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Background: Ki67 and P53 are important diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers expressed in several cancers. The current standard method for evaluating Ki67 and P53 in cancer tissues is immunohistochemistry (IHC), and having highly sensitive monoclonal antibodies against these biomarkers is necessary for an accurate diagnosis in the IHC test.Objective: To generate and characterize novel monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against human Ki67 and P53 antigens for IHC purposes.Methods: Ki67 and P53-specific mAbs were produced by the hybridoma method and screened by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and IHC techniques. Selected mAbs were characterized using Western blot and flow cytometry, and their affinities and isotypes were determined by ELISA. Moreover, using the IHC technique in 200 breast cancer tissue samples, we assessed the specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy of the produced mAbs.Results: Two anti-Ki67 (2C2 and 2H1) and three anti-P53 mAbs (2A6, 2G4, and 1G10) showed strong reactivity to their target antigens in IHC. The selected mAbs were also able to recognize their targets by flow cytometry as well as Western blotting using human tumor cell lines expressing these antigens. The specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy calculated for clone 2H1 were 94.2%, 99.0%, and 96.6%, and for clone 2A6 were 97.3%, 98.1%, and 97.5%, respectively. Using these two monoclonal antibodies, we found a significant correlation between Ki67 and P53 overexpression and lymph node metastasis in patients with breast cancer.Conclusion: The present study showed that the novel anti-Ki67 and anti-P53 mAbs could recognize their respective antigens with high specificity and sensitivity and therefore can be used in prognostic studies.

Background: Recently, some evidence emphasized the value of MSH2 and MSH6 inactivation and their hypermutation in predicting different cancers. The present consideration is to evaluate the value of MSH2 and MSH6 protein deficient studied by the immunohistochemistry (IHC) method and the tumor behaviors and aggressiveness in prostatic carcinoma. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 80 examples extricated from patients who endured prostate cancer and were planned for radical prostatectomy surgery. The expression levels of the genes were studied by IHC staining. Results: The deficiency in MSH2 and MSH6 expression was revealed in 10.0 % and 11.3 % of patients respectively, while the reduction of simultaneous expression in two genes was found in 6.2 % of patients. In the two subgroups with and without MSH2 and/or MSH6 staining, there was no difference in patients' mean age and history of prostate cancer. There was also no difference in tumor-related behaviors including combined Gleason grade group, tumor stage, vascular invasion, perineural invasion, and prostatic capsular invasion between the groups with and without gene loss. Conclusion: The evaluation of the deficient rate of two genes among patients with prostate cancer to predict the tumor grade and its aggressive behavior needs further study in every population.

Purpose. To evaluate the effects of the surgical ligation of the ureter in different locations on the kidney over time in the rat model. Methods. A total of 155 rats were enrolled and randomly divided into the case (n = 150) and control (n = 5) groups. The case group included three separate groups (fifty rats in each group) that underwent surgical ureteral ligation at the proximal, middle, and distal ureter. The laboratory tests, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), were measured in groups. The pathological evaluation for glomerular changes, tubular dilation, interstitial fibrosis, and interstitial infiltration of the inflammatory cells following the obstruction was performed (severity of tubular atrophy categorized too mild (+), moderate (++), and severe (+++)). To compare the continuous variables between the groups and between the measurement times, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used. Results. Our results revealed that the creatinine four weeks after the obstruction was significantly higher in the proximal group obstruction (p value: 0.046). The three groups had no significant differences regarding urine creatinine, serum sodium, and serum TNF (p value: 0.261). Obstruction did not change the glomerular morphology in three intervention groups after six weeks. The commencing of severe tubular atrophy in proximal, middle, and distal ureteral obstruction was at weeks three, four, and six, respectively. Conclusion. The location of ureteral obstruction is also crucial in deciding to intervene to relieve the complete ureteral obstruction. Severe tubular damage occurs in weeks three, four, and six in proximal, middle, and distal ureteral obstruction, respectively.

Introduction: Colorectal cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors and has a relatively poor prognosis. Lymph node involvement is considered the most important prognostic factor. Materials and Methods: During a retrospective cohort study, 132 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery for resectable rectal cancer from 2010 to 2015 in Sina hospital were reviewed. Results: Multivariable analysis was performed and shown the clinical stage was not a representative factor for disease-free survival (P = 0.187), but Dworak Tumor Regression Grading were significantly associated with higher disease-free survival (P = 0.000) in stage II and stage III. The total number of retrieved lymph nodes and involved lymph nodes in the same clinical stage were statistically associated with higher mean disease-free survival in patients (P = 0.000 in both conditions). Conclusion: In the same clinical stage, increasing the Dworak Tumor Regression Grading reduced the risk of rectal cancer recurrence. Increasing total number of retrieved lymph nodes and involved lymph nodes, 2.14 times and 3.87 times increased the risk of recurrence, respectively.

Introduction. Malignant glioma is resistant brain tumor to treatment and considered by aggressiveness that fails successful resection. Molecular pathways including PTEN related with tumor behavior. Materials and methods. We studied the immunohistochemichal expression of PTEN in 32 brain surgical resection specimens with different histologic grades. All samples were from pathology department of Sina hospital in Tehran-Iran from 2020-2021. Results. From 32 patients, 21 (65.6%) had no PTEN staining. There was significant relationship between high age and no PTEN expression and average age with no PTEN staining was 54.05±14.01 years (P value: 0.044). There was significant relationship between necrosis in histopathologic evaluation with no PTEN staining (P value: 0.016). Also, there was no significant relationship between sex, tumor’s size, Tumor’s site, tumor’s grade, and primary or secondary type of tumor with PTEN staining (P value > 0.05). Conclusion. PTEN expression related to histopathologic features such as necrosis and age. PTEN can be introduced as an important prognostic indicator in high grade.

Abstract Background and Aim Coronavirus is an infectious disease that is now known as an epidemic, early and accurate diagnosis helps the patient receive more care. The aim of this study is to investigate Covid‐19 using blood tests and multilayer perceptron neural network and affective factors in improving and preventing Covid‐19. Methods This cross‐sectional study was performed on 200 patients referred to Sina Hospital, Tehran, Iran, who were confirmed cases of Covid‐19 by computerized tomography‐scan analysis between 2 March 2020 to 5 April 2020. After verification of lung involvement, blood sampling was done to separate the sera for C‐reactive protein (CRP), magnesium (Mg), lymphocyte percentage, and vitamin D analysis in healthy and unhealthy people. Blood samples from healthy and sick people were applied to the multilayer perceptron network for 70% of the data for training and 30% for testing. Result By examining the features, it was found that in patients with Covid‐19, there was a significant relationship between increased CRP and decreased lymphocyte levels, and increased Mg (p

Abstract Background Without an adequate immune response, SARS-CoV2 virus can simply spread throughout the body of the host. Two of the well-known immunonutrients are selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn). Se and Zn deficiency might lead to inflammation, oxidative stress, and viral entry into the cells by decreasing ACE-2 expression; three factors that are proposed to be involved in COVID-19 pathogenesis. Thus, in the current study we aimed at evaluating the correlation between serum Se and Zn status and COVID-19 severity. Methods Eighty-four COVID-19 patients were enrolled in this observational study. Patients were diagnosed based on an infectious disease specialist diagnosis, using WHO interim guidance and the recommendations of the Iranian National Committee of Covid-19. The patients with acute respiratory tract infection symptoms were checked for compatibility of chest computed tomography (CT) scan results with that of Covid-19 and Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for corona virus infection. The severity of Covid-19 was categorized into three groups (mild, moderate, and severe) using CDC criteria. Serum Zn and Se level of all subjects was measured. The severity of the disease was determined only once at the onset of disease. Results According to the results of linear regression test, there was a significant association between Zn and Se level and COVID-19 severity (β = − 0.28, P-value = 0.01 for Se; β = − 0.26, P-value = 0.02). However the significance disappeared after adjusting for confounding factors. Spearman correlation analysis showed a significant negative association between serum Zn, Se and CRP level (r = − 0.35, P-value = 0.001 for Se; r = − 0.41, P-value

Background & Objective: Some certain markers, including prostatic specific antigen (PSA), are being used to screen prostate cancer (PC), but none of them have sufficient sensitivity and specificity for evaluation of prognosis. Currently, genetic variants have found their place in the prognosis of PC. ETS-related gene (ERG) expression and its intensity have contradictory evidence regarding ERG expression with PC incidence or associating outcome. Our purpose was to survey the relationship of ERG expression and its intensity with PC and relative clinical outcome.Methods: We studied the immunohistochemichal (IHC) expression of ERG in 101 radical prostatectomy specimens with PC of different histologic grades. All samples were chosen from pathology department of Sina hospital in Tehran-Iran from 2011 to 2018. Positive ERG expression and its association with Gleason score, preoperative PSA, metastasis status, stage and grade of tumors was evaluated.Results: In total, ERG expression was observed in 42 cases (41.58%) and of these, 7 (16.66%) were categorized as weak, 13 (30.95%) moderate and 22(52.38%) as strong. There was no significant correlation between ERG expression and age, preoperative PSA, Gleason score, lymph node involvement, metastatic pattern, stage, and grade of the tumor (P>0.05). ERG expression frequency in the two groups of survived and expired patients was 42.85% and 0%, respectively; despite the noticeable difference, it was not statistically significance (P=0.264).Conclusion: Evaluation of ERG expression and its intensity may have no essential role as an acceptable prognostic factor in Iranian’s population for anticipating whether PC itself or the outcomes accompanied. This relation is vigorously under the influence of geographical/ethnical features.

Myofibroblastoma (MFB) of the breast is an uncommon entity of benign spindle neoplasms of the breast. This tumour possesses a broad spectrum of histomorphological patterns. Distinguishing of myofibroblastoma variants from malignant mimics of this benign neoplasm is essential for pathologists to avoid further invasive surgical procedures. In this article, we report the clinical, morphological, and immunohistochemical features of three cases, including two females and one male patient with mammary myofibroblastoma with emphasis on the histomorphological findings. As there is not yet enough information about MFB, more reports of MFB are still required to more clarify the pathogenesis and potential predisposing factors of this rare type of breast tumours.

Introduction: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common bacterial infection and usually requires antibiotics for treatment. But the antibiotic resistance is always a serious concern. So, developing some alternative medication strategies such as herbal medicine is an extreme need. Several studies have confirmed the prophylactic and also therapeutic effects of a variety of anthocyanin-containing berries for UTIs. Cornus mas which is native to Southern Europe and Southwestern Asia is also rich in anthocyanin but its effect on UTI has been not yet studied. This study aims to evaluate the effect of Cornu's mas extract in treating UTI in rat models. Methods: After inducing UTI in 18 Wistar rats, they were sub-grouped into three groups: control group, nitrofurantoin treated group (case I) and Cornus mas treated group (case II). After seven days of treatment, the UTI indicators like fever, microscopic analysis of urine, and pathological examination of the bladder were investigated. Results: Actually, UTI indicators were resolved after treatment in both treated groups (nitrofurantoin and case II). Comparison of the results between the control group and the other three groups confirmed the development of UTI in the rat model. Clinical, laboratory, and pathologic results proposed that the Cornus mas extract effects in treating UTI are not inferior to that of nitrofurantoin. Conclusion: In addition to its anti-inflammatory effects, Cornu's mas extract can be a gifted potential substitute for antibiotics in treating UTI in rat models.

Introduction: Prostate cancer is among the most common malignancies. Despite the high prevalence and importance of prostate cancer, the molecular mechanisms underlying its development and progression remain poorly understood. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted on 50 cases of prostatic carcinoma with different Gleason score referred to Sina hospital in Tehran in Iran in 2016. The gene expression was assessed by using the immunohistochemistry staining and PCR technique. Result: The presence of neoplasia on prostatic biopsy induced strong staining and increased in mRNA level of COX-2 expression when compared to normal tissue (P-Value >0.05). The expression is not well associated with different Gleason grades of prostatic carcinoma. Conclusion: The expression of COX-2 protein by immunohistochemistry staining and PCR technique in our study offers the valuable diagnostic information. Thus, we think this marker might be studied in larger series of patients for its further validation as diagnostic factor in prostate biopsies.

Introduction: COVID-19 infection prompts inflammatory responses and acute lung injury in human beings. Complete blood count with differential is essential investigative tool in its managing. However, very few studies revealed the variations of blood cell morphology in this disease. Case report: We reported a 39-years- old female patient complained of respiratory distress one week prior to hospitalization. The patient suffered from cough, fever, and molecular test was reported positive for COVID-19 infection. Laboratory data revealed severe permanent leukopenia and peripheral blood smear examination showed blastoid cells after remission of respiratory signs. Patient underwent bone marrow biopsy for rule out acute myeloid leukemia. But, on bone marrow sample, only viral cytopathic effects were seen. COVID-19 virus stimulates inflammatory cells to produces various inflammatory cytokines and as a result, viral cytopathic effects on white blood cells is seen. Conclusion: We have described how the characteristic peripheral blood findings of COVID‐19 infection can be misinterpret as acute myeloid leukemia.

Glioblastoma (WHO grade IV) is the most common malignant tumor of neural tissues in adults as a primary tumor. Because of blood brain barrier and short median survival of patients with glioblastoma, metastasis of this tumor is very rare. A 46-year-old man was admitted to Sina hospital with chief complaint of headache and visual impairment. After neuro-radiologic evaluation the patient underwent surgery. Pathologic examination of the tumor confirmed the diagnosis of glioblastoma multiforme. Cytogenetic study of the tumor cells confirmed GBM IDH1 wild type with TERT mutation and EGFR amplification. Two months after surgical resection, the tumor recurred with involvement of the dura matter. After the second operation, metastasis to the pelvic cavity and cervical lymph node was found. Almost all cases of glioblastoma metastasis had undergone surgery or any manipulation; this fact suggests that iatrogenic intra-vascular seeding of tumor cells at the time of resection and disruption of blood brain barrier could cause extra-neural metastasis.

Background and Objective: Urothelial neoplasm (UN) of bladder is a potentially lethal malignancy, particularly in locally advanced or metastatic cases. Development of molecular markers such as HER2 and Survivin may provide useful information on diagnosis and prognosis in UN of bladder. Materials and Methods: We studied the immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of HER2 and Survivin in 84 radical/partial cystectomy and transurethral resection (TUR) specimens with different histologic grades and stages. All samples were obtained from pathology department of Sina Hospital in Tehran, Iran from 2014 to 2018. Results: From the total number of 84 UN samples, 10 cases (11.9%) had papillary neoplasm of low malignant potential, 30 cases (35.7%) had low-grade papillary urothelial neoplasm, and 44 cases (52.4%) had high-grade papillary urothelial neoplasm. HER2 and Survivin expressions were seen in 44 (52.4%) (p =0.610) and 9 (10.7%) patients (p =0.046), respectively.Survivin expression showed a mild increase in high grade UN. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the IHC expression of Survivin and HER2 are not well associated with histological grades of Urothelial neoplasms of bladder. This may be partly due to relatively small sample size and various factors such as patient characteristics or antibody specifications.

Background & Objective: Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is the world's seventh most common tumor and forms more than 90% of urinary bladder tumors. Invasive tumors have had a poor prognosis, even with surgical treatment and chemotherapy. Some studies have found that an increase of mast cells in TCC is related to the tumor grade and its aggressiveness. This study investigated the relationship between mast cell density (MCD) and features of TCC (tumor stage, grade, prognosis, and recurrence). Materials & Methods: Fifty-one cases with TCC were selected, and MCD was determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Giemsa staining. Mortality rate and tumor recurrence were recorded. Results: The MCD mean was higher in high-grade tumors than in low-grade tumors (in IHC method: 9.127 vs 5.296; in Giemsa method: 5.512 vs 2.608). Also, the MCD mean in dead patients was higher than in survived patients (in IHC method: 11.390 vs 6.211; in Giemsa method: 7.460 vs 3.35). Patients with tumor recurrence had a higher MCD mean than those without recurrence (in IHC method: 9.395 vs 5.475; in Giemsa method: 5.715 vs 2.931). Conclusion: Using mast cell tryptase and Giemsa, MCD has a positive correlation with tumor grade in TCC. Correlations between MCD, recurrence, prognosis, and tumor stage are probably caused by the effect of tumor grade (all with p

Introduction: Chondroma is a benign cartilaginous tumor. It is found very rarely in the head and neck. Case presentation: This report describes a 25-year-old woman who presented with generalized headache from 4 months ago. The patient underwent excisional surgery. The histological examinations revealed benign cartilage forming tumor, compatible with chondroma. The radiologic and histologic correlation confirmed the diagnosis. Based on the diagnosis, the patient received no more treatment. Conclusion: We concluded that intracranial chondroma should be included in the differential diagnosis of a calcified mass on skull imaging. Proper diagnosis is necessary for further patient management.

Thyroid gland metastatic tumors are rare in clinical practice. Clear cell RCC is one of common metastatic tumors to thyroid. We here reported a case of incidentally found clear cell renal carcinoma metastasis to the thyroid gland 3 years after nephrectomy, in the thyroidectomy procedure performed for the patient due to the thyroid enlargement caused by multinodular goiter. A 65-year-old Iranian man with a history of multinodular goiter referred to our surgery clinic for thyroidectomy because of compressive effects on the trachea. Patient had a history of nephrectomy due to clear cell RCC 3 years ago. After thyroidectomy, gross and histological examination of thyroid revealed clear cell renal carcinoma metastasis to the thyroid gland in the setting of a multinodular goiter. The diagnosis was confirmed by immunohistochemistry staining. Patients with multinodular goiter are more prone to present with metastasis to thyroid gland if they have a history of malignancy, especially renal cell carcinoma.

Introduction: Extrarenal angiomyolipoma is an uncommon disease entity and is rare in the retroperitoneum. This lesion shows three benign components, including mature adipose tissue, thick-walled blood vessels, and smooth muscles. Case Report: This report describes a 37-year-old woman who presented with incidental right retroperitoneal mass in prenatal checkup. The patient underwent excisional surgery. Histological examinations and the immunohistochemical study revealed angiomyolipoma. Based on the diagnosis, the patient received no more treatment. After 3 years of close follow- up examinations, no recurrence was observed. Conclusion: This diagnosis is often confused with many other entities in retroperitoneum. Thus, imaging and histologic correlation are required. Proper diagnosis is essential for further patient management and avoids unnecessary treatment.

Schwannoma is one of the most common benign intracranial tumors, which originates from the Schwann cells of neural structures in the upper part of the vestibular branch of the eighth cranial nerve. This report describes a 64-year-old woman with headache and vertigo who had a past surgical history of acoustic schwannoma about 10 years ago. The patient underwent excisional surgery. Histological examinations revealed schwannoma with extensive xanthomatous changes. Immunohistochemistry staining confirmed the diagnosis. Base on the diagnosis, the patient received no more treatment. After 6 months of close follow-up examinations, no recurrence and complication were observed. Schwannoma could be seen with a vast variety of histologic changes. Recurrence of Schownnoma is uncommon in patients without neurofibromatosis, but it should be considered in a proper clinical context.

Rhabdoid papillary meningioma is an uncommon aggressive variant of meningioma which has the potential to metastasize and spread throughout the brain and even out of the cranium. Herein, we present recurrence of the brain tumor in a 26-year-old woman. The patient had history of the surgery for two lesions in the right temporal lobe and the left cerebellopontine angle. Imaging showed three lesions in the right temporal lobe, the right occipital horn wall, and the left cerebellopontine angle. These radiologic findings were mostly suggestive of atypical meningioma. In the surgical view, the mass was solid-cystic reddish Cauliflower-shaped in the right temporal lobe attaching to the temporal horn. The microscopic examination showed a cellular neoplasm with the sheet-like and papillary growth pattern. Individual cells had vesicular nuclei some with prominent nucleoli and eosinophilic cytoplasm. The areas of the tumor cells showed round eccentric nuclei and prominent nucleoli with eosinophilic cytoplasm. Immunohistochemistry studies showed diffuse positivity of tumor cells with Vimentin, EMA, and S100. The overall clinical, radiological and histopathological examinations were compatible with high grade rhabdoid-papillary meningiomas. In the present case study, we discuss imaging and histomorphological features of this rare entity of meningiomas.

In the last days of 2019, a new coronavirus emerged in Wuhan, China, and less than 3 months its disease now called COVID-19 was announced a global pandemic by WHO. COVID-19 usually causes respiratory symptoms and can lead to more severe conditions like ARDS. HLA has a crucial role in regulating the immune system thus different HLA allele types can be a protective or risk factor for some diseases so we aimed to find such associations to determine whether some alleles can predict susceptibility or resistibility to COVID-19 and finally facilitate vaccine development. In this case-control study, 15 admitted COVID-19 cases with severe symptoms and 10 individuals with mild COVID-19 symptoms were enrolled in the case and control groups respectively. They were genotyped for HLA A/B/DR loci using a low-resolution HLA typing test. These alleles were more prevalent in case (severe COVID-19) group: A*24 (53.33% vs 10%), B*50 (20% vs 10%), B*55 (20% vs 10%), DRB1*04 (40% vs 20%) and DRB1*11 (53.33% vs 30%) but the difference was only statically significant in A*24 allele (p value=0.027; odd ratio=10.286). A*24 was also more prevalent in all patients than the general population in Iran. A*24 was the only allele more prevalent in severe COVID-19 cases with statistical significance. this allele was reported being a risk factor for such autoimmune diseases as type 1 diabetes, myasthenia gravis, and systemic lupus erythematosus, which may be related to reported immune system hyperresponsiveness in severe COVID-19 cases.

Osteoid osteoma is a benign bone-forming tumor. Besides, it is small and painful, consisting of osteoid and woven bone, and surrounded by a thick layer of reactive bone formation. The tumor is self-limited or needs to be removed by surgery. This report describes a 16-year-old male with congenital deafness who presented with a right mandibular swelling initiated 2 years ago. The patient underwent excisional surgery. Histological examinations revealed a benign bone-forming tumor, compatible with osteoid osteoma. Radiologic and histologic correlation confirmed the diagnosis. Base on the diagnosis, the patient received no more treatment. After 4 years of close follow-up examinations, no recurrence was observed in the patient. Osteoid osteoma is often confused with numerous other entities in uncommon sites. Thus, imaging and histologic correlations are required. Proper diagnosis is necessary for further patient management in this respect.

Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in women of middle age (20-59) through last decade. In contrast Incidence rates for thyroid cancer may have begun to stabilize in recent years. Synchronous neoplasms of both thyroid and breast cancer are very rare in clinic. The current study presents a case of synchronous papillary thyroid carcinoma and breast ductal carcinoma in 37 years old woman. It is proposed that the mechanism of these synchronous primary tumors is associated with an interaction between the breast and thyroid hormonal responses. It is important to examine breast tissue in patients with thyroid carcinoma or vice versa. In our case although axillary sentinel lymph node was free from tumor, cervical lymph nodes were involved by breast carcinoma; showing importance of cervical examination in breast cancer patients.

Peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor (pPNET) is a highly aggressive small round cell tumor belonging to PNET/Ewing sarcoma family. Ovarian tumors composed of primitive neuroectodermal elements are extremely rare. Herein we reported two cases of peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumors of ovary in two patients with different clinical presentations. Definite diagnoses were made based on the histomorphology and immunohistochemistry results. With respect to different clinical behaviors, treatment modalities and prognosis of peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumors compared to other known ovarian neoplasms, it is essential to consider this entity as a differential diagnosis in ovarian tumors especially in young patients.

BackgroundTo investigate the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and its effect on adverse clinical outcomes, and parameters of immune function and mortality due to a SARS-CoV-2 infection.Study designThe hospital data of 235 patients infected with COVID-19 were analyzed.ResultsBased on CDC criteria, among our study patients, 74% had severe COVID-19 infection and 32.8% were vitamin D sufficient. After adjusting for confounding factors, there was a significant association between vitamin D sufficiency and reduction in clinical severity, inpatient mortality serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and an increase in lymphocyte percentage. Only 9.7% of patients older than 40 years who were vitamin D sufficient succumbed to the infection compared to 20% who had a circulating level of 25(OH)D< 30 ng/ml. The significant reduction in serum CRP, an inflammatory marker, along with increased lymphocytes percentage suggest that vitamin D sufficiency also may help modulate the immune response possibly by reducing risk for cytokine storm in response to this viral infection.ConclusionTherefore, it is recommended that improving vitamin D status in the general population and in particular hospitalized patients has a potential benefit in reducing the severity of morbidities and mortality associated with acquiring COVID-19.

Several religions recommend periods of fasting. One of the most frequently asked questions of MS patients before the holy month of Ramadan is weather fasting might have an unfavorable effect on their disease course. This debate became more challenging after the publication of experimental studies suggesting that calorie restriction prior to disease induction attenuates disease severity. We conducted this study to assess early and late effects of fasting on the animal model of MS, known as autoimmune encephalomyelitis. EAE was induced in the C57BL/6 mice, using Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycopeptide (MOG) 35-55 and they fasted every other day either after the appearance of the first clinical sign or 30 days after disease induction for ten days. Thereafter, the mice were sacrificed for further histological and immunological evaluations. Intermittent fasting after the establishment of EAE did not have any unfavorable effect on the course of disease. Moreover, fasting at the early phase of disease alleviated EAE severity by ameliorating spinal cord demyelination. Fasting suppressed the secretion of IFN-γ, TNF-α and raised IL-10 production in splenocytes. Fasting was also associated with a lower percent of cytotoxicity. Intermittent fasting not only had no unfavorable effect on EAE but also reduced EAE severity if started at early phase of disease.

Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is considered as the murine model of multiple sclerosis. Daidzein a phytostrogenic compound of soy is known to impose immunomodulatory and antioxidative effects. We conducted this study to assess the potential protective and therapeutic effects of daidzein on allergic encephalomyelitis. C57BL/6 mice were induced with allergic encephalomyelitis using myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (35-55) and received daidzein or dimethyl sulfoxide as the vehicle control. To assess the protective effect of daidzein, the mice were administered with 20 mg/kg of daidzein from 21 days prior to 21 days post EAE induction on a daily basis. To evaluate the therapeutic effect of daidzein, mice were fed with 300 mg/kg daidzein after the appearance of the first clinical signs for 10 days. One day after the last gavage, the mice were sacrificed. Spleen and brain were removed for further histological and immunological analysis. Feeding mice with low dose of daidzein prior to disease induction did not affect disease severity. However, treating with high dose of daidzein after the onset of the disease reduced interferon-γ and interleukin-12 secretion, enhanced interleukin-10 production, suppressed lymphocyte proliferation, and decreased cytotoxicity as judged by lactate dehydrogenase release. In conclusion, daidzein reduced the extent of demyelination and disease severity. Chronic oral therapy with low dose of daidzein did not prevent experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. However, high doses of daidzein could prohibit disease exacerbation.

Background. Erosive esophagitis (EE) and Barrett’s esophagus (BE) are the two important complications of gastroesophageal reflux disease. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of and the risk factors for EE and BE in an Iranian group of patients with reflux symptoms. We also examined the relationship between reflux symptoms and endoscopic findings. Methods. A total of 736 patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms were enrolled and all underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Diagnosis of Barrett’s esophagus was confirmed by pathologic examination and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection was demonstrated by rapid urease test. Results. Two hundred eighty-three and 34 patients were found to have EE and BE, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that hiatal hernia (P