and E genes of SARS-CoV-2 RNA by positioning two short palindromic arms (stem) on either side of a recognition sequence (loop). In the presence of a sequence-specific probe (activator), hairpin DNAs anchored to the surface of AuNPs unfold and expose the palindromic ends to the DNA-directed assembly of AuNPs. The sequence of the activator probes was chosen to be identical to the TaqMan probe in a real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) assay for specifically targeting the N and E genes of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. They may either be degraded by the 5'-exonuclease activity of DNA polymerase during PCR cycles or stay intact depending on the presence or absence of the target template in the sample, respectively. Post-addition of H-SNA solutions to the final PCR products of some preconfirmed clinical samples for COVID-19 generated naked-eye-observable red and blue colors for positive and negative cases, respectively, with similar sensitivity to that of the real-time RT-PCR method.

A promising effect of zerumbone with improved anti-tumor-promoting inflammation activity of miR-34a in colorectal cancer cell lines.

Cross-talk among inflammation and colorectal cancer cells is chiefly reported through a complex of cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors. MicroRNA performs strategic roles in controlling a variety of signaling cascades. miR-34a is known as a master regulator of tumor suppression. Combined application of different miRNA-based agents and chemotherapeutic drugs has been used to augment drug sensitivity and may reinforce the antitumor effect. A lot of studies specify a substantial increase in the effectiveness of combination therapies. The anti-inflammatory activity of Zerumbone (ZER) was investigated in many cancers. In this study the level of the inflammatory cytokines including CXCL-12 (SDF-1), CCL-2 (MCP-1), TGF-ß and IL-33 has been measured in pmiR-34a-5p transfected and pmiR-34a-5p +ZER treated CRC cell lines (HCT-116 and SW48) by QRT-PCR and ELISA methods, respectively. The results showed that miR-34a could significantly inhibit cytokine expression in both cell lines for 48 and 72 h except SDF-1 which no inhibition was observed in SW48 cells. ZER suppressed SDF-1 for all three time points in both cell lines, while in SW48 cells IL-33 and TGF-ß were inhibited in 72 h and in HCT-116 cells MCP-1 diminished for only 24 h and TGF-ß diminished for all three times. Combination of both miR-34a and ZER suppressed TGF-ß, SDF-1 and MCP-1 in HCT-116 cells in all time points while in SW48 cells, suppression of most cytokines was observed in 48 and 72 h. Furthermore Colony formation assay and scratch test were employed to detect changes of proliferation and migration in CRC transfected and treated cells. Generally, we found that miR-34a could considerably decrease the expression of inflammatory cytokines and the combination of ZER+ miR-34 boosted this effect. Moreover the migration and proliferation decreased in treated and transfected cells and this reduction was more severe in miR-34a +ZER treatment. It is important to note that in the case of cell resistance to each of these therapeutic agents, inhibition of cytokines can be compensated by another one.

Conventional PCR assisted single-component assembly of spherical nucleic acids for simple colorimetric detection of SARS-CoV-2.

Continuous identification of suspected infectious cases is crucial to control the recent pandemic caused by the novel human coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2). Real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) technology cannot be implemented easily and in large scale in some communities due to lack of resources and infrastructures. Here, we report a simple colorimetric strategy derived from linker-based single-component assembly of gold nanoparticle-core spherical nucleic acids (AuNP-core SNAs) for visual detection of PCR products of SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleic acid (RNA) template. A palindromic linker is designed based on SARS-CoV-2 specific E gene to program the identical colloidal SNAs into large assemblies along with a distinct red-to-purple color change. The linker acts as a probe of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in conventional PCR reaction. In the presence of the correct template the palindromic linker, which is complementary to a short region within the target amplicon, is cleaved by 5'-exonuclease activity of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) polymerase. Cleavage of the palindromic linker during the amplification process inhibits the single-component assembly formation of SNAs. So, positive and negative viral samples produce simply red and purple colors in the post PCR colorimetric test, respectively. Evaluation of the samples obtained from cases with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection revealed that our assay can rival with real-time PCR method in sensitivity.

Prevalence and risk factors of oral HPV infection among a healthy Iranian population; Kurdistan, West of Iran.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has implicated in the development of some of the oral/oropharyngeal cancers. However, controversy still exists regarding the prevalence of oral HPV (OHPV) and its risk factors. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and variables of OHPV infection in a healthy Iranian population. This study evaluated 300 oral rinse samples. Following the oral and dental examination of participants and filling out a self-administered questionnaire; samples collected by swishing and gargling 0.09% saline. The viral DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction and HPV genotyping then performed. Prevalence of OHPV DNA/OHPV+ infection and OHPV genotypes was 12% and 1% (two cases of HPV6 and one case of HPV53), respectively. Comparison of variables between OHPV+ and OHPV- groups revealed that only income (P = .045), number of cigarettes smoked per day (P = .002), and number of teeth in the mouth (P = .005) were significantly different between the two groups. In conclusion, prevalence of OHPV+ infection and its genotypes were very low in our healthy Iranian population, and its association was not significant with the majority of suggested risk factors. Further studies with a larger sample size are recommended to determine OHPV infection risk factors.

Epidemiology and molecular diagnosis of acute conjunctivitis in patients attending Hamadan, west Iran ophthalmology clinics 2016-2017.

BACKGROUND: Viruses are considered the most common cause of infectious conjunctivitis. PCR has been approved as the best standard method to diagnose viral conjunctivitis. This study was conducted to investigate epidemiological patterns of conjunctivitis in Hamadan, west Iran. In addition, the frequency of the most important cause of infectious conjunctivitis diagnosed by PCR and its seasonal variations and association with certain socioeconomic and health factors were studied. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 125 patients with suspected viral conjunctivitis or keratoconjunctivitis in Hamadan, west Iran from July 2016 to June 2017 were examined for the presence of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1), HSV2, varicella-zoster virus (VZV), adenovirus. and Chlamydia trachomatis using multiplex real-time PCR. RESULTS: Adenoviruses were the most prevalent pathogens (94.4%). HSV1 was found in two (1.6%) patients. HSV2, VZV, and C. trachomatis were not seen in any patients. There was no difference in acquisition of conjunctivitis between men and women. A total of 55 (44%) patients attended the clinics in summer. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that adenoviruses were a much more common viral cause of conjunctivitis in the studied region compared to findings in other regions. In addition, the acquisition rate of eye infection is expected to decrease dramatically in this region through control of adenoviruses. Demographic variables ie, age, sex, and income level, were not significantly associated with acquisition of viral infection.

A potential marker in brucellosis, long non coding RNA IFNG-AS1.

Brucellosis is the most common bacterial zoonotic infection. This pathogen may survive and sustain in host. The aim of this study is to define relationship between long noncoding (lnc) RNA-IFNG-AS1 and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) in different groups of patients with brucellosis compared to control group. In this study, associations of lncRNA IFNG-AS1 expression with secretion of IFN-γ level in Sixty patients with brucellosis, which were divided into 3 groups (acute, chronic and relapse groups), as a case group were compared with 20 subjects with negative serological tests and brucellosis clinical manifestation as a control group. In this regard, RNA were extracted from isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). LncRNA IFNG-AS1, T-box transcription factor (T-bet) and IFN-γ expressions were detected using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Serum level IFN-γ was assessed using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results showed that expression level of LncRNA IFNG-AS1, T-bet and IFN-γ increased significantly in all patient groups in compared to healthy subjects (P < 0.0001, P < 0.01, P < 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in T-bet expression between chronic and healthy groups (P = 0.98). Additionally, further analysis revealed that the serum level of IFN-γ in acute and relapsed groups were higher than control group (P < 0.0001, P < 0.001). The effective role of IFNG-AS1 in many protective actions, including enhancing the expression of INF-γ in the immune response of brucellosis patients, revealed new potential marker, LncRNA IFNG-AS1 in screening, diagnosis or treatment of brucellosis.

Zerumbone Suppresses Human Colorectal Cancer Invasion and Metastasis via Modulation of FAk/PI3k/NFκB-uPA Pathway.

The current study explored the basic molecular mechanisms of zerumbone (ZER), an herbal compound, in inhibiting the migration and invasion of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells in vitro. Two types of CRC cells, namely HCT-116 and SW48, were treated with various concentrations of ZER (8, 16, and 24 µM) for 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively. In vitro assays were performed to determine alterations in proliferation ability, mRNA expression and protein levels, and migration and invasion potential of CRC cells. An SYBR Green-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was utilized to detect the gene expression of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), nuclear factor (NF)-κB, and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) followed by the evaluation of the level of proteins by western blotting. Migration and invasion potentials of HCT-116 and SW48 cells treated by ZER were examined using migration and invasion assay kits, respectively. We compared the results of all experiments with control groups, including FAK inhibitor, ZER + FAK inhibitor-treated cells, NF-ß inhibitor, ZER + NF-ß inhibitor, and untreated cells. The data in the present study suggest that ZER may exert its antimetastatic effects through inhibition of FAk/PI3k/NF-κB-uPA signaling pathway, thereby possibly representing a novel class of FAK inhibitors.

Effect of photodynamic therapy by 810 and 940 nm diode laser on Herpes Simplex Virus 1: An in vitro study.

INTRODUCTION: Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is among the most common viruses in humans. HSV1 is often responsible for oral and perioral herpetic lesions. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a novel antimicrobial modality that involves the use of laser and a photosensitizer with a specific wavelength. This study aimed to assess and compare the effect of PDT with 810 and 940 nm diode laser and indocyanine green (ICG) photosensitizer on HSV1. METHODS: In this in vitro study, HSV1 isolated from herpes labialis and there were 6 experimental groups.The irradiation parameters were the same for all groups. Number of remaining viruses per milliliter in each group was determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and statistically analyzed by ANOVA. RESULTS: The virus count in all groups significantly decreased compared to the control group (P < 0.05) except in group ICG- without irradiation (P > 0.05). Comparison of groups 810- and 940- (use of each laser alone) with groups 810+ and 940+ (use of each laser plus ICG) revealed that reduction in virus count in groups 810+ and 940+ was significantly greater than that in groups 810- and 940-. CONCLUSION: 810 nm diode laser irradiation and ICG causes the greatest reduction in number of HSV1 compared to all the other groups. ICG without laser irradiation has not significant efficacy on reduction of virus count.