Journal of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences
Year:2003 | Volume:5 | Issue:1|Papers Count:15

Trichomonas vaginalis is the most prevalent nonviral sexually transmitted disease in the world. Traditionally physicians make the diagnosis based on clinical grounds. Characteristics of the vaginal discharge, including color combination is not sufficient to diagnose trichomonas vaginalis infection reliably and laboratory diagnosis is necessary. In this study, a PCR targeting the beta-tubulin genes of the trichomonas vaginalis was developed for the detection of the organism in the vaginal swab samples. A vaginal swab specimen was obtained from 24 women visiting the women clinic of Shahid-Beheshti hospital of the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Each specimen was divided into two sections. One section was immediately examined by wet preparation microscopy test and the other section was placed in phosphate-buffered saline and transferred to biotechnology laboratory of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, and the resulting suspension was used for a PCR reaction, specific for the trichomonas vaginalis The specificity of PCR method is similar to wet preparation. But the clinical observation is not sensitive enough to be used alone for diagnosing the parasite.24 samples were divided into two groups of 8 and 16 samples. The first group was examined by wet preparation microscopy and PCR tests. The second group was analyzed by clinical observation and PCR test.Specimens that were obtained from the first group had a positive test for both wet preparation and PCR test. In the second group, from the 16 specimens that were analyzed, 6 and 8 samples showed positive results with PCR and clinical observation, respectively. The results of this study indicate the high specificity of PCR method in detecting trichomonas vaginalis. The specificity of PCR method is similar to wet preparation. But the clinical observation is not sensitive enough to be used alone for diagnosing the parasite.

The aim of this quasiexperimental study was to find the effect of mother position during labor on duration of active and second phases of labor and apgar score of infants. The sample consisted of 100 nulliparous women at term, having singleton infant, cephalic presentation and no CPD. The sample was divided into two groups. The first group was in lateral position and the second group was in upright position. Data was collected by filling a questionnaire and a checklist. The results showed that there was a significant difference in duration of active phase of labor but there were no significant differences in duration of second stage of labor and apgar score of infants between two groups.

Postoperative pain is one of the main problems of surgical patients. Because of prostaglandins effects on pain, this study was performed to evaluate the preoperation i.s. injection of betamethasone on the postoperation pain. Sixty-six patients with grade III hemorrhoid was divided to case (n=33) and control (n=33) groups. Intramuscular betamethasone was injected in case patients before operation. The pain was quantified using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at the first, second, third and fourth postoperation hours as well as at the discharge time.Mean age of patients was 37.4± 8.26 years. The VAS was significantly lower in the case group (P<0.05), except for the first hour. There was no defference between males and femal. Also there was a positive correlation between age and VAS (P<0.05). Nausea occurrence was 21.2% in the case and 42.2% in the control patients (P=0.03).Our findings suggest the positive effect the positive effects of betamethasone for postoperative pain.

Murine natural cytotoxicity mediated by NC-1.1 and NC-2 receptors are a major component of the innate immune response to cancer. Treatment with anti-NC-2 and anti-NC-1.1 monoclonal antibodies resulted in enhanced growth of certain transplantable tumors. Therefore agents that enhance natural cytotoxicity could be used as anticancer drugs. We examined the immunomodulatory effect of levamisole on natural cytotoxicity mediated by NC-2+ cells against the BALB/c WEHI-164 murine fibrosarcoma. Administration of levamisole to BALB/c mice significantly enhanced in vitro splenic natural cytoxicity against 51Crlabeled WEHI-164 tumor cells. The effect was most marked 48 hours after levamisole treatment with a dose of 10 mg/kg. This enhancement of natural cytotoxicity by levamisole could be completely abrogated by pretreatment of BALB/c mice with anti-NC-2, indicating that the anti-tumor effect of levamisole was mediated, at least partly, via NC-2+cells.

Head trauma is one of the main causes of disabilities and death, especially below the age of 24 years. The aim of this study was to find the effect of barbiturate coma on prognosis of head injury patient by Glassco coma scale<8. This quasi-experimental clinical trial was performed on 34 patients with a GCS<8 in intensive care unit of Shahrekord Ayatollah Kashani hospital. These patients received 2mg/Kg/h intravenous infusion of thiopental for 48 hours with mechanical ventilation. Patients evaluated with or without operation by Glassco outcome scale (GOS). Then results of this study was compared whit other studies by relative risk method.Undesirable outcome relative risk of nonoperated patients was 0.69 and of operated patient was 0.59 that confirmed the desirable effect of thiopental infusion on head injured patients' outcome.

Due to adverse effects of synthetic drugs, and high tendency towards using herbal drugs, we studied the effects of anethum (a herbal drug, introduced recently as a lipid-lowering agent) on blood triglyceride, cholesterol and lipoproteins in comparison to gemfibrozil. Their adverse effects were also compared. 77 hyperlipidemic volunteer patients were randomly divided into two groups. Patients in group A received 900 mg/day gemfibrozil and in groups B received 6 tablets/day anethum. After two months of treatment, blood lipids of each group were checked and compared with pretreatment blood lipids and those of the next group.Anethum lowered cholesterol total by 18% and triglyceride by 7.38% with no effect on high density lipoproteins (HDL). Gemfibrozil lowered cholesterol total by 9.41% and triglyceride by 32.7%. It increased HDL level by 3.91%. Gemfibrozil lowered triglyceride more than anethum (p<0.05). Patients in anethum group had gastrointestinal disturbances. We concluded that anethum may be beneficial for hypercholestrolemic patients.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is an important cause of acute and chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatic carcinoma. At present, the only safe preventive method is vaccination. The aim of this study was to find the efficacy of vaccination by determining the immunogenecity of complete hepatitis B vaccine in highrisk group, health care workers, and to determine the correlation between antibody amount and other variables including age, gender, smoking, weight, time passed from the last vaccination as well as contact with HBs- Ag positive individuals. This study was performed on 314 health care workers received the last dose of complete hepatitis vaccine 0-5 years ago, in Kashani and Hajar hospitals of Shahrekord, as well as Borujen and Farsan hospitals during spring 2001. After interview and filling a questionnaire, the titer of Anti-HBs antibody in each blood sample was determined.The results showed that, out of 314 cases, 43 (13.7%) had no protective antibody (Anti HBs< 10 miu/ml) 119 (37.9%) had relative protection (10 miu/ml< Anti-HBs <100 miu/ml).There was no significant correlation between antibody level and weight, time passed from the last vaccination as well as contact with HBs- Ag positive person. Antibody level was higher in nonsmokers. With increase of age, level of antibody decreased.High titers persons (>100) do not need revaccination, while individuals with negative level (<10) should repeat the vaccination and the intermediate group needs to receive a single booster dose of vaccine.

Abnormalities caused by alcohol are very extensive and are called fetal alcoholic syndrome (FAS). There are some hypotheses about pathological mechanisms of alcohol. Based on one of the recent hypotheses, alcohol consumption can change maternal and fetal prostaglandin levels. On the other hand aspirin is a strong prostaglandin inhibitor and there are reports showing that simultaneous administration of alcohol and aspirin decreased the limbs and kidney abnormalities in mice offsprings. Others showed that aspirin had no inhibition on alcohol adverse effects. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of aspirin on teratogenic characteristic of alcohol in limb morphogenesis of mouse embryo 135 male and female mice (1 male for 3 females) were randomly divided into 5 groups. After vaginal plaque observation on the 8th day of gestation, controls received nothing while other groups received physiological serum, alcohol, aspirin and a combination of alcohol and aspirin respectively by intraperitoneal injection. On the 18th day of gestation animals were killed by cervical dislocation and embryos were observed for anomalies of the upper and lower limbs.Our results showed that limbs had lower height and weight and more anomalies in alcohol and aspirin group compared to the alcohol alone group.Thus administration of aspirin with alcohol does not decrease the rate of limb abnormalities and factors other than prostaglandin might involve in limb abnormalities.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is chronic bowel symptoms with pain and change of defecation habit without any known structural cause. It is more common among women. We studied the prevalence of IBS among 2675 females (aged 20-90 years) selected by proportional cluster random sampling form Shahrekord residents. Based on Rome II criteria the prevalence of reported symptoms were as follows: relief of abdominal pain by defecation in 225 persons (8.5%), abdominal pain associated with changes in frequency of bowel habits in 177 persons, (6.7%) and change of stool consistency in 177 persons, (6.7%). Prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome based on Rome II criteria among women in Shahrekord was 5.6%.Our study showed that IBS symptoms, even though highly prevalent, were less frequent than western countries. Prevalence of IBS in our region seems to be similar to other Asian countries such as Hong- Kong.