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A VHH-based anti-MUC1 chimeric antigen receptor for specific retargeting of human primary T cells to MUC1-positive cancer cells
No full textObjective: Immunotherapy with redirected T cells that express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) is a promising prospect in cancer treatment. Most CARs use murine-derived single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) as an antigen targeting moiety, which may lead to host immunogenic responses and engineered T cell disappearance. It seems that development of less immunogenic CARs, such as CARs composed of the camelid variable domain of heavy chain antibodies (VHHs) may likely overcome this obstacle. Here, we improved the expression of the VHH-based anti-MUC1 CAR gene construct using a third generation lentiviral vector in primary human T cells and assessed its effect on antigen specific targeting, activation and cytotoxicity of redirected human T cells. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, we established a second generation novel CAR (VHH-based anti-MUC1 CAR) that contained a camelid-derived anti-MUC1 VHH followed by an IgG3 hinge, a CD28 transmembrane domain and signalling endodomains of CD28 and CD3æ. Next, we constructed lentiviral vectors that contained this CAR gene construct using an optimized transiently virus production method and transduced it into human T cells. Cell surface expression of CAR, cytokine secretion and cytotoxic activity were assessed in the transduced CD3+ T cells. Results: The transduced T cells had high levels of surface expression of CAR. T cells that expressed anti-MUC1 CAR showed significantly increased secretion of Th1 cytokines, including IL-2, TNF alpha and IFN-γ, as well as cytotoxic activity upon recognition of MUC1 on tumour cells after co-incubation with T47D or MCF-7 (MUC1-positive) compared with A431 (MUC1-negative) or untransduced T cells. Conclusion: Our results suggested that, given the unique properties of VHHs to prevent immunogenic responses and tonic signalling, our novel VHH-based anti-MUC1 CAR might be effective for clinical purposes in cancer immunotherapy. © 2021 Royan Institute (ACECR). All rights reserved
Comparison of Ultrasound-Guided Local Ozone (O2-O3) Injection Versus Corticosteroid Injection in Patients with Mild to Moderate Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
No full textObjective Recently, ozone injection has been used to treat various musculoskeletal diseases. This study was performed to compare ultrasound-guided corticosteroid versus ozone injections in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. Design Forty patients with mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome were enrolled and randomly placed in one of the two groups of receiving a corticosteroid or ozone injection under ultrasound guidance. To determine the effectiveness of both injection techniques and compare their outcomes, visual analog scale and scores of Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire, as well as ultrasound and electrodiagnostic criteria, were followed at 0, 6, and 12 wks after the injection. Results Both groups showed improvement in visual analog scale and Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire at week 6, and this improvement continued until the 12th week after the injections. However, electrodiagnostic values of sensory nerve action potentials and compound motor action potentials latency, and ultrasound carpal tunnel syndrome criteria showed significant improvement only among the subjects in the corticosteroid group at 6 and 12 wks after the injection (P < 0.05). Conclusions Ozone might be as effective as corticosteroid injection in reducing pain and improving the function. Objective improvements in electrodiagnostic and ultrasound criteria of carpal tunnel syndrome were shown only among patients after corticosteroid injection. © Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved
A systematic review and meta-analysis on the prevalence of Escherichia coli and extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli in pregnant women
No full textPropose: The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of E. coli and extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing (ESBL) E. coli in pregnant women in a systematic review and meta-analysis study. Methods: We searched important databases, including Medline (PubMed), Embase, Scopus, Web of sciences, Cochrane library, Ovid, and CINHAL to retrieve all articles reporting the prevalence of ESBL E. coli in pregnant women that published from January 1990 to June 2020. Results: The pooled prevalence of E. coli in pregnant women with and without symptoms of UTI after combining 82 studies with a sample size of 33,118 was 29 (29; 95 CI 23, 36). The prevalence based on urine, Feacal, and vagina samples was 26 ( 95 CI 19�34), 77 ( 95 CI 22�98), and 32 ( 95 CI 17�48), respectively. Also, 19 studies with a sample size of 9,200 reported ESBL E. coli prevalence in pregnant women. After combining the results of these studies, the pooled prevalence of ESBL E. coli in pregnant women was 34 (34; 95 CI 24, 43). The pooled prevalence of E. coli in pregnant women with HIV was 9(9; 95 CI 7, 11). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the prevalence of E. coli and ESBL E. coli is high in pregnant women. Also, the overuse of antibiotics was higher in European and Asian pregnant women than other continents. © 2021, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature
Ambiguity tolerance among medical students and its relationship with personality and participation in the mentoring program: A cross-sectional study
Get PDFBackground: Low ambiguity tolerance (AT) can lead to burnout and impact medical students� quality of life. Interventions are effective in increasing tolerance in ambiguous situations. Mentors can be facilitators in ambiguous situations. We aimed to determine the AT among Tehran University of medical sciences (TUMS) medical students and assess its relation with personality traits and mentor-seeking behavior. Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed. We used Budner AT questionnaire and the Ten Item Personality Inventory in our study. Questionnaires were sent to 350 randomly selected TUMS medical students in different years of education. Two hundred six students completed the questionnaires. The response rate was 58.85. Results: The mean AT score was 59.77 among TUMS medical students. No significant difference was seen between different genders and students with different marital statuses. Also, AT was constant among students at different years at medical school and at different education levels (P > 0.05). Students who had participated in the mentoring program were significantly more intolerant of novel situations (P = 0.01). However, they did not have significantly different scores in other subscales of AT scale and its total score than those who had not participated in the mentoring program (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Medical students are more intolerant of ambiguity at TUMS than medical students abroad, and there should be interventions to help them cope in ambiguous situations. Mentoring programs may also be considered for future interventions as participants who participate in the program are less tolerant of ambiguity in novel situations. © 202
Effect of adding motor imagery training to neck stabilization exercises on pain, disability and kinesiophobia in patients with chronic neck pain
No full textPurpose: The investigation of this study was to compare the effect of adding motor imagery training to neck stabilization exercises on pain, disability, and kinesiophobia in patients with chronic neck pain. Material and methods: After screening, seventy-two volunteers with chronic neck pain were randomly allocated to 3 groups: neck stabilization exercises alone, n = 24, combined ( neck stabilization exercises + motor imagery training), n = 24, and a control group, n = 24. Pain intensity, disability, and kinesiophobia before and after the intervention exercises were measured by the Visual Analog Scale, Neck Disability Index, and the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia, respectively. Results: Statistically significant differences in pain intensity, the neck disability index, and kinesiophobia were found when a combined intervention group including neck stabilization and motor imagery training was compared with neck stabilization training alone at 6 weeks ) p � 0.005). Also, there were significant between-group differences favoring experimental groups versus control for all outcomes (p � 0.001). Conclusion: neck stabilization exercises in combination with motor imagery training was superior to neck stabilization exercises alone in decreasing pain, disability, and kinesiophobia in patients with chronic neck pain. © 2020 Elsevier Lt
Explaining the causes of crystal addiction in Tehran: a qualitative approach
No full textAims: The purpose of this study was to explain the causes of crystal (meth) addiction in Tehran. Methods: This research was qualitative and was carried out using content analysis and deep and semi-structured interview technique. The study populations consisted of crystal addicts in Tehran, Iran. Sampling was done using snowball and purposive sampling technique. Finally, 20 people were interviewed until data saturation and then the data were coded and analyzed. Results: In the process of data analysis and coding, nine main categories of causes of crystal addiction appeared, which were: predisposing psychological characteristics, role model(s), peer influences, lack of proper family monitoring, easy access and ease of use, triggering events, positive attitudes toward crystal, responding to a particular need, and enjoying the first use. Conclusions: Raising the awareness and attitude of young people and their families about crystal, teaching families how to properly supervise their children and the behaviors of their friends, as well as increasing social support in times of life crisis, could significantly tend to reduce the use of crystal in the community. © 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature
Challenges and Problems Facing 2017 Kermanshah Earthquake Survivors: A Qualitative Study
No full textIt is widely accepted that earthquake poses many challenges to human life. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to explore challenges and problems facing the 2017 Kermanshah earthquake survivors. The present qualitative study was conducted using conventional qualitative content analysis in Kermanshah Province, Iran, in 2018. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 28 earthquake-stricken individuals, aged over 18 years, selected through purposive sampling method. The Graneheim and Lundman method was also used to analyze the data, and then Lincoln and Guba criteria were employed to provide robustness and transferability of the research. The results of data analysis were classified into 4 main categories and 11 sub-categories. Accordingly, the main categories were: (1) health problems and issues, (2) economic problems and issues, (3) improper management of human and non-human resources, and (4) incomplete social services. According to the results, earthquake victims face many challenges. Therefore, fundamental steps can be taken to reduce survivors� problems by considering all aspects of their health, improving equal distribution of social assistance and services provided, and using local social capital in a better way. © 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature
Bullying and being bullied; how much can it increase the risk of depression and anxiety in students? A multilevel fixed-effect model analysis
Get PDFBackground: School violence as a health issue is a global concern. One of the problems that affect the health and well-being of children at school is bullying. Objectives: In this study, we aimed to examine the association of depression and anxiety with bullying among 6 - 19-year-old students in Iran. Methods: This study was conducted in Tehran, Iran, in 2020. A multistage cluster sampling method was used, and 54,550 students aged six to 19 years of both sexes, from urban and rural areas, were selected. Standard questionnaires, according to the WHO recommendations, were used for data collection. Involvement in bullying in the past 12 months and anxiety and depression status in both bully and bullied students were investigated by standard questionnaires. To compare the psychiatric problems and violent behavior, the Wald chi-square test was applied. The multilevel fixed-effect model and logistic multivariate regression were used to adjust the multilevel effects and estimate the odds of anxiety and depression in both bully and bullied students. All statistical analyses were performed at a 95 significance level. Results: Of the total students, 50.9 were males, 29.45 were in the 6 - 10 age group, and 70.55 in the 11 - 19 age group. There was a significant difference in depression and anxiety between boys and girls in both age groups (P < 0.001). Amongst males, 11.7 of the students aged 6 - 10 and 11 of the students aged 11 - 19 and in females, 7.7 aged 6 - 10 and 10.4 aged 11 - 19 had at least four experiences of bullying to others in the last year. The odds ratios for depression in male bullies were 1.3 and 1.5 in 6 - 10 and 11 - 19 age groups, respectively. The odds ratios for depression in bullied males and females were 4.2 and 3.9 in 6 - 10 and 2.9 and 4.3 in 11 - 19 age groups, respectively. Bulling others increased the odds of anxiety to 1.7 and 1.9 in males and 2.1 and 1.9 in females in 6 - 10 and 11 - 19 age groups, respectively. In bullied students, the odds of anxiety were estimated at 2.9 and 2.2 in males and 3.4 and 2.2 in female students respectively, in 6 - 10 and 11 - 19 age groups. Conclusions: There was a significant positive association between psychological disorders (anxiety and depression) and bullying among 6 - 19-year-old students. Victims of bullying were more at risk of depression and anxiety. This health-threatening phenomenon should not be ignored. Copyright © 2021, Author(s)
Transcranial photobiomodulation prevents PTSD-like comorbidities in rats experiencing underwater trauma
No full textMaladaptive fear memory processing after a traumatic event is a major contributor to the development of the comorbidities related to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). An intervention to normalize this process could be a first-line treatment to prevent PTSD development. However, little progress has been made in identifying interventions that can prevent trauma survivors from developing PTSD. A treatment that could help trauma survivors cope with traumatic memories and decrease the prevalence of PTSD is thus in high demand. This study was designed to investigate the potential beneficial effects of early photobiomodulation (PBM) interventions to prevent PTSD-like comorbidities in animals. PTSD-like comorbidities in rats were induced by an underwater trauma (UWT) procedure, followed by multiple swimming sessions on later days for memory recall. Immediately after UWT and swimming, rats were restrained with or without PBM treatment (808 nm, 25 mW/cm2, 3 J/day). PTSD-like commodities, such as anxiety-like behavior, depression-like behavior, and cognitive dysfunction, were reproduced in UWT-rats. These comorbidities, however, could be prevented by early PBM interventions. By measuring the expression of immediate early genes (IEGs) as neuronal activity markers, we found that PBM treatment differentially regulated Arc and c-fos expression in the hippocampus and amygdala, two PTSD-related brain regions. Additionally, PBM boosted ATP production and regulated protein expression in the hippocampus following stress. Our results demonstrate that PBM can modulate brain activity in response to traumatic and stressful events and that early PBM intervention can prevent the occurrence of PTSD-like comorbidities in rats. © 2021, The Author(s)