Identification of alternative topics to diversify medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy student theses: a mixed method study.

INTRODUCTION: The impact of medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy student theses on public health is a crucial concern for policymakers in medical science universities. If student theses correspond to the needs of society, they can significantly affect students' scientific and practical abilities and lead to the provision of more efficient health services. This study aimed to identify alternative topics to diversify medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy student theses. METHODS: This mixed method study with an exploratory sequential design was conducted at Kerman University of Medical Science from February to June 2021. The qualitative component entailed a focus group of faculty members (n = 16) and students (n = 4) to extract alternative topics to diversify medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy student theses. The quantitative component included a questionnaire based on emerging subjects and literature review to evaluate the extracted alternative topics. Qualitative data were analyzed using conventional content analysis and quantitative data were analyzed descriptively. RESULTS: A total of 20 key participants took part in the focus group meeting, and from 20 questionnaires, 15 were returned with a response rate of 75%. A list of 18 alternative topics was generated and five categories were identified: individual development, research, education, healthcare, and social services. CONCLUSIONS: The gap between what we know and what is seen in practice is quite large in medical and health-related professions. Alternative topics for medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy student theses contribute to turning knowledge into practice.

Incidence trend of breast Cancer in women of eastern Mediterranean region countries from 1998 to 2019: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to provide evidence on the current status of breast cancer and its incidence trend in Eastern Mediterranean Region during 1998-2019. Also, this study aimed to investigate the association between the incidence of breast cancer and Human Development Index and some factors related to this index, including total fertility rate, and obesity, using a meta-analysis. METHOD: Data on incidence of breast cancer were collected from various sources, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and WHO, from 1998 to 2019 using systematic review and meta-analysis. Pooled age standardized rate was calculated based on study duration and quality of data using a subgroup analysis and random effect meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 80 studies (545 data points) were analyzed. Pooled age standardized rate of breast cancer for Eastern Mediterranean Region was 37.1 per 100,000 person-year (95% confidence interval [CI], 34.5, 39.8) during 2011-2019. age standardized rate of breast cancer had an upward trend in Eastern Mediterranean Region from 2005 to 2019. However, the increasing trend was found to be slightly different in various regions based on quality of data. Moreover, pooled age standardized rate had a significant association with Human Development Index [- 89.2 (95% CI, - 119.8, - 58.7)] and obesity [1.2 (95% CI, 0.9, 1.5)]. CONCLUSION: Pooled age standardized rate of breast cancer in Eastern Mediterranean Region was lower than the global average. Also, the age standardized rate value and its incremental trend have been higher in countries with high-quality data than in other countries of this region in recent years. Data quality or physiological factors, such as increase in obesity rates, could be the reasons for this incremental trend.

A Trial Study of Static Telepathology in Iran.

Static telepathology is one of the telepathology methods, in which the captured images of the slides are transmitted for consultation at a later time. This study aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the conventional pathology and static telepathology systems. Eighty-two cases that had been selected randomly from 4 pathology centers in the city of Kerman were diagnosed by a pathologist, first based on light microscopy and then after 2 months based on static images (2 images per case) captured by a Nikon 50i microscopic camera. The images were sent to the pathologist via e-mail. The diagnostic accuracy of the telepathology system was calculated. The light microscopic diagnoses were concordant with the telepathologic diagnoses in 71 of 82 reviewed cases. Different diagnoses of 7 cases were due to the images captured from the inappropriate location of the slides. The diagnostic accuracy of the telepathology system was 86.5%. The results of this study showed that static telepathology is very accurate and can be widely used in Iran. However, efficient implementation and use of telepathology require paying attention to different issues such as educational, legal, ethical, financial, and security and observance of the standards related to this field.

Evaluation of STAT3 rs1053004 single nucleotide polymorphism in patients with chronic hepatitis B and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Chronic infection with hepatitis B (CHB) virus is one of the most important risk factors for Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Hepatitis B virus (HBV) causes liver cancer in various ways. One of these ways is increasing the expression of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in Hepatocytes by HBV. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1053004 in the STAT3 gene in CHB patients and individuals who suffer from HCC. In this research, 33 patients CHB-related HCC, 50 patients infected with chronic hepatitis B infection (CHB) without HCC and 50 healthy individuals were investigated for the presence of rs1053004 in the STAT3 gene according to the PCR-based differentiation of alleles test. Data analysis presented a different and significant distribution of alleles and genotypes (p<0.05). When the HCC and CHB groups were compared from the point of the frequency of alleles, the frequency of the C allele and CC genotype in the HCC group were higher CHB and control groups. Analysis of our data in the genotype model (CC vs. TT + TC) showed, this meaningful relationship remained between the HCC group and the three groups of CHB, healthy and all controls. These results illustrate that perhaps rs1053004 polymorphisms in the STAT3 gene participated in the progression of hepatitis B to HCC in Iranian people.

Astrocyte response to melatonin treatment in rats under high-carbohydrate high-fat diet.

The involvement of consumption of high-carbohydrate high-fat (HCHF) diet in cognitive impairment is attributed, at least in part, to the activation of astrocytes, which contributes to the development of neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and subsequent cognitive deficits. This study aimed to assess the influence of melatonin on cognitive impairment and astrogliosis induced by the HCHF diet in rats. Male Wistar rats were fed an HCHF diet for eight weeks to induce obesity and metabolic syndrome. Subsequently, they received oral melatonin treatment for four weeks at doses of 5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, and 30 mg/kg, alongside the HCHF diet. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Y-maze test, while the levels of proinflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress, and the number glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) positive cells were assessed in the hippocampi and hypothalamus. The consumption of the HCHF diet resulted in weight gain, hyperlipidemia, impaired glucose tolerance, cognitive decline, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress damage, and astrogliosis in rats. Although melatonin treatment did not demonstrate beneficial effects on blood glucose and lipid metabolism, it improved the impaired working memory caused by the HCHF diet. Melatonin exhibited a dose-dependent reduction of astrogliosis, neuroinflammation, and lipid peroxidation while restored superoxide dismutase in the hippocampus and hypothalamus of HCHF diet-treated rats. These findings provide evidence that melatonin inhibits astrocyte activation, thereby attenuating inflammation and minimizing oxidative stress damage induced by the HCHF diet.

Assessment of melatonin's therapeutic effectiveness against hepatic steatosis induced by a high-carbohydrate high-fat diet in rats.

Several studies have demonstrated the protective effects of melatonin against metabolic diseases, such as liver steatosis. However, its therapeutic effects have received less scrutiny. The present study aimed to explore melatonin's therapeutic effectiveness in treating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) induced by a high-carbohydrate high-fat (HCHF) diet in rats. The NAFLD was developed in male Wistar rats using an HCHF diet for 8 weeks. Afterward, they were given melatonin orally for four weeks at doses of 5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, and 30 mg/kg, along with the HCHF diet. In addition, six age-matched healthy rats received the highest dose of melatonin (30 mg/kg) for the same duration. Rats on the HCHF diet exhibited obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, inflammation, oxidative stress, and liver injury (steatosis). Melatonin treatment at 10 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg reduced body weight, adiposity index, oxidative damage, and inflammation but did not affect impaired glucose metabolism induced by the HCHF diet. Meanwhile, the highest dose of melatonin (30 mg/kg) reduced the liver steatosis index in HCHF rats but caused mild liver damage in healthy rats. In conclusion, using melatonin demonstrated positive outcomes in treating NAFLD induced by the HCHF diet in rats, with no noteworthy effects observed in healthy rats. A moderate dosage of 10 mg/kg of melatonin proved to be a safer and more efficient method for reducing HCHF diet-induced NAFLD in rats. Higher melatonin doses should be cautiously administered due to potential disruptions in lipid metabolism and the risk of liver complications.

Rates and Reasons of Laboratory Sample Rejection due to Pre-analytical Errors in Clinical Settings.

BACKGROUND: Laboratory analysis errors in procedure or interpretation may be seen during the process of completing physician test orders. They may also result in rejection of the requests due to some applicability reasons. Hence, this study was carried out to determine the rate and reasons for such rejections in clinical settings. METHODS: This cross-sectional comparative study was performed on 104008 laboratory tests in a one-year period in terms of the percentage and type of errors that occurred in Shahid Bahonar Hospital in Kerman, Iran, in 2018. The types of studied errors included hemolysis, sample clotting, insufficient sample size, and mistakes in labels or absence of labels on the sample. RESULTS: In this study, 104008 laboratory tests were performed, with 2299 (2.21%) sample rejections, 456 (32.31%) complete blood count (CBC) sample clotting; 417 (29.38 %) hemolysis; and 150 (17.47 %) inadequate sample volume as the majority of errors. There was no statistically significant relationship between pre-analysis errors and clinical aspects (P=0.124). CONCLUSION: According to the results, it may be concluded that considering the high prevalence of laboratory errors in comparison with the majority of other studies, continuous training courses and determination of the causes of these errors are crucial to attaining better function and basic knowledge.

Successful Application of Alpha Lipoic Acid Niosomal Formulation in Cerebral Ischemic Reperfusion Injury in Rat Model.

Purpose: Free radicals such as hydroxyl and peroxide are contributing factors to neuronal destruction in cerebral ischemia. Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is one of the potent known antioxidants. Preparation of ALA niosomes allows IV injection and can increase bioavailability and penetration into the central nervous system (CNS). Methods: Film hydration method was used to prepare different niosomes composed of Span®, Tween®, and cholesterol at different molar ratio. ALA and niosome-forming compounds were dissolved in chloroform, before removing the organic solvent by rotary evaporator. Animals were randomly divided into four groups: Sham, control group, intravenous (IV) injection of empty niosomes plus intraperitoneal (IP) injection of ALA solution, and finally, IV injection of ALA niosomes. Rats were subjected to deep anesthesia before inducing cerebral ischemia, then, their internal common carotid arteries were clamped for 15 min and reperfusion was done for 30 min. Niosomal ALA was injected intravenously just before declamping. Results: Mean volume diameter of the prepared niosomes was between 4.36 ± 0.82 and 19.95 ± 1.21 µm in different formulations. Encapsulation efficiency percent (EE%) of ALA in the selected formulation, Span60/Tween60/cholesterol (35:35:30 molar ratio), was 94.5 ± 0.2, and 59.27 ± 5.61% of ALA was released after 4h. In the niosomal group, the rate of reduction in complications of cerebral ischemia such as histopathologic changes and acute damage (from score 3 to 1) in CNS was higher than other groups. Conclusion: The obtained results show that niosomes can be used as effective drug delivery systems for ALA in cerebral ischemia.

Effect of opium dependency on burn healing in a rat model: an experimental study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effect of opium dependency on the healing of third-degree burns in rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-four rats were randomly divided to experimental and control groups. In the experimental group, opium was added to the drinking water for 21 days at increasing concentrations. The control group did not receive opium. To prove dependency on opium in the rats, naloxone was injected intraperitoneally. Full-thickness burn wounds were inflicted by applying an iron cuboid preheated to 94°C to the flank of all rats for 20 s. On day 14 after burn injury, full-thickness biopsies were taken. Blind histopathologic evaluation was performed to assess length and thickness of the re-epithelialization area, number of neutrophils, fibroblasts, mononuclear cells and new vessels, and percentage of tissue in repair (neutrophilic exudate, and granulation and fibrous tissue). Findings were analyzed using SPSS software. RESULTS: The wound surface area was 95 ± 43.35 mm(2) in the control group and 120.4 ± 50.12 mm(2) in the experimental group (p = 0.224). The findings show that opium dependency has no significant effect on the healing of burn wounds in rats except for the number of monocytes on day 14 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Morphine dependency does not seem to be as effective on third-degree burn healing.

Prevalence of JC and BK viruses in Patients with Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta- Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Polyomaviruses including BK virus (BKV) and JC virus (JCV) are widespread in human and have been associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) in some studies. The aim of present systematic review and meta-analysis article is to calculate the pooled prevalence of BKV and JCV in patients with CRC and assessing their association with this malignancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Domestic databases and Sciences Direct, PubMed, ProQuest, Web of Sciences and Scopus were searched for relevant articles up to 2nd  June 2019Two independent reviewers extracted the related data from eligible articles. The pooled prevalence and pooled odds ratio (POR) and their 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated using "metaprop" and "metan" commands in Stata 14. Where I2 statistics were >50%, the random effect model was used. RESULTS: From 1461 relevant studies, 24 articles were eligible and included in the qualitative while 19 articles included in quantitative analysis. The pooled prevalence based on diagnostic methods varies from 29% using immunohistochemistry to 52% using nested-PCR method. The likelihood of being infected with JCV  was significantly higher in CRC patients compared to healthy (POR: 4.41, 95% CI: 2.13 - 9.13) controls, normal adjacent mucosa (POR: 2.79, 95% CI: 1.3-5.9) and colorectal adenoma (POR: 3.1, 95% CI: 1.5-6.5) but was not significant when non-CRC patients used as control group. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of JCV in colorectal patients was substantially variable by different methods and targets. The significant association between JCV and CRC that was observed in the present study is not indicative of causation and should be studied more in large-scale prospective designs.

Potential of human umbilical cord matrix and rabbit bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in repair of surgically incised rabbit external anal sphincter.

PURPOSE: Anal sphincter defects and fecal incontinence are complicated surgical problems. We investigated the ability of human umbilical cord matrix (hUCM) and rabbit bone marrow (rBM) stem cells to improve anal sphincter incontinence due to induced sphincter defects without surgical repair. METHODS: We harvested hUCM cells from human Wharton's jelly and rBM stem cells from rabbit femurs and tibias. To induce sphincter defects, we made an incision in the external anal sphincter. Rabbits were randomly allocated to 5 groups to receive either no intervention (n = 3) or injections of 10 hUCM cells in medium (10 microL RPMI-1640), rBM cells in medium, medium only, or normal saline (n = 7 per group), 2 weeks after sphincterotomy. Transplanted cells were tracked in the injured sphincters by prelabeling with bromodeoxyuridine. Electromyography was performed before and 2 weeks after the external anal sphincterotomy, and 2 weeks after cell transplantation. We also evaluated the proliferation and differentiation of injected cells with histopathologic techniques. RESULTS: Electromyography showed significant improvement in sphincter function 2 weeks after local injection of rBM stem cells compared with pretreatment values and controls. Moderate, nonsignificant improvement was observed with hUCM cell injection. Cells with incorporated bromodeoxyuridine were detected at the site of injury after transplantation of hUCM and rBM. Histopathologic evaluation showed normal or muscle-dominant sphincter structure in all animals receiving rBM and fibrous-dominant sphincter structure in most animals receiving hUCM. CONCLUSIONS: Stem cell injection at the site of injury can enhance contractile function of the anal sphincter without surgical repair. Transplantation of stem cells, particularly bone marrow mesenchymal cells, may provide an effective tool for treating anal sphincter injuries in humans.

Cancer incidence in Iran in 2014: Results of the Iranian National Population-based Cancer Registry.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to report, for the first time, the results of the Iranian National Population-based Cancer Registry (INPCR) for the year 2014. METHODS: Total population of Iran in 2014 was 76,639,000. The INPCR covered 30 out of 31 provinces (98% of total population). It registered only cases diagnosed with malignant new primary tumors. The main sources for data collection included pathology center, hospitals as well as death registries. Quality assessment and analysis of data were performed by CanReg-5 software. Age standardized incidence rates (ASR) (per 100,000) were reported at national and subnational levels. RESULTS: Overall, 112,131 new cancer cases were registered in INPCR in 2014, of which 60,469 (53.9%) were male. The diagnosis of cancer was made by microscopic confirmation in 76,568 cases (68.28%). The ASRs of all cancers were 177.44 and 141.18 in male and female, respectively. Cancers of the stomach (ASR = 21.24), prostate (18.41) and colorectum (16.57) were the most common cancers in men and the top three cancers in women were malignancies of breast (34.53), colorectum (11.86) and stomach (9.44). The ASR of cervix uteri cancer in women was 1.78. Our findings suggested high incidence of cancers of the esophagus, stomach and lung in North/ North West of Iran. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that Iran is a medium-risk area for incidence of cancers. We found differences in the most common cancers in Iran comparing to those reported for the World. Our results also suggested geographical diversities in incidence rates of cancers in different subdivisions of Iran.

Immunohistochemical Assessment of Inflammation and Regeneration in Morphine-Dependent Rat Brain.

BACKGROUND: Opioids are amongst the most common abused drugs. Pathologic studies on opioid abuse are limited since the evaluation of inflammation and regeneration in brain tissue is not as simple as other tissues of the body. Thus, the present study aimed to determine the relationship between the dependence on morphine and inflammatory and regenerative processes. METHODS: In this experimental study, 48 male wistar rats were divided into 6 groups. The dependent groups (3 groups) received 0.4 mg/ml morphine in drinking water for 7, 28, and 56 days. The control groups (3 groups) received sucrose solution in drinking water for the same period. The histopathological studies of the brain sample were done. The slides were stained by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining method. The areas of brain were evaluated in terms of lymphocytic infiltration and glial scar. FINDINGS: A significant difference was observed in the mean number of cells in the glial scar of the dependent group 3 (dependent for 56 days) among the control group (P = 0.040). Further, a significant relationship was reported between the increased duration of morphine use and the number of created scar glial cells. Furthermore, a significant increase in the number of astrocytes was observed in the affected areas. CONCLUSION: After long-term use, opioids can result in increased number of astrocytes and creating glial scar centers in the affected areas in response to the inflammation.

Cancer Incidence in Kerman Province, Southeast of Iran: Report of an ongoing Population-Based Cancer Registry, 2014

Introduction: The epidemiology of common cancers in Kerman province, southeast of Iran, was assessed based upon results of the Kerman Population-Based Cancer Registry Program (KPBCR). Methods: in this retrospective study, all patients diagnosed with primary cancers and registered with the KPBCR were included. New cancer cases registered from 2014 were identified from pathological labs, medical reports of 48 health facilities providing cancer diagnosis or treatment services and the national death registry program. Data for patients who were referred to neighboring provinces to access health services were also collected from national referral registries. Results from autopsies was additionally extracted from regional forensic and legal medicine centers and added to the registry periodically. Age standardized incidence rates (ASRs) per 100,000 person-years for all cancers were computed, using direct-standardization and CanReg methodology. Mortality to incidence (M:I) ratios and microscopically verified (MV) proportions were calculated as quality measures. Results: A total of 2,838 cases of cancer were registered in Kerman province, 2014. Of these 45. 6% involved women (n=1,293). Individuals aged 60-64 years represented the largest proportion (11.6%) of the total cancer prevalence, followed by those aged 55-59 years (10.86%) and 65-69 years (8.99%). The ASRs for all cancers were 155.1 and 118.90 per 100,000, in men and women, respectively. In women, breast (ASR: 26.4), skin (ASR: 13.0), thyroid (ASR: 9.2), leukemia (ASR: 8.0) and colorectal (ASR: 7.70) were the most common cancers. In men, bladder (ASR: 24.70), skin (ASR: 16.80), lung (ASR: 14.6), leukemia (ASR: 14.50), and stomach (ASR: 10.8) were found to be the most frequent. Conclusion: This study provided latest evidence on epidemiology of cancer in the southeast of Iran that could be used to empower prevention and control interventions in a developing country.

Low Prevalence of Human Papilloma Virus in Patients with Breast Cancer, Kerman; Iran

Breast cancer is the first of the most important causes of the deaths of women in the world and in Iran. There are various causes and causes of this cancer, one of which has recently been described as a cause of breast cancer, is the human papillomavirus (HPV). The HPV is transmitted through sexual contact and skin lesions. There are more than 100 types of HPV that can influence different parts of the body. Some types of HPV can cause cancer (such as cervical or anal cancer) and others can cause warts (such as genital or plantar warts). To study the risk of HPV infection in Breast Cancer, we managed a Case-Control study in Kerman, southeast of Iran. For this purpose, 98 paraffin blocks of breast cancer and 40 paraffin blocks of fibrocystic as a control were tested for the presence of HPV DNA using Real-Time PCR, and HPV typing was done using INNo-Lippa assay. HPV DNA was detected in 8 out of 98 patients (8.2%), while it was not detected in the control group samples. HPV types 16, 18 were the most common (62.5%) types in positive samples. The prevalence of HPV in patients with breast cancer of Iran is very low and less than other regions of the world, it seems that maybe rout of transmission of HPV in Iran is under control. No one knows exactly why breast cancer occurs. The environment, hormones, Viruses, or your lifestyle could all play a role in the development of breast cancer. Currently, Vaccination is the best way to prevent cancer that's due to HPV. However, additional studies on the larger group of patients are needed to explain the roles of HPV in Breast cancer.

Candidate miRNAs in human breast cancer biomarkers: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent cancer and the main cause of cancer deaths among females around the world. For early diagnosis of BC, there would be an immediate and essential requirement to search for sensitive biomarkers. METHODS: To identify candidate miRNA biomarkers for BC, we performed a general systematic review regarding the published miRNA profiling researches comparing miRNA expression level between BC and normal tissues. A miRNA ranking system was selected, which considered frequency of comparisons in direction and agreement of differential expression. RESULTS: We determined that two miRNAs (mir-21 and miR-210) were upregulated consistently and six miRNAs (miR-145, miR-139-5p, miR-195, miR-99a, miR-497 and miR-205) were downregulated consistently in at least three studies. MiR-21 as the most consistently reported miRNA was upregulated in six profiling studies. CONCLUSIONS: Although these miRNAs require being validated and further investigated, they could be potential candidates for BC miRNA biomarkers and used for early prognosis or diagnosis.

Evaluation of HPV DNA positivity in colorectal cancer patients in Kerman, Southeast Iran

Background: The HPV virus is known to be oncogenic and associations with many cancers has been proven. Although many studies have been conducted on the possible relationship with colorectal cancer (CRC), a definitive role of the virus has yet to be identified. Method: In this cross-sectional study, the frequency of HPV positivity in CRC samples in Kerman was assessed in 84 cases with a mean age of 47.7 ± 12.5 years over two years. Qualitative real time PCR was performed using general primers for the L1 region of HPV DNA. Results: Out of 84 CRC samples, 19 (22.6%), proved positive for HPV DNA. Genotyping of positive samples showed all of these to be of high risk HPV type. Prevalence of HPV infection appears to depend geographic region, life style, diet and other factors. Conclusion: In our location frequency of CRC is low, and this limited the sample size for evaluation of HPV DNA. The most prevalent types were HPV types 51 and 56. While HPV infection may play an important role in colorectal carcinogenesis, this needs to be assessed in future studies.

Evaluation Expression of Microrna-93 and Integrin Β8 in Different Types of Glioma Tumors

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), are a type of small non-coding RNAs, that induce mRNA degradation or repress translation by binding to the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of its target mRNA. Some specific miRNAs, e.g. miR-93, have been discovered to be involved in pathological procedures by targeting some oncogenes or tumor suppressors in glioma. In the present study, real-time RT-PCR data was indicated the expression pattern and prognostic value of miR-93 in patients with types of Glioma.MiR-93 expression was significantly decreased in tumor tissue compared with normal group brain tissues (P<0.001). Low miR-93 expression was significantly correlated with progressive tumor grade (P=0.02).Moreover, multivariate analysis showed that miR-93 decreased expression (HR, 4.3; 95% CI, 0.8­17.2, P=0.02), advanced tumor grade (HR, 3.1; 95% CI, 0.2­13.9, P=0.04), for integrinß8, level expression was inverse. Our data was shown that the down regulation of miR-93 was significantly correlated with unfavorable pathological features in patients with Glioma .Suggesting that decreased expression of miR-93can be used as a novel prognostic factor for this disease.

Evaluation of JC and Cytomegalo Viruses in Glioblastoma Tissue

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive of the gliomas, a collection of tumors arising from glia in the central nervous system. Possible associations between the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and the JC virus with GBM are now attracting interest. Our present aim was to investigate the prevalence of the two viruses in Iranian patients from Kerman's cities in the south of Iran. In addition, the expression rates of pp65, large T antigen and p53 proteins were assessed and their relation with GBM evaluated using reverse transcription real time PCR (rReal Time PCR) . A total of 199 patients with GBM cancer were enrolled, with mean±SD ages of 50.0±19.5 and 50.7±19.6 years for males and females, respectively. The P53 rate was dramatically low suggesting an aetiological role,. Large T antigen expression was found in JC positive samples, while the PP65 antigen was observed in patients positive for CMV and JC . HCMV products and JC virus with oncogenic potential may induce the development of various tumors including glioblastomas. The JC virus produces an early gene product, T-antigen, which has the ability to associate with and functionally inactivate well-studied tumor suppressor proteins including p53 and pRB .

Melatonin treatment reduces astrogliosis and apoptosis in rats with traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVES: Melatonin is known as an anti-inflammatory agent, and it has been proven to exert neuroprotection through inhibition of cell death (apoptosis) in several models of brain injury. Secondary injury following the primary traumatic brain injury (TBI) results in glial cells activation, especially astrocytes. In fact, astrocyte activation causes the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines that may lead to secondary injury. Since most TBI research studies have focused on injured neurons and paid little attention to glial cells, the aim of current study was to investigate the effects of melatonin against astrocytes activation (astrogliosis), as well as inhibition of apoptosis in brain tissue of male rats after TBI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The animals were randomly allocated into five groups: sham group, TBI+ vehicle group (1% ethanol in saline) and TBI+ melatonin groups (5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg). All rats were intubated and then exposed to diffuse TBI, except for the sham group. Immunohistochemical methods were conducted using glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) marker and TUNEL assay to evaluate astrocyte reactivity and cell death, respectively. RESULTS: The results showed that based on the number of GFAP positive astrocytes in brain cortex, astrogliosis was reduced significantly (P<0.05) in melatonin- treated groups (no dose dependent) compared to the vehicle group. Furthermore, based on TUNEL results, melatonin treatment considerably reduced the number of apoptotic cells (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: In total, the present findings suggest that melatonin treatment following TBI diminishes astrocyte reactivity and neuronal cells apoptosis in brain cortex in the rat model.