Archives of Razi Institute最新文献

The rapid dissemination of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) resulted in the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on a global scale. An efficacious strategy to control the ongoing pandemic of the novel coronavirus disease (2019-nCoV) includes the rapid recognition of infected patients and the implementation of vaccination programs utilizing accurate and reliable methods. A variety of diagnostic techniques, including computed tomography (CT) scans, serological assays, and molecular methods, have been employed for the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Furthermore, a variety of vaccines, antiviral drugs, and immunotherapies have been employed to combat the virus. This is of particular importance for patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection who are at high risk of developing serious complications. The prognosis, diagnosis, vaccination, and treatment of COIVD-19 present a number of challenges, including variability in disease severity, the emergence of new variants, individual factors and immune responses, co-infections and complications, a lack of long-term data, psychological and social factors, the availability and accessibility of tests, the sensitivity and specificity of tests, variability in symptoms, mild or asymptomatic cases, a limited number of specific antiviral options, clinical heterogeneity, the lack of a universal treatment protocol, overburdened healthcare systems, the management of severe cases, long-term effects and post-COIVD-19 syndrome, vaccine hesitancy, global cooperation, and vaccine production capacity. This article presents an overview of the most recent advancements in the field of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19), encompassing prognosis, diagnosis, vaccination, and therapy. It is of the utmost importance to consult reliable sources such as national health authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO) in order to obtain the latest information on the vaccination of individuals against the novel coronavirus, including details on eligibility, availability, and recommended protocols in any specific region. The range of available treatment options and strategies is subject to ongoing evolution. Healthcare professionals and researchers are assiduously striving to surmount the challenges inherent to therapy and to enhance the outcomes for those affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection. It is imperative that randomized clinical studies be conducted with the objective of identifying the most appropriate and proven treatment in order to reduce the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and to prevent the occurrence of future pandemics.

Enterotoxemia, also referred to as "Overeating disease" or "Pulpy kidney," is a condition caused by Clostridium perfringens type D. This condition poses significant economic challenges to the goat industry. The objective of the present report was to document a previously unreported necropsy finding, namely Neck Muscle Hemorrhage, observed in a deceased Alpine kid affected by enterotoxemia. The case in question involved a three-month-old Alpine kid that exhibited clinical signs indicative of acute enterotoxemia. A postmortem examination was promptly conducted to ascertain the underlying cause of death. Aseptic sampling of the small intestine, specifically the ileum contents, was performed during the postmortem examination. The samples were then examined bacteriologically. Additionally, a commercial enterotoxemia ELISA kit was utilized to identify the enterotoxins produced by C. perfringens, including Alpha, Beta, and Epsilon toxins, and to confirm the presence of bacteria in the obtained samples. During the postmortem examination, no overt external lesions were observed. However, necropsy revealed several remarkable gross lesions, including hemorrhage and hyperemia of the colonic mucosa and small intestine, pulmonary edema, hemothorax, hydropericardium, and neck muscle hemorrhage. The bacteriological investigation and ELISA assay results indicated the presence of alpha and epsilon enterotoxins in the intestinal contents, thereby confirming the detection of C. perfringens type D bacteria. Collectively, these findings provide substantial evidence that strongly links the observed lesions to enterotoxemia caused by C. perfringens type D infection in the examined alpine kids. Notably, the investigation identified a peculiar gross lesion-namely, hemorrhagic necrotizing lesions in the neck muscle-that has not been previously reported in goats and which is associated with enterotoxemia. The recognition of this distinctive lesion underscores its significance as a noteworthy manifestation of enterotoxemia in goats. The documentation of this lesion provides clinicians with valuable guidance during necropsy examinations, aiding in the recognition and diagnosis of cases of enterotoxaemia.

The objective of this study was to ascertain the interaction between muscarinic, NMDA glutamate, and glycine receptors on sericin-induced hypophagia in neonatal chickens. This study comprised six experiments, with four groups in each and 11 repeats per group. In Experiment 1, the chicken received an ICV injection of saline, sericin (0.5 nmol), or Telenzepine (an M1 muscarinic receptor antagonist, 125 nmol). Group 4 received a co-injection of sericin and Telenzepine. In experiments 2-6, the chicken received ICV injections of AF-DX116 (an M2 muscarinic receptor antagonist, 125 nmol), 4-DAMP (an M3 muscarinic receptor antagonist, 125 nmol), PD102807 (an M4 muscarinic receptor antagonist, 125 nmol), MK-801 (an NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist, 15 nmol), and strychnine (a glycine receptor antagonist, 100 nmol) instead of Telenzepine. Subsequently, the cumulative food intake was quantified at 30, 60, and 120 minutes post-injection. The results demonstrated that the ICV injection of sericin (0.5 nmol) led to a notable reduction in cumulative food intake when compared to the control group (P<0.05). The co-injection of telenzepine and sericin resulted in a notable reduction in the hypophagia induced by sericin, as evidenced by a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). The co-injection of MK-801 and sericin resulted in a reduction of the hypophagic effects of sericin when compared to the control group (P<0.05). The co-injection of strychnine and sericin resulted in a notable reduction in the hypophagic effects of sericin, as evidenced by a statistically significant difference when compared to the control group (P<0.05). These findings suggest that sericin-induced hypophagia is mediated via M1 muscarinic, NMDA glutamate, and glycine receptors in neonatal chickens.

Candida parapsilosis is a non-albicans species with a high prevalence and potential for nosocomial infections. The BCR1 gene plays a critical role in regulating virulence factors in this species. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Thymus daenensis essential oil encapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles (TDNs) on the expression of the BCR1 gene in C. parapsilosis isolates from animal and human sources. Sixty C. parapsilosis isolates (30 from human and 30 from veterinary sources) were screened for the presence of the BCR1 gene via PCR. The TDNs were synthesized and characterized using various techniques. The isolates carrying the BCR1 gene were treated with TDNs to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The expression of the BCR1 gene after treatment with sub-MIC concentrations of TDNs was measured by real-time PCR and compared with the control group. The results were statistically analyzed. Five out of 60 isolates (8.33%) tested positive for the BCR1 gene. The physical properties of TDNs showed that they had a spherical shape, an average size of 92.3 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.129±0.03, a zeta potential of +48.3 mV, and an encapsulation efficiency of 88.6 ± 0.2%. The MIC range for TDNs in these isolates was 0.032-1 μg/ml. Treatment with TDNs significantly reduced the expression of the BCR1 gene in all five isolates compared with the control group (p=0.012). TDN has substantial potential for inhibiting the expression of the BCR1 gene, associated with virulence in C. parapsilosis. This may enhance the antifungal activity of TDN and reduce the risk of nosocomial infections caused by this species.

India has managed to successfully develop and approve two vaccines for COVID-19, namely COVAXIN and Covishield. The vaccine hesitancy phenomenon is seen even among healthcare professionals. Acceptance of vaccination by healthcare or medical students is also of paramount importance. To find out the prevalence of vaccine hesitancy and associated factors in medical students of North Delhi, India, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 210 undergraduate students from a medical college in New Delhi. The questionnaire consisted of questions about identification data, history of COVID-19 infection, and vaccine hesitancy. The collected data was analyzed in SPSS software (version 21.0), and Chi-square test was used for categorical data analysis. Among the study participants, the majority of them (77.6%) belonged to the age group of 20-25 years, and most of them were males (63.3%). The prevalence of vaccine hesitancy was 27.6% among the study participants. Factors such as semesters, mother's education, and mother's occupation of the study participants were significantly associated with vaccine hesitancy regarding COVID-19 (P<0.05). Serious side effects, vaccine effectiveness, and recent events in the past were the reasons for vaccine hesitancy. Based on the findings of the present study, about one-fourth of the participants were vaccine-hesitant. Semesters, mother's education, and mother's occupation of study participants were significantly associated with vaccine hesitancy regarding the COVID-19 vaccine (P<0.05). About one-fourth of the participants mentioned serious side effects as the reason for vaccine hesitancy. Introduction to an education curriculum in the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) can enhance students' knowledge regarding COVID-19 vaccines and their preventive aspects for the future.

The occurrence of adverse events following vaccination with the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine in children remains somewhat unclear, with only a limited number of population-based studies having been conducted in this age group. The objective of this study is to ascertain the short-term adverse events associated with the Sinopharm and Soberana (Pasto CoVac) vaccination in children between the ages of 5 and 12. This study employs an observational design with a control group. The cluster sampling method was employed to recruit the study samples, with healthcare centers and mass vaccination centers of Tabriz designated as clusters. The ratio of the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups was 2:1, respectively. Information was gathered via telephone interviews with the parents or guardians of the subjects. The data were analyzed using a mixed-effect logistic regression model. In this study, a total of 913 children were investigated, comprising 577 vaccinated and 336 unvaccinated children. The results demonstrated that the most frequent complication among the vaccinated children was injection site pain, occurring in 178 cases (30.8%, 95% CI:( 27%, 35%)) The most frequently reported systemic adverse events among vaccinated and unvaccinated children were fever (9.0% vs. 3.6%, p = 0.003), fatigue (5.5% vs. 0.9%, p = 0.002), and headache (2.9% vs. 0.6%, p = 0.032). No serious adverse events, including myocarditis, multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS), or hospitalization, were reported. The odds of experiencing any symptoms in the vaccinated group, adjusted for potential confounding variables, were significantly higher than in the control group (adjusted OR = 4.71, CI 95%: (3.04, 7.26), with a p-value of less than 0.001. The results indicate that the Sinopharm and Soberana (PastoCoVac) vaccines did not have any serious adverse effects. Moreover, it appears that some of the reported adverse events in other studies may be overestimated due to the absence of a control group.

The SARS-CoV-2, has caused a pandemic of acute respiratory disease, 'coronavirus disease 2019' (Covid-19), posed a major threat to health and the international economy during past few years. It is believed that vaccine can stop the rapid spread of the disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the Sinopharm vaccine in terms of mortality and severity of the disease among Covid-19 positive patients. This observational cross-sectional study was done at the Department of Medicine and Department of Pathology Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan/CMH Teaching Hospital (Poonch Medical College), Rawalakot AJK Pakistan from July 2021 to September 2021. Total 350 individuals with greater than or equal to 18 years of age, who were tested positive for Covid-19, were included. Patients who had received two doses of the vaccine at least 28 days apart were considered as vaccinated. The Sinopharm vaccination status was checked among patients. The severity of Covid-19 was categorized as mild, moderate and severe. A log rank regression test was applied to determine significant difference in disease severity and survival rate. The patients age range was 25-60 years (the patients mean age was 55 years). The majority of participants, 69.1% (n=242), were vaccinated by Sinopharm, and 30.9% (n=108) were non-vaccinated. Most patients had mild disease 80% (n=280) followed by moderate disease 9.7% (n=34), and severe disease 6.6% (n=23), and stratification analysis had significant (p ≤ 0.05) association between vaccinated individuals and disease severity. The overall mortality rate was 3.7%. The mortality rate was 8% (n=9) in none vaccinated individuals, whereas 1.65% (n=4) in vaccinated individuals. The Sinopharm vaccine after both doses was found effective in reducing mortality and disease severity by 98.3% and 94.4%. The study concluded that Sinopharm vaccine after two doses at least 28 days apart given to patients, after two weeks of vaccination is highly effective in reducing the mortality, disease severity and hospital admission in Covid-19 positive patients.

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is one of the most prevalent viral infectious diseases in cats. It presents a number of challenges for veterinarians in terms of diagnosis. The objective of this study was to compare the sensitivity and specificity of ELISA with that of histopathology. Samples were obtained from 28 cats exhibiting signs consistent with feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) at the northwest animal clinics in Tehran, Iran, between January 2013 and 2015. Of the cats examined, five were deemed healthy, 14 exhibited indications of wet FIP, and nine displayed symptoms of dry FIP. Furthermore, the sensitivities and specificities of biochemical parameters were determined. The sensitivity and specificity of the ELISA test for diagnosing effusive FIP were found to be 100%, which was identical to the results obtained from histopathology. The AST (AUC=0.708) and total bilirubin (AUC=0.74) demonstrated moderate clinical accuracy in diagnosing FIP. The optical densities (ODs) in positive cats and the negative control group exhibited no statistically significant difference between the effusive and non-effusive forms of FIP. The Youden index was employed to determine the optimal cut-off point for the ratio of ODs in positive and negative cats, which was estimated to be 3.375. In conclusion, the ELISA demonstrated high predictive values for the diagnosis of effusive FIP and has the potential for use in the serological diagnosis of feline coronavirus infection.

Phyllanthus reticulatus is a plant species belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae. The plant is native to tropical areas of India, Bangladesh, China, and the Malay Islands. The plant is known for its medicinal properties and has been traditionally used as a diuretic, cooling medicine, and remedy for spongy and bleeding gums. Literature revealed the plant's hepatoprotective, hypolipidemic, antinociceptive, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, cytotoxic, and antimicrobial, anticancer properties. A plant species with significant medicinal potential and its leaves have been studied for their potential therapeutic applications in managing diabetes and diarrhea. This study highlights the chemical profile of P. reticulatus methanolic leaf extract by phytochemical and GC-MS analysis, revealing nine major peaks with active chemical components. FTIR analysis showed the presence of six biologically active functional groups. The methanolic leaf extract showed the existence of 93.44 mg/g, a significant amount of phenolic content, and 55.35 mg/g of flavonoid content. The elemental concentration of plant leaf revealed the presence of 12 elements. The DPPH and PM assay showed the antioxidant properties of the leaf extract, as evidenced by its anticancer property of the leaf extract with 28.56 % cell growth inhibition on the HCT-116 colon cancer cell line at 24 h in a dose-dependent manner. This is the first report on Phyllanthus reticulatus, which reports the spectroscopic and anticancer properties of the leaf extract on colon cancer. The study opens avenues for further investigation into the bioactive constituents of Phyllanthus reticulatus leaves and their mechanisms of action, paving the way for future studies and potential drug development.

The process of carcinogenesis is initiated by an excessive proliferation of tumor cells, accompanied by a reduction in the rate of apoptosis. A number of molecules are involved in this process, with Survivin being one such molecule that is known to control it. The expression of Survivin has been observed in a range of embryonic and adult tissues with a high rate of turnover, as well as in tissue sections of oral precancerous and cancerous lesions. However, data regarding the detection of Survivin in saliva are scarce. The aim of this study is to estimate and compare salivary Survivin levels (SSL) in normal oral mucosa (NOM), oral leukoplakia (OL), and squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in order to demonstrate its potential as a predictive biomarker. Whole saliva samples were collected from all subjects and assessed for salivary Survivin levels using the ELISA technique. A Kruskal-Wallis test was employed to ascertain any significant differences in SSL. The mean SSL in the control group was found to be 301.9±180.35 ng/dl, while the study groups of OL and OSCC exhibited mean values of 285±140.4 and 316.5±176.72 ng/dl, respectively. In the OL group, the highest value was observed in cases of severe dysplasia (407.4 ng/dl), while in the OSCC group, the highest value was noted in WDSCC (311.5 ng/dl). Due to the inconsistency in the distribution of the sample, our findings were found to be non-significant (p = 0.796). This study is the first to detect Survivin in normal oral mucosa (NOM). The results suggest that Survivin plays a definitive role in maintaining the normal homeostasis of oral mucosa. The gradual upregulation and downregulation of SSL in OL and OSCC can be used to predict the aggressive nature of the malignancy. Therefore, the detection of Survivin in saliva can be utilized as a predictive marker for the progression of oral precancerous and cancerous lesions.