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Ehsan Mojarad

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Harvard Medical School

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The Chinese University of Hong Kong

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UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

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Papers by Ehsan Mojarad

Oncogenic Role of Connective Tissue Growth Factor Is Associated with Canonical TGF-β Cascade in Colorectal Cancer

Genes

TGF-β signaling pathways promote tumour development and control several downstream genes such as ... more TGF-β signaling pathways promote tumour development and control several downstream genes such as CTGF and MMPs. This study aimed to investigate the association between CTGF and MMP-1 mRNA expressions with clinicopathological status and survival rate in colorectal cancer patients. We investigated expression levels of CTGF and MMP-1 genes in paraffin-embedded tumours and adjacent normal tissue blocks (ADJ) by Real Time-PCR. Then, the expression of Smad2 and Smad4 proteins in the TGF-β canonical pathway was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Finally, the correlation between CTGF, MMP-1, and the canonical TGF-β-signalling pathway with the clinicopathological features was investigated. Expression levels of MMP-1and CTGF were higher in tumours compared with adjacent normal tissues. Overexpression levels of MMP-1 and CTGF were associated with lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, tumour histopathological grading, advanced stage, and poor survival (p < 0.05). Additionally, a signifi...

Frequency of Clostridium difficile among patients with gastrointestinal complaints

Gastroenterology and Hepatology From Bed to Bench, 2011

Aim In this study, the prevalence of C. difficile, from patients with gastrointestinal complaints... more Aim In this study, the prevalence of C. difficile, from patients with gastrointestinal complaints and its association with other enteropathogen microbes were investigated. Background Clostridium difficile is an important pathogen associated with outbreaks of pseudomembranous colitis and other intestinal disorders, such as diarrhea. Patients and methods Enterotoxin and cytotoxin (toxin A and toxin B) of C. difficile on the patient's stool samples were detected by a double sandwich enzyme-linked Immunosorbant assay technique using a commercial kit (Premier toxins A & B; Generic Assays, Inc., Germany). The microbial isolation and examination was done, according to the standard identification methods. Results Out of 356 individuals (57.6% male and 42.4% female) the results of C. difficile were positive for 19 patients (5.3%) and negative for 337 patients (94.6%) according to the results of C. difficile antigen kit. There was no association between the existence of C. difficile toxin...

Fecal carriage of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. as major reservoirs of clinically important resistance markers

Journal of paramedical sciences, 2012

Intestinal normal flora can become reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes present among the st... more Intestinal normal flora can become reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes present among the strains responsible for nosocomial infections. It is suggested that gram negative intestinal bacterial flora have increased capacities to obtain antibiotic resistance genes and therefore can act as main reservoirs for transfer of resistance genes to other pathogenic bacteria. This study aimed to compare fecal carriage of clinically important resistance markers for more frequent members of enterobacteriacae between nondiarrheal and community associated diarrheal patients (control group) versus their counterparts from the patients with nosocomial infections (case group). 261 stool and 190 clinical samples were collected from outpatient and hospitalized patients from 6 hospitals in Tehran, Iran. The samples were cultured on MacConkey agar plates and colonies were identified by standard biochemical methods. Antibiotic sensitivity testing of the isolates against 13 antibiotics was performed acc...

Human Leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) and gastrointestinal malignancy

Gastroenterology and Hepatology From Bed to Bench, 2014

Malignant conditions can affect any part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, including the esopha... more Malignant conditions can affect any part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, including the esophagus, stomach, biliary system, pancreas, small intestine, large intestine, rectum and anus (1). Currently, conventional TNM staging is the most important prognostic factor for determining the clinical outcome of GI cancer. However, clinical studies have shown that patients with similar stages of the disease may have various outcomes and tend to have clear discrepancy in survival rates (2–5). Because tumor detection and treatment at an early stage can significantly improve patient survival, there has been great interest to find new molecular prognostic markers that can help identify patients at a higher risk of death (6). Human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G) is a non-classical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class Ib antigen that expresses as seven isoforms, including four membrane-bound (HLA-G1 to HLA-G4) and three soluble (HLA-G5 to HLA-G7) forms (7). It has been demonstrated that HL...

Bacteriologic study of cirrhotic patients with non-neutrocytic ascites

Gastroenterology and Hepatology From Bed to Bench, 2014

Aim: We aimed for detection of bacterial DNA (bactDNA) in spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP)... more Aim: We aimed for detection of bacterial DNA (bactDNA) in spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and its prognostic relevance in cirrhotic patients with culture-negative non-neutrocytic ascites (CNNNA). Background: approximately 60% of patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) are ascites culture negative. Patients and methods: Of each 77 patients with cirrhosis and ascites, two samples including blood and ascitic fluid (AF) were taken. Blood samples were obtained for routine biochemical study and PMN count. AF samples were used for biochemical analysis and aerobic and anaerobic culture. BactDNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using bacterial universal 16srRNA gene primer. Results: Of all AF samples, 3 (3.9%) were positive for bacterial culture (one streptococcus α hemolytic and two E.coli). The mean number of PMN in AF was 63. BactDNA was detected in 33 (42.9%) of 77 of samples (group A) and bactDNA was absent in 41 (5...

The Role of Angiogenesis in Colorectal Polyps and Cancer, a Review

Medical Laboratory Journal, 2018

Colorectal cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Most colorectal c... more Colorectal cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Most colorectal cancers begin as a growth of tissue called a polyp, some types of which can change into cancer over the course of several years. Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, is known to play a key role in the initiation, growth and progression of polyp and colorectal cancer. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms involved in colorectal cancer and polyp angiogenesis.

HER2 + mCRC patients with exon 20 R784G substitution mutation do not respond to the cetuximab therapy

Journal of Cellular Physiology, 2018

The human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) gene undergoes various mutations that could alter its ... more The human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) gene undergoes various mutations that could alter its activity or respond to the antibody therapies. Cetuximab, a known anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody (mAB), is widely administered in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) cases. Here we identified mCRC patients who did not respond to cetuximab (500 mg/m 2 , q2w) after fluoropyrimidine/oxaliplatin regimen failure. Tumor samples were examined with immunohistochemistry for protein distribution, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) sequencing for mutation detection and real-time PCR for mRNA expression pattern analysis between cetuximab sensitive and resistance patients. The conformational differences of normal and mutated protein structures were predicted by bioinformatics analysis. The 5-year survival rates of target groups were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Immunohistochemistry showed that all cases had high level of HER2 protein. No K-Ras or B-Raf mutation was observed among the study population; however, cetuximab resistance patients harbored a somatic mutation R784G at the exon 20 region of HER2 coding sequence. According to bioinformatics analysis, this mutation caused a notable misfold in protein conformation. Meanwhile, survival analysis showed R784G mutated mCRC patients had shortened survival rate compared with the mCRC cases with wild-type HER2. Collectively, these data report a new mechanism of resistance to cetuximab and might be applicable in modifying new therapeutic strategies for HER2 involved cancers.

Investigating the diagnostic performance of HOTTIP, PVT1, and UCA1 long noncoding RNAs as a predictive panel for the screening of colorectal cancer patients with lymph node metastasis

Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, 2019

Like other noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), dysregulation of long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) has been associated wi... more Like other noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), dysregulation of long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) has been associated with various clinicopathological features of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients such as lymph node metastasis (LNM). Recently, three aberrant expressed oncogenic lncRNA (onco-lncRNAs), including HOXA transcript at the distal tip (HOTTIP), plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1), and urothelial carcinoma associated 1 (UCA1) have been reported in LNM. Herein, we compared the diagnostic performance of these lncRNAs as individual biomarkers and as a discriminating panel between LNM CRC patients, nonmetastatic lymph nodes (NLN) and normal healthy subjects. The lncRNAs expression level was measured by quantitative real-time PCR and analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U test. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was applied to evaluate the diagnostic power. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to outline the overall survival (OS) of CRC patients with an abnormal level of lncRNAs. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the overexpressed HOTTIP (0.7817; 95% CI, 0.6809-0.8824), PVT1 (0.8559; 95% CI, 0.7737-0.9382), and UCA1 (0.8135; 95% CI, 0.722-0.9051) introduced them as individual CRC biomarkers. As a predictive panel, the AUC values of the HOTTIP, PVT1, and UCA1 for training set were 0.

Morphological and Molecular Survey of Naegleria spp. in Water Bodies Used for Recreational Purposes in Rasht city, Northern Iran

Iranian journal of parasitology

Naegleria spp. is a free-living amoeba of which some species including N. fowleri and N. australe... more Naegleria spp. is a free-living amoeba of which some species including N. fowleri and N. australeinsis are highly pathogenic in human and animals. These widespread amoebae could be found in different environmental sources particularly in aquatic resources of tropical and subtropical regions. The most important source of infection is via recreational water contact. Due to the lack of thorough research regarding species of Naegleria spp. in aquatic sources, the present study was conducted. In the present study, 60 samples were collected from recreational water resources of Rasht city, Guilan province, north of Iran. After filtering and culturing the samples, plates were examined by microscopic method and according to the page criteria. DNA of vahlkampfiid-positive samples were then extracted using phenol-chlorophorm method. Amoebae genus was identified by targeting the ITS-region and sequencing based-approaches. Nine (15%) samples out of a 60 total samples were positive for Naegleria ...

Novel Missense Mutation at Codon 2774 (C.8321 G>A) p.S2774N of APC Gene in a Denovo Case of Familial Adenomatous Polyposis

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is an autosomal dominant inherited disease caused by germlin... more Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is an autosomal dominant inherited disease caused by germline mutation in Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (APC) gene. FAP accounts less than 1% of all colorectal cancers incidence. Patients generally present hundreds to thousands of adenomas in colon and rectum and develop colorectal cancer by age 35 - 40 if left untreated. A milder form of FAP with fewer numbers of polyps (< 100) is Attenuated FAP (AFAP) and in comparison with classical FAP, it usually diagnosed at an older age. Approximately 15% - 20% of FAP patients are ''de novo'' cases without any family history of the disease and novel APC mutations account for approximately 25% of FAP cases. In our study, we reported a novel missense mutation at the APC gene in a denovo patient with AFAP like phenotype.

Association of Polymorphisms with Gastric Cancer: Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Promoter or Micro Rna Binding Site?

Annals of Oncology

HER2 and immunotherapy using monoclonal antibodies in colorectal cancer

Immunotherapy, 2013

HER2 and immunotherapy using monoclonal antibodies in colorectal cancer KEYWORDS: colorectal canc... more

Genetic diversity of the dihydropteroate synthase gene in plasmodium vivax in Hormozgan province

Study of Bacteria in Cirrhotic Patients with Non-Neutrocytic

Molecular identification of Hartmannella vermiformis and Vannella persistens from man-made recreational water environments, Tehran, Iran

Parasitology Research, 2012

A survey was conducted on man-made recreational water located in different regions of Tehran, Ira... more A survey was conducted on man-made recreational water located in different regions of Tehran, Iran to detect the free-living amoebae present in ponds and fountains of parks and squares. Fifty water samples from 22 municipal districts of Tehran were screened for free-living amoebae and identified by morphological characters and polymerase chain reaction amplification. Amoebae detected were identified as Hartmannella vermiformis (12 %) and Vannella persistens (4 %), which are the first reports of these two amoebas in recreational water environments of Iran. Since, H. vermiformis, which is highly similar to strains serving as hosts for Legionella pneumophila, is a common component of the microbial community in fresh surface water. Although Vannella spp. is not proved to be pathogenic itself, they are capable of harboring pathogenic intracellular organisms. Due to some reports related to pathogenicity of these amoebas, the particular hazard related to these microorganisms should be taken into account in the encounter with drinking and washing in these waters. We recommend control strategies based on physical removal rather than on disinfection to be adopted where necessary.

Potentially pathogenic free-living amoebae isolated from hospital wards with immunodeficient patients in Tehran, Iran

Parasitology Research, 2011

This study investigated the occurrence of free-living amoebae (FLA) in immunodeficiency wards of ... more This study investigated the occurrence of free-living amoebae (FLA) in immunodeficiency wards of hospitals in Tehran, Iran. A total of 70 dust and biofilm samples from wards serving transplant, pediatric (malignancies), HIV, leukemia and oncology patients of five university hospitals were collected and examined for the presence of FLA using culturing and molecular approaches. Based on the morphology of the amoebae in plate cultures, primer sets were applied for molecular identification of Acanthamoeba, vahlkampfiid amoebae and Hartmannella. Out of 70 samples, 37 (52.9%) were positive for FLA. Acanthamoeba belonged to the T4 genotype was the most prevalent isolate. Presence of the T4 genotype on medical instruments, including an oxygen mask in an isolation room of an immunodeficiency pediatric ward, should be of concern for health authorities. Acanthamoeba T5 genotypes, Hartmannella vermiformis, and Vahlkampfia avara were also present. These results highlight a clear need for greater attention to improved disinfection, especially where susceptible patients, such as those who are immune-suppressed, are served. To our knowledge, this is the first report of these FLA in immunodeficiency wards in Iran, and also the first to identify Acanthamoeba T5, Hartmannella, and Vahlkampfia in moist habitats, such as biofilms, in this country.

Characteristics of Persistent Diarrhea in Iranian Children Admitted to a Pediatric Hospital in Tehran 2006–07

International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2008

Results: Among them, 52 patients (15.5%) with gastroenteritis and convulsion were studied: 54% we... more Results: Among them, 52 patients (15.5%) with gastroenteritis and convulsion were studied: 54% were male, 46% were female, 42% cases occurred in spring, 29% in autumn, 27% in summer, but in winter this percentage reduced to only 2%. 96% of patients had fever, 94% had watery diarrhea, 6% had dysentery, 35% cases had stool exam with many WBC and RBC and stool culture positive for shigellosis, 75% cases were under 3 years, pattern of seizure was generalized tonic-clonic in 98% patients with gastroenteritis, two or more seizure occurred in 11.5%, 88.5% cases had one episode seizure, 86% had gastroenteritis with seizure before admission, 4% had seizure after admission, 10% had seizure before and after admission, 88.5% had convulsion after gastroenteritis, but 11.5% cases before it. Conclusion: according to this study, type of convulsion in children less than 3 years with gastroenteritis and even shigella-related seizure is one episode of generalized tonicclonic. It usually occurs during first day after beginning gastroenteritis. Similar to the simple febrile seizure, convulsion with gastroenteritis is benign and has an excellent outcome.

Expression of Main Toll-Like Receptors in Patients with Different Types of Colorectal Polyps and Their Relationship with Gut Microbiota

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2020

Abnormal activation of Toll-like receptor (TLRs) signaling can result in colon cancer development... more Abnormal activation of Toll-like receptor (TLRs) signaling can result in colon cancer development. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of important TLRs in different histological types of colorectal polyps and evaluate their relationship with intestinal microbiota. The expression levels of TLR2, 3, 4, and 5 were analyzed in intestinal biopsy specimens of 21 hyperplastic polyp (HP), 16 sessile serrated adenoma (SSA), 29 tubular adenoma (TA), 21 villous/tubulovillous (VP/TVP) cases, and 31 normal controls. In addition, selected gut bacteria including Streptococcus bovis, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF), Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas spp., Lactobacillus spp., Roseburia spp., and Bifidobacterium spp. were quantified in fecal samples using absolute qRT PCR, and, finally, the association between TLRs and these gut microbiota- was evaluated by Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Higher expression of TLR2 and TLR4 in VP/TVP and...

Frequency of enteric protozoan parasites among patients with gastrointestinal complaints in medic... more

Frequency of enteric protozoan parasites among patients with gastrointestinal complaints in medic... more

Oncogenic Role of Connective Tissue Growth Factor Is Associated with Canonical TGF-β Cascade in Colorectal Cancer

Genes

TGF-β signaling pathways promote tumour development and control several downstream genes such as ... more TGF-β signaling pathways promote tumour development and control several downstream genes such as CTGF and MMPs. This study aimed to investigate the association between CTGF and MMP-1 mRNA expressions with clinicopathological status and survival rate in colorectal cancer patients. We investigated expression levels of CTGF and MMP-1 genes in paraffin-embedded tumours and adjacent normal tissue blocks (ADJ) by Real Time-PCR. Then, the expression of Smad2 and Smad4 proteins in the TGF-β canonical pathway was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Finally, the correlation between CTGF, MMP-1, and the canonical TGF-β-signalling pathway with the clinicopathological features was investigated. Expression levels of MMP-1and CTGF were higher in tumours compared with adjacent normal tissues. Overexpression levels of MMP-1 and CTGF were associated with lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, tumour histopathological grading, advanced stage, and poor survival (p < 0.05). Additionally, a signifi...

Frequency of Clostridium difficile among patients with gastrointestinal complaints

Gastroenterology and Hepatology From Bed to Bench, 2011

Aim In this study, the prevalence of C. difficile, from patients with gastrointestinal complaints... more Aim In this study, the prevalence of C. difficile, from patients with gastrointestinal complaints and its association with other enteropathogen microbes were investigated. Background Clostridium difficile is an important pathogen associated with outbreaks of pseudomembranous colitis and other intestinal disorders, such as diarrhea. Patients and methods Enterotoxin and cytotoxin (toxin A and toxin B) of C. difficile on the patient's stool samples were detected by a double sandwich enzyme-linked Immunosorbant assay technique using a commercial kit (Premier toxins A & B; Generic Assays, Inc., Germany). The microbial isolation and examination was done, according to the standard identification methods. Results Out of 356 individuals (57.6% male and 42.4% female) the results of C. difficile were positive for 19 patients (5.3%) and negative for 337 patients (94.6%) according to the results of C. difficile antigen kit. There was no association between the existence of C. difficile toxin...

Fecal carriage of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. as major reservoirs of clinically important resistance markers

Journal of paramedical sciences, 2012

Intestinal normal flora can become reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes present among the st... more Intestinal normal flora can become reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes present among the strains responsible for nosocomial infections. It is suggested that gram negative intestinal bacterial flora have increased capacities to obtain antibiotic resistance genes and therefore can act as main reservoirs for transfer of resistance genes to other pathogenic bacteria. This study aimed to compare fecal carriage of clinically important resistance markers for more frequent members of enterobacteriacae between nondiarrheal and community associated diarrheal patients (control group) versus their counterparts from the patients with nosocomial infections (case group). 261 stool and 190 clinical samples were collected from outpatient and hospitalized patients from 6 hospitals in Tehran, Iran. The samples were cultured on MacConkey agar plates and colonies were identified by standard biochemical methods. Antibiotic sensitivity testing of the isolates against 13 antibiotics was performed acc...

Human Leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) and gastrointestinal malignancy

Gastroenterology and Hepatology From Bed to Bench, 2014

Malignant conditions can affect any part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, including the esopha... more Malignant conditions can affect any part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, including the esophagus, stomach, biliary system, pancreas, small intestine, large intestine, rectum and anus (1). Currently, conventional TNM staging is the most important prognostic factor for determining the clinical outcome of GI cancer. However, clinical studies have shown that patients with similar stages of the disease may have various outcomes and tend to have clear discrepancy in survival rates (2–5). Because tumor detection and treatment at an early stage can significantly improve patient survival, there has been great interest to find new molecular prognostic markers that can help identify patients at a higher risk of death (6). Human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G) is a non-classical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class Ib antigen that expresses as seven isoforms, including four membrane-bound (HLA-G1 to HLA-G4) and three soluble (HLA-G5 to HLA-G7) forms (7). It has been demonstrated that HL...

Bacteriologic study of cirrhotic patients with non-neutrocytic ascites

Gastroenterology and Hepatology From Bed to Bench, 2014

Aim: We aimed for detection of bacterial DNA (bactDNA) in spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP)... more Aim: We aimed for detection of bacterial DNA (bactDNA) in spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and its prognostic relevance in cirrhotic patients with culture-negative non-neutrocytic ascites (CNNNA). Background: approximately 60% of patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) are ascites culture negative. Patients and methods: Of each 77 patients with cirrhosis and ascites, two samples including blood and ascitic fluid (AF) were taken. Blood samples were obtained for routine biochemical study and PMN count. AF samples were used for biochemical analysis and aerobic and anaerobic culture. BactDNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using bacterial universal 16srRNA gene primer. Results: Of all AF samples, 3 (3.9%) were positive for bacterial culture (one streptococcus α hemolytic and two E.coli). The mean number of PMN in AF was 63. BactDNA was detected in 33 (42.9%) of 77 of samples (group A) and bactDNA was absent in 41 (5...

The Role of Angiogenesis in Colorectal Polyps and Cancer, a Review

Medical Laboratory Journal, 2018

Colorectal cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Most colorectal c... more Colorectal cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Most colorectal cancers begin as a growth of tissue called a polyp, some types of which can change into cancer over the course of several years. Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, is known to play a key role in the initiation, growth and progression of polyp and colorectal cancer. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms involved in colorectal cancer and polyp angiogenesis.

HER2 + mCRC patients with exon 20 R784G substitution mutation do not respond to the cetuximab therapy

Journal of Cellular Physiology, 2018

The human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) gene undergoes various mutations that could alter its ... more The human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) gene undergoes various mutations that could alter its activity or respond to the antibody therapies. Cetuximab, a known anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody (mAB), is widely administered in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) cases. Here we identified mCRC patients who did not respond to cetuximab (500 mg/m 2 , q2w) after fluoropyrimidine/oxaliplatin regimen failure. Tumor samples were examined with immunohistochemistry for protein distribution, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) sequencing for mutation detection and real-time PCR for mRNA expression pattern analysis between cetuximab sensitive and resistance patients. The conformational differences of normal and mutated protein structures were predicted by bioinformatics analysis. The 5-year survival rates of target groups were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Immunohistochemistry showed that all cases had high level of HER2 protein. No K-Ras or B-Raf mutation was observed among the study population; however, cetuximab resistance patients harbored a somatic mutation R784G at the exon 20 region of HER2 coding sequence. According to bioinformatics analysis, this mutation caused a notable misfold in protein conformation. Meanwhile, survival analysis showed R784G mutated mCRC patients had shortened survival rate compared with the mCRC cases with wild-type HER2. Collectively, these data report a new mechanism of resistance to cetuximab and might be applicable in modifying new therapeutic strategies for HER2 involved cancers.

Investigating the diagnostic performance of HOTTIP, PVT1, and UCA1 long noncoding RNAs as a predictive panel for the screening of colorectal cancer patients with lymph node metastasis

Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, 2019

Like other noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), dysregulation of long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) has been associated wi... more Like other noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), dysregulation of long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) has been associated with various clinicopathological features of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients such as lymph node metastasis (LNM). Recently, three aberrant expressed oncogenic lncRNA (onco-lncRNAs), including HOXA transcript at the distal tip (HOTTIP), plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1), and urothelial carcinoma associated 1 (UCA1) have been reported in LNM. Herein, we compared the diagnostic performance of these lncRNAs as individual biomarkers and as a discriminating panel between LNM CRC patients, nonmetastatic lymph nodes (NLN) and normal healthy subjects. The lncRNAs expression level was measured by quantitative real-time PCR and analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U test. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was applied to evaluate the diagnostic power. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to outline the overall survival (OS) of CRC patients with an abnormal level of lncRNAs. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the overexpressed HOTTIP (0.7817; 95% CI, 0.6809-0.8824), PVT1 (0.8559; 95% CI, 0.7737-0.9382), and UCA1 (0.8135; 95% CI, 0.722-0.9051) introduced them as individual CRC biomarkers. As a predictive panel, the AUC values of the HOTTIP, PVT1, and UCA1 for training set were 0.

Morphological and Molecular Survey of Naegleria spp. in Water Bodies Used for Recreational Purposes in Rasht city, Northern Iran

Iranian journal of parasitology

Naegleria spp. is a free-living amoeba of which some species including N. fowleri and N. australe... more Naegleria spp. is a free-living amoeba of which some species including N. fowleri and N. australeinsis are highly pathogenic in human and animals. These widespread amoebae could be found in different environmental sources particularly in aquatic resources of tropical and subtropical regions. The most important source of infection is via recreational water contact. Due to the lack of thorough research regarding species of Naegleria spp. in aquatic sources, the present study was conducted. In the present study, 60 samples were collected from recreational water resources of Rasht city, Guilan province, north of Iran. After filtering and culturing the samples, plates were examined by microscopic method and according to the page criteria. DNA of vahlkampfiid-positive samples were then extracted using phenol-chlorophorm method. Amoebae genus was identified by targeting the ITS-region and sequencing based-approaches. Nine (15%) samples out of a 60 total samples were positive for Naegleria ...

Novel Missense Mutation at Codon 2774 (C.8321 G>A) p.S2774N of APC Gene in a Denovo Case of Familial Adenomatous Polyposis

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is an autosomal dominant inherited disease caused by germlin... more Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is an autosomal dominant inherited disease caused by germline mutation in Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (APC) gene. FAP accounts less than 1% of all colorectal cancers incidence. Patients generally present hundreds to thousands of adenomas in colon and rectum and develop colorectal cancer by age 35 - 40 if left untreated. A milder form of FAP with fewer numbers of polyps (< 100) is Attenuated FAP (AFAP) and in comparison with classical FAP, it usually diagnosed at an older age. Approximately 15% - 20% of FAP patients are ''de novo'' cases without any family history of the disease and novel APC mutations account for approximately 25% of FAP cases. In our study, we reported a novel missense mutation at the APC gene in a denovo patient with AFAP like phenotype.

Association of Polymorphisms with Gastric Cancer: Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Promoter or Micro Rna Binding Site?

Annals of Oncology

HER2 and immunotherapy using monoclonal antibodies in colorectal cancer

Immunotherapy, 2013

HER2 and immunotherapy using monoclonal antibodies in colorectal cancer KEYWORDS: colorectal canc... more

Genetic diversity of the dihydropteroate synthase gene in plasmodium vivax in Hormozgan province

Study of Bacteria in Cirrhotic Patients with Non-Neutrocytic

Molecular identification of Hartmannella vermiformis and Vannella persistens from man-made recreational water environments, Tehran, Iran

Parasitology Research, 2012

A survey was conducted on man-made recreational water located in different regions of Tehran, Ira... more A survey was conducted on man-made recreational water located in different regions of Tehran, Iran to detect the free-living amoebae present in ponds and fountains of parks and squares. Fifty water samples from 22 municipal districts of Tehran were screened for free-living amoebae and identified by morphological characters and polymerase chain reaction amplification. Amoebae detected were identified as Hartmannella vermiformis (12 %) and Vannella persistens (4 %), which are the first reports of these two amoebas in recreational water environments of Iran. Since, H. vermiformis, which is highly similar to strains serving as hosts for Legionella pneumophila, is a common component of the microbial community in fresh surface water. Although Vannella spp. is not proved to be pathogenic itself, they are capable of harboring pathogenic intracellular organisms. Due to some reports related to pathogenicity of these amoebas, the particular hazard related to these microorganisms should be taken into account in the encounter with drinking and washing in these waters. We recommend control strategies based on physical removal rather than on disinfection to be adopted where necessary.

Potentially pathogenic free-living amoebae isolated from hospital wards with immunodeficient patients in Tehran, Iran

Parasitology Research, 2011

This study investigated the occurrence of free-living amoebae (FLA) in immunodeficiency wards of ... more This study investigated the occurrence of free-living amoebae (FLA) in immunodeficiency wards of hospitals in Tehran, Iran. A total of 70 dust and biofilm samples from wards serving transplant, pediatric (malignancies), HIV, leukemia and oncology patients of five university hospitals were collected and examined for the presence of FLA using culturing and molecular approaches. Based on the morphology of the amoebae in plate cultures, primer sets were applied for molecular identification of Acanthamoeba, vahlkampfiid amoebae and Hartmannella. Out of 70 samples, 37 (52.9%) were positive for FLA. Acanthamoeba belonged to the T4 genotype was the most prevalent isolate. Presence of the T4 genotype on medical instruments, including an oxygen mask in an isolation room of an immunodeficiency pediatric ward, should be of concern for health authorities. Acanthamoeba T5 genotypes, Hartmannella vermiformis, and Vahlkampfia avara were also present. These results highlight a clear need for greater attention to improved disinfection, especially where susceptible patients, such as those who are immune-suppressed, are served. To our knowledge, this is the first report of these FLA in immunodeficiency wards in Iran, and also the first to identify Acanthamoeba T5, Hartmannella, and Vahlkampfia in moist habitats, such as biofilms, in this country.

Characteristics of Persistent Diarrhea in Iranian Children Admitted to a Pediatric Hospital in Tehran 2006–07

International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2008

Results: Among them, 52 patients (15.5%) with gastroenteritis and convulsion were studied: 54% we... more Results: Among them, 52 patients (15.5%) with gastroenteritis and convulsion were studied: 54% were male, 46% were female, 42% cases occurred in spring, 29% in autumn, 27% in summer, but in winter this percentage reduced to only 2%. 96% of patients had fever, 94% had watery diarrhea, 6% had dysentery, 35% cases had stool exam with many WBC and RBC and stool culture positive for shigellosis, 75% cases were under 3 years, pattern of seizure was generalized tonic-clonic in 98% patients with gastroenteritis, two or more seizure occurred in 11.5%, 88.5% cases had one episode seizure, 86% had gastroenteritis with seizure before admission, 4% had seizure after admission, 10% had seizure before and after admission, 88.5% had convulsion after gastroenteritis, but 11.5% cases before it. Conclusion: according to this study, type of convulsion in children less than 3 years with gastroenteritis and even shigella-related seizure is one episode of generalized tonicclonic. It usually occurs during first day after beginning gastroenteritis. Similar to the simple febrile seizure, convulsion with gastroenteritis is benign and has an excellent outcome.

Expression of Main Toll-Like Receptors in Patients with Different Types of Colorectal Polyps and Their Relationship with Gut Microbiota

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2020

Abnormal activation of Toll-like receptor (TLRs) signaling can result in colon cancer development... more Abnormal activation of Toll-like receptor (TLRs) signaling can result in colon cancer development. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of important TLRs in different histological types of colorectal polyps and evaluate their relationship with intestinal microbiota. The expression levels of TLR2, 3, 4, and 5 were analyzed in intestinal biopsy specimens of 21 hyperplastic polyp (HP), 16 sessile serrated adenoma (SSA), 29 tubular adenoma (TA), 21 villous/tubulovillous (VP/TVP) cases, and 31 normal controls. In addition, selected gut bacteria including Streptococcus bovis, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF), Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas spp., Lactobacillus spp., Roseburia spp., and Bifidobacterium spp. were quantified in fecal samples using absolute qRT PCR, and, finally, the association between TLRs and these gut microbiota- was evaluated by Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Higher expression of TLR2 and TLR4 in VP/TVP and...

Frequency of enteric protozoan parasites among patients with gastrointestinal complaints in medic... more

Frequency of enteric protozoan parasites among patients with gastrointestinal complaints in medic... more