Jundishapur Scientific Medical Journal
Year:2013 | Volume:12 | Issue:3 (84)|Papers Count:15

Background and Objective: AgRP is a powerful orexigenic peptide which is secreted by the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, and plays an important role in weight control. The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of two weight loss protocols (1. a researcher recommended weight loss protocol, 2. Traditional weight loss protocol) on resting plasma concentration of AgRP in elit wrestlers.Subjects and Methods: Thirty elite wrestlers (age 24.33±3.33 years, BMI 24.90±2.38 Kg.m2 and body fat percentage 12.92±3.01) were randomly divided into three groups (two experimental groups and one control group). Experimental group I: used a twelve-day diet protocol which was suggested by researchers, along with three wrestling exercise sessions on a week. Experimental group II: used traditional diet protocol and sauna, and control group was without diet protocol. Blood samples were collected before and 12-hours after the protocols. Subject’s percent of body fat was measured using the 3-point method.Results: Both the experimental groups had a significant weight reduction (P>0.001). The experimental group I showed significantly reduction in percent of body fat (P>0.001). The levels of plasma AgRP increased in the experimental group II (P>0.01).Conclusion: The twelve-day weight loss protocol is more effective than the traditional weight loss protocol. Not only it did not have a significant effect on AgRP level, it also decreased body fat percentage.

Background and Objective: Conventional coronary angiography is the gold standard technique for evaluation of coronary bypass grafts stenosis. This study was carried out to find diagnostic accuracy of multisclice 64 CT angiography in diagnosis of bypass graft stenosis rather than conventional coronary angiography.Subjects and Methods: This prospective and retrospective study was performed in university and private hospitals in Ahvaz, Iran from 2007 to 2012. All data were collected from patients with past history of coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) who presented with chest pain or ischemia according to noninvasive test had indication for conventional coronary angiography. Arterial and venous grafts from 143 patients were assessed by CT angiography and conventional angiography was takenfrom 53 patients with history of CABG. All data was collected and analyzed by SPSS version 17.Results: The mean age of men was 59.4±10 and women 59.9±8 years (34% were females and 66% were males). Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy in CT angiography were respectively 95, 100, 100, 86 and 96% in proximal and 100, 100, 100, 100, and 100% in middle part; and 71, 96, 93, 83 and 86% in distal part of arterial and vein graft bypass in comparison with invasive conventional coronary angiography.Conclusion: Diagnosis of occlusion and stenosis of arterial and venous bypass grafts by CT angiography is accurate and effective and may be decrease conventional coronary angiography among patients with CABG.

Background and Objective: Internal root resorption (IRR) in early stages may have no radiographic facing. For evaluating of these lesions, intraoral periapical radiography is ususally used. One of the most limitations for this method is its low diagnostic detective information power. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) with periapical radiograghy in early internal root resorption.Subjects and Methods: Sixty single root premolar teeth were cut mesiodistal and devided randomly into two groups (30 teeth in each). The test group was subjects to artificial IRR in coronal and apical region by round bur. The control group was left untreated. The samples were manted on self-cure acrylic resin. CBCT and periapical radiography captured from all teeth. Two blinded radiologists assessed the presence or absence of IRR in each tooth.Result: Complete agreement in diagnois and prescence of IPR was made by CBCT. However, with periapical radiography only 1.3 of apical lesions was diagnosed.Conclusion: The finidengs of this study demonstrated that CBCT has a higher accurcy in detecting internal root resorption lesions particularly in apical sites than periapical radiography.

Background and Objective: Obesity is a serious problem threatening public health. It is an important risk factor for many pulmonary diseases, and a significant cause of mortality among people. Therefore, it seems that obesity and the % of body fat are associated with respiratory problems. The present study was undertaken to examine Spiro metric parameters in obese female students at middle school, compared to normal weight. The data were analysed by post hoc test (LSD).Subjects and Methods: Two hundred and eighty three students from middle school students in Isfahan (aged 12.79±0.88, with body mass index of 39.3±20 Kg/m2) were selected in a cluster random way and were categorized, based on the percentile body mass index (CUT OFF, BMI) and age, into three groups of obese (n=50) with a percentile of 95³BMI, overweight (n=62) with a percentile of 85³BMI£95 and optimal weight (n=171) with a percentile of 15³BMI£85. Spirometric parameters were measured using spirometric model of Jager.Results: Least significant difference post hoc test results also showed that lung function in normal students was greater than overweight and obese students.Conclusion: Results showed that obesity particularly influences pulmonary function and significantly decreases pulmonary capacity and volume. However, its exact mechanism is not well-understood and requires further elaborative studies.

Background and Objective: The aim of radiotherapy is deliver enough doses to the tumor and protecting organs at risk that are around the tumor. In order to get appropriate dose distribution one can use radiation modifiers and compensators. So knowing attenuation coefficient of absorbers is necessary for treatment calculations.Materials and Methods: In this study mercury was introduced as suitable material for radiotherapy shielding. A new method is presented by physics of interaction of photon with matter and complex integration calculation to calculate attenuation coefficient for any material with different thickness and energies.Results: Radiation quality changes with thickness of absorber and this variation were significant. However, changes in field sizes did not produce any significant variations.Conclusions: Variation of attenuation coefficient with thickness of absorber cannot be ignored and it is necessary for accurate radiotherapy treatment. On the other hand using one number as an attenuation coefficient for radiotherapy compensators or modifiers is not accurate enough and variation of attenuation coefficient with thickness of absorber must be considered in radiotherapy treatment planning systems.

Background and Objective: Hip fractures are associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. It seems that these fractures are affected by race, culture and geographic differences. Understanding the predisposing factors that contribute to hip fracture in our region can be valuable for future treatment planning. The aim of this study was, therefore, to evaluate the incidence of hip fracture in our region.Subjects and Methods: In this retrospective study, characteristics of the patients (age, sex, mechanism of the fracture), with inter-trochanteric and femoral neck (intra- and extra capsular) fractures were collected from their medical files at Imam khomeini and Razi hospitals of Ahvaz. Data were analyzed by SPSS program and Fisher exact test, and P<0.05 was considered as a significant difference.Results: This study included 594 hip fractures. The mean age was 64.99±21.9 years. Fifty-five percent of the patients were male. Falling down was the mechanism of fracture in 83% of our patients and high energy trauma 16%. Forty-six percent of the patients had intertrochanteric and (53.9%) had femoral neck fractures. Fifty-six percent of the patients were under the age of 75. Eleven percent of the patients had separate extremity fractures. The patients were divided into separate age groups and analyzed based on type of their fracture (P<0.75). Trauma mechanism had significant positive correlation with separate extremity fractures (P<0.001).Conclusion: According to our study, the mean age of the hip fracture is 10 years younger than western countries with a higher incidence in males. In younger patients, high energy trauma has positive correlation with hip fractures.

Background and objective: The possible defect of recommended protocol by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM, TG43) for dosimetry in the field of brachytherapy is that this protocol does not consider tissue heterogeneities (such as bone, lung, …) when applying resulted dosimetry parameters in treatment planning systems. The purpose of this study was to evaluate dose differences with and without heterogeneities in brachytherapy with iridium source (Ir -192).Subjects and Methods: Dose distribution from micros electron HDR Ir-192 source located in center of the homogeneous water phantom calculated by MCNP-4C simulation method. In different simulations, heterogeneities of bone, lung, air and soft tissue were considered. The effect of source positioning in phantom and distance between source and heterogeneities on dose distribution were evaluated.Results: The calculated dose, due to heterogeneity of bone, was reduced, while those due to air and lung were increased? Heterogeneity of soft tissues has no meaningful effect on the dose distribution. Increasing distance from center of phantom decreases dose due to decrease of scattering.Conclusion: Heterogeneities of bone, lung, and air especially in the near distance from Ir-192 source implanted position can change the dose compared to the water homogeneity phantom. In future Treatment Planning System (TPS) TPS, for accurate dose estimation, the effect of heterogeneities on dose distribution should be considered. Furthermore, in order to acquire the exact dose, due considerations of correct amount of scattering, dosimetry must be carried out on a large enough phantoms.

Background and Objective: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among the women. One of the radical methods for treatment of breast cancer is radiotherapy. Radiation induces different responses in cells, including cell cycle checkpoint activation, DNA repair and apoptosis. To check cellular responses and radio sensitivity in each patient, DNA repair mechanism and proteins, as biological markers, can be evaluated. Based on the repair capacity and radio sensitivity of cells in each patient we can design a treatment planning using radiation therapy The purpose of this study was to evaluate to the radio sensitivity in breast cancer patients to improve treatment planning.Subjects and Methods: A quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR-based assay for measurement of the expression level of RAD51 in lymphocyte cells for all breast cancer patients and healthy controls. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS17 software. The relation between the expression level of RAD51and clinical characteristics of patients was analyzed by using the nonparametric Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests.Results: The expression level of RAD51 significantly up regulated in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients (P=0.006, 8 Fold change) compared to healthy controls. A significant correlation between the expression level of RAD51 and HER2/neu (P=0.024) as well as patients age (P=0.03).Conclusion: Expression level of RAD51 in lymphocyte cells can be a useful biological marker for evaluation of radio sensitivity in breast cancer.

Background and objectives: Nowadays, using laparoscopic surgery, including lower risks, is becoming more common. So patients can go home early. However, nausea and vomiting after surgery because of irritation of the diaphragm and peritoneal stretch is very annoying. Appropriate method of treatment is necessary to reduce nausea and vomiting after laparoscopic surgery. In this study, effectiveness of intraperitoneal administration of bupivacaine to reduce nausea and vomiting after laparoscopic cholecystectomy surgery was assessed.Subjects and Methods: in this randomized, double blind clinical trial 50 patients were enrolled. Patients were randomly divided into two groups. In the normal saline group, 0.5 ml/kg of 0.45% normal saline and in bupivacaine group, 0.5 mg/Kg bupivacaine 0.5% was injected into the peritoneal cavity at the end of surgery. The incidences of nausea and vomiting were compared at 1, 2, 6 and 12 hrs after surgery.Results: Both groups were compared in terms of nausea and vomiting. Nausea decreased in bupivacaine group in 1 and 2 hours after surgery (p value =0.01). But no change was observed at 6 and 12. no change was observed in vomiting after surgery.Conclusion: The result of this study showed that bupivacaine is effective in reducing post-operative nausea. This drug is also easily available. It is recommended that it be used in laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Background and Objective: On the base of photon interactions with material, increase of atomic number and decrease of emitted photon energy increases photoelectric absorption. In the current study, the dose enhancement factor (DEF) of loaded tumor with nanoparticles (NPs) was studied using 192Ir HDR brachytherapy source.Subjects and Methods: Monte Carlo calculations were performed with MCNP4C code to determine the DEF from 192Ir source. The NPs-water mixture model was simulated. Uniform distribution of NPs into the tumor volume located 1.5 cm from center of source centered in the water phantom with 7, 18 and 30 mgr/gr concentrations of 79Au, 64Ga, 26Fe and 22Ti, was considered.Result: DEF of 1.049, 1.122, 1.201 and 1.033, 1.083 and 1.136 were estimated for 79Au and 64Gd with concentrations of 7, 18 and 30 mgr/gr, respectively. Increasing of tumor doses was not significant due to loading of 26Fe and 22Ti. Increase the radial distance of source from the tumor (from 1.5 to 5 cm) increases the DEF (up to 22.3%).Conclusion: Our data predicate that loading of tumor with high-Z NPs such as gold NPs increase the absorbed dose of tumor irradiated to 192Ir HDR brachytherapy source due to increase of photoelectric interactions. Increase of atomic number and concentration of NPs and radial distance of tumor from the source increase DEF. Loading of the tumor volume with NPs during radiation therapy improves therapeutic ratio.

Background and Objective: Interferon’s are part of the body’s defense system against viruses. These proteins are generated in the body, and then they trigger the cells around them to produce inhibitor proteins against virus replication. The purpose of this study was cloning and expression of the human interferon alpha-2b gene in preplasmic space of Escherichia coli.Subjects and Methods: In this research, Alpha 2b interferon gene was cloned in a pET-26b (+) expression vector, under the control of T7 promoter and pelB periplasmic signal peptide sequence using NcoI and XhoI restriction enzymes. The expression vector was transformed into Escherichia coli strain BL21 (DE3). Cloning of alpha interferon gene confirmed using colony PCR, digestion and DNA sequencing. Gene expression of alpha interferon was examined by SDS-PAGE and Dot blot analysis. Also the possibility of periplasmic targeting was determined using SDS-PAGE and dot blot analysis at 15 hrs after induction.Results: The results showed that Alpha 2b interferon was produced in bacterial expression system and targeted to periplasmic space.Conclusion: Our study showed that the production of pharmaceutical recombinant protein in preplasmic space of bacterial expression system is fissible and can be utilized as a cheaper source and more efficient than conventional expression systems.

Background and Objective: White MTA, and Portland cement have similar chemical structures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inflammatory reaction of rabbit bone tissues to implanted white MTA, and Portland cement.Subjects and Methods: In this in vivo study, twenty 1-year old male Iranian rabbits (experiment white Specie), were divided into 5 groups (4 in each group). After preparation of 3 holes (distance 2 cm- depth and diameter 2 mm) in tibia, the allocated groups received an intra-bony implant of the test materials (White MTA, or Portland cement) and the third hole, with no implant, was created to evaluate inflammatory reaction related to surgical trauma. Samples were processed for histological study after 7, 15, 30, 60, and 90 days. Furthermore, blood samples were taken for evaluation of systemic inflammation for ESR test. The results were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann–Whitney tests.Results: At similar time points, statistical analysis revealed significant difference between implanted material (white MTA, Portland cement) in the first and second holes with control hole due to bone tissue reaction but pair-wise evaluation between all of implanted material found no significant differences. In different times bone tissue reaction showed significant differences.Conclusions: The finding of this study demonstrated similar tissue compatibility between both implantable materials and improvement of tissue healing occur with similar time profile after material implanting.