سال:1397 | دوره: | شماره: |تعداد مقالات:8

Background: To the best of our knowledge, data on effects of probiotic administration on hormonal profiles, biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are scarce. This investigation was conducted to assess the effects of probiotic supplementation on hormonal profiles, biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in women with PCOS. Methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted on 60 women with PCOS, aged 18-40 years old. Subjects were randomly assigned into 2 groups to receive either probiotics or placebo (n = 30 each group) for 12 weeks. Metabolic profiles were quantified at baseline and after a 12-week intervention. Results: After the 12-week intervention, compared with placebo, probiotic supplementation significantly increased serum sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) (+25. 9 ± 32. 5 vs. +0. 5 ± 15. 6 nmol/L, P < 0. 001) and plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (+8. 8 ± 120. 5 vs.-98. 3 ± 246. 4 mmol/L, P = 0. 04), and significantly decreased serum total testosterone (-0. 2 ± 0. 7 vs. +0. 2 ± 0. 6 ng/mL, P = 0. 03), modified Ferriman-Gallwey (mF-G) scores (-1. 7 ± 1. 5 vs.-0. 2 ± 1. 0, P < 0. 001), serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (-1150. 0 ± 1295. 2 vs. +202. 5 ± 1426. 3 ng/mL, P < 0. 001) and plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations (-0. 2 ± 0. 6 vs. +0. 9 ± 1. 3 μ mol/L, P < 0. 001). We did not observe any detrimental effect of probiotic supplementation on other metabolic profiles. Conclusion: Overall, probiotic supplementation of PCOS women for 12 weeks had beneficial effects on total testosterone, SHBG, mFG scores, hs-CRP, TAC and MDA levels but did not affect other metabolic profiles.

Background: The C-reactive protein (CRP) level, as an early prognostic factor of functional outcome after stroke, may be of clinical importance. The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic value of CRP on functional outcome and death in stroke patients. Methods: This prospective study was conducted from 2015 to 2016 in Hamadan province, Iran. Patients with both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke who were admitted in the first 12 hours were enrolled. The clinical characteristics of the patients were recorded at time of admission as well as on the fourth and the 90th day after stroke. Blood sample was taken and CRP levels were measured at time of admission. Results: From 186 admitted patients, 155 patients remained in this study for analysis. Mean time between stroke onset and admission was 4. 42 hours. Mean level of CRP was 20. 03 mg/L. CRP levels in 68 patients (43. 8%) were 7 mg/L or above. Prevalence of diabetes (P = 0. 001), angina pectoris (P = 0. 001), death (P = 0. 001), pneumonia (P = 0. 004), and DVT (P = 0. 002) was significantly higher among patients with CRP levels ≥ 7 mg/L than patients with CRP levels <7 mg/L. A CRP level ≥ 7 was associated with poor clinical outcome, including the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) ≥ 13 (P = 0. 001) as well as modified Rankin Scale (mRS) >2 (P = 0. 004) and Barthel Index (BI) <70 on the first (0. 047, 0. 001), fourth (0. 005, 0. 001), and 90th day (0. 001, 0. 001), respectively. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that elevated CRP levels in the very early phase of both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke were associated with poor clinical outcomes and prognosis.

Background: Morbid obesity (MO), characterized by low-grade inflammation, is associated with increased C-reactive protein (CRP). NF-KB is a candidate factor for inflammatory responses in inflammatory diseases such as obesity. The objective of our study was to investigate the relationship between NFKB1 gene variations and the risk of MO in the context of the high/normal level of liver enzymes such as Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Methods: We analyzed the distribution of NFKB1-94 ins/del ATTG (rs28362491) polymorphism using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and liver enzymes serum levels using ELISA in 182 MO patients with CRP level ≥ 20 mg/L and 200 healthy controls in a female Turkish population. Results: We found that having ins/ins genotype of rs28362491 is a risk factor in both high level and normal level liver enzymes of ALT (P = 0. 0335, P = 0. 0134), AST (P = 0. 0285, P = 0. 0113) and ALP (P = 0. 0079, P = 0. 0363) whereas having ins/ins genotype of rs28362491 is a risk factor in only high-level liver enzyme of GGT (P = 0. 0003). Conclusion: Our results suggest that ins/ins genotype of SNP rs28362491 is linked to MO with high-level ALT, AST, ALP, and GGT.

Background: Considering that medical ethics is an applied subject providing systematic solutions to help physicians with moral issues, this research aimed to evaluate adherence to the principles of medical ethics among physicians on the basis of attitude of physicians of Mazandaran province. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Mazandaran province, Iran during 2015. A researcher-made questionnaire was used for data collection. The questionnaire was first completed by 40 physicians and its reliability was confirmed by obtaining a Cronbach’ s alpha coefficient equal to 0. 818. Its validity was confirmed by medical ethics experts. Therefore, the questionnaire was reliable and valid. Analytical and descriptive analysis were performed. Results: According to our findings, there is a significant correlation between some of variables of medical ethics principles. The results show that adherence to indicators of beneficence, non-maleficence and justice has been almost good; however, physicians’ ethical behaviors which pertain towards the principle of autonomy have not been acceptable. There was not any significant difference in adherence to the principles of autonomy, beneficence and non-maleficence, and justice on the basis of sex, residency, education and occupation. Conclusion: According to the present study, more training is required to improve physicians’ adherence to the principles of medical ethics.

Awareness of the food security status of rural population and its influencing factors is essential for policy makers, public health institutions and the development of rural programs. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2017 on 384 rural households in Bam city. The data was collected via the 6-item USDA questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to determine the relationship between social, economic and health factors with food security. The results indicate that 35. 67% of households had full food security status, 24. 47% had medium food security status and 7. 04% had food insecurity status. Despite the high level of food insecurity in Bam rural households, creating employment opportunities for increasing household income, reforming inappropriate food habits, and increasing households’ nutritional awareness might be effective in promoting food security.

Intellectual disability (ID) is a common and highly heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder. The prevalence of ID is around 1%– 3% in the general population. ID is associated with a wide range of additional neurological disabilities and the results of various studies have disclosed the co-morbidity of ID and ataxia. The aim of this review is elucidation of the common molecular and cellular pathways in the etiology of ID and ataxia. Categorization of these genes with various cellular functions indicates several genetic collisions in the co-occurrence of ID and ataxia.

Primary nonsecretory plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is an extremely rare type of multiple myeloma. Here, we report a case of nonsecretory PCL with no previous history of multiple myeloma. The case exhibited extremely low levels of serum immunoglobulin and light chain, no detectable serum M-protein or free light chain restriction, no urine BJP, and no cytoplasmic light chain expression in flow cytometry. In fluorescence in situ hybridization, tumor cells exhibited fusion genes for IgH/BCL1 and IgH/c-Myc, disappearance of the p53 signal, and a split signal for IgK(2p11), but no split signal for IgL (22q11). Therefore, we diagnosed primary nonsecretory PCL with multiple chromosomal abnormalities.

Dear Editor, Since the ancient time, “ psyche” and “ soma” are said to have been interrelated. 1 Heinroth first used the word “ psychosomatic” to symbolize “ body and mind” . 1 Psychosomatic disorders are those conditions caused mainly due to the imbalances in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the neurological sympathetic system...