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Objectives: The development of protective immunity through COVID-19 vaccines is influenced by both host factors and the composition of the vaccine. Therefore, it is essential to assess the efficacy and side effects of different vaccines among individuals with diverse socioeconomic and genetic backgrounds. Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, we examined 192 vaccinated individuals (126 recipients of Sinopharm and 66 recipients of AstraZeneca) for neutralizing antibodies two to four weeks after receiving their second vaccine dose. Additionally, we monitored these individuals for the presence or absence of COVID-19 symptoms and adverse effects over a one-month period following vaccination. Results: There was no significant difference in mean antibody titers between the Sinopharm and AstraZeneca vaccine groups (p=0.452). The percentage of positive antibody results in the Sinopharm and AstraZeneca groups was 69.8% and 84.8%, respectively, with no statistically significant variance (p=0.437). The most common side effect reported in the Sinopharm group was malaise (87.3%), while in the AstraZeneca group, malaise was also prevalent (95.5%). Compared to Sinopharm, the AstraZeneca group experienced a higher incidence of side effects (p<0.05). However, the Sinopharm group had a higher percentage of injection site pain as a complication (p<0.001). Conclusion: Our study revealed that there is no significant difference in efficacy between Sinopharm and AstraZeneca vaccines in individuals without a history of COVID-19. Common side effects following COVID-19 vaccination were observed in both Sinopharm and AstraZeneca recipients, with higher frequencies noted in the AstraZeneca group in most cases. This information may aid individuals who are concerned about potential vaccine side effects in making informed decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most important endocrine disorders affecting about 5-10% of women in reproductive age. Betaine is a bioactive peptide that has an anti-inflammatory activity. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of betaine on insulin resistance indices and inflammatory cytokines markers and histology alteration in rat ovary with experimental PCOS. This experimental study was performed on 48 female Wistar rats (170-200 g). PCOS was induced by administration of testosterone enanthate (1 mg/100g/day during 35 days). PCOS rats were treated with betaine (1% in drinking water) for 30 days. At the end of the experimental period, the insulin resistance markers (serum insulin and glucose concentrations the homeostasis model assessment of basal insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), serum estradiol (E2), progesterone (P4) and inflammatory cytokines were measured. The ovaries were also processed for histological study. PCOS induction resulted in insulin resistance, impaired E2, P4 production and elevation of tissue TNF-α, IL-1β levels. Moreover, a significant increase of ovarian cysts and atretic follicles and also a significant reduction in the early corpus luteum were observed in the ovarian tissue of the PCOS groups. Betaine treatment could reduce the inflammatory cytokines and improve steroid productions in PCOS rats. Betaine also restored normal Folliculogenesis by reducing atretic and cystic follicles. Our findings showed the beneficial effects of betaine in PCOS rats by improvement of folliculogenesis, suppression of inflammation in ovary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunotherapy has lately become the most preferred cancer treatment method, and for non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) first‐line treatment, there are many immunotherapy options. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and toxicity of paclitaxel (PTX), docetaxel (DTX) chemotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment (durvalumab; DVL), and their combination in NSCLC. A‐549 cells were treated with DVL in combination with PTX and DTX (a quarter of the IC50) to investigate their anticancer effects on these cells. The MTT assay, wound healing tests, and double‐staining with Annexin V/PI were used to assess the cell viability, apoptosis, and migration. The results showed that a combination of 0.35 mg/mL DVL with 6.5 μg/mL PTX and 1.75 μg/mL DTX produced a synergistic effect with CI values of 0.88, 0.37, and 0.81, respectively. Moreover, the PTX + DTX + DVL combination led to a significantly increased apoptotic rate up to 88.70 ± 3.39% in the A549 cell line compared to monotherapy (p <.001). In addition, we found that the combination therapy with these agents increased the expression level of Bax, Cas‐3, p53, and Bax/Bcl‐2 ratio in all experimental groups. In conclusion, the results suggest that combining anti‐PD‐L1 antibody therapy with chemotherapy may provide a promising approach to enhance treatment outcomes and be a potentially efficacious strategy for treating NSCLC patients. Further research and clinical investigations are needed to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms and validate the therapeutic potential of these compounds in vivo. Significance statement: In this study, durvalumab (DVL), an immune checkpoint inhibitor, has been proposed to evaluate the antitumor efficacy of the taxane family. The results illustrate that DVL improved taxane family‐mediated cytotoxicity in the non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line. The triple medication (paclitaxel [PTX], docetaxel [DTX], and DVL) combination therapy altered the cell proliferation in the NSCLC cells and showed a synergistic antitumoral effect, which contributes to taxane family‐mediated cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The combination potential benefit in the NSCLC treatment is the study's most significant discovery. Combining PTX, DTX, and DVL increased apoptosis by activating apoptotic pathways, and arrested cells in the G2/M phase. Also, the triple medication combination significantly reduced cell migration and invasion. Our findings also point to the possibility of increasing the overall anticancer effectiveness of DTX or PTX in NSCLC by adding anti‐PD‐L1 treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression and various cellular activities. They also hold significant importance in the progression and development of human malignancies. Among these, miRNA-484 and the Fis-1 gene have been identified as having substantial roles in lung cancer. This study aims to ascertain miRNA-484 and Fis-1 gene expression levels in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Method: In this case-control study, 45 pairs of tumor tissues and their corresponding healthy margin tissues were surgically obtained from NSCLC patients and promptly preserved in liquid nitrogen after excision. Total RNA extraction was performed using TRIzol, followed by cDNA synthesis using a designated kit. Afterward, we used quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to measure the expression levels of miRNA-484 and the Fis-1 gene. Furthermore, the clinico-pathological characteristics of the NSCLC patients were assessed. Results: Our findings revealed an upregulation of miRNA-484 expression and downregulation of Fis-1 gene expression in NSCLC tissues compared with non-tumor tissues. Additionally, significant correlations were observed between miRNA-484 and Fis-1 gene expression levels and clinicopathological features of the patients, including factors such as lymph node involvement and distant metastasis. Conclusion: These findings suggest the potential utility of Fis-1 and miR-484 as prognostic and diagnostic markers in NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) is a tool for measuring anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents. In this study, the psychometric properties of the Persian version of SCAS were investigated in an Iranian adolescents. This study was conducted on a sample of 684 adolescents. For standardization of SCAS, first- and second-order confirmatory factor analyses wereperformed. Also, to evaluate convergent and divergent validity, Fornell and Larcker criteria (1994), along with the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS)and Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), was used. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was also performedto determine the cut-off point. The model fit of the correlated six-factor model was good however, a second-order model provided a statistically superior fit to the data. The reliability coefficients for the total scale and its dimensions were satisfactory (α > 0.7). Therefore, it can be concluded that the Persian version of SCAS has acceptable reliability and validity and can be used as a useful tool for early screening of anxiety in Iranian adolescents due to its easy use and specific design for children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) is recognized as an essential controller of gene expression and other activities of the cells. Additionally, lncRNAs have a critical role in the progression and growth of human malignancies, like melanoma. Among lncRNAs, thymopoietin (TMPO)-antisense RNA 1 (TMPO AS- 1) has a significant role in melanoma. The current study aimed to determine the expression level of TMPO AS-1 in melanoma patients. Method: In this case-control research, 50 pairs of tumor and non-tumor tissues of melanoma patients were separated by the surgeon. Subsequently, TMPO AS-1 expression level in the tissues was evaluated. We used TRIzol to extract total RNA from the tumor and non-tumor tissues, following which complementary DNA was synthesized. The TMPO AS-1 expression level of TMPO AS-1 was evaluated via quantitative reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) technique. Moreover, clinicopathological features of the melanoma patients were evaluated. Results: Our findings revealed that TMPO AS-1 expression level was upregulated in the melanoma tissues in comparison with the non-tumor ones. Remarkably, the TMPO AS-1 expression level was considerably correlated to the clinicopathological characteristics of the patients, including lymph nodes and distant metastasis. Conclusion: Upregulation of TMPO AS-1 in melanoma indicated that TMPO AS- 1 and its downstream signal pathways could be used as a new target treatment option and prognostic tumor marker for melanoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Objective: Given the importance of the benefits of natural childbirth and the complications of recurrent cesarean section, we have conducted the present study to determine the maternal and neonatal complications of natural childbirth after cesarean section. Materials & Methods: In this case-control study, the obstetric complications of 84 women who had undergone a previous cesarean delivery referred to Baqiyatallah Hospital in 2018 for vaginal delivery after cesarean section (VBAC) delivery compared with 84 women with a previous vaginal delivery, who intended to give birth vaginally for the second delivery. Demographic, anthropometric, obstetric, and perinatal data of them were collected and registered in a researcher-developed form. Two groups were compared using the t-test and chi-square test. Results: The mean age in VBAC and control group was 30.49±6.83 and 32.08±7.28 years, respectively (P=0.15). There were not any occurrence of urinary rupture, bladder rupture, stool control disorder, uterine rupture, nephrotic infection, and ICU hospitalization of the mothers in the two groups. Regarding puerperal infection (3.57% in the VBAC group and 4.76% in the control group, P=0.69) and hospitalization of neonates in ICU (9.52% in the VBAC group and 5.95% in the control group, p=0.39), there was no significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion: It seems that the overall incidence of obstetric complications in women attempting vaginal birth after cesarean delivery is low and not higher than those with prior vaginal delivery. Therefore, for the achievement of benefits of natural childbirth for both the mother and the fetus, women with a prior cesarean should be offered VBAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]