Search

Objective(s): Similar characteristics of molecular pathways between cellular reprogramming events and tumorigenesis have been accentuated in recent years. Reprogramming-related transcription factors, also known as Yamanaka factors (OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and c-MYC), are also well-known oncogenes promoting cancer initiation, progression, and cellular transformation into cancer stem cells. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a major class of RNA molecules with emerging roles in stem cell pluripotency, cellular reprogramming, cellular transformation, and tumorigenesis. The long intergenic non-coding RNA ROR (lincRNA-ROR, linc-ROR) acts as a regulator of cellular reprograming through sponging miR-145 that normally negatively regulates the expression of the stemness factors NANOG, OCT4, and SOX2. Materials and Methods: Here, we employed a real-time PCR approach to determine the expression patterns of linc-ROR and its two novel spliced variants (variants 2 and 4) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Results: The quantitative real-time RT-PCR results revealed a significant up-regulation of linc-ROR (P=0.0098) and its variants 2 (P=0.0250) and 4 (P=0.0002) in tumor samples of ESCC, compared to their matched non-tumor tissues obtained from the margin of same tumors. Our data also demonstrated a significant up-regulation of variant 4 in high-grade tumor samples, in comparison to the low-grade ones (P=0.04). Moreover, the ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the variant 4 of ROR has a potential to discriminate between tumor and non-tumor samples (AUC=0.66, P<0.05). Conclusion: Our data suggest a significant up-regulation of linc-ROR and its variants 2 and 4 in ESCC tissue samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Esophageal cancer is the third most common type of cancer in Iran. Studies on water, soil, grains, waste and sediments in Golestan Province have shown that the environmental concentrations of antimony and strontium are increased in areas with high incidence rate for cancer. The carcinogenic effects of strontium have been reported, but carcinogenicity of antimony is still unclear. Since there is not enough information regarding the relationship between the concentration of strontium and antimony and prevalence of esophageal cancer in the province, this study aimed to evaluate serum levels of these elements in patients with esophageal cancer using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Methods: This study was performed on 30 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and 30 healthy matched controls. After sampling, concentrations of strontium and antimony were measured using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Results: Half of the esophageal cancer patients and control participants were male. The mean age of patients and controls was 66 ± 13 and 64 ± 8 years, respectively. The mean serum concentration of strontium in patients and controls was 24.18 ± 1.62 and 24.08 ± 1.46 μg/L, respectively. The mean serum concentration of antimony in patients and controls was 18.61 ± 1.48 and 18.98 ± 1.93 μg/L, respectively. No statistically significant difference was observed between the serum concentrations of the two elements in patients and controls. Conclusion: There is no difference between serum levels of strontium and antimony in cancer patients and healthy controls, which could be due to tissue accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND In the Golestan Cohort Study that was launched to investigate the causes of esophageal cancer, a complete biospecimen bank was established for storage of collected blood, urine, hair, and nail samples. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of nail samples as a biomarker of selected trace elements status. METHODS Thirty toenail samples were selected randomly from the participants of Golestan Cohort Study (GCS). The samples were cleaned and analyzed for selenium, mercury, chromium, iron, zinc, and scandium by instrumental neutron activation analysis at the University of Missouri Research Reactor Center. Pearson correlation coefficients were computed for selected trace elements concentration versus scandium concentration to assess terrestrial contamination. RESULTS The selenium, zinc, and mercury were not correlated with scandium, suggesting they were free from substantial contamination. The high correlations of scandium with iron and chromium suggest that the iron and chromium levels may be compromised by terrestrial contamination. The coefficients of variation for duplicate samples for selenium and zinc were 2.6% and 7.2%, respectively. CONCLUSION The nail samples from Golestan Cohort Study appears to be useable as a biomarker of selenium, zinc, and mercury and could be considered for use in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Individuals with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or elevated liver enzymes have increased cardiovascular mortality but are often excluded from prevention trials. We investigated the effectiveness of fixed-dose combination therapy in prevention of major cardiovascular events (MCVE) among individuals with and without presumed nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (pNASH). Methods: 2400 Participants over 50 were randomized into intervention and control. Consent was taken post randomization. Participants in the intervention group were given a combination pill containing aspirin, atorvastatin, hydrochlorothiazide, and valsartan (Polypill). Participants were followed for 5 years. pNASH was diagnosed by ultrasonography and elevated liver enzymes. The primary outcome was MCVE. Clinical Trials. gov ID: NCT01245608. Results: 892 participants did not consent or meet enrollment criteria and 1508 entered the study. During 5-years of follow-up, 63/787 (8. 0%) intervention group participants and 86/721 (11. 9%) controls had MCVE (adjusted RR 0. 61, 95%CI 0. 44 to 0. 83). Although the adjusted relative risk of MCVE in participants with pNASH (0. 35, 95%CI 0. 17 to 0. 74) was under half that for participants without pNASH (0. 73, 95%CI 0. 49 to 1. 00), the difference did not reach statistical significance. Outcomes were also evaluated for the pre-consent population. 138/1249 in the intervention group (11. 0%) and 137/1017 controls (13. 5%) had MCVE during the 5-year follow-up (unadjusted RR 0. 83, 95%CI 0. 66-1. 03). Participants with pNASH in the intervention group had a significant decrease in liver enzyme levels after 60 months of follow-up (intragroup -12. 0 IU/L, 95%CI -14. 2 to -9. 6). Conclusion: Fixed-dose combination therapy is safe and effective for prevention of MCVE even among participants with fatty liver and increased liver enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: There are limited studies on the relationship between inflammatory marker such as IL-6 and lipid peroxidation and metabolic syndrome. The aim of present study was to assess IL-6 and lipid peroxidation in subjects with and without the metabolic syndrome and their association with metabolic syndrome components. Methodology: Age and gender matched 40 subjects with metabolic syndrome and 40 control groups took part in this study. Results: The mean malondialdehyde level was significantly higher in overweight and obese subjects with metabolic syndrome than control groups (P<0.05). The mean level of IL-6 in men and the mean level of malondialdehyde in women with metabolic syndrome was significantly higher than control groups (p < 0.05). There were significant positive correlation between malondialdehyde and fasting blood glucose, triglyceride and systolic blood pressure (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our results suggest that higher levels of IL-6 and malondialdehyde may cause insulin resistance and metabolic disorders in all subjects with metabolic syndrome. Malondialdehyde level shows strong association with some metabolic syndrome components. This means the greater risk of metabolic syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Refined grains and white rice have been associated with elevated risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In this study, we sought to quantify the effect of white rice intake on incident T2DM in two prospective population-based cohort studies from Iran, where white rice is one of the main staple. Methods: We used follow-up data from 9,182 participants from Golestan Cohort Study (GCS, 2004–2007, conducted mainly in rural areas) and 2,173 from Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS, 2004–2006) who did not have T2DM and other chronic diseases at baseline. Diet was assessed using validated food frequency questionnaires. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for incident T2DM. Results: We documented 902 new cases of T2DM in GCS and 81 in TLGS. Age-standardized cumulative incidence of T2DM was 9.9% in Golestan and 8.0% in Tehran. Daily white rice intake was significantly higher among residents of Tehran compared to Golestan (median daily intake: 250 vs. 120 grams; P-value < 0.001). After adjustment for potential confounders, there was no significant association between daily white rice intake and incident T2DM in GCS. In TLGS, the adjusted OR (95% confidence interval (CI)) was 2.1 (1.1, 3.9) comparing participants with daily white rice intake of >250 grams/day to those with <250. Conclusions: We observed an increased lieklihood of T2DM associated with high white rice intake among residents of Tehran and no association in Golestan. Our findings, if further supported by other studies, have important public health implications especially for countries where white rice is a major staple and diabetes is increasing rapidly incidence is high. Further research is needed to investigate lack of an association between lower levels of white rice intake and T2DM. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-016-3999-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a major health problem in many developing countries, including Iran. ESCC has a very poor prognosis, largely due to late diagnosis. As a first step in developing an early detection and treatment program, we conducted a population-based endoscopic screening for ESCC and its precursor lesion, esophageal squamous dysplasia (ESD), in asymptomatic adults from Golestan Province, northern Iran (a high-risk area for ESCC) to evaluate the feasibility of such a program and to document the prevalence and risk factor correlates of ESD. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among participants of the Golestan Cohort Study (GCS), a population-based cohort of 50,000 adults in eastern Golestan Province. Randomly selected GCS participants were invited by telephone. Those who accepted were referred to a central endoscopy clinic. Eligible subjects who consented were asked to complete a brief questionnaire. Detailed information about selected risk factors was obtained from the GCS main database. Endoscopic examination with was performed with Lugol's iodine staining; biopsies were taken from unstained lesions as well as the normally stained mucosa of the esophagus, and the biopsies were diagnosed by expert pathologists according to previously described criteria. Results: In total, 1906 GCS subjects were invited, or whom only 302 (15.8%) were successfully enrolled. Esophagitis (29.5%) and ESD (6.0%) were the most common pathological diagnoses. Turkmen ethnicity (adjusted OR = 8.61; 95%CI: 2.48-29.83), being older than the median age (OR = 7.7; 95% CI: 1.99-29.87), and using deep frying cooking methods (OR = 4.65; 95%CI: 1.19-18.22) were the strongest predictors for ESD. There were significant relationships between esophagitis and smoking (p-value<0.001), drinking hot tea (P value = 0.02) and lack of education (P value = 0.004). Conclusion: We observed a low rate of participation in endoscopic screening. The overall prevalence of ESD was 6.0%. Developing nonendoscopic primary screening methods and screening individuals with one or more risk factors may improve these rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Only a few studies in Western countries have investigated the association between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and mortality at the general population level and they have shown mixed results. This study investigated the association between GERD symptoms and overall and cause-specific mortality in a large prospective population-based study in Golestan Province, Iran. METHODS Baseline data on frequency, onset time, and patient-perceived severity of GERD symptoms were available for 50001 participants in the Golestan Cohort Study (GCS). We identified 3107 deaths (including 1146 circulatory and 470 cancer-related) with an average follow-up of 6.4 years and calculated hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) adjusted for multiple potential confounders. RESULTS Severe daily symptoms (defined as symptoms interfering with daily work or causing nighttime awakenings on a daily bases, reported by 4.3% of participants) were associated with cancer mortality (HR 1.48, 95% CI: 1.04-2.05). This increase was too small to noticeably affect overall mortality. Mortality was not associated with onset time or frequency of GERD and was not increased with mild to moderate symptoms. CONCLUSION We have observed an association with GERD and increased cancer mortality in a small group of individuals that had severe symptoms. Most patients with mild to moderate GERD can be re-assured that their symptoms are not associated with increased mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, NIH 9609 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. Corrigendum Corrigendumto:Jointeffectofdiabetesand opiateuseonall-causeandcause-specific mortality:theGolestancohortstudy MahdiNalini, 1,2† MasoudKhoshnia, 3† FarinKamangar, 4 MaryamSharafkhah, 1 HosseinPoustchi, 5 AkramPourshams, 1 GholamrezaRoshandel, 3 SamadGharavi, 1 MahdiZahedi, 6 AlirezaNorouzi, 3 MasoudSotoudeh, 1 ArashNikmanesh, 7,8 PaulBrennan, 9 PaoloBoffetta, 10,11 SanfordMDawsey, 12 ChristianCAbnet, 12 RezaMalekzadeh 1 and ArashEtemadi 1,12 * 1 Digestive Oncology Research Center, Digestive Disease Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, 2 Cardiovascular Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran, 3 Golestan Research Center of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (GRCGH), Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran, 4 Department of Biology, School of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD, USA, 5 Liver and Pancreaticobilliary Research Center, Digestive Disease Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, 6 Ischemic Disorders Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran, 7 Digestive Disease Research Center, Digestive Diseases Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, 8 Sasan Alborz Research Center, Masoud Clinic, Tehran, Iran, 9 Section of Genetics, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France, 10 Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA, 11 Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy and 12 Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA *Corresponding author. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: Hepatitis B is considered the most prevalent cause of cirrhosis in Iran, and the prevalence of patients with both hepatitis B and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is growing as well. The role of NAFLD in liver status of hepatitis B patients has not been well investigated; therefore, present study aims to compare fibrosis status of different combinations of NAFLD and hepatitis B in a large population of Iranians who had previously participated in Golestan Cohort Study (GCS). Methods: In current study, data of two nested studies within GCS were extracted and analyzed. Study population consisted of Iranians aged 50-75 years old residing in Golestan province. Liver status of participants were assessed using transient elastography. Participants were categorized into four groups of “controls”, “only NAFLD”, “only hepatitis B” and “both” (hepatitis B plus NAFLD). The degree of fibrosis and effect of NAFLD in hepatitis B was investigated using multiple logistic regressions. Moreover, the associations of viral load and presence of NAFLD with LSM and ALT were investigated in overall hepatitis cases using Kruskal-wallis. P-value < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Current study consisted of 2,089 individuals (53.1% male) with mean age of 58.9 years. Median Liver Stiffness Measurement (LSM) score was 4.7 kPa in total population. “NAFLD”, “hepatitis B” and “both” were all associated with significant fibrosis (LSM > 8), and observed association remained significant after controlling the confounders (“NAFLD” adjusted OR = 2.5, “hepatitis B” adjusted OR = 4.9 and “both” adjusted OR = 5.9). Presence of NAFLD or high viral load were not associated with LSM (p-value = 0.118), while being significantly associated with higher levels of ALT (p-value < 0.001). Conclusion: We were able to show that hepatitis B and NAFLD have a synergistic effect in development of advanced fibrosis. Therefore, when faced with concomitant hepatitis B and NAFLD, higher risks of progression into cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma should be anticipated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The incidence and survival of breast cancer (BC) vary across countries. This study aimed to determine risk factors for BC and estimate the overall survival rate in BC patients of the Golestan Cohort Study (GCS). Methods: This case-control study was performed among participants of the GCS. Cases (N = 99) consisted of women who were diagnosed with BC and controls (n = 400) were selected out of women participating in the same cohort and had not developed any cancer during the follow-up period. Controls were frequency matched to case on both place of residency and 5-year categories of age. Results: Considering confounding variables, logistic regression analysis manifested a reverse association between parity and BC (OR [odds ratio] = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.80--0.95, P = 0.001). In addition, we found women who had family history of any cancer (OR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.02--2.60, P = 0.04) and long term oral contraceptive (OCP) use (≥10 years) (OR = 3.17, 95% CI: 1.27--7.95, P = 0.01) were at higher risk of BC. Of the total patients, 23 (23.2%) were died due to BC after a mean follow-up of 102.4 ± 5.31 months. Using the Kaplan-Meier analysis, the 5-year survival in these patients was 74%. Conclusion: In the Golestan Cohort population, long term OCP use and family history of cancer were risk factors for BC, while parity was a protective factor. The 5-year survival of BC patients in the GCS is still lower relative to Europe and the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is unclear which anthropometric obesity indicator best predicts adverse health outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the association of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and hip-adjusted WC with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Methods: 50 045 people aged 40-75 (58% women, median BMI: 26.3 kg/m²) participated in the population-based Golestan Cohort Study. We used Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the association of obesity indicators with mortality. We also examined the association of these indicators with intermediate outcomes, including hypertension, blood glucose, dyslipidemia, carotid atherosclerosis, nonalcoholic fatty liver, and visceral abdominal fat. Results: After a median follow-up of 10.9 years (success rate: 99.1%), 6651 deaths (2778 cardiovascular) occurred. Comparing 5th to the 1st quintile, HRs (95% CIs) for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality were 1.12 (1.02-1.22) and 1.59 (1.39-1.83) for BMI, 1.16 (1.07-1.27) and 1.66 (1.44-1.90) for WC, 1.28 (1.17-1.40) and 1.88 (1.63-2.18) for WHtR, 1.44 (1.32-1.58) and 2.04 (1.76-2.36) for WHR, and 1.84 (1.62-2.09) and 2.72 (2.23-3.32) for hip-adjusted WC, respectively. Hip-adjusted WC had the strongest associations with the intermediate outcomes. Conclusion: Indicators of visceral adiposity (e.g., hip-adjusted WC) were much stronger predictors of overall and cardiovascular mortality than were indicators of general adiposity (e.g., BMI). The full-strength effect of visceral adiposity becomes apparent only when both WC, as a risk factor, and hip circumference, as a protective factor, are individually and simultaneously taken into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the intra-familial transmission of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in Golestan province, that has the highest prevalence of CHB in Iran. Methods: The Golestan Cohort Study (GCS) is a population-based prospective study of 50 045 individuals, 40 years or older, initially set-up to study upper GI cancers in Northern Iran. In 2008, a baseline measurement of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) on the stored serum of all GCS participants identified 3505 HBsAg+ individuals. In 2011, we assessed HBV serological markers in 2590 initially HBsAg+ individuals and their first-degree relatives including spouses (1454) and children (3934). Results: The median (IQR) age of spouses and children were 52 (12) and 25 (12) years respectively. Out of 5388 family members, 2393 (44.5%) had no HBV markers, indicating susceptibility to infection. Of these, 378 (15.8%) were fully-vaccinated children with no apparent response to primary immunization. HBsAg was positive in 2.2% (n = 33) of spouses and 8.2% (n = 325) of children (overall rate of 6.6%). HBcAb was positive in 761 (52.3%) and 914 (23%) spouses and children, respectively. The rate of spontaneous loss of HBsAg (HBsAg-, HBsAb+ and HbcAb+) was 41.3% and 13.9% in spouses and children, respectively. A higher rate of HBsAg+ children (10.2%) was found in families in which the mother was positive for HBsAg compared with families where the father was positive for HBsAg (6.3%) (P < 0.001). When both parents were positive for HBsAg, the rate of HBsAg positivity was high (23.5%, P < 0.001). Despite high virus exposure rates between spouses (52.6 %), the prevalence of HBsAg positivity among them was very low (2.3 %). Conclusion: Sexual and parent-to-child transmission are important routes of CHB spread in this population from northern Iran despite the fact that 24 years have passed since the beginning of hepatitis B vaccination in infants. Low percentage of HBsAg positivity in spouses is related to high HBsAg clearance rate among them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is among the most common causes of mortality in all populations. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis is a common finding in patients with CVD. Prevention of CVD in individual patients typically requires periodic clinical evaluation, as well as diagnosis and management of risk factors such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia. However, this is resource consuming and hard to implement, especially in developing countries. We designed a study to investigate the effects of a simpler strategy: a fixed-dose combination pill consisting of aspirin, valsartan, atorvastatin and hydrochlorthiazide (PolyPill) in an unselected group of persons aged over 50 years. Design: The PolyIran-Liver study was performed in Gonbad city as an open label pragmatic randomized controlled trial nested within the Golestan Cohort Study. We randomly selected 2,400 cohort study participants aged above 50 years, randomly assigned them to intervention or usual care and invited them to participate in an additional measurement study (if they met the eligibility criteria) to measure liver related outcomes. Those agreeing and randomized to the intervention arm were offered a daily single dose of PolyPill. We will follow participants for 5 years. The primary outcome is major cardiovascular events, secondary outcomes include all-cause mortality and liver related outcomes: liver stiffness and liver enzyme levels. Cardiovascular outcomes and mortality will be determined from the cohort study and liver-related outcomes in those consenting to follow up. Analysis will be by allocated group. Trial status: Between October and December 2011, 1,320 intervention and 1,080 control participants were invited to participate in the additional measurement study. For all these participants, the major cardiovascular events will be determined using blind assessment of outcomes through the cohort study. In the intervention and control arms, 875 (66%) and 721 (67%) respectively, met the eligibility criteria and agreed to participate in the additional measurement study. Liver related outcomes will be measured in these participants. Of the 1,320 participants randomized to the intervention, 787 (60%) accepted the PolyPill. Conclusion: The PolyIran-liver urban study will provide us with important information on the effectiveness of PolyPill on major cardiovascular events, all-cause mortality and liver related outcomes. (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT01245608). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studying carcinogens in tobacco and nontobacco sources may be key to understanding the pathogenesis and geographic distribution of esophageal cancer., Methods: The Golestan Cohort Study has been conducted since 2004 in a region with high rates of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. For this nested study, the cases comprised of all incident cases by January 1, 2018; controls were matched to the case by age, sex, residence, time in cohort, and tobacco use. We measured urinary concentrations of 33 exposure biomarkers of nicotine, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, and tobacco-specific nitrosamines. We used conditional logistic regression to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals for associations between the 90th vs the 10th percentiles of the biomarker concentrations and incident esophageal squamous cell carcinoma., Results: Among individuals who did not currently use tobacco (148 cases and 163 controls), 2 acrolein metabolites, 2 acrylonitrile metabolites, 1 propylene oxide metabolite, and one 1,3-butadiene metabolite were significantly associated with incident esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (adjusted odds ratios between 1.8 and 4.3). Among tobacco users (57 cases and 63 controls), metabolites of 2 other volatile organic compounds (styrene and xylene) were associated with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OR = 6.2 and 9.0, respectively). In tobacco users, 2 tobacco-specific nitrosamines (NNN and N'-Nitrosoanatabine) were also associated with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Suggestive associations were seen with some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (especially 2-hydroxynaphthalene) in nonusers of tobacco products and other tobacco-specific nitrosamines in tobacco users., Conclusion: These novel associations based on individual-level data and samples collected many years before cancer diagnosis, from a population without occupational exposure, have important public health implications., (Published by Oxford University Press 2023.)

Objectives: Similar characteristics of molecular pathways between cellular reprogramming events and tumorigenesis have been accentuated in recent years. Reprogramming-related transcription factors, also known as Yamanaka factors (OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and c-MYC), are also well-known oncogenes promoting cancer initiation, progression, and cellular transformation into cancer stem cells. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a major class of RNA molecules with emerging roles in stem cell pluripotency, cellular reprogramming, cellular transformation, and tumorigenesis. The long intergenic non-coding RNA ROR (lincRNA-ROR, linc-ROR) acts as a regulator of cellular reprograming through sponging miR-145 that normally negatively regulates the expression of the stemness factors NANOG, OCT4, and SOX2., Materials and Methods: Here, we employed a real-time PCR approach to determine the expression patterns of linc-ROR and its two novel spliced variants (variants 2 and 4) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC)., Results: The quantitative real-time RT-PCR results revealed a significant up-regulation of linc-ROR ( P =0.0098) and its variants 2 ( P =0.0250) and 4 ( P =0.0002) in tumor samples of ESCC, compared to their matched non-tumor tissues obtained from the margin of same tumors. Our data also demonstrated a significant up-regulation of variant 4 in high-grade tumor samples, in comparison to the low-grade ones ( P =0.04). Moreover, the ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the variant 4 of ROR has a potential to discriminate between tumor and non-tumor samples ( AUC =0.66, P <0.05)., Conclusion: Our data suggest a significant up-regulation of linc-ROR and its variants 2 and 4 in ESCC tissue samples.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess serum levels of highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and adiponectin in subjects with metabolic syndrome and control groups., Methods: There were 40 subjects with metabolic syndrome and 40 control groups. Mean serum level of adiponectin and high sensitive C reactive protein were lower and higher in subjects with metabolic syndrome than control groups, respectively. There were significant positive correlation between high sensitive C reactive protein and waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride and fasting blood glucose. There were significant negative correlation between adiponectin and waist circumference and triglyceride. Hs-CRP showed a stronger association with metabolic syndrome than adiponectin., Results: Our findings suggest that elevated hs-CRP and reduced adiponectin showed positive and negative association with some metabolic syndrome components. Hs-CRP showed a stronger association with the metabolic syndrome than adiponectin., Conclusion: It seems that hs-CRP may play a significant role as a risk factor for metabolic syndrome. In this study, in contrast with other findings it may suggest that hs-CRP is more important as a diagnostic biomarker for metabolic syndrome than adiponectin. These differences may be due to the changes in the lifestyle and dietary habits in subjects with metabolic syndrome in Gorgan inhabitants. It likes that these subjects do less physical activity and use more fatty nutrients. It seems that subjects with metabolic syndrome need to change their life style and dietary habits in this area to halt the burden of cardiovascular complications., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.)