Adenosine is a regulatory molecule with widespread physiological effects in almost every cells and acts as a potent regulator of cell growth. Adenosine has been shown to inhibit cell growth and induce apoptosis in the several cancer cells via caspase activation and Bcl-2/Bax pathway. The present study was designed to understand the mechanism underlying adenosine-induced apoptosis in the OVCAR-3 human ovarian cancer cells. MTT viability, BrdU and cell counting assays were used to study the cell proliferation effect of adenosine in presence of adenosine deaminase inhibitor and the nucleoside transporter inhibitor. Cell cycle analysis, propidium iodide and annexin V staining, caspase-3 activity assay, cyclinD1, Cdk4, Bcl-2 and Bax protein expressions were assessed to detect apoptosis. Adenosine significantly inhibited cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner in OVCAR-3 cell line. Adenosine induced cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase via Cdk4/cyclinD1-mediated pathway. Adenosine induced apoptosis, which was determined by Annexin V-FITC staining and increased sub-G1 population. Moreover, down-regulation of Bcl-2 protein expression, up-regulation of Bax protein expression and activation of caspase-3 were observed in response to adenosine treatment. The results of this study suggest that extracellular adenosine induced G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells via cyclinD1/ Cdk4 and Bcl-2/Bax pathways and caspase-3 activation. These data might suggest that adenosine could be used as an agent for the treatment of ovarian cancer.

Impaired inflammatory immune cells have been implicated in the pathogenesis ofBehcet's disease (BD). In the current study, we aimed to evaluate the frequency of T helper (Th) 17 and regulatory T (Treg) cells, cytokine secretion, the expression of transcription factors related to Th17 and Treg cells, and microRNAs (miRNAs) targeting these transcription factors in BD patients. Blood samples from 47 BD patients and 58 healthy subjects were drawn, and the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were separated and isolated. The frequency of Th17 and Treg cells was assessed using flow cytometry. Transcription factors related to these cells and miRNAs targeting these transcription factors were quantified using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Finally, the levels of associated cytokines were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A significant reduction in the percentage of Treg cell frequency and the levels of interleukin (IL)-10 and forkhead box P3 messenger RNA (mRNA) expressions were observed. The proportion of Th17 cells was notably increased, which was accompanied by a increased levels of IL-17, IL-23, and retinoic acid-related orphan receptor ɣ (RORɣt) mRNA expressions in BD patients. The level of Th17-associated cytokines in the supernatant was found to be elevated in BD patients. T-cell-associated miRNA expression levels, miR-25, miR-106b, miR-326, and miR-93 were significantly upregulated, while miR-146a and miR-155 levels were lower in PBMCs of patients with BD when compared with the controls. The increase in the proportion of Th17 cells alongside the decrease in Treg cells are possibly the involving factors in the pathogenesis of BD.Therefore, the evaluation of immune cells and related miRNA profile may serve as both prognostic biomarker and therapeutic approach in treating patients with BD.

The ongoing pandemic of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected more than 27 million confirmed cases and 8,90,000 deaths all around the world. Verity of viral infections can infect the nervous system; these viral infections can present a wide range of manifestation. The aim of the current study was to systematically review the COVID-19 associated central nervous system manifestations, mental and neurological symptoms. For that we conducted a comprehensive systematic literature review of four online databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus and Embase. All relevant articles that reported psychiatric/psychological symptoms or disorders in COVID-19 without considering time and language restrictions were assessed. All the study procedures were performed based on the PRISMA criteria. Due to the screening, 14 studies were included. The current study result indicated that, the pooled prevalence of CNS or mental associated disorders with 95% CI was 50.68% (6.68–93.88). The most prevalence symptoms were hyposmia/anosmia/olfactory dysfunction (number of study: 10) with 36.20% (14.99–60.51). Only one study reported numbness/paresthesia and dysphonia. Pooled prevalence of numbness/paresthesia and dysphonia was 5.83% (2.17–12.25) and 2.39% (10.75–14.22). The pooled prevalence of depression and anxiety was 3.52% (2.62–4.54) and 13.92% (9.44–19.08). Our findings demonstrate that COVID-19 has a certain relation with neurological symptoms. The hypsomia, anosmia or olfactory dysfunction was most frequent symptom. Other symptoms were headache or dizziness, dysgeusia or ageusia, dysphonia and fatigue. Depression, anxiety, and confusion were less frequent symptoms.

Recent molecular investigations have demonstrated over-expression of a large number of tumor associated antigens (TAAs) in a variety of malignancies. Over-expression of ROR1 gene, a member of the receptor tyrosine kinase family, has recently been reported in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Wilms' tumor gene 1 (WT1) has long been known as a universal TAA expressed in a variety of solid and hematopoietic malignancies. In the present study, the expression profile of ROR1 and WT1 was investigated in different immunophenotypic subsets of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) patients. RT-PCR method was used to determine the ROR1 and WT1 genes expression in bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB) samples from 51 newly diagnosed Iranian B-ALL patients. Isolated tumor cells from all patients were immunophenotyped by flow cytometry. Based on immunophenotypic results, our B-ALL patients were classified in four differentiation subsets; Pro-B (n = 7), Pre-B I (n = 29), Pre-B II (n = 13) and Immature/mature B-ALL (n = 2). Although ROR1 was over-expressed in more mature subsets (16.7%, 42.9%, 45.5% and 100%, respectively), WT1 was more represented in immature subsets of B-ALL patients (57.1%, 64.3%, 38.5% and 0%, respectively). Comparison of the frequency of ROR1 and WT1 positive samples at each immunophenotypic subtype revealed statistically significant difference only in Pre B I subtype (p = 0.02). Our results suggest that expression of ROR1 and WT1 in B-ALL is associated with the differentiation stage of the leukemic cells.