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Mozhgan Kheirandish,1 Behrooz Motlagh,2 Davoud Afshar1 1Department of Microbiology and Virology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran; 2Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, IranCorrespondence: Davoud AfsharDepartment of Microbiology and Virology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, IranTel +98 2433140297Email afshar.d@zums.ac.irPurpose: Iron is a necessary element for the growth of bacteria; however, there are limited iron sources known for these microorganisms yet. Intracellular iron is stored as ferritin from, which releases iron in a gradual and controlled manner. The present study aimed to characterize ferritin-binding proteins (FBPs) of Streptococcus pneumoniae.Material and Methods: S. pneumoniae species were cultured in BHI broth containing ferritin (1094 ng/mL) for 4h at 37°C. Ferritin level was measured using ELISA assay. Bacterial proteome was electrophoresed on SDS-PAGE and then transferred on PVDF nitrocellulose membrane. Afterward, the PVDF membranes were incubated with a ferritin solution. Identification of ferritin binding proteins was performed using anti-ferritin monoclonal antibody conjugated with HRP enzyme. Molecular docking was used to assess the interaction between pneumococcal proteases and FBPs applying phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) as a protease inhibitor.Results: No FBPs were identified in S. pneumoniae proteome. Moreover, ferritin levels have significantly (p< 0.05) decreased following the growth of S. pneumoniae in ferritin-rich BHI medium. Also, molecular docking showed that RadA protease, ClpP hydrolase, and HtrA protease can potentially interact with PMSF protease inhibitors. On the other hand, the addition of the PMSF to the culture of S. pneumoniae prevented the reduction of ferritin, which indicates a potential role of RadA, ClpP, and HtrA proteases in ferritin degradation.Conclusion: Our results suggest that S. pneumoniae produces no FBPs and also cannot directly use ferritin as an iron source. However, ferritin may be degraded through a protease-mediated mode.Keywords: Streptococcus pneumoniae, ferritin-binding proteins, proteome, iron

Narges Khaghanzadeh,1 Nadereh Naderi,1 Nazanin Pournasrollah,1 Elahe Farahbakhsh,1 Masoumeh Kheirandish,2 Afshin Samiei1,3 1Molecular Medicine Research Center, Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran; 2Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran; 3Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, IranCorrespondence: Afshin SamieiDepartment of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas 7919693116, IranTel +98 76 337103070Fax +98 76 33710371Email afshin.samiei@gmail.comPurpose: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a disease with a steadily increasing incidence throughout the world. Some molecules regulating the innate immune responses such as toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) have shown to be involved in late diabetic complications. This study aimed to investigate the association of TLR4 gene polymorphisms with clinicopathological aspects of T2DM in the Iranian population.Patients and Methods: Two TLR4 896A>G and 1196C>T polymorphisms were assessed in 100 T2DM patients and 100 healthy controls using sequence-specific primers PCR. Demographic, anthropometric, and biochemical parameters were obtained from the participants.Results: After logistic regression, in 1196C>T, a significant association was shown between diabetic nephropathy (DN) and CT genotype (P= 0.04, OR= 4.35, CI= (1.04– 18.1)). TG level has increased significantly in both T2DM and control subjects with CT genotype (P= 0.027, OR= 1.005, 95% CI= (1.001– 1.01)). For 896A>G variant, a significant association was also detected between AG genotype and increased oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) level (P= 0.048, OR= 1.003, 95% CI= (1.00– 1.005)).Conclusion: Although minor alleles of 1196C>T and 896A>G variants have not directly been associated with type 2 diabetes, by involving in the dysregulation of serum TG and blood sugar levels, they might increase the risk of DN.Keywords: type 2 diabetes mellitus, T2DM, diabetic nephropathy, DN, triglyceride, TG, oral glucose tolerance test, OGTT, 896A>G, 1196C>T

In today's rapidly evolving business environment, organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of capturing and leveraging the experiences of their employees. Documenting employee experiences can provide valuable insights into best practices, lessons learned, and innovative ideas that can drive organizational growth and success. The importance of knowledge and experience as the most important intangible asset in gaining a competitive advantage in organizations is not hidden from anyone and organizations are looking for the optimal use and management of knowledge and experiences in the form of documentation projects, for the correct and effective implementation of these projects, it is necessary to design a suitable implementation model. Based on this, in this research, the design of the effective implementation model of documenting the experiences of the employees of the General Administration of Social Security Treatment has been discussed. This research aims to contribute to the existing literature by providing practical insights into the process and infrastructures required for the successful implementation of a model for documenting the experiences of employees. The results can guide organizations in developing effective strategies to capture, store, and utilize employee knowledge for enhanced organizational performance and competitiveness. In this research, the exploratory mixed method - thematic analysis and survey strategy - was used. The statistical community of the qualitative section includes 15 experts from the general administration and the quantitative section includes 180 working managers. Collecting data in the qualitative part with in-depth semi-structured interviews and reviewing the theoretical foundations of the research and the background of the research and in the quantitative part with the researcher's questionnaire, the validity, and reliability of each part were confirmed. The data in the qualitative part were analyzed using three-step coding and in the quantitative part with descriptive statistics (demographic characteristics) and inferential statistics (structural equation modeling) tests. Based on the analysis of the research data, the implementation model of documenting the experiences of employees included 32 basic themes, 5 organizing themes (the executive process of documentation, human resource requirements, technological requirements, cultural requirements, and legal requirements), and an overarching theme in the form of implementation. Also, the quantitative data analysis of the research indicated the appropriateness of the model of documenting the experiences of employees. Any effective implementation process regarding experience documentation patterns requires infrastructure in the form of appropriate dimensions and components. This importance has been identified in the final model of the research. Based on this, implementing and carrying out the required measures based on vulnerability will provide the basis for institutionalization and greater acceptance of this project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Today’s dynamic environment is increasingly pressuring public organizations to be simultaneously flexible and efficient. The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating role of organizational ambidexterity in the relationship between psychological capital and the perfor-mance of public organizations that have bureaucratic limitations to their activity and are not as competitive as the private sector.

Background: Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is believed to be a highly valuable source of hematopoietic stem cells for transplantation. Objective: To investigate the prevalence of active and latent human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in UCB donors in Iranian population. Methods: A total of 825 UCB samples was collected under standard procedures and analyzed for the presence of CMV DNAs in buffy coat (latent infection) and plasma (active infection). DNA was extracted from buffy coat and plasma samples separately and tested with quantitative real-time PCR. All positive samples were checked by ELISA for IgG and IgM anti-CMV antibody. Results: Latent CMV infection was detected in 17 (2%) buffy coat samples with a low level of viral load, which indicated the presence of latent viral infection in donors. None of the plasma samples were found positive for CMV DNA reflecting no active infection. In the 17 positive samples, CMV viral load was 91-104 (mean: 100) copies/mL. All samples positive for viral DNA were also found positive for CMV IgG antibody by ELISA. No CMV IgM antibody was detected in positive samples. Conclusion: CMV is still the most important virus that infects hematopoietic stem cells and could be dangerous, especially for immunocompromized transplant recipients. We therefore suggest using real-time PCR for the detection and quantification of the viral DNA in buffy coat and plasma of UCB donors. PCR of plasma for detection of CMV and antibody assay for CMV infection add no more sensitivity for the detection of latent CMV infection in UCB donors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Food contamination may occur through production, processing, distribution and preparation. In Iran especially in Khorramabad, 33° 29' 16" North, 48° 21' 21" East, due to kind of nutrition, culture and economic status of people, bread is a part of the main meal and the consumption of bread is high. In this study, the bakery workers were studied for determining of intestinal parasites prevalence. Methods: The study was carried out during September to November 2010 in Khorramabad. All the 278 bakeries and the bakery workers including 816 people were studied in a census method and their feces were examined for the presence of parasites by direct wet-mount, Lugol's iodine solution, and formaldehyde- ether sedimentation, trichrome staining, and single round PCR (For discrimination of Entamoeba spp). Results: Ninety-six (11.9%) stool specimens were positive for different intestinal parasites. Intestinal parasites included Giardia lamblia 3.7%, Entamoeba coli 5.5%, Blastocystis sp. 2.1%, Entamoeba dispar 0.4%, Hymenolepis nana 0.1%, and Blastocystis sp. 0.1%. Conclusion: In order to reduce the contamination in these persons, some cases such as stool exam every three months with concentration methods, supervision and application of accurate health rules by health experts, training in transmission of parasites are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The requirement of vitamin D for breast-fed term infants remains an area of controversy. Different dosage is needed according to environmental factors such as sunlight exposure. Reception of more than 400 I.U. of vitamin D daily produces hypercalcemia. A random urine calcium/creatinin ratio (UCa/Cr) is a screening test for detection of hypercalciuria. Setting adequate values of vitamin D3 prophylaxis by random UCa/Cr in infant population of Yazd city in Iran, is the aim of present study. Methods: A total of 90 healthy, full term newborns of both genders were enrolled in the study. They were divided equally into three receiving vitamin D3 prophylaxis groups as follow: (I) 200 IU/daily, (II) 400 IU/daily and (III) 50000 IU two times in fifteen and sixty days after birth. A random urine specimen from each subject was analyzed for calcium, creatinin and serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D at the end of three months of life. Findings: From all 90 studied infants, 25 (83.3%) infants with 200 IU/daily vitamin D3, 23 (76.7%) infants with 400 IU/daily vitamin D3 and 28 (93.3%) who received 50000 IU two times (76 infants, 84.4%) had hypercalciuria and 14 (15.6%) infants remained with low values of Ca/Cr ratios. Conclusion: According to high prevalence of hypercalciuria in this survey, it is recommended to evaluate the vitamin D level in infants and use proper amount of supplemented vitamin D. It seems that 200 IU/daily could be used in infants in our area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION. Recent studies have suggested theophylline for prevention of kidney dysfunction in asphyxia. This study was designed to determine whether theophylline could prevent or ameliorate kidney dysfunction in term neonates with perinatal asphyxia. MATERIALS AND METHODS. We assigned 36 severely asphyxiated term infants (Apgar score [for symbol see text] 5) into 2 groups to receive intravenously a single dose of either theophylline (5mg/kg; n =17) or placebo (n =19) during their first 60 minutes of life. The 24-hour fluid intake and the urine volumes were recorded during the 1st, 3rd, and 5th days of life. Severe kidney dysfunction was defined as a serum creatinine level elevated up to more than 1.50 mg/dL for at least 2 consecutive days after a fluid challenge, or 0.3-mg/dL/d rising levels of serum creatinine. Results. On the 1st day, the 24-hour fluid balance was more positive in infants receiving placebo compared to infants receiving theophylline. Over the next few days, the change in fluid balance favored the theophylline group. Significantly higher serum creatinine values were recorded in the placebo group on the 3rd day. Severe kidney dysfunction was present in 2 infants of the theophylline group (11.7%) and in 8 (42.1%) of the controls. The glomerular filtration rate was markedly increased in the theophylline group. There was no difference in the severity of the asphyxia between the infants of the theophylline and control groups. CONCLUSIONS. Prophylactic theophylline, given early after birth, has beneficial effects on reducing kidney dysfunction in neonates with asphyxia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Plateletpheresis (PP) has become increasingly prevalent due to its cost-effectiveness and fewer immunological and infectious complications for recipients. This study compares hematological indices of platelet donors and instrument-related parameters in high-yield PP donors using Haemonetics MCS+ and Trima Accel., Methods: Eligible and healthy PP donors meeting the platelet donation criteria were randomly selected.19 single-dose platelet (SDP), and 26 double-dose platelet (DDP) donors underwent PP using the Haemonetics MCS+, while 21 SDP and 21 DDP donors were processed using the Trima Accel system. Complete Blood Count (CBC) and hematological indices of donors between groups with both devices were measured with the cell counter. Platelet yield, collection efficiency (CE), and collection rate (CR) were evaluated for both devices. Results were reported using R-4.3.2 software and a p-value<0.05 was considered statistically significant RESULTS: The Trima Accel processed significantly more blood volume and had shorter procedure times than MCS+. Platelet yield in the SDP group with Trima Accel was significantly higher than the Haemonetics MCS+. The Trima Accel demonstrated a significantly higher CR and CE than the MCS+ in both SDP and DDP groups. Post-PP lymphocyte counts significantly decreased with the Trima compared to the MCS+ in the SDP group. However, post-PP hematocrit (HCT), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and mean platelet volume (MPV) in the DDP group with the MCS+ were significantly lower than Trima., Conclusion: Double-dose plateletpheresis (DDP) offers advantages in cost-effectiveness and platelet production, and although it reduces some hematological indices, these remain within normal limits. The Trima Accel may offer superior efficiency and processing times compared to the MCS+. However, careful monitoring of DDP donors following AABB standards remains essential., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing 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., (Copyright © 2024 Société francophone de transfusion sanguine (SFTS). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background: This investigation aims to examine the relationship between diabetes and prediabetes with chronic kidney disease (CKD) while taking into account key risk factors such as gender, age, lifestyle, smoking habits, and blood pressure., Methods: Between November 17, 2016, and November 22, 2018, 4063 subjects aged 35 to 70 years were enrolled in the first phase of the Bandare-Kong Non-Communicable Disease (BKNCD) Cohort Study, which is part of the PERSIAN (Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in IrAN) cohort and was conducted in a coastal region of the Hormozgan province in southern Iran. CKD was calculated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) formula based on glomerular filtration rate (GFR)<60 mL/min per 1.73 m 2 , or albumin/Cr>30 mg/g in random urine, self-reported kidney failure, or dialysis. Urine albumin and creatinine were determined by standard kits (Pars Azmoon, Tehran, Iran) and the BT1500 automatic chemistry analyzer (Biotecnica Instruments, Rome, Italy)., Results: The prevalence of CKD was found to be 15.3%, with 29.6% identified in diabetic individuals and 16.5% in prediabetic patients. So, the prevalence of CKD in diabetics was higher than prediabetics and normal people. Increased age, dysglycemia (diabetes or prediabetes), hypertension, and use of angiotensin receptor blockers were markedly associated with an elevated risk of CKD in adults., Conclusion: The study emphasizes the importance of early detection and management of CKD risk factors, particularly among high-risk individuals, to mitigate CKD progression and associated complications. By addressing modifiable risk factors, proactive screening, and enhanced awareness, significant strides can be made in reducing CKD burden and improving patient outcomes., (© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.)

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a global health challenge, with a rising rate in line with other metabolic diseases. We aimed to assess the global prevalence of NAFLD in adult and pediatric populations., Methods: PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases were systematically searched up to May 2023. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran's Q test and I 2 statistics, and random-effects model was used for meta-analysis. Analyses were performed using STATA version 18., Results: A total of 479 studies with 78,001,755 participants from 38 countries were finally included. The global prevalence of NAFLD was estimated to be 30.2% (95% CI: 28.7-31.7%). Regionally, the prevalence of NAFLD was as follows: Asia 30.9% (95% CI: 29.2-32.6%), Australia 16.1% (95% CI: 9.0-24.8%), Europe 30.2% (95% CI: 25.6-35.0%), North America 29% (95% CI: 25.8-32.3%), and South America 34% (95% CI: 16.9-53.5%). Countries with a higher human development index (HDI) had significantly lower prevalence of NAFLD (coefficient = -0.523, p = 0.005). Globally, the prevalence of NAFLD in men and women was 36.6% (95% CI: 34.7-38.4%) and 25.5% (95% CI: 23.9-27.1%), respectively. The prevalence of NAFLD in adults, adults with obesity, children, and children with obesity was 30.2% (95% CI: 28.8-31.7%), 57.5% (95% CI: 43.6-70.9%), 14.3% (95% CI: 10.3-18.8%), and 38.0% (95% CI: 31.5-44.7%), respectively., Conclusion: The prevalence of NAFLD is remarkably high, particularly in countries with lower HDI. This substantial prevalence in both adults and children underscores the need for disease management protocols to reduce the burden., (Copyright © 2024 Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Vaccine effectiveness (VE) studies provide real-world evidence to monitor vaccine performance and inform policy. The WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean supported a regional study to assess the VE of COVID-19 vaccines against different clinical outcomes in four countries between June 2021 and August 2023. Health worker cohort studies were conducted in 2707 health workers in Egypt and Pakistan, of whom 171 experienced symptomatic laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Test-negative design case-control studies were conducted in Iran and Jordan in 4017 severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) patients (2347 controls and 1670 cases) during the Omicron variant dominant period. VE estimates were calculated for each study and pooled by study design for several vaccine types (BBIBP-CorV, AZD1222, BNT162b2, and mRNA-1273, among others). Among health workers, VE against symptomatic infection of a complete primary series could only be computed compared to partial vaccination, suggesting a benefit of providing an additional dose of mRNA vaccines (VE: 88.9%, 95%CI: 15.3-98.6%), while results were inconclusive for other vaccine products. Among SARI patients, VE against hospitalization of a complete primary series with any vaccine compared to non-vaccinated was 20.9% (95%CI: 4.5-34.5%). Effectiveness estimates for individual vaccines, booster doses, and secondary outcomes (intensive care unit admission and death) were inconclusive. Future VE studies will need to address challenges in both design and analysis when conducted late during a pandemic and will be able to utilize the strengthened capacities in countries.

Aims: Cellular senescence in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has received widespread attention. However, the cellular senescence molecules involved in T2DM are unclear. Furthermore, there are no consistent biomarkers for cellular senescence in T2DM. Therefore, this study aimed to identify cellular senescence molecules in T2DM and investigate their expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of individuals with T2DM., Methods: Patients with T2DM (n = 40) and healthy controls (n = 40) were enrolled. We used different databases to identify cellular senescence molecules in T2DM and confirmed the obtained genes and lncRNA using real-time PCR., Results: Bioinformatics analysis indicated that CDKN2A and CDKN2B genes, and long noncoding RNA ANRIL are the most effective cellular senescence molecules in T2DM. Furthermore, CDKN2A and ANRIL expression decreased in individuals with T2DM., Conclusions: Cellular senescence may have a protective effect against T2DM. In addition, the cellular senescence molecules CDKN2A and ANRIL may be potential biomarkers of cellular senescence in T2DM., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is an atherosclerotic disease of an inflammatory nature. Previous studies examining the relationship between triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol have highlighted the importance of plasma atherogenic index (AIP) as an important predictor of coronary heart disease. However, due to the lack of adequate information on this topic, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between AIP and coronary heart disease risk., Results: This study included 2,226 women and 1,690 men aged 35-70 years who participated in the Bandar Kong Cohort study and met the eligibility criteria. The data was collected using a checklist and questionnaires, which were designed by experienced individuals. After participants completed a registration form and gave informed consent, face-to-face interviews were conducted by trained experts. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire had been verified by the national cohort team prior to its use. The Ethics Committee of Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences (IR.HUMS.REC.1400.171) approved the study. Data from the initial cohort survey using SPSS software version 25, were analyzed to include several factors, including age, sex, smoking status, body mass index (BMI), physical activity level, socioeconomic status, AIP, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure. The prevalence of coronary heart disease was found to be 7.5% higher in people with a BMI of 25 or higher. Also, Individuals with low physical activity had a higher prevalence. Individuals with CAD had significantly higher mean values for the AIP, age, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure (0.46, 57.50, 128.43, and 81.10, respectively) compared to those without CAD. Furthermore, patients with CAD had lower years of education (2649.45 and 3.59) than individuals without CAD (P < 0.05). Importantly, our findings showed that AIP increased the odds ratio of coronary heart disease by 1.86 as an independent risk factor., Conclusions: Based on our investigation, the AIP is a valuable and independent predictive risk factor for coronary artery disease. This index can be utilized effectively due to its accessibility and affordability, making it a promising tool for risk assessment in clinical settings., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The aim of this study was the synthesis of bimetallic nanoparticles based on Fe 2 O 3 /TiO 2 and its use in the poly(lactic acid) (PLA) films as an oxygen scavenger in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) packaging. Bimetallic nanocomposites were prepared by two different precipitation methods (precipitation with ammonia and sodium hydroxide). The characteristics of bimetallic nanoparticles precipitated with sodium hydroxide (Na-Ti 0.01 Fe 0.048 O 0.08 ) and bimetallic nanoparticles precipitated with ammonia (NH-Ti 0.01 Fe 0.022 O 0.09 ) were compared. Relative amounts of elements in bimetallic nanocomposites and their morphological characteristics were determined using field emission scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer. Porosity volume and surface area of bimetallic nanoparticles were calculated using adsorption-desorption isotherms and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method. The formation/characterization of bimetallic nanoparticles and their location in the matrix of PLA-based nanocomposite film was studied using X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared. In nanocomposite films based on PLA, bimetallic nanoparticles lead to better oxidative stability (peroxide value, p-anisidine index, K 232 , and K 270 ) of the EVOO and oxygen scavenging during storage compared to free nanoparticles. Mechanical properties of nanocomposite films were improved due to bimetallic nanoparticles, which were better for Na-Ti 0.01 Fe 0.048 O 0.08 . In vitro release modeling of the bimetallic nanoparticles in EVOO proved that Fickian diffusion is the dominant mechanism, and the Peleg model was the best description of the release behavior of nanoparticles., (© 2024 Institute of Food Technologists.)

Background: Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of metabolic disorders increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Dietary patterns are supposed to be important and controllable factors in developing metabolic syndrome. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of dietary patterns with metabolic syndrome and its components., Subjects/methods: Cross-sectional data were extracted from the Bandare-Kong cohort study conducted on 4063 people aged 35 to 70. Dietary patterns were extracted using principal component analysis based on thirty-eight pre-defined food groups. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to investigate the association between metabolic syndrome and its components with quintiles of dietary patterns in crude and adjusted models., Results: Three major dietary patterns were identified (healthy, western, and traditional) in the final analysis of 2823 eligible individuals. After adjusting for covariates, the odds of metabolic syndrome were significantly decreased by 46% in subjects with the highest adherence to the healthy dietary pattern compared to those with the lowest adherence quintile. Results from fully adjusted models on individual metabolic syndrome components showed an inverse association between higher adherence to the healthy dietary pattern and the odds of increased blood glucose, high waist circumference, and elevated blood pressure. However, in fully adjusted models, no significant association was observed between the western and traditional dietary patterns with odds of metabolic syndrome and its components., Conclusions: Adherence to a healthy dietary pattern containing high amounts of fruits, vegetables, nuts, low-fat dairy products, and legumes, could be recommended to prevent and control metabolic syndrome., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Growing evidence shows the undisputable role of non-HDL-C and remnant cholesterol (remnant-C) in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment and treatment. However, the reference interval (RI) for these lipid parameters is not readily available. The aim of the present investigation was to determine the age and sex-specific RIs for non-HDL-C and remnant-C as well as other lipid parameters among a healthy population in southern Iran. We also report the RI of lipid parameters in rural and urban residents, smokers and post-menopausal women., Methods: Among 14063 participants of Bandare Kong and Fasa cohort studies, 792 healthy subjects (205 men and 578 women) aged 35-70 years were selected. Fasting blood samples were used for determination of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG) and HDL-C using colorimetric methods. Non-HDL-C and remnant-C were calculated using the valid formula. The 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles were calculated and considered as RI., Results: In the total population (n=792, age 35-70), RIs for non-HDL-C and remnant-C was 74.0-206.8 and 8.0-52.7 mg/dL, respectively. Age (35-44 and≥45 years) and gender-specific RIs for serum non-HDL-C and remnant-C were determined. Remnant-C and non-HDL-C level were different between sex and age categories. The mean value of all lipid parameters except HDL-C was higher in men, urban residents, subject with age≥45 years and smokers., Conclusion: This is the first study in which the RIs for non-HDL-C and remnant-C in southern Iran are reported. This may help physicians to conveniently use these lipid parameters for patient care and better cardiovascular risk assessment., (© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.)

Human Parvovirus 4 (PARV4) is an emerging virus infecting individuals with other blood-borne diseases. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of PARV4 in confirmed HTLVI/II positive samples from blood donors, assessing PARV4 viral load (DNA) and genotyping., Methods: A novel qReal-Time PCR, based on a plasmid construct, was developed to simultaneously detect all three PARV4 genotypes using in-house primers and probes. Positive qPCR samples were subjected to nested PCR amplification and subsequent sequencing. Phylogenetic trees were constructed using the Neighbor-joining (N.J.) method., Results: The coinfection rate of PARV4-DNA in HTLVI/II confirmed infected donors, who were previously deferred, was 14.4 % (13 out of 90), with no observed association with donation status ( p  = 1.0). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that PARV4-positive samples closely resembled genotype 2 in Iran.qPCR quantification demonstrated significant PARV4 viral loads in positive samples, ranging between 10 4 and 10 6 DNA copies/mL of serum., Conclusion: This study presents the first evaluation of HTLVI/II and PARV4coinfection rates among blood donors. Notably, elevated PARV4-DNA titers were detected in HTLVI/II-positive donors. Given PARV's resistance to standard plasma refinery inactivation methods and the absence of its targeted inactivation, its potential impact remains a concern., Competing Interests: 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., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Background: Elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. LDL-C can be directly measured using various methods, but this requires expensive equipment. Currently, clinical laboratories estimate LDL-C based on Friedewald's formula (FF). We aimed to develop a modified formula based on directly measured LDL-C (D-LDL-C) values in a large population in Southern Iran and compare the results with various other estimation formulas., Methods: The participants of this cross-sectional study were adults aged >18 years living in Southern Iran. Blood samples from 15,200 individuals were collected, and the measured lipid parameters were randomly divided into training (n=10,184) and validation (n=5,016) datasets. A new formula was developed using a linear regression model, and its accuracy was validated. Pearson's correlation and Cohen's kappa were used to determin the relationship between D-LDL-C and calculated LDL-C (C-LDL-C)., Results: The developed formula for the estimation of LDL-C was 0.857 total cholesterol (TC)-0.915 high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)-0.115 triglycerides (TG). Based on our proposed formula, for TG<150 and TG≥150 mg/dL, there was a significant correlation between mean values of D-LDL-C and C-LDL-C (r=0.985 and r=0.974, respectively). Compared to other formulas, C-LDL-C obtained from the proposed formula had the highest correlation with D-LDL-C. The agreement between D-LDL-C and C-LDL-C for TC<200, 200-239, and ≥240 mg/dL was 80.8%, 63.2%, and 67.4%, respectively, indicating a higher level of agreement than other formulas., Conclusion: The new formula appears to be more accurate than FF when applied to the population of Southern Iran., Competing Interests: None declared., (Copyright: © Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences.)