Repository of Research and Investigative Information
Not a member yet
797 research outputs found
Sort by
A Case Report of Asymptomatic Glandular Odontogenic Cyst Mimicking as a Nasopalatine Duct Cyst
Get PDFBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Glandular odontogenic cyst is a rare developmental odontogenic cyst which most frequently occures in mandible. According to low incidence and unusual shape and location of this case, we decided to report the case.
CASE REPORT: Here we present an asymptomatic case in anterior part of maxilla that radiographically was small and unilacular mimicking as a nasopalatine duct cyst. We have found it incidentally through radiographic evaluation before implant insertion. After enucleation and curettage, histopathologic evaluation revealed a glandular odontogenic cyst. In three months follow-up, no complication or recurrence was noticed, and the site of the lesion has filled with healthy bone.
CONCLUSION: In some cases enbloc resection is suggested for glandular odontogenic cysts, but according to the size and locularity, there was no need for aggressive treatment
Relationship between β-Thalassemia minor and Helicobacter pylori infection
Get PDFBackground: Until now, no study has been reported investigating the association between β-thalassemia minor and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. This study was designed to compare H. pylori infection rate between β-thalassemia minor patients and healthy controls.
Methods: A number of 100 β-thalassemia minor patients (50 males, 50 females) and 100 gender-matched healthy controls were prospectively recruited in this study in a period of 3 months. The study population consisted of the people who referred to a health center in Babol, North of Iran, for premarital counseling. H. pylori status was assessed by measuring the anti-H. pylori IgG antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Demographic information and informed consent were collected from all participants.
Results: The overall H. pylori infection rate was 43%. The infection was significantly more prevalent in thalassemia patients (53%) than in the controls (33%) in both univariate (OR=2.29, 95% CI: 1.3-4.06) and multivariable analyses (OR=2.05, 95% CI: 1.12-3.76). Age was the only significant factor which was positively correlated with the infection in β-thalassemia minor cases (OR=1.11, 95% CI: 1.02-1.2). Gender, blood groups, residency, and education level were not related to the infection.
Conclusions: According to the results, it can be concluded that β-thalassemia minor patients are possibly more susceptible to H. pylori infection than healthy people. Further studies are needed to discover more about the exact mechanisms of increased susceptibility to H. pylori infection in β-thalassemia minor patients
BCR-ABL fusion genes and laboratory findings in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in northeast Iran
Get PDFBackground: A specific chromosomal abnormality, the Philadelphia chromosome (BCR-ABL fusion), is present in all patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The b2a2 and b3a2 fusion mRNAs encode p210 fusion protein p210 and e1a2 encode p190. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of BCR-ABL fusion transcript variants in Northeast of Iranian CML patients and to compare the laboratory results of our patients.
Methods: This study was conducted in 85 peripheral blood and bone marrow samples of CML patients. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) was extracted by a commercial kit, RT- PCR for identifying BCR-ABL fusions was carried out by using designed primers and the PCR products were electrophoresed in agarose gels. Finally, statistical analysis was performed for variant frequency identification and their comparison was performed.
Results: All patients examined were positive for BCR/ABL rearrangement. Fusion of b3a2 was detected in 53 (62.35%) patients, b2a2 in 25 (29.41), e1a2 in 1 (1.17%) and coexpression of b3a2 and e1a2 in 6 (7.05%) patients. There were significant differences between the mean age in patients with b3a2 positive ( 44.07 years) and in b3a2 negative group (50.35 years) however, no significant differences were seen between sex and b2a2 (P=0.61), b3a2 (P=0.79) and e1a2 (P=0.20).
Conclusions: This study showed higher frequency b3a2 than b2a2 and e1a2 transcripts in CML patients in Northeast Iran and there was no association between e1a2 transcripts frequencies and monocytosis in peripheral blood
A new delivery model to increase adherence to methadone maintenance treatment
Get PDFDear Editor,
Today, a large number of Iranian addicts are treated in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) centers (1). According to the current procedure, each patient has treatment record in only one clinic. So, each patient is able to get prescribed medications and other medical services of the center. Receiving drugs and center-based services has always faced serious challenges such as access (2). For example, some patients with mobility jobs, people with movement restrictions and physical conditions, and patients living in rural and remote areas are unable to refer to get the medication according to a regular timetable (3). The mentioned issues are a serious challenge for persistence and adherence to MMT. Under such circumstances, a significant proportion of patients abandoned treatment plan and they lost the ancillary services, including medical visits, psychological interventions, and physical and emotional support from a social worker. Ultimately, this situation led to an increased the risk of relapse and resume high risk behaviors related to substance abuse (4). Social damage and financial losses of the country's health system are only some of the negative consequences of this situation.
Based on these considerations, presentation of the strategies and constructive recommendations in support of the related organizations is a necessity. Despite the several offers raised, it seems that the abolition of the system receiving drugs from the origin center and the use of digital identification systems can be useful and practical (5). In the form of drug delivery system, patients can receive their daily dosages in any of the center across the country. This project is done in such a manner that each patient first enrolls in an MMT center and fills out a medical record form. Then, the doctor will determine the types of medication and drug dose based on the patients’ medication history. In the first three months of treatment (i.e. until the stabilization of the dose), visits or appointments will be face to face. After the period and stabilized drug dose, the patient who receives medication is no longer confined to the origin center. This means that each patient is issued an entity identifier such as a
smart card for medication. By issuing the smart card, the patient can receive quota set medication use in any part of the country. Definitely to prevent abuse of patients, it is recommended that the patient's identity be verified through the finger, eye, or facial recognition digital sensors (5). Meanwhile, bringing up an instruction can be useful based on a mandatory visit to the center of origin for medical examination and psychological services at least once a month.
So far, few studies have been conducted to review and confirm the delivery format of pharmaceutical services (6, 7). However, previous studies show that the facial assessment via computer evaluation and photo anthropometric variations in facial features are standard references for personal identification in the field of health and forensic (8, 9). Thus, our offer could possibly be effective in increasing adherence to treatment and reducing problems caused by the access to origin MMT center. As a result, we recommend using this pilot model for at least a one-year period. Then, if the benefit of this model is in practice, this proposal could be implemented permanently
The serum sodium levels and recurrence of simple febrile seizure during the first 24 hours in children
Get PDFBackground: Febrile seizure (FS) is one of the most common neurologic disorders in children. Electrolyte imbalance especially hyponatremia may have an important role in triggering the febrile seizure. The measure of serum electrolytes will be useful in predicting the further seizure. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of relative hyponatremia (RH) on the risk of recurrent febrile seizures.
Methods: This prospective study was performed on 334 children (6-60-month) with convulsions, referred to Amirkola children's Hospital. The patients were divided into three groups: simple febrile seizure (SFS), complex febrile seizure (CFS) and seizure without fever. In each group, the serum sodium was measured at the beginning of the admission and followed for 24 hours, and electrolyte imbalance was evaluated in seizure recurrences. Data were analyzed using SPSS-16 (student's t-test and logistic regression).
Results: Of the 334 children, 105 (31.7%) and 229 (68.3%) patients were female and male, respectively. The mean serum sodium levels in patients with SFS, CFS and control group were 136.64, 134.91 and 137.38 meq/l, respectively (p<0.05), but potassium and calcium levels were in the normal range. CFS group had a significant RH in comparison to SFS group (p<0.05).
Conclusions: The serum sodium level was significantly lower in simple and complex seizures compared to the control group. Measurements of serum sodium levels and hyponatremia diagnosis have a key role on predicting the FS occurrence and recurrence. Therefore, physicians should be careful to administer the serums and inject the solutions for children with fever
Level of Familiarity and Attitude of the Covered Population Regarding the Criteria and Requirements of Iranś Urban Family Physician Program
Get PDFBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: In the health care system, if the service recipients are familiar with the provided services and the defined criteria and gain a positive attitude, they can help the health team to improve the effectiveness of health interventions while having all the provided benefits in the shortest time possible. The present study was conducted to determine the level of familiarity and attitude of the covered population regarding the criteria and requirements of urban family physician program.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in winter 2016 among the population covered by the urban family physician program who were randomly selected through cluster sampling. There were 10 households in each cluster, and in each household one person over 20 years of age was questioned. The data were collected and evaluated using a researcher-made questionnaire including two parts of individual variables, and familiarity with the program's criteria and requirements using 34 open-ended and closed-ended questions.
FINDINGS: Of 1769 surveyed people, the level of familiarity with the urban family physician program in 551 people (31.1%) was low, in 695 people (39.3%) was moderate, and in 523 people (29.6%) was high. 846 people (56.1%) had a positive attitude and 663 people (43.9%) had a negative attitude toward the criteria and requirements of the program. Eight personal and social variables were effective in the level of familiarity and six variables were effective in the attitude level of individuals (p<0.05).
CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that more than 50% of the covered population had familiarity and positive attitude toward the family physician program, while some of the individual and social variables were also effective
A Review of the Role of Sphingolipids in Apoptosis Phenomenon
Get PDFBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Cancer is one of the major health problems in the world and chemotherapy is still the most common solution for its treatment. A great deal of studies in this area have been devoted to evaluating the occurrence of apoptosis as a key factor in preventing cell's escape from cell cycle regulation mechanisms. The aim of this study is to summarize the studies on metabolism, messenger pathways and effective pharmaceutical factors on sphingolipids involved in apoptosis.
METHODS: In this review article, the national and international databases of PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, ISC and Magiran were searched for the keywords “apoptosis”, “sphingolipids”, “ceramide”, “sphingosine” and “cancer” without time limit and the related material was collected.
FINDINGS: Among the apoptotic messenger molecules, the key role of the sphingosine and ceramide has been considered as the cornerstone of sphingolipids in many of its controlling processes. It has been shown that ceramide is a key regulator in apoptosis, and increase in its cytoplasmic levels increase the proliferation of cascades resulting in programmed cell death. The bio-production and bio-destruction of ceramide is accomplished by the activity of several enzymes, and much evidence suggests the effect of external factors on enzyme systems. In contrast, the phosphorylated form of sphingosine is an important index for guiding cells toward proliferation and differentiation. It has been found that several commonly used chemotherapy drugs and compounds that are being studied in the treatment of cancer affect at least one of the enzymes of sphingolipids metabolism.
CONCLUSION: Sphingolipids and the enzymes involved in their metabolism are introduced as new pharmacological targets for the induction of apoptosis, and it is obvious that analyzing the effective therapeutic factors and the ways of controlling them would be helpful in finding anticancer drugs
Co-authorship Status of the Journal of Family Research of Shahid Beheshti University
Get PDFBackground and aim: Scientific collaboration is a process in which two or more authors share their resources and talents in order to create a common work. The aim of this study was to investigate the co-authorship status of the Journal of Family Research of Shahid Beheshti University. Material and methods: The scientometric methods were used in the current study. The population included all articles from the Journal of Family Research of Shahid Beheshti University from 2005 to 2016. Totally, 320 articles and 911 authors were investigated, and the data were analyzed using Excel and SPSS. Findings: The findings of the study showed that each article of this Journal had 2.8 authors in the period of the study. It was also found that the average co-authorship rate in articles of the Journal of Family Research was 0.60 during these years. Moreover, the highest number of authors in the articles was allocated to the universities of Shahid Beheshti, Isfahan and Tehran, respectively. In total, the average number of authors in the articles of the Journal of Family Research was three. Conclusion: The scientific co-authorship rate was low in the Journal of Family Research
Prevalence of Amblyopia in Iranian Children
Get PDFBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Amblyopia is one of the common eye diseases in children and the risk of vision loss is possible. Therefore, the aim of this study is systematic review and meta-analysis in order to align the studies on the prevalence of amblyopia in Iranian children.
METHODS: In this systematic review and meta-analysis relevant articles in scientific databases including SID, Science Direct and Medline (PubMed) and Google Scholar in March 1999- February 2017, using the Persian and English Keywords of Amblyopia, children, Iran.
FINDINGS: In the review of internal and external journals and search on SID databases 22 articles, PubMed 126 articles, Science Direct 112 articles and 116 Google Scholar search engines were obtained. Then the articles that had the initial conditions for entry into the study were 162 cases based on preliminary studies, with the elimination of 214 repetitive articles. Finally, removing 120 articles unrelated to the topic of the study and removing 24 articles in the secondary studies ultimately 18 papers entered the meta-analysis process. The overall Prevalence of amblyopia in Iranian children was 5.4 % (Cl-95%: 3.1%-9.1%).
CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study, the prevalence of amblyopia in Iranian children is high
Sodium fluoride addition to a two-step etch-and-rinse adhesive system: effect on dentin microtensile bond strength and durability
Get PDFIntroduction: Studies have suggested that sodium fluoride (NaF) has an inhibitory effect on the activity of endogenous matrix metalloproteinase enzymes. This study assessed the effect of a fluoride-containing adhesive on microtensile bond&nbsp;strength (&micro;TBS) over time. Material & Methods: In this experimental study, 36 extracted &nbsp;third molars were used to evaluate the &micro;TBS of a 5th generation adhesive modified by NaF. The exposed dentin surfaces were abraded and built up using composite resin. Then, the specimens were randomly divided into three groups of 12 teeth based on the type of adhesive used: Solobond M with no inhibitor (control); Solobond M with 5,000 ppm NaF; and Solobond M with 10,000 ppm NaF. The &micro;TBS and failure mode of specimens were evaluated after 24-hour and 3-month storage in distilled water. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey&rsquo;s test. P<0.05 was considered as significant level. Results: The control group demonstrated a lower &micro;TBS than the experimental groups after 24 hours and 3 months (p<0.05). The &micro;TBS was higher in adhesive with 5,000 ppm NaF than in control group after 3 months (p<0.05). The group with 10,000 ppm NaF had the highest &micro;TBS after 24 hours and 3 months (p<0.05). Conclusion: The fluoride-containing adhesives showed significantly higher bond strength values than the original adhesive without fluoride after 24-hour and 3-month storage in distilled water, leading to the improvement of resin-dentin bonds