Publications by authors named "Alijan Tabarraei"

Objective: This study aimed to explore the potential relationship between viral infections and gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies, focusing on the presence of KRAS G12D mutations. Specifically, we investigated the association of viral agents, including human papillomavirus (HPV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), with KRAS G12D mutations in GI cancers to better understand their combined role in cancer development.

Methods: This cross-sectional study comprised 92 patients diagnosed with GI cancer and 100 healthy individuals in the control group.

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The functionality of Moloney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase (MMLV RT) will increase with the improvement of its solubility and thermal stability. Introduce directed mutation at specific positions of the MMLV RT sequence and codon optimization is needed to achieve these properties. The two RT coding sequences with (rRT-K) and without directed mutations (rRT-L) were versatility optimized and expressed to analyze the ribonuclease H (RNase H) inactivity and thermostable polymerase activity.

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Objective: This study aimed to introduce a lytic bacteriophage against Staphylococcus saprophyticus from wastewater in Gorgan, northern Iran.

Results: The vB_SsapS-46 phage was isolated from urban wastewater and formed round and clear plaques on bacterial culture. It was visualized by electron microscopy and had a large head (approximately 106 nm) and a long tail (approximately 150 nm), indicating that it belongs to the Siphoviridae family.

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Objective: Influenza complications are mild to serious, and can cause death in some cases. A great deal of attention has been paid in recent years to the development and use of new antiviral compounds to overcome drug resistance in certain strains of the influenza virus and treat the clinical implications. This study aimed to investigate the antiviral effect of punicalagin and its associated mechanism against influenza A (H1N1) virus .

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates how HTLV-1 infection affects mRNA expressions of proteins linked to T-cell activation in asymptomatic carriers, focusing on early molecular changes related to this virus.
  • - It involved 40 participants, with blood samples analyzed for specific HTLV-1 proteins and key T-cell regulatory proteins using advanced techniques like RT-qPCR and statistical software for data analysis.
  • - Findings showed that certain proteins (GSK3β, MAP3K14, PLCG1, SLP-76, and TAK1) had significantly higher mRNA expressions in asymptomatic carriers compared to healthy individuals, suggesting important pathways in T-cell activation that could indicate disease progression.
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Using herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) as a therapeutic tool has recently emerged as a promising strategy for enhancing the treatment of various cancers, particularly those associated with the nervous system, which is the virus's natural site of infection. These viruses are specifically engineered to infect and eradicate tumor cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed. To introduce targeted mutations in specific viral genes, gene-modification techniques such as shuttle vector homologous recombination are commonly employed.

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Oncolytic viruses (OVs) have emerged as a novel cancer treatment modality, which selectively target and kill cancer cells while sparing normal ones. Among them, engineered Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) has been proposed as a potential treatment for cancer and was moved to phase III clinical trials. Previous studies showed that design of OV therapy combined with p53 gene therapy increases the anti-cancer activities of OVs.

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Article Synopsis
  • Global real-time monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 variants is essential for controlling COVID-19, leading to the development of a Sanger-based platform for variant tracking in low-resource labs.
  • The study utilized nested RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing on 1,028 samples, achieving high concordance with whole genome sequencing for mutation detection and lineage assignment.
  • The new method is effective for tracking variants of concern like Delta and Alpha, making it a viable option for countries with limited resources to monitor SARS-CoV-2 variants efficiently.
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  • The study analyzed the genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 in Iran over one year, following two independent viral introductions during the early outbreak phase.
  • Researchers sequenced 319 whole genomes between March 2020 and May 2021 to monitor the circulating viral lineages.
  • Results showed that different SARS-CoV-2 clades dominated various waves of infection, with the Delta variant emerging as a crucial factor in the fifth wave, highlighting significant mutations in key lineages.
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Background: Suppression of p53 is an important mechanism in Epstein-Barr virus associate-tumors and described as EBNA1-USP7 which is a key axis in p53 suppression. Thus, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the function of EBNA1 on the expression of p53-inhibiting genes including , and and the influence of USP7 inhibition using GNE-6776 on p53 at protein/mRNA level.

Methods: The electroporation method was used to transfect the BL28 cell line with .

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Background: As one of the most widespread sexually transmitted infections, Herpes Simplex Virus (HSVs) globally account for 60-95% of persistent infections in adults. This infection is prevalent in women of gestational age and is likely to be transmitted from the infected mother to her neonate. Additionally, it gives rise to devastating complications in neonates.

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The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) is the leading cause of the new deadly pneumonia named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This pathogen has different co-receptors on various tissues, resulting in vast pathophysiological circumstances. Here, we present a comprehensive narrative review focusing on the impact of SARS-CoV2 on human reproduction.

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Background And Objectives: A great diversity of factors including viruses such as human herpes virus 1&2 (HHV-1&2), human herpes virus 5 (HHV-5), and hepatitis B virus (HBV) play key roles in sterility and it is worth noting that male infertility accounts for nearly 50% of barrenness, globally. In this regard, we evaluated the prevalence of the aforementioned viruses in semen specimens of two distinct groups of men referred to Novin Infertility Center in Mashhad, Iran.

Materials And Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 300 semen samples were collected from 150 infertile and 150 fertile men.

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Background: The p53 mutation is uncommon in Epstein–Barr virus-linked gastric carcinoma, but its suppression occurs through mechanisms such as ubiquitin specific peptidase 7 (USP7) inhibitions via Epstein–Barr virus nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA1) activity. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of EBNA1 on p53-inhibiting gene expression and the impact of USP7 inhibition on p53 suppression.

Methods: MKN-45 cells were transfected with the EBNA1 plasmid.

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Viral infections contribute to 15-20% of newly diagnosed cancers worldwide. There is evidence of a possible etiological role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and high-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPVs) in colorectal carcinoma (CRC). Loss of p53 and p16 function has been found in many cancers and this may occur in many different ways, including gene mutation or interaction with viral oncoproteins.

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Background And Objectives: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic caused by the novel virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Knowing the virus's behavior and its persistence in different environments are crucial and will lead to the proper management of the disease. In this study, air, surface, and sewage samples were taken from different parts of referral hospitals for COVID-19.

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Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) is the cause of approximately 80% of Merkel cell carcinomas (MCC). The common types of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) are histologically similar to MCC. In the present study, 58 NMSC formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue (FFPE) samples including 12 SCC, 46 BCC, and 58 FFPE samples of adjacent non-tumoral margins as the control were included.

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Background: Due to the high transmission rate of SARS-CoV-2, diagnostic tests have become tools for identifying patients. The key points were the virus genomes survey to design RT-LAMP primers; comparing the sensitivity and specificity of RT-LAMP and RT-qPCR; and determining the relationship among clinical symptoms, CT scan, RT-qPCR, and RT-LAMP results.

Methods: This cohort study included 444 symptomatic patients.

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Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of lower respiratory tract infection in paediatrics. While antivirals are apparent candidates to treat RSV-induced diseases, they have not yet met expectations and have remained in infancy. There is growing evidence to suggest that modulating the exacerbated inflammation during RSV infection can improve disease outcome.

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The COVID-19 disease usually leads to mild infectious disease in children, but some develop serious complications. Here, we describe the characteristics of children with COVID-19 in northern Iran, the Golestan province. Ninety-one confirmed cases were enrolled in the study, aged 0-18 years.

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Introduction And Aim: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), with a high mortality rate, has caught the eyes of researchers worldwide and placed a heavy burden on the health care system. Accordingly, this study aimed to evaluate the values of biochemical parameters on the outcomes of COVID-19 patients in Golestan, Iran.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on 183 COVID-19 patients (i.

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People in different age groups are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection as a newly emerging virus. However, the clinical course, symptoms and disease outcome vary from case to case. Although COVID-19 is usually milder in children than adults, some studies reported nonspecific symptoms.

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Background: We aimed to further clarify the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 2019-nCoV pneumonia and risk factors associated for mortality.

Methods: In this study, we included inpatient with acute respiratory distress syndrome at Golestan Hospitals who had been discharged or had died in 2020. Epidemiological, and clinical data were extracted from electronic medical records and compared between recovered and died cases.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigated the role of genetic variations in aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) pathway genes and their impact on immune responses in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, focusing on the relationship with smoking.
  • Results showed that specific variants (C allele in CYP1A1 and G allele in AHRR) significantly increased the risk of developing SLE, and that smokers with these genetic variants exhibited the most severe symptoms.
  • The research highlights the interaction between genetic factors and environmental influences, like smoking, in the development and severity of SLE, emphasizing the importance of both genetics and lifestyle in understanding this autoimmune disease.
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Evidence supports a role of host genetic diversity in the clinical course of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Variation in the cannabinoid CB2 receptor gene (CNR2) could affect the regulatory action of endocannabinoids on the immune system, resulting in an increased risk of various inflammatory diseases. The present study investigated the relationship between the CNR2-Q63R variant and COVID-19 severity.

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