Circulating microRNAs in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

AIM: To identify novel non-invasive biomarkers for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD). METHODS: Twenty patients with histologically proven NAFLD and 20 controls were included. All NAFLD cases were scored using the NAFLD activity score. The rela-tive expressions of miR-197, miR-146 b, miR-10 b, miR-181d, miR-34 a, miR-122, miR-99 a and miR-29 a were analyzed using real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Serum levels of miR-181 d, miR-99 a, miR-197 and miR-146 b were significantly lower in biopsy-proven NAFLD patients than in the healthy controls. Serum lev-els of miR-197 and miR-10 b were inversely correlated with degree of inflammation and miR-181 d and miR-99 a were inversely correlated with serum gamma glu-tamyl transferase levels in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis patients. CONCLUSION: NAFLD is associated with altered se-rum miRNA expression pattern. This study provides clues for defining the non-invasive diagnosis of NAFLD.

COVID-19 vaccine candidates and vaccine development platforms available worldwide

The pandemic caused by the worldwide spread of the coronavirus,which first appeared in 2019,has been named coronavirus disease 19(COVID-19).More than 4.5 million deaths have been recorded due to the pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2),according to the World Health Organization.COVID-19 Dashboard in September 2021.Apart from the wildtype,other variations have been successfully transmitted early in the outbreak although they were not discovered until March 2020.Modifications in the SARS-CoV-2 genetic material,such as mutation and recombination,have the ability to modify the viral life span,along with transitivity,cellular tropism,and symptom severity.Several processes are involved in introducing novel vaccines to the population,including vaccine manufacturing,preclinical studies,Food and Drug Administration permission or certification,processing,and marketing.COVID-19 vaccine candidates have been developed by a number of public and private groups employing a variety of strategies,such as RNA,DNA,protein,and viral vectored vaccines.This comprehensive review,which included the most subsequent evidence on unique features of SARS-CoV-2 and the associated morbidity and mortality,was carried out using a systematic search of recent online databases in order to generate useful knowledge about the COVID-19 updated versions and their consequences on the disease symptoms and vaccine development.

Cleidocranial dysplasia with a rare mutation:Study of a family with review of literature

Introduction: The present study was aimed at advancing the understanding of the pathogenesis of cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD) by presenting a case study based on history, physical examination, typical radiological features, and molecular analysis and a review of the literature. Methods: This study began with a 23-year-old boy (proband) who was referred to the department of oral and maxillofacial radiology with chief complaint of the upper-left first molar tooth and routine dental examination. While evaluating the panoramic radiograph, the patient had approximately 57 teeth in his both of the jaws. Clinical, radiographical and molecular features of the proband, two siblings and their parents were examined and then, DNA analysis was performed. Results: Overall, we present 3 CCD patients with a mutation in the VWRPY motif. The deletion of c. 1754_1757 delTTTG (NM_001024630.2) is determined and it leads to a frame shift mutation and stop codon, p. V585Gfs56X. Conclusions: The present study emphasized the importance of further clinical and molecular investigation when even a single case of CCD is identified within a family. This is the first study performed in Turkey about a family with a mutation in the VWRPY motif. Genotype-phenotype association studies in individuals with CCD are necessary to provide important insights into molecular mechanisms associated with this disease.