Mpox vaccination and treatment: a systematic review

The Human monkeypox virus (mpox) belongs to the Poxviridae family, characterized by double-stranded DNA. A 2022 outbreak, notably prevalent among men who have sex with men, was confirmed by the World Health Organization. To understand shifting prevalence patterns and clinical manifestations, we conducted a systematic review of recent animal and human studies. We comprehensively searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Clinicaltrials.gov, reviewing 69 relevant articles from 4,342 screened records. Our analysis highlights Modified Vaccinia Ankara - Bavarian Nordic (MVA-BN)'s potential, though efficacy concerns exist. Tecovirimat emerged as a prominent antiviral in the recent outbreak. However, limited evidence underscores the imperative for further clinical trials in understanding and managing monkeypox.

The relationship between the intake of dietary fatty acids and minerals with sperm parameters in infertile men

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Infertility has been increasing among Iranian couples. Some epidemiological studies have reported a relationship between infertility and lifestyle patterns, including dietary habits. Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between sperm parameters and the intake of dietary fatty acids and minerals among Iranian infertile men.

METHODS

This cross-sectional was performed on 400 newly diagnosed infertile men at Yazd Reproductive Sciences Institute from July to December 2019. Men whose infertility was confirmed by an andrologist based on the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria were selected. They delivered a semen sample and answered a 168-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. All data were analyzed using SPSS and STATA software. A p-value of less than 0.5 was considered significant.

RESULTS

In the adjusted model, a significant negative association between sperm motility and the 3rd quartile (Q) of poly-unsaturated fatty acids compared to the 1st quartile) P = 0.02). Also, in the adjusted model, total mobility was significantly increased in the second, third and last quartiles of omega-3 fatty acids compared to the first quartile (P < 0.001, P = 0.02, P < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, omega-6 fatty acid intake in the last quartile were positively associated with sperm motility (P = 0.01). Moreover, there was a significant association between omega-3 fatty acid intake in the second, third, and last quartiles and sperm normal morphology (P = 0.003, P = 0.018, and P = 0.005, respectively) compared with the first quartile. Further, we observed a significant association between omega-6 fatty acid intake and sperm normal morphology in the last quartile compared with the reference quartile (P = 0.04). Also, the findings showed a significant negative association between the second quartile of sodium and calcium intake and sperm volume compared with the first quartile (P = 0.04, for both) in the adjusted model.

CONCLUSIONS

We concluded that dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid, sodium, and calcium intake are related to sperm morphology, volume, and total motility in Iranian infertile men. However, more research is needed to confirm these relationships and provide evidence to exert these findings into clinical practice.

Effects of marine-derived n-3 PUFA supplementation on soluble adhesion molecules: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Long-chain n-3 poly unsaturated fatty acids have anti-inflammatory effects but their effects on serum levels of adhesion molecules are inconsistent and contradictory. In this updated systematic review and meta-analysis, marine sources of omega-3 fatty acids were pooled up to determine the effects of omega-3 supplementation on adhesion molecules. PubMed-Medline, SCOPUS, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases (from inception to April 2023) were searched and all RCTs investigating the effects of marine sources of omega-3, on blood concentrations of adhesion molecules were included and a meta-analysis undertaken. Forty-two RCTs were included involving 3555 participants aged from 18 to 75 years. Meta-analysis of 38 arms from 30 RCTs reporting serum concentrations of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) showed a significant reduction after omega-3 supplementation (WMD: -1.26, 95% CI: -1.88 to -0.64 ng/mL, P < 0.001). Meta-analysis of 40 arms from 30 RCTs reporting serum concentrations of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) revealed a reduction following omega-3 supplementation, although it was not significant (WMD: -1.76, 95%CI: -3.68 to 0.16 ng/mL, P = 0.07). Meta-analysis of 27 arms from 21 trials showed no effect on E-selectin (WMD: 0.01, 95%CI: -0.02 to 0.04 ng/mL, P = 0.62). Pooling 15 arms from 11 RCTs showed a marginally significant reducing effect on P-selectin concentrations (WMD: -2.67, 95%CI: -5.53 to 0.19 ng/mL, P = 0.06). A considerable decrease in VCAM concentration was observed after omega-3 supplementation in this meta-analysis with a trend to decreases in both ICAM and P-selectin levels, with effects that may be significant depending on study design, and there was no effect on E-selectin.

Disruption of proteome by an oncogenic fusion kinase alters metabolism in fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma

Fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLC) is a usually lethal primary liver cancer driven by a somatic dysregulation of protein kinase A. We show that the proteome of FLC tumors is distinct from that of adjacent nontransformed tissue. These changes can account for some of the cell biological and pathological alterations in FLC cells, including their drug sensitivity and glycolysis. Hyperammonemic encephalopathy is a recurrent problem in these patients, and established treatments based on the assumption of liver failure are unsuccessful. We show that many of the enzymes that produce ammonia are increased and those that consume ammonia are decreased. We also demonstrate that the metabolites of these enzymes change as expected. Thus, hyperammonemic encephalopathy in FLC may require alternative therapeutics.

Abstract 1516: Bulk and spatial single-cell transcriptomic characterization of fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma

Fibrolamellar Hepatocellular Carcinoma (FLC) is a rare liver cancer affecting adolescents and young adults, with no gender or ethnicity predilection and without history of underlying viral hepatitis, cirrhosis, or other known risk factors. Almost all FLC patients present a somatic heterozygous deletion in chromosome 19p13.12, DNAJB1::PRKACA, which is sufficient to drive FLC in mice. A few studies comparing FLC tumors with adjacent non-transformed liver (normal) samples revealed many transcriptional differences. However, there were done in very small datasets and analyzed using different bioinformatic methods, resulting in just 18-47% agreement between them. This study aims to comprehensively characterize the transcriptome of FLC at bulk and spatial single-cell resolution.

The whole transcriptome of 109 FLC frozen patient samples, the largest RNA-seq dataset of FLC to date, was sequenced using different library preparation and ribosomal depletion methods. Only paired tumor and normal tissue samples resected from the same patient were used and divided into two groups: exploration (3 datasets, 67 samples) and testing (2 datasets, 17 samples). Additionally, as external validation datasets, RNA-seq samples from previously published studies were collected, including Sorenson et al. (FLC: 26, normal: 9, paired: 8), the TCGA-LIHC study (FLC: 6, normal: 1, paired: 1), Hirsch et al. (FLC: 15, normal: 3, paired: 0) and Francisco et al. (FLC: 27, normal: 10, paired: 9). All were reanalyzed using state-of-the-art bioinformatic methods: mapped to the Human Genome GRCh38.103 and transcripts quantified using Salmon 1.6.0, unsupervised clustering exploration using PCA, tSNE and UMAP, differential expression calculated using DESeq2 1.28.1, and checking for detectability and consistency among datasets. We found 857 up- and 988 down-regulated genes presenting the same dysregulation in the exploration datasets and confirmed in the testing and external datasets. We call these genes the transcriptional FLC signature.

The FLC signature was further characterized by comparing it with the genes differentially expressed in other liver cancers: hepatocellular carcinoma (41 paired samples), hepatoblastoma (22 paired samples), and cholangiocarcinoma (27 paired samples). We found 276 up- and 352 down-regulated genes altered in other liver cancers as well as FLC, but 156 up- and 68 down-regulated only in FLC. The 112 genes with the strongest dysregulation (56 up and 56 down) were used for a MERFISH screening, providing for the first time a single-cell spatial transcriptomic characterization of FLC. This showed clear differential expression patterns in tumor, normal, stromal, and infiltrating immune cells, allowing the identification of how different cell types contribute to the transcriptional FLC signature.

Citation Format: David Requena, Aldhair Medico, Luis F. Soto, Mahsa Shirani, James A. Saltsman, Gadi Lalazar, Michael P. LaQuaglia, Sanford M. Simon. Bulk and spatial single-cell transcriptomic characterization of fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 1516.

The association between healthy eating index score with semen parameters in infertile men: A cross-sectional study

Background

Infertility has been a major problem for young couples in recent years. One way to assay the diet quality is the healthy eating index (HEI), related to infertility.

Objective

This study aims to assess the association between the HEI score with semen parameters in Iranian infertile men.

Materials and Methods

Two hundred and sixty eligible men (18-55 yr), were referred to the major infertility clinic in the summer of 2018 and entered this cross-sectional study. Based on the 5 th edition of the world health organization laboratory manual, semen parameters including sperm concentration, volume, motility, and morphology were analyzed, and to specify the dietary intake of individuals a 168-item questionnaire was used. Also, to calculate the total HEI score, all 13 components based on HEI-2015 components and scoring standards were summed up.

Results

Participants in the highest tertile, had no difference in mean sperm parameters with those in the lowest tertile in the crude model. No significant association was found between sperm parameters and HEI score tertiles in the crude model, even after adjustment for potential confounders, except for concentration (OR: 0.39 and CI: 0.15, 0.99, p = 0.04). Participants in the highest tertile had a lower risk of abnormal concentration and motility in the crude model. The risk of abnormal concentration decreased, and motility increased in the adjusted model.

Conclusion

In this cross-sectional study, there was no significant relationship between HEI and sperm indexes, except for sperm concentration. Therefore, more studies need to be done in the future.

The association between dietary fat and mineral intake with semen parameters: A cross-sectional study in infertile men

Background: Infertility has been a significant problem for couples in recent decades, and the issue can often lie with the male rather than the female. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of fats and minerals intake on semen parameters in infertile men. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 260 infertile men referred to Isfahan Infertility Clinic, Isfahan, Iran in the summer of 2018. Semen parameters regarding sperm concentration, total motility, normal morphology, and sperm volume were considered. To assess dietary intakes, a validated food frequency questionnaire was used. Results: In the adjusted model, the prevalence of abnormal concentration was 5.23 times higher in the top quartile of calcium intake, compared with the bottom quartile (p = 0.03). Also, the prevalence of abnormal morphology was 68% lower in the third quartile of calcium intake (p = 0.03). Additionally, the prevalence of abnormal concentration was 84% lower in the top quartile of folate intake in comparison to the bottom quartile (p = 0.01) and the prevalence of abnormal morphology was 70% lower in the top quartile of folate intake (p = 0.03). Additionally, the prevalence of abnormal concentration was 72% lower in the top quartile of selenium intake in comparison to the bottom quartile (p = 0.04). Furthermore, in the crude model, the prevalence of abnormal volume was 64% lower in the second quartile of linoleic acid intake rather than the first quartile (p = 0.01). Conclusion: In conclusion, diets containing higher amounts of folate and selenium, and lower amounts of cholesterol, saturated fatty acid and calcium were associated with more favorable semen quality parameters. Key words: Infertility, Semen quality, Minerals, Fats, Cross-sectional study. 

Finite elastic wrinkling deformations of incompressible fiber-reinforced plates

A two-dimensional plate theory, valid for finite elastic deformations with small strains, is derived for incompressible, fiber-reinforced materials. Single-layer plates and two-layer laminates are considered. Numerical simulations illustrate the substantial effect that fiber reinforcement has on wrinkling patterns in the sheet.

Patient satisfaction with occlusal scheme of conventional complete dentures: A randomised clinical trial (Part II)

The occlusion of choice is a controversial topic in conventional complete denture (CCD) treatment. This study aimed to compare patient satisfaction with CCD with partially group-function occlusion (PGFO), fully bilateral balanced occlusion (FBBO), buccalised occlusion (BO), lingualised occlusion (LO) and the entire balanced group. Participants received new CCDs with PGFO. All steps of patient enrolment, denture fabrication, assessments during the follow-up period and data collection were carried out exactly the same as part 1 of this research project. All patients were recalled at 1 and 3 months after delivery for data collection using the shortened version of oral health impact profile for edentulous patients (OHIP-EDENT) questionnaire and 7 visual analog scales (VASs) for the quality of CCD based on general patient satisfaction, masticatory function, ability to speak, comfort, stability, retention and aesthetics. Data were analysed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, the Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney test via SPSS version 18.0 (α = 0.05). Thirty participants completed the follow-up period for PGFO group. The mean age ± standard deviation of the new participants was 57.97 ± 6.93 years. Participants reported significantly less satisfaction in terms of comfort, stability and retention of denture with PGFO compared to balanced groups. Also, using OHIP-EDENT questionnaire, significantly higher physical pain score was noted for PGFO group compared to BO and LO. Higher physical disability score was noted in PGFO compared to LO. Participants receiving CCDs with PGFO reported lower satisfaction in terms of comfort, stability and retention of denture and higher physical pain and physical disability than the balanced occlusal schemes.

Chemical composition and antifungal effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Allium tripedale (Tvautv.) against Candida species

Background and Purpose

Treatment of life-threatening fungal infections caused by Candida species has become a major problem. Candida spp. are the most important causative agents of candidiasis. Allium tripedale is a medicinal plant that has been traditionally used to treat infections. In the present study, we aimed to determine the chemical compounds and antimicrobial activity of hydroalcoholic extract of A. tripedale against different species of Candida.

Materials and Methods

Phytochemical analysis was performed to identify the possible bioactive components of this extract by using gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The hydroalcoholic extract of A. tripedale were collected. Different concentrations of A. tripedale (50, 25, 12.5, and 6.25 mg/ml) were used to evaluate its antifungal activity against Candida species (C. albicans, C. parapsilosis, and C. krusei) using disk diffusion assay.

Results

The GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 40 different phytoconstituents with peak area; the major compounds were tetracosane, hexadecanoic acid, 1-eicosanol, 1,2-dihydro-pyrido[3,2,1-kl]phenothiazin-3-one, 2-hexadecen-1-ol, and 3,7,11,15-tetramethyl. Hydroalcoholic extract showed strong antimicrobial activity (inhibition zone ⩾ 20 mm), moderate antimicrobial activity (inhibition zone < 12-20 mm), and no inhibition (zone < 12 mm). In addition, the hydroalcoholic extract exhibited the highest antimicrobial properties against C. albicans strains.

Conclusion

A. tripedale extract had a considerable inhibitory effect against various Candida species, but its highest inhibitory effect was against Candid albicans. Further investigations are required to detect the performance of this plant in the treatment of Candida infection.

Patient satisfaction with occlusal scheme of conventional complete dentures: A randomised clinical trial (part I)

BACKGROUND

Occlusal scheme can affect denture retention, stability, occlusal force distribution, aesthetics, masticatory function, patient comfort and general patient satisfaction with dentures.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to compare the patient satisfaction with 3 types of complete denture occlusion including fully bilateral balanced occlusion (FBBO), newly presented buccalised occlusion (BO) and lingualised occlusion (LO).

METHODS

In this parallel randomised clinical trial, new conventional complete dentures were fabricated for 86 volunteers. Participants were randomly allocated to 3 groups with 3 different occlusal schemes. All patients were recalled at 1 and 3 months after delivery for data collection. The 19-item version of Oral Health Impact Profile for Edentulous Patients questionnaire was used in this study. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was used for assessment of the prosthodontist's attitude towards denture quality, patient's attitude towards different occlusal schemes and evaluation of patient satisfaction. Data were analysed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test, the Kruskal-Wallis test and the post hoc Dunn test via SPSS version 18.0 (P ≤ .05).

RESULTS

Eighty-six patients completed the study, and their data were analysed (mean age ± standard deviation = 57.78 ± 9.98 years). The only significant difference when comparing the 3 groups was physical pain, which was significantly higher in FBBO group. No significant differences were found for the VAS scores of patient and prosthodontist satisfaction or the domain scores among the 3 occlusal schemes either at 1 or at 3 months post-delivery. The VAS score of patient satisfaction and prosthodontist satisfaction increased at third compared to first month after delivery.

CONCLUSION

The results of this randomised clinical trial provided evidence that BO is as effective as LO for the fabrication of complete dentures.

DXS998-DXS548-FRAXAC1 represents a novel informative haplotype at the FMR1 locus in the Iranian population

Fragile X syndrome, which is caused by mutation in the FMR1 gene region, is one of the most prevalent forms of mental retardation. Direct diagnosis of the disease is based on PCR and southern blot analysis, but because of technical problems, use of polymorphic DNA markers can be helpful for carrier detection and prenatal diagnosis in families with an affected individual. The polymorphic markers usually show a population-based haplotype frequency and heterozygosity. In the present study, genotyping and analysis of haplotype frequency of three microsatellite markers including DXS998, DXS548 and FRAXAC1 at the FMR1 gene region were carried out in 140 unrelated healthy women and 26 families from the Iranian population. The data indicated the presence of a novel allele for DXS998 in the Iranian population. Estimation of haplotype frequency using Arlequin program showed 50 different DXS998-DXS548-FRAXAC1 haplotypes for the input data of 5, 7 and 4 alleles, respectively. Among these haplotypes five of them showed relatively high frequencies (≥0.05). Analysis of linkage disequilibrium (LD) for the unrelated individuals using the PowerMarker computer program, showed that this haplotype combination can be an informative haplotype for linkage analysis in carrier detection and possible molecular diagnosis of fragile X in the Iranian population.

The relationship between tooth loss and psychological factors

OBJECTIVES

Limited evidence is available regarding mutual interactions between psychological factors and tooth loss. This study aimed to investigate the association between these two issues.

METHOD

In this 2011 cross-sectional study we obtained data from 4,585 adults who had completed information in 20 counties across Isfahan province, Iran, regarding tooth loss and psychological factors (depression, anxiety and stress level). To analyse the data ANOVA and multiple ordinal regression were applied.

RESULTS

After adjusting socio demographic factors, the association between depression (OR 1.23; 95% CI = 1.01,1.49), anxiety (OR 1.19; 95% CI = 1.03,1.38), and high stress level (OR 95% CI = 1.19; 1.01,1.39) remained significant.

CONCLUSION

We confirm the interaction between psychological factors and tooth loss, but recommend further studies on a national Iranian population.

Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) as a therapeutic target for improvement of cognitive performance in Fragile-X

Rare disorders leading to intellectual disability, such as Fragile X syndrome (FXS) alter synaptic plasticity. Ligand identification of orphan nuclear receptors has led to the discovery of many signaling pathways and has revealed a direct link of nuclear receptors with human conditions such as mental retardation and neurodegenerative diseases. PPARγ agonists can act as neuroprotective agents, promoting synaptic plasticity and neurite outgrowth. Therefore, selective PPARγ agonists are good candidates for therapeutic evaluation in intellectual disabilities. Preliminary results suggest that PPARγ agonists such as Pioglitazone, Rosiglitazone and synthetic agonist, GW1929, are used as the therapeutic agent in neurological disorders. These components interact with intracellular transduction signals (e.g. GSK3β, PI3K/Akt, Wnt/β-Catenin, Rac1 and MMP-9). It seems that interaction with these pathways can improve memory recognition in FXS animal models. The present hypothesis consists of enhancing synaptic plasticity that may then rescue the learning and memory in FXS. This will open many new therapeutic avenues for a variety of human diseases.