AIM: To determine the frequency of HIV-related ocular involvement and to describe the characteristics of involvement in a special clinic in Tehran.METHODS: In this cross sectional study, 141 patients (125 male and 16 female, 282 eyes) of HIV-infected patients with various stages of HIV infection that were referred to Center of behavioral diseases were evaluated during a period of 7 months. Every patient had a complete profile including demographic data, method of HIV transmission, recent CD4 T cell lymphocyte count, serological studies for common sexual or blood-born viruses and toxoplasmosis, history of antiretroviral therapy, and associated systemic disease. RESULTS: A total of 141 patients were evaluated. HIV-related ocular involvement was detected in 15 patients (10.6%), including 3 mycobacterium tuberculosis-related choroiditis, 2 cytomegalovirus retinitis, 2 retinal toxoplasmosis, 2 herpes simplex virus-related lesions, 1 HIV-associated retinopathy, 1 herpes zoster ophthalmicus, 1 undetermined vitritis, and 3 cases of cranial nerve involvement including 2 cases of gaze palsy and 1 case of papilitis. In our study, mean CD4 T cell lymphocyte count was fewer in patients with ocular involvement than in patients without ocular involvement (204.7±123.8 vs 403.7±339.7, P=0.029), but there was no difference in other possible associated factors between two groups.lesions are the most common HIV-related ocular involvements in Tehran that is different from those of recent publications in developed countries.

AIM: To evaluate correlation of retinopathy and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) as microvascular complications of diabetes and also to identify their risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes.MEHTODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study in an outpatient diabetes clinic during an 18-month period. 100 patients (51 male and 49 female), all affected by non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), were examined for the presence of diabetic neuropathy and diabetic retinopathy.RESULTS: 78.1% of patients with retinopathy had DPN; and 79.1% of patients with DPN had retinopathy. Analysis of the association between DPN and retinopathy showed no significant correlation between them. 90.9% of patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) had DPN; and 27.8 %of patients with DPN had PDR. Both the univariate analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis revealed significant correlation between them (r =0.42, P =0.02).CONCLUSION: A severe diabetic retinopathy is associated with diabetic neuropathy. Our study further supports that diabetic neuropathy might be used as a tell-tale sign of diabetic retinopathy, necessitating more intensive ophthalmic care, especially in long-lasting diabetes.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common disorder referred to gastroenterologists and is characterized by altered bowel habits, abdominal pain, and bloating. Visceral hypersensitivity (VH) is a multifactorial process that may occur within the peripheral or central nervous systems and plays a principal role in the etiology of IBS symptoms. The pharmacological studies on selective drugs based on targeting specific ligands can provide novel therapies for modulation of persistent visceral hyperalgesia. The current paper reviews the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying therapeutic targeting for providing future drugs to protect or treat visceroperception and pain sensitization in IBS patients. There are a wide range of mediators and receptors participating in visceral pain perception amongst which substances targeting afferent receptors are attractive sources of novel drugs. Novel therapeutic targets for the management of VH include compounds which alter gut-brain pathways and local neuroimmune pathways. Molecular mediators and receptors participating in pain perception and visceroperception include histamine-1 receptors, serotonin (5-hydrodytryptamine) receptors, transient receptor potential vanilloid type I, tachykinins ligands, opioid receptors, voltage-gated channels, tyrosine receptor kinase receptors, protease-activated receptors, adrenergic system ligands, cannabinoid receptors, sex hormones, and glutamate receptors which are discussed in the current review. Moreover, several plant-derived natural compounds with potential to alleviate VH in IBS have been highlighted. VH has an important role in the pathology and severity of complications in IBS. Therefore, managing VH can remarkably modulate the symptoms of IBS. More preclinical and clinical investigations are needed to provide efficacious and targeted medicines for the management of VH.
Abdominal Pain ; Central Nervous System ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; Humans ; Hyperalgesia ; Hypersensitivity* ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome* ; Ligands ; Pain Perception ; Pathology ; Phosphotransferases ; Receptors, Adrenergic ; Receptors, Cannabinoid ; Receptors, Glutamate ; Receptors, Opioid ; Receptors, Proteinase-Activated ; Receptors, Serotonin ; Tachykinins ; Tyrosine ; Visceral Pain

No abstract available.
Iran ; Authorship ; Biomedical Research ; Peer Review ; Publishing ; Periodicals as Topic ; Research Personnel

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of present study is to estimate the effects of Melissa officinalis L. (MO) on visceral hypersensitivity (VH), defecation pattern and biochemical factors in 2 experimental models of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and the possible role of nitric oxide. METHODS: Two individual models of IBS were induced in male Wistar-albino rats. In the acetic acid model, the animals were exposed to rectal distension and abdominal withdrawal reflex, and the defecation patterns were determined. In the restraint stress model, the levels of TNF-α, myeloperoxidase, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant powers were determined in the (removed) colon. Rats had been treated with MO, L-NG-nitroarginine methyl ester (L-NAME), aminoguanidine (AG), MO + AG, or MO + L-NAME in the mentioned experimental models. RESULTS: Hypersensitive response to rectal distension and more stool defecation in control rats have been observed in comparison to shams. MO-300 significantly reduced VH and defecation frequency in comparison to controls. VH and defecation pattern did not show significant change in AG + MO and L-NAME + MO groups compared to controls. Also, significant reduction in TNF-α, myeloperoxidase, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and an increase in antioxidant power in MO-300 group was recorded compared to controls. AG + MO and L-NAME + MO groups showed a reverse pattern compared to MO-300 group. CONCLUSIONS: MO can ameliorate IBS by modulating VH and defecation patterns. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties along with its effect on the nitrergic pathway seem to play important roles in its pharmacological activity.
Acetic Acid ; Animals ; Colitis ; Colon ; Defecation ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Male ; Melissa ; Models, Theoretical ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; Nitric Oxide ; Peroxidase ; Rats ; Reflex ; Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances

The association between the risk of allograft rejection after organ transplantation and FAS gene polymorphism has been evaluated previously. However, inconsistent results have been reported. Hence, we conducted the most up-to-date meta-analysis to evaluate this association. All eligible studies reporting the association between FAS-670A＞G polymorphism and the risk of allograft rejection published up to December 2019 were extracted using a comprehensive systematic database search in the Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed. The pooled odds ratios (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to determine the association strength. This meta-analysis included six case-control studies with 277 patients who experienced allograft rejection and 1,001 patients who did not experience allograft rejection (controls) after organ transplantation. The overall results showed no significant association between FAS-670A＞G polymorphism and the risk of allograft rejection in five genetic models (dominant model: OR=0.81, 95% CI=0.58‒1.12; recessive model: OR=0.10, 95% CI=0.80‒1.53; allelic model: OR=0.96, 95% CI=0.79‒1.18; GG vs. AA: OR=0.92, 95% CI=0.62‒1.36; and AG vs. AA: OR=0.75, 95% CI=0.52‒1.08). Moreover, subgroup analysis according to ethnicity and age did not reveal statistically significant results. Our findings suggest that FAS-670A＞G polymorphism is not associated with the risk of allograft rejection after organ transplantation.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of whole-body electrical muscle stimulation (WB-EMS) training on inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in overweight men. Methods: We divided 30 participants into EMS and control groups. The training program for the EMS group comprised 20 WB-EMS sessions (7 weeks, three sessions per week). Results: The results showed that EMS training caused significant increase in interferon γ (P<0.001) and interleukin 10 (IL-10; P<0.01) and significant decrease in IL-17 and IL-23 (P<0.05). Also, the lipid profile showed significant positive changes in the EMS training group. Conclusion EMS training, a novel exercise method that uses electric stimulation, can affect the levels of various cytokines that are involved in inflammation and immunity. EMS training can have both beneficial and harmful effects on the body depending on the type and balance of involved cytokines.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of whole-body electrical muscle stimulation (WB-EMS) training on inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in overweight men. Methods: We divided 30 participants into EMS and control groups. The training program for the EMS group comprised 20 WB-EMS sessions (7 weeks, three sessions per week). Results: The results showed that EMS training caused significant increase in interferon γ (P<0.001) and interleukin 10 (IL-10; P<0.01) and significant decrease in IL-17 and IL-23 (P<0.05). Also, the lipid profile showed significant positive changes in the EMS training group. Conclusion EMS training, a novel exercise method that uses electric stimulation, can affect the levels of various cytokines that are involved in inflammation and immunity. EMS training can have both beneficial and harmful effects on the body depending on the type and balance of involved cytokines.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of whole-body electrical muscle stimulation (WB-EMS) training on inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in overweight men. Methods: We divided 30 participants into EMS and control groups. The training program for the EMS group comprised 20 WB-EMS sessions (7 weeks, three sessions per week). Results: The results showed that EMS training caused significant increase in interferon γ (P<0.001) and interleukin 10 (IL-10; P<0.01) and significant decrease in IL-17 and IL-23 (P<0.05). Also, the lipid profile showed significant positive changes in the EMS training group. Conclusion EMS training, a novel exercise method that uses electric stimulation, can affect the levels of various cytokines that are involved in inflammation and immunity. EMS training can have both beneficial and harmful effects on the body depending on the type and balance of involved cytokines.

Smokeless tobacco consumption, which is widespread throughout the world, leads to oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF), which is a long-lasting and devastating condition of the oral cavity with the potential for malignancy. In this review, we mainly focus on the consumption of smokeless tobacco, such as paan and gutkha, and the role of these substances in the induction of OSMF and ultimately oral cancer. The list of articles to be examined was established using citation discovery tools provided by PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The continuous chewing of paan and swallowing of gutkha trigger progressive fibrosis in submucosal tissue. Generally, OSMF occurs due to multiple risk factors, especially smokeless tobacco and its components, such as betel quid, areca nuts, and slaked lime, which are used in paan and gutkha. The incidence of oral cancer is higher in women than in men in South Asian countries. Human oral epithelium cells experience carcinogenic and genotoxic effects from the slaked lime present in the betel quid, with or without areca nut. Products such as 3-(methylnitrosamino)-proprionitrile, nitrosamines, and nicotine initiate the production of reactive oxygen species in smokeless tobacco, eventually leading to fibroblast, DNA, and RNA damage with carcinogenic effects in the mouth of tobacco consumers. The metabolic activation of nitrosamine in tobacco by cytochrome P450 enzymes may lead to the formation of N-nitrosonornicotine, a major carcinogen, and micronuclei, which are an indicator of genotoxicity. These effects lead to further DNA damage and, eventually, oral cancer.
Activation, Metabolic ; Areca ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System ; Deglutition ; DNA ; DNA Damage ; Epithelium ; Female ; Fibroblasts ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lobeline ; Male ; Mastication ; Mouth ; Mouth Neoplasms ; Nicotine ; Nitrosamines ; Nuts ; Oral Submucous Fibrosis ; Prevalence ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Risk Factors ; RNA ; Tobacco ; Tobacco, Smokeless