Association between angiotensinogen (AGT), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and angiotensin-II receptor 1 (AGTR1) polymorphisms and COVID-19 infection in the southeast of Iran: a preliminary case-control study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic remains an emerging public health crisis with serious adverse effects. The disease is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV--2) infection, targeting angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptor for cell entry. However, changes in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) balance alter an individual's susceptibility to COVID-19 infection. We aimed to evaluate the association between AGT rs699 C > T, ACE rs4646994 I/D, and AGTR1 rs5186 C > A variants and the risk of COVID-19 infection and the severity in a sample of the southeast Iranian population. METHODS: A total of 504 subjects, including 258 COVID-19 positives, and 246 healthy controls, were recruited. Genotyping of the ACE gene rs4646994, and AGT rs699, and AGTR1 rs5186 polymorphisms was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), respectively. RESULTS: Our results showed that the II genotype of ACE rs4646994 and the I allele decreased the risk of COVID-19 infection. Moreover, we found that the TC genotype and C allele of AGT rs699 increased the risk of COVID-19 infection. The AGTR1 rs5186 was not associated with COVID-19 infection. Also, we did not find any association between these polymorphisms and the severity of the disease. However, we found a significantly higher age and prevalence of diabetes and hypertension in patients with severe disease than a non-severe disease. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that ACE rs4646994 and AGT rs699 polymorphisms increase the risk of COVID-19 infection in a southeast Iranian population.

Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Hospitalized Patients With Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) in Zahedan, Southeastern Iran.

BACKGROUND: Studies show that nearly 40 million people are living with human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) around the world and since the beginning of the epidemic, about 35 million have died from AIDS. Heterosexual intercourse is the most common route for transmission of HIV infection (85%). People with a sexually transmitted infection (STI), such as syphilis, genital herpes, chancroid, or bacterial vaginosis, are more likely to obtain HIV infection during sex. On the other hand, a patient with HIV can acquire other infections such as hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) and also STIs. Co-infections and co-morbidities can affect the treatment route of patients with HIV/AIDs. Sometimes, physicians should treat these infections before treating the HIV infection. Therefore, it is important to identify co-infection or comorbidity in patients with HIV/AIDS. OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted in order to understand the prevalence of HIV/AIDS/STI co-infection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated all HIV/AIDS patients who were admitted to the infectious wards of Boo-Ali hospital (Southeastern Iran) between March 2000 and January 2015. All HIV/AIDS patients were studied for sexually transmitted infections (STI) such as syphilis, gonorrhea, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and genital herpes. A questionnaire including data on age, sex, job, history of vaccination against HBV, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc), hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs), HCV-Ab, venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL) test, fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-Abs) test, and urine culture was designed. Data was analyzed by the Chi square test and P values of < 0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: Among the 41 patients with HIV/AIDS (11 females and 30 males; with age range of 18 to 69 years) five cases (12.1%) had a positive test (1:8 or more) for VDRL. The FTA-Abs was positive for all patients who were positive for VDRL. Gonorrhea was found in seven patients (17%) and three cases had genital herpes in clinical examinations. All patients who had positive test results for these STIs were male. Eleven patients (26.8%) had HBV infection (three females and eight males). hepatitis C virus (HCV) was found in 13 cases (31%). Eighty percent of patients were unemployed. Seventy-eight percent of patients with HIV/STI were aged between 18 and 38 years. There was a significant difference between sex and becoming infected with HIV and also STI (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with HIV/AIDS are more likely to acquire other STIs, because the same behaviors that increase the risk of becoming HIV infected can also increase the risk of acquiring STIs. Having a sore on the skin due to an STI can make the transmission of HIV to the sex partner more likely than people who don't have such sore in their genital area.

CCL5 rs2107538 Polymorphism Increased the Risk of Tuberculosis in a Sample of Iranian Population.

Cysteine-cysteine chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) with immunoregulatory and inflammatory activities has an important role in granuloma formations that activates and stimulates T-cells and macrophages. Cysteine-cysteine chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) is a chemokine receptor, which is important for migration of immune cells to site of infection. In the present study we investigated the possible association between CCL5 -403G/A (rs2107538), CCL5 -28C/G (rs2280788) and CCR5 Δ32 polymorphisms and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in an Iranian population. This case-control study was performed on 160 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and 160 unrelated healthy subjects. The CCL5 -403G/A, CCL5 -28C/G and CCR5 Δ32 polymorphisms were genotyped by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR), tetra amplification refractory mutation system polymerase chain reaction (T-ARMS PCR) and PCR, respectively. Our results showed that GA as well as GA+AA genotypes of CCL5 -403G/A (rs2107538) increased the risk of PTB in comparison with GG genotype (OR=1.70, 95% CI=1.03-2.81, P=0.038 and OR=1.64, 95% CI=1.00-2.68, P=0.049, respectively). No significant association was found between CCL5 -28C/G as well as CCR5 Δ32 polymorphism and PTB risk. In conclusion, our findings proposed that CCL5 -403G>A polymorphism may be a risk factor for susceptibility to PTB in our population. Larger sample sizes with different ethnicities are required to validate our findings.

Recurrent non-typhoidal salmonella bacteremia in a patient with interleukin -12p40 deficiency.

The South eastern region of Iran is an endemic area for salmonellosis. Sometimes bacteremia due to nontyphoidal salmonella occurs but certain patients are at increased risk for recurrent bacteremia. The risk of invasive salmonellosis and recurrent bacteremia is increased in the patients with immunosuppression, especially impaired cell-mediated immunity, lymphoproliferative diseases and in patients with IL-12 deficiency. In recent years, a series of inherited disorders of IL-12-IFN-gamma axis have been described that predispose affected individuals to disseminated disease caused by environmental mycobacteria and non-typhoidal salmonella. We report here the first such patient originating from and living in Iran. The patient was a 26-year-old man, suffering from IL-12p40 deficiency and presented with recurrent episodes of systemic salmonellosis. This report indicates that there are patients with inherited defects of the IL-12-IFN-gamma circuit in Iran. We recommended to consider this group of disorders in all patients with recurrent non-typhoidal salmonella bacteremia, wherever they are found.