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Context: Oxidative stress (OS) plays a harmful role in female reproduction and fertility. Several studies explored various dietary interventions and antioxidant supplements, such as astaxanthin (AST), to mitigate the adverse effects of OS on female fertility. Ameliorative effects of AST on female fertility and the redox status of reproductive organs have been shown in several animal and clinical studies. Objectives: The main objective of present systematic review and meta-analysis of both animal and clinical studies was to provide a comprehensive overview of the current evidence on the effects of AST on female fertility and reproductive outcomes. The effect of AST on redox status, inflammatory and apoptotic markers in reproductive organs were included as the secondary outcomes. Data sources: We systematically searched electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, until January 1, 2024, using specified search terms related to AST, female reproductive performance, and infertility, considering the diverse synonyms found in the literature for interventional studies that compared oral AST supplementation with placebo or control in human or animal models. Data extraction: Two independent reviewers extracted data on study characteristics, outcomes, and risk of bias. We pooled the results using random-effects models and assessed the heterogeneity and quality of evidence. We descriptively reported the data from animal models, as meta-analysis was not possible. Data analysis: The meta-analysis of clinical trials showed that AST significantly increased the oocyte maturation rate (MD: 8.40, 95% CI: 4.57 to 12.23, I2: 0%) and the total antioxidant capacity levels in the follicular fluid (MD: 0.04, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.06, I2: 0%). The other ART and pregnancy outcomes and redox status markers did not show statistically significant changes. The animal studies reported ameliorative effects of AST on redox status, inflammation, apoptosis, and ovarian tissue histomorphology. Conclusion: This systematic review shows that AST supplementation may improve assisted reproductive technology outcomes by enhancing oocyte quality and reducing OS in the reproductive organs. However, the evidence is limited by the heterogeneity, risk of bias, and small sample size of the included studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sofosbuvir (SOF) is a revolutionary treatment for patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV). However, its efficacy and safety among patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) remains controversial. In this study, we examined the levels of SOF metabolite (GS-331007) (SOF-007) in human plasma of patients infected with HCV having ESRD using an optimized liquid chromatographymass spectrometry (LC-MS) analytical method. Methods: In this case-control study, 10 clinically confirmed cases and five controls were enrolled. SOF-007 was extracted from plasma using methanol precipitation. The limit of detection (LOD) for the drug and its metabolite were 0.85 and 2.3, respectively. Such a wide range of quantification in a period of separation time shorter than 3.0 minutes (run time) allowed monitoring of the plasma concentration of analytes up to 4 hours (pre-dialysis and post-dialysis) for 12 weeks in non-cirrhotic patients with HCV infection undergoing dialysis. Results: SOF-007 in the plasma of HCV patients with healthy kidneys showed no cumulative effect. An analysis comparing patients with ESRD and healthy participants showed that their behaviour was similar, followed by dialysis with a relatively small cumulative effect. Conclusion: The plasma concentrations of SOF-007 decreased significantly after the 4-hour period of dialysis compared with the plasma concentrations hemodialysis of pre-dialysis in HCV patients with ESRD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the increase of smartphone addiction among students, understanding the effects of smartphone addiction on students' health is essential for developing appropriate interventions. This study has been conducted in order to investigate the relationship between smartphone addiction and quality of life among students at Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). This cross-sectional study has been performed using the stratified sampling method on 320 TUMS students in 2017. The data collection tool includes a demographic questionnaire, the Cellphone over-use Scale (COS), and the World Health Organization's Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). Data have been analyzed through SPSS 18 using the t-test, ANOVA, Pearson' correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regressions. Students' mean age is 24.45±4.46; 45.6% are male. A significant inverse relationship exists between smartphone addiction scores and the quality of life scores for physical, mental, and social aspects (p<0.05). Smartphone addiction scores are significantly higher for females, bachelors, and married students (p<0.05). The smartphone addiction score determines 6% of the variance in quality of life. Alongside addiction, smartphone overuse may negatively influence the physical, mental, and social aspects of students' quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are an important public health problem around the world, with the majority of RTIs occurring in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to determine disability-adjusted life years (DALY) of RTIs in the northeast of Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we used the death registration system to calculate years of life lost (YLL) due to RTIs. To determine the years lost due to disability (YLD), hospital records of all people injured in road accidents were used. To estimate DALY, we used YLD and YLL to calculate DALY according to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2003 guideline and the age/sex composition of the population was taken from the Statistical Centre of Iran (SCI) in 2016. All collected data entered into Excel software and performed calculations. Results: Our findings showed that a total of 3403 RTIs and 132 deaths were recorded in 2016. The DALY was 38 per 1,000 of which 26.9 per 1,000 were related to YLL and 11.1 per 1,000 were related to YLD. The highest YLL rate in both sexes was in the 15-29 and 30-44 age groups with 49.8 per 1,000 and 46.0 per 1,000, respectively. This reflects a sex ratio of DALY in males (57.7 per 1,000) to females (8.6 per 1,000) was 6.7. Conclusions: It seems to be necessary, appropriate effective intervention programs and periodic evaluations are required regarding prevention and reducing traffic accidents mostly in middle-aged men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The aim of this systematic review was to assess the association of tattooing with the risk of hepatitis C infection. Evidence Acquisition: Asystematic search was performed in Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, Google scholar, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PubMed up to May 2017. To analyze the data using random effect, odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated for each study. We also determined publication bias and heterogeneity among the 162 extracted articles. Results: We included 163 relevant studies out of the 2353 extracted studies into the meta-analysis process. When all studies were included in the meta-analysis, the association between tattooing and risk of hepatitis C transmission was strongly significant (pooled OR = 2.79, 95% CI: 2.46 - 3.18). Subgroup analysis showed the strongest association between tattooing and the risk of hepatitis C among samples from blood donors groups (OR = 4.09, 95% CI: 2.80 - 5.98). Conclusions: This meta-analysis study revealed that tattooing is strongly associated with transmission of hepatitis C in all subgroups. Relevant education is recommended for young adults who are more likely to get tattoos as well as for prison inmates who have demonstrated high prevalence of hepatitis C infection. In addition, it seems necessary to implement prevention programs and enforce guidelines for safer tattooing practices in tattoo parlors in order to prevent hepatitis C transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sofosbuvir (SOF) is a revolutionary treatment for patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV). However, its efficacy and safety among patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) remains controversial. In this study, we examined the levels of SOF metabolite (GS-331007) (SOF-007) in human plasma of patients infected with HCV having ESRD using an optimized liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analytical method., Methods: In this case-control study, 10 clinically confirmed cases and five controls were enrolled. SOF-007 was extracted from plasma using methanol precipitation. The limit of detection (LOD) for the drug and its metabolite were 0.85 and 2.3, respectively. Such a wide range of quantification in a period of separation time shorter than 3.0 minutes (run time) allowed monitoring of the plasma concentration of analytes up to 4 hours (pre-dialysis and post-dialysis) for 12 weeks in non-cirrhotic patients with HCV infection undergoing dialysis., Results: SOF-007 in the plasma of HCV patients with healthy kidneys showed no cumulative effect. An analysis comparing patients with ESRD and healthy participants showed that their behaviour was similar, followed by dialysis with a relatively small cumulative effect., Conclusion: The plasma concentrations of SOF-007 decreased significantly after the 4-hour period of dialysis compared with the plasma concentrations hemodialysis of pre-dialysis in HCV patients with ESRD., Competing Interests: Competing Interests The authors declare no conflict of interest related to this work., (© 2024 Middle East Journal of Digestive Diseases.)

Background: Selecting a suitable and preferable method for endometrial preparation in frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles for women with adenomyosis is still challenging in infertility treatment., Objective: To compare 2 artificial endometrial preparation regimens with and without gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) pretreatment in women with adenomyosis undergoing FET cycles., Materials and Methods: This randomized clinical trial study was conducted on 140 adenomyosis cases who underwent FET cycles at Arash Women's hospital, Tehran, Iran from May 2020 to March 2021. Participants were randomly allocated into hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) and HRT+GnRHa pretreatment groups (n = 70/each). Endometrial preparation with 2-6 mg daily estradiol was started in the HRT+GnRHa group, taking after down-regulation with the GnRHa. Within the HRT group, the same dose of estradiol was commenced within the early follicular stage. The main (chemical and clinical pregnancy rates) and auxiliary results (twin pregnancy, miscarriage, and live birth rates) were compared between groups., Results: The demographic characteristics and severity of adenomyosis, endometrial thickness, and pattern at starting progesterone administration were similar in the 2 groups, and triple-line endometrium was found to be the dominant pattern in both groups (p = 0.65). No significant differences were observed in chemical, clinical, and twin pregnancy rates as well as miscarriage and live birth rates between groups (p = 0.71, p = 0.81, p = 0.11, and p = 0.84, respectively). However, the total estrogen dose and duration of estrogen consumption were significantly higher in the pretreatment group (p = 0.001, and p = 0.003)., Conclusion: These results indicated that the hormonal endometrial preparation with estrogen and progestin for FET cycles is as efficacious as a protocol involving preceding pituitary suppression with a GnRHa. Further large randomized clinical studies are required to confirm these findings., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Eslami Moayed et al.)