Iranian South Medical Journal
Year:2004 | Volume:6 | Issue:2|Papers Count:15

Sea hares have attracted the interest of many workers investigating chemical defense substances. Most of these substances are low molecular weight compounds derived from algal diets. Anticancer effects of a novel protein isolated from purple fluid of A. dactylomela are reported. The purification procedure consisted basically of ammonium sulphate fractionation, Ion exchange and ultra filtration techniques. For cytotoxicity effects, L929, K562, HL60 and NB4 cell lines and MTT assay were used. A protein of 60000Da of the purple fluid of A. dactylomela had antiproliferative effects on the cell lines; it was maximally active at 0.5-1.5 microgram/ml on NB4 cell line. Therefore, the purple fluid of A. dactylomela has a novel antiproliferative agent.

Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) is a new diagnostic technique for specific detection of microorganisms at molecular level and direct visualization of microbial morphology. In this study, FISH technique was evaluated for detection of staphylococci. A set of 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes were used for FISH, for detection of Staphylococcus aurous in sputum samples by FISH and comparison with conventional bacterial culture, 76 sputum samples were investigated. According to our data, sensitivity and specificity of FISH for detection of this bacterium were 86.7% and 100%, respectively. As another part of this study, 41 blood culture specimens were examined for detection of staphylococci. In compare with conventional culture methods, sensitivity and specificity of FISH for detection of S. aurous were 100%; and for non S. aurous species of staphylococci, sensitivity and specificity of FISH were 95.7% and 100% respectively. All steps of FISH technique were performed within 3h. Therefore, FISH is a rapid, sensitive, and specific technique for detection of staphylococci.

Changing of terminal sugars of cell surface and extracellular matrix glycoconjugate due to alteration in glycosylation process is one of important characteristic of neoplasia. Because of this, attention of researchers focused on it. The importance of diagnostic, prognostic and treatment protocols of these compounds have been shown in patients with neoplasia. The aim of the present study was to detect the Gal/ GalNac terminal sugar in esophagitis and squamous cell carcinoma of esophagus. For this purposes, 20 patients (10 with esophagitis and 10 with squamous cell carcinoma) were chosen from pathology file of Khatam-al-Anbia Hospital in Zahedan. Paraffin Blocks were cut and sections stained by histochemistry (Lectin PNA diluted in PBS with pH=6.6, 0.1M to 10µg/ml). Reaction of lectin to cells was showed by DAB %0.03 solutions.The results of this study showed the presence of Gal/GalNac in basal and superficial cells of esophagitis as intranuclear and cytoplasmic, respectively. Superficial cells of patients with esophagitis reacted to PNA very strongly than basal cells. Esophageal gland cells of cases with esophagitis reacted to lectin only in apical surfaces. Neoplastic cells of patients with SCC poorly reacted to PNA as intranuclear. Inflammatory cells did not react to lectin in esophagitis and SCC cases.It seems that reaction of neoplastic cells to lectin have been decreased in comparison with cells III esophagitis. Future studies will probably show the exact role of these compounds in neoplasia.

In this study, three-dimensional glomerular counting was used as investigation tool for evaluation of the extent of renal damage in an experimental glycerol induced model. 24 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated into control or test groups. The test group received an IM injection of 10ml/kg of 50% glycerol and the control group received an equivalent volume of normal saline. 48 hours post, the animals were scarified by intoxication with an overdose of ether. Using vascular perfusion technique, the kidneys were fixed with left intraventicular 10% formaline solution. The right kidney from each animal was removed. Following routine tissue processing, 1mm agar slabs and 5 m paraffin sections were prepared and stained with H&E using physical dissector. The sections were microscopic evaluated. The results showed that there were no significant differences in the number of the glomeruli between both groups. In conclusion, the glycerol induced renal toxicity dose not induce significant change in the number of glomeruli, further studies are warranted in order to assess the nature of the histopathological damages induced in this model.

Mental Retardation (MR) is a major complex medical and health problem affecting at least 3-4 percent of world total population. Genetic causes at both the chromosomal and molecular (DNA) level accounts for around 50 per cent of all MR cases. To investigate the prevalence of chromosomal abnormalities among mental retarded school age children of Bushehr, 100 mentally retarded school age pupils attending five special training schools aged 10-18 years old were studied using standard Q & G banding techniques. Karyotypes were prepared according to ISCN nomenclature at the 350 bands level. From 96 successfully karyotyped pupils, 25 chromosomal abnormalities were identified in which trisomy 21 was the most frequent abnormality (19 cases). The other observed abnormalities were inversion 9q (two cases), 46, XX+M (one case), 47, XXX/46,XX (one case), 46,XY+15.13 (one case) and one case of 47,XXY/46,XY. In conclusion, the overall frequency of chromosomal abnormalities among mental retarded children in Bushehr Iran is similar to the majority of the West European and Middle Eastern countries and should attract similar health and medical attention & preventive approaches.

Beta-hemolytic streptococci are responsible for suppurative and non- suppurative complications and are potentially highly transmissible. It is a challenge to tell which patients with sore throat have streptococcal pharyngitis and which have viral illness. For evaluation of clinical prediction for streptococcal pharyngitis, 100 patients with sore throat whom penicillin was prescribed for them with Impression of streptococcal pharyngitis were examined and throat cultures were taken. The frequency of beta-hemolytic streptococci group A was 6%, and it was 5% for streptococci groups C & G. Pneumococci was isolated from 5%. Pharyngeal erythema (100%), pharyngeal pain (97%), exudates (31%), fever (59%), cervical lymphadenopathy (31%) and strawberry tongue (4%) were detected. of those with exudative pharyngitis, only three patients (9.6%) had streptococcal pharyngitis. Therefore, single clinical sign and symptom is not reliable for diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis and a number of standardized clinical decision rules and the rapid antigen detection tests (RATs) should be considered in streptococcal pharyngitis.

Transient systolic murmurs in neonates and premature infants due to mild left (LPA) and right (RPA) pulmonary branch stenosis is recognized but follow up studies are lacking. A total of 32 neonates with murmur and 32 controls were evaluated echocardiographically at baseline and in four months follow up. Diameters of LPA and RPA were smaller in patients with murmur. Colour-coded Doppler showed turbulent flow in LPA and RPA in 93% of patients and flow velocities of both pulmonary branches were significantly higher than in controls. The follow up study at 4 months showed absent (23%) or decreased murmur (76%). Echocardiographically, absolute and relative diameters of LPA and RPA increased whereas the ratio of main pulmonary artery aorta did not change suggesting accelerated growth or dilatation of the pulmonary branches. Thus, transient systolic murmurs in neonates are associated with temporary relative hypoplasia of the pulmonary branches which showed increased growth leading to disappearance of the murmur in most cases within 4 months of life.

The WHO MONICA Project is a multi-center international collaborative. Its objective is to measure trends in cardiovascular mortality and morbidity and to assess the extent to which these trends are related to changes in risk factor levels and/or medical care. In order to reveal myocardial infarction event rate in Bushehr Port, we used WHO-MONICA protocol criteria form registration of this event in three popular hospitals in Bushehr Port. The annual age- standardized event rate for myocardial infarction in men and women were 375 and 111 per 100,000, respectively. In conclusion, the incidence of myocardial infarction in Bushehr Port is higher than developed European countries. Therefore, community-based interventional programs should be implemented in this area to reduce myocardial infarction event rate.

The majority of all deaths attributable to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are in developing countries. There is now a pressing need for developing countries to define and implement preventive interventions for CVDs, We used WHO MONICA Project protocols to measure trends in coronary risk factors in Bushehr Port in the Persian Gulf Healthy Heart Project. Coronary risk factors of 2092, aged>= 25 years men and women were evaluated in a cross-sectional study. Of the studied population, 97.7% had at least one coronary risk factor, 44.3% of men and 69% of women had at least two coronary risk factors. The high prevalence rates of diabetes mellitus (8.6%), central obesity (59.4%), obesity (26.8%), hypertension (24.5%), smoking (15.7%), physical inactivity (71.1%), hypercholesterolemia (24%) and low HDL - cholesterol (61.5%) showed that coronary risk factors prevail in Bushehr Port. Therefore, preventive strategies should be implemented immediately to avoid cardiovascular epidemic in the near future.

Human T-cll leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-I) and HTLV-II are type C oncoviruses, members of the family Retroviridae. Blood transfusion is a transmission route. Screening for HTLV is routine in Khorasan Province/ Iran. In a seroepidemiologic survey in Bushehr Province, 22074 blood units were screened for anti-HTLV-I & anti-HTLV-II antibodies using ELISA method. Only 3 of donors (0.013%) were positive for anti-HTLV-I; these results were a confirmed by western blot. Therefore, routine screening for anti-HTLV antibodies are not justifiable in blood transfusion centers in Bushehr Province.

Non- exclusive breast feeding in the early years of life is one of the most important factors in growth and development of infants. Therefore, exclusive breast feeding is recommended during the first six months of life. For determining the effective factors of nonexclusive breast feeding during the first six months of life, we used focus group discussion by participation of 60 mothers who had an infant under 6 months age and enjoyed non-exclusive breast feeding. Mothers divided into eight groups considering their occupation and number of child. All groups reported scanty of mother's milk, mother's occupation, mother's illness, mother's comfort, wrong beliefs, infant's illness, doctors and health care providers recommendations, infant's dependency to feeding bottle and pacifiers as the most frequent factors in using nonexclusive breast feeding. All mothers believed that health care centers, relatives and older members of family, books and pamphlets, mass media, physicians were their effective sources of awareness and promotion of exclusive breast feeding. Considering the presented ideas in all groups, it is realized that mothers during their pregnancy have sparse information about exclusive breast feeding and because of lack of enough essential training, some socio – cultural beliefs affects non-exclusive breast feeding. Mass media and especial training programs should be implemented to promote exclusive breast feeding in Bushehr Port.

Work-related stressors are common in nursing and cause fatigue and low work performance. Focus group discussion was used to reveal the opinions of nurses about stressors and stress-reduction measures. A series of eight group discussions with participation of 56 nurses was held. Inadequate drugs and facilities, not standardized equipments, uncomfortable hospital environment, fair of transmission of infectious diseases, not accessibility of doctors and unfriendly atmosphere were reported as common stressors. Some group emphasized a need for counseling and classroom-based educations to cope with job stressors; standard facilities, good professional working relationships and adequate support services by hospital nursing offices and Nursing Association were mentioned as effective measures for stress reduction in the hospital setting. In conclusion, stressor is common in nursing environment and organized stress management programs for hospital nurses are encouraged.