Background: In recent years, considerable attention has been paid to the role of microRNAs (miRs) as biomarkers in type 2 diabetes (T2D). The aim of the study was to evaluate the expression levels of miR-15a and miR-222 in diabetic, pre-diabetic, and healthy individuals. Materials and Methods: Ninety individuals, who were referred to the Yazd diabetic center, were enrolled in this study and then classified into three groups as healthy, pre-T2D, and diabetic based on the clinical manifestations. Real-time PCR was performed to explore miRs expression in the plasma samples of the studied population. The correlation between the biochemical characteristic and the expression of these miRs as well as specificity and sensitivity of different clinical markers in healthy and pre-diabetic groups was evaluated. Results: miR-222 expression was significantly upregulated in the pre-T2D cases compared to the control subjects (P<0.001), while no significant difference was found between the pre-T2D and T2D groups (P<0.05). The expression of miR-15a was statistically downregulated in the pre-T2D and T2D subjects (P<0.05). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of miR-15a expression with a cutoff point of 1.12 resulted in the area under the curve (AUC) of 85% (95% CI 0.865-0.912; P<0.001) with 84% and 85% sensitivity and specificity, respectively. Similarly, for miR-222, the cutoff point of 4.03 and AUC of 86% (95% CI 0.875-0.943; P<0.001) discriminated against the pre-T2D and control subjects via the sensitivity and specificity of 86% and 87%, respectively. Moreover, miR-15a values showed a negative correlation with FG (R=−0.32, P=0.005); however, miR-222 values were positively correlated with FG (R=0.25, P=0.03) in the pre-T2D group. Furthermore, miR-222 values were correlated with OGTT in the pre-T2D group (R=0.27, P=0.001). In addition, LDL-C had a negative correlation with miR-222 values in the pre-T2D group (R=−0.23, P=0.02). Conclusion: This study indicated that the plasma expression levels of miR-222 and miR-15a can be considered as non-invasive, fast tools to separate the pre-T2D individuals from their healthy counterparts. Accordingly, this information could be used to predict the development of the disease as well as a direction for optimal therapy, thus refining outcomes in patients with diabetes.
: Since the outbreak of COVID-19, global concern emerged inspiring scientists to dedicate more attention to this pandemic. The disease caused by a novel coronavirus requires urgent striking action to probe the disease phases and find a proper cure. In this regard, the necessity of brief and thorough explanations comes into view. In this study, we gathered useful information about the virology, pathogenesis, epidemiology, manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment with special consideration of pediatric patients. This review article helps medical caregivers to receive a quick and effective approach to deal with this disease in their practice.
Today clinicians may diagnose hundreds of people with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We report the case of a child with asthma who sought care for COVID-19 symptoms whose condition did not improve despite appropriate treatment for asthma, pneumonia and COVID-19. Further examination revealed a surprising underlying disease. It is important to consider that in pandemics such as COVID-19, because all attention is paid to the disease, underlying hidden causes may be neglected.
Destructive outcomes of coronavirus pandemic call for medical research which can report all of the influential agents not only for the treatment of the disease but also preventing its severe impacts on the societal health in the most efficient manner. Zinc plays an integral role in the function of cellular enzymes and transcription factors. Owing to its anti-inflammatory and cellular immunity regulation activity, zinc is regarded to be effective on strengthening the immune system. Its crucial antiviral effects have long been established as well. Studies suggest that low serum zinc level predisposes the patient to severe COVID-19 infection, which makes patient’s zinc profile a potential determinant of prognosis and severity of this disease. Furthermore, zinc supplementation has indicated promising outcomes of coronavirus infection management. Zinc modulates cell-mediated immunity and participates in the killing of microorganisms in cytotoxic immune cells. Zn2 + has anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting IL-6 production. Although there is still not enough evidence, it seems that zinc could be a promising supplementary treatment for COVID-19 especially in zinc-deficient patients. The aim of this review is to clarify the role of zinc in pathogenesis and therapy of COVID-19 in detail.
Introduction: Biomarkers would significantly improve the early detection of the disease and identification of individuals at risk of emerging complications. Diabetes mellitus is a group of diverse and complex metabolic disorders. Both type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) mellitus are associated with distinct alterations in the profile of MicroRNAs (miRNAs) in the blood, which are sometimes detectable several years before the disease manifests. Lately, considerable attention has been paid to the role of miRNAs as biomarkers for T2D. The aim of this study was to review the expression of different miRNAs in pre-diabetic (per-T2D), T2D and healthy groups. Conclusion After evaluating several articles, including main articles, meta-analysis and review studies, it was found that the expression of micRNAs was statistically different in healthy, pre-T2D and T2D groups. In addition, the expression of specific miRNAs is useful in preventing disease and modifying gene structure. This study indicated that the plasma expression level of miRNAs could be considered as a non-invasive and fast tool for the separation of pre-T2D individuals from their healthy counterparts.
Introduction: Reactive arthritis (ReA) is a joint inflammation that follows an infection at a distant site, often in the gastrointestinal or urogenital tract. Since the emergence of COVID-19 in January 2020, several case reports have suggested a relation between reactive arthritis and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2), due to the novelty of the disease, most findings were reported in the form of case reports or case series, and a comprehensive overview is still lacking. Methods: We searched PubMed/Medline and Embase to identify studies addressing the association between ReA and COVID-19. The following terms were used: [“Reactive Arthritis” OR “Post-Infectious Arthritis” OR “Post Infectious Arthritis”] AND [“COVID-19” OR “SARS-CoV-2” OR “2019-nCoV”]. Results: A total number of 35 reports published up to February 16th, 2022, were included in this study. A wide range of ages was affected (mean 41.0, min 4 max 78), with a higher prevalence of males (61.0%) from 16 countries. The number and location of the affected joints were different in included patients, with a higher prevalence of polyarthritis in 41.5% of all cases. Cutaneous manifestations and visual impairments were found as the most common associated symptoms. Most patients (95.1%) recovered, with a mean recovery time of 24 days. Moreover, arthritis induced by COVID-19 seems to relieve faster than ReA, followed by other infections. Conclusion: ReA can be a possible sequel of COVID-19 infection. Since musculoskeletal pain is a frequent symptom of COVID-19, ReA with rapid onset can easily be misdiagnosed. Therefore, clinicians should consider ReA a vital differential diagnosis in patients with post-COVID-19 joint swelling. Additional studies are required for further analysis and to corroborate these findings.
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