Identification of novel potential drugs and miRNAs biomarkers in lung cancer based on gene co-expression network analysis

Sara Hajipour,Sayed Mostafa Hosseini,Shiva Irani,Mahmood Tavallaie Korea Genome Organization 2023 Genomics & informatics Vol.21 No.3

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is an important cause of cancer-associated deaths worldwide. Therefore, the exact molecular mechanisms of NSCLC are unidentified. The present investigation aims to identify the miRNAs with predictive value in NSCLC. The two datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNA) and mRNAs (DEmRNA) were selected from the normalized data. Next, miRNA-mRNA interactions were determined. Then, co-expression network analysis was completed using the WGCNA package in R software. The co-expression network between DEmiRNAs and DEmRNAs was calculated to prioritize the miRNAs. Next, the enrichment analysis was performed for DEmiRNA and DEmRNA. Finally, the drug-gene interaction network was constructed by importing the gene list to dgidb database. A total of 3,033 differentially expressed genes and 58 DEmiRNA were recognized from two datasets. The co-expression network analysis was utilized to build a gene co- expression network. Next, four modules were selected based on the Z_summary score. In the next step, a bipartite miRNA-gene network was constructed and hub miRNAs (let-7a-2-3p, let-7d-5p, let-7b-5p, let-7a-5p, and let-7b-3p) were selected. Finally, a drug-gene network was constructed while SUNITINIB, MEDROXYPROGESTERONE ACETATE, DOFETILIDE, HALOPERIDOL, and CALCITRIOL drugs were recognized as a beneficial drug in NSCLC. The hub miRNAs and repurposed drugs may act a vital role in NSCLC progression and treatment, respectively; however, these results must validate in further clinical and experimental assessments.

Value of Nutritional Screening Tools Versus Anthropometric Measurements in Evaluating Nutritional Status of Children in a Low/Middle-Income Country

Shaimaa Sayed,Mortada H. F. El-Shabrawi,Eman Abdelmonaem,Nehal El Koofy,Sara Tarek 대한소아소화기영양학회 2023 Pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition Vol.26 No.4

Purpose: Pediatric patients in low-income countries are at a high risk of malnutrition. Numerous screening tools have been developed to detect the risk of malnutrition, including the Subjective Global Nutritional Assessment (SGNA), Pediatric Yorkhill Malnutrition Score (PYMS), Screening Tool for the Assessment of Malnutrition in Pediatrics (STAMP), and Screening Tool for Risk of Nutritional Status and Growth (STRONGkids). However, anthropometry remains the main tool for assessing malnutrition. We aimed to identify the value of four nutritional screening tools versus anthropometry for evaluating the nutritional status of children. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 1,000 children aged 1–12 years who visited the outpatient clinic of Cairo University Pediatric Hospital. Each participant was evaluated using anthropometric measurements (weight, length/height, and weight for length/height) as well as the PYMS, STAMP, STRONGkids, and SGNA screening tools. The sensitivities and specificities of these four tools were assessed using anthropometry as the gold standard. Results: Of the patients, 1.7% were underweight, 10.2% were wasted, and 35% were stunted. STRONGkids demonstrated the highest sensitivity (79.4%) and a high specificity (80.2%) for detecting malnutrition compared with weight for height, followed by STAMP, which demonstrated lower sensitivity (73.5%) but higher specificity (81.4%). PYMS demonstrated the lowest sensitivity (66.7%) and the highest specificity (93.5%), whereas SAGA demonstrated higher sensitivity (77.5%) and lower specificity (85.4%) than PYMS. Conclusion: The use of nutritional screening tools to evaluate the nutritional status of children is valuable and recommended as a simple and rapid method for identifying the risk of malnutrition in pediatric patients.

Isolated Sudden Bilateral Neurosensory Hearing Loss as a Presentation of Lyme Neuroborreliosis: A Case Study

Rochd Sara,Benhoummad Othmane,Salhi Salma,Lakhdar Youssef,Rochdi Youssef,Raji Abdelaziz,Oualhadj Hamza,Kamouni Youssef El,Zouhair Said 대한청각학회 2024 Journal of Audiology & Otology Vol.28 No.1

Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) is a rare but potentially serious manifestation of Lyme disease, caused by the spirochete <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i>. Although LNB can affect various neurological systems, neurosensory hearing loss as the sole presentation is uncommon. We report a case of a 23-year-old woman who presented with a 2-month history of temporal headache, tinnitus, and instability, which was followed by sudden bilateral hearing loss without any other associated symptoms. Pure-tone audiometry revealed profound bilateral hearing loss. Serological testing for various pathogens was negative, except for <i>B. burgdorferi</i> IgM, which was confirmed using Western blot analysis. The patient received doxycycline treatment; unfortunately, no recovery of hearing was observed. This case report highlights the importance of considering LNB as a potential cause of neurosensory hearing loss, particularly in areas where Lyme disease is endemic, as well as the need for timely diagnosis and treatment to prevent potential complications.

COVID-19 Lockdown: Impact on PM10 and PM2.5 in Six Megacities in the World Assessed Using NASA’s MERRA-2 Reanalysis

Ibrahim Abdelmageid Hassan,Sara Said,Zeinab Salah,Mohamad Magdy Abdel Wahab 한국대기환경학회 2022 Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment (AJAE) Vol.16 No.2

The changes in air quality were investigated in six megacities during the shutdown phases in 2020 and were compared to the same time periods in the previous 10 years (2010-2019) using the data of Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis and Research and Application, version 2 (MERRA-2). The concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 were greatly reduced in all megacities during the lockdown in 2020 when compared to the same period in 2019 and in the previous ten years. The highest reduction in PM10 was recorded in Delhi, and São Paulo (21%, and 15% and by 27%, and 9%), when compared with the concentrations in 2019 and in the period 2010-2019, respectively. Similarly, levels of PM2.5 in Delhi, São Paulo, Beijing, and Mumbai decreased by 20%, 14%, 12%, and 10%, respectively in 2020 when compared to the last ten years. Results indicated that the lockdown is an effective mitigation measure to improve air quality. The MERRA-2 reanalysis dataset could be a vital tool in air quality studies in places with a lack of In-situ observations.

Allele and Genotype Frequencies of the Polymorphic Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase and Colorectal Cancer among Jordanian Population

Yousef, Al-Motassem,Shomaf, Maha,Berger, Sondra,Ababneh, Nidaa,Bobali, Yahya,Ali, Dema,Al-Hasan, Sara,Diab, Ola,Ismail, Said Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.8

Background: Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is involved in DNA synthesis and repair. We here aimed to investigate two common polymorphisms, C677T and A1298C, with genotype and haplotype frequencies in colorectal cancer (CRC) cases among Jordanian. Materials and Methods: 131 CRC cases were studied for MTHFR C677T and A1298C polymorphisms, compared to 117 controls taken from the general population, employing the PCR-RFLP technique. Results: We found the frequency of the three different genotypes of MTHFR C677T among Jordanians to be CC: 61.7%, CT: 35.2%, and TT 3.1% among CRC cases and 50.9%, 38.8% and 10.3% among controls. Carriers of the TT genotype were less likely to have CRC (OR=0.25; 95%CI: 0.076-0.811; p=0.021) as compared to those with the CC genotype. Genotype analysis of MTHFR A12987C revealed AA: 38.9%, AC: 45%, and CC 16% among CRC cases and 37.4%, 50.4% and 12.2% among controls. There was no significant association between genetic polymorphism at this site and CRC. Haplotype analysis of MTHFR polymorphism at the two loci showed differential distribution of the TA haplotype (677T-1298A) between cases and controls. The TA haplotype was associated with a decreased risk for colorectal cancer (OR=0.6; 95% CI: 0.4-0.9, p=0.03). Conclusions: The genetic polymorphism of MTHFR at 677 and the TA haplotype may modulate the risk for CRC development among the Jordanian population. Our findings may reflect an importance of genes involved in folate metabolism in cancer risk.