Qazvin University of Medical Sciences
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Metformin as a new option in the medical management of breast fibroadenoma; a randomized clinical trial
Get PDFBackground: Fibroadenoma (FA) is the most common benign solid breast mass in women, with no definite method of management. Because fibroadenoma is dependent on female sex hormones and comprises hypertrophic changes at cellular levels, we investigated the effects of metformin (MF), a safe hypoglycemic agent with anti-estrogenic and anti-proliferative properties, in the management of fibroadenoma.
Methods: In this randomized clinical trial study, eligible women with fibroadenomas were assigned randomly to the metformin (1000 mg daily for six months) or the placebo group. Breast physical and ultrasound exam was performed before and after the intervention, and the changes in the size of fibroadenomas were compared in the two groups.
Results: Overall, 83 patients in the treatment, and 92 in the placebo group completed the study. A statistically
significant difference in changing size between the two groups was observed only in the smallest mass. In the largest FAs, the rate of size reduction was higher in the treatment group (60.2 % vs. 43.5 %); while a higher rate of enlargement was observed in the placebo group (38 % vs. 20.5 %). In the smallest FAs, the rate of the masses that
got smaller or remained stable was about 90 % in the treatment group and 50 % in the placebo group. We categorized size changes of FAs into < 20 % enlargement and ≥ 20 % enlargement. The odds ratio (OR) for an elargemnt less than 20% was 1.48 (95 % CI = 1.10–1.99) in the treatment group in comparison with the placebo
group; the odds for an enlargement less than 20% was higher in women with multiples fibroadenomas (OR = 4.67,
95 % CI: 1.34–16.28). In our study, no serious adverse effect was recorded, and the medicine was well-tolerated by all users.
Conclusions: This is the first study that evaluates the effect of MF on the management of fibroadenoma, and the
results suggest a favorable effect. Larger studies using higher doses of MF and including a separate design for
patients with single or multiple FAs are suggested in order to confirm this effect
Detection of Extended-Spectrum ß-Lactamases among Acinetobacter Baumannii Isolated from Hospitals of Qazvin, Iran
Get PDFBACKGROUND፡ Acinetobacter baumannii is a major
contributor to nosocomial infections. Extended-spectrum ßlactamase
(ESBL)-producing A. baumannii is spreading
worldwide. We aimed to determine the frequency of ESBLencoding
genes in clinical isolates of A. baumannii and to access
their clonal relationship by repetitive extragenic palindromic-
PCR (rep-PCR).
METHODS: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 203 isolates
of A. baumannii were collected from Qazvin hospitals. The
Identification of isolates was performed by standard laboratory
methods. To verify ESBL production, all isolates were screened by
disk agar diffusion and confirmed by the combined disk method.
Subsequently, ESBL-encoding genes were detected by PCR and
sequencing. Possible clonal association of ESBL-producing
isolates was evaluated using rep-PCR.
RESULTS: Two hundred (98.5%) isolates showed reduced
susceptibility to one of the antibiotics used in the ESBL screening
test, of which 127 isolates (62.6%) produced ESBL. PCR results
showed blaOXA-1 (20.5%) was the most prevalent gene followed by
blaTEM-1 (20%), blaGES-1 (15.7%), blaCTX-M-15 (7.9%), and blaPER-1
(1.6%). Rep-PCR results revealed that ESBL-producing isolates
belonged to clones A (85%), B (13.4%), and C (1.6%).
CONCLUSION: Our study showed the significant presence of
blaOXA-1, blaTEM-1, blaGES-1, blaCTX-M-15, and blaPER-1 genes in ESBLproducing
A. baumannii isolates in the studied hospitals. This is
the first report on the emergence of blaOXA-1 gene in these isolates
in Iran. The use of comprehensive antimicrobial treatment
guidelines based on laboratory data and appropriate infection
control interventions are essential.
KEYWORDS: Acinetobacter baumannii, ESBL, repetitive
extragenic palindromic-PC
Development of a SYBR Green Multiplex Real Time PCR for Simultaneous Detection of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis and Nocardia Asteroides in Respiratory Samples
Get PDFBACKGROUND፡ Nocardia asteroides and Mycobacterium
tuberculosis are worldwide-distributed bacteria. These infectious
agents can cause many infections in humans, especially in
immunocompromised individuals. Pulmonary infections are more
common and have similar clinical symptoms. Proper diagnosis
and treatment of these patients are important for accurate
treatment and could be lifesaving.
METHODS: In this study, a multiplex real-time PCR assay was
established for the simultaneous detection of the N. asteroides
and M. tuberculosis. Both this homemade multiplex real time
PCR and routine commercial tuberculosis tests were performed
on 150 pulmonary specimens collected from individuals suspected
to have tuberculosis.
RESULTS: From 150 specimens, 20 samples were acid fast
positive, 14 positives for M. tuberculosis by singleplex real time
PCR, 10 positives for N. asteroides by singleplex real time PCR
and 2 positives for M. tuberculosis and N. asteroides by multiplex
real time PCR whereas 14 samples were positive for M.
tuberculosis with commercial test. Differential diagnosis of
pulmonary tuberculosis is useful for their proper treatment.
CONCLUSION: Our test had good performance for differential
diagnosis of tuberculosis and nocardiosis. Therefore, it is
recommended to be used to diagnose such patients.
KEYWORDS: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Nocardia asteroides,
Respiratory sample
The Effects of Prenatal Norharman Exposure on Seizure Severity in Rats
Get PDFBackground: Norhraman is an alkaloid that can damage the nervous system.
Objective: This experimental study aimed to investigate the effects of prenatal norharman
exposure on seizure severity in adult rats.
Methods: A total of 36 Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups as follows: Control,
sham (solvent), and norharman (1000 ug/kg). The sham and norharman groups were treated
once daily for 8-18 of the fetal period. 2 months after birth, kindling was performed by the
daily injection of Pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) (30 mg/kg); then, the seizure behavior was recorded
for approximately 30 minutes. The obtained data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance
(ANOVA) and Tukey’s posthoc test.
Results: The present study data indicated that administrating norharman in the fetal period
increased seizure responses to PTZ, i.e., significant in the examined female rats (P<0.05).
Conclusion: According to the current research findings, the severity of seizures increases in
subjects who have been exposed to norharman during the prenatal period
Factors related to students' satisfaction with holding e-learning during the Covid-19 pandemic based on the dimensions of e-learning
Get PDFBackground: E-learners' satisfaction has a significant impact on the success of the e-learning process and leads to
improving the quality of the e-learning system. Many factors affect e-learning satisfaction. This study aimed to
determine the factors related to students' satisfaction with e-learning during the Covid-19 pandemic based on the
dimensions of e-learning.
Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional study, which was conducted in 2020 among students studying in
different fields of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences using stratified random sampling. To collect data three
parts of questionnaires were used included the demographic information, the measuring the effectiveness of elearning,
and measuring the level of satisfaction with holding e-learning during the Covid-19 period. Data were
entered into spss23 and analyzed by descriptive method, chi-square, and t-test.
Results: The results showed that the mean (standard deviation) score of satisfaction with e-learning in the students
was 20.75 (2.13) and 59 % of them had undesirable satisfaction. There was a significant relationship between
satisfaction with e-learning and variables of gender and history of attending online classes before Covid-19.
Regarding the four aspects of e-learning, there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups
of students with desirable satisfaction and undesirable satisfaction. The results revealed that the mean scores of
dimensions of teaching and learning; feedback and evaluation; flexibility and appropriateness; and workload
among students with desirable satisfaction were higher than students with undesirable satisfaction.
Conclusion: Considering the results, efforts should be made to improve the quality of e-learning and the factors
affecting it, because due to the prevalence of Covid-19, distance education may be held for a long time. Lack of
attention to these cases can reduce the quality of education and students' level of knowledge
Longitudinal Relationships between Nomophobia, Addictive Use of Social Media, and Insomnia in Adolescents
Get PDFAbstract: (1) Background: Temporal relationships between nomophobia (anxiety related to ‘no
mobile phone phobia’), addictive use of social media, and insomnia are understudied. The present
study aimed to use a longitudinal design to investigate temporal relationships between nomophobia,
addictive use of social media, and insomnia among Iranian adolescents; (2) Methods: A total
of 1098 adolescents (600 males; 54.6%; age range = 13 to 19) were recruited from 40 randomly
selected classes in Qazvin, Iran. They completed baseline assessments. The same cohort was
invited to complete three follow-up assessments one month apart. Among the 1098 adolescents, 812
(400 males; 49.3%; age range = 13 to 18) completed the baseline and three follow-up assessments.
In each assessment, the participants completed three questionnaires, including the Nomophobia
Questionnaire (NMP-Q), Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), and Insomnia Severity
Index (ISI); (3) Results: Multilevel linear mixed-effects regression analyses showed that participants
demonstrated increased insomnia longitudinally over 3 months (B = 0.12 and 0.19; p = 0.003 and
<0.001). Insomnia was associated with nomophobia (B = 0.20; p < 0.001) and addictive use of social
media (B = 0.49; p < 0.001). Nomophobia and addictive use of social media interacted with time in
associations with insomnia as demonstrated by significant interaction terms (B = 0.05; p < 0.001 for
nomophobia; B = 0.13; p < 0.001 for addictive use of social media); (4) Conclusions: Both nomophobia
and addictive use of social media are potential risk factors for adolescent insomnia. The temporal
relationship between the three factors suggests that parents, policymakers, and healthcare providers
may target reducing nomophobia and addictive use of social media to improve adolescents’ sleep
