• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• 제35권1호
• /
• pp.43-58
• /
• 2022

Background: Current therapies are quite unsuccessful in the management of neuropathic pain. Therefore, considering the inhibitory characteristics of GABA mediators, the present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the efficacy of GABAergic neural precursor cells on neuropathic pain management. Methods: Search was conducted on Medline, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. A search strategy was designed based on the keywords related to GABAergic cells combined with neuropathic pain. The outcomes were allodynia and hyperalgesia. The results were reported as a pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Results: Data of 13 studies were analyzed in the present meta-analysis. The results showed that administration of GABAergic cells improved allodynia (SMD = 1.79; 95% CI: 0.87, 271; P < 0.001) and hyperalgesia (SMD = 1.29; 95% CI: 0.26, 2.32; P = 0.019). Moreover, the analyses demonstrated that the efficacy of GABAergic cells in the management of allodynia and hyperalgesia is only observed in rats. Also, only genetically modified cells are effective in improving both of allodynia, and hyperalgesia. Conclusions: A moderate level of pre-clinical evidence showed that transplantation of genetically-modified GABAergic cells is effective in the management of neuropathic pain. However, it seems that the transplantation efficacy of these cells is only statistically significant in improving pain symptoms in rats. Hence, caution should be exercised regarding the generalizability and the translation of the findings from rats and mice studies to large animal studies and clinical trials.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• 제50권3호
• /
• pp.185-191
• /
• 2023

Objective: Although intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a way to deal with in vitro fertilization failure, 3% of couples still experience repeated fertilization failure after attempted ICSI, despite having sperm within normal parameters. These patients are a challenging group whose sperm cannot fertilize the egg during ICSI. Unfortunately, no test can predict the risk of fertilization failure. Phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ) and transition nuclear proteins (TNPs) are essential factors for chromatin packaging during sperm maturation. This study aimed to assess PLCζ1 and TNP1 expression in the sperm of patients with fertilization failure and the correlations among the DNA fragmentation index, PLCζ1 and TNP1 gene and protein expression, and the risk of fertilization failure. Methods: In this study, 12 infertile couples with low fertilization rates (<25%) and complete failure of fertilization in their prior ICSI cycles despite normal sperm parameters were chosen as the case group. Fifteen individuals who underwent ICSI for the first time served as the control group. After sperm analysis and DNA fragmentation assays, quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot analyses were performed to compare the gene and protein expression of PLCζ and TNP1 in both groups. Results: DNA fragmentation was significantly higher in the fertilization failure group. The qRT-PCR and Western blot results demonstrated significantly lower PLCζ and TNP1 gene and protein expression in these patients than in controls. Conclusion: The present study showed that fertilization failure in normozoospermic men was probably due to deficient DNA packaging and expression of TNP1.

• Journal of Audiology & Otology
• /
• 제23권2호
• /
• pp.83-88
• /
• 2019

Background and Objectives: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a disorder that usually occurs in the elderly, leading to dementia in some progressive cases. The purpose of this study is to examine the utility of central auditory processing tests as early diagnostic tools for identifying the elderly with MCI. Subjects and Methods: This study was conducted on 20 elderly patients with MCI and 20 healthy matched peers. The speech perception ability in a quiet environment and in the presence of background noise and also temporal resolution were assessed by using Speech Perception in Noise (SPIN) and Gap in Noise (GIN) tests, respectively. Results: The results indicated that the ability to understand speech in a quiet environment did not differ significantly between the two groups. However, SPIN at the three signal-to-noise ratios and the temporal resolution scores were significantly different between the two groups (p<0.001). Conclusions: Individuals with MCI appear to have poorer speech comprehension in noise and a lower temporal resolution than those of the same age, but without cognitive defects. Considering the utility of these tests in identifying cognitive problems, we propose that since the GIN test seems to be less influenced by intervening factors, this test can therefore, be a useful tool for the early screening of elderly people with cognitive problems.

• Journal of Audiology & Otology
• /
• 제23권4호
• /
• pp.175-180
• /
• 2019

Diagnosis of pre-lingual hearing loss (HL) is difficult owing to the high number of genes responsible. The most frequent cause of HL is DFNB1 due to mutations in the GJB2 gene. It represents up to 40% of HL cases in some populations. In Iran, it has previously been shown that DFNB1 accounts for 16-18% of cases but varies among different ethnic groups. Here, we reviewed results from our three previous publications and data from other published mutation reports to provide a comprehensive collection of data for GJB2 mutations and HL in northern Iran. In total, 903 unrelated families from six different provinces, viz., Gilan, Mazandaran, Golestan, Ghazvin, Semnan, and Tehran, were included and analyzed for the type and prevalence of GJB2 mutations. A total of 23 different genetic variants were detected from which 18 GJB2 mutations were identified. GJB2 mutations were 20.7% in the studied northern provinces, which was significantly higher than that reported in southern populations of Iran. Moreover, a gradient in the frequency of GJB2 mutations from north to south Iran was observed. c.35delG was the most common mutation, accounting for 58.4% of the cases studied. This study suggests that c.35delG mutation in GJB2 is the most important cause of HL in northern Iran.

• 식물병연구
• /
• 제28권4호
• /
• pp.209-220
• /
• 2022

Charcoal canker of oak, which has recently increased in southern Iran, could pose a serious threat to the entire forest ecosystem in the near future. In addition, it seems that climate change and its consequences, such as drought in the southern regions of Iran, have exacerbated this phenomenon. Consequently, the objective of this study was to identify the fungal pathogens that could cause charcoal canker disease in the oak forests of South Zagros. It was also sought to find associations between changes in the occurrence/exacerbation of charcoal canker disease under non and intense drought stress in non-inoculated or inoculated Quercus brantii seedlings. In total, 120 isolates were obtained from eight oak forests located in the Zagros Mountains of Southern Iran, Kohgiluyeh & Boyer-Ahmad and Fars provinces, which were classified as Biscogniauxia mediterranea based on morphological assessment. Subsequently, molecular assay confirmed the result by phylogenetic inference of internal transcribed spacer-rDNA regions, α-actin, and β-tubulin genes. The results of the pathogenicity test showed that the response of isolates of B. mediterranea (Iran-G1 and Iran-M70) was varied in different environments for the measured necrotic lesion length. In comparison with the control moisture treatments (non-stress), the necrotic lesion length in inoculated treatments increased under intense drought stress. In general, inoculated oak seedlings' exposure to water-deficient stress by the pathogen of B. mediterranea could affect the spread/severity of the charcoal canker disease.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• 제55권2호
• /
• pp.164-172
• /
• 2022

Objectives: We aimed to estimate the space-time distribution of the risk of suicide mortality in Iran from 2006 to 2016. Methods: In this repeated cross-sectional study, the age-standardized risk of suicide mortality from 2006 to 2016 was determined. To estimate the cumulative and temporal risk, the Besag, York, and Mollié and Bernardinelli models were used. Results: The relative risk of suicide mortality was greater than 1 in 43.0% of Iran's provinces (posterior probability >0.8; range, 0.46 to 3.93). The spatio-temporal model indicated a high risk of suicide in 36.7% of Iran's provinces. In addition, significant upward temporal trends in suicide risk were observed in the provinces of Tehran, Fars, Kermanshah, and Gilan. A significantly decreasing pattern of risk was observed for men (β, -0.013; 95% credible interval [CrI], -0.010 to -0.007), and a stable pattern of risk was observed for women (β, -0.001; 95% CrI, -0.010 to 0.007). A decreasing pattern of suicide risk was observed for those aged 15-29 years (β, -0.006; 95% CrI, -0.010 to -0.0001) and 30-49 years (β, -0.001; 95% CrI, -0.018 to -0.002). The risk was stable for those aged >50 years. Conclusions: The highest risk of suicide mortality was observed in Iran's northwestern provinces and among Kurdish women. Although a low risk of suicide mortality was observed in the provinces of Tehran, Fars, and Gilan, the risk in these provinces is increasing rapidly compared to other regions.

• 대한청각학회지
• /
• 제23권4호
• /
• pp.175-180
• /
• 2019

Diagnosis of pre-lingual hearing loss (HL) is difficult owing to the high number of genes responsible. The most frequent cause of HL is DFNB1 due to mutations in the GJB2 gene. It represents up to 40% of HL cases in some populations. In Iran, it has previously been shown that DFNB1 accounts for 16-18% of cases but varies among different ethnic groups. Here, we reviewed results from our three previous publications and data from other published mutation reports to provide a comprehensive collection of data for GJB2 mutations and HL in northern Iran. In total, 903 unrelated families from six different provinces, viz., Gilan, Mazandaran, Golestan, Ghazvin, Semnan, and Tehran, were included and analyzed for the type and prevalence of GJB2 mutations. A total of 23 different genetic variants were detected from which 18 GJB2 mutations were identified. GJB2 mutations were 20.7% in the studied northern provinces, which was significantly higher than that reported in southern populations of Iran. Moreover, a gradient in the frequency of GJB2 mutations from north to south Iran was observed. c.35delG was the most common mutation, accounting for 58.4% of the cases studied. This study suggests that c.35delG mutation in GJB2 is the most important cause of HL in northern Iran.

• 대한청각학회지
• /
• 제23권2호
• /
• pp.83-88
• /
• 2019

Background and Objectives: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a disorder that usually occurs in the elderly, leading to dementia in some progressive cases. The purpose of this study is to examine the utility of central auditory processing tests as early diagnostic tools for identifying the elderly with MCI. Subjects and Methods: This study was conducted on 20 elderly patients with MCI and 20 healthy matched peers. The speech perception ability in a quiet environment and in the presence of background noise and also temporal resolution were assessed by using Speech Perception in Noise (SPIN) and Gap in Noise (GIN) tests, respectively. Results: The results indicated that the ability to understand speech in a quiet environment did not differ significantly between the two groups. However, SPIN at the three signal-to-noise ratios and the temporal resolution scores were significantly different between the two groups (p<0.001). Conclusions: Individuals with MCI appear to have poorer speech comprehension in noise and a lower temporal resolution than those of the same age, but without cognitive defects. Considering the utility of these tests in identifying cognitive problems, we propose that since the GIN test seems to be less influenced by intervening factors, this test can therefore, be a useful tool for the early screening of elderly people with cognitive problems.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• 제57권2호
• /
• pp.148-156
• /
• 2024

Objectives: Understanding patterns of quality of life in people who inject drugs (PWID) can help healthcare providers plan and manage their health problems in a more focused manner. Therefore, the current study aimed to identify patterns of health-related quality of life in PWID in southeast Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in southeast Iran on men who had injected drugs at least once during the last year. We used convenience sampling in 2 drop-in centers and venue-based sampling at 85 venues. Demographic characteristics, high-risk behaviors, and health-related quality of life were evaluated using the 5-level EQ-5D version (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire. Latent profile analysis was used to identify patterns of quality of life. Results: This study enrolled 398 PWID, who had a mean age of 34.1±11.4 years. About 47.9% reported a prison history in the last 10 years, 59.2% had injected drugs in the last month, and 31.6% had a history of sharing syringes. About 46.3% reported having 2 or more sexual partners in the last 6 months, and 14.7% had a history of sex with men. Out of the 5 EQ-5D-5L profiles, the fifth profile had the most people (36.6%). Most variations in quality of life were related to pain and discomfort. Conclusions: We showed that the pain and discomfort dimension of EQ-5D-5L had more variation in PWID. This finding will be useful for allocating appropriate interventions and resources to promote health-related quality of life in this population.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• 제16권5호
• /
• pp.1873-1880
• /
• 2015

Background: A recent genome-wide association study (GWAS) on patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) treated with peginterferon and ribavirin (pegIFN-${\alpha}$/RBV) identified a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on chromosome 19 (rs12979860) which was strongly associated with a sustained virological response (SVR). The aim of this study was twofold: to study the relationship between IL28B rs12979860 and sustained virological response (SVR) to pegIFN-${\alpha}$/RVB therapy among CHC patients and to detect the rs12979860 polymorphism by high resolution melting curve (HRM) assay as a simple, fast, sensitive, and inexpensive method. Materials and Methods: The study examined outcomes in 100 patients with chronic hepatitis C in 2 provinces of Iran from December 2011 to June 2013. Two methods were applied to detect IL28B polymorphisms: PCR-sequencing as a gold standard method and HRM as a simple, fast, sensitive, and inexpensive method. Results: The frequencies of IL28B rs12979860 CC, CT, and TT alleles in chronic hepatitis C genotype 1a patients were 10% (10/100), 35% (35/100), and 6% (6/100) and in genotype 3a were 13% (13/100), 31% (31/100), and 5% (5/100), respectively. In genotype 3a infected patients, rs12979860 (CC and CT alleles) and in genotype 1a infected patients (CC allele) were significantly associated with a sustained virological response (SVR). The SVR rates for CC, CT and TT (IL28B rs12979860) were 18%, 34% and 4%, respectively. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified two independent factors that were significantly associated with SVR: IL-28B genotype (rs 12979860 CC vs TT and CT; odds ratio [ORs], 7.86 and 4.084, respectively), and HCV subtype 1a (OR, 7.46). In the present study, an association between SVR rates and IL28B polymorphisms was observed. Conclusions: The HRM assay described herein is rapid, inexpensive, sensitive and accurate for detecting rs12979860 alleles in CHC patients. This method can be readily adopted by any molecular diagnostic laboratory with HRM capability and will be clinically beneficial in predicting treatment response in HCV genotype 1 and 3 infected patients. In addition, it was demonstrated that CC and CT alleles in HCV-3a and the CC allele in HCV-1a were significantly associated with response to pegIFN-${\alpha}$/RBV treatment. The present results may help identify subjects for whom the therapy might be successful.