Journal of Isfahan Medical School
Year:2011 | Volume:29 | Issue:154|Papers Count:6

Background: Helicobacter pylori is the most common microorganism which colonizes in gastrointestinal system. There are different methods for diagnosis of infection such as rapid stool antigen, urea breath and serology tests. The purpose of this study was comparing the cost and effectiveness of these methods.Methods: 94 dyspeptic patients with mean age of 46 ± 14 years, were evaluated. The patients were considered infected when the results of 2 tests (rapid stool antigen test, urea breath test, rapid urease test and histology) was positive.Findings: Accuracy of rapid stool antigen test was 91%, urea breath test was 82% and serology was 52%.Conclusion: As the cost of stool antigen test was minimum, it is concluded that rapid stool antigen test is more cost-benefit, accurate and reliable test for diagnosis of helicobacter pylori compared with urea breath test and serology.

Background: Epidural anesthesia is one of the most common anesthesia methods, in surgical procedures.Since there is not any exact information about the spread of local anesthetic substances in epidural area, in this study we evaluated the distribution of Bupivacaine in epidural anesthesia.Methods: After giving necessary information and signing the permission form, 24 patient candidates for elective cholecystectomy were enrolled in the study. They were selected by simple probable method.Before the surgery in sitting position by aseptic technique 8 CC bupivacaine plus 1 CC magnevist (as contrast) injected to the epidural space. Then patient transferred to the MRI room and images prepared by MRI studied by the radiologist. Heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure were measured at the injection time and 5 and 10 minute later.Findings: Among 24 patients (15 women and 9 men) we recognized that the mean distribution of applied medications in men and women were 4.8 and 5.5 level respectivly (P<0.05). There was not any relationship between local anesthetic distribution with age and weight. Height and body mass index had a significant convert correlation with the distribution of bupivacaine. Heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure were significantly decreased in studied times.Conclusion: We found that the distribution of bupivacaine among men are less than women. The distribution of bupivacaine in cephalad direction was more than codal direction.

Background: Interferon b (IFN- b) has been proved as an effective treatment for relapsing-remitting type of multiple sclerosis (MS), however not all patients respond to this treatment. The aims of the present study were to assess the changes in number and volume of demyelinating plaques on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as surrogate markers for response to IFN-b treatment in patients with relapsing-remitting MS after one year of follow-up.Methods: 41 patients with relapsing-remitting MS were recruited and IFN b-1-a treatment was started for them. Brain MRI were obtained at baseline and after one year of treatment. The number of plaques (NP) and volume of plaques (VP) were determined. The criterion for response to treatment on MRI was defined as 50% decrease in mean NP or VP.Findings: There was a significant decrease in the NP and VP after treatment (P<0.001). The cut-off point defined for analyzing the data was 50% decrease in mean NP or VP. The specificity of NP and VP as two criteria was the same and equals to 100%. The sensitivity of the NP was 65.5% and that for VP was 90.6%. Furthermore, if the cut-off point for the NP is set at 10%, the sensitivity of NP as a criterion will be the same as that of VP (90.6%).Conclusion: These data suggest that both the NP and VP could be two reliable imaging criteria for the assessment of response to treatment on MRI. However, the VP was more accurate than the NP.

Background: Over recent decades, daily sleep duration even in children has decreased. However, sleep duration in children as an important factor in their lifestyle is usually ignored. Most of the previous studies have used subjective methods for measuring sleep pattern, which do not provide accurate estimates of the sleep quality and quantity.Methods: Using objective method in 2009, we conducted a cross- sectional study to assess the sleep pattern of 270 (151 girls, 119 boys) primary school children aged 6-9 years living in 12 districts of Tehran, Iran. The ActiGraph GT3X (Pensacola, Florida, USA) activity monitor and a self-reported questionnaire filled out by the children’ parents were used to provide information regarding sleep pattern.Findings: The average sleep duration of children was 524 minutes. The onset of their sleep was around 11.23 pm and morning rising time was 08.02 am. The mean sleep quality of children was 83.2% and girls had better sleep quality during week (P=0.003) and weekday (P=0.001) compared to boys. There was a significantly negative relationships between age and sleep duration (P=0.003), while the association between age and the onset of sleep was positive (P=0.001).Conclusion: Our findings indicate that sleep duration and quality of the children who took part in this study were less than the normal standard recommended. In addition, the average of sleep onset in the children was too late. The pattern of older children need more consideration as the results of our study show that the older children had less sleep duration and earlier wake up time compared to the younger ones. Further studies using objective methods are required to explore the association between duration, quality, onset and wake up time of sleep and the development of mental health, physical health, and cognitive outcomes in children.

Background: Recent investigations in colon cancer biology suggest that cancer growth is driven by colon cancer stem cells (CSCs). CSCs are responsible for tumor initiation, maintenance, spreading and relapse. The aim of this study was to isolate and propagate tumorigenic colon CSCs in vitro.Methods: Tumor samples from colon cancers were subjected to mechanical and enzymatic disassociation.After passing of tumor cell suspensions through the cell strainers, tumor cells were counted and their viability was determined. Then tumor cells were plated in the special stem cells medium (contains serum-free DMEM/F12 supplemented by growth factors). Tumor cells growth was evaluated by inverted microscope.Findings: After about 3 weeks of plating in specific medium, colon CSCs were appeared as cell spheres whereas differentiated tumor cells and nonmalaginent cells were unable to grow. Colon cancer spheres were able to propagated and passaged in the specific stem cells medium.Conclusion: Isolation and propagation of tumorigenic colon CSCs in vitro would help to devise novel diagnostic and therapeutic methods. Isolated colon CSCs can be applied for the studying of cell signaling and assessment of the effect of anti-cancer drugs.