Showing papers by "Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and Health Services published in 2022"

Epidemiologic characteristics of cases with reinfection, recurrence, and hospital readmission due to COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract: Recent studies reported that some recovered COVID-19 patients have tested positive for virus nucleic acid again. A systematic search was performed in Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar up to March 6, 2021. The pooled estimation of reinfection, recurrence, and hospital readmission among recovered COVID-19 patients was 3, 133, and 75 per 1000 patients, respectively. The overall estimation of reinfection among males compared to females was greater. The prevalence of recurrence in females compared to males was more common. Also, hospital readmission between sex groups was the same. There is uncertainty about long-term immunity after SARS-Cov-2 infection. Thus, the possibility of reinfection and recurrence after recovery is not unexpected. In addition, there is a probability of hospital readmission due to adverse events of COVID-19 after discharge. However, with mass vaccination of people and using the principles of prevention and appropriate management of the disease, frequent occurrence of the disease can be controlled.

Lichen planus and lichen planopilaris flare after <scp>COVID</scp> ‐19 vaccination

Abstract: We report two cases of lichen planus following COVID-19 vaccination in two middle-aged women, where the first patient presented with lichenplanopilaris (LPP) relapse and development of lichen planus 14 days after the second dose of AstraZeneca vaccine, and the other patient who had a previous scattered lesion of LP which extended and increased in severity after the first and second dose of Sinopharm. The suggested cause could be due to immune dysregulation and up regulation of T cell lymphocytes which was triggered after COVID-19 vaccination. What supports our hypothesis that LP had occurred due to COVID-19 vaccination, is that one of the patients responded successfully to Metronidazole. This means that the infection process after vaccination could be the cause in aggravating LP. To add, one of the suggested mechanisms for the appearance of LP or reactivation of a dormant LPP can be cytotoxic CD8 T-lymphocytes which increase the secretion of IFN-γ and IL-5 cytokines and may also result in basal keratinocytes' apoptosis leading to cutaneous manifestations. This was supported by the efficacy of Tofacitinib that was used in the other patient who presented with reactivation of LPP in addition to LP. Tofacitinib decrease the number of T cell infiltration and adjust IFN expression.

Dispersive micro solid-phase extraction as a green procedure for extracting prostate anti-cancer drugs in real water and biological samples and optimization of sorbent composite with an optimal mixture design

Abstract: A straightforward and efficient dispersive micro solid-phase extraction was developed for extracting bicalutamide and flutamide as anti-cancers in real water and biological samples. A proper sorbent composite, including a metal-organic framework (CIM-80 (Al)), magnetic Nickel oxide nanoparticles, and Chitosan, was prepared. The ratio of the sorbent components was optimised using an optimal mixture design to increase the efficiency of the synthesised sorbent in the extraction of analytes. The optimum value of CIM-80 (Al), magnetic Nickel oxide nanoparticles, and Chitosan in the sorbent composition was 0.36, 0.22, and 0.42. The sorbent was characterised using XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM, VSM, and BET analysis. Factors affecting the microextraction process were evaluated and optimised using a fractional factorial design and a central composite design. Under optimum conditions, the procedure was linear in the concentration range of 1.2–356.4 ng mL−1 and 0.89–348.7 ng mL−1 with a coefficient of determination of 0.9951 and 0.9947 for the determination of bicalutamide and flutamide, respectively. The detection limits and inter-day RSDs % for the bicalutamide and flutamide determination were lower than 0.35 ng mL−1 and 6.21%, respectively. Analysis of real water, drug-free urine, drug-free plasma, and post-drug urine samples indicated that the method has a high ability to analyse water and biological samples for the bicalutamide and flutamide determination. The method’s effects on the environment for the bicalutamide and flutamide determination were evaluated using the Green Analytical Procedure Index and Analytical Eco-Scale.

The Possible Role of Bruton Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in the Treatment of COVID-19: A Review

Abstract: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an acute, sometimes severe respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus has led to a vast pandemic with an astonishing spread rate. Its treatment is unknown, its mortality is significant, and its socioeconomic complications are uncontrollable. Although there is still little known about the pathogenesis of the disease, severe cases of COVID-19 are usually associated with cytokine release syndrome and high serum levels of inflammatory cytokines, which are believed to be a major cause of mortality in these patients. Different pathways cause inflammation and the release of cytokines. One of these pathways is the Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) pathway, which is essential for the production of several anti-inflammatory cytokines. Theoretically, the inhibition of BTK signaling can reduce cytokine levels and subsequent anti-inflammatory effects.This review aims to investigate the role of the BTK pathway in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and the possible effects of its inhibition in the treatment of this disease.This narrative review provides information regarding the use of BTK inhibitors in patients with COVID-19 and discusses whether clinicians should consider these medications while managing their patients based on the literature. Data were gathered using the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases.Some data support the use of BTK inhibitors for treating COVID-19.It is recommended that patients continue their medications in this class if they develop COVID-19 and were receiving these agents before the disease developed. The use of BTK inhibitors might enable patients to experience less severe immune responses to the COVID-19. Well-designed studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of BTKis in the management of COVID-19. (Curr Ther Res Clin Exp. 2022; 82:XXX-XXX) © 2022 Elsevier HS Journals.

Persistent cough and asthma-like symptoms post COVID-19 hospitalization in children

Abstract: Respiratory viruses are the main triggers of asthma. Coronavirus is shown to contribute to respiratory tract infections that can lead to prolonged cough and asthma.Present study aimed to determine the risk of developing Persistent cough and asthma-like symptoms in hospitalized children due to COVID-19.This prospective study was carried out in a tertiary referral center. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 69 hospitalized pediatric patients admitted with COVID-19 were observed from February 2020 to January 2021. Clinical and laboratory data were recorded, and after discharge, patients were followed and visited for cough and asthma evaluation one, 2 and 6 months later. Patients with asthma-like diagnoses in follow up defined as asthma-like groups, and patients without any sign of asthma were categorized as the non-asthma group. Asthma-like co-morbids and risk factors were evaluated and compared between the two groups.In follow-up, most of the COVID-19 hospitalized patients (N = 42) (58.5%) were not affected by asthma-like symptoms. 60.9% of the COVID-19 patients were male. The asthma-like group cases had a significantly familial history of asthma (63.0%), past medical history of asthma (33.3%), and Allergic rhinitis (85.2%). Rates of signs and symptoms during hospitalization were significantly higher in patients with COVID-19 and past medical history of asthma.We found an asthma-like prevalence of 41.5% in the cohort of COVID-19 hospitalized children. Family history of asthma and previous history of asthma and allergic rhinitis are risk factors for asthma-like after COVID-19 hospitalization. COVID-19 presentations are more severe in the asthma-like group.

The effects of oral magnesium supplementation on glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials

Abstract: Abstract The current systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to evaluate the effects of oral Mg supplementation on glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. Related articles were found by searching the PubMed, SCOPUS, Embase and Web of Science databases (from inception to 30 February 2020). A one-stage robust error meta-regression model based on inverse variance weighted least squares regression and cluster robust error variances was used for the dose–response analysis between Mg supplementation and duration of intervention and glycaemic control factors. Eighteen eligible randomised clinical trials were included in our final analysis. The dose–response testing indicated that the estimated mean difference in HbA1c at 500 mg/d was −0·73 % (95 % CI: −1·25, −0·22) suggesting modest improvement in HbA1c with strong evidence ( P value: 0·004). And in fasting blood sugar (FBS) at 360 mg/d was −7·11 mg/dl (95 % CI: −14·03, −0·19) suggesting minimal amelioration in FBS with weak evidence ( P value: 0·092) against the model hypothesis at this sample size. The estimated mean difference in FBS and HbA1c at 24 weeks was −15·58 mg/dl (95 % CI: −24·67, −6·49) and −0·48 (95 % CI: −0·77, −0·19), respectively, suggesting modest improvement in FBS ( P value: 0·034) and HbA1c ( P value: 0·001) with strong evidence against the model hypothesis at this sample size. Oral Mg supplementation could have an effect on glycaemic control in T2DM patients. However, the clinical trials so far are not sufficient to make guidelines for clinical practice.

Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells spheroid culture effect on the therapeutic efficacy of these cells and their exosomes: A new strategy to overcome cell therapy limitations

Abstract: Cell therapy is one of the new treatment methods in which mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (MSCs) transplantation is one of the cells widely used in this field. The results of MSCs application in the clinic prove their therapeutic efficacy. For this reason, many clinical trials have been designed based on the application of MSCs for various diseases, especially inflammatory disease and regenerative medicine. These cells perform their therapeutic functions through multiple mechanisms, including the differentiative potential, immunomodulatory properties, production of therapeutic exosomes, production of growth factors and cytokines, and anti-apoptotic effects. Exosomes are nanosized extracellular vesicles (EVs) that change target cell functions by transferring different cargos. The therapeutic ability of MSCs-derived exosomes has been demonstrated in many studies. However, some limitations, such as the low production of exosomes by cells and the need for large amounts of them and also their limited therapeutic ability, have encouraged researchers to find methods that increase exosomes' therapeutic potential. One of these methods is the spheroid culture of MSCs. Studies show that the three-dimensional culture (3DCC) of MSCs in the form of multicellular spheroids increases the therapeutic efficacy of these cells in laboratory and animal applications. In addition, the spheroid culture of MSCs leads to enhanced therapeutic properties of their exosomes and production rate. Due to the novelty of the field of using 3DCC MSCs-derived exosomes, examination of their properties and the results of their therapeutic application can increase our view of this field. This review discussed MSCs and their exosomes enhanced properties in spheroid culture.

Cannabidiol impairs the rewarding effects of methamphetamine: Involvement of dopaminergic receptors in the nucleus accumbens

Abstract: Cannabidiol, as component of cannabis, can potentially hinder the rewarding impact of drug abuse; however, its mechanism is ambiguous. Moreover, the nucleus accumbens (NAc), as a key area in the reward circuit, extensively receives dopaminergic projections from the ventral tegmentum area. To elucidate the role of accumbal D1 and D2 dopamine receptor families in Cannabidiol's inhibitory impact on the acquisition and expression phases of methamphetamine (MET), the conditioned place preference (CPP) procedure as a common method to assay reward characteristics of drugs was carried out. Six groups of rats were treated by various doses of SCH23390 or Sulpiride (0.25, 1, and 4 μg/0.5 μL) in the NAc as D1 or D2 dopamine receptor family antagonists, respectively, prior to infusion of Cannabidiol (10 μg/5 μL) in the lateral ventricle (LV) over conditioning phase in the acquisition experiments. In the second step of the study, animals received SCH23390 or Sulpiride in the NAc before Cannabidiol (50 μg/5 μL) infusion into the LV in the expression phase of MET to illuminate the influence of SCH23390 or Sulpiride on the inhibitory impact of Cannabidiol on the expression of MET-induced CPP. Intra-NAc administration of either SCH23390 or Sulpiride impaired Cannabidiol's suppressive impact on the expression phase, while just Sulpiride could suppress the Cannabidiol's impact on the acquisition phase of the MET-induced CPP. Also, the inhibitory impact of Sulpiride was stranger in both phases of MET reward. It seems that Cannabidiol prevents the expression and acquisition phases of MET-induced CPP partly through the dopaminergic system in the NAc.

Integrated microfluidic system for efficient DNA extraction using on-disk magnetic stirrer micromixer

Abstract: Micromixers are essential microfluidic modules for fabricating integrated lab-on-chip devices for point-of-care applications. Ease of fabrication and integration with other fluidic modules, practicability for different viscosities of the solutions, and high mixing efficiencies are the most important characteristics of a suitable micromixer. In this study, a magnetic stirrer on a rotating micro-structured disk is presented to mix liquids of a wide range of viscosities (up to 42 mPa.s) in low rotational velocities (less than 600 rpm). The concept relies on implementing a small stainless steel rotor aligned on a circular chamber and actuating that by stationary magnets located on the lab frame. The on-disk magnetic stirrer can be implemented in integrated microfluidic platforms without affecting other modules, e.g., valves, to rapidly prepare a homogenous solution in less than 2 s. Moreover, high mixing indexes and the considerable viscous stresses generated in solutions make this approach a convenient choice for the cell lysis process. Observations show that DNA yields in the order of 100 ± 15% relative to conventional lysis protocols can be achieved when the stirrer spins at 200 rpm for 1 min

Can l-carnitine reduce post-COVID-19 fatigue?

Abstract: A significant number of patients infected with the new coronavirus suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome after COVID-19, and their symptoms may persist for months after the infection. Nevertheless, no particular treatment for post-disease fatigue has been found. At the same time, many clinical trials have shown the effectiveness of l-carnitine in relieving fatigue caused by the treatment of diseases such as cancer, MS, and many other diseases. Therefore, it can be considered as a potential option to eliminate the effects of fatigue caused by COVID-19, and its consumption is recommended in future clinical trials to evaluate its effectiveness and safety.

piRNA: A promising biomarker in early detection of gastrointestinal cancer

Abstract: Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer has become the primary concern of today's society due to its aggressive nature and poor prognosis. PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), a subgroup of non-coding RNAs, are mainly expressed in the germline and have emerged as a critical regulator in gene expression and the epigenetic silencing of DNA transposable elements by interacting with PIWI proteins. piRNAs' dysregulations were reported to promote or suppress the initiation and development of different malignancies, especially gastrointestinal cancers. Recently, several studies suggested the use of piRNAs as potential cancer biomarkers associated with the progression and chemoresistance of GI cancer. Hence, this review article aims to focus on the role of piRNAs in GI cancer progression, metastasis, and their molecular mechanisms as therapeutic markers for GI cancer patients.