Shiraz E-Medical Journal
Year:2016 | Volume:17 | Issue:2|Papers Count:5

Background: Uric acid, a product of purine degradation, is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Studies have demonstrated a relationship between uric acid and increased inflammatory and oxidative stress in the general population. Recent studies also confirmed the role of inflammatory factors and oxidative stress in atrial fibrillation (AF).Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum uric acid levels and the risk of AF.Patients and Methods: This case-control study consisted of 32 patients with AF and 32 healthy controls. Both groups were matched by age, sex, and underlying disease. The diagnosis of AF was basedonan electrocardiogram andconfirmedby a cardiologist. Patients with heart failure, coronary artery disease, recent infection, renal failure, thyroid disorders and malignancy or who were treated with drugs affecting serum uric acid were excluded. The uric acid levels in both groups were measured using an enzymatic method.The mean serum uric acid of the two groups was compared with a t-test and SPSS software.Results: The female to male ratio in the two groups was 1.28. The mean age of the patients in the AF group and control group was 69.12 11.8 and 67.75  14.8, respectively. There were no significant differences in the age and sex of the two groups. The mean serum uric acid in the AF group and control group was significantly different (5.791.19 mg/dL and 4.811.26 mg/dL, respectively; P=0.002).Conclusions: The results suggest that serum uric acid can be considered a risk factor for AF. Further studies are recommended to investigate the role of uric acid reduction in the prevention and treatment of AF.

Dear Editor, One reason for the 21 percent mortality rate in newborn infants is congenital deficiency of the fetus (1). Caring for these children after birth often leads to financial and family problems (2, 3)....

Context: The implementation and operation activities related to electronic health records (EHRs) have increased in different countries, and their importance is clear. However, the deployment of an EHR system depends on many factors that must be considered during implementation. The goal of this study was to identify and classify the challenges related to EHR deployment.Evidence Acquisition: The present study involved a literature review that was carried out through a search on the ISI, PubMed, DOAJ, Scopus, Science Direct, and Google Scholar databases, as well as the Google and Yahoo search engines, using the relevant MeSH keywords and focusing on the period of 2005 - 2015. The data were collected in an Excel file and analyzed based on the study objectives.Results: From the investigation of related articles, we found that the deployment of EHRs faces many challenges that can be classified into six main categories. These are economic, behavioral, human, technical, legal, and organizational challenges.Conclusions: With regard to the obtained results, it is recommended that the authorities put effort into resolving the economic, behavioral, human, technical, legal, and organizational challenges related to the implementation and deployment of EHRs.

Background: Dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM) are common forms of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy which are characterized by muscle inflammation with an unknown cause. Immune cells infiltrate myofibrils and endomysial capillaries, which leads to damage of muscle fibers through the production of humoral factors and different cytokines.Objectives: Increased IL-18 and IL-6 serum levels have been reported in a variety of autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate IL-18 and IL-6 serum levels inDMandPMpatients compared to a healthy control group.Patients and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 15 patients with DM, 5 patients with PM, and 20 healthy control subjects were recruited. Thelevels of serumIL-18andIL-6 in patientsandcontrol groupsweremeasuredbyusing ELISA assay. Blood testsweretaken to determine the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and creatine kinase (CK) and were measured by standard methods. Statistical analyses were performed using the Mann-Whitney U-test with a non-Gaussian population using SPSS 19 software.Results: IL-18 levels were significantly higher inDMpatients andPMpatients before treatment compared to healthy control subjects (P=0.001, P=0.01, respectively). There were no significant differences between DM and PM patients before treatment with healthy controls for IL-6 serum levels (P=0.51, P=0.43, respectively).Conclusions: Serum IL-18 contributes to the immunopathogenesis of DM and PM and would be a useful marker for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. IL-6 has a less pivotal role in the pathology of DM and PM.

Background: Previous studies have reported an increase in the mercury release from dental amalgam restorations, following exposure to electromagnetic fields generated by sources such as mobile phones and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). It has also been shown that MRI increases microleakage of amalgam restorations. In this study, Helmholtz coils are used for generating pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF).Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of PEMFs on microleakage of amalgam restorations, using a pair of Helmholtz coils.Patients and Methods: Standardized class V cavities were prepared on the facial surfaces of 46 non-carious extracted human premolars.Then, the sampleswererandomlydivided into experimentalandcontrol groups, each containing 23 teeth. Theexperimental group was exposed to the uniform magnetic fields generated by a pair helmholtz coils. The magnetic field strength at the central point of the two coils was 0.1 mT. All specimens were placed in 2% basic fuchsin solution. Then the teeth were sectioned, examined under a stereomicroscope, and scored for microleakage according to the degree of dye penetration.Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding the microleakage score.Conclusions: The results of the present study suggest that PEMF exposure does not have adverse effects on microleakage of amalgam restorations.