Search

After more than 2 years of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, several questions have remained unanswered that affected our daily lives. Although substantial vaccine development could resist this challenge, emerging new variants in different countries could be considered as potent concerns regarding the adverse effects of reinfection or postvaccination. Precisely, these concerns address some significant and probable outcomes in vaccinated or reinfected models, followed by some virus challenges, such as antibody-dependent enhancement and cytokine storm. Therefore, the importance of evaluating the effectiveness of neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) elicited by vaccination and the rise of new variants must be addressed.

Pemphigus is a severe, potentially life-threatening autoimmune blistering mucocutaneous disease which establishes with autoreactive IgG antibodies that target cellular adhesions, precisely extracellular domains of keratinocyte proteins. Several genetic and environmental elements are believed to contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease. The extent to which the initiation and progress of this autoimmune blistering disease may be influenced by the expression of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) remains to be elucidated. In this study, we evaluated the expression of HERV groups (K, W, and H) in pemphigus vulgaris (PV) patients in comparison to controls. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 24 PV patients and the corresponding age- and sex-matched healthy controls to extract total RNA for evaluation of HERV-K (HML-2), HERV-W, and HERV-H, env gene expression profile by qPCR. The mRNA expression level of HERV-K, HERV-W, and HERV-H were significantly upregulated in PV patients in comparison to healthy controls (P 0.0001). The difference in expression of studied HERVs groups between men and women was no significant (P 0.05). Although rituximab taking patients had a decreased expression level of studied HERVs, the results were not significant (P 0.05). According to our obtained data, HERVs expression could be measured as a possible diagnostic tool for detection of PV and monitoring of the treatment.

Innate and adaptive immune systems have a crucial role in initiating and progressing some pregnancy disorders such as preeclampsia (PE), which is one of the pregnancy-specific disorders that could result in neonatal and maternal morbidity and mortality. The dysregulation of the spiral artery and inadequate trophoblast invasion lead to PE symptoms through producing various inflammatory cytokines and anti-angiogenic factors from the placenta. T lymphocytes play a special role in the epithelium and stroma of the human endometrium. CD4+ T helper (Th) cells, Th1/Th2, and Th17/T regulatory (Treg) balance mainly contribute to the establishment of a pregnancy-favorable environment. This review examined the dysregulation of some cytokines produced from T cells, the dysregulation of the transcription factors of Th cells, the expression of chemokine receptors on T cells, as well as the effects of some factors including vitamin D on the activity of T cells, and finally, the dysregulation of various miRNAs related to T cells, which could cause PE.

Alongside many complications in understanding the etiology of Preeclampsia (PE), several determinants, such as the imbalanced proportion of anti-angiogenic/proangiogenic T-cell subsets, especially CD4After sample collection and preparation, CD4Our results showed that the miRNA-326 expression level increased in CD4In conclusion, we comprehensively evaluated immunological factors and molecules involved in PE manifestation. Interestingly, the CD4

Background Skin cancer is the most common cancer worldwide and commonly classified into malignant melanoma (MM) and Nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSCs), which mainly include basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The extent to which Long Interspersed Element-1 (LINE-1, L1) ORF1p is expressed in cutaneous malignancies remains to be evaluated. This study aimed to assess LINE-1 ORF1p immunoreactivity in various skin cancer subtypes. Method The expression level of LINE-1 ORF1p was evaluated in 95 skin cancer specimens comprising 36 (37.9%) BCC, 28 (29.5%) SCC, and 31 (32.6%) melanoma using the tissue microarray (TMA) technique. Then the association between expression of LINE-1 encoded protein and clinicopathological parameters was analyzed. Results We showed that LINE-1 ORF1p expression level was substantially higher in BCC and SCC patients compared with melanoma samples (p p = 0.004). In SCC samples, a lower level of LINE-1 ORF1p expression was associated with age younger than the mean (p = 0.041). At the same time, no significant correlation was found between LINE-1 ORF1p expression and other clinicopathological parameters (all p > 0.05). Conclusions According to our observation, LINE-1 ORF1p immunoreactivity in various skin tumor subtypes extends previous studies of LINE-1 expression in different cancers. LINE-1ORF1p overexpression in NMSCs compared with MM can be considered with caution as a tumor-specific antigen for NMSCs.

Detecting coordination pattern and coordination variability help us to find how joints organize collaboratively to perform sit-to-stand (STS) under restricted visual input. This experiment aimed to compare the coordination of the trunk, hip, knee, and ankle and its variability between individuals with long- and short-term restricted visual input during STS. Forty-five female children participated in this study, including fifteen congenitally blind (CB) children and 30 healthy children. The healthy children were divided randomly into two groups: one group in which the participants were instructed to keep their eyes open (EO) and another to keep their eyes closed (EC) for 20 min before the test. In the standing phase, CB children had a decreased ankle-knee vector angle on the nondominant (ND) side compared to that of healthy children. In the sagittal plane, a small coefficient-of-correspondences (CoC) was observed at seat-off (hip-trunk CoC on the dominant (D) side and ankle-hip CoC on the ND side) and in the preparation phase (ankle-hip CoC on the ND side and bilateral hip CoC). In the frontal plane (at the end: ankle-knee, in the standing phase: bilateral hip) a high CoC was observed (in the standing phase: knee-trunk CoC on the D side). The EC group had smaller CoCs at initiation event (knee-trunk and bilateral knee CoCs on both sides), the end event (ankle-knee and ankle-hip CoCs on the ND side), and in the standing phase (bilateral hip CoC) in the frontal plane than the other groups. The findings reveal that vector and CoC variables are altered because of long- and short-term restricted visual data and should be a focus in rehabilitation programs.

Neuroendoscopic surgery has been performed as an effective method for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). This study describes the know-how of constructing the ICH cadaver model and the training on the main neuroendoscopic procedures for ICH. During the training, operation time of twenty trainees in main stages of craniotomy and corticotomy (stage 2), and hematoma evacuation under endoscopy (stage 3) was recorded. To distinguish factors influencing trainees' surgical proficiency, operation time was calculated according to seniority, experience in neuroendoscopic surgery and training sequence. Questionnaire about validity of model was conducted eventually. Ten ICH cadaver models with bilateral hematoma were constructed. Seven trainees worked with seniority5 years and eleven had experience in neuroendoscopic surgery. Operation time ranged from 20.6 to 33.4 min in stage 2 and 18.5 to 24.9 min in stage 3. In stage 2, less operation time was needed for trainees with seniority5 years comparing to trainees with seniority ≦5 years (22.56 ± 1.29 vs 29.25 ± 3.02 min, p 0.01). In stage 3, significant difference of operation time was found between trainees with experience in neuroendoscopic surgery and trainees without the experience (20.08 ± 1.22 vs 22.02 ± 1.82 min, p = 0.014), and the same between trainees in latter group and in former group (19.75 ± 0.80 vs 22.54 ± 1.45 min, p 0.01). Questionnaire feedback proved high degree of satisfaction about the training model. Therefore, the ICH cadaver model can assist neurosurgeons with neuroendoscopic treatment learning sessions. Simulation and improvement in neuroendoscopic surgical techniques for ICH treatment were possible with the help of ICH cadaver model.

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is mainly an alternative for other therapeutic methods such as surgery and endourology to treat urinary tract calculus. Although it is safe and effective, it has undesirable effects on renal function. Diagnostic techniques such as color Doppler ultrasonography create a new attitude toward renal function. The aim of this study was to evaluate renal vascular resistance change before and after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.During the present study, vascular resistive index (RI) of renal intralobar artery was measured before, 30 min, and 1 week after ESWL using Doppler ultrasonography.Thirty minutes after ESWL, RI was significantly increased from primary value of 0.62 ± 0.05 to 0.66 ± 0.06 (p = 0.0001). There was no correlation between increase of RI and patients' age. Following up the patients revealed that mean RI did not return to pretreatment level after 1 week (p0.05). The RI level in the old patients (3 patients who were 60 years or older) was higher than that of the younger ones (19 patients who were younger than 60 years) after 1 week (0.76 ± 0.05 vs. 0.64 ± 0.06). There was no meaningful relationship between ESWL voltage or number of shocks and RI variation before and after ESWL.Following ESWL, patients are at risk of renal tissue damage due to increase of primary RI level. Measuring RI variations using ultrasound techniques after ESWL may provide helpful information to clinical detection of renal tissue damage.

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) can be done in patients who have previously had open nephrolithotomy. Currently, dilatation of the nephrostomy tract is achieved using an Amplatz renal dilator or telescopic metal dilators in these patients. The aim of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of the "one-shot" procedure in patients with previous open nephrolithotomy with those of the current telescopic technique.Thirty-one patients with past history of open surgery for kidney stone disease underwent PCNL at our institution from February 2006 to March 2007. Patients were randomly divided into two groups according to dilation technique used: group A (telescopic procedure) and group B (one-shot procedure). X-ray exposure, blood loss, and complications were evaluated.No significant difference in hemoglobin decrease was seen in the two groups. The stone-free and complication rates were the same in the two groups. Fluoroscopy time during the one-shot procedure was significantly shorter than that of the telescopic procedure (P0.000).Our experience indicated that the one-shot procedure is feasible in patients with previous open nephrolithotomy. It is as safe and effective as the telescopic procedure, with significant reduction in x-ray exposure.