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Feasibility and Therapeutic Potential of Combined Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy with Intensive Chemotherapy for Pediatric Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Metastatic Neuroblastoma
No full textBackground Recent evidence has demonstrated high expression of somatostatin receptors in neuroblastoma (NB) cells. Because of this, we endeavored to evaluate the diagnostic performance and clinical efficacy of 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT and peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) using 177Lu-DOTATATE combined with chemotherapy in pediatric NB patients. Patients and Methods In total, 14 pediatric patients with histopathologically confirmed NB underwent 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT. Among them, the patients who were refractory or relapsed after therapy with 131I-MIBG and had intensive uptake of 68Ga-DOTATATE were referred for PRRT using 177Lu-DOTATATE. Treatment response based on follow-up imaging was classified into complete response, partial response, stable disease, and progressive disease. After each cycle of PRRT, laboratory tests were performed for evaluation of hematological, renal, and hepatic toxicities. The CTCAE (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events; version 4.03) was used for grading adverse event. Curie score and International Society of Pediatric Oncology Europe Neuroblastoma score were used for semiquantitative analysis of scans of patients who underwent PRRT. In addition, overall survival was calculated as the time interval between the date of the first cycle and the end of follow-up or death. Results Overall, 14 refractory NB children including 7 boys and 7 girls with a median age of 5.5 years (ranged from 4 to 9) underwent 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT. PET/CT was positive in 10/14 patients (71.4%), and the median number of detected lesions in positive patients was 2 (range, 1-13). Of 14 patients, 5 patients underwent PRRT, including 3 boys and 2 girls. A total of 19 PRRT cycles and 66.4 GBq 177Lu-DOTATATE were given. Among these 5 patients, 2 showed an initial complete response, which relapsed a few months later, 1 showed a partial response, and 2 showed progressive disease. According to the Kaplan-Meier test, the overall survival was estimated at 14.5 months (95% confidence interval, 8.9-20.1). In evaluation of PRRT-related toxicity according to the CTCAE, 4 patients showed grade 1, and 1 showed grade 2 leukopenia. Two patients showed grade 1, and 2 others showed grade 2 anemia. Two patients showed grade 1, and 3 patients showed grade 2 thrombocytopenia. Serum creatinine in 1 patient increased to grade 1. Conclusions Combination of 177Lu-DOTATATE with chemotherapeutic agents might achieve worthwhile responses with low toxicity, encouraging survival in NB patients who have relapsed or are refractory to conventional therapy, including 131I-MIBG therapy. Imaging with 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT in such patients has a relatively high detection efficacy, demonstrating its potential use as an alternative imaging tool to conventional modalities such as 123I/131I-MIBG. However, further well-designed trials are highly warranted
Association between health locus of control and perceived stress in college student during the COVID-19 outbreak: a crosssectional study in Iran
Get PDFBackground: The COVID-19 pandemic as a global mental health crisis has affected everyone, including students.
The present study aimed to determine and investigate the relationship between health locus of control and
perceived stress in students of Bushehr University of Medical Sciences (southern Iran) during the outbreak of
COVID-19.
Methods: The present cross-sectional study examined 250 students of Bushehr University of Medical Sciences. We
performed simple random sampling and utilized the demographic information form, Multidimensional Health Locus
of Control scale (MHLCS) by Wallston, and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) by Cohen to collect data. We analyzed data
using the SPSS, Pearson correlation coefficient, and the hierarchical regression model with an error level of 5%.
Results: The mean perceived stress was 30.74 ± 8.09, and 92.4% of the students had moderate and high stress
levels. Among the components of the health locus of control, the internal health locus of control (IHLC) had the
highest mean in students (27.55 ± 3.81). Furthermore, the internal health locus of control (R = − 0.30, P < 0.001) had
a significant inverse relationship, with perceived stress and the chance health locus of control (CHLC) (R = 0.30, P <
0.001) had a significant direct relationship. In the final regression model, the health locus of control and all the
variables predicted 22.7% of the perceived stress variation in students during the COVID-19 period.
Conclusion: The results indicated that the internal health locus of control was associated with a reduction of
perceived stress, and the powerful others health locus of control (PHLC) was related to its increase in students
during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the uncertain future, in the present work, universities are suggested to
design web-based educational interventions alongside the curriculum to further strengthen the internal health
locus of control and thus help reduce their perceived stress.
Keywords: Health locus of control, Perceived stress, Students,
Determinants of Sailors' Protective Behaviors in Fishing Spots against the Risks of Sunlight and Skin Cancer: A Qualitative Study in Iran
No full textIntroduction. The growing rate of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) and melanoma has been a great challenge for global health system. The present research aims to determine sailors' protective behaviors against the risks of sunlight and skin cancer in Iran. Materials and Methods. The present research was qualitative in type, and its data were collected from August to December 2019. To this aim, 23 participants were recruited with whom semistructured interviews were held. The data collection continued until data saturation, and the interviews were coded in MAXQDA 10. Conventional content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data. Results. Analysis of sailors' perceptions and experiences revealed 7 categories: protective behaviors, hard personal and familial conditions, social interactions, poor social support, feeling of satisfaction, self-care, and fear. Conclusion. Sailors are prone to skin cancer due to their specific work conditions. Perceptions and determinants of skin cancer and protective behaviors against sunlight were identified among sailors. Promotion of protective behaviors and beliefs that impeded preventive behaviors are among issues that require special attention. © 2021 Ali Asadian et al
Differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells into functional motor neuron: In vitro and ex vivo study
No full textThere are several therapeutic options for spinal cord injury (SCI), among these strategies stem cell therapy is a potential treatment. The stem cells based therapies have been investigating in acute phase of clinical trials for promoting spinal repair in humans through replacement of functional neuronal and glial cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the differentiation of Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells (hDPSCs) into functional motor neuron like cells (MNLCs) and promote neuroregeneration by stimulating local neurogenesis in the adult spinal cord slice culture. The immunocytochemistry analysis demonstrated that hDPSCs were positive for mesenchymal stem cell markers (CD73, CD90 and CD105) and negative for the hematopoietic markers (CD34 and CD45). hDPSCs were induced to neurospheres (via implementing B27, EGF, and bFGF) and then neural stem cells (NSC). The NSC differentiated into MNLCs in two steps: first by Shh and RA and; then with GDNF and BDNF administration. The NS and the NSC were assessed for Oct4, nestin, Nanog, Sox2 expression while the MNLCs were evaluated by ISLET1, Olig2, and HB9 genes. Our results showed that hDPSC can be differentiated into motor neuron phenotype with expression of the motor neuron genes. The functionality of MNLCs was demonstrated by FM1-43, intracellular calcium ion shift and co- culture with C2C12. We co-cultivated hDPSCs with adult rat spinal slices in vitro. Immunostaining and hoechst assay showed that hDPSCs were able to migrate, proliferate and integrate in both the anterolateral zone and the edges of the spinal slice
Presence of heavy metals in drinking water resources of Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textWater quality is one of the most important indices for public health especially for drinking water consumptions. This study was conducted to survey the presence of heavy metals in drinking water resources of Iran using a systematic review and meta-analysis. The literature search was conducted in data bases of PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Scopus, Google Scholar, and some Persian databases up to 31 July 2018. Of all the articles reviewed (1151 articles), 61 papers were eligible for systematic review. Results indicated variable heterogeneity between studies for different pollutants (I2 between 0 and 100). A subgroup analysis was performed for three different types of water resources such as drinking water, groundwater, and surface water to find the possible source of the heterogeneity. The pooled mean concentration level of iron was the highest at 255.8 (95% CI = 79.48–432.13 μg/l) and vanadium the lowest at 3.21 (95% CI = 1.45–4.98 μg/l). The sequence of metal concentration (μg/l) in descending order is as follows: Fe (255.8) > B (159.81) > Al (158.5) > Zn (130.73) > As (85.85) > Mn (51.61) > Cu (47.98) > Se (42.68) > Pb (37.22) > Co (22.76) > Mo (18.92) > Ni (16.79) > Cr (13.47) > Hg (4.49) > Cd (4.19) > V (3.21). The mean pooled concentration level of Al, As, Se, Pb, and Cd was higher than the WHO guideline and Iran Standard, and the rest of the metals had lower mean pooled concentration level. Pb and Cd were the common heavy metals that existed in all subgroups. As a recommendation, the relationship assessment of water parameters and heavy metals could be addressed in future studies of Iran’s water resources. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.
Grand multiparity associations with low bone mineral density and degraded trabecular bone pattern
Get PDFIntroduction: Pregnancy is associated with changes in bone remodeling and calcium metabolism, which may increase the risk of fragility fracture after menopause. We hypothesized that in postmenopausal women, with history of grand multiparity, the magnitude of trabecular bone deterioration is associated with number of deliveries. Methods: 1217 women aged 69.2 ± 6.4 years, from the Bushehr Elderly Health (BEH) program were recruited. The areal bone mineral density (aBMD) of the lumbar spine and femoral neck and trabecular bone score (TBS) of 916 postmenopausal women, with grand multiparity defined as more than 4 deliveries, were compared with those of 301 postmenopausal women with 4 or fewer deliveries. The association of multiparity with aBMDs and TBS were evaluated after adjustment for possible confounders including age, years since menopause, body mass index, and other relevant parameters. Results: The aBMD of femoral neck (0.583 ± 0.110 vs. 0.603 ± 0.113 g/cm2), lumbar spine (0.805 ± 0.144 vs. 0.829 ± 0.140 g/cm2) and TBS (1.234 ± 0.086 vs. 1.260 ± 0.089) were significantly lower in women with history of grand multiparity than others. In the multiple regression analysis, after adjusting for confounders, the negative association did persist for lumbar spine aBMD (beta = −0.02, p value = 0.01), and the TBS (beta = −0.01, p value = 0.03), not for femoral neck aBMD. Conclusion: We infer that grand multiparity have deleterious effects on the aBMD and the trabecular pattern of the lumbar spine
Relationship Between Sarcopenia and Electrocardiographic Abnormalities in Older People: The Bushehr Elderly Health Program
No full textBackground: Sarcopenia is characterized by low skeletal muscle mass and function, which is associated with cardiovascular risk factors and may even be related to adverse cardiovascular events and mortality. This study aimed to evaluate whether sarcopenia is related to electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities in a large sample of older adults. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study based on the data collected during the Bushehr Elderly Health (BEH) cohort study. Body composition was measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and muscle strength was measured using a digital dynamometer for each hand of every participant. A person who had low muscle strength, as well as low muscle mass was identified as having sarcopenia. The subjects were classified into three groups according to the Minnesota Code (MC) as major, minor ECG abnormalities and participants with no abnormalities ECG. Results: Of the 2,426 participants, 354 (14.6%) had major ECG abnormalities and 193 (8%) had minor ECG abnormalities. Sarcopenia was associated with an increased risk of major ECG abnormality in all models. After adjustment for confounders of CHD in full model, the OR for major ECG abnormality was 1.47 (95% CI 1.11–1.95) in those with sarcopenia. Low muscle strength and low muscle performance were both with an increased risk of major ECG abnormality in all models. Sarcopenia and low muscle strength increased 28% and 62% risk of any ECG abnormality in the full models [sarcopenia: 1.28(1.01–1.63), low muscle strength: 1.62(1.30–2.03)], respectively. Conclusions: This study showed that sarcopenia and its components are associated with ECG abnormalities in Iranian older people. Although some older adults have higher cardiovascular risk factors, these data showed that further factors such as sarcopenia may be identified as a particular risk factor for future cardiovascular events. Therefore, sarcopenia could be added to the screening of the older population to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events
Waste glass catalyst for biodiesel production from waste chicken fat: Optimization by RSM and ANNs and toxicity assessment
No full textIn the current study, a heterogeneous solid base catalyst was manufactured by the reaction of waste glass with NaOH and used to generate biodiesel from chicken fat. The surface technical methods were used to characterize the produced catalyst. The active phase in the catalyst was Na2SiO3. The data showed that the catalyst is efficient to produce biodiesel from chicken fat (90% efficiency up to fourth stages of reuse). The effect of important variables such as reaction time, temperature, catalyst content, and methanol to oil ratio on the biodiesel production efficiency was optimized by RSM-CCD and artificial neural network (ANN). Maximum biodiesel production was calculated as 98.77% and 97.74% using RSM-CCD and ANN, respectively. The quality of the produced biodiesel was checked by ASTM D 6751 and EN 11214 standards. Also, the produced biodiesel was not toxic to plant and microorganisms and it is a biocompatible fuel
Potential therapeutic targets shared between leishmaniasis and cancer
No full textThe association of leishmaniasis and malignancies in human and animal models has been highlighted in recent years. The misdiagnosis of coexistence of leishmaniasis and cancer and the use of common drugs in the treatment of such diseases prompt us to further survey the molecular biology of Leishmania parasites and cancer cells. The information regarding common expressed proteins, as possible therapeutic targets, in Leishmania parasites and cancer cells is scarce. Therefore, the current study reviews proteins, and investigates the regulation and functions of several key proteins in Leishmania parasites and cancer cells. The up- and down-regulations of such proteins were mostly related to survival, development, pathogenicity, metabolic pathways and vital signalling in Leishmania parasites and cancer cells. The presence of common expressed proteins in Leishmania parasites and cancer cells reveals valuable information regarding the possible shared mechanisms of pathogenicity and opportunities for therapeutic targeting in leishmaniasis and cancers in the future. Copyright © The Author(s)
Should we add social media account details to authors' affiliations?
No full textThe inclusion of authors' social media (SM)/scientific social media (SSM) accounts in articles can be used as a complement to their other official identifiers. Viewing authors' SM/SSM pages alongside scientific works can lead to greater cognition and intimacy among researchers