Journal of Isfahan Medical School
Year:2019 | Volume:37 | Issue:527|Papers Count:5

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of obstructive pulmonary disease characterized by chronic airway blockage. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of Haemophilus influenzae in patients with COPD using molecular method. Methods: A total of 100 samples of respiratory secretion were collected from patients with COPD. The molecular identification of Haemophilus influenza was performed using specific primers against standard kits by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Findings: Haemophilus influenzae bacteria were positive in 10 out of 100 patients, and 8 of 100 were positive in PCR using specific primers. Conclusion: Nucleic acid-like PCR tests, due to their sensitivity, high accuracy, and time saving, are the appropriate method for diagnosis of Haemophilus influenzae in patients with chronic pulmonary obstruction.

Background: During surgery, the surgery team is in contact with infectious and pathogenic microorganisms. Surgical gloves prevent the transmission of contamination between surgical team members and the patient, which is more important in orthopedic surgeries due to the presence of sharp and winning devices. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of damage of surgical gloves, and identify the factors involved in these damages in orthopedic surgeries. Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 384 surgical gloves (192 pairs) used in surgical procedures for palpation of the hands and feet were selected via simple sampling method. To determine the degree of damage of surgical gloves, a water leak test was used. The data-gathering tool was a researcher-made checklist. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used to analyze the data via SPSS software. Findings: The frequency of damage to surgical gloves was 26. 8% (103/384). The frequency of damages was 18. 8% (36/192) in hand surgeries, and 34. 9% (67/192) in foot plating. 33. 3% of gloves in hand surgeries and 34. 3% in foot surgical procedures had hidden damage. The most common cause of obvious damage to surgical gloves was contact with thick and bone tissues during the procedure. Conclusion: Considering the high rate of gloves damages in orthopedic plating surgery, replacement of gloves during surgery can reduce the transmission of contamination among surgical team members and patients. Considering that the most common cause of damage in surgical gloves was thick and bony tissues, more cautious is suggested during surgical treatment of these tissues.

Background: Attentions have recently been paid to the effects of contact with lead (Pb) and blood lead levels (BLL) on prenatal complications. Given the high prevalence of preterm labor and its following neonatal complications, this study aimed to evaluate the BLL in pregnant mothers and its relation with preterm labor. Methods: Throughout a cross-sectional analytical descriptive study, 63 women with preterm labor and 63 cases with term labor participated. A blood sample was obtained from each mother by the same nurse and BLLs were compared between the two groups. Other collected data included mother’ s age and sex, and neonates’ head circumference, height, and weight. Findings: Newborns in term and preterm groups weighed 2009. 80 ± 70. 1 and 3239. 44 ± 35. 80 grams respectively; their mean height was 50. 46 ± 0. 10 and 44. 00 ± 0. 40 cm, and their mean head circumference was 34. 47 ± 0. 1 and 31. 49 ± 0. 30 cm, respectively. The mean BLL of mothers in term and preterm newborns was 2. 05 ± 0. 10 and 3. 01 ± 0. 1 μ g/dl, respectively (P = 0. 04). Conclusion: BLL in mothers with preterm labor was significantly higher than in mothers with preterm labor.

Background: Genetic variants affect the expression of microRNAs (miRNA) resulted in changes in the expression levels of the miRNA target genes that may lead to the increased risk of cancer. The aim of the current study was to investigate the association between the common single-nucleotide gene polymorphism T < C (rs11614913) in MIR196A2 and the risk of developing prostate cancer (PCa) in Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari Province, Iran. Methods: In this case-control study, 99 patients were enrolled in the case group and 100 healthy controls in the control group. From all participants, 5 ml venous blood sample was collected and DNA was extracted by phenol-chloroform extraction. Specific primers were designed for rs11614913 polymorphism, and this polymorphism was genotyped using High Resolution Melt (HRM) analysis. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for the genotypes was tested by chi-squared test. The association between different genotypes and the risk of prostate cancer was investigated by logistic regression analysis. Findings: Among 99 patients, 68 had prostate cancer and 31 had benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Logistic regression analysis showed that those cases with CC genotype had a higher risk of developing prostate cancer [Odds ratio (OR) = 1. 08] than T (TT+CT) carriers. Allele frequency analysis revealed that the C allele increased the risk of developing prostate cancer and BPH 1. 3 more than T allele. Conclusion: The C allele in rs11614913 polymorphism increases the risk of prostate cancer. Because this polymorphism is present in MIR196A2 gene, evaluation of expression of the miRNA gene and its target genes in patients with prostate cancer could be valuable.

Background: Sleep is one of the important physiologic needs in daily life cycle, and a part of quality of life. To design health promotion interventions, we assessed the relationship of sleep quality with job ability. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the staffs of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran, selected by simple random sampling method, filled the validated questionnaires of Pittsburgh sleep quality (PSQI) and work ability index (WAI). The first included questions about sleep latency, duration, and efficiency, use of sleeping medication, and daytime dysfunction. The second included physical and mental abilities, diseases, job losses, prognosis of work ability for 2 years, etc. The answers were summated; the scores less than 5 in PSQI showed optimal quality of sleep, and more than 5 showed undesirable quality of sleep. Findings: 120 employees with mean age of 42. 28 ± 7. 27 years were enrolled. The WAI was high, good, and moderate in 27. 8, 41. 0, and 31. 2 percent of men, and in 28. 5, 49. 5, and 22. 0 percent of women, respectively. The mean score of PSQI was 4. 36 ± 2. 38. WAI had significant relation with quality of sleep, and the quality of sleep had relation with age. There was not any significant relation between sex, site of work, and marital status with sleep quality and work ability. Conclusion: Sleep quality was relatively low in the staffs, and affected their work abilities; maybe both were established under other causes. However, more researches on causes of low sleep quality, and interventions by time, duration, and relaxation for prevention and treatment of it are suggested.