Assessing the potential fasting and postprandial mechanisms involved in the acute hypoglycemic and anti-hyperglycemic effects of four selected plants from Iran used in traditional Persian medicine.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: In traditional Persian medicine (TPM), people often use herbal infusions as a dosage form to treat diseases related to hyperglycemia, known as 'dam-kardeh'. Traditionally, herbal preparations of Eryngium bungei Boiss. (E.

Deep phenotyping of post-infectious myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Post-infectious myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (PI-ME/CFS) is a disabling disorder, yet the clinical phenotype is poorly defined, the pathophysiology is unknown, and no disease-modifying treatments are available. We used rigorous criteria to recruit PI-ME/CFS participants with matched controls to conduct deep phenotyping. Among the many physical and cognitive complaints, one defining feature of PI-ME/CFS was an alteration of effort preference, rather than physical or central fatigue, due to dysfunction of integrative brain regions potentially associated with central catechol pathway dysregulation, with consequences on autonomic functioning and physical conditioning.

In vitro wound healing potential of cyclohexane extract of Onosma dichroantha Boiss. based on bioassay-guided fractionation.

Onosma dichroantha Boiss. is a biennial herb used in traditional medicine in Iran for healing wounds and burns. Our previous study demonstrated that cyclohexane extract of O.

The Relationship Between Nurses' Ethical Reasoning with the Quality of Nursing Care.

Context: A high quality of nursing care is an important priority of nursing profession and directly associated with increased patient satisfaction. Evidence shows that ethical professional issues are challenging with significant influences on the quality of nursing care.

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine how quality of patient care relates to the nurses' ethical reasoning as viewed by patients in medical wards.

Neuropathic symptoms with SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.

Background And Objectives: Various peripheral neuropathies, particularly those with sensory and autonomic dysfunction may occur during or shortly after acute COVID-19 illnesses. These appear most likely to reflect immune dysregulation. If similar manifestations can occur with the vaccination remains unknown.

Decoding clinical biomarker space of COVID-19: Exploring matrix factorization-based feature selection methods.

One of the most critical challenges in managing complex diseases like COVID-19 is to establish an intelligent triage system that can optimize the clinical decision-making at the time of a global pandemic. The clinical presentation and patients' characteristics are usually utilized to identify those patients who need more critical care. However, the clinical evidence shows an unmet need to determine more accurate and optimal clinical biomarkers to triage patients under a condition like the COVID-19 crisis.

Astrocytic junctional adhesion molecule-A regulates T-cell entry past the glia limitans to promote central nervous system autoimmune attack.

Contact-mediated interactions between the astrocytic endfeet and infiltrating immune cells within the perivascular space are underexplored, yet represent potential regulatory check-points against CNS autoimmune disease and disability. Reactive astrocytes upregulate junctional adhesion molecule-A, an immunoglobulin-like cell surface receptor that binds to T cells via its ligand, the integrin, lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1. Here, we tested the role of astrocytic junctional adhesion molecule-A in regulating CNS autoinflammatory disease.

Clinicopathologic and Immunohistochemical Characteristics of Solitary Fibrous Tumor and Its Mimics: A Single-Center Experience.

Background: Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a fibroblastic tumor that has been originally reported as a pleural tumor but now has been defined as a tumor that can be seen everywhere in the human body. Histopathologically, many of the fibroblastic tumors can mimic SFT, and immunohistochemistry is necessary for differential diagnosis. Several markers have been used, and recently, STAT6 has been introduced as a diagnostic marker.

Decoding Clinical Biomarker Space of COVID-19: Exploring Matrix Factorization-based Feature Selection Methods.

One of the most critical challenges in managing complex diseases like COVID-19 is to establish an intelligent triage system that can optimize the clinical decision-making at the time of a global pandemic. The clinical presentation and patients’ characteristics are usually utilized to identify those patients who need more critical care. However, the clinical evidence shows an unmet need to determine more accurate and optimal clinical biomarkers to triage patients under a condition like the COVID-19 crisis.

MRI negative myelopathy post mild SARS-CoV-2 infection: vasculopathy or inflammatory myelitis?

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been rare reports of spinal cord pathology diagnosed as inflammatory myelopathy and suspected spinal cord ischemia after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Herein, we report five cases of clinical myelopathy and myeloradiculopathy in the setting of post-COVID-19 disease, which were all radiographically negative. Unlike prior reports which typically characterized hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 disease and critical illness, these patients typically had asymptomatic or mild-moderate COVID-19 disease and lacked radiologic evidence of structural spinal cord abnormality.

Seeding Brain Protein Aggregation by SARS-CoV-2 as a Possible Long-Term Complication of COVID-19 Infection.

Postinfection complications of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are still unknown, and one of the long-term concerns in infected people are brain pathologies. The question is that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection may be an environmental factor in accelerating the sporadic neurodegeneration in the infected population. In this regard, induction of protein aggregation in the brain by SARS-CoV-2 intact structure or a peptide derived from spike protein subunits needs to be considered in futures studies.

Heparin-binding Peptides as Novel Therapies to Stop SARS-CoV-2 Cellular Entry and Infection.

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) are cell surface receptors that are involved in the cellular uptake of pathologic amyloid proteins and viruses, including the novel coronavirus; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Heparin and heparan sulfate antagonize the binding of these pathogens to HSPGs and stop their cellular internalization, but the anticoagulant effect of these agents has been limiting their use in the treatment of viral infections. Heparin-binding peptides (HBPs) are suitable nonanticoagulant agents that are capable of antagonizing binding of heparin-binding pathogens to HSPGs.

B-cell depleting therapies may affect susceptibility to acute respiratory illness among patients with multiple sclerosis during the early COVID-19 epidemic in Iran.

Objective: To determine whether the course of COVID-19 is more severe in patients with MS and if MS disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) affect the risk of contracting the disease.

Methods: In a cross-sectional survey, data were collected by sending a questionnaire to 2000 patients with a demyelinating disease through an online portal system. Collected data included the current MS DMT and patient-reported disability level, history of recent sick contact, recent fever, respiratory symptoms, diagnosis with COVID-19, and the disposition after the diagnosis.

Dimethyl fumarate suppresses granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor-producing Th1 cells in CNS neuroinflammation.

Objective: To study the immunomodulatory effect of dimethyl fumarate (DF) on granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) production in CD4 T cells in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).

Methods: We collected splenocytes and CD4 T cells from C57BL/6 wild-type and interferon (IFN)-γ-deficient mice. For human PBMCs, venous blood was collected from healthy donors, and PBMCs were collected using the Percoll gradient method.

Lack of Histological and Molecular Signature Response to Tocilizumab in Kidney Transplants with Chronic Active Antibody Mediated Rejection: A Case Series.

Background: Traditional therapies for caAbMR have unclear efficacy with significant side effects in recipients of kidney transplants (KTs). A recent single-center case series suggested tocilizumab (TCZ) could stabilize renal function and improve microvascular inflammation. Here we report our findings of the use of TCZ in patients with caAbMR.

Accidental Injection of Freund Complete Adjuvant With Mycobacterium Tuberculosis.

Accidental needlestick injuries are common in laboratory and health care workers. Injection of atypical pathogens, such as those encountered in the animal laboratory setting, may pose considerable problems at the site of inoculation. We present the case of an otherwise healthy laboratory worker who accidentally self-injected Freund complete adjuvant with heat-killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis into her hand, requiring multiple debridement operations over a prolonged treatment course.

Selective depletion of CD11c CD11b dendritic cells partially abrogates tolerogenic effects of intravenous MOG in murine EAE.

Intravenous (i.v.) injection of a soluble myelin antigen can induce tolerance, which effectively ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE).

Expression of GM-CSF in T Cells Is Increased in Multiple Sclerosis and Suppressed by IFN-β Therapy.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the CNS. Studies in animal models of MS have shown that GM-CSF produced by T cells is necessary for the development of autoimmune CNS inflammation. This suggests that GM-CSF may have a pathogenic role in MS as well, and a clinical trial testing its blockade is ongoing.

c-kit plays a critical role in induction of intravenous tolerance in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

c-kit (CD117) is a tyrosine kinase receptor found in various types of immune cells. It has been shown that c-kit plays a role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis, an inflammatory demyelinating disorder of the CNS. Recent data have suggested an immunoregulatory effect of c-kit.

Prevalence of local recurrence of colorectal cancer at the Iranian Cancer Institute.

Background: Although a great deal of progress has been made in the management of colorectal cancer in terms of neoadjuvant modalities, surgical techniques and adjuvant therapies, the recurrence of tumors remains an enigmatic complication in patients. A better understanding of colorectal cancer and of factors that lead to recurrence of disease can provide helpful information for designing more effective screening and surveillance methods.

Aim: To investigate the factors that may lead to local recurrence of colorectal cancers.