ABSTRACT
Background: Coronary artery disease is considered as the most important cause of death. Infection is regarded as risk factor of coronary artery disease as it could accelerate the development of atherosclerosis process through formation of inflammation. However, studies on Helicobacter pylori infection have produced contradictory results
Objective: To investigate the coexistence of H. pylori infection and coronary artery diseases among patients in the city of Qazvin [Iran] during 2004-2005
Methods: This was a case-control clinical trial carried out on a total of 80 individuals including 40 patients with coronary artery diseases [case group] and 40 patients without coronary artery diseases [control group] who were randomly selected for the study. All patients were tested for urease breath test and the data were analyzed statistically using SPSS 15 and the Fisher's exact test
Findings: Positive results for urease breath test were observed in 80% and 45% of case and control groups, respectively [P=0.005]. Among married members of the case group, 39.4% of partners were also found to be positive for urease breath test whereas in partners of patients in control group it was 5.2%. The prevalence of H. pylori in partners of case and control groups was 83.3% and 38.46%, respectively. The difference in prevalence of H. pylori infection between the partners of both groups was found to be significant, statistically [P=0.0032]
Conclusion: Considering the significantly higher prevalence of coexistence of coronary artery diseases and H. pylori infection in partners, it could be concluded that H. pylori may play a role as a transmissible risk factor of coronary artery diseases among people
ABSTRACT
Systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE] is a disease with life-threatening complications. Since evidence indicates that measurement of triglyceride [TG] and HDL levels and tumor necrosis alpha factor [TNF- alpha] and its types I and II soluble receptors plays a major role in evaluation of lupus activity, this study was conducted to investigate the relationship between the above mentioned factors and lupus activity in Tehran in 2005. In this cross-sectional study fasting blood samples were obtained from 86 SLE patients who had been entered into the study through convenient sampling and the disease activity was calculated using the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index [SLEDAI]. Scores >/= 6 were considered as active lupus and <6 as dormant lupus. Serum levels of TNF- alpha, sTNFR[1] and sTNFR[2] were measured through ELISA [Bender Medsystem] and blood TG and HDL through routine biochemical tests within 12 hours overnight fasting. The results were analysed by t-test, Mann-Whitney and Pearson correlation tests. 46 people [53.5%] suffered from dormant disease and 40 people [46.5%] from active disease. TG level had significant relationship with disease activity, sTNFR[2] [P=0.001] and TNF-alpha [P=0/01], while HDL level had inverse significant relationship with SLEDAI [P=0.007], TNF [P=0.01], STNFR1 [P=0.001]. There was no significant relation between TG and HDL with STNFR2. Multiple linear analysis of regression showed that three variables [TG, sTNFR[1] and sTNFR[2]] are maintained in the model for prognosis of the disease while TNF-alpha and HDL are omitted. Dislipoproteinemia [elevated TG and reduced HDL] correlates with SLE activity following an increase in TNF-alpha and its soluble receptors. Thus, serum levels of TG, HDL and TNF-alpha and its soluble receptors are connected with lupus activity and are valuable markers for the disease activity
ABSTRACT
The natural history of ocular lesions in Behcet's disease is toward severe loss of vision/blindness in few years, whereas cytotoxic drugs have changed the outcome. Several open labeled cohort studies showed pulse cyclophosphamide [PCP] to be the best choice. Since one third of these patients are resistant to PCP it is important to know how much improve ment one can expect from the responders. To address this question, we selected patients who improved or maintained their baseline visual acuity after treatment. From a cohort of 528 patients [1056 eyes], 753 eyes were selected. At the beginning of the study PCP was given for one month as 0.75 to 1 g in perfusion, and then followed every 2 to 3 months. Prednisolone was also given as 0.5 mg/kg/daily and then tapered upon controlling inflammation. The mean +/- SD number of pulses was 11.5 +/- 8.5/month with follow-up of 20.6 +/- 19.8 months. Different disease activity indices such as visual acuity, posterior uveitis, retinal vasculitis, total inflammatory activity index [TIAI], total adjusted disease activity index [TADAI] were calculated at baseline and at last evaluation. The mean visual acuity improved from 2.4 to 4.4. The mean indices for posterior uveitis, retinal vasculitis, TIAI and TADAI improved from 2.2 to 1, 2.7 to 1.4, 19.3 to 9, and 27.2 to 20.5 respectively. The P value was less than 0.001 for all comparisons. Pulse cyclophosphamide is able to improve ocular lesions of Behcet's disease; therefore it may be used as a first choice, especially in retinal vasculitis