Colorectal neoplasms in symptomatic patients without evidence of bleeding: a prospective study in an Iranian population

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a preventable disease with a high mortality and morbidity. Data on its prevalence are lacking in Iran, as well as for adenomatous polyps. This study was conducted to estimate prevalence of CRC in patients with long lasting colonic symptoms (except for known risk factors for cancer and those with rectal bleeding) who underwent total colonoscopy. METHODS: This prospective study was carried out in Imam Hospital, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. The recruitment procedure involved 228 individuals aged more than 30 who visited a gastroenterologist because of lower gastrointestinal tract symptoms and had criteria for a colonoscopy. The endoscopist visualized the caecum in all, documented by a photo of caecum and/or specimen of the terminal ileum. The Chi square test and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to determine the significance of associations between different symptoms and colonoscopic findings. RESULTS: Thirty four subjects (14.9%) were found to have colorectal neoplasia and 112 (49.1%) had a completely normal colon. Adenomatous polyps were detected in 27 patients, which included 15.6% of men and 7.0% of women. Most of them were tubular (58.3%) and severe dysplasia was reported in only 3 cases (11.1%). Mean age of patients with a polyp (51.1+/-12.5 years) was not significantly different compared to others (p=0.381) nor mean duration of symptoms (21.1 months, p=0.435). Cancer was detected in 7 (3.1%) of our study population, the mean age of 65.7+/-6.0 years in this case being significantly elevated (p<0.0005). None of the symptoms were predictors of cancer or polyps. This result was the same by a multivariate analysis including age, gender and duration of the symptoms. CONCLUSION: The low prevalence of colorectal neoplasms as well as the less advanced pattern of adenomas in Iran are compatible with other data from Asia and the Middle East, contrasting with western countries.     

Polymorphic CT dinucleotide repeat in the GATA3 gene and risk of breast cancer in Iranian women

8p21.3 deletion was recently characterized in B cell lymphoma suggesting that TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2 may be the target of the deletion and act as dosage-dependent tumor suppressor genes. As multiple myeloma is a plasma cell malignancy originating from B-lineage clonogenic cells, the idea was why do not evaluate this deletion in this pathology. Thus, interphase FISH studies with two mixtures of probes spanning the 8p21.3 region were retrospectively performed in 37 French multiple myeloma patients. Surprisingly, deletion in this region was found in 8 (21.6 %) patients. Interestingly, this deletion was usually associated with a 13q14 deletion. In two among them, the patients showed also translocation (4;14)(p16;q32) and one other harbor also a deletion of the P53 gene. These results indicate that deletion of TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2 may be relevant to the loss of 8p21.3 and may play an important role the pathogenesis of MM. The association of this deletion with other well-known chromosomal aberrations in multiple myeloma suggests, as previously described, that these anomalies are not randomly distributed, but strongly interconnected.     

Antiviral effects of Lactobacillus crispatus against HSV-2 in mammalian cell lines

Background

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infectious disease is one of the most common viral sexually transmitted diseases. As regards, vaginal lactobacilli play an important role in protecting host against the urogenital pathogens; here we assessed the potential antiviral activity of Lactobacillus crispatus against HSV-2 infection in vitro.

Drug‐induced vasculitis: Thiazide or the COVID‐19 vaccine,which one is guilty? A case report and literature review

A middle‐aged woman with a history of COVID‐19 vaccine administration and valve replacement surgery was admitted with bilateral palpable purpuric lesions in the lower extremities and headache. Based on the initial diagnosis of vasculitis, corticosteroid therapy was initiated, which led to the resolution of skin lesions.