Prevalence of tobacco use among cancer patients in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of tobacco use among various cancer types in Iran remains a significant concern, necessitating a comprehensive analysis to understand the extent and patterns of consumption. This study aimed to systematically review and analyze existing literature to delineate the prevalence of tobacco use across different cancer types in Iran, thereby providing a robust basis for future interventions and policy formulations. METHODS: Adhering to the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of literature available in PubMed and Scopus databases. The initial search identified 351 records, out of which 44 studies were selected based on their relevance and design. These studies spanned various time frames, starting from the 2001s up until 2022, and encompassed diverse geographical locations and cancer types in Iran. To avoid bias and potential data overlap, we opted to incorporate a single comprehensive study from the Golestan Cohort, encompassing all data, while excluding 10 other studies. Our final analysis incorporated data from 34 studies, which accounted for 15,425 patients and 5,890 reported smokers. Statistical analyses were performed to calculate the overall proportion of tobacco consumption and to conduct subgroup analyses based on different variables such as cancer types, gender, geographical locations, and types of tobacco used. RESULTS: The analysis revealed a substantial prevalence of tobacco use among cancer patients in Iran, with an overall consumption rate of 43%. This rate varied significantly, ranging from 10 to 88% across individual studies. Subgroup analyses further highlighted disparities in tobacco consumption rates across different demographics, geographic areas, and cancer types. Notably, the 'ever' smokers category exhibited the highest prevalence of tobacco use. The study also identified a worrying trend of high cigarette smoking rates, along with variable consumption patterns of other forms of tobacco, including waterpipe, 'Naas', and 'Pipe'. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and meta-analysis underscores a significant association between tobacco consumption and various cancer types in Iran, with a prevalence rate among cancer patients being three times higher than the average Iranian population. The findings indicate substantial heterogeneity in tobacco use patterns, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to address this pressing health issue. The study serves as a critical resource for shaping future policies and strategies aimed at curbing tobacco use and mitigating its adverse effects on cancer prevalence in Iran.

CRISPR-Cas9 technology: As an efficient genome modification tool in the cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Cancer is the second most common cause of death globally and is a major public health concern. Managing this disease is difficult due to its multiple stages and numerous genetic and epigenetic changes. Traditional cancer diagnosis and treatment methods have limitations, making it crucial to develop new modalities to combat the increasing burden of cancer. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system has transformed genetic engineering due to its simplicity, specificity, low cytotoxicity, and cost-effectiveness. It has been proposed as an effective technology to enhance cancer diagnosis and treatment strategies. This article presents the most recent discoveries regarding the structure, mechanism, and delivery methods of the highly powerful genome editing tool, CRISPR-Cas9. In terms of diagnosis, the article examines the role of CRISPR-Cas9 in detecting microRNAs and DNA methylation, and discusses two popular gene detection techniques that utilize the CRISPR-Cas system: DNA endonuclease-targeted CRISPR trans reporter and specific high sensitivity enzymatic reporter unlocking. Regarding treatment, the article explores several genes that have been identified and modified by CRISPR-Cas9 for effective tumorigenesis of common cancers such as breast, lung, and colorectal cancer. The present review also addresses the challenges and ethical issues associated with using CRISPR-Cas9 as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool. Despite some limitations, CRISPR-Cas9-based cancer diagnosis has the potential to become the next generation of cancer diagnostic tools, and the continuous progress of CRISPR-Cas9 can greatly aid in cancer treatment.

Effervescent tablet-assisted deep eutectic solvent based on magnetic nanofluid for liquid phase microextraction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in plasma samples by high-performance liquid chromatography.

BACKGROUND: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are efficient anti-cancer drugs. The analysis of TKIs in the treatment of cancer is important to achieve the highest anti-cancer effects with minimal toxicities. Herein, we report an efficient effervescent tablet-assisted deep eutectic solvent based on nanofluid (ETA-DES-NF) combined with HPLC-UV for the determination of three anti-cancer drugs (erlotinib, imatinib, and nilotinib) in human plasma samples. METHODS: In this method, a magnetic nanofluid composed of deep eutectic solvent (DES) and Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles was used as an extraction solvent. The deep eutectic solvent acted as a carrier and stabilizer for Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles. A tablet was used in the nanofluid for dispersion. The effervescent tablet was implemented to generate in situ CO2 and provide the effective dispersion of the sorbent into the sample solution for diminishing the extraction time and improving the extraction efficiency. Moreover, the magnetic nanofluid enhanced phase separation efficiency without centrifugation to collect the organic solvent. RESULTS: The synthesized nanofluid was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The impact of main parameters, including the type and volume of DES, the composition of the tablet, the composition of the nanofluid and the composition of eluent, were optimized. According to the optimized conditions, the limits of detection (LODs) and the limits of quantitation (LOQs) were from 0.5-0.8 to 1.5-2.4 µg L-1 for imatinib, erlotinib, and nilotinib, respectively. The intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations (RSD% n = 5) were determined to be 3.1-5% and 6.4-7.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The developed method displayed high sensitivity, low consumption of solvent, low cost, simplicity, high recoveries, short extraction time, and good repeatability for determination of three anti-cancer drugs in human plasma samples.

Gemfibrozil palliates adriamycin-induced testicular injury in male rats via modulating oxidative, endocrine and inflammatory changes in rats.

Adriamycin (ADR), an antineoplastic drug, is widely used to treat different types of cancers. Yet, the usage is limited because of its severe side effects on testis. On the other hand, gemfibrozil (GEM), as an anti-hyperlipidemic drug, has other pharmacological effects independent of lipid- lowering activity including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The present experiment was designed to investigate the effect of GEM on ADR-induced testicular injury in male rats. A total of 28 male Wistar rats were divided into 4 equal groups: Control; ADR; ADR + GEM; GEM. Serum level of testosterone, luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone were assessed. Also, testicular tissue oxidant/antioxidant markers (malondialdehyde, total antioxidant capacity, nitric oxide, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione) and proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1ß) were measured. Histopathological studies were conducted on testes. GEM improved hormonal profile and antioxidant defenses in comparison with ADR-treated animals. GEM, significantly reduced the production of proinflammatory cytokines compared with ADR-treated animals. Hormonal and biochemical results were further supported by testicular histopathological findings. Thus, GEM might represent a promising therapeutic modality for the attenuation of testicular injury induced by ADR in clinic.

Bioactive compounds of Punica granatum L. wastes by high performance liquid chromatography analysis.

The massive pomaces of Punica granatum L. exhibit a challenging losses exposure difficulty for the processing industries. The resent study was aimed to investigate the bioactive compounds of pomace extracts to introduce it to different industries such as pharmaceutical, food, medicinal, agricultural etcetera for optimum use. Four different extracts were prepared and the phenolic compounds were quantified using HPLC-DAD. Different amounts of phenolic compounds were detected in the samples including gallic acid, catechin, ellagic acid, rosmarinic acid, hesperidin, p-coumaric acid and chlorogenic acid. Gallic acid was major compound in all studied extracts of pomaces, with the maximum amount belonging to water extract (at 60 °C). The average amount of gallic acid detected in water extract (at 60 °C) of Punica granatum L. was 11.25 mg g-1 dry weight, while it was 3.24 3.02 and 1.09 mg g-1 dry weight for the extracts obtained by distilled water, methanol and methanol 80%, respectively.

A novel and simple naphthol azo dye chemosensor as a naked eye detection tool for highly selective, sensitive and accurate determination of thiourea in tap water, juices and fruit skins.

In the present study, a highly accurate and sensitive azo-dye-based colorimetric sensor based on Eriochrome Black T (EBT) was proposed to detect and determine thiourea (TU). TU is truly an important toxic and carcinogenic hazardous pollutant as approved by EPA and IARC. This chemosensor shows a distinct color change from blue to pink during interaction with TU in aqueous medium. So EBT is capable as an applied tool for naked eye detection of TU as its color change is easily observed without any means. The sensing mechanism was also investigated using UV-vis absorption and FT-IR spectra. The linear range and the detection limit of TU sensing were respectively 0.15-18.5 µmol/L and 0.02 µmol/L. In addition, the relative standard deviation (RSD) based on ten repetitions calculated for two different TU concentrations 4.4 and 9.0 µmol/L were 2.3 % and 1.8 %, respectively. Besides its useful application as a naked eye detection tool, the advantages of the developed method include simplicity, elimination of tedious separation and pre-concentration steps, executable in neutral aqueous media, low costs, high accuracy, linear response for wide range of concentrations, low detection limit, high sensitivity, compatibility, and excellent selectivity. The concentration of TU in tap water, fruit juices or fruit skin samples can be visually detected and determined easily using this method. The results showed that EBT is an ideal colorimetric chemosensor for TU, which has been reported for the first time.

Synthesis and characterization of Black Au nanoparticles deposited over g-C3N4 nanosheets: enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue.

Black AuNPs, prepared by a facile seeding growth method under ambient conditions, displayed efficient broadband absorption of the incident light over the entire visible and near-infrared regions of the solar spectrum. The spherical black AuNPs with the size of 2-4 nm were deposited over mesoporous g-C3N4 nanosheets. Novel black AuNPs/g-C3N4 plasmonic photocatalysts were used to remove methylene blue (MB) dye from an aqueous solution. The degradation efficiency for the optimal coupling of 1.3 wt.% black AuNPs with g-C3N4 (1.2 g) was found to be 85% within 60 min under visible light irradiation. The calculated kinetic constant was 0.0186 min-1 which was 6.4 and 2.9 times greater than those for g-C3N4 and AuNPs/g-C3N4 nanocomposite, respectively. The excellent potential in photocatalysis was attributed to the synergistic interactions of the g-C3N4 conduction band and the localized surface plasmon resonance effect of black AuNPs. These properties were responsible for the generation of high-energy electrons, a negative shift in the Fermi level of black AuNPs, and the migration of charge carriers. This work studied a new insight into black gold nanoparticles via the design of a visible-light-driven photocatalyst and provided a perspective on valuable photo-related applications such as water treatment.

The serum levels of testosterone in coronary artery disease patients; relation to NO, eNOS, endothelin-1, and disease severity.

OBJECTIVES: The changes in testosterone level and its correlation with the endothelial nitric oxide systems balance in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) remains uncertain. Therefore, in our study, we aimed to evaluate the levels of testosterone, endothelin-1 (ET-1), nitric oxide (NO), and endothelial NOS (eNOS) in CAD patients, and control group to find the relationship between these parameters and disease severity. METHODS: Forty-four patients as CAD group with significant (≥50%) stenosis confirmed by angiography was included in the study, and 40 healthy men were included as the control group. According to the number of vessels obstruction, CAD severity was determined. The serum indicated parameters were assessed to discriminate between patients and controls. RESULTS: It was found that testosterone levels in the CDA group were significantly lower than those of the control group (p<0.05). In addition, the level of ET-1 in the CAD group was higher than that in the control group, but levels of NO and eNOS in observation were significantly lower than those in the control group (p<0.05). The correlation analysis revealed that testosterone was passivity correlated with serum NO levels (r=0.550, p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The current study reports that serum levels of testosterone are closely related to endothelial NO levels and might be of relevance to the pathogenesis of endothelial dysfunction and disease severity in CAD patients.

Calcitriol modulates cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) levels and lipid profile in hypercholesterolemic male rabbits: A pilot study.

Vitamin D3 efficacy against cardiovascular disease prevention has been reported in many experimental studies. We aimed to investigate the effect of the calcitriol or active form of Vitamin D3 (1, 25(OH) 2D3) on serum cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) levels in a rabbit model of atherosclerosis. New Zealand white male rabbits were fed with 1% cholesterol diet and randomly assigned into two groups (n = 6). The case group was administrated with 50000 calcitriol (IU/kg/per wk) and the control group which administrated with calcitriol solvent (sesame oil) for 2 months. Then, after two months the lipid profile, CETP and 25OHD3 levels were measured. The serum concentration of CETP was increased after treatment with calcitriol in case group as compared to the control group (41.75 ± 3.19 vs. 34.5 ± 2.3, ng/ml, P < 0.05). We also observed higher levels of the 25OHD3 in the calcitriol group at the 1st month (16.3 ± 1.64 vs. 12.8 ± 1.33 ng/ml) and the 2nd month (19.5 ± 2.14 vs. 12.5 ± 1.25 ng/ml) as compared with the control group. the significant increase in the level of HDL-C was observed in the case group than the control group (P < 0.01). In addition, serum levels of LDL- Cholesterol (LDL-C), Triglyceride (TG) were reduced after assessment at 1st and 2nd month after administration of calcitriol. Our research indicated the significant anti-atherogenic effects of calcitriol in the rabbit model of atherosclerosis. However, increased in CETP levels by calcitriol may know as an additional way, which interfere with the anti-atherogenic effects of calcitriol.

Fast and efficient removal of Pb(II) ion and malachite green dye from wastewater by using magnetic activated carbon-cobalt nanoparticles.

A high-surface-area and inexpensive activated carbon has been produced from lemon peel using chemical activation with H3PO4 at 500 °C in a N2 atmosphere. Afterwards, the synthesized cobalt nanoparticles using coprecipitation method were adsorbed on the activated carbon surface, and as a result magnetic activated carbon was obtained. Sample characterization has been assessed via X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption and magnetic properties. It was found that magnetic activated carbon-cobalt nanoparticles (MAC/Co) synthesized had a high saturation magnetization. The MAC/Co revealed super-paramagnetic behaviors at room temperature, and have been readily isolated from solution by using an exterior magnet. Next, adsorption behavior of malachite green and Pb(II) onto the generated MAC/Co has been examined. Sorption kinetics and equilibrium have been studied using batch procedure. The kinetic and isothermal adsorption results were matched completely with the Elovich and Langmuir models, respectively. Based on the Langmuir model, the highest adsorption capacities of malachite green dye and Pb(II) ion respectively were 263.2 and 312.5 mg g-1 at room temperature. Based on the results, the MAC/Co is a probable economic and effective adsorbent that can be employed as a new adsorbent to remove malachite green dye and Pb(II) from wastewater.

Dye/metal ion-based chemosensing ensemble towards l-histidine and l-lysine determination in water via different optical responses.

In this study, a novel simple type of label-free, ultra-sensitive, and highly selective UV-Vis absorption and naked-eye detection of histidine (His) and lysine (Lys) using a dye/metal ion ensemble is developed. The outcoming high sensitivity and selectivity for histidine and lysine were attained by changing the metal ions. The indicator is released due to its displacement from the murexide (Mure)/Cu2+ complex by histidine and the change in absorbance may be due to the further complexation of lysine with the additional coordination sites present in the zinc atom of Mure/Zn2+ complex. The label-free chemosensor provided sensitive and selective detection of l-histidine and l-lysine with detection limits of 9.1 and 9.4 nmol L-1, respectively. The protocol especially offers high selectivity for the determination of His and Lys among amino acids found in human urine samples. Furthermore, INHIBIT and NAND molecular logic gates were obtained using chemical inputs and UV-Vis absorbance signal output.

Gemfibrozil attenuates doxorubicin induced toxicity in renal tissues of male rats by reducing the oxidative insult and inflammation.

Nephrotoxicity is a significant side effect of doxorubicin (DXN) treatment. We investigated the protective effect of gemfibrozil (GEM) co-administration with DXN on DXN induced nephrotoxicity. We divided 28 male Wistar rats into four groups of seven. Group 1 received normal saline for 2 weeks. Group 2 received 15 mg/kg DXN for 2 weeks. Group 3 received DXN + GEM for 2 weeks. Group 4 received GEM for 2 weeks. On day 15 of the experiment, blood samples were collected, animals were sacrificed and kidneys were excised for biochemical and histological evaluation. We measured serum creatinine, blood urine nitrogen, renal malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, glutathione, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1ß. GEM administration mitigated DXN induced nephrotoxicity. GEM co-administered with DXN attenuated the inflammatory and oxidative responses associated with DXN induced nephrotoxicity.

An algorithmic approach to gastrointestinal bleeding in patients receiving antithrombotic agents.

Gastrointestinal bleeding is an overwhelming complication of patients taking antithrombotic agents. These drugs pose a challenge to physicians in the management of bleeding to establish hemostasis without putting these patients at a higher risk for thromboembolism. This study aims to propose an algorithmic approach to four major groups of patients receiving antithrombotic agents (single antiplatelet agents, dual antiplatelet agents, anticoagulants and direct oral anticoagulants) to decide when and how these drugs should be held or restarted to offset between the risk of re-bleeding and thromboembolism. Four case-based algorithms are proposed in this article based on some relevant articles. Having designed four case-based algorithms, we are hoping to guide physicians who face a dilemma on the management of patients receiving antithrombotics when gastrointestinal bleeding occurs. Patients using antithrombotics referred for gastrointestinal bleeding were stratified into four groups based on the medication which is used as an antithrombotic agent and four algorithms were designed which are presented here. We have made an attempt to have a stepwise approach to four cases relevant to the study and have an evaluation on the management of their antithrombotic agents during an episode of gastrointestinal bleeding. It is widely accepted that antithrombotic agents should be restarted as soon as possible after the establishment of hemostasis in a patient taking antithrombotics referring for gastrointestinal bleeding. The time for resuming these drugs is different based on the severity of bleeding, the probability of thromboembolic events, and the nature of the antithrombotic medication which is used by the patient.

An uncommon presentation of hepatic hydatid cyst leading to biliary cirrhosis and portal hypertension.

Hydatid disease is an ongoing issue in endemic areas. Hydatid cysts can be seen in any organ but, liver is one of the most common involved organs. Cystobiliary communication as an overwhelming complication of hepatic hydatid cysts can contribute to the obstructive jaundice, cholangitis, sepsis and even biliary cirrhosis if left untreated. The patient we are trying to present is a 61-year-old farmer who presented with obstructive jaundice, multiple common bile duct stones and biliary cirrhosis attributed to a long-lasting untreated hepatic hydatid cyst. Portal hypertension is introduced to be an uncommon presentation of hydatid cyst. Extrinsic compression of the porta hepatis and obstruction of inferior vena cava are amongst major causes of hydatidosis leading up to portal hypertension as reported in the literature. Portal hypertension in the presented case is proposed to emerge from long-lasting cystobiliary communication ending in biliary cirrhosis.

A signal-on fluorescence based biosensing platform for highly sensitive detection of DNA methyltransferase enzyme activity and inhibition.

DNA methylation mediated by DNA methyltransferase (MTase) enzyme is internal cell mechanism which regulate the expression or suppression of crucial genes involve in cancer early diagnosis. Herein, highly sensitive fluorescence biosensing platform was developed for monitoring of DNA Dam MTase enzyme activity and inhibition based on fluorescence signal on mechanism. The specific Au NP functionalized oligonucleotide probe with overhang end as a template for the synthesis of fluorescent silver nanoclusters (Ag NCs) was designed to provide the FRET occurrence. Following, methylation and cleavage processes by Dam MTAse and DpnI enzymes respectively at specific probe recognition site could resulted to release of AgNCs synthesizer DNA fragment and returned the platform to fluorescence signal-on state through interrupting in FRET. Subsequently, amplified fluorescence emission signals of Ag NCs showed increasing linear relationship with amount of Dam MTase enzyme at the range of 0.1-20 U/mL and the detection limit was estimated at 0.05 U/mL. Superior selectivity of experiment was illustrated among other tested MTase and restriction enzymes due to the specific recognition of MTase toward its substrate. Furthermore, the inhibition effect of applied Dam MTase drug inhibitors screened and evaluated with satisfactory results which would be helpful for discovery of antimicrobial drugs. The real sample assay also showed the applicability of proposed method in human serum condition. This novel strategy presented an efficient and cost effective platform for sensitive monitoring of DNA MTase activity and inhibition which illustrated its great potential for further application in medical diagnosis and drug discovery.

User-centred web design, usability and user satisfaction: The case of online banking websites in Iran.

The relationship of Web design attributes (personalisation, structure, navigation, layout, search and performance) and users' personal characteristics to website usability and user satisfaction was investigated among 798 online banking users in Iran. The design and usability of the evaluated websites were not satisfactory from the users' perspectives. Multivariate regression models indicated that Web layout and performance were the main predictors of website usability, while personal characteristics including gender, age and Web usage experience of users had no effect. User satisfaction was also influenced only by the Web design attributes (particularly Web structure) and not by the personal characteristics of the users. There was also a significant relationship between website usability and user satisfaction. The findings suggest that the website designers should focus more on the Web design attributes (particularly Web layout and structure), regardless of the personal characteristics of their users, to improve the usability and user satisfaction of websites.