eng ilam university of medical sciences Journal of Basic Research in Medical Sciences 2383-0506 2383-0972 2026-04 13 2 1 3 article Ali Noori-Zadeh noorizadeh-a@medilam.ac.ir 1 Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran As the Editor-in-Chief of the "Journal of Basic Research in Medical Sciences", I am pleased to present this diverse and impactful collection of accepted articles. The breadth of research featured in this issue reflects our commitment to publishing high-quality studies that span the translational spectrum- from molecular genetics and environmental toxicology to clinical epidemiology and public health. The journey from cellular mechanisms to population health is elegantly illustrated in the following order of articles. We begin with a foundational exploration of molecular biology, progress through genetic epidemiology and environmental health, move into clinical investigations of chronic and acute conditions, and conclude with an assessment of healthcare competencies and healthy aging.   http://jbrms.medilam.ac.ir/article-1-1074-en.pdf Editorial Note eng ilam university of medical sciences Journal of Basic Research in Medical Sciences 2383-0506 2383-0972 2026-04 13 2 3 18 article Maryam Kheiry m.kheiry@yahoo.com 1 Ali Noori-Zadeh alincbc@gmail.com 2 Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Ilam University of Medical sciences, School of Medicine, Ilam, Iran Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran Introduction: Circular RNAs (circRNAs)- once considered splicing artifacts- are covalently closed RNA molecules generated through back-splicing, lacking 5′ caps and 3′ poly(A) tails, which confers them with remarkable stability. Recent high- throughput sequencing and bioinformatic advances have uncovered diverse biogenesis pathways and functions of circRNAs, including acting as microRNA sponges, interacting with RNA-binding proteins, forming RNA-DNA hybrids, undergoing N6-methyladenosine modification, and even being translated into peptides. Aim: This review summarizes recent insights into circRNA biogenesis, mechanisms of action, and emerging biomedical applications. Discussion:  Their dysregulation has been implicated in various diseases- cancer, neurodegeneration, cardiovascular disorders- and they show promise as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Moreover, engineered circular RNAs are being explored for vaccine design and RNA-based therapies. Conclusion:  This review summarizes recent insights into circRNA biogenesis, mechanisms of action, and emerging biomedical applications.   http://jbrms.medilam.ac.ir/article-1-1035-en.pdf circular RNA circRNA back-splicing microRNA sponge RNA- binding proteins m6A peptide translation biomarker RNA therapy eng ilam university of medical sciences Journal of Basic Research in Medical Sciences 2383-0506 2383-0972 2026-04 13 2 19 30 article Parivash Bakhshipour Parivash.bakhshipour@gmail.com 1 Marzieh Karami Marzieh.Karami@iau.ac.ir 2 Fatemeh Keshavarzi gol.keshavarzi@gmail.com 3 Department of Biology, Sa.C., Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran Department of Nursing and Midwifery, Sa.C., Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran Department of Biology, Sa.C., Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran Introduction: Deafness is one of the most common sensory-neural disorders, with 80% of hereditary deafness being non-syndromic. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of the 167delT mutation of the gap junction protein beta 2 (GJB2) gene in the deaf population of non-syndromic West Iran. Materials & Methods: Seventy individuals were included in the study, with 34 being deaf and 36 being healthy. The RFLP-PCR technique was used to detect the 167delT mutation. Results:  The frequency of the homozygous mutant 167delT was 5.7% (4 individuals, equivalent to 8 chromosomes), with the heterozygous carriers at 75.7% (53 individuals, equivalent to 106 chromosomes), and the homozygous genotype in healthy individuals was 18.6% (13 individuals, equivalent to 26 chromosomes). In deaf individuals, the frequency of the homozygous mutant 167delT was 5.7% (4 individuals, equivalent to 8 chromosomes), the heterozygous genotype was 39.6% (27 individuals, equivalent to 54 chromosomes), and the frequency of the wild-type homozygous genotype was 4.7% (3 individuals, equivalent to 6 chromosomes). In healthy individuals, there was zero mutant genotype, 36.1% heterozygous carriers (26 individuals, equivalent to 52 chromosomes), and 13.9% wild-type homozygous (10 individuals, equivalent to 20 chromosomes). Conclusion:  Gene mutations play a role in causing non-syndromic autosomal recessive deafness in our statistical population from Kermanshah Province. The GJB2 167delT mutant is responsible for 5.7% of ARNSHL deafness in the population of Kermanshah, which differs from the rates reported in other parts of Iran.   http://jbrms.medilam.ac.ir/article-1-1017-en.pdf non-syndromic deafness 167delT GJB2 gene ARNSHL deafness eng ilam university of medical sciences Journal of Basic Research in Medical Sciences 2383-0506 2383-0972 2026-04 13 2 31 39 article Kosar mennati kosarmennati1996@gmail.com 1 Naser Abbasi ilamfarma@gmail.com 2 Zahra Vahdat Shariatpanahi z.shariatpanahi@sbmu.ac.ir 3 Shaahin Shahbazi mdkabe@gmail.com 4 School of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran Biotechnology and Medicinal Plants Research Center, School of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Technology, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran School of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran Introduction: This study aimed to measure the amount of estrogen and heavy metals (cadmium, mercury, lead, and arsenic) in the liver of industrial chickens from the selected areas of Ilam City, Iran. Materials & Methods: This study is a cross-sectional study conducted on 30 liver tissue samples randomly selected from poultry farms in Ilam, Iran. The concentrations of the heavy metals (mg/kg) and 17-beta estradiol (ppb) were measured using atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), respectively. The SPSS software version 21 was used for the data analysis. Results:  The mean level of 17-beta estradiol was 3.578 ± 0.756 ppb compared to the standard limit of 0.24 ppb (p < 0.05). The mean level of arsenic was 0.942 ± 0.842 mg/kg versus the standard limit of 0.1 mg/kg versus the standard limit of 0.24 ppb (p < 0.05). The mean concentrations of lead, mercury, and cadmium were 0.03±0.03, 0.11±0.13, and 0.015±0.02 mg/kg, respectively, and the differences were not significant compared to the standard values (all p values >0.05). The results showed no correlation between mean heavy metal levels and 17-beta estradiol. The target hazard quotient for arsenic was calculated to be 1.33. Conclusion:  The results show that the average levels of 17-beta estradiol and arsenic in the samples were higher than the standard limit. This may threaten the general health of residents in the area.   http://jbrms.medilam.ac.ir/article-1-1019-en.pdf Chicken Estrogen Heavy metal Lead Mercury Cadmium Arsenic eng ilam university of medical sciences Journal of Basic Research in Medical Sciences 2383-0506 2383-0972 2026-04 13 2 40 47 article Bahareh Soltani Drbaharehsoltaniinternist@gmail.com 1 Ayat Ahifar Dr.ahifar@gmail.com 2 Reza Ghaderi rezaghaderi1355@gmail.com 3 Vahan Moradians moradiansva@yahoo.com 4 Department of internal medicine, Hazrat Rasoul Hospital, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Department of internal medicine, Hazrat Rasoul Hospital, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Department of internal medicine, Hazrat Rasoul Hospital, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Department of internal medicine, Hazrat Rasoul Hospital, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Introduction: Eosinophils are inflammatory cells that perform diverse functions and play roles in both homeostasis and disease in various tissues. Evidence indicates that many patients with chronic respiratory conditions, including asthma and COPD, exhibit persistent eosinophilic airway inflammation. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of blood eosinophilia in patients with obstructive patterns on spirometry. Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on patients attending the Hazrat Rasoul Akram Hospital, affiliated with Iran University of Medical Sciences. Patients who underwent spirometry and had peripheral blood tests were included in the study. Information regarding age, gender, body mass index, underlying diseases, smoking habits, medication use, spirometry results, and complete blood count (CBC) was collected and analyzed statistically. Results:  A total of 103 participants were selected based on the inclusion criteria and participated in the study. In the current study, 8 patients (7.8%) were eosinophilic-positive and 95 patients (92.2%) were eosinophilic-negative. The mean FEV1 in the eosinophilic-negative group was 63.25% (with a standard deviation of 20.585), while in the eosinophilic-positive group it was 60.00% (with a standard deviation of 14.203). Statistical tests confirmed no significant difference between the two groups, suggesting that reduced FEV1 was not associated with blood eosinophilia in this population. Additionally, the mean FEV1/FVC ratio in the eosinophilic-negative group was 80.72% (with a standard deviation of 17.10), and in the eosinophilic-positive group it was 77.33% (with a standard deviation of 15.62), which also showed no statistically significant difference. Conclusion:  This study found no significant association between blood eosinophilia and demographic or pulmonary function variables in patients with obstructive patterns on spirometry. Future studies with more precise designs and larger sample sizes may clarify the role of eosinophilia in prognosis and treatment response.   http://jbrms.medilam.ac.ir/article-1-1034-en.pdf Pulmonary Disease Chronic Obstructive Eosinophilia eng ilam university of medical sciences Journal of Basic Research in Medical Sciences 2383-0506 2383-0972 2026-04 13 2 48 55 article Sajad Nourolahi norolahi-s@medilam.ac.ir 1 Elham Shafiei eshafiei1524@gmail.com 2 Zahra Pournajaf pournajaf-z@medilam.ac.ir 3 Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Ayatollah Taleghani Hospital, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran Psychosocial Injuries Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Ayatollah Taleghani Hospital, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran Introduction: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a retinal proliferative vascular disorder of premature infants. In spite of improvement in the management of neonatal disorders, ROP is one of the leading causes of blindness in premature infants in the world. Present screening of ROP first is based on risk factors of birth weight and gestational age. Nevertheless, some authors believe that other risk factors, including maternal and perinatal factors and nutrition and genetics, are effective too. Nevertheless, we decided to study risk factors of ROP in neonates. Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study on the population of neonates born in Ilam hospitals during 2012-2018. In this study we evaluated ROP in premature infants that were hospitalized in Ilam hospitals. Results:  Altogether, 627 infants were evaluated, among them 332 boys and 295 girls. For the mean of birth weight between them, there was a significant difference (P-value=0.001). In addition, gestational age according to sex had a difference; in girls it was less than boys, and it was statistically significantly different (P-value=0.001). ROP was found to be significantly more prevalent in girls compared to boys. Prevalence of ROP among girls and boys was 27.8% and 15.7%, respectively. The prevalence of retinopathy in two sexes was 18.7%. Conclusion:  Among these factors, birth weight, gestational age, blood transfusion history, PDA, and asphyxia had statistically significant differences with the occurrence of ROP. The best way to avoid the progression of ROP is screening and examination and timely treatment of this disorder.   http://jbrms.medilam.ac.ir/article-1-1026-en.pdf Premature Neonates ROP Risk Factors eng ilam university of medical sciences Journal of Basic Research in Medical Sciences 2383-0506 2383-0972 2026-04 13 2 56 64 article Shevan Fazel Hasan shevanshevan301@gmail.com 1 Maryam Naghibzadeh m.naghibzadeh@ilam.ac.ir 2 Sobhan Hadidi roozbahani949@gmail.com 3 Department of Sports Science, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran Department of Sports Science, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran Department of Sports Science, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic allowed us to test the relationship between lifestyle changes and children's motor proficiency level, And by preventing the decrease in movement skills, we should predict the necessary programs to improve the health of children and students during epidemics. The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between physical activity and nutritional knowledge with body mass index (BMI) and motor skills of girls aged 10 to 14 years. Materials & Methods: The research was correlational-descriptive with a cross-sectional way. The statistical population was 350 selected girls aged 10 to 14 years in schools in Khanaqin city, which were randomly selected as the research sample. In this study, the Bruininks Oseretsky test-Short Form (BOT-2), International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and the Eating Habits Questionnaire (EHQ) were used to collect data. Data analysis was carried out using Pearson’s correlation coefficient to SPSS V.21 at the P<0.05. Results:  Physical activity correlated negatively (r=-0.29, p=0.01) with BMI and correlated positively with motor proficiency (r= 0.213, p=0.05), but there is no significant relationship between nutritional knowledge with BMI and motor proficiency of girls aged 10 to 14 years old in the schools of Khanaqin during the Corona era. Conclusion:  Physical activity during the Corona period improves the BMI and motor skills in girls. Therefore, to have a positive effect on motor skills, it is necessary to choose appropriate physical activities according to the situation and perform them regularly.   http://jbrms.medilam.ac.ir/article-1-919-en.pdf Body Mass Index COVID-19 Motor Proficiency Nutritional Status Sports eng ilam university of medical sciences Journal of Basic Research in Medical Sciences 2383-0506 2383-0972 2026-04 13 2 65 76 article Hamid Taghinejad taghinejad-h@medilam.ac.ir 1 Reza Pakzad rpakzad@yahoo.com 2 Milad Borji mborji@yahoo.com 3 Omid Ghaderi galgone571@gmail.com 4 Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Health, Ilam University of Medical sciences, Ilam, Iran Department of Operating Room, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Ilam University of Medical sciences, Ilam, Iran Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran Introduction As the number of older people grows, it's important to look at how they feel about getting older and how well they can take care of themselves as a way to improve their health. So, this study was done to find out how the aging perception and self-care ability in elderly in Sanandaj city (Iran). Materials & Methods: In 2024, descriptive-correlational research included 135 elderly participants selected using a random selection approach. The data collection tools were the demographic information questionnaire for the elderly, the perception of the aging questionnaire (BAPQ) and, Self-care Ability Scale for the Elderly (SASE). The data were analyzed using SPSS V.21 software utilizing descriptive tests and Pearson correlation at the level of significance less than 0.05. Results:  The mean score of aging perception was 58.041 ± 10.81 which indicated a favorable state of aging perception among the studied samples. The mean score and standard deviation of the self-care ability of the studied elderly was 56.888 ± 11.172 which indicated a low and unfavorable level of self-care ability among them. There was an inverse and significant relationship between the level of aging perception and the ability to perform self-care in the studied elderly (r =-0.680, P<0.001). Conclusion:  Health care providers for the elderly and nurses in medical facilities must use essential measures and interventions to enhance the sense of aging and augment the self-care capabilities of older adults. http://jbrms.medilam.ac.ir/article-1-926-en.pdf Aging Perception Self-care Elderly Relationship eng ilam university of medical sciences Journal of Basic Research in Medical Sciences 2383-0506 2383-0972 2026-04 13 2 77 87 article Soheila Shamsikhani shamsikhani@arakmu.ac.ir 1 Masoomeh Noruzi Zamengani masoomehnoruzi@gmail.com 2 Mahsa Hosseini smahsahosseini99@gmail.com 3 Shazand School of Nursing, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran Department of Paramedicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran Shazand School of Nursing, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran Introduction: Health literacy (HL) encompasses the ability to obtain, understand, evaluate, and apply health information in healthcare, disease prevention, and health promotion. This study aimed to conduct a bibliometric analysis of nursing research on health literacy (HL) through March 2024. Based on preliminary guidelines for reporting bibliometric reviews. Materials & Methods: A bibliometric study on health literacy in nurses was carried out according to the guidelines. The Scopus database was used in this study. The terms "health literacy" OR "health knowledge" OR "health information" OR "health understanding" and “nursing” were searched through March 2024 without time limitations. In addition, VOSviewer Version 1.6.20 and Excel Version 2312 software were used for data analysis. Results:  The Scopus database contained 338 articles. Research on health literacy in nursing began 49 years ago. In total, 49 countries have been active in the field of health literacy in nursing. The United States (104 articles, 1602 citations) is in the lead, and Australia is the country with the highest number of international contributions. Among all the authors in this field, "Parnell, Terri Ann" is the most cited author, with 3 published articles and 69 citations. Journal Advanced Nursing is the most effective journal. Conclusion:  The study highlights the importance of health literacy in public health, highlighting its role in disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. It emphasizes the need for nursing researchers to focus on this area to develop strategies for improving health literacy among patients.   http://jbrms.medilam.ac.ir/article-1-931-en.pdf Health Literacy Nurse Bibliometrics