Over 100,000 Iranian war veterans suffer from chronic effects of mustard gas exposure. Sulfur mustard was used by Iraq during the Iraqi-imposed war on Iran (between 1980 and 1988). The major complaints of these patients are mild interstitial fibrosis and bronchiolitis. We aimed to determine the state of fibrosis progression and assessed transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 levels in pulmonary samples and in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) aspirates. A total of 126 war veterans confirmed for lung disease were assessed and compared with three control groups: 1) 64 veterans not exposed to chemical agents, 2) 12 idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis civilian patients, and 3) 33 normal persons. BAL was performed via a flexible fiber-optic bronchoscope and the standard manual method. Total protein was measured by Bradford assay, and samples were corrected with regard to coefficients. Samples were concentrated 15-fold by lyophilization and resolubilization. Samples were double-checked using an ELISA test kit. The Mann-Whitney test was used for the data analysis using commercial software. We detected that significant differences between TGF-beta1 levels between the case group and control group 1 (P = 0.001) and control group 3 (P = 0.003). No significant differences were found between the case group and control group 2 (P = 0.57). Inflammation and fibrotic processes in lung tissue of patients exposed to sulfur mustard may be progressive so IFN-gamma may be a useful drug to these patients' treatment.

To the Editor, The World Health Organization coronavirus data report that the COVID pandemic has resulted in over 280 million cumulative cases and surpassed 5 million deaths (as of the last week of December 2021) (WHO, n.d.). There has been a desperate global search for acute therapies that can prevent the spread of infection and/or the development of serious infection necessitating hospitalization. Considering the increasing trend of complementary and alternative medicine popularity on one hand (Aliasl et al., 2015; Daneshfard et al., 2019) and the unavailability of confirmed treatment regimens for COVID-19 on the other, application of herbal medicines in an integrative manner has been used from the very beginning of the pandemic.Black seed (Nigella sativa) is an annual flowering plant, the seeds of which have been used as a traditional remedy for infectious and inflammatory diseases for centuries (Fatima Shad et al., 2021). There is growing evidence of the potential role of its bioactive compounds, in particular thymoquinone (TQ), as a treatment for COVID-19

Persistent infection of arteries with organisms such as Chlamydia pneumoniae was previously found to contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. We investigate the presence of C. pneumoniae in atherosclerotic plaque by polymerase chain reaction and direct immunofluorescence assay, and we examine the correlation between clinical status and the presence of this bacterium in Iran. The study group consisted of 33 atherosclerotic plaque specimens from the arteries (26 coronary and 7 abdominal aorta) of patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG). The control group consisted of 31 specimens: 12 from biopsies of macroscopically healthy regions of the ascending aorta in patients who had undergone CABG and 19 autopsy specimens of normal coronary arteries. C. pneumoniae DNA and antigen were found in 6 (18%) and 7 (21%) of 33 endarterectomy specimens, respectively. C. pneumoniae was not detected in the control group by either method. The presence of C. pneumoniae in atherosclerotic plaques and its absence in healthy vessels supports the idea that C. pneumoniae may have a role in the development of atherosclerosis, especially in countries where infection is prevalent and where conventional risk factors fail to explain the exact reason for the high prevalence of atherosclerotic vascular disease.

Background: The pandemic situation of the new coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [SARS-COV-2]) forces drug designers to formulate a new intelligent drug for this disease effective to treat all mutations of the virus. One way to control all mutations of virus is inhibition of spike protein (binding with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 [ACE-2]) duo to inhibit the viral entry. Viral entry is the first step for virus to start infection. Methods: In this work, the interactions of SARS-COV-2 spike protein and ACE-2 are evaluated in silico by docking process and four different ligands are estimated to simulate those interactions to avoid bindings with ACE-2 needed for viral entry in reality. All ligand–receptor interactions are considered. Results: Results approve the suggested ligands in this work, have a definite inhibitory effect on SARS-COV-2 spike protein based on the interactions which they make with the receptor-binding domain. Docking process is done repeatedly to assure conclusions. Conclusion: All interactions were considered by docking of the receptor and ligands. All kinds of interactions contain Hydrogen bonds, steric bonds and etc approving the possibility of ligands to bind the receptor. These interactions approve the antiviral effects of ligands. As the result, ligands were approved to have an antiviral effect on SARS -COV -2. ligands 1 and 2 have higher affinity than other ligands which is completely compatible with the results invitro done by this paper authors.

The pandemic situation of the new corona virus (SARS-COV-2) forces drug designers to formulate a new intelligent drug for this disease effective to treat all mutations of the virus. One way to control all mutations of virus is inhibition of spike protein (binding with Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2)) duo to inhibit the viral entry. Viral entry is the first step for virus to start infection. In this work the interactions of SARS-COV-2 spike protein and ACE-2 are evaluated Insilico by docking process and four different Ligands are estimated to simulate those interactions, so as to avoid bindings with ACE-2 needed for viral entry in reality. All Ligand – receptor interactions are considered. Results approves the suggested Ligands in this work, have definite inhibitory effect on SARS-COV-2 spike protein based on the interactions which they make with receptor binding domain (RBD). Docking process are done repeatedly to assure conclusions.