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Background: This study assessed the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in a general adult population in Iran. The association between GERD and various factors was also evaluated. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study on 163,018 individuals aged over 35 who were enrolled in the PERSIAN cohort. GERD was defined as the occurrence of heartburn and/or regurgitation symptoms at least several days a month. Survey design analysis for pooled data was performed and multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine the independent risk factors for GERD. Results: The prevalence of GERD in our study was estimated at 21.86% (95% confidence interval:17.4%-36.4%). The mean age of the participants was 49.84 years±9.25 (35–70) and 44.75% of the participants were male. Symptoms of heartburn and regurgitation were reported in 18.65% (n: 29,170) and 6.06% (n: 9,717) of participants, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, several factors were found to be associated with a higher prevalence of GERD: female sex, age >50, current smoking, opium use, weekly consumption of fried foods, frequent consumption of hot tea, less than 6 hours of sleep per night, psychiatric disorders, usage of NSAIDs, and poor oral hygiene, were associated with a higher prevalence of GERD. Conversely, higher education levels and average physical activity were found to be less commonly associated with GERD. Conclusion: We found a relatively high prevalence of GERD (21.86%) in this population-based study in Iran. By identifying modifiable risk factors, this research offers opportunities for targeted interventions and lifestyle modifications to reduce the burden of GERD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite the rising prevalence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), age and sex differences in its outcomes remain understudied. We investigated age and sex differences in IBD patients using a nationwide study in Iran, the Iranian Registry of Crohn's and Colitis (IRCC). Methods: The IRCC is a national registry that gathered information on adult IBD patients since 2017. The collected data included demographic information, medication history, disease activity, comorbidities, diagnosis age, prognosis, the extent of ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn's disease (CD) location, and extraintestinal manifestations. The statistical methods included the independent Student's t-test, Chi-square test, and binary logistic regression, using R version 4.2.2. Results: Among the 9,392 IBD patients, 7,496 (3,600 females) and 1,896 (808 females) had UC and CD, respectively. Sex difference showed higher odds of active disease in the past six months in male CD patients (OR 1.24 [95%CI 1.03, 1.49]) vs. females, but in male UC patients, the OR was 0.85 [0.78, 0.93]. Severe disease was less likely in CD patients aged 19–59 and >60 vs. <18. Similarly, UC patients <18 had lower odds of severe disease vs. those aged 19–59 and >60. Conclusions: This study emphasizes the importance of understanding age and sex differences in IBD outcomes. These findings contribute to the ongoing global discussion on IBD management and facilitate the development of targeted interventions and personalized care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractLncRNA SNHG15 has been recognized as the main factor in the progression of various cancer types. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well clarified. This research aimed to explore the diagnostic potential of SNHG15 in gastric cancer (GC) patients and also the effects of SNHG15-miRNA-mRNA network in GC pathobiology. The expression level of SNHG15 in GC tissues and adjacent normal tissues (ANTs) was evaluated by qRT-PCR and also considered in relation to clinicopathologic factors. The ROC curve was explored to consider the specificity and sensitivity of SNHG15. Gene ontology functional annotation and KEGG pathway analysis were performed in order to predict the effects of SNHG15-miRNA-mRNA network in GC pathobiology. SNHG15 was overexpressed in GC tissues compared to ANTs (fold change= 3.87 and P-value = 0.0022). The SNHG15 expression level was not significantly associated with clinicopathologic factors. ROC curve indicated the specificity of 63.51 and sensitivity of 79.73 and the AUC of 0.744 (P-value < 0.0001). Further gene network analysis revealed that SNHG15 interacts with has-miR-613, has-miR-542-3p, and has-miR-1236-3p, and may be involved in the GC pathobiology by affecting the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance, HIF-1 signaling pathway, and VEGF signaling pathway. It can be concluded that SNHG15 may be a diagnostic factor in GC and may contribute in a variety of cancer-related signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the key causes of cancer-related mortality throughout the world. The cGAS-STING pathway is described as a potential mechanism in cancer immunity and inflammation-mediated tumorigenesis. Accumulating evidence indicate that cGAS-STING pathway is positively related to cancer progression. However, detailed insight into the role of cGAS-STING pathway require further studies. Therefore, understanding the detailed molecular mechanism in the development and progression of GC is of great importance. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the expression patterns of cGAS and STING and its association with clinicopathological characteristics in gastric cancer patients. Materials and Methods: The expression of two candidate genes, including cGAS and STING were evaluated in tumor tissue samples, normal tissue adjacent to the tumor (NAT) biopsies of fifty new case GC patients by PCR method. PBMCs were isolated from forty GC patients and twenty-five non-cancer subjects as the control group. The expression of cGAS and STING in PBMC samples of both GC patients and control group was also evaluated. Results: Our results demonstrated a significant increase in cGAS expression along with a non-significant increase in STING expression in tumor samples compared to NAT samples. The expression of cGAS and STING in PBMC samples of GC patients represented a non-significant decrease compared to the control group. Conclusion: Our findings could provide detailed insights into the role of the cGAS and STING expression in the progression of GC and contribute to the development of novel therapeutic strategies for GC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to analyze the cost-effectiveness of two routine therapeutic methods for H. pylori eradication in Iran Background: Because of the importance of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication on gastric cancer prevalence and costs, an economic analysis of the eradication methods is essential for health systems. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 7,496 participants with positive Hepadnaviridae (HPsAg) test results for H. pylori; 6,163 of them were treated with furazolidone (group A), and 1,333 participants were treated with clarithromycin (group B). Data on GP visits, medications, and HPsAg costs as direct costs and absence from work and transportation as indirect costs was collected by researcher-made questionnaire. Indirect costs were calculated based on face-to-face interviews with 365 patients of the Persian Cohort Center. Successful eradication of H. pylori infection (negative HPsAg) was defined as the effectiveness of the interventions. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was used to compare the overall results. Results: The total direct cost of H. pylori for groups A and B were estimated at 13.7 and 5.83 billion IRR, respectively. The highest and lowest percentages of total costs were the cost of diagnostic services and the time cost, respectively. There was a significant difference between the two groups in drug costs (p<0.001). The effect ratio for groups A and B was 85.93% and 96.54%, respectively. Cost per effectiveness was higher for clarithromycin (CE=3,250,170 IRR) than for furazolidone (CE=2,988,488 IRR), and ICER showed that 5.1 Million IRR per participant is needed to eradicate H. pylori. Conclusion: Based on the results, furazolidone was more cost-effective than clarithromycin for H. pylori treatment. Therefore, due to the high prevalence of H. pylori and the economic conditions of the health system in Iran, furazolidone can be a cost-effective choice between the two conventional treatment methods considering the results of further research and possible side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iran is a high‐risk country for cardia gastric adenocarcinoma (CGA) in Central Asia, with an incidence rate five times the average global rate, and shows a high infection rate for Helicobacter pylori (69%). The aim was to examine the associations of multiple H. pylori cagPAI genotypes (ie cagH, cagL, cagG, and orf17) with the risk of CGA, non‐CGA, and different histological types of GA in Iran. A large number of H. pylori strains (N = 336) were successfully cultured and genotyped. Histopathological evaluations were performed. The analysis showed an inverse association between the cagH+ genotype and the risk of CGA and intestinal‐type gastric adenocarcinoma (IGA) (adjusted ORs; 0.312 and 0.283, respectively), where the controls were nontumors. The orf17+ genotype decreased the risk of non‐CGA and diffuse‐type gastric adenocarcinoma (DGA)(adjusted ORs; 0.310 and 0.356, respectively). When the controls were those with nonatrophic gastritis, the cagG+ genotype was negatively associated with the risk of CGA, non‐CGA, IGA, and DGA (adjusted ORs; 0.324, 0.366, 0.306, and 0.303, respectively). We did not find such a significant association for the cagL+ genotype in multiple logistic regression analysis. Combination of the vacA c2 and cagPAI genotypes further decreased the risk estimates for GAs. This study showed the reverse association of H. pylori cagPAI genotypes—cagH+ and cagG+—with the risk of CGA in male patients aged ≥ 55 in Iran. Presence of the vacA c2 genotype in combination with cagPAI genotypes showed strong inverse associations with the risk of CGA and non‐CGA. These findings may reveal a coordinated relationship between the vacA c2 and cagPAI genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]