nahid nafisi

PD-L1, one of the most important immune-regulating molecules in all cancers including breast cancer, suppresses the immune system against tumor cells. MiRNAs control PD-L1 expression as therapeutic tools and targets. This study investigated the role of miR-200c in reducing PD-L1 expression and breast cancer cell proliferation.

In this study, miR-200c targeting the PD-L1 3'UTR was confirmed by bioinformatics and dual-luciferase assay. PD-L1 expression in breast cancer tissues and cell lines was checked compared to normal tissues and cell lines. qRT-PCR was used to measure PD-L1 expression after miR-200c transfection into breast cancer cell line. The MTT test was used to determine the effect of miR-200c introduction on cell proliferation. 

The 3'UTR region of the PD-L1 gene was identified as a target for miR-200c using bioinformatics software and a dual luciferase assay. The decrease in miR-200c expression in breast cancer cells is directly related to the increase in PD-L1 expression (r =-0.68, P value₌ 0.0158). Also, increasing the expression of miR-200c in MDA-MB231, BT549, and MCF7 breast cancer cells decreased the expression of PD-L1 by (0.217±2.3, 0.021±2.11, and 0.012±0.146, respectively). The increased expression of miR-200c decreased the proliferation rate in MDA-MB231 by 0.45 ± 0.012, BT549 by 0.256 ± 0.2, and in MCF7 by 0.164 ± 0.02, compared to non-transfected cells. (Mean ± SE)

MiR-200c may be able to prevent breast cancer progression by targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway, reducing PD-L1 expression, and reducing breast cancer cell proliferation.

Breast cancer, as the most common cancer, is the cause of death of millions of people around the world. Given that psychological status can be effective in responding to treatment by affecting the immune system, the aim of this study was to present a model for predicting the status of the immune system through personality type D mediated by defense mechanisms in patients with breast cancer.

The statistical population of the present study included all women with breast cancer in Tehran and Gilan in 1398, from which 250 were selected by purposive sampling. Data were collected using a Type D personality, Questionnaire Defense Style Questionnaire and Warning Signs of Immunodeficiency. Pearson correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the data using AMOS and SPSS software version 22.

The results showed that there was a significant and direct correlation between the status of the immune system and the neurotic defense mechanism, undeveloped defense mechanism and personality type D and a significant and inverse correlation between the status of the immune system and the developed defense mechanism. Also, defense mechanisms played a mediating role in the relationship between personality type D and immune system status in breast cancer patients.

Accordingly, in patients with breast cancer, the status of the immune system can be predicted through defense mechanisms and personality type D. Therefore, therapists and health professionals can help these people overcome their disease by designing interventions based on modifying defense mechanisms and personality type D. Thus, the more an individual uses the immature defense mechanism, the weaker the immune system is, and the use of the developed defense mechanism is associated with a stronger immune system. Based on the findings, it can be said that designing psychological interventions based on modifying defense mechanisms and changing personality type D, can help a patient with breast cancer to manage and treat the disease.

Breast cancer, as the most common cancer, is the cause of death of millions of people around the world. The aim of this study was to present a model for predicting the status of the immune system through coping strategies with stress and personality type D mediated by defense mechanisms in patients with breast cancer.

The statistical population of the present study included all women with breast cancer in Tehran and Gilan in 2019, from which 250 were selected by purposive sampling. Data were collected using a checklist of warning signs of immunodeficiency, a questionnaire of defense mechanisms, a questionnaire of personality type D and a questionnaire of coping strategies. The data were analyzed using structural equation method and smart-PLS- v3 software was analyzed.

The results showed that coping strategies did not have a significant direct effect on immune status scores. The direct effect of personality type D on immune status scores was significant. Defense mechanisms did not mediate the relationship between coping styles with stress and personality type D with immune status scores.

In general, it can be concluded that in patients with breast cancer, personality type D has a significant effect on the state of the immune system, and therefore therapists and health professionals can design interventions based on the correction of personality type D, Help these people overcome their illness.

The recent rise of Invasive Fungal Infections (IFI), especially mucormycosis in COVID-19 patients, is further complicating the outcomes. Here, we present a case of concomitant rhino-orbital and breast mucormycosis after COVID-19. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of breast mucormycosis after COVID-19.

  Breast cancer, as the most common cancer, is the cause of death in many women around the world. This study aims to predict the immune system performance based on stress coping methods and defense mechanisms in women with breast cancer.

The study population includs all women with breast cancer in Tehran and Guilan provinces of Iran in 2019, from whom 250 were selected by a purposive sampling method. Data were collected using the warning signs of immunodeficiency list, the Defense Style Questionnaire, and the Multidimensional Coping Inventory. The collected data were analyzed using Pearson correlation test and multiple regression analysis in SPSS software, version 22.

The results of regression analysis showed that the emotion-focused coping as well as mature, neurotic, and immature defense mechanisms could significantly predict the immune system performance (P<0.05). Together, these variables were able to explain 28% of the variance in the immune performance.

In women with breast cancer, the immune system function can be predicted by their used defense mechanisms and stress coping strategies.

PD-L1 is one of the most important immune control molecules in breast cancer and plays an important role in suppressing the immune system against tumor cells. Controlling the expression of PD-L1 at mRNA level using miRNA inhibitors could be helpful strategy for cancer treatment. In this study, considering the possible role of miR-145 as a tumor suppression in breast cancer, its involvement in reducing PD-L1 expression in breast cancer cell lines has been investigated.

First, the targeting of miRNA-145 on 3 'UTR of PD-L1 gene was confirmed using bioinformatics software and then by luciferase dual reporter assay. The expression level of miRNA-145 was measured in breast cancer cell lines compared to normal line. After transfection of miRNA-145 into breast cancer cell lines, qRT-PCR was used to evaluate the effect of miRNA-145 on PD-L1 expression.

we showed that decreased expression of miRNA-145 in breast cancer cell lines was directly related to increased PD-L1 expression (r= -0.6175, P value₌0.0457). In addition, increased expression of miRNA-145 in breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB231, BT549 and MCF7 significantly reduced PD-L1 expression (1.938±0.212, 1.784±0.03 and 0.083±0.02 respectively).

Our findings suggest that miRNA-145, by targeting the PD1/PD-L1 pathway and reducing PD-L1 expression, may be a therapeutic agent to prevent the progression of breast cancer.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers. Researchers are trying to diagnose the disease through easier and safer methods. Serum markers such as ferritin and vitamin D level would be very helpful. This research could pave the way for more comprehensive studies on how to use this serum factor in breast cancer screening, as well as early detection of the disease in its early stages.

This study consisted of two groups, the first group comprising patients diagnosed with breast cancer before undergoing any treatment and the second group as control were healthy people. Serum ferritin and vitamin D levels were measured. Pathological information of the patientchr('39')s tumor, including ER, HER2, KI67, lymphovascular invasion, and disease stage, were collected as well. Data were analyzed by IBM SPSS advanced statistics version 23.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). P-value of ≤0.05 was considered significant.

Eighty-eight subjects were enrolled in this study, 29 (33%) breast cancer patients and 59 (67%) healthy women. In breast cancer patients, serum ferritin levels were 106.55±111.25, which were higher than healthy women’s serum ferritin 52.71±36.95 (p=0.083). Furthermore, 18 (66.7%) of breast cancer patients and 55 (93.2%) of healthy women had low serum ferritin levels (p=0.001). 3 (11.1%) patients in the cancer group had serum vitamin D deficiency, while all subjects in the control group had serum vitamin D higher than 10 ng/dl (p =0.009).

The results of this study showed a correlation between breast cancer and vitamin D deficiency, and elevated ferritin. Perhaps with further studies, there could be a role in predicting the prognosis and screening of breast cancer for these associations.

The most common signs and symptoms of the novel coronavirus disease which causes severe acute respiratory syndrome include: fever, dry cough, dyspnea and myalgia. But the remarkable point is that half of the patients with this infection have digestive symptoms. In this study, a case of covid-19 with atypical symptoms is reported.

A 24-year-old pregnant woman with generalized abdominal pain, bloat and losing appetite without respiratory signs referred to Akbarabadi hospital. Regarding to the epidemic of covid-19 and febrile of the mother after 20 hours, PCR test was done and the result was positive. Emergency appendectomy was done obliquely through a McBurneys point. Pathological results confirmed perforated appendicitis.

Since now coronavirus infection is a pandemic, PCR test should be considered for patients with no typical symptoms, but they have acute digestive symptoms; because in the present case with covid-19, appendicitis progressed rapidly and increased maternal morbidity and complications.

Type D personality is susceptible for concern, tension, unhappiness and dark and negative view to the life. They easily get angry and in general experience less positive emotions, and this status may create problems in the process of therapy of chronic diseases or add difficulties thereto. This research aims to investigate the share of personality type elements (negative emotion and social inhibition) in disease perception of cancer patients. For this purpose, in a descriptive study of correlation type, 176 cancer patients of Shohadaye Tajrish and Imam Hospitals were selected as convenience sample and were assessed with regards to psychological traits, D type personality and attitude to therapy. The results of regression analysis of points indicated that high D type personality, negative emotion and social inhibition are associated with disease perception, and its subtests including consequences, timeline, personal control, disease control, identity, concern, disease understanding and emotional representation. Regression analysis indicated that the points of type D personality justify 71% of variance of disease perception points. Accordingly, whatever D type personality in them is higher, they have worse perception of their disease and its related aspects. Therefore, the effect of high D type personality should be taken into consideration in continue of treatment process of cancer patients.

Breast cancer is a hormone-dependent malignancy that is associated with estrogen and progesterone interactions. The liver is the most important organ to be affected by the metastasis of breast cancer, which causes functional impairment. We compared levels of obesity, 17β-estradiol, and secreted proteins in postmenopausal women with breast cancer but without hepatic symptoms to those in healthy postmenopausal women.
We recruited 105 postmenopausal women with breast cancer but without any clinical hepatic symptoms based on a physician’s diagnosis, and 105 healthy postmenopausal women. After taking blood samples, we separated the serum and determined the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), enzyme aspartate aminotransferase (AST), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and 17β-estradiol using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results were statistically analyzed using SPSS.
The mean ages of the subjects in the cancer and control groups were 60.88 ± 0.85 and 55.56 ± 0.81 years, respectively. The exception ages (p=0.002), body mass index (BMI) values (p=0.033), serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) levels/AST levels (p=3.1*10-4), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) levels/ALT levels(p=0.001), SHBG levels(p=0.014), and 17β-estradiol levels(p=0.003) in the serum differed significantly between the groups. Moreover, the mean serum 17β-estradiol (E2) levels and weights were higher in the cancer group than in the control group. Nevertheless, the mean serum levels of synthetic liver enzymes (SHBG, ALT, and AST) were lower in the cancer group than in the control group.
In general, the postmenopausal cancer patients had higher serum estrogen levels and BMIs than their healthy counterparts. Furthermore, the levels of liver enzymes apparently decreased in the cancer group, probably owing to liver malfunction.

Backgrounds and Aims: One member of the cytochrome P450 family, CYP1A1, is one of the genes involved in the metabolism of carcinogens and estrogen, which has been identified to be associated with breast cancer, as well. Considering the known effect of estrogen in different signaling pathways, disorders in these pathways will affect the risk of breast cancer. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between rs1048943 polymorphism of CYP1A1 gene and the risk of breast cancer in a population of Iranian women.
This case-control study was conducted on 79 patients with breast cancer and 79 healthy women at shohad-e-tajrish hospital. After genomic DNA extraction from peripheral blood cells using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method, the genotype of the participants was identified. Then, the relationship between A/G polymorphism and the disease risk was analyzed using SPSS version 23.
The mean age of the patients and controls was 48±8 and 43±6 years, respectively. the results showed that the frequency of the G allele had a significant difference between cases and controls. Accordingly, the presence of the G allele, as a risk allele, increased the chance of breast cancer in the carriers of this allele by at least a factor of 2.33 in comparison with people without this allele (OR=2. 33, %95 CI:1.21-4.37, p=0. 006).
Our findings showed a significant correlation between the CYP1A1 gene polymorphism and increased risk of breast cancer in a population of Iranian women.

Apoptosis or programmed cell death is essential for developing and tissue repair. Apoptosis stimulates by binding fas to fas ligand that plays an important role in regulation of the immune system. There are Conflicting data on the association between 1377 polymorphisms and susceptibility to cancer. This study has been conducted to investigation the relationship between polymorphism 1377 A / G in the Fas gene and breast cancer of Iranian patients. 65 patients with breast cancer and 57 control subjects were studied. In this study, PCR-RFLP method was used to determine genotypes. Statistical analysis software SPSS 19, by two-dimensional tables X2 test with 99% confidence intervals were calculated. The results were showed that the genotype AA 70.7%, GG 27.7%, AG 1.53% of breast carcinoma samples and genotypes AA 56.1%, GG 17.5%, AG 26.3% prevalence among the controls. Also according to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of allele A in cancer patients was 71.5% and the frequency of G was 28.5% and the frequency of allele A in control subjects was 69.3% and for allele G 30.7% was calculated. Statistically significant relationship was observed between the two groups. (P-Value ˃0.01) According to the findings of this study, polymorphism 1377 G / A in Fas gene were associated with susceptibility to breast cancer, and it can be considered as a factor in breast carcinogenesis.

Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (SHBG) is a plasma glycoprotein that regulates the action of steroid hormones on several levels. Since SHBG is one of the growth regulators of breast cancer cells، the aim of this study was to evaluate the association between polymorphisms E326K and the risk of breast cancer. This study was done as a case-control study on 79 patients with breast cancer and on 79 healthy women who had gone to Shohada-e Tajrish Hospital in Tehran. The average age of patients and control subjects were 48 -+ 8 and 43 -+ 6 years، respectively. After blood sampling and DNA extraction، genotyping of all samples were determined by PCR-RFLP method and the results were statistically analyzed using SPSS 19 software. After counting the genotypes، their percentages in the cancerous specimens and control group were AA (56. 9%)، GG (35. 4%)، AG / GA (7. 6%) and AA (12. 6%)، GG (77. 2%)، AG / GA (10. 1%)، respectively. In addition، according to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium، in cancer patients، the frequency of allele A was 60. 7% and the frequency of allele G was 39. 2% and in control group the frequency of allele A was approximately 21. 5% and the frequency of allele G was calculated 82. 3%. Statistically، a significant correlation was observed between the homozygotes of the two groups (P-Value ˂0. 05). The results showed that the E326K polymorphism in exon 8 of SHBG gene is associated with the risk of breast cancer and it may be a factor involved in it.

Abdomen is one of the most important regions in the human body containing organs that all of them can be exposed to penetrating injuries. Evaluation of the abdoman traumatic injuries among war casualties, and treatments performed for them enable us to improve the quality of care for war victims. In this retrospective study, 1176 medical records of Iranian casualties during the imposed Iraq-Iran war with penetrating abdominal injuries undergoing laparotomy were enrolled to the study. Among 1176 medical records, 3574 cases of abdominal injuries were registered and 1440 surgical operations were performed. Frequency of the most prevalent injuries were as follows: small intestine (412, 11.5%), colon (260, 7.2%), spleen (139, 3.8%), diaphragm (119, 3.3%), stomach (118, 3.3%), and liver (110, 3%), respectively. Colon and small intestine injuries are important for surgeons in field hospitals. In addition, applying standard protocol for surgery in war is effective.