Journal of Inflammatory Diseases
Year:2010 | Volume:14 | Issue:3 (56)|Papers Count:16

Background: Currently the ischemic heart disease (IHD) is common worldwide. Coronary angiography is gold standard for detecting coronary artery disease. Death, myocardial infarction, nausea, coronary vessels spasm, chest pain, bradyarrhythmia, hypotension, and hypertension are among the common complications occurring following angiography.Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of simultaneous administration of trinitroglycerine (TNG) and the contrast agent on early complications of angiography. Methods: This was a clinical trial carried out in Isfahan Shahid Chamran Hospital in 2005. Patients were randomly allocated to two intervention (n=111) and placebo (n=112) groups. Nausea, coronary vessels spasm, chest pain, bradyarrhythmia, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure in both intervention (TNG plus contrast agent) and placebo (distilled water plus contrast agent) groups were investigated during and after angiography.Findings: The mean age in intervention and placebo groups were 59.93± 9.14 and 59.37±10.12 years, respectively. Also, sex distribution showed no significant difference. Between TNG group and placebo group we had considering the nausea (4.5% vs 6.2%), coronary vessels spasm (0.9% vs 5.4%), chest pain (1.8% vs 6.3%), and bradyarrhythmia (7.1% vs 7.1%)  respectively, that had not any significant difference. However, the mean maximum systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly lower in TNG group compared to placebo group (p=0.001).Conclusion: Based on data obtained in the present study, except for blood pressure no benefit in simultaneous administration of TNG and the contrast agent on early complication of angiography was demonstrated. Further investigations using different dose, time tables and also selection of high risk patients are recommended. Furthermore, the late complications and mortality as well as the cost-effectiveness are the subjects deserving more attention.

Background: Lung biopsy via the bronchus (TBLB) is among the routine diagnostic procedures for pulmonary diseases and is performed using either of two different kinds of forceps: cup and alligator. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of two kinds of forceps on quality of biopsy as well as the side effects of TBLB.Methods: This was a prospective, observational and double-blind study in which four samples were biopsied from each patient via TBLB. The sample characteristics were recorded based on size, number of alveoli included, diagnostic value, and the side effects such as pneumothorax and bleeding.Findings: A total number of 44 patients and 176 biopsies were evaluated. Twenty one patients (47.7%) were males and 23 (52.3%) females. While considering the size of samples, of 88 biopsies via alligator forceps, 21.6% were small, 45.5% medium, and 33% large. Corresponding results for the cup forceps were 43.2% small, 29.5% medium, and 27.3% large. From 88 biopsies taken using alligator forceps, 18.2% were found to have diagnostic value whereas in the case of cup forceps the diagnostic value was 23.9%. While no significant pneumothorax was seen with alligator forceps it was observed in 9% of the cup forceps procedures. Significant bleeding was seen in 1% of the alligator forceps and 5.7% of the cup forceps procedures.  Conclusion: Comparing two types of forceps regarding the effect on results of TBLB, alligator forceps produced larger samples and less side effects. There was no significant difference in diagnostic value between two procedures.

Background: Systemic Lupus Erytematosus (SLE) is a chronic and relapsing disorder affecting several organs. Objective: To compare serum ferritin level between patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 60 patients with SLE (divided into two groups with low and high disease activity), 20 patients with osteoarthritis (OA), and 20 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). After having received informed consent, the blood and urine samples were collected from all patients to be tested for iron, TIBC, and serum ferritin levels and also to calculate the lupus disease activity. Patients with iron deficiency anemia were excluded. Data were analyzes by independent t- test, ANOVA, logistic regression and correlation tests. Findings: There was no significant difference between three study groups regarding the sex however, the age and duration of disease showed significant differences among 3 groups (p<0.001). High serum ferritin level was seen in 61.7% of SLE, 15% of RA, and 5% of OA patients (p<0.001). Increase in ESR levels demonstrated significant differences among study groups (p<0/001). In patients with SLE, no significant correlation between serum ferritin and the decreased serum complement level and increased anti dsDNA titer was observed. Both serum ferritin and CRP levels increased in patients with serositis (p=0.019) and neurological complication (p=0.04). Conclusion: Serum ferritin level was significantly higher in patients with SLE compared to those with OA and RA. There was no significant difference between serum ferritin level and SLE activity.

Background: Silymarin, an extract from seeds of milk thistle (Silybum marianum), is known to have hepato-protective, anticarcinogenic, antioxidant and estrogenic effects. Objective: The aim of the present study was to test the effect of silymarin on passive avoidance learning in rats.Methods: This was an experimental study carried on Wistar rats in Arak University, Iran. The animals were provided with silymarin (from day 7 of gestational age to 4 weeks after birth) at 2 doses of 180 mg/kg in the experimental group 1 (Exp1) and 90mg/kg in the experimental group 2 (Exp2) while the sham group received saline and the control group with regular food and water. The memory retention and duration of step-through latency in male offsprings was determined by passive avoidance apparatus. Neuronal density in hippocampus was established by histopathological methods. Memory and learning indices were investigated by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a p value less than 0.05 was considered as significant.Findings: Both experimental groups showed significantly longer step-through latency compared to control group (p<0.05). The average number of pyramidal cells in hippocampal CA1 and granular cells in hippocampal DG were remarkably higher in Exp1 and Exp2 groups compared to control group. The difference between Exp1 and Exp2 for pyramidal cells was found to be significant (p<0.01and p<0.05, respectively). Conclusion: Silymarin produced a significant increase in learning and memory. Also, our results indicate that silymarin is a dose dependent component. These data may lay a background for application of silybin in treatment of memory impairment diseases.

Background: The emergence of antibiotic resistance in nosocomial pathogens has become a great concern with rising reports of cases worldwide. Interestingly, the application of probiotics and their products for inhibition and bacterial replacement has been the focus of many investigations within the recent years. Objective: This study was performed to evaluate the antibacterial effect of L. casei & L. acidophilus against a number of known nosocomial bacteria in an attempt to introduce a replacement therapy. Methods: This study was carried out in bacteriology department of Shiraz Medical School in 2008. Lactobacilli strains were isolated from the local dairy (FARS) products and identified through routine microbiological methods using chemical (sugar) test. According to the results of a previous study, these two strains were tested for antibiotic resistance using disk diffusion method. Later, the supernatant of a 72-hour culture of each strain was tested for inhibitory affect on standard bacterial strains including S. aureus, E. coli, K. pneumonia, P. aeruginosa, and the spore- forming bacterium B. subtilis in two active and inactive forms.Findings: Review of the antibiotic results showed that both L.casei and L.acidophilus were resistant to all antibiotics used except the Tobramycin and Vancomycin which were demonstrated to have antibacterial activities against L.acidophilus. Additionally, when investigating the antibacterial activity of these two strains, it was revealed that except for B. subtilis, significant inhibition zones were found around the colonies of pathogenic bacteria both in active and inactive forms.Conclusion: According to the result of the present study it was demonstrated that the two strains of lactobacilli have a good resistance against the routine antibiotics although their antibacterial activity on growth of some usual nosocomial pathogens is limited in inactivated form when in conditions in which acid and H2O2 are available, they can act as good inhibitors of bacterial growth.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 30 children aged between 8-12 years old who were treated with removable orthodontic appliances and 30 healthy children in the same age range as control group were selected. One month after giving instructions on oral hygiene, samples were taken from patients’ oral mucosa. The specimens were assessed by colony formation and germ tube tests. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square test with 95% confidence to compare the study groups.Findings: There were significant differences between two groups regarding the redness, soreness, and inflammation which were more frequent in orthodontic patients (p=0.03). Colony formation was significantly higher in orthodontic patients than control group (P<0.001). In addition, germ tube was more obvious in samples of orthodontic patients than control group (P=0.045).Conclusion: Despite the practice of good oral hygiene, application of removable orthodontic appliances leads to an increase in prevalence of Candida albicans.

Background: Following a qualitative study on beliefs, traditions, and practices on children’s oral health in one of the countryside of Qazvin, it was shown that the commitment to wrong beliefs and traditions could lead to various problems associated with practice of health recommendations by villagers.Objective: To design a set of guidelines to modify the beliefs, traditions and practices of oral health in Yahya-Abad village.Methods: In this community intervention qualitative research, 50-70 persons in two main groups including mothers and teachers of primary schools participated in educational workshops. Tooth brushes, tooth pastes and dental flosses were distributed among the children and their families. During an eight-month period of continuous oral health education, the effect of this practice was evaluated through focus group discussions.     Findings: The educational program used in our study resulted in an increase in level of knowledge and skill about oral health among the study populations. Although the education program was shown to have little effect on beliefs and practices of the study group yet the majority of individuals gave up some unhealthy traditional self-treatments. The distribution of tooth brushes among children made motivation for dental care only for a short time and the teachers failed to properly perform their roles in improving the healthy behaviors of the students.Conclusion: Although increasing the knowledge of parents and teachers in promoting the degree of oral health is necessary however this alone seems to be inadequate to achieve desirable healthy behaviors.

Background: Milk is long being known to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and potentially beneficial for bone health particularly among Iranian populations where consumption of dairy production is low. Objective: The aim of this prospective study was to assess the physiological effect of milk consumption on bone mass density (BMD) and prevention of osteoporosis in adult girls.Methods: This investigation was performed on twenty non-athlete thin and obese girls.  BMD and blood parameters were measured by routine laboratory tests at the beginning and two months later. Both groups received two glasses of semi-skimmed milk (1.5% fat; 600 mg/dl calcium) three times a week for a total duration of 2 months.Findings: The study findings showed that the BMD of hip and spinal cord (L2-L4) significantly increased in both groups after 2 months (p<0.05). Conclusion: According to our data, consumption of two glasses of milk 3 times a week could remarkably increase the BMD in adult girls hence, it could be concluded that the frequent consumption of milk by both thin and obese girls can reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

Background: Low level physical activity is a risk factor for several chronic diseases and evidences suggest that the level of physical activity is decreasing. Reversing this trend depends on a behavior change by most people. However, the associations between various psychosocial determinants and physical activity are not well understood. Objective: The aim of this study was to predict the stages of change in physical activity behavior of QUMS students by Pender’s model.Method: This cross-sectional survey was carried out at Qazvin University of Medical Science in 2008. A total sample of 222 students completed a self-report questionnaire consisting of an exercise measure, constructs of health promotion model, and assessing the stages of exercise behavior change. A test-retest method was applied to determine the reliability while the Cronbach‘s Alpha used to confirm internal consistency. Face & content validity were confirmed in this study. Also, ANOVA and Path analysis were performed to determine the associations between these constructs and stage of physical activity behavior change.Findings: More than half of students were in inactive stage and exercised for 41.62 minutes a week on average. Exercise self-efficacy, perceived barriers, and perceived benefits were found to be significant predictors of the stage of exercise behavior change among medical students. Only Self-efficacy and stages of change (P<0.001) could directly predict the significant variance of physical activity while other constructs from Pander’s model indirectly influenced the physical activity behavior through mediating stages of change construct. Perceived benefits (P<0.001) directly and perceived barriers inversely (P<0.001) were predictor of stage of exercise behavior. Perceived health status could indirectly influence the stage of change via perceived benefit.Conclusion: Our results indicated that the change in stage of readiness for exercise is probably dependent on the student’s perceptions of exercise self-efficacy, benefits and barriers as well as the perceived health status to engage in physical activity. Furthermore, the results of this study made moderate support for the health promotion model constructs to predict physical activity and exercise stage of change.

Background: Venous opening is a usual but painful procedure in bedridden children. Performing anything to distract the child from thinking of pain could reduce the pain.Objective: This study was performed to determine the effect of balloon inflating on venous opening pain in 4-7 years old children.Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial in which 60 children (30 in balloon inflating group and 30 in control group) aged 4-7 years old who were referred to surgical department of Qods hospital investigated. A questionnaire including the demographic characteristics and FACES Wong-Baker pain gradation index was used to collect data. Using simple randomization, the patients were divided into two groups.  In balloon inflating group, the children were educated on how to inflate   a balloon prior to injection and later, using the pain determination tools, the severity of pain was measured at the time of venous opening. In control group, without any intervention, the venous was opened and the severity of pain determined. Data were analyzed using statistical tests including the chi square test and independent T test.Findings: The mean pain severity in balloon group was 1.60±1.42 and in control group 5.26±3.46 and the difference between two groups was significant, statistically.Conclusion: According to findings of the present study, balloon inflating is an effective, non medical, cheap and available method to reduce the pain in children when venous opening procedure is performed. Hence, it could be widely used to control and reduce the pain in children at time of therapeutic interventions. 

Background: Several researches have been conducted regarding the inequity in scientific production between the developed and developing countries. A variety of several reasons have been proposed to justify this gap among those the most important one is the inadequate development of research capabilities and infrastructures. One of these capabilities is associated with the publication of research journals or contribution to their publication as a member of editorial board.Objective:  This study was aimed to explore the share of different countries in editorial board of international public health journals in access to these opportunities for capability development as well as having an impact on the process of decision making regarding the publication of scientific papers.Methods: This paper reports a quantitative research conducted on 37 English language international journals associated with different fields of public health in 2008. A purposeful sampling method was implemented. Data were analyzed using the Excel discipline analytic software.Findings: Our data showed that there is a significant inequality between different countries in terms of contributing to international public health journals. Only 52 countries, half of which known as developed countries, were demonstrated to have the opportunity as a member of editorial board to influence the decision making process regarding the publication of a piece of research. The USA was found to have the highest share in occupying the different positions in editorial board of these journals. However, the share of developing countries was shown to be little. Considering the ratio of opportunities to the population size of countries, a wider gap associated with the distribution of inequality was revealed.Conclusion: Filling the gap between the developed and developing countries regarding the health and education requires a serious move towards providing the equity in access to capability development in health research.

Background: Cancer as a chronic disease with special treatment such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery can affect patients both psychologically and physiologically complicating all aspects of patients' life. Thus, assessing the patients’ quality of life for better care planning is of prime priority.    Objective: To determine the level of quality of life in cancer patients considering the physiological, psychological, environmental, and social relation domains.Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive analytical study performed on 63 patients with cancer who were referred to oncology clinic of Kosar hospital in Qazvin during 2007. The patients were interviewed by the researchers using the Persian version of the world health organization quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire. Analysis of data were carried out using SPSS and descriptive statistics including the chi-square test, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient and regression.Finding: Of total 63 patients, 41.3% were males and 58.7% females among those 33 between 40-60 year with 42 having an income of not more than $250 per month. Most patients (46%) were treated by surgical measures and chemotherapy and 93.7% with no knowledge about cancer. Among patients, 60.4% in physiological domain, 55.5% in psychological domain, and 66.7% in environmental health domain showed low and moderate levels of quality of life. In social domain, 71.5% were found to have high level quality of life. Also, the study demonstrated that there was a correlation between the patients' quality of life in physiological domain and the number of children while the duration of treatment was found to influence the other domains of quality of life.Conclusion: Considering the data of the present study, most patients were middle age, with low income, and unaware of their needs. Regarding the environmental health, psychological, and physiological domains, the patients were found to have low and moderate levels of quality of life. Hence, the serious intervention by physicians, nurses, and health politician towards improving the patients’ quality of life is of prime necessity.