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Background: Leishmania is a vector-borne protozoon, which causes visceral, cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniosis in human and animals. Monocyte-derived exosome vaccines can be used as prophylaxis and immunotherapy strategies. The aim of this study was to design a multiple-epitope candidate vaccine using leishmaniolysin (GP63) and rK39 proteins against Leishmania major and L. infantum for monocyte-derived exosome preparation. Methods: This study was carried out in Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran, 2023-2024. Effective immunodominant epitopes were selected from two antigenic proteins of GP63 and rK39 using various immunoinformatics and bioinformatics approaches. Vibrio cholerae ß-subunit was used as an adjuvant to stimulate immune responses. Then, appropriate linkers were selected for the fusion of epitopes. The 3D model of candidate vaccine was predicted and validated. Results: This designed candidate vaccine could effectively be used as a prophylaxis strategy against leishmaniosis. Conclusion: A candidate vaccine was designed using bioinformatic and immunoinformatic studies with virtual acceptable quality; however, effectiveness of this vaccine should be verified through further in-vitro and in-vivo studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite growing evidence linking Vitamin D (Vit-D) deficiency with heart dysfunction, objective evidence such as echocardiographic findings remains limited and inconclusive. Objectives: This study aims to investigate the association between Vit-D levels and both systolic and diastolic function of the ventricles in patients with normal coronary arteries using echocardiography. Methods: This study, conducted between 2019 and 2020, examined individuals without apparent coronary artery disease (CAD). The researchers measured the participants' Vit-D levels and divided them into two groups based on a 30 ng/dL cut-off point. All patients underwent echocardiography, and the researchers analyzed and compared their ventricular systolic function characteristics. Results: A total of 27 patients with normal Vit-D levels and 47 patients with Vit-D deficiency were included in the study. There was no significant difference between the left ventricle (LV) and right ventricle (RV) systolic function parameters, including left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), LV end-systolic/diastolic volume, and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion. The mean LVEF between the patients with normal Vit-D levels (53%) and those with Vit-D deficiency (57%) did not show a significant difference (P = 0.420). Right ventricle diastolic parameters, such as A, E, E', deceleration time (DT), and Right Atrial Volume Index (RAVi), also did not show a significant difference between the two groups. However, patients with Vit-D deficiency had higher diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (P = 0.019). Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that there is no significant correlation between Vit-D levels and systolic dysfunction in the right and LV s of individuals with normal coronary arteries. However, it is important to note that this is a complex area of study, and further research is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lanthanum cerium ferrite (LaCeFe2O4) nanomaterials were synthesized, characterized, and used for the modification of carbon paste electrodes, employed in the electrochemical determination of methadone. Methadone is one of the prescription opioid drugs which is widely used in addiction treatment programs. It is an electroactive material and can be measured through electrochemical methods. Simple co-precipitation method was the preparation route of nanomaterial synthesis. Cyclic voltammetry was applied for studying the modified electrode performance and square wave voltammetry was chosen as the detection technique. The limit of detection of the proposed method was 2.8 μmol L-1 of methadone. The method is able to detect methadone molecule in human plasma samples precisely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Leishmania is a vector-borne protozoon, which causes visceral, cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniosis in human and animals. Monocyte-derived exosome vaccines can be used as prophylaxis and immunotherapy strategies. The aim of this study was to design a multiple-epitope candidate vaccine using leishmaniolysin ( GP63 ) and rK39 proteins against Leishmania major and L. infantum for monocyte-derived exosome preparation., Methods: This study was carried out in Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran, 2023-2024. Effective immunodominant epitopes were selected from two antigenic proteins of GP63 and rK39 using various immunoinformatics and bioinformatics approaches. Vibrio cholerae β-subunit was used as an adjuvant to stimulate immune responses. Then, appropriate linkers were selected for the fusion of epitopes. The 3D model of candidate vaccine was predicted and validated., Results: This designed candidate vaccine could effectively be used as a prophylaxis strategy against leishmaniosis., Conclusion: A candidate vaccine was designed using bioinformatic and immunoinformatic studies with virtual acceptable quality; however, effectiveness of this vaccine should be verified through further in-vitro and in-vivo studies., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024 Moazezi Ghavihelm et al. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

Introduction/objective: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been the biggest pandemic in history, with severe complications, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome and pulmonary hypertension (PH). An endothelin-1 (ET-1) receptor antagonist, such as bosentan, may be beneficial in treating elevated ET-1 levels. Hence, our study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of bosentan in patients with COVID-19-induced PH., Methods: A single-centre, randomized, double-blind study involving 72 participants was carried out; 36 received bosentan and the other 36 received a placebo. Pulmonary arterial pressure, tricuspid valve pressure gradient, and right atrial pressure were measured using echocardiography. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to investigate the impact of bosentan and patients' age on mortality during a 6-month follow-up period., Results: In-hospital mortality was significantly lower in the case group (13%) compared with the control group (33.3%) (P=0.003). Additionally, bosentan improved echocardiographic parameters, such as systolic pulmonary artery pressure and tricuspid regurgitation gradient (P=0.011 and P=0.003, respectively). Bosentan use was a significant predictor of long-term mortality rates for 600 days [age-adjusted hazard ratio of 5.24 (95% CI 1.34 to 20.46)]., Conclusion: This study provided a mixed perspective on the use of bosentan therapy in patients with COVID-19-related PH. Bosentan effectively reduced in-hospital mortality and improved echocardiographic measures. However, the treatment group showed an increased requirement for supplemental oxygen therapy and long-term mortality. Further studies with larger sample sizes are necessary to elucidate the effects of bosentan in PH following COVID-19., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)