Evaluating the effect of convalescent plasma (CP) on some cytokine storm indices in severe COVID-19 patients. Totally, 62 patients were randomly assigned into two groups for this clinical trial. Patients in the intervention group received one unit (500 mL) plasma on the admission day plus standard drugs while the controls merely received standard treatments. Eventually, primary and secondary outcomes were evaluated. In the CP group, compared with controls, the mean levels of lymphocytes and IL-10 significantly increased while the levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ decreased (p < 0.05). The length of in-hospital stay, and mortality rate did not significantly reduce in the CP group compared with controls (p > 0.05) while WHO severity scores remarkably improved (p = 0.01), despite the higher frequency of underlying diseases among the CP group (66.7%) vs. controls (33.3%). Although CP has a remarkable immunomodulatory and antiviral potential to improve the cytokine storm and disease severity in COVID-19 patients, it did not considerably affect the mortality rate.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus has been rapidly spreading globally since December 2019, triggering a pandemic, soon after its emergence. While Iran was among the first countries confronted with rapid spread of virus in February 2020, no real-time SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome tracking in early phase of outbreak was performed in the country. To address this issue, we provided 50 whole-genome sequences of viral isolates ascertained from different geographical locations in Iran during March-July 2020. The corresponding analysis on origins, transmission dynamics and genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 virus, represented at least two introductions of the virus into the country, constructing two major clusters defined as B.4 and B.1*. The first entry of the virus might have occurred around very late 2019/early 2020, as suggested by the time to the most recent common ancestor, followed by a rapid community transmission that led to dominancy of B.4 lineage in early epidemic till the end of June. Gradually, reduction in dominancy of B.4 occurred possibly as a result of other entries of the virus, followed by surge of B.1* lineages, as of mid-May. Remarkably, variation tracking of the virus indicated the increase in frequency of D614G mutation, along with B.1* lineages, which showed continuity till October 2020. The increase in frequency of D614G mutation and B.1* lineages from mid-May onwards predicts a rapid viral transmission that may push the country into a critical health situation followed by a considerable change in composition of viral lineages circulating in the country.

The role of Epstein-Barr Virus in development of breast cancer is frequently studied. In this regard, miRNAs are among the contributing elements in the molecular pathophysiology of EBV-related diseases. In addition, a growing number of host miRNAs are believed to be implicated in pathogenesis of breast cancer. MiR-218 is a tumor suppressive miRNA that is subjected to dysregulation in various EBV-associated cancers. We aimed to investigate the frequency of EBV and its relationship with expression status of tumor suppressive miR-218 in breast cancer and adjacent normal tissue.