elahe nasri

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected human beings worldwide. After recovery from the disease, the pulmonary function and physiological characteristics of COVID-19 patients are not well documented. The current study aims to assess post-COVID-19 lung function, anxiety, depression, and sleep quality within three months after recovery from the disease.
Ninety-seven patients (21 outpatients and 76 inpatients) with COVID-19 were followed three months after recovery. They were divided into two groups according to the severity of the disease. The spirometric parameters included FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/ FVC. A 6-minute walk test (6-MWT) was recorded. Besides, sleep quality using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and mood status in two dimensions of anxiety and depression using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were compared between the groups.
More than 70% of the studied population presented at least one of the COVID-19 infection-related symptoms within three months after recovery. spirometric measurements revealed non-significant differences between the patients with severe versus non-severe COVID-19 in terms of FVC (P=0.805), FEV1 (P=0.948), FEV1/FVC (P=0.616), and 6MWT (P=0.409). Based on PSQI, sleep quality was significantly associated with the severity of disease (P=0.031), but HADS assessments were not significant (P>0.05).
This study demonstrated that a significant proportion of COVID-19 patients have corona symptoms and abnormal pulmonary function tests three months after recovery. Besides, sleep quality was considerably affected by the severity of the disease and was directly associated with the post-COVID-19 mood of the patients. It seems necessary to consider and control the long-term consequences of this infection regardless of the disease severity.

 Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with COVID-19 have an excessive chance of morbidity and mortality. The fecal-nasopharyngeal microbiota compositions of NSCLC patients were assessed in this study.

 In total, 234 samples were collected from 17 NSCLC patients infected with COVID-19, 20 NSCLC patients without confirmed COVID-19, 40 non NSCLC patients with COVID-19, and 40 healthy individuals.

 In lung microbiota, the abundance of Streptococcus spp. in NSCLC patients with confirmed COVID-19 was significantly higher than the two control groups. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were listed as the most frequent pulmonary bacterial groups that colonized COVID-19 patients. In fecal specimens, the numbers of Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria phyla were significantly higher amongst NSCLC patients with COVID-19. NSCLC patients infected with COVID-19 showed lower levels of Lactobacillus spp., Akkermansia muciniphila, and Bifidobacterium spp. The counts of Streptococcus spp., in NSCLC patients with COVID-19 were significantly higher than those of healthy individuals (8.49±0.70 log CFU/g wet feces vs 8.49±0.70 log CFU/g wet feces). Prevotella spp. were enriched in the gut and respiratory tracts of COVID-19 patient groups. The unbiased analysis showed an increment in Enterococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., and Prevotella spp.

 Eventually, it was found that compared to control groups, COVID-19 patients with NSCLC showed diminished gut bacteria diversity and increase in Lactobacillus spp., A. muciniphila, and Bifidobacterium spp. The overgrowth of Enterococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., and Prevotella spp. could be potential predictive biomarkers in the gut-lung axis of NSCLC patients with COVID-19.

Prophylaxis could be an established strategy to potentially prevent and control infectious diseases and should be considered in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) pandemic. The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine as a prophylaxis treatment strategy in the reduction of the risk of COVID‑19 among health professionals.

The health professionals were randomly assigned (1:1) to the control group without receiving any hydroxychloroquine as prophylaxis and the hydroxychloroquine group receiving a weekly hydroxychloroquine dose of 400 mg up to 12 weeks.

A total of 146 health professionals were randomly enrolled in this study between August 11 and November 11 in 2020. Among the screened health professionals, 21 (14.6%) were infected with COVID‑19 during the 12 weeks, and 14 (66.6%) out of the 21 health professionals were in the control group. Most participants with COVID‑19 had mild symptoms (62%). In addition, 9.5% (n = 2) of the participants suffered from moderate disease and 28.5% were diagnosed with severe symptoms. In the hydroxychloroquine group, 5 (7.1%) and 2 (2.8%) participants were reported with mild and moderate symptoms of COVID‑19, respectively, and 2 participants had moderate, 8 (10.9%) participants had mild symptoms, and 6 (8.2%) participants had severe symptoms in the control group, within 3 months. Severe symptoms of COVID‑19 were not observed in the hydroxychloroquine group.

This study addressed the effect and benefit of hydroxychloroquine administration for the prevention of COVID‑19 among health professionals. The improved perception of prophylaxis might highlight its important role in future COVID‑19 outbreaks to prevent hospital transmission, which is a major route of spread.

Malaria is a multilateral parasitic infection, which causes wonderful mortality and morbidity worldwide. It sometimes accompanied a quaint appearance. An Iranian 50-year-old man was admitted to Omid, hospital, a specialized cancer hospital in Isfahan, Iran. Because of a 15-year persisted anemia due to misdiagnose of vivax malaria led him to three courses of anticancer chemotherapy and splenectomy. His blood smears were sent to the Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Our findings from his history, file documents, clinical signs and symptoms, and parasitological and molecular assessments revealed an interesting case, which is reported.

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) among brain-dead organ donors at Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Tehran, Iran.

By enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), 54 organ donors were screened for HTLV-1 virus in this descriptive cross-sectional study. Following that, Western blot confirmation was performed to confirm the HTLV-I infection.

Anti-HTLV-1 antibodies were detected in 2 (3.4%) cases out of 54 patients tested by ELISA. A western blot was performed in cases of positive results, but none of the subjects tested positive for HTLV-1 infection.

The results of the present study indicated rare cases of HTLV-I infection in brain-dead organ donors. However, it is recommended that organ donors be investigated for the prevalence of this virus.

Since December 2019, the world is struggling with an outbreak of coronavirus disease?2019 (COVID?19) infection mostly represented as an acute respiratory distress syndrome and has turned into the most critical health issue worldwide. Limited information is available about the association between dynamic changes in the naso/oropharyngeal viral shedding in infected patients and biomarkers, aiming to be assessed in the current study.

This quasi?cohort study was conducted on 31 patients with moderate severity of COVID?19  anifestations, whose real?time polymerase chain reaction (RT?PCR) test waspositive for severe acute respiratory syndrome?coronavirus?2 (SARS?CoV?2) RNA at baseline. RT?PCR was rechecked for patients every 3–4 days until achieving two negative ones. In parallel, biomarkers, including lymphocyte count, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and C?reactive protein (CRP), were assessed every other day, as well. Viral shedding also was assessed.

Spearman’s correlation test revealed a significant direct correlation between the viral shedding from the symptom onset and the time, in whichCRP (P = 0.0015, r = 0.54) and LDH (P = 0.001, r = 0.6207) return to normal levels after symptom onset, but not for lymphocyte count (P = 0.068, r = 0.34).

Based on the current study’s findings, the duration of SARS?CoV?2 RNA shedding was directly correlated with the required time for LDH and CRP return to normal levels. Therefore, these factors can be considered the determinants for patients’ discharge, isolation, and return to social activities; however, further investigations are required to generalize the outcomes.

The caspase recruitment domain containing protein 9 (CARD9) deficiency is a primary immunodeficiency disorder that affects the innate immune system, resulting in increased susceptibility to fungal infections. We describe progressive disseminated phaeohyphomycosis due to a melanized fungus in a 26-year-old healthy female with inherited CARD9 deficiency to highlight the clinical presentation of this disorder.

The diagnosis of disseminated phaeohyphomycosis due to melanized fungi was made on the basis of clinical and histopathological findings. CARD9 gene was sequenced and a homozygous c.883C>T mutation in exon 6 at codon 295 was found, resulting in a mutation at position 295, Q295X.

There are more cases of fungal infection associated with CARD9 deficiency in Iran compared to other Asian countries. Although consanguineous marriage is common in the Middle East, severe fungal infections related to CARD9 deficiency were only reported from Iran and Turkey. The higher incidence in comparison to other Middle Eastern countries may be associated with rapid population growth, large family size, and the availability of diagnostic facilities. Although Iranian patients with Q295X mutation are susceptible to candidiasis and dermatophytosis, our patient is the first report of phaeohyphomycosis related to Q295 mutation.

The present study aimed to provide an overview of epidemiology, pathogenicity, clinical diagnosis, and treatment of Candida esophagitis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. The review process involved studying all the existing literature published on this Candida infection. Esophageal candidiasis (EC) is the most common manifestation of mucosal candidiasis and patients with HIV are predominantly at the risk of this opportunistic infection. The prevalence of EC indicated diverse ranges among HIV patients in different geographic areas due to antiretroviral therapy (ART). The main factors for EC were gastric ulcers, CD4+cell count <200 cells/mL, and HIV viral load >400 cells/mL in the ART era. However, a low CD4+ cell count (<200 cells/mL) was significantly associated with EC in the pre-ART era. The interactions between the Candida virulence factor and host immune defense lead to the host responses against this fungal pathogen. During the Candida albicans invasion, secretion of candidalysin which is encoded by the hyphal gene ECE1 has a potential role in epithelial cell damage and secretion of stimulated cytokine. Early trials of the empirical antifungal therapy are recommended before an endoscopic examination. Esophageal biopsy should be considered in patients with a failure of empiric antifungal treatment as it may allow the possibility of drug-resistant Candida and other opportunistic pathogens. The first-line induction treatment of Candida esophagitis is based on oral fluconazole. The shift from C. albicans to non-albicans Candida (NAC) may be correlated with the development of fluconazole resistance and relapse or therapeutic failure in this infection. An increase in the intrinsic and acquired resistance has raised the significance of the optimal antifungal therapy for the critically ill patient. Candida esophagitis requires a systematic suspicion for early diagnosis and appropriate management of HIV infected patients in order to prevent delayed treatment related to undesirable morbidity or even mortality scores.