Hoorieh Soleimanjahi

Rotavirus is known for its pathogenicity in children under the age of five, causing severe gastroenteritis with concerning mortality and morbidity rates in

Women living with Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have reduced ability to clear human papillomavirus (HPV) infections due to decreased levels of CD4⁺ T lymphocytes. This study aimed to determine the Prevalence and Distribution of Human Papillomavirus Genotypes in Women Living with HIV: A Cross-Sectional Study in Iran. Eighty women living with HIV participated in this study. HPV DNA was extracted and universal primers (MY09/11 and GP5⁺/6⁺) were used in a single polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect HPV. Negative samples were re-amplified using GP5⁺/6⁺ primers in nested PCR. Finally, HPV-positive samples were genotyped using a Real-Time PCR kit. The data collected in this study were statistically analyzed using GraphPad Prism version 10.4 software. HPV prevalence among women living with HIV was 76.25%. High-risk (HR) and low-risk (LR)- HPV genotypes were detected in 67.21% and 31.14% of participants, respectively. Multiple HR-HPV infections were found in 71.42% of HPV-positive cases. The most common HR-HPV genotypes were HPV 39 (37.70%) and HPV 52 (36.56%). For LR-HPV genotypes, HPV 44 (13.11%) was the most common type, followed by HPV 6 (3.27%) and HPV 11 (1.63%). Abnormal cervical cytology was significantly associated with HR-HPV infection (14.63%, P-value = 0.026). No significant association was found between HPV prevalence and risk factors such as marital status, education level, age at first sexual intercourse, smoking history, CD4⁺ T lymphocyte counts or duration of Antiretroviral therapy (ART). Age had a somewhat significant association with the occurrence of HPV infection with a p-value of 0.051. HR-HPV and multiple HR-HPV infections were highly prevalent among women living with HIV in Iran. HPV 39 and 52 being the most common types in our study. Preventive measures like vaccination and regular screening may improve patient outcomes. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12879-025-11805-6.

Organ transplantation significantly enhances the survival and quality of life for recipients. However, multiple dependent and independent variables can adversely affect life expectancy after transplantation. Cancer is one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality for long-term organ transplant recipients. The incidence of cancer in transplanted tissues can be twice as high in approximately 32 distinct cancer types. Oncogenic viruses present in graft tissues may contribute to the etiology of various cancers in transplant recipients. Such oncogenic viruses include hepatitis viruses, papillomaviruses, Epstein–Barr virus, Kaposi’s sarcoma, Merkel cell virus, JC virus, BK virus, and human T-lymphotropic virus type 1, all of which have been associated with various malignancies in these patients. To mitigate this risk, a comprehensive viral screening protocol should be integrated into the transplantation process. Depending on the type of graft, diagnostic methods, control strategies, and post-transplantation care may vary considerably. To efficiently implement any strategy to inhibit viral oncogenicity, a comprehensive understanding of viral–host interactions involving oncogenic viruses within graft tissue is essential. The current view of tumor biology is that changes in the tumor microenvironment and immune signaling influence evolutionary selection pressures. Such interactions ultimately promote conditions that favor uncontrolled host–cell proliferation and malignant transformation. This review examines these viral–host interactions and their role in cancer development among transplant recipients.

Introduction: Irinotecan, a topoismorase 1 inhibitor, has been used for the treatment of colorectal cancer. It was shown that monotherapy alone is largely ineffective. The combination therapy was used for antitumor activity. The synergistic anticancer effects of oncolytic reovirus-infected secretome in combination with irinotecan and metformin are evaluated in vitro. The aim of research was to assess anticancer impacts of ReoT3D, irinotecan, metformin in combination, against murine colorectal cancer cells (CT26). Methods: The L929 and the CT26 colorectal cancerous cell lines were treated in vitro with irinotecan, metformin, the Dearing strain of reovirus serotype 3 (ReoT3D) (V), and the secretome of intact (S) or reovirus-infected murine adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (SV). The cell viability was measured by MTT, and the apoptosis rate was analyzed by annexin V-FITC staining and flow cytometry 48 and 72 h after treatment. Results: We found that cells exposed to a combination of SV+Met+I had significantly lower cell viability and higher apoptosis rates as compared to cells exposed to Met+I, 48 and 72 h. These results suggest that metformin in combination with irinotecan and reovirus produces a synergistic effect on cell death, and adding reovirus-infected secretome (SV) to a Met+I regimen induces a higher apoptosis rate compared to Met+I alone. Based on the results, the combination of SV+Met+I has induced more apoptosis than S, SV, SV+I, and SV+Met. Also, all of the combined treatments induced apoptosis significantly versus secretome alone. Discussion: In this in vitro study, we found that the combination of T3D reovirus (oncolytic virus) and metformin with the anticancer drug irinotecan resulted in higher rates of growth inhibition and apoptosis induction in the colorectal cancer cell line. This synergistic effect was even more pronounced when using the combination of secretome derived from reovirus-infected AD-MSCs, metformin, and irinotecan. Conclusion: We highlight that the combination of ReoT3D-derived secretome with irinotecan and metformin showed a synergistic anticancer effect on the CT26 cell line, and this strategy may be considered as a new approach against colorectal cancer in the in vitro and in vivo in future studies.

Cytokine storms, which result from an abrupt, acute surge in the circulating levels of different pro-inflammatory cytokines, are one of the complications associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. This study aimed to assess the effect of exosomes on the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and compare it with a control group. The cytokines evaluated in this study were TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17, and IFN-γ. The study compared the levels of these pro-inflammatory cytokines in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of five COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit, who were subjected to both inactivated SARS-CoV-2 and exosome therapy, with those of five healthy controls. The cytokine levels were quantified using the ELISA method. The collected data was analyzed in SPSS Version 26.0 and GraphPad Prism Version 9. According to the study findings, when PBMCs were exposed to inactivated SARS-CoV-2, pro-inflammatory cytokines increased in both patients and healthy controls. Notably, the cytokine levels were significantly elevated in the COVID-19 patients compared to the control group P-values were < 0.001, 0.001, 0.008, and 0.008 for TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17, and IFN-γ, respectively. Conversely, when both groups were exposed to exosomes, there was a marked reduction in the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This suggests that exosome administration can effectively mitigate the hyperinflammation induced by COVID-19 by suppressing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in patients. These findings underscore the potential safety and efficacy of exosomes as a therapeutic strategy for COVID-19.

Background and Objectives: Group A Rotavirus (RVA) is the most important causative agent of acute diarrheal disease in pediatrics 5 years and below. This study aimed to determine the distribution of circulating RVA in Mashhad, Iran to develop health improvement strategies and vaccine decision making. Materials and Methods: A total of 106 fecal specimens were collected from children admitted to Akbar and Dr. Sheikh referral pediatric hospitals of Mashhad City during the December 2020 to March 2021 and December 2021 to March 2022. All specimens were tested for specific bacterial, parasitic, and amoebic infections. Negative samples were analyzed for RVA infections using the RT-PCR method. Results: RVA was detected in 31.3% of the specimens, indicating no statistical significance in gender distribution or between fall and winter positivity rates. The number of RVA–positive specimens increased following age increasing in the range of 1 to 60 months. Conclusion: Today, acute diarrheal disease (ADD) is still caused mostly by Rotavirus infections in pediatrics in Mashhad. Comprehensive studies are needed to determine the genetic diversity of circulating Rotavirus strains in this era.

Several vaccines have been developed against SARS-CoV-2 and subsequently approved by national/international regulators. Detecting specific antibodies after vaccination enables us to evaluate the vaccine’s effectiveness. We conducted a prospective longitudinal study among members of Tarbiat Modares University of Tehran, Iran, from 4 September 2021 until 29 December 2021. We aimed to compare the humoral immunogenicity of 3 vaccine types. Participants consisted of 462 adults. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain [RBD] IgG titer was compared in 3 groups, each vaccinated by available vaccines in Iran at the time: Oxford/AstraZeneca, COVIran Barekat, and Sinopharm. The median IgG titer was: 91.2, 105.6, 224.0 BAU/ml for Sinopharm, COVIran Barekat and Oxford/AstraZeneca respectively after the first dose; 195.2, 192.0, 337.6 BAU/ml after the second one. We also analyzed the frequency of antibody presence in each vaccine group, in the same order the results were 59.0%, 62.6% and 89.4% after the first dose and 92.1%,89.5% and 98.9% after the second. The comparison of results demonstrated that AstraZeneca vaccine is a superior candidate vaccine for COVID-19 vaccination out of the three. Our data also demonstrated statistically significant higher antibody titer among recipients with an infection history.

DNA vaccines comprise one modality of novel vaccination techniques. DNA vaccines employ intramuscular injection of DNA that codes for specific antigens from a pathogen. Prolonged eccentric endurance exercise can stimulate immune responses, possibly by increasing inflammatory mediators. This study aimed to determine the effects of one or three sessions of downhill running on the effectiveness of Herpes simplex virus type I glycoprotein D (HSV-gD1) DNA vaccination. Mice without or with one and three sessions of downhill running were vaccinated intramuscularly with the DNA vaccine or the empty vector. Cellular immune responses were assessed using an in vitro assay of lymphocyte proliferation in response to recall antigens. Also, a virus neutralisation test was used to determine the levels of neutralising antibodies in serum samples. In addition, Th1 and Th2 immune responses, and the ratio of the Th1/Th2 is considered an indicator of immune responses to infection in the current study. Multiple bouts of downhill running increased humoral immune responses after immunisation, also although Th2 immune responses decreased, lymphocyte proliferation and Th1/Th2 ratio immune responses increased following the viral challenge compared to the other groups. In addition, the timing of the 3-session exercise regimen plus DNA vaccination immediately following the last exercise session, as opposed to DNA vaccination 48 h before a single session of exercise, may account for the greater efficacy of DNA vaccination in the multiple bouts of the intensive exercise group. These findings indicate that short-term repeated bouts of eccentric endurance exercise have increased immune responses to intramuscular DNA-based vaccines.