Applying Nuclear Forward Scattering as In Situ and Operando Tool for the Characterization of FeN4 Moieties in the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Nuclear forward scattering (NFS) is a synchrotron-based technique relying on the recoil-free nuclear resonance effect similar to Mössbauer spectroscopy. In this work, we introduce NFS for in situ and operando measurements during electrocatalytic reactions. The technique enables faster data acquisition and better discrimination of certain iron sites in comparison to Mössbauer spectroscopy. It is directly accessible at various synchrotrons to a broad community of researchers and is applicable to multiple metal isotopes. We demonstrate the power of this technique with the hydrogen evolution mechanism of an immobilized iron porphyrin supported on carbon. Such catalysts are often considered as model systems for iron-nitrogen-carbon (FeNC) catalysts. Using in situ and operando NFS in combination with theoretical predictions of spectroscopic data enables the identification of the intermediate that is formed prior to the rate-determining step. The conclusions on the reaction mechanism can be used for future optimization of immobilized molecular catalysts and metal-nitrogen-carbon (MNC) catalysts.

Evaluation of therapeutic effect of oral Ursodeoxycholic Acid on indirect hyperbilirubinemia in term neonates undergoing phototherapy: A randomized controlled clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Phototherapy is the most common treatment modality of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. We aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of oral Ursodeoxycholic Acid (UDCA) on indirect hyperbilirubinemia in term neonates undergoing phototherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This randomized controlled clinical trial was performed on 106 full-term neonates with jaundice who were admitted to the neonatal ward of 17 Shahrivar Hospital in Rasht, Iran. The neonates were randomly assigned to two groups of intervention (10 mg/kg UDCA+phototherapy) and control (phototherapy alone). Total serum bilirubin (TSB) was measured at the time of admission, during first 12, 24, and 48 hours after admission and at the time of discharge. The duration of hospitalization and side effects were also assessed in both groups. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 20 was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Results showed that in the intervention group, 28 (52.8%) of neonates were boys with the mean age of 5.1±1.25 days. While, in the control group 29 (54.7%) of them were boys with the mean age of 5.19±2.26 days. Bilirubin levels in both groups decreased significantly after hospitalization (at 12, 24 and 48 hours) (P <0.001). The mean of bilirubin at 12, 24 and 48 hours in the intervention and control groups were 17.1, 13.2, 10.2 mg / dl and 17.1, 14.2 and 11.3 mg / dl, respectively. At the time of discharge, TSB in the former compared to the latter group was significantly reduced (7.74± 1.39 vs. 8.67±1.35) (P = 0.001). In addition, the duration of hospitalization was considerably shorter in the intervention compared to the control group (P = 0.038) and no side effects were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Administering UDCA plus phototherapy reduced TSB and length of hospital stay with proper safety and efficacy. Therefore, it seems that this combination can be an appropriate treatment modality in neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.

Substituent Effects in Iron Porphyrin Catalysts for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

For a future hydrogen economy, non-precious metal catalysts for the water splitting reactions are needed that can be implemented on a global scale. Metal-nitrogen-carbon (MNC) catalysts with active sites constituting a metal center with fourfold coordination of nitrogen (MN4 ) show promising performance, but an optimization rooted in structure-property relationships has been hampered by their low structural definition. Porphyrin model complexes are studied to transfer insights from well-defined molecules to MNC systems. This work combines experiment and theory to evaluate the influence of porphyrin substituents on the electronic and electrocatalytic properties of MN4 centers with respect to the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in aqueous electrolyte. We found that the choice of substituent affects their utilization on the carbon support and their electrocatalytic performance. We propose an HER mechanism for supported iron porphyrin complexes involving a [FeII (P⋅)]- radical anion intermediate, in which a porphinic nitrogen atom acts as an internal base. While this work focuses on the HER, the limited influence of a simultaneous interaction with the support and an aqueous electrolyte will likely be transferrable to other catalytic applications.

Effect of vitamin B6 on pain, disease severity, and psychological profile of fibromyalgia patients; a randomized, double-blinded clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Given the role of vitamin B6 on pronociceptive/antinociceptive neurotransmitters balance, metabolic reactions, and inflammation, it is important to clarify the effect of vitamin B6 on pain and psychological disturbance in fibromyalgia (FM). This study aimed to evaluate whether an 80-mg daily dose of vitamin B6 improves pain, disease severity and psychological symptoms of FM compared to a placebo. METHODS: This randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial was performed on the FM patients whose diagnosis was confirmed by a rheumatologist based on the 2016 American College of Rheumatology (ACR). 90 Patients were randomized to receive either vitamin B6 (80 mg daily) or placebo in a 1:1 ratio, with a permuted block size of 30 stratified by disease severity. Primary outcomes included the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), 12-item short-form health survey (SF-12), and pain visual analog scale (pain-VAS)). The mean differences in outcomes (before and after treatment) were compared between the vitamin B6 and placebo groups using an independent T-test. An ANCOVA model adjusted for baseline outcome value was also provided to compare the outcomes between the two groups. RESULTS: Of 90 eligible patients, 60 patients (31 patients in vitamin B6 and 29 in the placebo group) completed the trial. Overall, the FIQR, pain-VAS, and HADS-anxiety scores improved after treatment in both vitamin B6 and placebo groups; However, there was no statistically significant intergroup difference regarding primary outcomes. ANCOVA model also showed no difference in the treatment effects. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed no priority for vitamin B6 over placebo in FM patients. Considering the potential ameliorating role of vitamin B6 on pain and psychological symptoms, acknowledgment of vitamin B6 as a relatively safe adjuvant treatment needs larger future studies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials: IRCT20200920048782N2 on 2021/10/04.

COVID-19 in renal transplant recipients and general population: a comparative study of clinical, laboratory, and radiological features, severity, and outcome.

INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has led to millions of deaths worldwide. Kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) are a fragile population due to their immunosuppressed status. However, there are limited studies available comparing this population with the general population regarding clinical symptoms, and laboratory and imaging features as well as disease severity and clinical outcomes. METHODS: A total of 24 KTRs and 40 patients from the general population (control group) were enrolled after applying exclusion criteria. Clinical symptoms, laboratory values, and lung involvement patterns in high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) were compared between KTRs with COVID-19 and their counterparts from the general population. Moreover, the category of disease severity and adverse outcomes such as intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mechanical ventilation (MV), and mortality rate were also compared between these two groups. RESULTS: Hypertension was significantly higher among KTRs. Dyspnea was significantly more among the control group (P = 0.045). There was no significant difference in the rest of clinical symptoms (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in CT features as well, except pleural effusion, which was more prevalent in the control group. A lower absolute lymphocytic count (ALC) and platelet count were observed in KTRs. Renal transplant recipients (RTRs) had a higher elevation in creatinine level than their counterparts. The ICU admission, MV, duration of hospital stay, and mortality as adverse outcomes were not significantly different between the KTR and control groups. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, there was no significant difference in the severity and risk of adverse outcomes, including MV, ICU admission, and mortality between KTRs under chronic immunosuppression and the control group.

IRIXS Spectrograph: an ultra high-resolution spectrometer for tender RIXS.

The IRIXS Spectrograph represents a new design of an ultra-high-resolution resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) spectrometer that operates at the Ru L3-edge (2840 eV). First proposed in the field of hard X-rays by Shvyd'ko [(2015), Phys. Rev. A, 91, 053817], the X-ray spectrograph uses a combination of laterally graded multilayer mirrors and collimating/dispersing Ge(111) crystals optics in a novel spectral imaging approach to overcome the energy resolution limitation of a traditional Rowland-type spectrometer [Gretarsson et al. (2020), J. Synchrotron Rad. 27, 538-544]. In combination with a dispersionless nested four-bounce high-resolution monochromator design that utilizes Si(111) and Al2O3(110) crystals, an overall energy resolution better than 35 meV full width at half-maximum has been achieved at the Ru L3-edge, in excellent agreement with ray-tracing simulations.

Phonon Spectroscopy in Antimony and Tellurium Oxides.

α-Sb2O3 (senarmontite), ß-Sb2O3 (valentinite), and α-TeO2 (paratellurite) are compounds with pronounced stereochemically active Sb and Te lone pairs. The vibrational and lattice properties of each have been previously studied but often lead to incomplete or unreliable results due to modes being inactive in infrared or Raman spectroscopy. Here, we present a study of the relationship between bonding and lattice dynamics of these compounds. Mössbauer spectroscopy is used to study the structure of Sb in α-Sb2O3 and ß-Sb2O3, whereas the vibrational modes of Sb and Te for each oxide are investigated using nuclear inelastic scattering, and further information on O vibrational modes is obtained using inelastic neutron scattering. Additionally, vibrational frequencies obtained by density functional theory (DFT) calculations are compared with experimental results in order to assess the validity of the utilized functional. Good agreement was found between DFT-calculated and experimental density of phonon states with a 7% scaling factor. The Sb-O-Sb wagging mode of α-Sb2O3 whose frequency was not clear in most previous studies is experimentally observed for the first time at ∼340 cm-1. Softer lattice vibrational modes occur in orthorhombic ß-Sb2O3 compared to cubic α-Sb2O3, indicating that the antimony bonds are weakened upon transforming from the molecular α phase to the layer-chained ß structure. The resulting vibrational entropy increase of 0.45 ± 0.1 kB/Sb2O3 at 880 K accounts for about half of the α-ß transition entropy. The comparison of experimental and theoretical approaches presented here provides a detailed picture of the lattice dynamics in these oxides beyond the zone center and shows that the accuracy of DFT is sufficient for future calculations of similar material structures.

Clinical characteristics and outcome of COVID-19 pneumonia in kidney transplant recipients in Razi hospital, Rasht, Iran.

BACKGROUND: In late December 2019, a novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 started to spread around the world in different populations. Its clinical and laboratory characteristics and outcome in kidney transplant recipients are little known. Therefore, we describe 22 kidney transplant recipients with SARS-CoV-2-induced pneumonia. METHODS: All kidney transplant recipients who referred to the Razi Hospital of Rasht with a diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection from February 20 to 19th of April 2020 have been included in this observational study. RESULTS: We present 22 cases of COVID-19 in kidney transplant recipients (median age 52 years [interquartile range 40.75-62.75 years]) and baseline eGFR 60 (mL/min/1.73 m2 ) (44.75-86.75). Patients complained of cough (72.7%), dyspnea (63.6%), fever (68.2%), and chill (72.7%) with greater prevalence. We decreased the dose of immunosuppression and started stress dose of intravenous hydrocortisone or equivalent oral prednisolone. Each patient received antiviral therapy based on the latest updated version of local protocol at the time of admission. CT scan findings in 90.9% of patients showed bilateral multifocal lesions. Acute kidney injury (AKI) was observed in 12 patients during hospitalization. Six patients died after a median of 12 days from admission (IQR, 1-21). CONCLUSIONS: In this small observational study, we observed high AKI occurrence and mortality rate in kidney transplant recipients with COVID-19.

Characterization of osmolyte-enzyme interactions using different spectroscopy and molecular dynamic techniques: Binding of sucrose to proteinase K.

Osmolytes such as sucrose can interact with the proteins. The aim of the present investigation was to characterize how sucrose could affect the structure, thermal stability and the kinetic of proteinase K. UV-vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism, molecular docking, molecular dynamic simulation studies were used to this end. The UV-vis results are represented the intensity enhancement 270 nm due to alteration in the local environment of Tyr and Trp amino acid residues illustrated the tertiary structure changes of proteinase K. The intrinsic fluorescence intensity was decreased regularly with increase the ligand concentration. The secondary structure alterations were revealed an increase in the α-helix content of enzyme. The activity of enzyme was increased in the presence of sucrose. Thus, sucrose is an activator for proteinase K. Molecular docking results show a negative value for the Gibbs free energy of the binding confirming the spontaneous proteinase K-sucrose complexation and in agreement with fluorescence results. On the other hand, the thermal stability of proteinase K was investigated in the presence of sucrose. The obtained results show that sucrose led to increment the stability of enzyme in a concentration dependent manner. These results are confirmed by the molecular dynamic simulation technique.

Evaluation of Medication Package Inserts in Iran.

OBJECTIVE: Package inserts (PIs) provide information for the safe and effective use of medication. There is no study on the evaluation of PIs in Iran. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the completeness of PIs supplied with the 100 top-selling medications in Iran. METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted during 3 weeks in January 2017. One hundred medications were chosen from a list supplied by the Iran Food and Drug Administration (IFDA). The PIs were assessed for the presentation and completeness of quality criteria, which was consisted of two parts. The first part was the criteria required by the IFDA, mentioned in Chapter 16 of the Pharmaceutical Regulations and Instructions provided by the IFDA. The second part of the criteria was defined according to the critical comments of clinical and industrial pharmacists. FINDINGS: Thirty-seven out of 100 medications included no PIs. None of the PIs met all the criteria required by the IFDA. The highest score for completeness was 18 out of 21 (85.7%). Medication name, description, and adverse reaction were mentioned in all PIs. Other items such as patient counseling information (98%), warnings (95.2%), precautions (95.2%), pregnancy/lactation (95%), and storage condition (90.5%) have been mentioned in a high percentage of PIs. CONCLUSION: PIs have improved in recent years in Iran, but there is an absolute need for more accurate and up-to-date information. The IFDA should supervise pharmaceutical companies more strictly in this regard and should revise its regulations requiring PIs to conform to the FDA regulations.

Effects of pre-transplant L-carnitine supplementation on primary graft dysfunction in liver transplant recipients: a pilot, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Primary graft dysfunction (PGD) and non-function (PNF) happen in 8.7-24.7% and 0.9-7.2% of liver transplant recipients, respectively. These phenomena increase treatment cost and patients' death. This study assessed the effect of L-carnitine supplementation on the incidences of PNF/PGD in liver transplant recipients. This randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial was performed on adult liver transplant recipients. Patients took L-carnitine syrup 500 mg three times daily or placebo from the time of including in transplant waiting list until the day of transplant surgery (median 14 days, 1-192 days). Thirty-three patients in L-carnitine and 39 patients in placebo group completed the study. Although not statistically significant, PNF and PGD happened less frequently among recipients in L-carnitine compared with placebo group (3% vs. 12.8% for PNF; 15.2% vs. 30.8% for PGD). Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase were lower in L-carnitine group at day 3 after transplantation. ALT declined more significantly within 48 h after transplantation in L-carnitine arm (median 120.50 vs. 79 IU/L; P = 0.03). One-month patients' survival was significantly higher in L-carnitine versus placebo group (97% vs. 74.4%; P = 0.008). The rates of PNF and PGD in L-carnitine group were approximately one-fourth and one-half of placebo group respectively. One-month patients' survival was higher in L-carnitine group.

Comparing the Effect of Immediate versus Delayed Initiation of Tacrolimus on Delayed Graft Function in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Randomized Open-label Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVE: Delayed graft function (DGF) is an early complication after kidney transplantation with negative impact on allograft outcomes. This study assessed the effect of delayed initiation of tacrolimus as a nephrotoxic drug, on DGF occurrence and allograft function. METHODS: This randomized, open-label clinical trial was conducted on kidney transplant recipients with the age of at least 14 years who underwent the first kidney transplantation from deceased or living donor. Patients were randomly allocated to immediate (n = 26) or delayed tacrolimus (n = 27) groups. All patients received thymoglobulin as induction therapy and similar maintenance immunosuppression including tacrolimus, mycophenolate, and prednisolone with the difference in the time of initiation of tacrolimus either on the day of transplantation (immediate tacrolimus group) or day 3 after transplant (delayed tacrolimus group). FINDINGS: DGF incidence (46.15% vs. 37.04%; P = 0.501) and duration (9.75 ± 6.41 vs. 8.6 ± 6.16 days; P = 0.675) were not different between the immediate and delayed tacrolimus groups. Estimated creatinine clearance using Cockcroft-Gault equation (63.14 ± 18.81 vs. 58.19 ± 19.42 mL/min in immediate and delayed tacrolimus groups respectively; P = 0.373) and estimated acute rejection-free survival were also comparable between the groups over the 3 months of follow-up. Compared with the immediate group, the delayed tacrolimus group showed higher estimated 3-month grafts' survival (100% vs. 84.27%; P = 0.072). CONCLUSION: Delayed initiation of tacrolimus after kidney transplantation under the umbrella of thymoglobulin induction did not result in either lower incidence or duration of DGF or improved the level of graft function in kidney transplant recipients but non-statistically significant increased 3-month grafts' survival.

The effect of hydro-alcoholic extract of Achillea millefolium on appetite hormone in rats.

OBJECTIVE: Achillea millefolium (A. millefolium) is known as an orexigenic herb in Iranian traditional medicine. In this study, the possible orexigenic effect of hydro-alcoholic extract of A. millefolium was investigated by measuring plasmaghrelin level. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty male Wistar rats were divided into five groups. Control group received water. Treatment groups received 50, 100 or 150 mg/kg of A. millefolium extract for 7 days via gavage. Before the intervention, daily amount of the food eaten by each rat was measured for 10 days. During the investigation, the amount of energy intake of each rat was also estimated 1, 2, 4, 6 and 24 hr after each intake, for 7 days. Later, the orexigenic dose of extract and distilled water was fed to two separate groups of 6 male Wistar rats. Plasma ghrelin level was measured 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 hrafter extract intake. RESULTS: The change in energy intake after treatment by 50and 100mg/kg of the extract was significantly higher than other groups (p<0.001).Administration of Achillea 100mg/kg significantly (p<0.05) decreased ghrelin level one hrafter intervention but there was no significant (p>0.05) difference among control and treated group. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that A. millefolium had positive dose-related effects on appetite in rats. It seems that the orexigenicactivity of extract was not related to changes in plasma ghrelin levels.

Cytopenia Occurrence in Kidney Transplant Recipients Within Early Post-transplant Period.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed incidence, severity, and time to occurrence of drug-induced leukopenia/thrombocytopenia within 1st month after kidney transplantation. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on newly kidney transplant recipients from two hospitals, Iran. Patients with thrombocytopenia due to acute antibody-mediated rejection were excluded from the study. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data of patients within the 1st month after transplantation were collected. FINDINGS: Of 213 patients, 14.1% and 66.2% experienced leukopenia and thrombocytopenia, respectively. Cytopenia happened more commonly among patients with thymoglobulin-containing regimen (for leukopenia: 24.6% vs. 0%, P < 0.001; for thrombocytopenia 84.4% vs. 41.8%, P < 0.001). Most leukopenia patients experienced Grades 1 and 2 of leukopenia (46.6% and 40% of patients). Most thrombocytopenic patients showed Grade 1 of thrombocytopenia (78.7%). Cumulative dose of thymoglobulin did not differ between patients with and without leukopenia (5.57 ± 1.13 vs. 5.9 ± 1.96 mg/kg; P = 0.613) or with and without thrombocytopenia (5.87 ± 1.86 vs. 5.56 ± 1.38 mg/kg; P = 0.29). Cytopenia were more common among recipients from deceased compared with from living donors (91.3% vs. 8.7% for leukopenia patients, P = 0.001; 69.9% vs. 33.1% for thrombocytopenia, P = 0.02). More patients with kidney from deceased donors received thymoglobulin in their immunosuppressive regimen (82% vs. 37%; P < 0.001). The median time to leukopenia and thrombocytopenia were 3 days and 1 day, respectively. CONCLUSION: Among immunosuppressive and prophylactic antimicrobial agents, thymoglobulin is more related to cytopenia; therefore, thymoglobulin dose reduction is recommended as the first intervention to manage cytopenia without need for reduction of its cumulative dose. The higher prevalence of cytopenia among recipients from deceased donors may be related to the higher use of thymoglobulin in these patients.

Protective Effects of L-Carnitine Against Delayed Graft Function in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Pilot, Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVE: Delayed graft function (DGF) is an early complication after deceased donor kidney transplantation with significant adverse effects on graft outcomes. Ischemia-reperfusion injury during transplantation is a major cause of DGF. Tissue concentrations of carnitine, an antioxidant and regulator of cellular energy supply, decrease in the kidney following ischemia-reperfusion insult. Based on promising animal data, this study evaluated the possible protective effect of L-carnitine against DGF. DESIGN: This study is a pilot, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial that was conducted on kidney transplantation patients in kidney transplant ward of Imam Khomeini hospital complex affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. SUBJECTS: Patients older than 14 years old undergoing their first kidney transplantation from a deceased donor were evaluated for eligibility to take part in this study. Fifty-six patients were randomly assigned to L-carnitine or placebo groups. INTERVENTION: During this trial, 3 g of oral L-carnitine or placebo was administered in 3 divided doses each day for 4 consecutive days starting the day before kidney transplantation (i.e., days -1, 0, 1, and 2). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The need for dialysis within the first week after transplantation, serum creatinine and urine output were assessed daily. After hospital discharge, patients were followed for 3 months regarding organ function. RESULTS: DGF incidence did not differ between the L-carnitine and placebo groups (18.51% vs. 23.8%, respectively; P = .68). Total allograft failure within 3 months after kidney transplantation happened in 6 patients in the placebo and 1 patient in the L-carnitine group (P = .05). CONCLUSION: This study showed no protective effects of oral L-carnitine supplementation against DGF occurrence recipients; however, 3-month graft loss was lower in the L-carnitine supplemented group.

Fingerprint changes among cancer patients treated with paclitaxel.

BACKGROUND: Fingerprints have long been used for personal identification; however, some case reports suggested that some chemotherapy agents such as paclitaxel lead to fingerprints loss due to hand-and-foot syndrome (HFS). METHODS: This case-control study was performed on 65 patients who received chemotherapy regimens with/without paclitaxel. Patients with the history of receiving any drugs with significant HFS adverse effect or patients with any conditions that affect fingerprints were excluded. Baseline and post-chemotherapy images of fingerprint examples were referred to the Iranian Society of Legal Medicine to compare changes in the fingerprints. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients entered in the paclitaxel and 34 subjects in the control groups. Seventeen patients (54.8%) in the paclitaxel group experienced fingerprint changes, whereas no patient had fingerprint changes in the control group. By physical examination, no patients in the two groups experienced HFS. After adjusting for age, sex, occupation, and cancer type, there was a significant difference between the two groups regarding fingerprint changes (P = 0.002, OR 13.69, 95% CI 2.05 to infinite). CONCLUSIONS: Considering that fingerprint recognition has been utilized in both government and civilian investigation, patients taking paclitaxel and centers necessitating fingerprint identification should be informed about possible fingerprint changes by paclitaxel.

Effectiveness of Intravenous Immunoglobulin Plus Plasmapheresis on Antibody-mediated Rejection or Thrombotic Microangiopathy in Iranian Kidney Transplant Recipient.

BACKGROUND: Antibody mediated rejection (AMR) and thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) after kidney transplantation are difficult to differentiate most of the times and both play important roles in kidney allograft loss. Common treatment strategies of these two conditions include plasmapheresis, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and rituximab. OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to assess the efficacy of routine treatment of AMR/TMA in Iranian kidney transplant recipients, which comprises of plasmapheresis and IVIG. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This one-year cross-sectional study was performed in the Kidney Transplantation Ward of Imam-Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran, Iran. All kidney transplant recipients who were administered plasmapheresis and IVIG to treat definite or suggested AMR or TMA were assessed clinically and also evaluated on laboratory data. RESULTS: During 2014, we encountered five patients with suspicious AMR or TMA at our kidney transplant center. Renal biopsy was performed for two of them, suggesting AMR for one patient and TMA for another patient. All patients were treated with plasmapheresis plus IVIG. In this center, as a routine practice, the cumulative dose of 2 g/kg of IVIG was divided to 300 - 400 mg/kg after each plasmapheresis. Only one out of the five patients showed response, albeit not completely. CONCLUSIONS: Due to daily plasmapheresis within the first several days after AMR or TMA, administering high amounts of the cumulative dose of IVIG after plasmapheresis may result in high amounts of IVIG withdrawal by plasmapheresis and response failure. Our suggestion is to reduce the IVIG dose after each plasmapheresis to 100 mg/kg (i.e. replacement dose) to reach a cumulative dose of 2 g/Kg. If plasmapheresis treatment is initiated sooner than the completion of the IVIG cumulative dose of 2 g/kg, the remaining dose can be administered during one injection.

Safely treating hepatitis C in patients with HIV or hepatitis B virus coinfection.

INTRODUCTION: There are several clinical trials and prospective studies which support the use of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-coinfected patients. In this review, the safety of DAAs in HCV patients coinfected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or HIV has been evaluated. AREAS COVERED: All available prospective studies, clinical trials and congress abstracts in the English language that assessed the safety and efficacy of DAAs in HCV coinfections have been considered. EXPERT OPINION: The newer DAAs in the treatment of HCV/HIV-coinfected patients resolved major limitations of the first-generation protease inhibitors including complex dosing, poor tolerability and interactions with antiretroviral drugs. There are not yet enough data regarding the safety and efficacy of DAAs in some coinfected patients with comorbidities, nor for pregnant, lactating or pediatric patients. Evaluating the safety and efficacy of these agents in these subgroups with HCV coinfection is recommended for future studies. The role of new direct-acting antiviral-based therapy for the treatment of patients with HCV/HBV coinfection remains to be evaluated.

Synthesis and characterization of Bombesin-superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles as a targeted contrast agent for imaging of breast cancer using MRI.

The targeted delivery of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) as a contrast agent may facilitate their accumulation in cancer cells and enhance the sensitivity of MR imaging. In this study, SPIONs coated with dextran (DSPIONs) were conjugated with bombesin (BBN) to produce a targeting contrast agent for detection of breast cancer using MRI. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer analyses indicated the formation of dextran-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with an average size of 6.0 ± 0.5 nm. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the conjugation of the BBN with the DSPIONs. A stability study proved the high optical stability of DSPION-BBN in human blood serum. DSPION-BBN biocompatibility was confirmed by cytotoxicity evaluation. A binding study showed the targeting ability of DSPION-BBN to bind to T47D breast cancer cells overexpressing gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) receptors. T2-weighted and T2*-weighted color map MR images were acquired. The MRI study indicated that the DSPION-BBN possessed good diagnostic ability as a GRP-specific contrast agent, with appropriate signal reduction in T2*-weighted color map MR images in mice with breast tumors.