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Introduction: Doxorubicin (DOX) is one of the most common drugs in cancer treatment. However, its partial solubility along with the high incidence of side effects remains a challenge to tackle. To address these issues, we designed a formulation based on graphene oxide (GO) and used it as an anticancer drug delivery system. Methods: The physical and chemical properties of the formulation were studied using FTIR, SEM, EDX, Mapping, and XRD. Release studies in the in vitro condition were used to evaluate the pH sensitivity of drug release from nanocarriers. Other in vitro studies, including uptake assay, MTT, and apoptosis assay were carried out on the osteosarcoma cell line. Results: In vitro release studies confirmed that the synthesized formulation provides a better payload release profile in acidic conditions, which is usually the case in the tumor site. On the OS cell line, the cytotoxicity of the DOX-loaded nanocarrier (IC50=0.293 μg/mL) and early apoptosis rate (33.80 % ) were higher in comparison to free DOX (IC50=0.472 μg/mL, and early apoptosis rate= 8.31 % ) after 48 hours. Conclusion: In summary, our results suggest a DOX-loaded graphene oxide carrier as a potential platform for targeting cancer cells.

Objectives: Chronic inflammation in urothelial tissues can lead to DNA damage and cancer formation. Inflammatory reactions in bladder cancer (BC) probably depend on the stages and grades of tumors. The aim of this research was to find out if there is a relationship between the serum levels of selected inflammatory factors and the pathological grades/stages of tumors in new cases of non-muscle invasive urothelial bladder carcinoma patients. Materials and Methods: Blood samples were collected from 40 newly diagnosed non-muscle invasive urothelial bladder carcinoma patients (before the surgery) and 40 normal individuals without the signs of acute and chronic diseases or cancer. All patients had proven BC and were sampled prior to the initial transurethral resection of bladder tumor and any medical intervention. Finally, the levels of selected inflammatory factors such as C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Results: Based on the results, the levels of IL-6 (3.041.32± vs. 0.76±0.23), TNF-α (18.5±5.24 vs. 10.52±2.67), and CRP (807.09±564.86 vs. 132.08±53.76) were significantly higher in samples obtained from cancer patients compared to the control group, respectively (P

Objective: Behcet's disease (BD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by recurrent oral and genital aphthous ulcers, uveitis and skin lesions. Oxidative stress and inflammation have important role in the pathogenesis of BD. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of Nigella sativa (NS) oil administration on malondialdehyde (MDA), total anti-oxidant capacity (TAC), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-10 and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs- CRP) levels in patients with BD. Materials and Methods: In this randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled clinical trial, 96 BD patients were randomly assigned to NS or placebo groups. Study groups received 1000 mg/day NS oil and placebo soft gels for 8 weeks. Serum levels of TNF-α, IL-10, hs-CRP, MDA and TAC were measured before and after treatment. Results: Eighty-nine individuals completed the study. Significant decreases in the serum levels of MDA and increases in the serum levels of TAC were found in the NS group. However, differences in the changes of MDA and TAC in the NS and placebo groups were not significant. Pre- and post-intervention changes of TNF-α, IL-10 and hs-CRP levels in the NS group were non-significant. Conclusion: NS 1000 mg per day is probably not effective in reducing the inflammatory and oxidative markers in BD.

Objective(s): Hypercholesterolemia is a common metabolic disorder in developing and developed countries and is associated with the increased rates of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Statin therapy could reduce cholesterol synthesis as well as progression of CKD. Diversity between statins causes variety in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and also their pleiotropic effects. In the present investigation we aimed to evaluate the protective potentials of both atorvastatin (Ator) (as lipid-soluble statin) and rosuvastatin (Ros) (as water-soluble statin) against renal histopathological damages in the high cholesterol diet induced hypercholesterolemic rats (HCDIHR).Materials and Methods: Serum lipid profile, oxidized low density lipoprotein (OX-LDL), malondialdehyde (MDA), urea and creatinine levels, as well as renal histopathology were evaluated.Results: While Ros acted better than Ator to reduce serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (PConclusion: The findings underline that the lipophilic Ator may performs better than Ros in attenuating renal damages in HCDIHR.

Objective(s): Empagliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor, possesses verified anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress effects against diabetic nephropathy. The present investigation aims to examine empagliflozin effects on the renal levels of high mobility group box-1 (HMGB1), a potent inflammatory cytokine, and its respective receptor toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) in STZ-induced diabetic rats.Materials and Methods: Empagliflozin at 10 mg/kg per os (p.o.) was administered for 4 weeks, starting 8 weeks after the induction of diabetes. Renal function, kidney inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis markers as well as renal HMGB1, receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), and TLR-4 levels were assessed.Results: In addition to down-regulating NF-κB activity in renal cortices, empagliflozin reduced renal levels of HMGB1, RAGE, and TLR-4. It alleviated renal inflammation as indicated by diminished renal expressions of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines like tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and also decreased urinary levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (AGP). Moreover, empagliflozin ameliorated renal oxidative stress as demonstrated by decreased renal malondialdehyde (MDA) and elevated renal activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX). It also suppressed renal caspase-3, the marker of apoptosis; and furthermore, enhanced renal function noticed by the declined levels of serum urea and creatinine.Conclusion: These findings underline that empagliflozin is able to attenuate diabetes-related elevations in renal HMGB1 levels, an influential inflammatory cytokine released from the necrotic and activated cells, and its correspondent receptors, i.e., RAGE and TLR-4.

Objective(s): Cisplatin is an effective antineoplastic agent; its clinical utility, however, is limited by a few salient toxic side effects like nephrotoxicity. This study aimed to determine the potential protective effects of tangeretin, a citrus-derived flavonoid, against renal tubular cell injury in cisplatin-induced renal toxicity of rats.Materials and Methods: Tangeretin was injected intraperitoneally at 2.5 and 5 mg/kg doses for 10 days, and a single dose of cisplatin (8 mg/kg) was injected on the 7th day. Tests of kidney function and tubular injury in renal tissues and urine together with oxidative stress and inflammation markers were examined.Results: Tangeretin ameliorated cisplatin-induced elevations in serum creatinine, BUN, and histopathologic changes. It also attenuated kidney oxidative stress elicited by cisplatin as demonstrated by reduced MDA and increased GSH, CAT, and SOD activities, elevated Nrf2 expression and protein levels of its downstream effectors, HO-1 and NQO-1. Tangeretin further alleviated inflammation evoked by cisplatin as indicated by reduced NF-κB p65 subunit phosphorylation with a simultaneous decrement in its downstream effectors IL-1β and TNF-α expression and protein levels. Moreover, it declined caspase-3 protein levels and TUNEL positive cells in the kidneys, the markers of apoptosis and DNA fragmentation, thus improving renal endurance. Additionally, tangeretin mitigated renal levels of KIM-1 and NGAL, as well as urinary cystatin C and β2-microglobulin concentrations, the markers of renal tubular injury.Conclusion: Collectively, these data signify the binary profit of tangeretin: enhancement of renal protective mechanisms against cisplatin and attenuation of renal tubular cell injuries induced by the agent.

Background: The present study aimed to evaluate serum YKL-40 levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to healthy subjects and to search whether there is an association between YKL-40 levels and disease characteristics in RA. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 60 RA patients based on the ACR/EULAR 2010 criteria and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included. In patients, clinical examination was performed and disease activity score 28 (DAS-28) measure of disease activity was assessed. Serum YKL-40 level was measured using ELISA kit. Results: The mean±SD age of patients and controls was 54.86±11.65 and 50.71±3.72 years, respectively). Serum YKL-40 level was significantly higher in RA patients (951.63±639.98 pg/mL) compared to healthy controls (444.92±150.37 pg/mL) (P0.05). There were significant positive correlations between serum YKL-40 level with disease activity (r=0.347, P=0.007) and rheumatoid factor (r=0.396, P=0.002). There were no significant correlations between serum YKL-40 level with demographic characteristics as well as biochemical measurements including serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide. Conclusion: Our study revealed higher serum YKL-40 levels in RA patients compared to healthy controls, which correlated positively with disease activity. Therefore, YKL-40 can be considered as a novel biomarker for disease activity estimation in RA.

Objective: Atherosclerosis sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that can lead to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disorders that are generally along with hypercholesterolemia and oxidative stress. Various surveys have shown that thymol is a polyphenolic compound with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects of thymol on carotid tissue of hypercholesterolemic rats. Materials and Methods: Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups with 10 members each (n = 10): a control group with a normal diet (ND), a group with a high-cholesterol (2%) diet (HD), a group with a high-cholesterol diet combined with thymol (24 mg/kg HD + T), and a group with a thymol diet (T). After preparing serum from peripheral blood of rats, lipid measurements were obtained, including total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglycerides (TG), by using a colorimetric method; the levels of oxidized LDL (OxLDL) were obtained through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) antioxidant enzymes, as well as the concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) and serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC), were determined with the use of colorimetric methods. The protein expressions of Bcl2 and cleaved caspase 3 and the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in rat carotid tissue were determined by an immunoblotting method. Results: The rats fed with a high-cholesterol diet for 8 weeks increased TC and OxLDL in HD group compared with the ND group (P < 0.01; OxLDL HD vs ND (214.42 ± 17.46 vs 69.13 ± 9.92; P < 0.01); (229.39 ± 13.26 vs 67.89 ± 5-14 (215.58 ± 12.46 vs 229.35 ± 13.26; P < 0.05, OxLDL HD vs HD + T 105.53 ± 10.44; P < 0.01). Both of them were decreased with the intervention of thymol in the HD + T group compared with the HD group. The amount of phosphorylation of p38 (p-p38) and the protein expression of cleaved caspase 3 showed a significant increase in the HD group compared with the ND group (P < 0.01). In contrast, the expression of Bcl-2 in the high-cholesterol diet group decreased compared with the control group (P < 0.01). A comparison of the p-p38 and the protein expression of cleaved caspase 3 between the T + HD and the HD groups showed that in both cases, thymol caused a decrease (p

Introduction: Nephrotoxicity as a side effect caused by the immunosuppressive drug, cyclosporine-A (CsA), can be a major problem in transplant medicine. Oxidative stress may play an important role in the CsA-induced nephrotoxicity. It has been shown that the antihypertensive drug, valsartan (Val), has also renoprotective effects but, its molecular mechanism is largely unknown. In the present study, it was aimed to evaluate the Val effect in the alleviation of CsA nephrotoxicity via probable renal glutathione peroxidase (GPx) upregulation and oxidative stress decrease. Methods: Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups based on CsA and/or Val administration: group A (Control, 1 mL/kg/day of olive oil as vehicle), group B (CsA, 30 mg/kg/day), group C (CsA+Val, 30+30 mg/kg/day), and group D (Val, 30 mg/kg/day). After the administration period (six weeks), renal GPx expression was evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Plasma levels of GPx and 8-Hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl groups (PCG) were measured by spectrophotometer. Plasma levels of urea and creatinine were measured by an autoanalyzer. Results: CsA treatment led to the decrease in renal expression and plasma levels of GPx in comparison to other study groups. Rats received CsA were detected to have significantly (p

Introduction: There are many ideas concerning the etiology and pathogenesis of preeclampsia including endothelial dysfunction, inflammation and angiogenesis. Elevated levels of total homocysteine (Hcy) and lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] are risk factors for endothelial dysfunction. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of high dose folic acid (FA) on serum Hcy and Lp(a) concentrations with respect to methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphisms 677C→T during pregnancy. Methods: In a prospective uncontrolled intervention, 90 pregnant women received 5 mg FA supplementation before pregnancy till 36th week of pregnancy. The MTHFR polymorphisms 677C→T, serum lactate dehydrogenase activity, urine protein and creatinine concentrations were measured before starting folic acid administration. Serum levels of Hcy and Lp(a) were determined before and after completion of folic acid supplementation period. Results: Supplementation of the patients with FA for 36 week decreased the median (minimum–maximum) levels of serum Hcy from 11.40 µmol/L (4.40-28.70) to 9.70 (1.60-20.80) µmol/L (p=0.001). There was no significant change in serum Lp(a) after FA supplementation (p=0.17). The overall prevalence of genotypes in pregnant women that were under study for MTHFR C677T polymorphism was 53.3% CC, 26.7% CT and 20.0% TT. There was no correlation between decreasing level of serum Hcy in the patients receiving FA and MTHFR polymorphisms. Conclusion: Although FA supplementation decreased serum levels of Hcy in different MTHFR genotypes, serum Lp(a) was not changed by FA supplements. Our data suggests that FA supplementation effects on serum Hcy is MTHFR genotype independent in pregnant women.

Introduction: The oxidative stress has been proposed as an important case of exudative age-related macular degeneration (E-ARMD). The aim of the present study was to investigate homocysteine (Hcy), asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and oxidized low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (Ox-LDL-C) levels, the factors involved in oxidative stress, in the patients with E-ARMD. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 45 patients with E-ARMD were compared with 45 sex- and age-matched healthy controls. The levels of biochemical factors, Hcy, ADMA, and of Ox-LDL were estimated by standard methods in both study groups. Results: The levels of Hcy (15.4 ± 7.2 vs. 10.7 ± 3.7 μM, P = 0.001), Ox-LDL (52.2 ± 13.8 vs. 37.8 ± 10.8 U/l, P = 0.001), and ADMA (0.84 ± 0.23 vs. 0.71 ± 0.26 μM, P = 0.012) were significantly higher in the patients with E-ARMD than those in the controls. In the patient group, there was a positive and significant correlation between serum Ox-LDL and Hcy concentrations (r = 0.719, P = 0.001), but no correlation was found between serum ADMA and Ox-LDL (r = 0.010, P = 0.900) and also between serum Hcy and ADMA levels (r = -0.070, P = 0.600). Conclusion: The high levels of Hcy as an oxidant agent and ADMA as an endogenous nitric oxide synthase inhibitor can lead to increase Ox-LDL levels, and they may have important roles in oxidative stress, which can be a trigger in E-ARMD.

Introduction: This study aimed to discover by which mechanism selenium (Se) suppresses stimulated platelets stimulation in oxidative stress underlying diseases. Methods: Human platelets pretreated with Se and stimulated by Cu2+-oxidized low density of lipoprotein (OxLDL) or thrombin before assessment of P-selectin and phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-p38MAPK), phosphorylated Jun N-terminal kinase (p–JNK), and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinases (p-ERK1/2). All variables were measured by solid phase sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Se significantly decreased Cu2+-OxLDL induced P-selectin expression, as well as p38 and JNK phosphorylation in platelets, but could not significantly reduce ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Conclusion: Se suppresses inflamed platelets. This effect maybe partly mediated by the p38 or c-JNK signaling pathways. These results create possibility of new co-anti-inflammatory insight for Se in atherosclerosis.

Background: Pregnancy Associated Osteoporosis (PAO) can lead to serious difficulties such as fragility fractures, elongated back pain and height loss in affected women. Soluble Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-Kappa B ligand (sRANKL) to Osteoprotegerin (OPG) ratio is chosen as a bone metabolism equation in many bone diseases characterized by bone resorption, such as post-menopausal osteoporosis and would be modified with folic acid supplementation. This study was done to compare the effects of high dose (5mg/day) and low dose (0.5 mg/day) folic acid in the RANKL/OPG ratio and Tumor Necrosis Factorα (TNFα) concentration during pregnancy. Methods: Forty-five pregnant women who visited the AL-Zahra Hospital, Tabriz Iran, from September 2013 to November 2014 were assigned into two groups in this randomized, double-blind, clinical trial, included women who took 5 mg/day (group1) and who took 0.5 mg/day (Group 2) folic acid supplementation before pregnancy until 36th pregnancy. The biochemical variables in serum of pregnant women were measured before and at the end of the study. The study was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) as ID, IRCT2013122315903N1. Results: OPG levels were significantly higher compared with the baseline value (P=0.008), although sRANKL (P

Introduction: Iron overload may contribute to the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome (MS). A growing body of evidence indicates that the oxidative stress that results from excess tissue iron can leads to insulin resistance, tissue damage, and other complications observed in MS. The objective of this study was to investigate indices of iron status including serum ferritin, iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC) levels, and full blood cell count, together with demographic and anthropometric characteristics, lipid profile components, and other biochemical parameters in subjects with and with-out MS. Methods: A total of, 385 individuals (176 with and 209 subjects without MS) according to the International Diabetes Federation’s (IDF) criteria were recruited. Indices of iron status and other clinical and biochemical parameters were determined in MS patients and healthy controls using standard methods. Results: Higher serum iron and ferritin values were observed in subjects with MS in compared to healthy controls (P < 0.001). TIBC did not differ significantly between healthy controls and MS patients (P > 0.050). Among the other indices, only red blood cell (RBC) was associated considerably with the presence of MS (P < 0.050). Conclusion: Our data indicate that even in a country with a comparatively high prevalence of iron deficiency, serum iron and ferritin values in MS patients are higher than healthy controls. The reason why ferritin and iron are higher in MS patient may be related to dietary factors.

Introduction: We evaluated the association between four polymorphisms in the CRP gene with plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) levels,prevalence and severity of coronary artery disease(CAD) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)patients. Methods: We performed coronary angiography for 308 T2DM patients and classified them into two groups: T2DM with CAD and T2DM without CAD, all patient come from Ahwaz, Iran. Plasma levels of CRP, glucose and lipid profile were measured. Genotyping was performed by PCR/RFLP, and the severity of coronary artery disease was determined by Gensini score. Results: The GG genotype of SNP rs279421 was associated with increased risk CAD (OR = 2.38; 95%CI: 1.12- 5.8; P = 0.02)and CA,TT,TA genotypes and A allele of SNP rs3091244 and GA genotypes and A allele of SNP rs3093062 were significantly associated with increased CRP levels.None genotypes or alleles was not associated with Gensini score. We found that the haplotype 7 (AGCG) was associated with decreased risk of CAD (OR = 0.11; 95%CI: 0.02, 0.66; P = 0.017) . The Gensini score was correlated with increased levels of CRP, only in CAD group. Conclusion: Although genetic polymorphisms were influenced on plasma CRP levels but none of the alleles and genotypes raising or falling C-reactive protein levels was consistently associated with an increased prevalence of CAD or protected from that.

BACKGROUND: In bone the Wnt signaling pathway has diverse roles in bone modeling and remodeling. Dickkopf related protein 1(DKK-1),as an end ogenous inhibitors of the canonical Wnt/–catenin path ways pecific to bone and Osteoprotegerin(OPG),have been demonstrated to be key molecules involved in bone erosion and bone remodeling.The present study aimedto evaluate DKK-1 and OPG in women with osteoporosis to predict activity and severity of this common disease. METHODS: The study population included 44 women with osteoporosis and 44 controls with normal bone mineral density (BMD). Serum levels of DKK-1 and OPG were measured by standard methods. RESULTS: The serum Dkk1 concentration in the osteoporosis group (2.91 ± 1.27) was significantly increased compared to the control group (2.07 ± 0.87) (P < 0.010). The serum concentration of OPG was significantly higher incontrol group than patients (4.70 ± 2.16 vs. 4.56 ± 1.21; P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Although the results of this study indicate that DKK-1 and OPG may play different roles in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis, the increase of DKK-1 level and its correlation with FN-BMD might be related to disease activity and bone remodeling in osteoporosis.

Purpose: In the present study cytotoxic effects of the alcoholic extract of Dorema Glabrum seed on viability of WEHI-164 cells, mouse Fibrosarcoma cell line and L929 normal cells were compared with the cytotoxic effects of Taxol (anticancer and apoptosis inducer drug). Methods: To find out the plant extract cytotoxic effects, MTT test and DNA fragmentation assay, the biochemical hallmark of apoptosis were performed on cultured and treated cells. Results: According to the findings the alcoholic extract of Dorema Glabrum seed can alter cells morphology and because of chromatin condensation and other changes they shrink and take a spherical shape, and lose their attachment too. So the plant extract inhibits cell growth albeit in a time and dose dependent manner and results in degradation of chromosomal DNA. Conclusion: Our data well established the anti-proliferative effect of methanolic extract of Dorema Glabrum seed and clearly showed that the plant extract can induce apoptosis and not necrosis in vitro, but the mechanism of its activities remained unknown. These results demonstrated that Dorema Glabrum seed might be a novel and attractive therapeutic candidate for tumor treatment in clinical practices.

Introduction: Atherosclerosis is one of the inflammatory underlying disease associated by oxidative stress and thrombotic agents. This study aimed to evaluate the potential role of cupper oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL) and thrombin for inducing mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in platelets. Methods: Phosphorylation of P38MAPK, Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK), and Extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2) and P-selectin expression were determined in lysates of washed human platelets pretreated with low doses of thrombin and cu2+-OxLDL By Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Pharmacological inhibition was performed by SB203580, PD980559 and SP6000125 for P38MAPK, ERK1/2 and JNK activity, respectively. The ratio of phosphorylated to total protein was used for normalizing the phospho proteins contents of cells. Results: OxLDL and thrombin significantly and differentially increased P-selectin expression (P

Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to determine the alterations in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and Tumor Necrosis factor alpha levels in the blood serum of pseudoexfoliation syndrome cases (a disease with similar risk factors as systemic endothelial dysfunction diseases) and to compare the results with healthy individuals.Methods: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein and Tumor Necrosis factor alpha levels were determined in 30 cases with pseudoexfoliation syndrome and in 30 control patients of the same age and sex, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results: The levels of high- sensitivity C-reactive protein and Tumor Necrosis factor alpha in the blood serum of patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (3.95±0.88 mg/l, 3.32±0.99 pg/ml, respectively) were significantly higher than in the control group (2.51±0.79mg/l, 0.43±0.15 pg/ml, respectively) p=0.001, p=0.002.Conclusion: The results suggest that increased levels of high- sensitivity C-reactive protein and Tumor Necrosis factor alpha, as markers of inflammation and peripheral endothelial dysfunction in pseudoexfoliation syndrome, may be risk factors for systemic and ocular manifestations of pseudoexfoliation syndrome.

Introduction: Oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is believed to be a key factor inthe development of atherosclerosis. Oxidative modification of LDL is associated with increaseduptake of these particles by the macrophage receptors located in the arterial wallwhich in turns would lead to accumulation of lipids within the cytoplasm of the cell andformation of the foam cells, a perquisite step in the development of the atherosclerotic plaque.The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between serum Ferritinand oxidized low-density lipoprotein in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. Methods:The study group consisted of 160 males [mean age (47±7) years] with suspected CAD andno history of renal, liver and diabetic disorders undergoing coronary angiography. OxidizedLDL and Ferritin levels were measured by ELISA methods. Results: Results obtainedfrom the study revealed that the mean serum Ferritin concentration in our studypopulation was 149.77+119.93 ng/ml and that of OX-LDL was 8.86+5.67 IU/L. SerumFerritin levels were significantly correlated with both OX-LDL concentrations (p=0.001,r=0.24) and CAD SCORE (p=0.005, r=0.208) in study patients group; however no correlationwas detected between OX-LDL and CAD SCORE (p>0.9). Conclusion: The presentstudy is the first to report serum Ferritin levels is associated with circulating OX-LDL levelin patients with CAD. The correlation of CAD SCORE with Ferritin levels in these patientsis indicative of the importance of this parameter in predicating CAD. These resultssuggest that measurement of OX- LDL and Ferritin could be of great assistance in predicatingpremature CHD.

Calcification and inflammation are among the important cases of exudative age-related macular degeneration (E-ARMD). The aim of the present study was to elucidate if there is any relationship between serum Osteoprotegerin (OPG), soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANK-ligand) and E-ARMD. In a cross-sectional study, we compared 45 E-ARMD patients with 45 matched controls. Diagnosis was confirmed by fluorescein angiography. Serum samples were analyzed for OPG, RANK-ligand, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), and triglyceride (TG). The levels of OPG and RANK-ligand were measured by ELISA methods. The mean age was 72.0±11.5 years in the E-ARMD group and 68.2±8.9 years in the control group (p=0.09). The level of serum OPG was 132.10±75.49 pg/ml in the E-ARMD group and 94.88±61.65 pg/ml in the control subjects. E-ARMD patients had significantly high levels of OPG (p=0.012), as well as significantly high levels of LDL-C and TC (p=0.001 and p=0.005, respectively). We could not find any significant difference in RANK-ligand, HDL-C, or TG between two study groups (p>0.05). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study investigating the levels of OPG in E-ARMD patients. The present study showed that E-ARMD patients had high levels of serum OPG. It may act as a protective factor for E-ARMD or only as a secondary phenomenon of different processes of E-ARMD. Further prospective studies would be necessary for prognostic and predictive significance of OPG in patients affected by E-ARMD.

This paper1 was simultaneously submitted by the authors to "Transplantation" journal under the title "The Effects of Valsartan on Renal Klotho Expression and Oxidative stress in Alleviation of Cyclosporine Nephrotoxicity" and was accepted for publication in that journal. On the basis of BioImpacts policy in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), any duplicate submission is considered as an ethical misconduct. The accepted manuscript in Transplantation shared considerable overlapping text and data (identical images and materials) with the published paper1 in BioImpacts. The Editor-in-Chief of BioImpacts, Prof. Y. Omidi, was alerted by the Editor-in-Chief of Transplantation, Prof. Jeremy R. Chapman, on such duplication. A comprehensive investigation through comparison of both papers was conducted by the editorial office of BioImpacts along with the Ethics Committee of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (TUOMS) under Prof. M. R. Rashidi, who also acts as Director-in-Charge of BioImpacts and TUOMS Vice Chancellor of Research and Technology Affairs. As a result, they decided to retract this paper in line with the COPE recommendations. The authors were informed and advised on this serious ethical breach. Therefore, the paper is retracted at the request of authors, the aforementioned committee and the Editor-in-Chief of BioImpacts, even though the corresponding author believed that two papers were different in their aims, studied animals, and factors. By the way, they apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. One of the conditions of submission of a paper to BioImpacts is that authors declare explicitly that "This manuscript has been exclusively submitted to this journal and is not under review or accepted for publication elsewhere". As such, this paper represents abuse of the scientific publishing system. As a peer-review multidisciplinary international "Publish Free" and "Access Free" journal, BioImpacts strongly adheres to the "Publication Ethics", and its foremost goal is to preserve the integrity of the scientific reports in the highest standards, therefore the journal takes all issues of publication misconduct seriously.

ABSTRACT: CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Red grape seed extract (RGSE) contains oligomeric proanthocyanidin complexes as a class of flavonoids. These compounds are potent antioxidants and exert many health-promoting effects. This study aimed to determine the effects of RGSE on serum levels of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoprotein AI (apo-AI) levels and paraoxonase (PON) activity in patients with mild to moderate hyperlipidemia (MMH). DESIGN AND SETTINGS: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted at Shahid-Modarres Hospital (Tehran, Iran) and Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Seventy MMH patients were randomly assigned to receive treatment (200 mg/day of RGSE) or placebo for eight weeks. RESULTS: Significant elevation in serum levels of apo-AI (P = 0.001), HDL-C (P = 0.001) and PON activity (P = 0.001) and marked decreases in concentrations of TC (P = 0.015), TG (P = 0.011) and LDL-C (P = 0.014) were found in the cases. PON activity was significantly correlated with apo-AI (r = 0.270; P < 0.01) and HDL-C (r = 0.45; P < 0.001). Significant differences between the RGSE and control groups (before and after treatment) for TC (P = 0.001), TG (P = 0.001), PON (P = 0.03), apo-AI (P = 0.001) and LDL-C (P = 0.002) were seen. CONCLUSION: It is possible that RGSE increases PON activity mostly through increasing HDL-C and apo-AI levels in MMH patients. It may thus have potential beneficial effects in preventing oxidative stress and atherosclerosis in these patients.

Objective: Behcet's disease (BD) is an inflammatory disease and smoking may have a role in its triggering. This case-control study was conducted to investigate the association between smoking and the risk of BD. Methods: We included 192 patients with BD and 822 healthy siblings of patient with BD and 373 healthy unrelated persons as control groups. Demographic data and smoking history of patients and their siblings were obtained by direct and in some cases by telephone interview with the participants. Demographic data and smoking history of healthy controls were obtained by direct interview. Propensity score matching (PSM) analyses for reducing the heterogeneity between studied groups and calculating the actual effect of smoking in BD was performed. Matching was performed based on demographic characteristics (age, gender, educational status and marital status). After PSM, we carried out multivariate analyses with BD as the main outcome variable and smoking history as the main predictor variable to calculate odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Results: Ever smoking was not significantly associated with an increased risk of BD compared with never smoking. In comparison with healthy siblings and healthy unrelated persons, the relative risk of developing BD was 0.8-2.6. No significant differences were observed in the clinical manifestations of BD patients in ever smokers and never smokers. However, disease activity in ever smokers at disease presentation was significantly more than never smokers. Conclusion: Smoking is not a significant risk factor for BD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]