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Background and Aim: Inner ear infection with some viruses may be one of the possible causes of Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL). This study aims to determine the frequency of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2 (HSV-1, HSV-2) and Cytomegalovirus (CMV) in perilymph and peripheral blood samples of cochlear-implanted children. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 30 children with severe-to-profound SNHL (aged 1.1–5 years) underwent cochlear implantation surgery. During surgery, their perilymph and peripheral blood samples were collected. The samples were analyzed separately for the presence of herpes HSV-1, HSV-2, and CMV by real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method. The load of IgG and IgM antibodies against these viruses was determined using the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method. Results: The frequency of CMV in perilymph samples was 16.7% (5 patients) and in peripheral blood samples was 3.3% (1 patient). The IgG antibody against CMV and HSV1 was positive in 80% and 46.7% of the patients, respectively. The IgM antibody against CMV was positive in 10%. The mean IgM serum antibody load against HSV-1, HSV-2, and CMV was 2.70, 1.70, and 5.47, respectively, and the mean IgG antibody load against these viruses was 56.07, 2.50, and 23.67, respectively. Conclusion: The IgG test is positive in cochlear-implanted children with CMV in their perilymph samples, and the CMV genome is not present in their peripheral blood. This may indicate the previous presence of this virus in the ear and its role in hearing loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Investigating the prevalence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in asymptomatic children who have been in close contact with symptomatic individuals is instrumental for refining public health approaches, protecting vulnerable populations, and mitigating the broader impact of the pandemic. Accordingly, this study aimed to evaluate the incidence of COVID-19 infection in asymptomatic children who had been in close contact with parents exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms. Study Design: A cross-sectional study. Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 175 asymptomatic children who had been in close contact with COVID-19 confirmed cases in Hamadan County from March 2021 to August 2021. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing was performed on all asymptomatic children who had been in close contact with an individual with COVID-19. Furthermore, multiple logistic regressions were conducted to determine the predictors of COVID-19 transmission from family members to children. Results: Out of the 175 children in close contact with index cases, 53 (30.29%) tested positive for COVID-19 through PCR. Regarding factors related to the index case, male cases (Adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.29; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-5.09, P = 0.041), rural dwellers (AOR = 3.22; 95% CI: 1.02-10.16, P = 0.046), illiterate cases (AOR = 8.45; 95% CI: 1.76-40.65, P = 0.008), and cases presenting with nasal congestion symptoms (AOR = 9.12; 95% CI: 2.22-37.40, P = 0.002) were more prone to transmitting the virus to children who had close contact with them. Conclusion: The findings of the present study suggested that asymptomatic COVID-19 infection in household contacts is significant in children who were in close contact with a COVID-19-positive patient. Therefore, it is crucial to continue to monitor this group closely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: In December 2019, human-to-human transmission of respiratory illness (pneumonia) with fever and sputum was discovered in the respiratory tract, called COVID-19. Serum amyloid A (SAA) is an acute-phase plasma protein that is considered to be diagnostically superior to CRP in pathological conditions such as viral diseases. Therefore, the study question in this review is whether SAA as an indicator is involved in the early diagnosis of COVID disease Materials and Methods: To identify related studies, we systematically searched international databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Cochrane, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar search engine, without restriction on time until June 2021. Also, the Reference list of relevant studies was reviewed separately to find all existing articles in this field. Summary standardized mean difference (SMD) was estimated using random effects meta-analysis. Results: A total of 394 potentially relevant articles were identified from the initial search. After removing the duplicates and reading the title, abstract and full-text review, six studies were entered into the meta-analysis. There was a significant difference between the means of SSA among patients with a severe form of the disease compared to non-sever groups (SMD=-0.91, 95% CI: 1.18-1.59, -0.23) and with the control group (SMD=4.68, 95% CI: 1.18, 8.18). The Beggs and egger test results indicated no evidence of publication bias in the reported SMD. Conclusion: The result of our work indicates that SAA might potentially be used for the early diagnosis of COVID disease, but more studies are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of Nutrition Bio-shield Superfood (NBS) powder on the immune system function and clinical manifestations in patients with COVID-19. We compare the effects of NBS powder on the immune system function and clinical manifestations among two different groups: 1) intervention group receiving standard treatment scheduled according to treatment guidelines plus NBS powder, and 2) control group receiving only the same standard treatment. The serum levels of IL-2, IL-6, IL-17, IFNγ, and TNFα were determined after four weeks of treatment by specific ELISA kits according to the manufacturer's instructions. Finally, the level of immune system stimulation and inflammatory markers were compared at baseline and after intervention in both groups. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 22). A p-value of = 0.05 was set as significant. A total of 47 patients with COVID-19 (24 patients in the intervention group and 23 patients in the control group) were included in this study. Results showed that the differences in the mean decrease of IL-2, IL-6, and TNF-α in the intervention group in comparison to the control group were 0.93, 10.28, and 8.11 pg/ml, respectively (P<0.001). On the other hand, there was no difference in IL-17, IFNγ, monocytes, eosinophil, and other inflammatory indices between the intervention and control groups. Although NBS powder was able to significantly decrease the levels of some proinflammatory cytokines in patients with COVID-19, however, it is noteworthy that the course of the disease was to large part unaffected by NBS power and there was a reduction independent of treatment. The present study indicates that NBS powder could provide a beneficial anti-inflammatory effect in patients with COVID-19. Hence, NBS in treating patients with COVID-19 shows promise as an adjuvant to the current standard antiviral treatment of such patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Today, one of the problems of health systems is the presence of cockroaches in hospitals as insects that move freely in and out of the hospitals and are infected with pathogenic bacteria. The aim of this study was to identify carbapenem resistance genes in Escherichia coli isolated from Blattella germanica by dot blot assay in Hamadan hospitals in the west of Iran. Materials and Methods: A total of 109 B. germanica from April to September 2018 were collected from ICUs of different hospitals in the Hamadan province, located in western Iran. The B. germanica were identified using reliable taxonomic keys by an expert in the Department of Entomology, insectarium Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. The antimicrobial susceptibility test was determined by disk diffusion. The dot blot assay was used to identify resistance genes in E. coli isolated from B. germanica. Results: Out of 109 B. germanica samples collected from ICUs of different hospitals in Hamadan, 31 samples (28.44%) were positive for E. coli. The highest frequency of antibiotic resistance against ampicillin (100%) and the lowest resistance to imipenem was observed in two isolates (6.45%). The frequency of genes among E. coli isolates in B. germanica was as follows: bla NDM (4 isolates: 3.66%), bla OXA-48 (one isolate: 0.92%), and other studied genes were not observed in any of the strains. Conclusion: Cockroaches are an important factor in transmitting Enterobacterales and multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains. Therefore, effective preventive and control measures are needed to reduce vector-borne diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nowadays, novel antimicrobial strategies are being developed which focus on debilitating, rather than killing the microorganisms. In this regard, anti-biofilm therapy is one of the important ways to combat bacterial infections. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the anti-biofilm activity of Carvacrol against E. faecalis by means of its effects on biofilm formation as well as on the gene expression levels of the two biofilm related genes, Epa and Esp. Methods: A total of 40 clinical strains of E. faecalis were collected from three hospitals in Tehran, Iran during 2020. These isolates were confirmed by biochemical and genotypic methods. Antibacterial and anti-biofilm activity of Carvacrol essence were determined according the standard protocol. Finally, expression level of the biofilm related genes (Epa and Esp) were evaluated before and after the treatment with Carvacrol. Results: A total of 14 isolates were considered as strong biofilm producers and were used for analysis. Carvacrol essence showed the best antibacterial activity at 2,500 µg/mL concentration against all the isolates, the biofilm formation capacity was decreased by Carvacrol essence, and it was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Expression levels of the Esp gene were decreased in 5 isolates while increased in 3 isolates following the Carvacrol treatment. Expression levels of the EpaI gene was significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in 4 isolates following the Carvacrol treatment. Conclusions: In conclusion, the results presented in this study suggest that carvacrol extract exhibits significant antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties against E. faecalis, even against vancomycin resistant isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV‐16) is one of the most important cause of developing cervical cancer. Therefore, effective epitope‐based vaccine design for HPV‐16 would be of major medical benefit. The aim of our study was to identify B‐ and T‐cell epitopes of HPV‐16 L1 protein. In this study, the HPV‐16 L1 gene was isolated from HPV recovered from five vaginal swab samples using specific primers and finally sequenced. The ExPASy translate tool (http://web.expasy.org/translate/) was used to convert nucleotide sequence into amino acid sequence. Bioinformatic analysis was employed to predict suitable B‐ and T‐cell epitopes and immunogenicity, allergenicity, and toxicity of predicted epitopes were then evaluated. Afterward, the selected T‐cell epitopes were docked using Molegro Virtual Docker software. The two epitopes 207AMDFTTLQA215 and 200MVDTGFGAM208 have showed a very strong binding affinity to HLA‐A0201 and HLA‐B3501 molecules, respectively. Outcome of B‐cell epitope prediction showed that epitope 475KAKPKFTLGKRK ATPTTSSTSTTAKRKK502 contained overlapped epitope, which might be the epitope associated with the production of neutralizing antibody response. Based on this finding, the predicted B‐ and T‐cell epitopes are promising targets for epitope‐based vaccine development against HPV‐16. Further in vivo and in vitro experiments are needed to confirm our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Clinical evidence on the nutritional statuses of COVID-19 patients and their associations with COVID-19 clinical outcomes are limited. To the best of the authors' knowledge, no studies have been carried out on COVID-19 patients of Iranian population. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess vitamin D, vitamin B12, RBP, zinc, selenium, copper and magnesium levels in patients with COVID-19. Furthermore, associations of nutrient levels with the disease-linked death were investigated. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in hospitals affiliated to Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran, on 98 COVID-19 positive patients, March to May 2020. Demographic and clinical data of the patients were collected from their clinical records. Blood samples of 5 ml were collected from the patients, which were used for hospital routine laboratory assays as well as measuring trace elements and vitamins. Comparison of chemical biomarkers based on the patient's treatment outcomes was carried out using Mann-Whitney U test. For data analysis, Stata Software v.14 was used. Results: From 98 COVID-19 positive patients, 16 (13.33%) patients died during the treatment. These patients had higher proportions of heart diseases (37.5% against 10.98%, p = 0.007). Moreover, the median of white blood cell counts was significantly higher in patients, who died during treatment (p = 0.002). For vitamin D3, vitamin B12, RBP, zinc, selenium, cupper and magnesium, 59.2, 12.24, 53.08, 30.61, 88.71, 16.33 and 26.53% of the patients had values below the reference value ranges of these elements, respectively. Comparison of chemical biomarkers based on the patient's treatment outcomes did not show significant differences (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Although results of this study did not show significant differences between the levels of the trace elements and vitamins with the outcomes in COVID-19 patients due to the small sample size of the present study, assessment of these relationships needs stronger evidence by designing large studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The risk for transmission of COVID-19 to people in close contact with infected people, especially healthcare workers, has not been well estimated. Therefore the present study was conducted to assess the household secondary attack rate (SAR) of COVID-19 among healthcare workers and related factors. Materials and Methods: The present prospective case-ascertained study was conducted on 202 healthcare workers with confirmed COVID-19 in Hamadan, diagnosed from March 1, 2020, to August 20, 2020. For households with close contact with the index case, RT-PCR was performed regardless of symptoms. We defined SAR as the proportion of secondary cases from the total contacts that live in the index case household. SAR was reported as a percentage and 95% confidence interval (CI). Multiple logistic regression was performed to explore the predictors of COVID-19 transmission of index cases to their households. Results: We found 36 secondary cases out of 391 household contacts with laboratory confirmation (RT-PCR), representing a household SAR of 9.2% (95% CI: 6.3, 12.1). Among factors related to the family member, female gender (OR: 2.9, 95% CI: 1.2, 6.9), being the patient's spouse (OR: 2.2, 95% CI: 1.0, 4.6), and living in the apartment (OR: 2.78, 95% CI: 1.24, 6.23), and among factors related to index cases, hospitalization (OR: 5.9, 95% CI: 1.3, 26.9) and caught (OR: 2.4, 95% CI: 1.1, 5.2) were the significant predictors of disease transmission to other family members (P<0.05). Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that the SAR is remarkable in household contacts of infected healthcare workers. Some characteristics of family members of the index case, including female gender, being the patient's spouse, and living in the apartment, and some characteristics of the index case, including hospitalization and caught, were associated with the increased SAR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statement of the Problem: Oral health status has been suggested as one of the possible risk factors for oral human papillomavirus (OHPV) infection. There is inconsistent evidence concerning its relationship with the presence of OHPV. Purpose: This study aimed to compare oral health status between two groups of patients with and without OHPV infection. Materials and Method: This cross-sectional study was performed on 272 oral rinse samples, collected from our previous study population. After signing the written informed consents, the oral examination was performed to determine some clinical parameters of oral health status including periodontal disease status, oral hygiene status, decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) of participants. Next, viral deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extraction, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and HPV genotyping tests were performed on the samples. Results: OHPV DNA was detected in a total 31 (11.40%) samples that were considered as OHPV+ group. None of the determined clinical parameters of oral health status was significantly different between OHPV+ and OHPV DNA negative (OHPV-) groups (p> 0.05). Conclusion: The findings of the current study did not indicate a significant association between oral health status and OHPV. Further studies with larger sample size are recommended to reach a definite conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to the critical condition of COVID-19, it is necessary to evaluate the efficacy of administrating convalescent plasma to COVID-19 patients. Therefore, we decided to design a clinical trial to investigate the effect of convalescent plasma of patients recovered from COVID-19 on the treatment outcome of COVID-19-infected patients. Materials and Methods: In this parallel randomized controlled clinical trial, patients in the intervention group received standard treatment plus convalescent plasma of patients recovered from COVID-19. We allocated 60 patients to each treatment group through balanced block randomization. Then, COVID-19 outcomes, vital signs, and biochemical parameters were compared between the two treatment groups by the independent t test and ANCOVA. Results: The mean age (SD) of the patients in the intervention and standard treatment groups was 52.84 (15.77) and 55.15 (14.34) years, respectively. Although patients in the intervention group reported more hospitalization days (11.45±5.86 vs. 10.42±6.79), death rates (26.67% vs. 18.13%), ICU admission (45 vs. 41.67%), and ARDS (11.67% vs. 3.33%), these differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Moreover, the two groups were homogenous in vital signs and biochemical parameters before and after treatment (P>0.05). Conclusion: The present study indicated that convalescent plasma therapy has no significant effect on the survival, hospitalization, and ICU admission of COVID-19 patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 99% of cervical cancers are associated with human papillomaviruses (HPVs) worldwide. Current HPV vaccines are safe, highly immunogenic, with effective immunity against specific HPV types. However, DNA vaccines are a new appealing platform which can be considered for designing the HPV vaccines. This study aimed to construct a recombinant eukaryotic expression plasmid containing L1 of HPV-18, tissue plasminogen activators (tPA), and pan HLA DR-binding epitope (PADRE) genes into the pVAX1 vector. The L1, tPA, and PADRE genes were amplified in a thermocycler. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products were cloned and insertion of the genes was confirmed using colony PCR, restriction enzymes analysis, and sequencing methods. Indirect immunofluorescence, RT-PCR, and western blot assays were applied to identify the target gene in HEK-293 cells. Total IgG and its isotypes in immunized mice were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. Western blot analysis showed a protein band of about 67.5 kDa in supernatant and cell lysate of transfected cells. The results of mice immunization with different constructs (group 1: the pVAX-L1, group 2: pVAX-tPA-PADRE-L1, group 3: pVAX1, and group 4: PBS as controls) indicated that the pVAX1-tPA-PADRE-L1 construct induced a significantly higher level of total IgG than pVAX1-L1 (p=0.003). In conclusion, pVAX1-tPA-PADRE-L1 recombinant plasmid is a highly immunogenic construct and suggests as a promising candidate for vaccine development against HPV type 18 in low-middle-income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ruthin's coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) diagnosis is based on the positive result of realtime polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from the nasal and oropharyngeal swab. However, chest CT scans can play an important role in diagnosing patients with COVID-19. Cases Report: In this study, we reported a 44 years old female with a mild form of the COVID-19 who showed a positive result for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA for 44 days after symptom onset. The suspected case was detected using real-time PCR. After two weeks of hospitalization, the patient was discharged, but her molecular tests were performed twice after one month and 44 days, and they remained positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Conclusion: In theory, if the patient becomes re-infected or the virus reacts, these individuals may serve as a transmission source. So far, the only way to screen for possible reinfection has been by using PCR on separate specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs (containing approximately 22 nucleotides), which modulate and control the expression of target genes by binding them. MiRNAs play a crucial role in tumorigenesis. Thus, alterations in the expression level of miRNAs play a key role in the pathobiology of numerous cancers. In this research, the expression level of MicroRNA-1290 (miR- 1290) and its target genes THBS1 and DKK3 were evaluated in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Methods: This case-control study was carried out on 144 paraffin-embedded tissue samples of CRC and adjacent tissues from patients who referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Total RNA was isolated from the tissue using Trizol reagent following the manufacturer's instructions and then reverse transcribed to cDNA. The expression of miR-1290 and its target genes was measured by quantitative Real- Time PCR (qRT-PCR). Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS V.20 statistical software. Results: We present evidence that the miR-1290 expression in CRC tissues was significantly higher than in the normal margin, and its targets were downregulated in tumor tissue compared to the adjacent tissue. Conclusion: This study supports the essential role of miR-1290 and its contribution to CRC invasion and metastasis through targeting THBS1 and DKK3, as biomarkers for CRC diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small interfering RNAs (siRNA) technology has shown great promise as a new class of therapeutic interventions for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. It is a remarkable endogenous pathway that can regulate sequence-specific gene silencing. Despite the excitement about possible applications of this biological process for sequence-specific gene regulation, the major limitations against the use of siRNA-based therapeutics are their rapid degradation by serum nuclease, poor cellular uptake, and rapid renal clearance following systemic delivery, off-target effects and the induction of immune responses. Many researchers have tried to overcome these limitations by developing nuclease-resistant chemically-modified siRNAs and a variety of synthetic and natural biodegradable lipids and polymers to enhance the efficacy and safety profiles of siRNA delivery. Ideal siRNA-based delivery systems for cancer therapy must be clinically suitable, safe and effective. In this review, we introduce the greatest challenges in achieving efficient RNAi delivery and discuss design criteria and various delivery strategies for cancer therapy, including chemical modifications, lipid-based nanovectors, polymer-mediated delivery systems, conjugate delivery systems, and others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]