Search

History and Goals: Now a days, the main purpose of treatment in patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), is achiev¬ing a "definite cure", and this goal is impossible unless stem cell transplantation (bone marrow transplantation) or the ad¬ministration of high-dose Cytarabine is performed."nAs these therapies are very expensive and money consuming, and due to restricted application of these procedures in Iran, most hematological clinics in Iran, prefer to have a classical approach in such instances. These approaches consist of 4 cycle performing a 4 months period of hospitalization."nIn patients who can not pay the cost of treatment and have a low socioeconomic and cultural status, maintaining therapy is very difficult and usually unsuccessful."nOut patient consolidation therapy is an alternative to cope with such problems."nMaterial and Methods: As a clinical trial, all cases of AML, admitted to Taleghani Hospital (Kermanshah-Iran) from De¬cember, 1998, after achieving complete remission and receiving first consolidation therapy were selected to be evaluated. For patients who could not accept long time hospitalization because of their socioeconomic, financial status, consolidation therapy was arranged for them as outpatients, for 6 continuous cycles, every 3-4 weeks. Other patients received 2 runs of classic consolidation therapy in hospital."nFindings: Till October 2002, of the 57 patients admitted with AML diagnosis, 7 cases were excluded because of advanced age (age>65) and functional weakness and 3 patients died as a result of early complications. Of the 47 remaining patients, 39 cases achieved complete remission with induction therapy. 23 of the treated patients received out-patient consolidation therapy and 16 cases underwent classical therapy."nDuring the follow-up period which lasted between 7 to 47 months, in the classical therapy group, 8 cases of relapse occurred leading to the death of 5 patients, whereas in the out-patient group, 12 relapses occurred in which 7 persons died. From an overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) point of view, no notable and meaningful difference was seen. But, complications of therapy necessitated blood product administration and increased amount of hospitalization, which was significantly more frequent in patients assigned to classical therapy compared to the out-patient group. Discussion: According to the results of this study and a few identical studies performed previously in Imam Khomeini and Dr Shariati Hospitals (Tehran-Iran), although, out-patient consolidation therapy takes more time, but, because of shortened hospitalization time, ease of performance and tolerance by patients, this therapy can be applied to all patients with a low so-cioeconomic status. Moreover, from an ethical point of view, physicians can be assured that there is no difference in relapse and mortality rate compared with the classical approaches."nObviously, this therapeutic approach can be generalized and extended to other regions of Iran, and in underdeveloped coun¬tries with the same limitations and problems.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible influence of age and gender on association between -765G > C COX-2 genetic polymorphism and gastric adenocarcinoma risk in Iranian patients.Background: The promoter polymorphism of COX-2 gene -765G>C has been described to play an important role in many cancers such as gastric cancer.Patients and methods: We carried out single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis in Iranian samples including 91 patients and 91 control normal using PCR- RFLP technique.Results: Statistical analysis revealed no significant association between GG¡ GC and CC genotypes and risk of gastric adenocarcinoma. However differences were considered significant (P=0.043) for female subjects with C carrier genotypes (GC and CC) and gastric adenocarcinoma when compared with male patients (P=0.645) and control groups (P=0.653). Also¡ there was a statistically significant difference between increasing of age and susceptibility for gastric adenocarcinoma (Odd Ratio = 1.125¡ 95% CI=1.089-1.162).Conclusion: These results suggested that Iranian C carrier females can be more susceptible for gastric adenocarcinoma in comparison with control group. Also increasing of age should be considered as a risk factor for this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent malignancy in females worldwide. Mutations in the DNA repair pathway genes contribute to a significant increase in BC risk. The present study aimed to assess the frequency of polymorphisms in BRCA1, ATM, and CHEK2 genes and their association with BC susceptibility in the Kurdish population from the West of Iran., Methods: In the present case-control study, the distribution of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CHEK2 (rs17879961), ATM (rs28904921), and BRCA1 (rs80357906, rs1555576855, rs1555576858, and rs397509247) genes were investigated in 335 BC cases and 354 healthy-matched controls by Taqman allelic discrimination assay. The chi-square goodness-of-fit test was employed for the assessment of Hardy-Weinberg Equation. Relative risk and odds ratios were calculated based on the Koopman asymptotic score and the Baptista-Pike method, respectively. Also, the sensitivity and specificity of each polymorphism were assessed using the Wilson-Brown test and a P-value < 0.05 indicating significant differences between the two groups in all assessments., Results: Data showed there was a strong association between rs397509247 (OR = 7.53, 95% CI 1.88-90.91, p = 0.004), rs1555576858 (OR = 10.53, 95% CI 0.01-0.51, p = 0.0005), and rs80357906 (OR = 6.33, 95% CI 0.05-0.043, p < 0.0001) in BRCA1 gene and rs17879961 (OR = 3.52, 95% CI 0.084-0.946, p = 0.02) in CHEK2 gene, with BC risk in the population of interest. Among these, rs28904921 in ATM gene demonstrated the strongest association (OR = 72.66, 95% CI 0.007-0.214, p < 0.0001). This suggests that these SNPs, particularly rs28904921, are significantly associated with an increased risk of BC in the studied population., Conclusion: Our results indicated that BRCA1, ATM, and CHEK2 polymorphisms have a high frequency in the Iranian breast cancer population, with some mutant allele frequencies being much higher than those reported in other populations. We have also provided a simple, multiplex, rapid, and accurate genotyping assay that is useful in clinical settings., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: Sleep is one of the most crucial basic human needs in Maslow's hierarchy, while sleep disorders are the most commonly occurring complications of chemotherapy., Objective: This study was conducted to determine the effect of progressive muscle relaxation techniques on the sleep quality of patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy., Methods: This study was a randomized clinical trial performed on patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Ninety cancer patients were selected by the convenience sampling method and randomly assigned into two groups; the progressive muscle relaxation group and the control group. Before the intervention, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Questionnaire (PSQQ) was completed for patients in both groups. In the intervention group, progressive muscle relaxation was performed for 4 weeks (twice daily and 20 min each time). In the control group, patients only received routine care. After the intervention, the PSQQ was completed again for patients in both groups. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 23., Results: The mean and standard deviation of age were 45.95 ± 10.26 years. The samples of the intervention and control groups were homogeneous in terms of demographic characteristics. The results showed a significant improvement in the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index in the intervention group before and after the intervention ( P  < .001, Z  = 5.09). However, this rate was not different in the control group. The sleep level of the intervention and control groups was not different at the beginning of the study. However, at the end of the study, the sleep score in the intervention group had decreased significantly ( P  < .001, Z  = 3.52)., Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that progressive muscle relaxation improves the sleep quality of patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Therefore, relaxation can be considered a useful and effective intervention for improving sleep quality of patients with cancer., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

Objective: Despite the advances in treatment, breast cancer (BC) remains a major cause of death in women. This study aims to evaluate the prognostic significance of detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) in paired peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM) samples obtained both before and after adjuvant chemotherapy from patients with operable BC., Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, from 160 patients with primary BC, we collected 160 PB and BM samples before and we could be able to collect PB and BM samples from 100 of them after adjuvant chemotherapy. The expression level of cytokeratin 19 ( CK19 ), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), mammaglobin 1 ( MGB1 ), mucin 2 ( MUC2 ) and trefoil factor 1 ( TFF1 ) mRNAs in the PB/BM samples were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR)., Results: Multivariate Cox regression analyses indicated that the detection of CK19 mRNA-positive CTCs/DTCs either before or after adjuvant chemotherapy was an independent factor for prognosis associated with decreased diseasefree survival (DFS). Patients with tumor cells detected in both PB and BM and patients with persistent detection of tumor cells before and after chemotherapy had worse outcomes compared to those with tumor cells detected in one or neither of the compartments., Conclusion: This study suggests that the detection of CK19 mRNA-positive CTCs/DTCs either before or after adjuvant chemotherapy could be an independent predictor of DFS in operable BC patients.

Aim: According to the literature, high levels of salivary soluble E-cadherin may be lined to advanced stage and poor prognosis in cancers. This research aimed at comparing salivary and serum levels of soluble E-cadherin in cases with esophageal, gastric, and colorectal cancers., Methods: This case-control research was performed on 68 patients with gastrointestinal cancers and 57 healthy volunteers as a control group to measure salivary and serum levels of soluble E-cadherin using ELISA kits., Results: The results showed a statistically significant difference between salivary and serum levels of soluble E-cadherin in the case group, as opposed to the control group (P = 0.031). The salivary level of soluble E-cadherin in the control group was 2.138 ng/mL on average lower than that that in the case group. The median salivary level of soluble E-cadherin among cases with lymph node involvement was significantly higher compared with its median level in the control group (P = 0.049). Soluble E-cadherin salivary level and other variables, such as metastasis and cancer stage, were directly correlated, but it was not statistically significant., Conclusion: According to the findings, the salivary level of soluble E-cadherin among cases with gastric cancer could be considered as a prognostic marker, but the diagnostic value of saliva could not be judged in esophageal and colorectal cancers because of small sample size, and more investigations are required for a definite conclusion., (Copyright © 2023 Copyright: © 2023 Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics.)

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the significance of tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) and the number of CD8+ T cells in breast cancer and their relationship with the other clinicopathological factors, and overall survival (OS) was investigated. Materials and Methods: The studied samples were breast cancer patients (2005-2017) referring to the medical oncology departments for treatment. Pathologic samples of breast cancer patients were evaluated in terms of TIL and positive immunohistochemical staining for CD8 cytotoxic cells. Results: 299 patients were entered into the study, three were male and 296 female. Their mean follow-up period was 61 months. Statistical findings indicated that lymph involvement is more accompanied by low TIL within the tumor (0.011). Correlations were observed between the estrogen, progesterone receptors, P53 state, and TIL, which were significant by P-value<0.049, P-value=0.024, P-value =0.002, respectively. With any Ki67 value, the number of patients with less than 30% TIL was more considerable than the other two groups with lymphocyte cut-off of 30-50% and more than 50%. Comparison of the OS of patients with positive and negative CD8 cytotoxic lymphocytes in 45 patients with lymphocyte infiltration of equal or more than 40% showed that the OS results were in favor of patients with CD8+ cytotoxic lymphocyte (0.022). Out of 299 patients, 17 died. Conclusion: Our findings showed that in cases of CD8+ cytotoxic lymphocytes in tumors, the OS of the patients will be enhanced which can act as an independent factor., Competing Interests: The authors have declared no potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine the relationship between microRNA polymorphisms and the risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia comprehensively. PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Global Index Medicus, Clinicaltrials.gov, ProQuest, and Open Grey databases were used to find relevant papers. Using the STATA 16.0 and CMA 3.0 software, the significance of relationships between microRNA polymorphisms and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia risk was evaluated using odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs) for five genetic models. The results of the meta-analysis showed that there was no significant association between the polymorphism of miR-146a rs2910164 and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia risk in different genetic models. Also, in the sensitivity analysis, removing Xue's study from the analysis indicated that both the homozygote and recessive models are significantly affected. Additionally, there was a statistically significant relationship between the polymorphisms of pri-miR-34b/c rs4938723 (in the homozygote and recessive models) and miR-612 rs12803915 (in the allele and dominant models) and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia risk. These findings suggest that the rs4938723 and rs12803915 polymorphisms may have a role in the development of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background : Amplification of HER2 is an important factor in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is the gold standard for the detection of HER2-positive tumors. However, the Immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay for the detection of HER2 is more popular in the preclinical laboratory since it is faster and more economical compared to the FISH test. Materials and Methods : In this study, the status of HER2 amplification is determined by the FISH test using 44 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples and comparing the results with the IHC test to determine the reliability of the IHC test. Also, the relationship between HER2 amplification and estrogen, progesterone receptors, P53, age, menopausal status, family history of breast cancer, tumor size, and histological grade were determined. Results : Examination of HER2 in 44 samples by IHC showed 3 (6.8%) and 5 (11.4%) samples were positive (IHC 3+) and negative (IHC 0, 1+), respectively, and 36 (81.8%) samples were ambiguous (IHC 2 +), but examination by FISH showed 21 samples (47, 7%) were positive and 23 samples (52, 3%) were negative. There was a significant difference between IHC and FISH in the detection of HER2 amplification (P=0.019). Also, there was a significant difference between HER2 amplification and menopause in patients (P=0.035). Conclusion : This result demonstrated that the IHC test is not a reliable test to determine HER2 amplification. This study represented that FISH analysis is more reliable than IHC and must be preferentially performed for all cases, especially for HER2 +2 cases for whom the IHC result is 2+., (Copyright © 2022 Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

Despite several studies performed in different provinces of Iran to identify the spectrum of α-globin gene mutations, no such study has so far been carried out in Ilam Province. A total of 274 individuals, including 201 α-thalassemia (α-thal) carriers and 73 normal subjects, originating from the northern counties of Ilam Province, participated in this study. Analysis of α-globin defects was performed using multiplex gap-polymerase chain reaction (gap-PCR), amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS)-PCR and direct sequencing, which revealed a total of 11 different mutations and 22 different genotypes. The -α 3.7 (rightward) (NG&#95;000006.1: g.34164&#95;37967del3804), α -5 nt α ( HBA2 : c.95 + 2&#95;95 + 6delTGAGG), and -α 4.2 (leftward) deletions were the most prevalent mutations identified in our study, with frequencies of 66.23, 10.09 and 8.33%, respectively. In conclusion, the present study showed that the α-thal mutation spectrum in Ilam Province, at least in the northern part of the province, is different from that in other geographical regions of Iran. These results increase our knowledge about the spectrum and distribution of α-globin gene mutations in Iran.

According to the instructions of Iran's National Corona Response Committee in the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education, patients undergoing treatments for their cancer are prioritized in Covid-19 vaccination. The present study was therefore conducted to investigate the toxicity and acute side-effects of a Covid-19 vaccine in cancer patients presenting to Medical Oncology Clinic of Kermanshah University of Medical Science. After excluding the patients with active infection and the recently-infected ones with Covid-19, they underwent the vaccination. The patients with cell counts exceeding 3,000 received two doses of the vaccine with a 21-day interval and treatment of their underlying disease was postponed for 7 days. The side-effects were mild and tolerable and included fever (case 10), pain at the injection site (7), dizziness (7), body pain (6), abdominal pain (6), myalgia (6), headache (6), chills (3), shortness of breath (3), diarrhea (1), runny nose (1) and dryness of the throat (1). No significant toxicity was reported in the patients who were safely vaccinated under the supervision of the medical oncology clinic.

Background: During the pandemic of COVID-19, cancer patients have been considered as one high-risk group in the morbidity and mortality of COVID-19. This study aimed to describe the clinical symptoms and risk factors of COVID-19 in cancer patients., Method: In a prospective cross-sectional study, during a year, all cancer patients who underwent chemotherapy and/or targeted therapy in our clinic (Kermanshah, Iran) were followed up in terms of getting COVID-19. We analyzed the effect of tumor features and demographic information on clinical manifestations, survival status, therapeutic outcomes, and severity of the disease COVID-19 in 2 categories of cancer (hematologic and solid cancers)., Results: Most of the patients (68%) were in the solid tumor category, including breast cancer (24.4%), colon cancer (22%), and gastric cancer (9.8%). There was a statistically significant difference between 2 categories of cancer in the clinical manifestations: the stage of cancer and survival status ( P  < .05). Logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of death in cancer patients with COVID-19 along with symptoms of diarrhea (odds ratio [OR] = 12.8, P  = .004), the difficulty of breath (OR = 10.73, P  = .034), drop of SO2 (OR = 1.334, P  = .003), thrombocytopenia (OR = 1.022, P  = .02), anemia (OR = 2.72, P  = .011), requiring mechanical ventilation (OR = 9.24, P  = .004), pleural infusion (OR = 10.28, P  = .02), and intensive care unit (ICU) admission (OR = 7.389, P  = .009) increases independent of other variables. The COVID-19 mortality rate in our cancer patients was 23%., Conclusions: Thrombocytopenia, anemia, and diarrhea are symptoms that, along with common symptoms such as lung involvement, difficulty breathing, and the need for a ventilator, increase the risk of death in cancer patients with COVID-19., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

Background: According to the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), getting influenza vaccines during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemics is especially important for people with certain underlying medical conditions, like cancer. Due to the similarities between the symptoms of influenza and COVID-19, receiving the flu vaccine in suspicious cases can be helpful because it will make it easier to request a medical test and diagnosis. In this study, the value of influenza vaccination in the cancer population was investigated., Methods: In a cross-sectional study, all cancer patients who were referred to our clinic and had eligibility to receive the flu vaccine were included in our study for following up clinical signs every week for one month. All patients who were vaccinated from October 1 to November 15, 2020 were investigated. The most side effects that were followed were fever, runny nose, bone pain, and life-threatening or persistent adverse effects., Results: From a total of 288 patients (median age: 52 years (range 18-79), 112 (38.9%) males and 176 (61.1%) female) with different types of cancers, only two patients had an adverse effect of vaccination (including bone pain, runny nose, and fatigue), and one had COVID-19 ten days after vaccination. The rest of the patients did not show any side effects due to flu vaccination after one month of follow-up. Cancer patients are recommended to receive the flu vaccine annually during the pandemic and after the end of this pandemic, usually during the flu epidemic season to reduce mortality., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The objective of this paper is to examine the effects of Imatinib on patients who are at the chronic phase of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Method: Totally, 79 patients with CML who received the treatment between 2003 and 2020 entered the study. The patients were evaluated in terms of molecular response rate and overall survival (OS). Results: About 75.9% of patients achieved deep molecular response in mean follow-up of 89.92 months. The OS rate was about 91.2%. Conclusion: There was no considerable cumulative toxicity with Imatinib long-term use. A high percent of patients had a deep molecular response., Competing Interests: The authors do not have any conflicts of interest. The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common leukemia in adults. The MDM2 and p53 are interacting proteins that play crucial roles in cell biology. Genetic variations of p53 and MDM2 have been identified in many cancers including CLL; among which are SNP309 in the promoter of MDM2 and SNP codon72 in p53. Materials and Methods: In this study, we sought to find the impact of two SNPs of p53 and MDM2 in the pathogenesis of CLL. A total of 100 CLL patients and 102 healthy controls were recruited. Genomic DNA was extracted, and genotyping was performed using the PCR-RFLP method. The allele and genotype associations were analyzed using the χ2 test. The gene-gene interaction analysis was studied using GMDR v0.9. Results: Our study found the absence of a significant difference between CLL patients and controls related to the allelic frequencies or genotypic distributions for both MDM2 SNP309 and p53 codon72. A significantly higher frequency of p53 C allele was found in patients with disease duration of more than 36 compared to those less than 36 months. However, GMDR analysis suggests genetic interaction between the genes under study. Conclusion: Our findings indicated each polymorphism of p53 codon72 and MDM2 (SNP309) was not a risk factor for CLL but the p53 C allele could be associated with the disease duration. Besides, the interaction between p53/MDM2 genotypes may confer susceptibility to CLL. Our study could be useful in genetic association studies of CLL and the role of gene-gene interactions in the susceptibility to the disease., (Copyright © 2021 Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

Objective: The current research was conducted to study the association between the SNP309 and del1518 polymorphisms with the breast cancer in the patients with the Kurdish ethnic background from western Iran. Also, a systematic review of the relevant case-control studies on the MDM2 polymorphisms in the patients with breast cancer was performed., Methodology: Two mL of peripheral blood was taken from 100 patients with breast cancer and 100 healthy individuals. The frequencies of MDM2 SNP309 and del1518 genotypes and alleles were determined using the PCR-RFLP and PCR methods, respectively., Results: The frequency of the TT, TG, and GG of MDM2-SNP309 genotypes in the patients was obtained as 23%, 52%, and 25%, and they were equal to 22%, 40%, and 38% in the control group, respectively. Also, considering the MDM2-del1518 polymorphism, the frequencies of ins/ins, ins/del, and del/del genotypes were equal to 52%, 41%, and 7% in the breast cancer group and they were equal to 62, 30, and 8% in the control group, respectively. Analysis of the results indicated that the GG genotype plays a protective role for the breast cancer in the recessive model (GG vs TT + TG) of SNP309 (χ 2  = 3.916, P = .048, and OR = 0.54)., Conclusion: Our findings revealed that the GG genotype of MDM2-SNP309 can play a protective role in the breast cancer disease. Also, our systematic review indicated that the SNP309, SNP285, and del1518 of MDM2 gene in different populations mostly did not have a significant association with the risk of breast cancer., (© 2020 The Authors. Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: The expression of HER-2neu and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in patients with osteosarcoma may determine the response to treatment. These two factors are likely to be effective in cancer progression. This study aimed at investigating the prevalence of these two factors in the pathological samples., Methods: Pathological samples of patients with osteosarcoma collected at a cancer surgery center between 2017 and 2018 were evaluated, of which 37 samples were included. The samples were evaluated using the IHC technique by two pathologists., Results: 12 women and 25 men with an average age of 26.7 years were studied. 21 patients (56.8%) developed metastases from the beginning or during follow-up, whereas 16 patients (43.2%) have not yet developed metastases. Regarding HER-2neu, 21 patients (56.8%) scored 0, 9 patients (24.3%) scored 1, 3 patients (8.1%) scored +2, and 4 patients (10.8%) scored +3. The VEGF intensity scores of 0, 1+, 2+, +3, +4 and were found in 7 (18.9%),  2 (5.4%), 18 (48.6%), 8 (21.6%), and 2 (5.4%) patients, respectively.  The results of the study did not show a significant relationship between age, gender, metastasis, and positive expression rates of HER-2neu and VEGF., Conclusion: The high expression of VEGF (75.7%) in the studied samples should be considered and further studies on this biomarker in cases with osteosarcoma are recommended from different aspects. To achieve validated results and prove the results of this study, similar studies with a larger sample size should be performed, and using targeted therapy for angiogenesis in large scale trials should be considered.

Identifying couples who are carriers of thalassemia-causing mutations, followed by prenatal diagnosis (PND), is undoubtedly an effective way to prevent the birth of children with the disease. Our aim in this study was to report for the first time the spectrum of α-globin gene mutations in the population living in Hamadan Province, West Iran. Multiplex gap-polymerase chain reaction (gap-PCR), amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS)-PCR, and direct DNA sequencing of HBA1 and HBA2 genes were used to identify the α-thalassemia (α-thal)-causing mutations in a cohort of 389 individuals including 328 α-thal carriers and 61 normal subjects. A total of 17 different mutations and 25 different genotypes were detected. The -α 3.7 (rightward) deletion (NG&#95;000006.1: g.34164&#95;37967del3804) was the most frequent mutation, accounting for more than half of all mutations (61.04%). This study revealed that there is a variety of α-thal mutations and α-thal genotypes in Hamadan Province, West Iran. This observation is probably due to the complexity of the Hamadan Province population that is composed of Persians (Fars), Turks, Kurds, and Lurs/Laks. In conclusion, our results demonstrated the spectrum of mutations in α-globin genes in Iran and increased our understanding of their distribution in this country.

Background: The aim of this study was investigation of COVID-19 disease and its outcome in cancer patients who needed treatment, in a 90-day period., Methods: Cancer patient who required treatment, were evaluated for potential COVID-19 infection in a 90-day period, starting from beginning of this epidemic in Iran, January, to April 19, 2020. For treatment of solid tumor patients, if they did not have symptoms related to COVID-19, just chest X-ray was requested. If they showed COVID-19 related symptoms, high resolution CT scan of lungs was requested. For hematology cancer patients, PCR test for COVID-19 infection was requested as well. Protection measures were considered for personnel of oncology wards., Results: 279 Patients were followed up in this 90-day period. No COVID-19 infection was observed in 92 cases of breast cancer, 14 cases of gastric cancer and 12 cases of pancreaticobiliary cancer. However, in 72 cases of colon cancer, 11 cases of lung cancer, 5 cases brain tumors and 12 cases ovarian cancer; 4 cases of COVID-19 were observed. In the hematology cancers group, which included 14 cases of Hodgkin's disease, 23 cases of lymphoproliferative disorder, 12 cases of acute leukemia and 12 cases of multiple myeloma; 3 cases of COVID-19 were observed., Conclusion: Patients with cancer who need treatment can be treated by taking some measures. These measures include observing individual and collective protection principles in patients and health-care personnel, increasing patients' awareness particularly about self-care behavior, performing a COVID-19 test, and taking a chest X-ray, before the treatment starts.

β-Thalassemia (β-thal) is one of the most common diseases in Iran. Here, we report the spectrum of HBB gene mutations in 176 Kurdish β-thal carriers from the northern part of Ilam Province, Iran. The amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) technique was used to identify common β-globin gene mutations observed in Iran. Samples negative on ARMS-PCR were analyzed by direct sequencing of the β-globin gene. In total, 12 different mutations were identified on the β-globin gene. The mutations of IVS-II-1 (G>A) ( HBB : c.315+1G>A), codons 8/9 (+G) ( HBB : c.27&#95;28insG), codons 36/37 (-T) ( HBB : c.112delT) and IVS-I-110 (G>A) ( HBB : c.93-21G>A), were the most prevalent mutations in our samples, with frequencies of 59.09, 10.80, 7.95 and 7.39%, respectively. In general, the mutation spectrum of the β-globin gene in the northern part of Ilam Province is most similar to that in other western provinces of Iran. On the other hand, due to the high prevalence of carriers and β-thal major (β-TM) patients in this province, our results can be helpful in identifying carriers as well as at-risk fetuses through the prenatal diagnosis program.

Background: Thymidylate synthase is one of the target enzymes of 5-fluorouracil. However, the clinical and prognostic significance of TS expression in gastric cancer has remained controversial. In this study, the expression of thymidylate synthase was evaluated in gastric cancer patients treated with combinational chemotherapy; moreover, the association between TS expression and clinicopathologic characteristics and overall survival of the patients were also assessed. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, 89 pathological samples were gathered from patients at Kermanshah hospitals during 2008-2017. The survival status of patients was recorded and their overall survival was evaluated individually. Results: The average survival period for low and high thymidylate synthase groups was 54 and 50 months, respectively, meaning higher survival time in the lower thymidylate group. But this difference was not statistically significant (log Rank=0.88). In addition, sex, stage, recurrence, and survival had no significant difference between the low and high expression of thymidylate synthase groups (p=0.89). Conclusion: The results clearly indicated that the level of thymidylate synthase is not a significant modulator of 5- fluorouracil in gastric cancer patients. Nevertheless, evaluation of the level of the enzymes and markers as well as their effects are highly recommended for accurate selection of chemotherapeutical strategies., (Copyright : © International Journal of Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Research & Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

In order to identify the α-thalassemia (α-thal) mutation spectrum in Kurdistan Province, West Iran, a total of 217 individuals, including 154 α-thal carriers and 63 normal subjects were investigated in this study. Molecular analysis of α1- and α2-globin genes using multiplex gap-polymerase chain reaction (gap-PCR), amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS)-PCR or direct DNA sequencing, showed 11 different α-globin variants. The -α 3.7 (rightward) deletion (NG&#95;000006.1: g.34164&#95;37967del3804) (70.32%), polyadenylation signal (polyA2) site (AAT A AA>AAT G AA) (α polyA2 α) ( HBA2 : c.*92A>G) (7.74%), -α 4.2 (leftward) deletion (6.45%) and codon 59 (or Hb Adana) (G>A) (αα codon 59 ) ( HBA1 : c.179G>A) (4.52%) were the most frequent mutations in the present study. In conclusion, the spectrum of α-thal mutations in Kurdistan Province is closest to that in western provinces of Iran (Kurdish and Laki populations). In addition, it was revealed that the codon 59 mutation is common in the Kurdish population. On the other hand, despite the same ethnic background of Kurds in Iran and Iraq, the - - MED I double gene deletion and polyA2 point mutation have different distributions in these two populations. Therefore, further studies are needed to identify the cause of these differences.

Objective: Gastric cancer is one of the oncological challenges, and tendency toward target therapy in this cancer has been increased. Controversy still exists on prognostic value of HER2/neu expression and its relationship with clinicopathological characteristics and survival of gastric cancer patients. In this regard, the present study examined the status of HER2/neu in patients with gastric cancer and its prognostic effects. Methods: Pathological samples of 97 gastric cancer patients diagnosed over the last 8 or 9 years (from 2008 to the end of 2017) and treated with 5-fluorouracil, Docetaxel, and Cisplatin (TCF) were studied in this investigation. Patients were assigned to two groups according to their HER2/neu status. First group included patients with positive HER2/neu (Score 3) and second group involved patients with negative HER2/neu (Score 0 and 1). Patients were compared in terms of disease stage, survival rate, and mortality. Results: The mean age of patients was 58 years old. There were 75 men and 22 women in this study. In terms of disease stage, 4, 21, 41, and 31 patients were in stage I, II, III, and IV, respectively. Using IHC method, it was found that 27, 23, 25, and 22 patients had HER2/neu expression with score 0, score +1, score 2+ and score+3, respectively. We discovered that expression of positive HER2/neu was associated with male sex. We also observed that survival and mortality rates following treatment initiation were significantly different between HER2/neu positive and negative gastric cancer patients (P<0.01). Conclusion: Evaluation of HER2/neu status in gastric cancer patients showed that HER2/neu 3+ expression could reduce the patients’ survival. Therefore, it is recommended that patients who may benefit from trastuzumab, be treated. A clinical multi-center trial should be also considered for use of this drug in adjuvant cases.

Mutations in certain genes have been suggested to be associated with the pathogenesis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), which is the most common leukemia in adults. In a case-control study, 100 patients with CLL and 105 healthy individuals were investigated for Notch homolog 1, translocation-associated ( Drosophila ) (NOTCH1) c.7544-7545delCT, recombinant splicing factor 3B subunit 1 (SF3B1) c.2098A>G, mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2) 40-bp insertion/deletion and myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MYD88) L265P mutations by using allele specific-polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR), a designed AS-PCR, PCR and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism methods, respectively. The presence of NOTCH1 and SF3B1 mutations were confirmed by genomic DNA sequencing. The NOTCH1 mutation was detected in 10% of patients and not detected in the control group. A higher frequency of NOTCH1 mutation was detected in patients with stage III CLL (62.5%) compared with stages 0-II CLL (37.5%) (odds ratio, 4.69-fold; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-21.9; P=0.049). The SF3B1 mutation was observed in 12% of the patients compared with 1.9% of the controls (P=0.012). The presence of MDM2 polymorphism was not associated with the risk or the stage of the disease. In addition, the MYD88 L265P mutation was not detected in the patients or the controls. The current study established the frequency of NOTCH1, SF3B1, MDM2 and MYD88 mutations in patients with CLL from the Kurdish population of Western Iran. In summary, a high frequency of NOTCH1 and SF3B1 mutations were identified in patients with CLL compared with healthy individuals, and the NOTCH1 mutation was associated with a high stage of the disease.

α-Thalassemia (α-thal) is one of the most common genetic disorders worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate for the first time the α-thal mutation spectrum in the Lak population living in Lorestan Province, Iran. One hundred and seventy-six α-thal carriers participated in the study. Multiplex gap-polymerase chain reaction (gap-PCR), amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS)-PCR and direct sequencing were used for the detection of different mutations on the α-globin ( HBA1 and HBA2 ) genes. A total of 11 different mutations was identified. The -α 3.7 (rightward; NG&#95;000006.1: g.34164&#95;37967del3804) deletion was observed most frequently (56.35%), followed by α -5 nt α ( HBA2 : c.95+2&#95;95+6delTGAGG), α polyA2 α ( HBA2 : c.*92A>G) and - - MED I (NG&#95;000006.1: g.24664&#95;41064del16401), with frequencies of 15.47, 9.39, and 6.08%, respectively. These four mutations accounted for more than 87.0% of the total mutated alleles. Moreover, 19 different genotypes were identified. The types and distribution pattern of the mutations identified in this study, in comparison with other studies conducted in Iran, was most similar to the Kurdish population of Kermanshah Province, Iran. Due to the lack of information on α-thal in Lorestan Province, it was not possible to compare the mutation spectrum in the Lur and Lak populations. In conclusion, our results may help in setting up a strategy for an α-thal screening program and genetic counseling in the Lak people.

β-Thalassemia (β-thal) is one of the most common hemoglobinopathies worldwide and is caused by mutations on the β-globin ( HBB ) gene. The aim of the present study was to determine the mutation spectrum of the β-globin gene in β-thal carriers who were originally from Hamadan Province, Western Iran. Two hundred and eighty-two β-thal carriers participated in the study. Amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) and direct sequencing were used for detection of different mutations. A total of 25 different mutations, including 21 β-thal mutations and four other hemoglobin (Hb) variants, in 280 β-thal carriers (99.3%) were detected in the present study. Three types of mutations including IVS-II-1 (G>A) ( HBB : c.315+1G>A) (26.24%), codons 8/9 (+G) ( HBB : c.27&#95;28insG) (14.54%) and codons 36/37 (-T) ( HBB : c.112delT) (12.76%) accounted for more than 50.0% of the identified mutations. Moreover, IVS-I-110 (G>A) ( HBB : c.93-21G>A), codon 44 (-C) ( HBB : c.135delC) and IVS-I (25 bp deletion) ( HBB : c.93-21&#95;del), had frequencies of 7.09, 7.09 and 5.67%, respectively. Allele frequencies of the remaining 19 mutations were less than 5.0%. This study is the first comprehensive study on a large sample size in Hamadan Province, Iran. In conclusion, the present study significantly increased the spectrum of HBB gene mutations in Hamadan Province compared with previous studies. Therefore, these results can be helpful in identifying β-thal carriers and at-risk fetuses through prenatal diagnosis (PND).

Background: The present study was conducted to determine the response to treatment in patients with GTN, the survival rate and to investigate the outcomes of first pregnancy after chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: The treatment protocol was based on the FIGO Staging of GTN and the Modified WHO Prognostic Scoring. Results: Complete remission was achieved with MTX in 100% of the low-risk patients and with combination therapy in 91% of the high-risk cases. Out of 27 low-risk patients, 21 had no metastasis 6 had lung metastasis, 18 preserved their fertility and conceived in the first year following the chemotherapy. Out of 3 patients who had developed invasive moles, 1 got pregnant after chemotherapy. Four of the patients with choriocarcinoma conceived in the first year following the chemotherapy. In the patient with placental site trophoblastic tumors, there was no pregnancy due to hysterectomy. Conclusion: GTN was found to be a chemosensitive condition, but more effective therapeutic protocols are therefore required.

Objective: Despite the development of two significant classifications for recurrence risk evaluation among patients engaged with gastrointestinal stromal tumor and corresponding treatment criteria, recurrence happens in a number of the patients who were once classified as ineligible for treatment and hence removed from treatment program. As such, the aim of the present study is to increase the number of patients recognized as eligible for treatment, so as to further reduce recurrence rate of this disease. Materials and Methods: A total of 26 patients from Ilam, Kermanshah, Lorestan, Kurdistan, and some parts of Hamedan, entered this study from 2006 until 2016. The western provinces included have similar socioeconomical conditions. Inclusion criteria were operable tumors confirmed radiologically with a gross size larger than 3 centimeters regardless of the mitosis rate in microscopic power fields, tumor location, or presence of peritoneal involvement during the surgery. Imatinib capsules were administered daily at 400 mg for 3 years. The patients were followed up every 3 months by radiology, ultrasonography, biochemical assessment, and clinical examination. Results and Conclusions: The overall survival after 10-years follow up was 100%, while 5-year survival without relapse was 95%. Mean overall survival was 106 months, and only one patient who had limited peritoneal involvement experienced relapse and he is still alive after 2 years. The drug was well tolerated and no significant side effects were observed., (Creative Commons Attribution License)

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of adding etoposide and ifosfamide chemotherapy drugs to treatment regimen of patients affected with osteosarcoma and to determine the clinical process and response to treatment during a follow-up period of 11 years., Materials and Methods: Forty patients with osteosarcoma participated in this study from July 2005 to 2016. Treatments were started based on the following schema and after initial examinations including biochemical profile, checking for lung metastasis by simple radiography, chest computed tomography scan, and bones scan. The initial chemotherapy which consisted of four cycles of cisplatin and adriamycin alternative with ifosfamide and etoposide was provided. Afterward, resection of the primary tumor and also the metastatic lesions was performed in patients with lung metastasis in case they had radiological evidence of response to the treatment., Results: The mean of follow-up duration in this study was 50 months. Thirty-four patients did not have metastasis and six were metastatic. Of 34 patients, 18 had relapse and 16 patients never had relapse. Five patients experienced only local relapse, nine had only systemic relapse, and two patients had simultaneous systemic and local relapses. Thirteen patients had died. The mean of overall survival in patients was 81 months. The mean of survival in patients with and without primary metastasis was 30 and 90 months, respectively., Conclusion: Favorable response to the treatment was obtained with an appropriate multiple disciplinary works in the osteosarcomas of extremities, and there were no considerable side effects and sequels in the long-term follow-up of these treatments.

Background: The role of thalidomide in induction and long-term maintenance therapy in patients with multiple myeloma not eligible for stem cell transplantation remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of low-dose thalidomide as induction therapy and as maintenance therapy for 24 months in patients with a complete remission after the induction chemotherapy and to monitor the survival and relapse rates., Methods: Between October 2005 and September 2013, 50 patients with multiple myeloma received six courses of Cyclophosphamide-Vincristine Adriamycin and Dexamethazone (c-VAD) and pamidronate, and thalidomide 100 mg daily during induction, then thalidomide 100 mg daily for 24 months as maintenance. The effects of thalidomide were assessed objectively and subjectively. Whenever necessary, electromyography and nerve capacity volume were performed monthly for 6 months, then once every 3 months until the end of treatment., Results: Primary response was 96% (CR or very good PR in 48/50 patients). Fifteen out of the remaining 48 patients relapsed during the follow-up period. Nine out of the 15 patients who relapsed showed very good partial response to treatment and four patients showed partial response. Survival rate was 81% in these patients. The primary outcome measures showed a mean and median progression-free survival of 33 and 27 months, respectively, and a mean and median overall survival of 43 and 39 months, respectively., Conclusion: Low-dose thalidomide during induction therapy combined with conventional chemotherapy and a 2-year maintenance may be effective in preventing the relapse and improving the overall survival., (© 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.)

Aim: Our aim was to evaluate impact of chemotherapy (5-fluorouracil plus docetaxel and cisplatin) on the survival of gastric cancer cases., Method: Seventy-nine patients were eligible to take part in this study between November 2006 and April 2013, who received 5-fluorouracil (700 mg/m 2 , 21-h infusion within 5 days), cisplatin (60 mg/m 2 on day 3), and Docetaxel (60 mg/m 2 on day 2). Radiotherapy was added to the treatment only in the cases with entire stomach body cancer (positive margin) and with giant ulcer (above 50 mm) in proximal gastric cancer., Results: Twenty-four patients were female and 55 were male. The median age was 54. In this study, 54 % of the tumors were located in the proximal and 46 % in the distal of stomach. Seventy five percent of patients were at stage I-III (adjuvant chemotherapy), and 25 % at stage IV (palliative chemotherapy). Ninety-one percent of the patients at stages I-II, 68.3 % of the patients at stage III, and one out of 20 patients at stage IV were alive at the end of follow-up. Median disease-free survival for the patients at stages I-III was 63 months, and the overall survival for all patients was 50 months., Conclusion: The results of our study indicate that the survival of the patients with stomach cancer increases with chemotherapy. Radiotherapy was used for our patients with gastric cancer in specific cases.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of arsenic trioxide as a single agent in acute promyelocytic leukaemia cases for induction, consolidation, and maintenance therapy in a long-term, 11-year follow-up. We studied 60 patients with acute promyelocytic leukaemia. Sixty percent of the patients were aged between 12 and 24 years. Arsenic trioxide was infused at a 0.15 mg/kg daily dose until complete remission was achieved. After 2 weeks of rest, arsenic trioxide was infused daily for 28 days as a consolidation therapy. Then, arsenic infusions were given every 3-4 months for 14 days for 2 years, and the patients were followed until relapse or death. The rates of complete remission, disease-free survival, overall survival, and drug toxicity were evaluated. The morphologic complete remission was observed in 55 out of the 60 patients. The most common causes of a remission failure were early mortality because of the APL differentiation syndrome and the lack of response to arsenic treatment. The mean follow-up was 90 months. The primary outcomes for males and females were a mean disease-free survival of 101 and 97 months, respectively, and a mean overall survival of 103 and 101 months, respectively. From the 55 cases with remission, three patients died (late mortality). Of the 60 patients, 85% are still alive. Arsenic trioxide was generally well tolerated. The long-term follow-up of patients with APL, treated with arsenic alone as induction, consolidation, and maintenance therapy, shows high cure rates and excellent outcomes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., (Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease or histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis is an idiopathic, self-limiting disorder and predominantly affects young women. We report a 35-year-old female who presented with soft to firm cervical lymphadenopathy and neck pain. She had multiple enlarged cervical nodes. Examination of other systems was normal. Lymph node biopsy was performed, and the histological features, and immunohistochemistry confirmed the diagnosis. The Patient was treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and low-dose prednisolone. A significant decrease in the size of lymph node and relief of neck pain occurred. During four years of follow-up, the patient developed no malignant disease or systemic and autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus. Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease is rare, clinicians should be aware of this condition as early diagnosis of the disease will lessen concerns of the patient's family.

Backgrounds and Aim: Cancer patients experience a high level of stress caused by the disease and treatment processes. Dealing with cancer using more beneficial coping styles can effectively improve the quality of life (QOL) and reduce the side effects of cancer, and it is treatment. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between coping styles and QOL in cancer patients., Methods: The study was performed on 150 cancer patients (71 females and 79 males) admitted to the hospitals affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences. Endler and Parker Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, and World Health Organization's Quality of Life Questionnaire were used to evaluate their coping style and QOL, respectively., Results: The Present study showed in cancer patients being male, single, having higher salary and education, and lower age are related to higher QOL. Furthermore, in general, QOL of cancer patients was positively correlated with avoidant coping style (P < 0.05, r : 0.170) and negatively associated with emotion-focused coping styles (P < 0.01, r : -0.378)., Conclusion: The results suggested that focusing on a patient's coping style, predominantly on an emotion-focused coping style, is essential to improve patient's QOL, and that patients possibly to employ a more emotion-oriented coping style should receive enough notice, particularly before discharge.

Background: Cancer is a major public health problem and the leading cause of mortality in both males and females in developed and developing countries. The incidence of cancer is gender dependent. Among Iranians, it is the third cause of death., Materials and Methods: The information recorded in the files of all patients (7,695 individuals) pathologically diagnosed with cancer in Imam Reza referral hospital of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences during the four year period of 2006-2009 were reviewed and analyzed using SPSS statistical software package version 16.0., Results: Around 61.6% of reported cancer cases were males and 38.4% were females. The most prevalent reported malignant tumors occurred at the age group of 70-79 years in males and in females these tumors were presented in the ages of 60-69 years. The most prevalent cancers among studied patients were gastrointestinal (GI) cancers with a frequency of 22.9% [gastric 10.7%, colorectal 6.9%, and esophageal 6%]. The second, third and forth prevalent cancers were blood at 16.4%, lung 13.5% and bladder 12.8%, respectively. In males the cancers of GI (25.6%) were the most prevalent followed in order of frequency by bladder (18%), blood (17.6%), lung (17.4%) and prostate (6.8%) . In females the most frequent recorded cancer was breast (24.1%) followed in order of frequency by GI (20.5%), blood (14.4%), lung (7.3%), uterus (6.2%) and ovary (5.1%) . Breast cancer was the most prevalent cancer (27%) in the age group of 40-49 years., Conclusions: The present study provides frequency data for various types of cancers in both males and females from a referral hospital of Kermanshah that are comparable with some reports from other areas of the country.

Myelodysplastic syndrome is a bone marrow failure in which differentiation and maturity do not happen naturally and dysplasia exists in each of 3 cell categories in Bone marrow. Refractory anemia is one of the major complaints with which the patients come to hematology clinics, which in diagnostic considerations lead to MDS as diagnosis. Often there is no recognized reason for this, so it is called "primary MDS". In practice, we meet some patients who have MDS criteria however we can also find specific reasons for it; therefore we call it "secondary MDS". One of the most important reasons for secondary MDS is the side effects of medications used in chemotherapy and radiotherapy in patients who undergo these therapies. We observed 6 patients in this case study during lengthy follow up that were diagnosed as MDS and during follow up period malignancy appeared in 6 cases. Supportive and therapeutic measures in these patients did not considerably improve blood cell count, most patients required blood injection and antibiotics for infection treatment. However align with malignancy treatment such problems are completely resolved both in terms of clinical and laboratory.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible influence of age and gender on association between -765G > C COX-2 genetic polymorphism and gastric adenocarcinoma risk in Iranian patients., Background: The promoter polymorphism of COX-2 gene -765G > C has been described to play an important role in many cancers such as gastric cancer., Patients and Methods: We carried out single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis in Iranian samples including 91 patients and 91 control normal using PCR- RFLP technique., Results: Statistical analysis revealed no significant association between GG, GC and CC genotypes and risk of gastric adenocarcinoma. However differences were considered significant (P=0.043) for female subjects with C carrier genotypes (GC and CC) and gastric adenocarcinoma when compared with male patients (P=0.645) and control groups (P=0.653). Also, there was a statistically significant difference between increasing of age and susceptibility for gastric adenocarcinoma (Odd Ratio=1.125, 95% CI=1.089-1.162)., Conclusion: These results suggested that Iranian C carrier females can be more susceptible for gastric adenocarcinoma in comparison with control group. Also increasing of age should be considered as a risk factor for this disease.

The aim of present study was to investigate the prevalence of factor V Leiden (FVL) c.1691G>A, prothrombin g.20210G>A and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) c.677C>T in deep vein thrombosis (DVT) patients and their possible association with DVT in western Iran. Eighty DVT patients with the mean age of 42.07 +/- 13.0 years including 44 women and 36 men and 100 sex-matched healthy individuals with the mean age of 37.63 +/- 13.3 years from Kermanshah Province of Iran with ethnic background of Kurd were studied for FVL c.1691G>A, prothrombin g.20210G>A and MTHFR c.677C>T by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method using MnlI, HindIII and HinfI restriction enzymes, respectively. Prevalence of FVL was 11.4% in patients and 2% in control group. A significant association was found between FVL mutation and DVT with odds ratio (OR) of 6.3 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.32-30.05; P = 0.012]. The prevalence of prothrombin g.20210G>A variant in patients (3.8%) was nonsignificantly higher than control individuals (1.0%; OR 3.8; 95% CI = 0.39-37.81; P = 0.32). The prevalence of MTHFR c.677C>T in patients was 38.7% that was not statistically different from control group (44% P = 0.12). Venous thrombosis in legs was the most frequent clinical manifestation (n = 75), corresponding to 93.8% of the thromboembolism, followed by pulmonary thromboembolism (6.2%). We have, for the first time, determined the prevalence of inherited thrombophilia in a homogenous ethnic group of DVT patients and shown that FVL may be a risk factor for DVT in western Iran.