جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه « folic acid » در نشریات گروه « پزشکی »

Objectives:

Maternal smoking is a potent teratogen among congenital malformations, however its role in the development of Neural Tube Defects (NTDs) is still unclear. In this systematic review, we intend to further investigate the interaction of smoking during pregnancy and the incidence of NTDs.

Materials & Methods:

This article was written according to PRISMA criteria from February 2015 and August 2022. After examining the four stages of PRISMA criteria, we selected clinical articles. These articles were selected from PubMed, Scopus and Google scholar (for results follow-up) databases. We gathered NTDs effect and types, smoking type and habit of parents, from neonates.

Results:

Eventually, 8 articles were included by two separated authors, Smoking was associated with an increase NTDs in the population of pregnant mothers and also among children whose fathers smoked. The main side effects that were considered to be the cause of NTDs besides smoking were alcohol and BMI (18.5-24.9). Smoking also affects the level of folic acid as a substance with an essential role that affects the closure of the neural tube. folic acid available to infants changing along with the level of other blood elements such as zinc, that necessary prevent for NTDs condition.

Conclusion:

Parental smoking can be considered as one of the strong teratogens in the occurrence of NTDs. Smoking, whether active or passive by the mother, or by the father, is associated with the occurrence of NTDs, In order to reduce the prevalence this disorder, we advise pregnant mothers and neonate’s fathers to quit smoking.

Background &  Pregnant women need more nutritional intake than before pregnancy. If this nutritional intake is insufficient for the mother, it will result in Chronic Energy Deficiency (CED). To determine if pregnant women are experiencing malnutrition or cannot be known by measuring the Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC). Based on service regulations for pregnant women in Indonesia, the minimum number of Iron-Folic Acid (IFA) tablets pregnant women get is 120. Regarding this condition, a study was conducted to analyze the relationship between the amount of IFA consumption on MUAC and several other therapeutic outcomes.Materials &  This study used a cross-sectional method by examining the patient's medical records. Patients who received IFA as many as 120 tablets or more will become the exposure group. Data will be analyzed descriptively using chi-square. The MUAC size significantly differed at the end of pregnancy (P=0.01). However, overall, there was no significant difference between the two groups. The IFA administration generally gives good results, but the optimal number of IFA doses still needs further study.

Neural tube defects are prevalent malformations of the central nervous system in infants, often fatal, and considered global medical-social problems. Due to National Laws fortifying wheat flour in the bread industry, 100% of the population of this province has consumed wheat flour enriched with folic acid since June 2007.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of neural tube defects following the fortification of flour with folic acid in the north of Iran.

This descriptive-analytical study examined all neural tube defect cases in Golestan province, northern Iran, from March 2016 to March 2018. Data on the parent's age, ethnicity, mother's education, residency, and types of neural tube defects were recorded for each subject.

The prevalence rate of NTDs was 1.04 per 1000 births. The highest frequency was observed in the Turkmen ethnic group, with a prevalence rate of 1.251 per 1000 births. Geographically, most cases were in the West of Golestan province, with a prevalence rate of 1.876 per 1000 births. Additionally, the highest prevalence of NTD in Kalaleh City was reported as 1.67 per 1000 births. Among NTD cases, the highest frequency was related to mothers aged less than 35 years (82.72%).

The prevalence of neural tube defects during 2016 - 2018 has increased compared to the previous study conducted in this region from 2006 - 2009. Future studies should investigate the reasons behind this increase.

Cytogenetics and association studies showed that folate gene polymorphisms can increase the risk of chromosomal nondisjunction and aneuploidies. The folate-metabolizing gene polymorphisms in Down syndrome mothers (DSM) have been assessed in a variety of populations. Reduced folate carrier 1 (RFC1) and cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS) are key enzymes in folate metabolism.

2 common polymorphisms, CBS 844ins68 and RFC1 A80G, were analyzed to determine their probable risk for having Down syndrome (DS) babies in young mothers of Khuzestan province, Iran.

This study was conducted on 100 mothers who had trisomy 21 DS children. 100 age- and ethnic-matched mothers with at least 2 healthy children and no history of abnormal pregnancies were considered as control. The samples were collected from all the mothers from June 2019 to April 2021. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood. The CBS-844ins68 and RFC1-A80G were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction-electrophoresis and restriction fragment length polymorphism, respectively.

The frequency of RFC1 AG and GG genotypes in DSM was significantly higher than the control mothers (odds ratio [OR] of 2.38 and 3.07, respectively). The heterozygote genotype of CBS 844ins68 was significantly more prevalent among DSM than the control (OR: 2.419). The OR was significantly increased to 6.667 when the homozygote of both variants was found together.

Studying polymorphisms possibly increases the susceptibility of having a DS child. However, ethnicity, nutrition, and epistatic interactions are considerable factors to be evaluated in future studies.

Oral cancer is the sixth most common cancer in males and the fifteenth in females. Folate is essential for maintaining normal function of nucleotide synthesis and DNA methylation. Disruption of folate metabolism can lead to abnormal cell activity and proliferation. The aim of this study was to compare the serum and salivary levels of folate in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and healthy subjects. In this cross-sectioned study, 30 patients with oral SCC referred to ENT department and 30 healthy individuals were studied. Two cc saliva and 5cc venous blood were taken from participants and were evaluated with Human Folate ELISIA Kit. Independent T test and Pearson correlation coefficient was used and statistical analysis was done using SPSS 17. The result was considered to be significant if the P-value was less than 0.05. Serum folate levels in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (8.18 ± 4.37 ng/mL) were significantly lower than healthy subjects (10.61±5.79 ng/mL) (P=0.005). It was also found that folate levels in saliva were significantly lower in patients with squamous cell carcinoma (1.13 ± 1.32 ng/mL) than healthy subjects (2.84 ± 4.40 ng mL) (p= 0.029). Since the levels of serum and salivary folate in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma were significantly lower than that of healthy individuals, low folate levels are likely to be associated with oral SCC.

Recently, the role of biochemical factors in the etiology of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has attracted some attention. Serum levels of biochemical factors may change in cancer patients. This study aimed to assess the serum level of folate, Vitamin B12, homocysteine, iron, copper, and selenium in patients with OSCC.

This descriptive analytical study was conducted on 30 primary OSCC patients (15 males and 15 females) presenting to Imam Khomeini Cancer Institute, who had not yet undergone treatment. Blood samples were taken and serum levels of folate, Vitamin B12, homocysteine, iron, copper, and selenium were measured. Serum levels of micronutrients in patients with different tumor sizes were analyzed by one‑way ANOVA. Serum levels of micronutrients were compared among groups with and without metastasis and lymph node involvement using Student’s t‑test (P < 0.05).

Serum levels of B12, folic acid, homocysteine, copper, iron, and selenium were 232.5 ± 102.68, 8.66 ± 4.06, 18.87 ± 8.81, 96.0 ± 22.64, 55.27 ± 40.58, and 92.47 ± 18.83 ng/mL, respectively. Relatively similar values were measured in patients with different tumor sizes with and without lymph node involvement and presence or absence distant metastasis. However, the serum level of folic acid in OSCC patients without lymph node involvement was significantly higher than that in OSCC patients with lymph node involvement (P < 0.05).

Despite some variations, serum levels of micronutrients in OSCC patients were within the normal limits. Considering the variations in serum level of copper in OSCC patients, it may be used as a diagnostic marker. However, further studies are warranted in this respect.

Schizophrenia, as one of the most severe psychiatric diseases, has a chronic and debilitating process. The majority of patients with schizophrenia do not respond adequately to treatment with common antipsychotic drugs. Therapeutic problems induced by drug side effects as well as undesired results are major challenging issues regarding this disease. This study aimed at evaluating the effect of memantine supplementation on the improvement of cognitive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia.

The present clinical trial was performed on 50 patients with acute schizophrenia who were admitted to Kargarnejad Psychiatric Hospital in Kashan in 2022 and who were diagnosed as schizophrenia cases at least three months ago. Patients were randomly divided into either the intervention group (n = 25) or the placebo group (n = 25). The intervention group received 5 mg of memantine per day for three months. The dose of memantine in this group was increased to the maximum of 20 mg per day. The placebo group received 1 mg of folic acid per day for three months. Moreover, an identical routine schizophrenia therapeutic regimen was administered to all patients. The effectiveness of memantine was evaluated using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-III), which assessed cognitive ability in older adults over a 12-week follow-up period.

The WAIS-III score in the 12th week of the study was significantly different between the placebo and intervention groups (P = 0.004), such that the score of the memantine group was higher than that of the placebo group. No significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of drug side effects.

Memantine can be supplemented in the treatment of schizophrenia so as to improve the cognitive symptoms of this disorder. However, subsequent studies involving larger sample sizes and different doses seem to be necessary to provide more accurate results in this respect.

Considering the many problems of a child with Down syndrome, early diagnosis allows parents to prepare for the birth and care of these children or to suggest termination of pregnancy. This study aimed to investigate associations between serum levels of folic acid and Superoxide dismutase (SOD1) with the results of the first trimester Down syndrome screening and fetal karyotype in high-risk pregnant women.

In this cross-sectional study, 232 women with high-risk pregnancies who had positive Down syndrome screening and undergone amniocentesis were selected through purposive sampling at the gestational age of 14-20 weeks. After obtaining an informed written consent form, the questionnaires related to the research were filled and the information on NT ultrasound and biochemical screening tests was extracted from the patients’ files. We measured serum levels of folic acid and SOD1 in all participants using the ELISA method. Statistical analysis was done by applying a multivariate logistic regression model by backward strategy. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test was utilized for better goodness of fit for the logistic regression model. In this study, p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

In our study, 97% of participants consumed folic acid, serum level measurements revealed, 6.9% of participants had low folic acid levels, and 5.6% of Down syndrome positive screenings had a positive karyotype. The mean (SD) serum levels of superoxide dismutase enzyme (SOD-1) measured in the present study in the participants was 297.40 (75.55) U/ml. There were no significant relationship between serum levels of folic acid [odds ratio (OR) (95% CI): 0.125 (0.001 to 31.42); P=0.461] and SOD1 levels [OR (95% CI): 0.99 (0.976 to 1.01); P=0.799] with fetal karyotype results (P>0.05).

These findings demonstrate that serum folic acid and SOD1 concentration is not the predictive markers of Down syndrome karyotype in high-risk pregnant women who have positive Down syndrome screening through a double marker test.

Hyperhomocysteinemia and vitamin D deficiency may be involved in the pathogenesis of vitiligo. This study compared the serum levels of vitamin D, homocysteine, vitamin B12, and folic acid between vitiligo-affected children and healthy children.

Using a case-control design, 30 children with vitiligo and 30 age and sex-matched healthy children were enrolled from April 2018 to August 2020. Serum levels of vitamin D, homocysteine, vitamin B12, and folic acid were analyzed in both groups during the same season of the year. Additionally, the association between serum levels of these factors with demographic and clinical features of the children (collected by interview and physical examination) was evaluated. Data were analyzed using the independent T-test, Fisher’s exact test, and chi-squared test.

The vitiligo group had significantly lower vitamin D and folic acid serum levels compared with the control group [95% CI -19.87 to -2.96 and -4.15 to -4.18, respectively]. Among patients, the vitamin D level was negatively correlated with age (r = -0.459, P = 0.011) and disease duration (r = -0.373, P = 0.042). Moreover, there was a significant association between vitiligo activity and serum homocysteine levels (P = 0.027).

Routine measurement of vitamin D and folic acid serum levels might be suggested, especially in children with long-standing disease. Monitoring the homocysteine level may be beneficial, particularly in children with progressive vitiligo.

 Enuresis is one of the most common diseases in children. Although there are several factors involved in the occurrence of this diseases, the root cause of it has remained undetermined.

 Identifying various factors responsible for enuresis may enormously contribute to solving this problem. This study, therefore, aimed to determine the level of vitamin B12 and folic acid in children with enuresis in Gorgan in 1400.

 In this case-control study, 43 children with primary enuresis and 99 children without enuresis, as the control group, referring to Taleghani Hospital in 1400 were included. Folic acid and vitamin B12 levels in two groups were measured and analyzed using statistical techniques.

 Out of all participants, 23 (53.5%) in the case group and 53 (53%) in the control group were male. The mean age of children in the case and control groups were 7.60 ± 3.02 and 8.93 ± 3.15, respectively, and the two groups were not significantly different in terms of gender and age. Vitamin B12 and folic acid levels in the case group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P-value = 0.001). There was a significant difference between the case and control groups regarding the mean levels of vitamin B12 and folic acid levels based on sex and gender.

 In sum, it was found that children with enuresis suffered from deficiency of vitamin B12 and folic acid to some extent, which may have been a factor responsible for delaying the maturation of the central nervous system and, consequently, inducing enuresis in children.

In this study, we aimed to identify the benefits in image contrast enhancement of Folic acid-Cysteamine conjugated gold nanoparticles (FA-Cys-AuNPs) by comparing Contrast to Noise ratio (CNR) of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to iodinated compound CT images. The CNR was assessed in different tube voltages, concentrations, and incubation times in nasopharyngeal KB cancer cells.
FA-Cys-AuNPs and Omnipaque suspension were scanned at different concentration ranges (500-2000 µg/ml) and energy ranges (80- 140 kVp) with CT imaging modality. FA-Cys-AuNPs and AuNPs were incubated in nasopharyngeal cancer cells at different incubation times (6, 12, and 24 h) and concentration ranges (200-500 µM). Finally, the contrast enhancement was assessed using CNR value at different tube voltages.
Results showed that the formed FA-Cys-AuNPs with an Au core size of 15 nm in all concentrations and tube potentials from 80 to 140 kVp display greater CNR than Omnipaque. The CNR value was increased by increasing concentration and energy. At 140 kVp and 2000 µg/ml, the CNR value of FA-Cys-AuNPs was 2.25 times greater than Omnipaque. At 140 kVp, 500 µM and 24 h incubation, the CNR values of targeted cells were approximately 1.5 times higher than non-targeted cells. At 140 kVp, and 500 µM, the CNR value of targeted cells with 24 h incubation time was 2.66 times greater than the targeted cells incubated with 6 h.
These findings suggested that the designed FA-Cys-AuNPs could be a good candidate contrast agent for molecular CT imaging.

The B vitamins can potentially help prevent migraine. This study was designed to examine the effects of supplementation with thiamine (B1), pyridoxine (B6), cobalamin (B12), folic acid (B9), and a combination of these vitamins on women with episodic migraine (EM). This study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, clinical trial conducted on 120 women with EM. The participants were divided into the 6 groups of B1 (n = 20), B6 (n = 20), B12 (n = 20), B9 (n = 20), vitamin B complex (n = 20), and placebo (n = 20). Subjects received 1 capsule daily for 12 weeks. As part of the baseline and post-intervention phases, paper-based headache diaries were used to record the number of abortive drugs consumed and the frequency of headache attacks, and the Migraine Disability Assessment Questionnaire (MIDAS) was used to assess migraine disability. A 16-week study on women with EM revealed that the mean changes in the frequency of headache attacks decreased significantly in all vitamin groups in comparison with the placebo group (P < 0.001). In contrast to the placebo, there was also a significant improvement in the migraine disability score in each vitamin group (P < 0.001). The 12-week supplementation with vitamins B9, B1, B6, B12, and B complex also brought on a significant decrease in the use of abortive drugs compared to the placebo group (P = 0.032). The results of this study showed that B1, B6, B12, and B9, and a combination of these vitamins could be effective as an adjuvant in treatment and prophylaxis of EM. Further large trials with long-term follow-ups will be required to confirm our results.

Photochemical internalization (PCI) is an important type of photodynamic therapy for delivering macromolecules into the cytosol by the endocytosis process. In this study, 6-mercapto-1-hexanol (MH) was used to functionalize the gold nanostructure as a primer for surface modification to improve conjugation of multi-agents such as protoporphyrin IX (Pp-IX) and folic acid with gold nanoparticles (PpIX/FA-MH-AuNP) to facilitate the photochemical internalization. After surface modification of AuNPs with MH, PpIX and FA are bonded to the surface of the MH-AuNPs through the coupling reaction to produce the desired conjugated AuNPs. In the next step, the synthesized nanostructures were characterized by different methods. Finally, after selecting specific concentrations, light treatments were applied and cell survival was measured based on MTT analysis. Also, in order to better study the morphology of the cells, they were stained by the Giemsa method. The SPSS 16 software was used for data analysis By surface modification of the nanostructure with MH and then conjugation of FA to it, the incubation time of the drug in PpIX/FA-MH-AuNP was reduced from 3 hr to 30 min. Also, at each light dose, cell death in the presence of PpIX/FA-MH-AuNP was significantly reduced compared with unconjugated conditions (P<0.001). Under these conditions, the ED50 for PpIX and PpIX-MH-AuNP and PpIX/FA-MH-AuNP at a concentration of 2.5 μg/ml is 8.9, 9.1, and 6.17 min, respectively. The results show that the PCI of PpIX/FA-MH-AuNP increases the selective phototoxicity efficiency on cancer cells compared with the conventional process of photodynamic therapy.

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are common congenital anomalies caused by genetic, environmental, or nutritional factors. Normal plasma folic acid levels in the fetus are required for proper development of the neural tube. Plasma folic acid level has an inverse relationship with homocysteine level. This study aimed to determine plasma folic acid and homocysteine levels in babies born with NTDs and healthy controls.

The study included 30 clinically diagnosed NTD cases and 30 healthy age- and sex-matched control subjects. Plasma levels of folic acid and homocysteine were measured using a direct chemiluminescence method. Data were compared using the independent t-test. Statistical analysis of data was performed using GraphPad InStat 3.0 at significance of 0.05

The mean plasma level of folic acid in NTD cases (5.1±4.9 mol/l) was significantly lower than that in healthy controls (19.5±2.1 mol/l) (p<0.05). The mean plasma level of homocysteine in NTD cases (14.3 ± 2.4 ng/ml) was significantly higher than that in healthy controls (4.9±1.8 ng/ml)(p<0.05). The mean plasma level of folic acid was 20.1±1.5 µmol/l, 8.5 ±2.9 µmol/l, and 1.9 ±0.4 µmol/l in mild, moderate, and severe cases of NTD, respectively. The mean plasma level of homocysteine was 10.7±3.4 ng/ml, 15.4±1.2 ng/ml, and 18.5±0.8 ng/ml in mild, moderate, and severe cases of NTD, respectively.

Low level of folic acid and high level of homocysteine are directly associated with the development of neural tube abnormalities. Moreover, the severity of the NTD is inversely related to plasma level of folic acid and directly related to plasma level of homocysteine.

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase enzyme (MTHFR) plays a key role in regulating folate balance, converting homocysteine to methionine, and producing s-adenosylmethionine (SAM) that plays a role in the methylation process.

This study aimed to determine MTHFR activity and SAM level in men with normozoospermia and oligozoospermia.

30 oligozoospermic and 30 normozoospermic men as controls were enrolled in this case-control study. Semen analysis was conducted according to the world health organization criteria. All semen samples were collected after 3-5 days of sexual abstinence. The sperms were evaluated by sperm test video software. All subjects SAM level was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit, and MTHFR were measured manually.

2 groups had a significant difference in sperm morphology (p = 0.02), concentration (p = 0.02) and motility (p = 0.03). The MTHFR activity in normozoospermic and oligozoospermic groups had significantly differences (p = 0.01). The level of SAM in the semen of oligozoospermic men was statistically lower than normozoospermic men (p = 0.03). Also, there was a positive association between MTHFR enzyme activity and SAM level in the normozoospermia group (p = 0.02, β = 0.67) and oligozoospermia group (p = 0.03, β = 0.54).

MTHFR activity and SAM concentration were statistically lower in oligozoospermia men. It seems they can affect sperm concentration, morphology, and motility.