International Journal of Medical Laboratory
Volume:8 Issue: 2, May 2021

Poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) has attracted a considerable amount of interest for biomedical application due to its biocompatibility, tailored biodegradation rate (depending on the molecular weight and copolymer ratio), approval for clinical use in humans by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the potential to change surface properties to create better interaction with biological materials and being suitable for export to countries and cultures where planting products with animals is unusable. For commercial use and research, PLGA has been widely studied to control small molecule drugs, proteins, and other macromolecules. This study aims to review the studies that used PLGA scaffolding and its composites as a scaffold and drug delivery in cartilage tissue engineering. It is concluded from the results that the PLGA scaffold as a synthetic scaffold, when combined with natural scaffolds or hybrids, strengthens its biological properties and performs its function better.

Retinoblastoma tumors are the most common intraocular malignancy in childhood, leading to death after two years. The Human Adenovirus (HAdV) infection could be critical in the retinoblastoma pathogenesis due to the virus and retinoblastoma 1 interactions. The objective of the current study was to investigate the possible presence of the HAdV genome in the retinoblastoma patientchr('39')s tumors.

In this study, we evaluated the HAdV infection in 96 pathological confirmed retinoblastoma samples. The DNA was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded blocks, and the virus infection was assessed using polymerase chain reaction. SPSS version 22 was used for statistical analysis.

The mean age ± SD of the retinoblastoma patients was 28.89 ± 17 months. In addition, the demographic evaluation indicated that 43 (46.7%) of patients were female. The retinoblastoma laterality assessment indicates 87 (90.4%) unilateral and 9 (9.4%) bilateral tumors. Growth pattern analysis indicates endophytic 58 (77.3%), exophytic 8 (10.7%), and 9 (12%) of tumors with mix endophytic and exophytic patterns. The polymerase chain reaction results could not found any evidence of HAdV infection in all 96 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples.

The study results suggest that there is not any association between HAdV infection and retinoblastoma tumors in studied samples. The HAdV infection may not a concern in retinoblastoma pathogenesis. Further investigations are recommended in this field of study.

An effective marker search in glioblastoma is precious in controlling and detecting the progression and monitoring of patients with glioblastoma. In this regard, the present study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic role of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), insulin-like growth factor-binding protein -2 (IGFBP-2), and chitinase-3-like protein -1 (YKL-40) tissue and plasma levels in patients with GBM.

A total of 22 patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma (the fourth grade of glioma) who had undergone surgery at the Erfan Hospital were included in the current study. The levels of GFAP, IGFBP-2 were evaluated in 22 tumor tissues, and non-timorous matched adjacent tissue samples of patients with glioblastoma using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay . Besides, 22 healthy subjects with no history of glioblastoma served as controls for plasma samples. All analyses were evaluated using the SPSS version 22.0.

The tissue levels of GFAP, IGFBP-2, and YKL-40 were significantly higher in patients with glioblastoma when compared to the healthy controls (p=0.001). Nevertheless, there was no significant difference in comparison to the healthy control group in the plasma samples.

Tissue levels of GFAP, IGFBP-2, and YKL-40 may be potential biomarkers for predicting and the progression in patients with glioblastoma.

The genes involved in detoxification and the elimination of toxic metabolites have a vital role in cancer pathogenesis. Also, there is evidence that higher amounts of body fat are associated with increased risks of several cancers. The current study aims to identify the relationship of age, body mass index (BMI), smoking, family history, and polymorphism rs1056827 of CYP1B1 with prostate cancer.

A total of 103 patients and 103 healthy men as control groups were enrolled in the current study. The DNAs were extracted using the salting-out method after venesection, and the genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The obtained data were analyzed by SPSS version 23 using X2 statistical tests and logistic regression.

The results showed a significant association between the study groups regarding age, BMI, and family history of the disease (p = 0.024, p = 4.08⨯10-4, and p = 3.58⨯10-19, respectively). Investigation of genetic models except to additive model showed a significant relationship between TT (Ser/Ser) genotype and prostate cancer. It also showed a strong association between this genotype with BMI and family history.

The current study results showed that the carriers of the TT genotype with a high BMI have a higher chance of developing prostate cancer. Further studies in this area will provide stronger results.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a preferred cell source for the generation of hepatocyte-like cells in regenerative medicine. They can be isolated from different sources, including adipose tissues. The Raman spectroscopy approach was evaluated for quick and efficient identification of MSCs differentiation status and a broader perspective on cell differentiation.

The human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hASCs) were differentiated toward hepatocyte-like cells using a well-established method. The cells were cultured on fluorescence-free quartz discs, and the efficiency of differentiation was examined using molecular and biochemical methods. The Raman spectra were recorded at days 1, 7, 14, and 21 of differentiation, and HepG2 was used as a positive control.

The changes in Raman spectra were detected during the sequential stages of differentiation, and the pattern of peaks on the last day of differentiation was remarkably similar to the positive control (HepG2).

Raman spectroscopy showed considerable potential to characterize hepatic differentiation.

Vitamin D plays an important role in bone health, cardiovascular health, brain development, immune system regulation, mood regulation, and cancer prevention. This study aimed to evaluate the vitamin D status and the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Jiroft city, Kerman Province, south of Iran.

In this cross-sectional study, 5243 people were selected by random sampling during 2015-2019.  Serum 25 (OH) D level was measured by VIDAS 25-OH vitamin D total testing kits. Levels used for definitions were deficient, D3 < 20 ng/ml; insufficient, D3 20-30 ng/ml; adequate, D3 30-100 ng/ml, and potential toxicity, >100 ng/ml.  

The mean of vitamin D was 26.03 ng/ml and 24.19 ng/ml in men and women, respectively (p=0.003). The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 41.55% and 51.7% in men and women, respectively. A significant relationship was seen between age and level of vitamin D (p=0.001).

The results of our study showed that vitamin D deficiency is common among the general population, especially in women in Jiroft city, Kerman Province, south of Iran. Serious plans are needed to improve the status of vitamin D in the people living in this region.

Q59L mutant of L-asparaginase enzyme from Escherichia coli (E. coli) has been introduced with lower side effects. This version of the enzyme might have potential applications in the treatment of leukemia patients. We utilized SHuffle T7 strain of E. coli, to produce the mutant enzyme in the presence of chaperone molecules.

Q59LAsp gene was cloned into pET28a expression vector, and two strains of E. coli (BL21 DE3 and SHuffle T7 strains) were used to produce recombinant protein. In parallel, PG-Tf2 plasmid was cloned into the same strains, and the effect of trigger factor chaperone and groELS chaperonines was studied. The his-tagged recombinant protein was expressed and purified using nickel affinity chromatography. The amount of recombinant protein which is produced in each condition was determined and compared.

The amount of soluble recombinant protein was enhanced in the presence of chaperones in both strains of E. coli. SHuffle T7 strain produced more soluble recombinant protein in the soluble state than BL21 DE3 strain. So the best condition for the production of soluble recombinant Q59L mutant protein was the use of PG-Tf2 plasmid in the SHuffle T7 strain.

Application of the new strain SHuffle T7, with chaperones simultaneously showed better results in the production of Q59L mutant version of L-Asparaginase.

Cowchr('39')s milk is a daily staple food for many individuals that can be contaminated with many toxins such as aflatoxin M1 (AFM1). AFM1 is a chemical form of the aflatoxin B1 produced by some species of Aspergillus genus like A. ochraceus, A. flavus, A. nomius, and A. parasiticus that can contaminate feed and forage cattle. This toxin enters into the milk after eating contaminated feed by cows. AFM1 can cause various dangerous diseases such as cancer and immune deficiency in humans. The present study is aimed to investigate the level of AFM1 in cowchr('39')s milk in Jiroft, Kerman Province, Iran.

A total of 90 cow’s milk samples were collected in spring and summer 2019 from available stores in Jiroft city. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure AFM1 in all cow’s milk samples.

In the present study, AFM1 was found in 88 (97.8%) milk samples with a range of 0.2-90.62 ppt (mean, 20.07±24.46 ppt). AFM1 concentrations exceeded 50 ppt (maximum tolerance level of AFM1 in the European Union) was seen in 12 (13.3%) samples.

The results of this study showed the presence of AFM1 in cowchr('39')s milk in Jiroft city. So, in this region, many people are exposed to dangerous diseases such as cancer due to the consumption of milk contaminated with AFM1.