Middle East Journal of Digestive Diseases最新文献

{"title":"Treatment-Resistant Nausea and Vomiting: A Challenge in Clinical Practice.","authors":"Roya Rafaiee, Raheleh Rafaiee, Alireza Bakhshipour","doi":"10.34172/mejdd.2025.437","DOIUrl":"10.34172/mejdd.2025.437","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18517,"journal":{"name":"Middle East Journal of Digestive Diseases","volume":"17 3","pages":"233-235"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12958310/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147365381","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Antibiotic Resistance Identification Among the Patients with <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> Infection: A Cross-sectional Study from Iran.","authors":"Fatemeh Hasanvand, Javid Sisakhtpour, Mohamadreza Salehi, Khalil Pestehei, Sepideh Khodaparast","doi":"10.34172/mejdd.2025.427","DOIUrl":"10.34172/mejdd.2025.427","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The successful treatment of <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> infection is warranted only by using appropriate antimicrobial agents determined after performing antibiotic susceptibility tests. Determining the susceptibility profile of antibiotics currently used against <i>H. pylori</i> in each geographical region can be very practically beneficial for all drug prescribers.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this cross-sectional study, we aim to identify the frequency of four antibiotics mainly referred to in the battle against <i>H. pylori</i> strains isolated from gastric biopsy specimens of 260 patients with dyspepsia referred to the gastroenterology clinics in Lorestan between 2020 and 2022, marking the first report from Iran. After culturing 260 gastric biopsy samples, <i>H. pylori</i> strains were identified using standard diagnostic methods.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The prevalence of antibiotic resistance among <i>H. pylori</i> isolates was reported using the antibiotic disc diffusion method with metronidazole, clarithromycin, amoxicillin, and tetracycline discs. Moreover, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of tetracycline-resistant <i>H. pylori</i> strains, screened by the diffusion disc method, was determined using the E-test method. Out of 260 biopsy samples, 187 (72%) samples (male: 42%, female: 58%) were <i>H. pylori</i> positive. The prevalence of antibiotic resistance rates among 187 isolates of <i>H. pylori</i> was as follows: metronidazole (87.7%, n = 166), clarithromycin (63.1%, n = 118), amoxicillin (39%, n = 73), and tetracycline (34.2%, n = 64), accordingly. Antibiotic resistance among <i>H. pylori</i> isolates was higher than expected, especially for amoxicillin and tetracycline, which is a concerning issue.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Consequently, considering the central role of the antibiotic susceptibility profile in experimental therapy, it is recommended that determining the resistance pattern of the bacterium in all parts of Iran can lead to an effective treatment regimen.</p>","PeriodicalId":18517,"journal":{"name":"Middle East Journal of Digestive Diseases","volume":"17 3","pages":"167-174"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12958315/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147365857","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Submucosal Tunnelling Endoscopic Resection for Oesophageal Duplication Cyst: A Case Report.","authors":"Srinu Deshidi, Gaurav Mahajan, Viswanath Kamisetty, Spoorthi Kolla, Venu Gongati, Gongala Harshavardhan Reddy, Bhaskar Kante, Sreekanth Appasani","doi":"10.34172/mejdd.2025.436","DOIUrl":"10.34172/mejdd.2025.436","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Oesophageal duplication cysts are rare congenital anomalies of the foregut. Although frequently asymptomatic, these cysts may cause symptoms like dysphagia, chest pain, or respiratory issues if they grow large enough to compress adjacent structures. Endoscopic ultrasound is essential for accurate diagnosis, and though surgical resection remains the conventional therapy for symptomatic cysts, advanced endoscopic techniques are increasingly recognized as effective, less invasive alternatives. We report the case of a 40-year-old man who presented with dysphagia to solids for 3 months. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a large submucosal lesion with fluctuation sign positive, and EUS demonstrated a 4×6.5 cm anechoic to hypoechoic lesion arising above the muscularis propria, likely an oesophageal duplication cyst. The patient underwent successful submucosal tunnelling endoscopic resection (STER) of a cystic lesion under general anaesthesia. This case highlights the feasibility and efficacy of STER as a minimally invasive treatment option for oesophageal duplication cysts.</p>","PeriodicalId":18517,"journal":{"name":"Middle East Journal of Digestive Diseases","volume":"17 3","pages":"230-232"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12958316/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147365932","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Association Between Plant-Based Diet and Gallstone Disease: A Case-Control Study.","authors":"Mohammad Hossein Ebrahimizadeh, Ava Kheirizadeh, Azita Hekmatdoost, Moloud Ghorbani, Amir Sadeghi, Zahra Yari","doi":"10.34172/mejdd.2025.430","DOIUrl":"10.34172/mejdd.2025.430","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Recent studies have emphasized the role of plant-based diets in reducing the risk of gallstone disease (GD) by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. This study aimed to investigate the association between plant-based diet indices and GD risk.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>189 patients with newly diagnosed GD and 342 healthy controls participated in this case-control study. To assess overall adherence to a plant-based diet, three indices were calculated based on dietary data from the food frequency questionnaire: the plant-based dietary index (PDI), the healthful PDI (hPDI), and the unhealthful PDI (uhPDI). The association between plant-based diet indices and the risk of GD was assessed using logistic regression models.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A significant and inverse association was observed between PDI and the risk of GD, with an odds reduction of 48% in the crude model, 56% when adjusted for age and sex, and 59% when adjusted for additional confounders. Similar results were obtained for hPDI. Increasing the hPDI was associated with a 53% (in the crude model) to 67% (in the full adjusted model) reduction in the odds of GD. While increasing uhPDI was associated with an increased odds of GD. In the crude model, the highest uhPDI score increased the odds of the disease by 70%, and in the final model, the increase in odds reached 2.2-fold.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our study revealed that a healthy plant-based diet is associated with a reduced risk of GD, whereas an unhealthy plant-based diet may contribute to a greater susceptibility to disease, emphasizing the importance of diet quality in plant-based nutritional approaches. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.</p>","PeriodicalId":18517,"journal":{"name":"Middle East Journal of Digestive Diseases","volume":"17 3","pages":"190-195"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12958317/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147365984","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating the Correlation Between Fecal Microbiota Profiles and Clinical Presentation in Pediatric Patients with Celiac Disease.","authors":"Nastaran Asri, Mohadeseh Mahmoudi Ghehsareh, Fahimeh Sadat Gholam-Mostafaei, Mehdi Azizmohammad Looha, Hamidreza Houri, Somayeh Jahani-Sherafat, Mohammad Rahmanian, Mostafa Rezaei Tavirani, Mohammad Rostami-Nejad","doi":"10.34172/mejdd.2025.428","DOIUrl":"10.34172/mejdd.2025.428","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Celiac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated disorder triggered by gluten in genetically susceptible individuals, often presenting with diverse gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal symptoms. Emerging evidence suggests that alterations in gut microbiota composition may influence disease manifestation and clinical outcomes. We investigated the correlation between gut microbiota profiles and clinical features in pediatric patients with CD.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>38 pediatric patients (mean age 10.24 years) with confirmed CD were enrolled from August 2021 to September 2022. We had the data on the relative abundance of various fecal microbiota from our previous study, and collected their clinical and demographic data through questionnaires. Genotyping of human leukocyte antigens (HLA)-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 alleles was performed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Significant correlations were found between gut microbiota and both gastrointestinal (GI) and non-GI symptoms. Enterobacteriaceae and <i>Streptococcus</i> were positively associated with diarrhea (OR: 5.23 and OR: 3.46), whereas deltaproteobacteria showed a negative correlation (OR: 0.07). Betaproteobacteria and <i>Staphylococcus</i> were linked to vomiting (OR: 0.05 and OR: 12.59). Firmicutes and Actinobacteria correlated with weight loss (OR: 2.73 and OR: 16.21), and Verrucomicrobia inversely correlated with fatigue (OR: 0.36). The prevalent HLA genotype DQ2 was correlated positively with Betaproteobacteria (OR: 14.82) and <i>Prevotella</i> (OR: 5.05), while <i>Veillonella</i> showed a negative correlation with HLA-DQ2 (OR: 0.43).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Overall, the analysis revealed distinct microbiota patterns influenced by symptom presentation and HLA-DQ genotypes, underscoring the need for further research into the therapeutic potential of modifying gut microbiota in managing CD.</p>","PeriodicalId":18517,"journal":{"name":"Middle East Journal of Digestive Diseases","volume":"17 3","pages":"175-182"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12958314/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147365913","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Determining Upper Limit of Alanine Aminotransferase in Iranian Cohort Population Using Ultrasound Screening for Liver Diseases.","authors":"Behnam Ahmadi, Farhad Naleini, Mehdi Moradinazar, Bita Anvari","doi":"10.34172/mejdd.2025.426","DOIUrl":"10.34172/mejdd.2025.426","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) has a variable normal range according to race and ethnicity. So, the upper normal level of ALT localized for the Iranian population was determined in the Ravansar Non-Communicable Disease (RaNCD) cohort population by re-evaluation of high-risk people.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cohort population with normal ALT results based on the current kit was checked for a history of liver diseases. After excluding them, the remaining population was included in the distribution diagram of individuals with apparently healthy livers. Participants whose ALT values were in the 90th to 100th percentile were re-evaluated by ultrasonography (US) and a checklist of liver disease. Patients identified as having liver disease or those with other abnormal liver enzymes were excluded, and the 95th percentile was extracted from the distribution diagram of the remaining population.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After excluding liver disease, among 8046 participants of RaNCD, US and re-evaluation were performed in 543 high-risk individuals. Liver disease was diagnosed in 74.6% by US. The most common liver disease was metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), accounting for 69.7%. Grade 2 or 3 of MASLD was found in 23.2%. After excluding patients with abnormal liver enzymes and liver disease, the 95th percentile of ALT was 29 U/L in women (sensitivity: 53%, specificity: 82%) and 36 U/L in men (sensitivity: 28%, specificity: 90%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The calculated 95th percentile was lower than the routine cut-off value of the current kit in both sexes. Generalizability is a significant advantage of our results, provided by the lack of exclusion of patients with metabolic risk factors and the use of US to exclude MASLD.</p>","PeriodicalId":18517,"journal":{"name":"Middle East Journal of Digestive Diseases","volume":"17 3","pages":"158-166"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12958307/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147365948","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Post-Pandemic Virtual Teaching Self-Efficacy: Insights from Medical Educators at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran.","authors":"Ali Reza Rezvani, Nahid Zarifsanaiey, Parviz Shahmirzalou, Manoosh Mehrabi, Leila Rahmati, Ali Reza Safarpour","doi":"10.34172/mejdd.2025.431","DOIUrl":"10.34172/mejdd.2025.431","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of teacher self-efficacy in online instruction, with virtual teaching models associated with lower efficacy scores compared to in-person formats. This study assessed the self-efficacy of faculty members at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS) in online teaching, with a focus on the impact of demographic factors and specialty areas on virtual teaching efficacy post-COVID-19.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional analytic study was conducted between July 2023 and August 2024, on 203 clinical faculty members from Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Participants included professors with at least one year of clinical experience and who were actively teaching in one of the university's hospitals. The Teachers' Sense of Self-Efficacy Scale (TSES), developed by Tanchan-Moran and Hoy, was used to assess self-efficacy. The instrument was translated from English to Farsi using forward-backward translation methods. Internal consistency and validity were confirmed. Descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, t-tests, and chi-square tests were used to analyze the data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The average (SD) work experience of participants was 15.11 (8.89) years, with most being male, married, and working in the medical field. The internal consistency of TSES was excellent (Cronbach's alpha is 0.94). The average (SD) self-efficacy score of participants was 56.17 (14.62), with a minimum score of 22 and a maximum score of 110. Additionally, no significant regression relationships were found between demographic factors (sex, work experience, field of activity, and marital status) and the self-efficacy score. Approximately 70% of the faculty members reported a moderate to high self-efficacy in virtual teaching.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study provides valuable insights into the self-efficacy of SUMS faculty members in online education following the COVID-19 pandemic. While the study recommends that overall self-efficacy levels are moderately high, there is an ongoing need for continued investment in faculty development programs and support to confirm effective online teaching practices and address the evolving needs of medical education.</p>","PeriodicalId":18517,"journal":{"name":"Middle East Journal of Digestive Diseases","volume":"17 3","pages":"196-203"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12958311/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147365890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Correlation Between NTCP rs2296651 Variant and Risk of Hepatitis B, Cirrhosis, and Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Iranian Population.","authors":"Hassan Akrami, Mohammad Reza Fattahi, Mastaneh Zeraatiannejad, Jamal Sarvari, Yousef Nikmanesh, Seyedeh Azra Shamsdin, Zahra Mansourabadi, Saeid Amirizadeh Fard, Nazanin Gohari","doi":"10.34172/mejdd.2025.433","DOIUrl":"10.34172/mejdd.2025.433","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Millions of people are suffering from different types of liver diseases worldwide. Hepatitis B, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are the leading causes of death caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). HBV needs to interact with the sodium taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP) to enter the cytoplasm of the hepatocyte. single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) with rs2296651 (Ser267Phe, S267F, G>A) variation in the NTCP has been investigated as a reverse association with the function of NTCP and entry of HBV into the cell in the Asian population. We investigated the relationship between the NTCP rs2296651 variant and HBV infection, liver cirrhosis, and HCC in the Iranian population.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Whole blood DNA of 50 healthy individuals as a control group and 90 patients (HBV, cirrhosis, and HCC) were extracted, and the tetra amplification refractory mutation system polymerase chain reaction (tetra-ARMS PCR) was done to identify the genotypes of the samples.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Based on our analytical tests using SPSS software, there was a positive and significant association between NTCP rs2296651 in the control group and cirrhosis (<i>P</i>=0.002), as well as between cirrhosis and HBV (<i>P</i><0.001). However, there was a negative relationship between cirrhosis and HCC (<i>P</i>=0.003).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The NTCP rs2296651 variant may confer resistance to HBV infection in the Iranian population.</p>","PeriodicalId":18517,"journal":{"name":"Middle East Journal of Digestive Diseases","volume":"17 3","pages":"209-213"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12958318/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147365340","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparison of Complications and Morbidity between Hand-Sewn and Stapled Anastomosis after Transhiatal Esophagectomy in Patients with Esophageal Cancer.","authors":"Parastou Shahryari, Mohsen Eshraghi, Seyed Jalal Eshagh Hosseini, Mostafa Vahedian, Farbod Eshraghi, Mohammad Hosein Atarod","doi":"10.34172/mejdd.2025.432","DOIUrl":"10.34172/mejdd.2025.432","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>With the increasing adoption of minimally invasive techniques in esophageal cancer (EC) surgery, comparing the complications and morbidity between hand-sewn anastomosis (HSA) and stapled anastomosis (SA) after transhiatal esophagectomy (THE) is of significant clinical importance. This study aimed to evaluate these two techniques in terms of postoperative complications, anastomotic leakage, hospital stay, and other related outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective cohort study included 110 patients with EC who underwent THE at Shahid Beheshti Hospital. Patients were divided into two groups: those undergoing HSA and those undergoing SA. Demographic, surgical, and postoperative complication data were extracted from medical records and analyzed using SPSS software version 25. Quantitative variables were compared using the independent t-test, while qualitative variables were assessed using the chi-square or Fisher's exact test. A <i>P</i> value<0.05 was considered statistically significant.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The results indicated that while the stapled method showed superiority in reducing recovery time and short-term complications, there was no significant difference in readmission rates between the two groups. This aligns with the findings of Law and colleagues, which suggest that readmission rates and disease recurrence are similar across different surgical methods.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Both anastomosis techniques are comparable in terms of safety and potential for reoperation; however, further research is needed to investigate long-term complications. The findings of this study highlight the impact of body mass index and readmission rates on the choice of surgical method. Future research should address these discrepancies and include larger, more diverse populations in long-term assessments to achieve more definitive results regarding the comparative effectiveness of these techniques.</p>","PeriodicalId":18517,"journal":{"name":"Middle East Journal of Digestive Diseases","volume":"17 3","pages":"204-208"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12958306/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147365833","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"miR-548ac and miR-378j as Potential Diagnostic Biomarkers in Gastric Cancer: A Case-Control Study.","authors":"Seyed Mahdi Mousavi, Sogand Vahidi, Seyedeh Elham Norollahi, Kosar Babaei, Ebrahim Mirzajani, Pirouz Samidoust, Zivar Salehi, Ali Akbar Samadani","doi":"10.34172/mejdd.2025.434","DOIUrl":"10.34172/mejdd.2025.434","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Gastric cancer (GC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite improvements in diagnostic techniques, GC is often diagnosed at advanced stages. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have become recognized as important regulators in cancer development, influencing processes such as cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis. This study examined the expression levels of two microRNAs, miR-548ac and miR-378j, in GC tissue.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Tumor and margin tissues were collected from 20 patients diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma, and control tissue samples were obtained from 20 healthy individuals. Total RNA was extracted, and cDNA synthesis was performed. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to assess the expression levels of miR-548ac and miR-378j, with miR-16 as the internal control. Statistical analysis was performed using REST software, with SPSS software used for further clinical correlation analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The expression of miR-548ac was significantly upregulated in gastric tumor tissues compared with margin tissues and healthy samples (<i>P</i>=0.002). miR-378j expression, on the other hand, showed no significant difference between tumor and normal tissues (<i>P</i>=0.05). Statistical analysis revealed a borderline significant association between miR-548ac expression and tumor stage and grade, but found no significant correlation with lymph node or distant metastasis. Additionally, the miR-378j expression did not show significant correlations with any clinicopathological features.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>miR-548ac is significantly upregulated in GC tissues and may serve as a potential biomarker for GC diagnosis and prognosis, particularly in more advanced stages. In contrast, miR-378j does not appear to have a strong association with GC and may not be helpful as a diagnostic marker.</p>","PeriodicalId":18517,"journal":{"name":"Middle East Journal of Digestive Diseases","volume":"17 3","pages":"214-225"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12958308/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147365916","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}