Correlation of obesity with cardiometabolic status among medical university employees in southeast of Iran

Background: Employees are considered as an at-risk group for obesity and its adverse outcomes, particularly cardiovascular diseases [CVD]. The present study was conducted to assess the correlation of obesity indices with CVD risk factors among a group of medical university employees in Zahedan city, southeast of Iran

Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 211 healthy employees of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences during October 2015. Obesity indices including body mass index [BMI], waist circumference [WC], waist to hip ratio [WHpR], and waist to height ratio [WHtR] were measured in accordance to the standard criteria. Fasting blood glucose [FBG], blood lipids, and blood pressure were also measured

Results: Women had significantly higher values of weight, WC, WHpR, and FBG than men [P < 0.05]. Bivariate analysis showed that those with BMI, WC, or WHtR higher than the cut-off-point levels had significantly higher serum levels of blood parameters and blood pressure compared to normal participants, respectively. BMI and WC had significant positive correlation with all parameters except with high density lipoprotein-cholesterol; these correlations were slightly stronger for WC compared to BMI. However, the correlation of WHpR and WHtR with metabolic parameters was weak

Conclusions: BMI and WC had an almost moderate correlation with CVD risk factors among the participants. Therefore, using WC along with BMI is suggested as the preferred method for assessment of CVD risk factors

Helicobacter pylori infection in relation to anthropometric indices among young population in Iran

Background: Previous researches reported inconclusive findings on the interaction of Helicobacter pylori [H.pylori] infection with body indices, although, most of these studies used body mass index [BMI] to assess such an association. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of H.pylori seropositivity with anthropometric indices as well as blood pressure [BP] among a group of young population in Zahedan, a city in south-east of Iran

Methods: A total of 363 undergraduate students participated in this cross-sectional study, in 2014. Serum IgG antibodies against H.pylori were measured and the cut-off level of antibody titers more than or equal to 20 was considered as H.pylori positive. Anthropometric indices and BP were measured using standard protocols

Results: Data analysis indicated that H.pylori seropositivity was equal to 45.7%. H.pylori positive participants had significantly lower mean values of BMI [P = 0.01], waist circumference [WC], and waist to height ratio [WHtR] which was marginally significant [P = 0.05] compared to H.pylori negative participants. No significant differences were found in waist to hip ratio [WHpR], as well as systolic blood pressure [SBP] and diastolic blood pressure [DBP] between the two groups. Although, after adjustment for confounding factors, higher values of BMI [OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.003-3.2] and WHtR [OR = 1.04, 95% CI = 1.001-2.71] were positively correlated with higher odds of H.pylori positivity

Conclusions: H.pylori positivity was correlated with higher BMI and WHtR after adjusting for other variables, but no correlation was observed for WC, WHpR, or BP among a group of young undergraduate students in south-east of Iran

Microscopic Enteritis; clinical features and correlations with symptoms

To assess the clinical characteristic of CD as well as correlation of symptoms and the degrees of intestinal mucosal lesions in Iranian children. Microscopic Enteritis [Marsh 0-II] is associated with malabsorption. From August 2005 to September 2009, 111 cases with malabsorption and classical gastrointestinal symptoms were evaluated. The mean [ +/- SD] age of children with CD was 4.9 +/- 3.5 years [range, 6 month-16 years] and the mean duration of symptoms was 8 +/- 20.5 months. 50 cases [45%] were female and 61 cases [55%] were male. The most common clinical presentation was failure to thrive in 72%, chronic diarrhea in 65.8% and Iron deficiency anemia in 59.5%. Sensitivity of EMA was 100% in patients with Marsh IIIb and Marsh IIIc. EMA was also positive in 77% of cases with Marsh 0, 18% in Marsh I, 44% in Marsh II and 81.8% in patients with Marsh IIIa. Histopathology did not reflect the severity of gluten sensitivity. This would suggest that the degree of intestinal mucosal damage might not be a reliable prognostic factor. Significant symptoms can be present with minor histological change on biopsy

Determination of hepatitis C genotypes and the viral titer distribution in children and adolescents with major thalassemia

Hepatitis C virus [HCV] is an etiological agent responsible for occurrence of post-transfusion hepatitis in thalassemic patients. This study identified hepatitis C genotypes in pediatric and adolescent thalassemic patients and their correlation with age, blood transfusion, HCV RNA viral titer and liver function. This study considers cross-sectional data from the Center for Thalassemia in Zahedan [Iran] carried out between August 2005 and September 2007, Twenty multitransfused patients suffering from p-thalassemia major and chronic HCV infection [13 males, 7 females] were included in the study, Patients were considered eligible for the study if they were seropositive for HCV RNA polymerase chain reaction [PCR] before initiation of evaluation. Blood sample was taken for HCV genotype and viral titer as well as biochemical markers. Type specific primer and real-time RT-PCR HCV were used for determination of viral genotype and HCV-RNA titer. There was a significant positive correlation between serum HCV RNA titer and genotypes [P<0001]. Serum HCV RNA levels were found higher in genotype 3a than in others. The most prevalent genotype in thalassemic patients was genotype 3a [40%] followed by 1b [25%], unclassified [20%] and 1a [15%]. There was no meaningful relationship between genotype, Alanine aminotranferease, ferritin and alkaline phosphatase. Age, serum HCV RNA titer and number of transfusions were the only significant factors associated with genotypes [P<015, P<0.0001 and P<0.001 respectively]. This study showed that HCV genotype and viral titer are related to the number of blood transfusions received by thalassemic patients. Screening donated blood in blood banks would prevent the occurrence of hepatitis C in this high-risk group

Recurrent abdominal pain: an etiological study among in a referreal children's medical center in Iran

Recurrent abdominal pain [RAP] affects a significant number of children each year. It can be defined as experience of at least three episodes of pain, severe enough to affect activities, over a period of three months. The purpose of this study was to determine the organic and non-organic causes of RAP. Also, evaluate different variables of RAP such as age, sex, location and duration of pain, accompanying symptoms and stressful life events in two groups. During one year period from October 2003 to September 2004, 70 children [aged 4-12 years], were investigated in a referral Children's Center in Tehran. All patients underwent a thorough interview and complete physical examination and an initial sample of blood, urine, and stool evaluation. If any evidence of alarm symptoms [such as vomiting and night pain] were observed, additional studies were performed including abdominal ultrasonography, radiography, and/ or upper gastrointestinal Endoscopy. An organic cause was found in 21 [30%] patients and non-organic cause was identified in 49 [70%] cases. Main observations in non-organic groups were: more periumblical pain location, positive history for stressful life events in child and their family. Also, gastrointestinal problems were the most common organic causes in 60% of children. Other organic causes were urinary tract infections 10%, kidney stone 10%, cholelitiasis [5%], Giardiasis [15%], and abdominal migraine [5%]. Endoscopy seems to be a safe and reliable method in diagnosis of a number of organic lesions otherwise not detected by ordinary investigations. Our data suggest that among the children with RAP, non-organic causes are more commons [70%] than organic causes [30%]. This study showed that in spite of accessing to better instruments in medical sciences in recent decades, the percentage of nonorganic RAP in children is still high