Jundishapur Scientific Medical Journal
Year:2002 | Volume:- | Issue:33|Papers Count:11

Cyclosporine is an immunosuppressive drug, which is used at high doses and for prolonged periods in the patient with organ transplantation, and other imrnunity mediated diseases. Since females at reproductive age may use this drug, the effect of cyclosporine on the resorption and absorptionof the embryo need to be assessed. For this reason, out-bred white mice were kept under normal conditions and diet. A day after mating, the observation of vaginal plug in the female mice was considered as pregnancy. The pregnant mice were divided into test (25 mice) and control (9 mice) groups. The test group received cyclosporinein olive oil and the control group received olive oil only, intraperitoneally, on the 7th, 8th and 9th days of pregnancy. After laparatomy the embryos were removed from uterus. The number of embryonic absorption site and normal embryos were counted. The obtained data were analyzed by t-test and Mann-whitney testIt was found that cyclosporine crossed the placenta and caused absorption of mice embryos. The number of embryos in the test group was less than that of the control group, 9.44 for each control mouse and 3.7 for each experimental mouse (P<0.001).Embryonic absorption sites in the test group were more than that of the control group, zero for each control mouse and 4.8 for each experimental mouse (P<0.001).It is recommended that, until more research is done on the subject and as far as possible, this drug should not be administered to pregnant women.

There is still no general consensus as to the best method for treatment of calcaneal fractures. In this retrospective study, we report the result of conservative treatment method on 71 calcaneal fractures referred to Emam Khomeini and Razi hospitals, Ahwaz, over a period of 3 years.The results showed that the prevalence age for such fractures were between 20 to 40, and more so among males than females. The main cause was found to be due to fall from heights. Treatment involved a short period of immobilization with elevation and early gradual induction of a range of motions of foot and ankle. A questionnaire was completed and showed that 97% of cases had a good outcome from this treatment method.

Organochlorine Pesticides are important groups of chlorinated compounds which have been used for different purposes from the beginning of the 20th century.The bioaccumulation and biomagnificantion of these compounds within various food chains is a direct consequence of their chemical stability and lipid solubility.However, even with the ban of their application by WHO and Iranian authorities, it is thought that, some of the organochlorine pesticides are still used in Iran.  The aim of this investigation was to identify and determine the above mentioned organochlorine pesticides in Karoon River water by a new HPLC method. Determination of their residues in Karoon River water can be considered as an index of their presence in living organisms of Khuzestan province.In this research, samples were collected from 16 stations along Karoon River and also from tap water in the Winter and Autumn of 1999. Extraction was carried out by liquid-liquid extraction method with n-hexane. Clean up process was done by floricil column chromatoraphy. Indentification and quantification of each component was performed by a new reverse phase HPLC method. A spherisorb (25´0.46cm) 5μm ODS column was used as stationary phase, mobile phase was composed of acetonitrile:  methanol: water in ratio of 44:40:16 respectively, with a flow rate of 0.7 mL/min isocratically. A UV detector set at 218nm was used as detection system.Method validation showed that recovery, coefficient of variaition, detection and quantitation limits were quite satisfactory, which are described in the paper. Results obtained indicated that the concentration of the above mentioned organochlorine pesticides in the tap water were negligible, but in the samples of Karoon River, they were in the range of 0.013 to 9.2 μg/L.

It is more than 4 decades since haemodialysis has been used as replacement therapy in end-stage renal failure, but it has not been yet clear what amount of dialysis an uremic patient needs. There are multiple methods for assessing the adequacy of dialysis. The aim of this study was to assess the adequacy of dialysis based on urea .kinetic modeling, in hemodialysis center of Sina hospital in Ahwaz.A total of74 patients (43 men and 31 women) were considered for this study, of which 39 were being dialyzed twice and the rest thrice weekly. Their mean age was 50 years. KTN, nPCR and TAC (urea) were calculated in all them.Based on KTN, 85% of patients in thrice-weekly group and 97.44% in twice-weekly group had inadequate dialysis. The mean of nPCR in all the patients was significantly lower than normal (p <0.001). Furthermore, there was a significant difference between the mean of nPCR in two groups ,being lower in twice weekly group, implying a low protein intake with the lower dialysis dose.Since nearly all the patients had a low TAC (significantly lower than 50 mg/dl), and with respect to the nPCR results, the results suggest that we can not use the TAC (urea) results as a marker of adequacy of dialysis.The above results in dicate the need for further in order to determine the underlying reasons for dialysis inadequacy and malnutrition in these patients.

This study was done to determine the prevalence and distribution of hypertension in Shiraz. Families were randomly selected and all members above 13 years of age were studied. Blood pressurewas measured in sitting and supine positions in both arms. A BP > 140/90 was considered abnormal. The results were analyzed by and paired t-test. Overall 4045 person with an age range of 13-99 years were studied which included, 2369 (58.6%) women and 1676(41.4%)men.Distribution of BP was bell shaped and was minimally deviated to the right. The difference between the mean systolic and diastolic BP was statistically significant among those with no prior history of hypertension (P<0.001).The difference between the supine and sitting BP was statistically significant (P<0.001). In addition, the prevalence of hypertension increasedwith an increasing age. The overall prevalence of hypertension was estimated to be 25.8 percent. Which is almost similar to that of the developed countries. Because of its significant pathogenic role in the development of cardiovascular disease, and its high prevalence in the city of Shiraz, the need for urgent but more detailed epidemiological studies in Iran is quite obvious.

Glycoconjugates are one of the most important components of extracellular matrix and cell surface, which have an important key role in developmental biology. Spiral limbus develops from cochlear epithelium near the developing corti organ, During its development, many biological phenomena such as cell migration, cell proliferation and cell transformation occur. Based on these phenomena, histochemical methods including lectins (pNA and BSA1-B4) used to recognize glycoconjugates in spiral limbus from 12th day of gestation to 15th postnatal day. The results indicated that . glycoconjugates change in limbus mesenchyme and epithelium during their development. The expressions of both glycoconjugatesand elastic fibers were observed simultaneously in limbus mesenchyme. It was concluded that the changes of glycoconjugates in extracellular matrix and cell surface were regulated spatiotemporally during development.

Reviewing methods used in the present thalassemia-screening programme in Khozestan province seems to be necessary. This screening is primarily depends on MCV, MCH and A2 measurements obtained from the routine CBC blood tests, which we suspect to be neither specific nor selective for detection of thalassemia traits. Only when these levels are below the standard value haemoglobin electrophoresis is performed. In order to test this hypothesis, we carried out a pilot, prospective and randomized study of one-year duration (Sept 1999to Sept 2000) on the 50 cases of ,sickle cell case among the referred patients both to Shafa hospital, Ahwaz, and in our private practice. Data from first screening line showed MCV>80,MCH>27 in more than 94% and A2value of less than 3%in 100% of cases. These normal results showed present public health thalassemia-screening programme was not sensitive enough to detect the obscured sickle cell trait, and confirm our suspicions. This results in issuing of formality pass-card of marriage of young couples. We therefore recommended an obligatory haemoglobin electrophoresis test to be added to the routine first line tests in the public health thalassemia-screening prograrmme in Khozestan province, especially in the South-Western region.

Mothers & children have long been understood as particularly vulnerable part of society deserving more attention. The health of these section is an indicator of development.In recent years stress and emotion have been recognized as a cause of some physical, psychological and physiological problems. Noise as a stressor has been well know as a serious environmental problem for a large proportion of urban population. This study investigated the effects of noisy environment on polytocous, offsprings weight and mothers and pubs mortality of white rats. Two groups of young female rats were chosen. Control group was kept in a stable environment during fertility and pregnancy, and experimental group in a noisy environment (exposed 8-12 hours per 24 hour). Results showed a significant relationship between noise exposure and pups weight and mothers mortality and fertility. The study also showed increasing in polytocous from rats which were in noisy condition with comparing to those in more quiet enviroment. Mortality has been raised significatly between both mothers and offsprings in noisy environment. It seems that noise is a significant environmental factor which has negative effect both on mothers and offsprings. Human-based studies is needed on vegetative effects of noise.

Colorectal cancers are the third most common malignant neoplasms worldwide. The age of onset is usually over 50 years. In the management of the disease, early diagnosis is the main and most prominent goal, as it benefits most, if treatment starts in the earlier stages. In this study, we tried to determine the clinical characteristics and signification in 100 affected individuals admitted in Golestan and Razi hospitals, during 1371-1378. Out of 100 patients, 58 men & 42 women were studied.52% of the patients is over and 48% are under 50 years of age (both sexes). The highest prevalence (25%) was found to be in the age group 61-70. Pathological investigations reveals 36% of affected individuals have been correctly diagnosed within the first month of onset the symptom and in 30% this time was increased to 6 month. The most significant signs include rectal bleeding (34%) and obstruction (26%). The most common anatomical site was the rectosigmoid (38%) and the most common histological type was adenocarcinoma (88%). Finally we found that, the age of cancer is much earlier than previously thought. Therefore, we suggest that tasks to increase public awarness, and medical staff training about the disease to achieve earlier diagnosis witch is of great importance.

It has recently been demonstrated that merosin-deficient CMD (Congenital Muscular Dystrophy) patients have a more severe clinical phenotype compared with merosin-positive ones. We have undertaken a detailed clinical study of 6 patients (20% of CMD patients followed) with severe CMD who have never been able to stand or walk unsupported and in whom we have determined merosin status in skeletal muscle. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated total absence of merosin in only one patient who was also found to have abnormal myelination on brain MRI. The patients first biopsy at 4 weeks of age revealed only scattered degenerating and regenerating fibers without other changes of muscular dystrophy. Second muscle biopsy at 7 months revealed severe muscular dystrophy. Merosin was absent in both biopsies. All other 5 merosin-positive severe CMD cases had normal brain imaging. In 3 cases there was no family history of the disease, but the mother of the 4th female patient had a milder form of muscular dystrophy with hypotonia since birth, suggesting an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. Although merosin was present in all 5 patients, there were occasional fibers in 3 of them with only partial staining. This was seen predominantly in the degenerating fibers probably representing secondary rather than primary merosin deficiency. This study implies heterogeneity within a phenotypically homogeneous group of patients with a severe form of CMD. The merosin-deficient CMD appears to be less common in the studied population than in France, Turkey or England. Perhaps the increased incidence in those countries suggests a distant founder mutation, which would explain the scarcity of merosin-deficient CMD in a more heterogeneous population like studied one. Furthermore, absence of merosin in a neonate with hypotonia and weakness should lead to the diagnosis of merosin-deficient CMD, although the dystrophic process may not be evident on muscle biopsy yet.