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Patients with respiratory viral infections have altered immune responses, which may predispose them to cardiovascular complications. In the face of the pandemic of a new kind of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there is a resurgence of interest in the early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of patients who are at risk. COVID-19 often manifests as viral pneumonia, although extrapulmonary manifestations are also common. Acute cardiac damage associated with elevated high-sensitivity troponin levels crucially contributes to mortality in severe COVID-19. The present review clinically compares cardiovascular complications between COVID-19 and other respiratory infections caused by single-stranded RNA viruses, namely influenza, SARS, and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). Estimating the death rate from RVIs has been a subject of intense research, but the mortality from cardiovascular complications in these infections is less understood and calls for further research.

Background: Although the role of B cells in normal pregnancy has been recently highlighted, their importance and function are not completely clarified. Until now, some investigations have shown that during pregnancy, regulatory B cells (Breg), a subset of B cells, are one of the key players in immune regulation by both producing IL-10 and cell-cell interactions. Therefore, any decrease in the number or function of these cells may lead to recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Thus, the objective of this study was to characterize Breg cell frequency and function in women who suffered from RPL in comparison with healthy non-pregnant and pregnant women (under twenty weeks of gestational age) as controls.

Method: In this study, peripheral blood samples of women suffering from RPL (n=8), women with normal pregnancy under 20 weeks of gestational age (n=14), and healthy nonpregnant women (n=10) were collected. The frequency of Breg cells (CD19+CD24hiCD38hi) was measured by flow cytometry. The serum level of the IL-10 cytokine, as a marker of Breg cell function, was measured by ELISA.

Results: The Percentage of Breg cells in women who suffered from RPL was significantly lower than that of women who had normal pregnancies (P=0.0016). The percentages of Breg cells in women who suffered from RPL were also significantly lower than in non-pregnant women (P=0.0001). Furthermore, no significant differences were observed in Breg cell percentages between normal pregnant and non-pregnant women. Evaluation of IL-10 concentration in the serum of women who had participated in this study showed no significant differences between the three groups.

Conclusion: Based on our results, the number of Breg cells was significantly lower in RPL women than in healthy non-pregnant and normal-pregnant women, which shows the significance of these cells in the maintenance of normal pregnancy. However, we could not detect significant differences in the serum levels of IL-10, bringing to mind the notion that the beneficial and supportive function of these cells during pregnancy might be independent of IL-10 secretion. by these cells. Thus, screening of Breg cells in women with pregnancy complications, especially RPL, could be helpful for predicting a healthy pregnancy.

Background: Wound healing is a complex physiological process involving multiple phases and cellular mechanisms that restore damaged tissue. The oral cavity presents unique challenges for wound healing due to the presence of microorganisms and the impact of various diseases and treatments. Recent advancements, including low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and cold plasma, offer promising approaches to enhance wound healing by promoting cell proliferation and reducing inflammation. This study aimed to investigate the effects of cold plasma and low-level 980nm laser on the growth of oral fibroblasts and compare their respective impacts on wound healing.

Methods: Human gingival fibroblasts were divided into nine study groups, including a control group. Two groups were exposed to low-level 980nm diode laser irradiation for 15 and 30 seconds, while six groups received cold plasma irradiation with helium gas at flow rates of 1.85, 2.78 and 5.56 cm3/s for the same durations. Fibroblast proliferation was evaluated on days 1, 3, and 5 after treatment using the MTT assay.

Results: The results showed that on the 5th day after irradiation, 30 seconds of 980 nm laser irradiation significantly increased fibroblast proliferation compared to the other groups. In contrast, 15 seconds of plasma irradiation at a flow rate of 1.85 cm3/s had the least effect on promoting fibroblast proliferation. On the 1st day after radiation, plasma irradiation at flow rates of 2.78 and 5.56 cm3/s exhibited a greater impact on fibroblast proliferation compared to the other five test groups.

Conclusion: The 980nm diode laser demonstrated a greater capacity to enhance the proliferation of oral fibroblasts compared to cold plasma using helium gas.

Background: Epigenetic modifications exhibit promising evidence in the etiology and prognosis of important diseases such as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). In addition to complex factors involved in IBD, a trend toward better prognosis has been reported in older ages of disease onset, specifically in ulcerative colitis (UC). The gastrointestinal mucous layer is one of the important components that is disturbed in the disease course. The integrity of this layer is maintained with an anti-inflammatory factor called trefoil factors (TFF). We investigated the methylation status of the TFF1 gene in UC patients alongside with correlation of its alteration level with age of disease onset.

Method: We analyzed the promoter methylation status of the TFF1 gene, using the real-time quantitative multiplex methylation specific PCR (QM-MSP). DNA was extracted from colorectal biopsies of 15 ulcerative colitis and 14 healthy controls. Correlation analysis was performed between unmethylated DNA level and age through the Pearson correlation coefficient (PPC) test and simple linear regression models.

Results: Our data provided a significant positive correlation between age and TFF1 hypomethylation in ulcerative colitis patients. However, no significant difference was observed in overall TFF1 methylation status between ulcerative colitis patients and control subjects.

Conclusion: This finding suggests the association between epigenetic upregulation of the TFF1 gene with disease mildness in older patients.