Gender inequality and burden of orofacial clefts in the Eastern Mediterranean region: findings from global burden of disease study 1990-2019

BACKGROUND

Gender inequality may be associated with the burden of orofacial clefts (OFCs), particularly in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). To investigate the OFCs' burden and its association with gender inequality in the Eastern Mediterranean region (EMR).

METHODS

Country-specific data on the OFCs' prevalence and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) from 1990 to 2019 were gathered from the Global Burden of Disease database by age and gender. Estimated annual percentage change (EAPCs) was used to investigate the OFCs' trends. The association of the Gender Inequality Index (GII) with prevalence and DALY rates was determined using multiple linear regression. Human Development Index (HDI), Socio-Demographic Index (SDI), and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) were also considered as potential confounders.

RESULTS

In 2019, the overall regional OFCs' prevalence and DALYs (per 100,000 person-years) were 93.84 and 9.68, respectively. During the 1990-2019 period, there was a decrease in prevalence (EAPC = -0.05%), demonstrating a consistent trend across genders. Moreover, within the same timeframe, DALYs also declined (EAPC = -2.10%), with a more pronounced reduction observed among females. Gender differences were observed in age-specific prevalence rates (p-value = 0.015). GII was associated with DALYs (βmale= -0.42, p-value = 0.1; βfemale = 0.48, p-value = 0.036) and prevalence (βmale= -1.86, p-value < 0.001, βfemale= -2.07, p-value < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite a declining prevalence, the burden of OFCs remained notably significant in the EMR. Gender inequality is associated with the burden of OFCs in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Countries in the region should establish comprehensive public policies to mitigate gender inequalities in healthcare services available for OFCs.

Association of Demographic, Clinical, and Vaccination Characteristics with COVID-19 Viral Load Assessed by qRT-PCR

BACKGROUND

The effect of vaccination on the SARS-CoV-2 baseline viral load and clearance during COVID-19 infection is debatable. This study aimed to assess the effects of demographic and vaccination characteristics on the viral load of SARS-CoV-2.

METHODS

We included the patients referred for outpatient SARS-CoV-2 qRT-PCR (reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction) test between July and September 2022. Cycle threshold (Ct) data were compared based on the demographic and vaccination characteristics. A generalized linear model was used to determine the factors associated with the SARS-CoV-2 PCR Ct value.

RESULTS

Of 657 participants, 390 (59.4%) were symptomatic and 308 (47.1%) were COVID-19 positive. Among 590 individuals with known vaccination status, 358 (60.6%) were booster vaccinated, 193 (32.6%) were fully vaccinated, 13 (2.2%) were partially vaccinated, and 26 (4.4%) were unvaccinated. Most vaccinated patients received inactivated vaccines (70.5%). The median Ct value was 20 [IQR: 18-23.75] with no significant difference between individuals with different vaccination statuses (P value = 0.182). There were significant differences in Ct value in terms of both symptom presence and onset (both P values < 0.001). Our regression model showed that inactivated vaccines (P value = 0.027), mRNA vaccines (P value = 0.037), and the presence and onset of symptoms (both P values < 0.001) were independent factors significantly associated with the viral load.

CONCLUSION

The SARS-CoV-2 baseline viral load is unaffected by vaccination status, yet vaccination might accelerate viral clearance. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the presence and onset of symptoms are independent variables substantially associated with the patient's viral load.

Prevalence of age-related macular degeneration in Iran and its projections through 2050: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is one of the most common causes of vision loss. A substantial increase in the burden of AMD is expected in the aging populations, including the Iranians. We investigated the age and gender-specific prevalence of AMD and its determinants in Iran.

METHODS

We systematically searched international (PubMed, Scopus, Embase, etc.) and local (IranDoc, Magiran, etc.) online databases. We included cross-sectional or cohort studies, either clinic- or population-based, published on the prevalence of AMD among Iranians, with no limitation on age. Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tools for critical appraisal were used. Prevalence estimates are pooled by applying random-effects modeling. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were performed.

RESULTS

Seventeen studies with 16,120 participants were included. Based on studies in general population, the pooled prevalence of AMD was 10.8% (95% CI: 6.5-16.2%) in males, and 9.8% (95% CI: 4.7-16.4%) in females. 8.5% of moderate vision impaired, 13.6% of severe vision impaired, and 15.7% of blind participants were affected by AMD. The prevalence of AMD was 2% in 40-49, and 32.3% in the ≥ 80 population. The prevalence of AMD was 11.9% among the visually impaired vs. 8.7% in the general population. The study's sampling method, location, and mean age were correlated with the heterogeneities of the prevalence. We observed an increasing trend in the number of AMD cases (average annual percent change = 3.66%; 95% CI: 3.65-3.67%) from 1990 to 2050. The expected number of AMD cases in Iran will be near 5.5 million by 2050.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of AMD in Iran was somewhere between the prevalence of Asians and Europeans. Given the aging trend of the Iranian community and an average annual percent change of 3.66%, it is indispensable to adopt preventive and screening policies to diminish the burden of the disease in the future decades.

Cohort analysis of 50% lethal area (LA50) and associating factors in burn patients based on quality improvements and health policies

Burn injuries are among the common traumatic injuries, which can be accompanied with lifelong morbidity and mortality. The Lethal Area Fifty Percent (LA50) index is another reliable outcome measurement tool that assesses the standard of medical care at burn centers. It is widely used as a benchmark for assessing the quality of burn care and is considered the percentage at which 50% of burn patients are expected to die because of burn-related injuries. We aimed to determine and compare the LA50 in burn patients admitted to Shiraz Burn Referral Centers in 2018-2021 and 2011-2018 with regard to improving the quality of special care and infection control in the new hospital. We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis on patients admitted to Amir al-Momenin Burn Injury Hospital in Shiraz, Fars, Southern Iran. Data were retrospectively gathered from March 2011 to January 2022, and subsequently analyzed with standard statistical analysis, and also multivariate and probability analysis. A total of 7382 patients with acute burns injuries were identified. Among them, 4852 (65.7%) patients were men, and the median age was 27 years [Q1-Q3 7-40; range 1-98]. Most of the patients were in the pediatric and early adulthood age range, with 76.2% being younger than 40 years old. The median TBSA was 24% [IQR 14, 43], and the median duration of hospitalization was 11 [IQR 11] days. Most injuries were secondary to flame and fire (33.5%; n = 2472). The mortality rate in our study was 19.0% (n = 1403). We evaluated our patients based on two main time intervals: March 2011 till February 2018 (n = 3409; 46.2%), and March 2018 to January 2022 (n = 3973; 53.8%). Based on multivariate analysis, the second interval of our study was significantly correlated with a more female patients, higher age, lower TBSA, less burn injuries due to scald, contact, but more frequent fire and flame injuries, and also lower mortality rate. Factors correlated with higher mortality included male gender, older age, shorter hospitalization duration, higher TBSA, etiology of fire and flame, and accidental burn injuries. A Baux score of 76.5 had a sensitivity of 81.1%, specificity of 87.3%, accuracy of 86.1% in predicting mortality among our patients. The mortality probability for the study intervals were 20.67% (SD 33.0%) for 2011-2018, and 17.02% (SD 29.9%) for 2018-2022 (P < 0.001). The LA50 was 52.15 ± 2 for all patients. This ammount was 50 ± 2% in 2011-2018, and 54 ± 2 in 2018-2022 (P < 0.001). The mean LA50 values showed significant improvements following significant modifications in our critical care for burn victims, including augmented intensive care unit capacity, prompt relocation of inhalation burn cases to the intensive care unit, establishing a well-trained multidisciplinary team, and improved infection control. To improve outcomes for burn patients in developing countries, major changes should be made in the management of burn patients and LA50 is a reliable assessment tool for evaluating the how these changes affect patient's outcomes.

Ruptured innominate artery pseudoaneurysm presenting as hoarseness in Behçet’s syndrome: a case report

Background

Vascular involvement is an infrequent clinical manifestation of Behçet’s syndrome. Owing to the rarity of arterial involvement in Behçet’s syndrome, there is limited experience in managing this phenomenon.

Case presentation

Here, we report a 28-year-old Iranian man with a Behçet’s syndrome background, who presented with shoulder pain and hoarseness. Chest computed tomography angiography was conducted with a suspicion of a vascular pathology causing pressure on the recurrent laryngeal nerves. The patient was diagnosed with a ruptured innominate artery pseudoaneurysm. An innominate artery to the right common carotid artery bypass was performed, and the pseudoaneurysm was excised and replaced with an expandable polytetrafluoroethylene graft. Eventually, the patient was discharged after an uneventful hospital course.

Conclusion

It appears that we are still a long way from finding the optimal treatment for Behçet’s syndrome vascular involvement, and a combination of surgical and medicinal treatments is required.

Attenuation of osteoarthritis progression through intra-articular injection of a combination of synovial membrane-derived MSCs (SMMSCs), platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and conditioned medium (secretome)

PURPOSE

Osteoarthritis (OA) as a progressive destructive disease of articular cartilage is the most common joint disease characterized by reduction of joint cartilage thickness, demolition of cartilage surface and new bone formation. To overcome these problems, the purpose of the current research was to evaluate and compare the in vivo effects of synovial membrane-derived mesenchymal stem cell (SMMSCs), platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and conditioned medium (secretome) on collagenase II-induced rat knee osteoarthritis (KOA) remedy.

METHODS

For the first step, SMMSCs were isolated and characterized. Also, secretome was collected from SMMSCs culture. Furthermore, PRP was collect from the rat heart venous blood. Second, two injection of collagenase II with an interval of 3 days was performed in the knee intra-articular space to induce osteoarthritis. Two weeks later, animals were randomly divided into 6 groups. Control group without treatment, positive group: taken an intra-articular sodium hyaluronate injection (0.1 ml), treatment groups taken an intra-articular injection of; treatment 1: SMMSCs (5 × 10⁶), treatment 2: SMMSCs (5 × 10⁶)/secretome (50 µl), treatment 3: SMMSCs (5 × 10⁶)/PRP (50 µl), and treatment 4: SMMSCs (5 × 10⁶)/ secretome (50 µl)/ PRP (50 µl). Three months later, rats were killed and the following assessments were executed: radiography, histopathology, and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Our findings represented that a combination of the SMMSCs/secretome/PRP had a considerable effect on glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and collagen II contents, articular cartilage preservation, compared with other groups. In addition, combination of the SMMSCs with PRP and secretome showed the lowest expression of mmp3, while SOX9 had the highest expression in comparison with other groups. Also, SMMSCs-injected groups demonstrated better results compared with positive and control groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Injecting a combination of the SMMSCs/secretome/PRP resulted in better efficacy in terms of joint space width, articular cartilage surface continuity and integrity, sub-chondral bone and ECM constituents such as collagen II. Indeed, transplantation of this combination could be considered as a preliminary therapy for clinical trial study in the future.

Did food allergy develop in the process of animal evolution?

Food allergy is pathophysiologic ally based on stimulation of the immune system at the first exposure, and allergic reactions develop during following exposures. Therefore, memory is the cornerstone of an allergy, as seen in the adaptive immune system. The adaptive immune system was first introduced during evolution in vertebrates, so we can say that invertebrates do not have allergic reactions. We can conclude that food allergy is a complication of animal evolution. Evolution also can cause diseases and complications; therefore, understanding it may help in allergy treatment.