Tehran University Medical Journal
Year:2010 | Volume:68 | Issue:6|Papers Count:13

Background: Beta-lactamase enzymes are the most important resistant factors to beta lactam antibiotics among gram negative bacteria. Nowadays, the prevalence of betalactamase infection is increasing worldwide and drawn the scientists attention as an important subject. Due to high prevalence of bacteria contained TEM beta lactamase and AmpC enzymes, using molecular methods especially designing universal primers could be valuable to detect all of them. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of TEM and AmpC (Dha and MOX) beta-lactamase genes using universal primers.Methods: A total of 500 clinical specimens from various Hospitals in Tehran, Iran were collected and analyzed for E. coli based on biochemical tests. These clinical specimens were also screened by Disk diffusion agar, combined disk method and PCR to detect the samples producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamase.Results: Overall 200 isolates of Escherichia coli were collected from the 500 clinical specimens out of which 128 (64%) isolates were positive by PCR assay and showed bla- TEM, bla-AmpC (Dha, MOX) genes, 74 (57.8%) and 5 (3.9%) to have bla- TEM and bla Dha, respectively. Mox gene was not detected in any of the specimens.Conclusions: Our results revealed that using the molecular methods with phenotype methods is very essential for complete detection of Beta-lactamases. There is the need for updating the treatment protocol because the prevalence of this resistance is increasing.

Background: Nowadays skin damages caused by ultraviolet (U.V.) radiation from the sun were increased; accordingly necessity for safe and inexpensive protective products for reducing the harmful effects of this ray is unassailable. The antiradical, anti irritation and anti-cancer properties of silymarin make it a suitable option for use in cream formulation to investigate its effect on skin disorders caused by U.V. radiation. In this research effect of local application of a cream containing silymarin in prevention of the harmful effects of U.V. radiation on the guinea pig skin were studied and evaluated by using histopathologic and clinical findings.Methods: 75 albino guinea pigs were randomly divided into five groups of fifteens. 2cm2 of the back hair was shaven. In the first group no treatment was applied, in the second group vaseline, in group 3 base cream without silymarin extract, in group 4 silymarin extract and in group 5 cream containing silymarin extract were used.Results: In clinical assessment, skin scaling, skin irregularity, erythema, skin hyperpigmentation, and edema were observed and in histopathological observation epidermal hyper keratosis, hyperpigmentation, exocytosis, acanthosis, chromatin discoloration in nucleus of epidermal squamous cells, perifolliculitis, dermal vascular hyperemia, edema and dermal thickness, infiltration of plasma cell lymphocytes and eosinophyls into dermis were detected. The statistical comparison of group 1 and group 5 shows statistically significant difference in most indices (p<0.01).Conclusions: Clinical and histopathologic examinations showed that local application of a cream containing silymarin is effective in prevention of skin damage caused by U.V. radiation in guinea pig’s skin, also the results of the clinical and histopathologic observation in this study confirm the enzymatic results in other researches.

Background: High Resolution sonography of common carotid artery is a safe method for rapid diagnosis of atherosclerosis in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). The purpose of this study was to compare sonographic findings of subclinical atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis patients and control group and comparing the prevalence of atheromatous plaques and Intima- media thickness in arteries of the groups.Methods: Fifty RA patients and fifty non-RA persons were evaluated in a crosssectional, Descriptive study. The sonographic findings of common carotid artery of these two groups were compared.Results: After analysis of the sonographic findings of common carotid arteries of 100 females in our study (50 patients with the mean age of 48.1 y/o [23-61] and 50 control group with the mean age of 47y/o [23-61]), the prevalence of RA patients with atheromatous plaques was 32% and in control group was 6%. [OR=7.4, 95% CI=2-27.3, p=0.001]. The mean (SD) of the Intima- Media Thickness (IMT) in RA patients was 7.76 mm (1, 04) while in control group was 6.10 mm (0.95). From 38 RA patients with less or equal 5 joints involvement in hand radiography, 13.2% had atheromatous plaques and the mean (SD) of the IMT was 7.6 (±1.1) mm. From 12 patients with more than 5 joints involvement in radiography, 91.7% had atheromatous plaques and the mean (SD) of the IMT was 8.4 (±0.7) mm. [p=0.012].Conclusions: Regarding higher prevalence of vascular problems in RA patients, screening and early diagnosis of vascular pathologies could be of value in reducing morbidity and mortality of these patients.

Background: The irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common chronic medical conditions. Various mechanisms, including altered gut flora and/or small bowel bacterial overgrowth, have been suggested to play a role in the development of gasrelated symptoms aim of study. The clinical evidence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth as an important etiology of irritable bowel syndrome continues to accumulate. Clinical symptoms of bacterial overgrowth and irritable bowel syndrome are similar; however, a definitive cause-and-effect relationship remains unproven. It is unclear whether motility dysfunction causes bacterial overgrowth or gas products of enteric bacteria affect intestinal motility in irritable bowel syndrome.Methods: In a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial consisting of treatment with bismuth subcitrate. Primary efficacy variable was subjective symptoms; frequency of abdominal pain, Number of bowel movement & Bloating/distension.Results: 119 patients were enrolled (59 bismuth subcitrate and 60 placebo recipients). At the end of phase 2, all symptom scores dropped significantly both in bismuth subcitrate and placebo group (p<0.001). There was not a significant difference in symptom relief with bismuth subcitrate versus placebo administration.Conclusions: There was not a significant difference in symptom relief with bismuth subcitrate versus placebo in IBS patients. Whether antibiotics can improve quality of life in patients with irritable bowel syndrome warrants further research.Interventions: Participants were randomly assigned to receive 120mg bismuth subcitrate four times daily for 14 days (n=59) or placebo (n=60).

Background: Coarctation of aorta is narrowing of proximal descending aorta. Interventional procedures such as balloon angioplasty & stent implantation has been progressively in use as alternatives for surgery in increasing number of children with diagnosis of coarctation of aorta. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of endovascular stent in children with coarctation of aorta.Methods: We evaluated effectiveness and safety of stenting in all patients younger than 18 years old with coarctation and re-coarctation of aorta which treated by stenting between years 2004-9 at rajaei-heart centre in Tehran, Iran.Results: we studied 53 patients younger than 18 years old with a follow up of six months. Totally 54 stents were implanted. Mean (±SD) age of the patients was 11.6±4.2 yrs. Seventeen cases (32%) were younger than 10 years old, and 36 cases (68%) were 10 years and older. Mean (±SD) weight was 39.24±18kg.16 cases weighting less than 25kg. Peak systolic pressure gradient (SPG) decreased from 46.26±17.07 to 1.03±0.19mmHg after procedure (p<0.001). There was no significant difference (p<0.001) in the gradient before and after stenting in the patients with native coarctation (Vs recoarctation cases), less than 25 kg and under 10 years old groups. Complications developed in 44% of cases while dominantly were minor except in two cases redilatation of stent was not needed during six month of follow-up of the patients.Conclusions: Stenting of coarctation of aorta can decrease complications and can be used safely in children weighing bellow 25 kg and in children below 10 yrs old.

Background: Asthma is a major health condition in Iran. This randomized clinical trial was aimed for the comparison of the effects of two exercise protocols (aerobic and aerobic-strength) on the pulmonary indices and quality of life of asthmatic patients.Methods: The study was conducted in pulmonary ward of Dr Shariati Hospital in Tehran, and Research Center of Exercise Medicine of Tehran in 2009. Fifty six asthmatic patients were selected and after two weeks of education, their spirometric parameters were recorded and the St George’s respiratory questionnaire was completed. Then patients were randomly assigned to two groups of A and B. For ten weeks group A did the aerobic-strength exercises and group B did only the aerobic ones at home. At the end, again their spirometric parameters were recorded and the questionnaire was completed. Finally 42 patients completed the study.Results: After the intervention, FEV1 and FVC but not FEV1/FVC increased in group A. There were no changes in these parameters in group B. In addition, post-intervention FEV1 and FVC were significantly higher in group A than group B. All scores of St George’s respiratory questionnaire were significantly improved in both groups but they were not different between them.Conclusions: Our findings showed that regular aerobic exercises, individually or concomitant with strength exercises, could improve vital signs and quality of life of mild to moderate asthmatic patients. However, only aerobic exercises with strength ones improve spirometric parameters. Therefore, a combination of both aerobic and strength exercises could be considered in treatment protocols of asthmatic patients.

Background: The relationship between Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and the prevalence of Renal Artery Stenosis (RAS) has been demonstrated. Despite high incidence of heart diseases and high frequency of CAD risk factors among Iranian population, this relation has not been clearly determined. This study estimated the prevalence of RAS and its determinants in Iranian angiographic candidates. We also tried to find which risk factors of atherosclerosis are associated more frequently with renal artery stenosis.Methods: In a cross-sectional study that was performed at the Tehran Heart Center, in Tehran, Iran, 146 patients who were candidate for angiography with suspected CAD were consecutively included. Selective renal angiography was performed following coronary angiography in all patients with established coronary artery stenosis and the presence and severity of RAS was evaluated.Results: Prevalence of RAS in study patients was 25.3% (men, 13.7% and women 47.1%, (p<0.001). We found that only 6.2% of the patients had bilateral R.A.S. Also, RAS³50% was found in 17.1% of patients. Regarding number of defected coronary vessels, twoand three-vessel diseases were found in 30.0% and 39.0% of participants, respectively.No significant relationship was found between the number of involved coronaries and the severity as well as side of RAS (p=0.716) Significant multivariate predictors of RAS were female gender (p=0.001), advanced age, (p=0.046) duration of hypertension (p=0.032) and baseline serum creatinine concentration (p=0.018).Conclusions: Routine angiographic assessment of renal arteries following coronary angiography is recommended especially in women as well as those with long-term duration of hypertension or renal dysfunction.

Background: Radioactive synoviorthesis by injection of safe radioisotopes into the joints affected to chronic arthritis is accounted as a novel method to treat haemophilic arthropathy. The main goal of this therapy would be decrease in frequency of hemarthrosis and consumption of coagulation factors. In this study we assessed the effect of radioactive synoviorthesis on the frequency of hemarthrosis, factor consumption and other related parameters.Methods: In an interventional study in Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran, Iran, after meeting of inclusion criteria and taking written consent, colloid 32p radiosynovectomy was performed for 56 joints with haemophilic arthropathy. After local anesthesia of injection site, one mci of 32P for large joints (knee) and 0.5 mci for small joints (ankle and elbow) was injected, respectively. Half of these doses were considered for children (age<12 years).Results: The mean of age was 16.78 year old (Range: 2.5-36, SD: 7.46) and 98.2% of cases were male. Injected were knee 80.35%, ankle 12.5%, and elbow 7%. The mean of follow-up was 43.63 months (range: 3-102) that at the end, the result was 62% decrease in frequency of hemarthrosis (p=0.0001) and 84% decrease in factor consumption (p=0.0001). However, the involvement of other (non injected) joints during follow-up could lower the decrease of mean of total factor consumption.Conclusions: Radioactive synoviorthesis can be a cost-effective alternative to decrease hemarthrosis and factor consumption in haemophilic arthropathy.

Background: Teratomas are tumors consisting of tissues derived from more than one germ cell line. Teratomas arise, most commonly in anterior mediastinum. Intrapulmonary Teratoma are among the rarest tumors encountered in pathology, in other words they are exceedingly uncommon, with only less than 100 cases documented by 1939.Case presentation: We describe a 19-year-old woman with a short history of retrosternal chest pain and non-productive cough due to a benign intrapulmonary mature teratoma originating from the right upper and middle lobes. The clinical, imagings and pathological features of this rare tumor are presented and the relevant literatures are discussed.Conclusions: Intrapulmonary teratomas are rare tumors. They originate from the third pharyngeal pouch and present as cystic lesions in the majority of cases. Histologically, benign teratomas comprise of two or three primordial layers. Patients present with chest pain, dyspnea, cough, hemoptysis and trichoptysis. Any Intrapulmonary teratoma should be resected due to its potential for malignancy and rupture.