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(NPs) can be produced by various methods such as physical and chemical processes. However, environmentally friendly ways are increasingly requested. In this research, (Ag-NPs) were produced by Fusarium oxysporum, and its antifungal effect on Aspergillus and Fusarium was investigated. Nanoparticles were produced by silver nitrate salt and Fusarium oxysporum native to Isfahan city. In order to optimize the synthesis conditions, optimization of some factors such as volume, concentration, time, temperature, and pH of the extract was performed. The structural and physical properties of NPs were determined by spectrophotometer, XRD, FTIR FESEM, SEM, and TEM microscopy. For the study of the inhibitory effect of NPs on Fusarium and Aspergillus growth, the fungi were cultured in media containing various concentrations of NPs from 50 to 1500 ppm. Then, the colony diameter was measured for over 10 days and the growth inhibition percentage was estimated. For statistical analysis, the 600 Mann-Whitney tests have been applied.The NPs were produced after mixing the powdered fungal mass and silver nitrate salt in optimum conditions which were 2 mM of salt, triple fungal mass volume proportion relative to the salt, pH of 9, and temperature of 28 °C. The existence of a peak at 420 nm in FTIR was due to nanoparticle production. Based on the XRD, the synthesized NPs had suitable properties similar to the standard NPs reported in the studies. Images from TEM, SEM, and FESEM microscopes displayed uniform NPs in variable sizes between 25 and 100 nm. According to the results, the maximum growth inhibition percentage of Ag-NPs on Fusarium was approximately 60% at 1500 ppm, and 88% on Aspergillus at 800 ppm. Biosynthesized Ag-NPs with Fusarium oxysporum have desirable structural traits and can inhibit the growth of Fusarium and Aspergillus at significant levels., (© Association of Microbiologists of India 2023. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Introduction: Cytokine storm and critical COVID-19 pneumonia are caused in at least 10% of patients by inborn errors of or auto-Abs to type I IFNs. The pathogenesis of life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia in other patients remains unknown., Methods: This study was conducted at Masih Daneshvari Hospital, Tehran, Iran. In the period of study, 75 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with presentations ranging from mild upper respiratory tract infection to lower respiratory tract infection, including moderate, severe, and critical disease, were recruited. Expression of STING mRNA was measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and compared between patients with different severity and outcome., Results: There was a significant negative correlation between age and STING expression level (p value = 0.010). Patients with "severe to critical" illness had a 20-fold lower STING expression level compared to the "mild to moderate" group (p value = 0.001). Also, the results showed lower expressions of STING in the patients admitted to the ICU (p value = 0.015). Patients who finally died had lower expression of STING at the time of sampling (p value = 0.041)., Conclusion: STING mRNA expression in PBMCs was significantly lower in older COVID-19 cases, the patients with more severe illness, who needed intensive care, and who eventually died., (© 2022 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

The pandemic of coronavirus disease in 2019 has led to a global crisis. COVID-19 shows distinct clinical manifestations of the severity of symptoms. Numerous patients with no associated risk factors demonstrate acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The role of genetic factors in determining the severity and outcome of the disease remains unresolved. The purpose of this study was to see if a correlation exists between Angiotensin I Converting Enzyme ( ACE ) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and the severity of COVID-19 patients' symptoms. 120 COVID-19 patients admitted to Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Tehran with their consent to participate entered the study. Based on the World Health Organization classification, patients were divided into moderate and severe groups, which were primarily affected by O 2 saturation levels. The effects of the patients' ACE insertion/deletion polymorphism, background disease, Angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) drug consumption, and demographic parameters on the severity risk were calculated statistically. The ACE D allele was associated with an increased risk of disease severity (OR = 6.766, p = 0.012), but had no effect on mortality., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Rezaei, Mohammadpour, Eftekhari, Pourabdollah, Nasr Azadani, Tabarsi, Marjani and Ziai.)