Daneshvar Medicine: Basic and Clinical Research Journal
Year:2007 | Volume:14 | Issue:66|Papers Count:13

Introduction: Monoclonal antibody against A60 antigen of Mycobacterium Bovis BCG has many applications. The most important of these include: designation of ELlSA-based rapid diagnostic kit for diagnosis of tuberculosis and chemotherapy of cancer. One of the common methods in generation of monoclonal antibody is the hybridization of splenocytes of immunized mice with myeloma cells.Materials & Method: In this investigation Balb/c mice were immunized by several injections of BCG and A60 antigen. Antibody titer was measured after each injection. The splenocytes of immunized mice and SP2/0 myeloma cells were fused with 50% polyethylene glycol (PEG) as fusing agent. One fusion was performed and 62 clones resulted. Then, hybridoma cells were selected by HAT medium. Screening of hybridoma supernatants was performed by ELlSA test on supernatant of all resulted hybridoma clones. Limiting dilution was performed on two clones (MB1D5, MB3F8) which had higher absorbance in ELlSA test and the resulted subclones had multiplied.

Introduction: Pre-term labor is the most common cause of infant mortality; therefore the prevention and diagnosis of pre-term labor are of high priority. Different markers, including serum ferritin in pregnant women, have been considered to predict pre-term labor. The aim of this study is to determine and compare serum ferritin concentrations in pregnant women with pre-term and term labor that referred to selected hospitals of Tehran University. Materials & Method: Research samples were pregnant women with preterm labor pain (case group n=100) and term labor pain (control group n=100) who had referred to the selected hospitals. Sampling was done by the systematic random method. Serum ferritin concentration was measured by Radio Immuno Assay method. Gestational age, birth weight, and the first and fifth minute APGAR scores after birth were also recorded. Serum ferritin concentrations were compared to the expected outcomes by using the T-Student and Pearson's Correlation Coefficient tests.Results: The mean serum ferritin concentration of the case and control groups was 24.62±20.5 Mg/L and 17.4±10.97 Mg/L, respectively. Thus, a significant difference was observed (p=0.004). Results also indicated that unlike the control group, in the case group there was a relationship between the serum ferritin and low birth weight or low Apgar scores in the first and fifth minute of the premature infant. Conclusions: The serum ferritin could be used as predictor of pre-term labor.

Introduction: The importance of clients satisfaction is increasing from day to day, thus, paying attention to client's needs is an effective strategy that guarantees organization continuity, quality and quantity promotion, decreasing the shortcomings and increasing the abilities (quantity) and potentialities. This study was carried out to evaluate the clients stat is faction in health care centers.Materials & Method: This a descriptive, analytical and cross-sectional study which was carried out during 2003 in eight health care centers of Shahid Beheshti University. For the purpose of this study, 280 clients were interviewed. They also completed a questionnaire, then, data were analyzed by SPSS and SAS software. The age mean of sample was 31±7.5.91% were female and 97.9% were married.Results: 87.5% of the sample had high level of satisfaction with the healthcare services. The services were evaluated from six aspects among which the appropriate service expenses had got the highest score. Among the different units, the child care unit had preference over the others.Moreover, the clients satisfaction with the high quality of the services was the cause of their reference to those centers (52.1%) 25% of the clients were unsatisfied with the delayed services. In addition, there was a negative relationship between age and the clients satisfaction (r=-0.215, p=0.001). On the other hand there was a significant relationship among satisfaction and job, the distance of center from the clients residents and number of reference (p=0.001). No significant relationship among satisfaction and sex, marriage status, children's number and clients' education level. On the contrary, a significant difference was found among clients' education level and their satisfaction with the employees' attitude and assistance and the expenses trainings.

Introduction: Transmission of infection is highly probable during the dental treatments. Thus, observing the infection-control remedies and regulations under such circumstances is essential to maintain the dentists, patients and the staff of dentistry clinics safe and healthy. Therefore, the researcher was motivated to carry out a research related to the attitude and knowledge level of the senior students studying in the Dentistry schools of Tehran University, Shahed University, Shahid Beheshty University as well as Islamic Open University concerning the infection-control issue during 2001-2003.Materials & Method: To conduct the research, a questionnaire including 46 questions in two separate sections; namely, Knowledge section and Attitude section was designed. The sample included of students 170.Results: Having rated the questions and classified the scores into four groups of poor, Average, Good and high, the researcher analyzed the results, which revealed that in knowledge section, 1.8 percent of the whole research population (3 out of 170 subjects) got poor scores, 25.3 percent (43 out of 170 subjects) proved average, 68.8 percent (117 out of 170 subjects) got good and the remaining 4.1 percent (7 out of 170 subjects) obtained high scores. However, in the Attitude section, 15.5 percent (26 out of 168 subjects) proved poor, 73.2 percent (123 out of 168 subjects) were average and the remaining 11.3 percent (19 out of 168 subjects) got good scores.Conclusion: Pearson correlation coefficient proved that a positive correlation exists among the students' knowledge, attitude level and infection-control (p<0.01).

Introduction: Osteoporosis and bone fracture risk due to decrease in bone mineral density is known as one of the most important complications of chronic spinal cord injuries (SCI). It also is a major health problem among the patients in SCI society. Although immobilization, old age, menopause and some comorbiditing, are major causes, other important factors also should be taken into consideration.Materials & Method: In this cross-sectional study, 132 veterans with SCI (mean of age 37.4 years), underwent dual-energy X-ray absorbtiometery (DEXA), by LUNAR, to define bone mineral density (BMD) in 2nd to 4th lumbar vertebrae and the neck of right femur (g.cm2) and obtain some essential data such as level of injury, period of injury, daily exercise and spasticity were recorded and analyzed.Results: The investigation of the femoral neck showed that 81.5% of subjects suffered from osteoporosis and 13.1% from osteopenia. Evaluation of lumbar spine also showed that 16.7% suffered from Osteoporosis and 18.2% from osteopenia. A significant difference was observed between vertebral bone density (mean 1.23 g/cm2) and the neck of right femur (mean 0.66 g/cm2). It was also found that there is a slight negative correlation between bone density and risk of bone fracture (in vertebrae and femoral neck). Reduction of each 0.1 g of bone density increases the risk of bone fracture up to 53.9% in the femoral neck and 27.7% in lumbar vertebrae.One unit decrease in T-Value increases fracture risk about 1.43 and 0.26 in the femur neck and lumbar vertebrae, respectively. The findings indicated that there is no significant relation among bone density, age, level of injury spasm, occupation and post-injury period. Moreover, there was a slight negative correlation between weight and bone mineral density. However, positive correlation exists between height and bone mineral density.

Introduction: Malassezia species are considered as etiological agents of superficial skin disorders, specially a chronic recurrent disease named tinea versicolor in addition, they cause systemic diseases associated with lipid-rich hyperalimentation fluids.Materials & Method: In this study, in vitro activities of two known antifungal drugs terbinatine (TBF) and ketoconazole (KTZ) were investigated for 25 Malassezia furfur strains isolated from patients with tinea versicolor. Agar dilution method was used for determining the antifungal activities of forementioned compounds. The fungi were cultured on modified Dixon broth in the presence of different concentrations of drugs.Results: The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of TBF and KTZ were measured in the range of 1.53-24.5 (mg/ml) and 0.18-1.5 (mg/ml) for all tested M. furfur isolates, respectively. the MFC values of TBF and KTZ were assigned as 49-98 (mg/ml) and 3-12 (mg/ml), respectively. Overall KTZ showed suitable antifungal activities against all M. furfur tested in very low concentrations as compared to TBF.Conclusion: On the basis of the obtained results, evaluation of antifungal susceptibility for clinical Malassesia isolates before selection of antifungal drugs and onset of treatment is essential because of the differences observed in species and strain level. This may lead to better treatment and prevention by creating drug-resistant isolates which are non-responsive to routine antifungals.

Introduction: The aim of this research is to investigate the effect on COPD on the sexual life in comparison to the healthy individuals with regard to the associated and precipitating agents in COPD patients' impotency.Materials & Method: This was a case - control study. The samples were patients who were referred to the Mostafa Khomeini hospital. 30 COPD patients and 30 healthy individuals of the same age - group were selected to be interviewed and to answer the questionnaires. Different factors were taken into consideration such as age, marital status, smoking habit (15-20 cigarettes perday for 25-30 years), underlying diseases, premature ejaculation, reduction of potency, average intercourse times. Erectile dysfunction was also assessed through Shim standard test. ABG, PFT, Pearson's Chi-square and Fisher's exact test were performed. Results: The average age of the case group was 66.56 year, while the average age of the control group was 62.56 year. The mean of intercourse times for the case group was 2-26 times per month; where as, the mean of intercourse times for the control group was 3.83. P values in COPD patients were as follows: Cigarette smoking (p=0.00), intercourse times per month (p=0.022), Erectile dysfunction (p=0.001), Premature ejaculation (p=0.028) and reduction of sexual potency (p=0.01).There is a significant difference among smoking, age and intercourse times (p=0.005). Moreover, A significant difference was found between smoking and erectile dysfunction (p=0.005), also between P02 and sexual activity (p=0.02). In addition, there was a significant difference between PFT and erectile dysfunction (p=0.019).Conclusion: COPD had adversely affected the sexual potency, erectile function and sexual life. Furthermore, smoking and chronic hypoxia can cause impotency in COPD patients.

Introduction: Cesarean section rate has been increasing dramatically in the past decade in the Iran hospitals. The object of this study was to show the trend of this increasing rate the time.Material & Method: The records of the causes and the rate of cesarean section in the hospitals of Shahed University were used as the base of analysis. First, the primary cesarean section rate was assessed, and then, the rate for consecutive pregnancies was evaluated.Results: If the primary cesarean section rate is 47% it will increase to 68% in the third consecutive pregnancy in the same population. And if the cesarean section rate in nulliparous women is 57%, it will be 81% in the third pregnancy and 92% in fourth pregnancy if it occurs.Conclusion: Medical policymakers must try to solve this problem as soon as possible. Selective cesarean section without medical prescription ought to be discouraged, while the women should be encouraged to have vaginal delivery after cesarean section. Equipping hospitals with the requirements of vaginal birth after cesarean section can prevent the public from such practice.

Introduction: Mycoplasma hominis is a well- known mycoplasma species pathogen to the human genitourinary tract. It mainly causes urethritis, bacterial vaginosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, spontaneous abortion, pyelonephritis, infertility, still born, low birth weight, neonatal meningititis, neonatal pneumonia. and neonatal brain abscess. Diagnosis of M. hominis infections by conventional bacterial methods is very difficult. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of M. hominis in the endocervix specimens from infertile women by PCR.Material & Method: 377 endocervical swab samples were taken from infertile women. DNA was extracted through Cadieux method. Mycoplasma genus and M. hominis were detected by means of the polymerase chain reaction with specific primers.Results: Mycoplasma genus DNA was detected in specimens from 141 (37.4%) of 377 patients. Of these 141 patients 56 (14.58% of total specimens) were PCR positive with 16S rRNA gene primers for M. hominis. There was a positive relationship between the presence of M. hominis and cervicitis. No significant difference was detected between the incidences of M. hominis age.Discussion: M. hominis is the cause of genitourinary tract diseases. It has also potential adverse effects on the success of highly specialized infertility treatments and the resulting pregnancies. Therefore, detection of this organism by PCR in infertile women could be important and necessary.