Ardabil University of Medical Sciences
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Covid-19 effects on the workload of Iranian healthcare workers
Get PDFBackground: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on the workload and mental health of Iranian medical staff using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and NASA -Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) Questionnaire between March and April 2020, respectively. Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted from March 5th to April 5th, 2020. To evaluate the workload and mental health of participants NASA-TLX and GHQ-12 online questionnaires were distributed. Data were entered into software SPSS (Version 23) and T-test, ANOVA, Regression methods were used for data analysis. Results: Health workers who encountered COVID- 19 patients, were subjected to more task load compared to those who had no contact with COVID- 19 patients at the workplace (p< 0.001). In terms of the subscale score of NASA-TLX, nurses had more scores in mental pressure, physical pressure, time pressure (temporal), and frustration compared to the other jobs (p< 0.05). Moreover, nurses had significantly more workload compared to the other jobs. Conclusions: Type of job, the shift of work, educational level, and facing COVID-19 affected the score of NASA-TLX. NASA-TLX scores were higher in nursing compared to the scores of other health staff groups. The results of this study indicate that the scores of NASA-TLX and GHQ-12 among staff who had contact with COVID-19 patients were significantly higher than those who did not face COVID-19 patients. We suggested that a comprehensive assistance should be provided to support the well-being of healthcare workers especially nurses and healthcare workers who treated COVID-19 patients
Serum levels of visfatin, sirtuin-1, and interleukin-6 in stable and acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
No full textBackground: Visfatin is an adipokine that increased under inflammatory conditions. Moreover, sirtuin-1 possesses regulatory effects on inflammatory factors. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the serum level of visfatin in patients with stable and acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AE-COPD). Materials and Methods: In a case–control study, thirty patients with stable COPD (S-COPD), thirty patients with AE-COPD, and thirty control subjects were enrolled. Pulmonary function tests and blood sampling were performed on all participants. Serum visfatin, sirtuin-1, and interleukin (IL)-6 levels were measured using the sandwich ELISA method and assessed their association with study parameters. Results: The findings of the current study revealed that serum levels of visfatin in AE-COPD patients were higher than those of healthy controls and S-COPD (for healthy control; standardized mean difference [SMD] = 2.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.31–2.83, P < 0.001, and for S-COPD; SMD = 1.53, 95% CI = 0.21–2.85, P < 0.05). On the other hand, the serum levels of sirtuin-1 were higher in healthy controls compared to the S-COPD and AE-COPD patients (for S-COPD; SMD = 1.56, 95% CI = 0.018–3.11, P < 0.05, for AE-COPD; SMD = 1.50, 95% CI = 0.048–3.04, P < 0.05). Conclusion: Elevated visfatin and IL-6 levels demonstrated their pro-inflammatory effects in patients with COPD, especially in AE-COPD patients. In addition, the negative association found between serum visfatin and sirtuin-1 levels suggested the pathophysiologic and therapeutic roles of these factors in COPD patients
The Role of MEFV Gene mutations in Children with Refractory Epilepsy
No full textBackground: Many studies have suggested that Innate immune system and inflammatory processes can have a potential role in pathophysiology of refractory epilepsy. MEFV gene plays a major role in auto-inflammatory disorders and innate immune reactions.
Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the role of MEFV gene mutations in children with refractory epilepsy.
Methods and material: 15 refractory epilepsy patient that had attended the Neurology clinic of Bouali Children’s Hospital of Ardabil were chosen according to entry criteria. The peripheral blood of the patients was collected and then the samples were screened for 12 common pathogenic variants of MEFV gene.
Results: This study included 7 girls (46.7%) and 8 boys (53.3%). The mean age of patients was 9.33 years. The mean age of patients at the onset of seizures was 1.66 years. Regarding MEFV gene analysis none of the patients showed mutations (0%). Based on results, it wasn’t possible to determine the association was between the MEFV gene variants and, type of seizures, age and gender of the patients.
Conclusion: Our study demonstrated no association MEFV gene mutations and refractory epilepsy and despite the potential role of inflammatory processes and innate immune system in refractory epilepsy, according to our study this role isn’t related to MEFV mutations
Evaluation of Cytotoxic Activity of Betanin Against U87MG Human Glioma Cells and Normal Human Lymphocytes and Its Anticancer Potential Through Mitochondrial Pathway
No full textRecent studies revealed an antioxidant activity and anticancer efficiency of betanin. In this study, we investigated the cytotoxic effects and the possible mechanisms of betanin-induced apoptosis against U87MG human glioma cells and compared the results to those of human normal lymphocytes. MTT assay, caspase-3 activation assays in cells and succinate dehydrogenases (SDH), mitochondrial swelling, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and cytochrome C release assays in isolated mitochondria were obtained from U87MG human glioma cells and noncancerous human lymphocytes The results illustrated the significant cytotoxic effect of betanin on U87MG human glioma cells, with a concentration value that inhibits 50% of the cell growth of 7 µg/ml after 12 h of treatment. MTT assay demonstrated that the betanin is selectively toxic to U87MG human glioma cells, and betanin induced cell apoptosis via activation of caspase-3 along with modulation of apoptosis-related mitochondria. Meanwhile, betanin selectively increased ROS formation, mitochondria swelling, MMP decrease, and cytochrome c release in cancerous mitochondria but in normal mitochondria. Based on the evidence obtained from this study, it is concluded that the betanin is a promising natural compound to fight U87MG human glioma cells via induction of apoptosis through activation of intrinsic pathways
Health insurance deductions in Iranian public hospitals before and after the health transformation plan
Get PDFAbstract
Background: Developing countries, such as Iran, have been struggling with high rates of insurance deduction. As part of the Health Transformation Plan (HTP) in Iran, a new reference book was introduced to update the medical tariffs. This study aimed to compare the rates and extent of insurance deductions before and after HTP in Iran’s public hospitals.
Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study. Overall, 400 medical bills were selected from Iran’s national Health Information
System using multilevel random sampling before and after HTP implementation (2014 and 2017). Insurance deductions were divided into 5 groups: (1) diagnostic procedures, (2) medication and medical appliances, (3) accommodation and human capital provision, (4) surgery, and (5) other services. Using STATA Version 14.0, independent t test and Fisher’s exact test were used for data analysis.
Significance level was set at 0.5.
Results: There was a significant decrease in insurance deductions among Iran’s Health Insurance (HI) and Social Security Insurance (SSI). Accordingly, before HTP, the average amount of insurance deductions was 58.9% and 71.3% in HI and SSI, respectively.
Moreover, there was a significant decline in all 5 groups between the pre- and postimplementation of HTP (p<0.05). Based on the results, hospitalization time (OR=2.31, 95% CI=1.9-3.2), patients in general hospitals (OR=1.49, 95% CI=1.4-2.7), coverage by SSI (OR=2.54, 95% CI=1.8-5.6), and having surgery (OR=3.5, 95% CI=2.0-7.3) increase the chance of insurance deduction significantly (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Findings of this study showed that after HTP, insurance deductions were decreased significantly. The causes of this decline may be due to the range of services covered by public insurances, increase in insurance coverage, and improvement in health providers-insurance companies communication
1,25‐Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Prevents Deleterious Effects of Erythromycin on Mitochondrial Function in Rat Heart Isolated Mitochondria
No full textSince erythromycin (ERY) is a risk factor for cardiotoxicity through mitochondria pathway. In the current study, we tested this hypothesis that erythromycin could impair mitochondrial function and oxidative stress and 1,25-dihydroxivitamin D3 (calcitriol) treatment could prevent these effects in rat heart isolated mitochondria. Rat heart mitochondria were isolated with mechanical lysis and differential centrifugation. Then isolated mitochondria were first pretreated with 3 different concentrations of 1,25-dihydroxivitamin D3 (2.5, 5 and 10 µM) for 5 minutes at 37 °C, after which erythromycin (10 µM) was added to promote deleterious effects on mitochondria. During 1 hour of incubation, using by flow cytometry and biochemical evaluations, the parameters of mitochondrial toxicity including: succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity, mitochondrial swelling, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) collapse, reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and lipid peroxidation (LP) was evaluated. The results showed that erythromycin (10 µM) caused a significant change in mitochondrial function, ROS formation, mitochondrial swelling, MMP collapse, increasing lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress. 1,25-dihydroxivitamin D3 (10 µM) reverted the effect of erythromycin on the parameters tested. In this study, we showed that erythromycin impairs mitochondrial function and induces mitochondrial toxicity in rat heart isolated mitochondria, which were reverted by calcitriol. These findings suggest that 1,25-dihydroxivitamin D3 may be a preventive/therapeutic strategy for cardiotoxicity complications caused by erythromycin
Ameliorative effects of histidine on oxidative stress, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and renal histological alterations in streptozotocin/nicotinamide-induced type 2 …
Get PDFObjective(s): The present study sought to evaluate the beneficial effects of histidine (His) on oxidative stress, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), renal histological alterations and anti-oxidant enzymes gene expressions in type 2 diabetic rats.
Materials and Methods:
Streptozotocin/nicotinamide (STZ/NA) induced diabetic rats were used as an animal model of type 2 diabetes. One group of rats received daily His (1000 mg/l) in drinking water for 8 weeks, whereas other groups (control and untreated diabetic groups) received only water. Different parameters such as glucose, insulin, insulin resistance, lipid profile, cardiac risk ratios, renal functional markers, and oxidative stress were determined in all groups. Moreover, renal histological alterations, mRNA expressions of anti-oxidant enzymes, and TNF-α were evaluated in the rats.
Results:
His exhibited a protective effect on glucose, insulin, insulin resistance, lipid profile, cardiac risk ratios, renal functional markers, oxidative stress, and TNF-α. Furthermore, His restored the renal histological alterations and normalized the augmented mRNA expressions of renal anti-oxidant enzymes (glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase (Cu-Zn SOD)) and TNF-α.
Conclusion:
His could ameliorate diabetes complications related to oxidative stress, inflammation, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and nephropathy. Hence, the use of this amino acid is recommended for diabetic patients in order to reduce diabetes complications
Vitamin D receptor ApaI (rs7975232), BsmI (rs1544410), Fok1 (rs2228570), and TaqI (rs731236) gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to pulmonary tuberculosis in an Iranian population: A systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textPubMed and Scopus were searched with no date or language restrictions. In this metaanalysis,
the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) version 2.0 and random effects model were
applied. The association of polymorphisms with TB risk was assessed by measuring the odds ratio
(ORs) at 95% CI. Heterogeneity was investigated based on Cochran Q-test and I2-index statistics.
The significance level was set at 0.05. Also, Egger’s regression intercept was
determined to measure publication bias.
A total of six articles on Iranian populations were included. TaqI (5/6 included studies)
showed a significant association with the increased risk of TB based on ORs (allele comparison:
1.57 (1.0, 2.3), p-value: 0.02; additive model of tt/TT: 1.57 (0.9, 2.5), p-value: 0.05; recessive
model (tt/Tt þ TT): 1.99 (1.2, 3.2), p-value: 0.00; dominant model (tt þ Tt/TT): 1.98 (1.1,
3.5), p-value: 0.01). BsmI showed a significant positive effect on TB risk only in its dominant
genotype (bb þ bB/BB) (1.44 (1.0, 1.9); p-value: 0.02). FokI and ApaI did not show any significant
effects on TB development in Iranian populations. Findings showed the significant effect
of TaqI polymorphism in all genetic models and the dominant model of BsmI on the increased
risk of TB. However, the effects of TaqI and BsmI should be further investigated in a larger sample
size