Association of ABCB1 [C3435T] and ABCC1 [G2012T] polymorphisms with clinical response to atorvastatin in Iranian patients with primary hyperlipidemia

Background: Atorvastatin is prescribed for the primary and the secondary prevention of coronary artery diseases. A wide variation in inter-individual statin response suggests that genetic differences may contribute to this variation. This study investigated the association of ABCB1 [C3435T] and ABCC1 [G2012T] polymorphisms with clinical response to atorvastatin in Iranian primary hyperlipidemic patients

Methods: Individuals [n=179] with primary hypercholesterolemia were enrolled, and peripheral blood samples were collected. Genotyping of two polymorphisms were performed by amplification refractory mutation system PCR

Results: Following four weeks of treatment, a significant reduction of LDL-C was observed in variant groups [CT+TT] of ABCB1 [P=0.018] and wild-type group [GG] of ABCC1 genes [P=0.029]. Logistic regression analysis revealed a significant difference between male and female responses to 10 mg/day atorvastatin [P=0.004, odds ratio=0.2, CI 95%=0.06-0.6]

Conclusion: Our finding indicated that these polymorphisms may be attributed to LDL-C serum levels in the primary hypercholesterolemia patients receiving atorvastatin

Inhibition of AGS cancer cell proliferation following siRNA-mediated downregulation of VEGFR2

Objective: vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] and VEGF receptors [VEGFRs] play important roles in angiogenesis of different developmental mechanisms such as wound healing, embryogenesis and diseases, including different types of cancer. VEGFR2 is associated with cell proliferation, migration, and vascular permeability of endothelial cells. Blocking VEGF and its receptors is suggested as a therapeutic approach to prevent tumor growth. In this study, we aim to block VEGF signaling via small interfering RNA [siRNA] inhibition of VEGFR2

Materials and Methods: in this experimental study, we used the RNA interference [RNAi] mechanism to suppress expression of the VEGFR2 gene. We conducted the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide [MTT] assay, real-time polymerase chain reaction [PCR], Western blot, and flow cytometry analyses of VEGFR2 expression

Results: real-time PCR and Western blot results showed that VEGFR2 expression significantly downregulated. This suppression was followed by inhibition of cell proliferation, reduction of viability, and induction of apoptosis in the cancer cells

Conclusion: these findings suggest that VEGFR2 has a role in cell proliferation and tumor growth. Accordingly, it is suggested that VEGFR2 can be a therapeutic target for controlling tumor growth and proliferation

simple, inexpensive and safe method for DNA extraction of frigid and clotted blood samples

Extraction of blood genomic DNA is one of the main approaches for clinical and molecular biology studies. Although several methods have been developed for extraction of blood genomic DNA, most of these methods consume long time and use expensive chemicals such as proteinase K and toxic organic solvent such as phenol and chloroform. The objective of this study was to developed easy and safe method for DNA extraction from clotted and frozen whole blood. This method has many advantages: time reducing, using inexpensive materials, without phenol and chloroform, achieving of high molecular weight and good quality genomic DNA. DNA extraction was performed by two methods [new and phenol-chloroform method]. Then quantity and quality parameters were evaluated by 1% agarose gel electrophoresis, Nano drop analysis and efficiency of Polymerase Chain Reaction [PCR]. Extracted DNA from 500?L of blood samples were 457.7ng/microl and 212ng/microL and their purity [OD260/OD280] were 1.8 and 1.81 for new recommended and phenol-chloroform methods respectively. The PCR results indicated that D16S539 and CSF1PO loci were amplified. These results shown that this method is simple, fast, safe and most economical

[Effect of thickness of zirconia core on marginal adaptation of all-ceramic restorations]

Marginal adaptation is important for long-term success of full-coverage restorations. Thickness of core is one of the important factors influencing the marginal integrity. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different thicknesses of zirconia core on marginal adaptation of all-ceramic restorations. In this single blind in vitro study, a standard brass die 7 mm in length and 5 mm in diameter was prepared with a classic chamfer finish line with 0.8 mm depth and 10 degrees of wall taper. Copings were made using the CAD / CAM system. We had three groups of 10 samples each. Group 1 with a zirconia thickness of 3.0 mm, group 2 with a thickness of 0.5 mm and group 3 with a thickness of 0.7 mm. Copings were then placed on the die and randomly numbered. The vertical gap in the margin was measured at 10 points using scanning electron microscopy [SEM]. Data were collected. The mean and standard deviation values were calculated and ANOVA was used for the comparison of the three groups. Tukey's test was also applied. The gap in 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7 mm thicknesses of zirconia before porcelain firing was 89.21 +/- 28.90, 79.55 +/- 39.32 and 40.813 +/- 10.3 micro, respectively. The difference in marginal gap between the three groups was statistically significant [P=0.001]. Tukey's test failed to find a significant difference in marginal gap between 0.3 and 0.5 mm thicknesses [P=0.006]. But, the difference between 0.3 and 0.7 mm [P=0.001] and also 0.5 and 0.7 mm [P=0.001] was statistically significant. Based on the results, by increasing the thickness of the zirconia core marginal gap decreases in all ceramic restorations

Camparison of oral candida flora in patients with coronary atherosclerosis and healthy people

Coronary atherosclerosis is a common disorder of the arteries and may block the arteries and cause heart disease. Recently several studies have indicated a role of infectious agents in atherosclerosis and obstructive coronary artery disease. Candida species are normal flora of the human oral cavity and can enter in the blood stream and damage inner walls of coronary arteries by several mechanisms. Thus this study was done to compare the oral candida flora in healthy people and patient with coronary atherosclerosis. In this study, we compared oral candida flora in 90 patients with coronary atherosclerosis and 90 healthy people. All specimens were obtained from oral cavity by swab and cultured on CHOROMagar Candida medium. Identification of isolated colonies was done by RapID yeast plus system. The data were analyzed using the chi-square test. In this study 55.4% [N=61] of patient and 44.6% [N=49] of control group had candida colonization in their oral cavity. Candida albicans was the most common species isolated in both groups. Candida glabrata, Candida krusei, Candida tropicalis and Candida parapsilosis were the most common non albicans species. Although no significant difference was observed between candida colonization in patients and controls, the differences between isolated colony numbers in patient and healthy group were significant [p=0.001]. Hypercolonization of candida species in oral cavity may lead to invasion and enter the organism in the blood stream and damage the coronary arteries

Impact of PET-CT motion correction in minimizing the gross tumor volume in non-small cell lung cancer

To investigate the impact of respiratory motion on localization, and quantification lung lesions for the Gross Tumour Volume utilizing an in-house developed Auto3Dreg programme and dynamic NURBS-based cardiac-torso digitised phantom [NCAT]. Respiratory motion may result in more than 30% underestimation of the SUV values of lung, liver and kidney tumour lesions. The motion correction technique adopted in this study was an image-based motion correction approach using, an in-house developed voxel-intensity-based and a multi-resolution multi-optimisation [MRMO] algorithm. All the generated frames were co-registered to a reference frame using a time efficient scheme. The NCAT phantom was used to generate CT attenuation maps and activity distribution volumes for the lung regions. Quantitative assessment including Region of Interest [ROI], image fidelity and image correlation techniques, as well as semi-quantitative line profile analysis and qualitatively overlaying non-motion and motion corrected image frames were performed. the largest transformation was observed in the Z-direction. The greatest translation was for the frame 3, end inspiration, and the smallest for the frame 5 which was closet frame to the reference frame at 67% expiration. Visual assessment of the lesion sizes, 20-60mm at 3 different locations, apex, mid and base of lung showed noticeable improvement for all the foci and their locations. The maximum improvements for the image fidelity were from 0.395 to 0.930 within the lesion volume of interest. The greatest improvement in activity concentration underestimation, post motion correction, was 7% below the true activity for the 20 mm lesion. The discrepancies in activity underestimation were reduced with increasing the lesion sizes. Overlay activity distribution on the attenuation map showed improved localization of the PET metabolic information to the anatomical CT images. The respiratory motion correction for the lung lesions has led to an improvement in the lesion size, localisation and activity quantification with a potential application in reducing the size of the PET GTV for radiotherapy treatment planning applications and hence improving the accuracy of the regime in treatment of the lung cancer

Psychological responses to breast cancer: a qualitative study

Background and objective: Breast cancer has high incidence among Iranian women and their long term survival lead to have more challenges with cancer complication. This qualitative study aimed to identify psychological responses following breast cancer

Materials and methods: A qualitative phenomenological method has been designed for the study. A sample of 11 women with breast cancer by purposive sampling selected and semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted. The interviews were transcribed verbatim,then Information have been analyzed during 5 steps using smith's method

Results: Two main themes emerged from the interviews included basic reactions and residual reactions and The following six sub themes of despair of life, trying to find a guilty, social isolation, irritability-sensitivity, feeling incompetence and fear of disease recurrence has been determined

Conclusions: Although breast cancer is a physical disease but it has great impact on a person's mental health. Also So many psychological problems caused by breast cancer and its treatment, remains until many years after completion of therapies

Coronary artery disease risk factors in an urban and peri-urban setting, Kerman, Southeastern Iran [KERCADR study]: methodology and preliminary report

This article was to present the sampling and measurements methods and the main preliminary findings of the KERCADR cohort study [first round] in an urban and peri-urban setting, Kerman, southeastern Iran2009-11. 5900 [3238 female] people aged between 15 to 75 years were recruited in the household survey by non-proportional to size one-stage cluster sampling. Trained internal specialists, general practitioners, clinical psychologists and dentists have assessed the study subjects by person-assisted questionnaires regarding different NCD risk factors including cigarette and opium smoking, physical activity, nutrition habits, anxiety, depression, obesity, hypertension and oral health. Blood samples were also collected for determining FBS, HbA1c, cholesterol and triglyceride. Weighted standardized prevalence estimates were calculated by STATA 10 survey analysis package. The participation rate was more than 95% in all subgroups. Cigarette smoking [18.4% vs. 1.2%], opium use [17.8% vs. 3.0%] and triglyceridemia [16.1% vs. 12.0%] were significantly higher among men than women. In contrast, women were presented with higher level of sever anxiety [29.1% vs. 16.7%], obesity [16.8% vs. 9.2%], low-physical activity [45.1% vs. 39.2%] and uncontrolled diabetes [60.2% vs. 31.0%]. More than 68% of all subjects have presented with moderate to severe gingival index scores. The first round of the KERCADR cohort with sufficient sample size and response rate provided precise estimates for the main clinical and para-clinical NCD risk factors. These evidences need to be translated into public health interventions and monitored in the next rounds of the cohort

Designing a model for trauma system management using public health approach: the case of Iran

Trauma is a leading cause of death and disability around the world. Injuries are responsible for about six million deaths annually, of which ninety percent occur in developing countries. In Iran, injuries are the most common cause of death among age groups below fifty. Trauma system development is a systematic and comprehensive approach to injury prevention and treatment whose effectiveness has been proved. The present study aims at designing a trauma system management model as the first step toward trauma system establishment in Iran. In this qualitative research, a conceptual framework was developed based on the public health approach and three well-known trauma system models. We used Benchmarks, Indicators and Scoring [BIS] to analyze the current situation of Iran trauma care system. Then the trauma system management was designed using the policy development phase of public health approach The trauma system management model, validated by a panel of experts, describes lead agency, trauma system plan, policy-making councils, and data-based control according to the four main functions of management: leading, planning, organizing and controlling. This model may be implemented in two phases: the exclusive phase, focusing on resource integration and the inclusive phase, which concentrates on system development. The model could facilitate the development of trauma system in Iran through pilot studies as the assurance phase of public health approach. Furthermore, the model can provide a practical framework for trauma system management at the international level

[Evaluation of antibiotic resistance of gonococcal infections in women referred to Azad university hospitals]

There is high prevalence of pencicllinase producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae and antibiotic resistance in numerous areas of the world. The aim of this study was to investigate drug resistance of gonococci. In this cross-sectional descriptive study, vaginal discharge of 126 patients visited for vaginal discharge or suprapubic pain or admitted for periodic examination in Azad University hospitals were studied. Direct smear and gram stain of vaginal discharge was prepared and it was cultured into Tyer-Marthin media. Sensitivity to antibiotics was evaluated in positive cultures. Direct smear and gram staining of cervical discharge revealed 48 [38.1%] gram negative kidney shaped diplococci, but in selective media, only 12 [9.5%] Nesseria gonorrhoeae was detected. From 12 strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, 8 [66.6%] were resistant to penicillin, 8 [66.6%] to spectinomycin and 8 [66.6%] to co-trimoxazol, but neither of specimens were resistant to ceftriaxone. Direct smear of vaginal discharge isn't enough for proper diagnosis of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and it should be confirmed by culture. Ceftriaxone is the best choice for treatment of gonococcal infections, but there is resistance to spectinomycin, co-trimoxazol and penicillin

[ analgesic efficacy of celecoxib versus prednisolone for control of pain after periodontal surgery]

Postoperative pain after periodontal surgical procedures is a common complaint. Celecoxib, a cyclooxygenase [COX]-2 inhibitor NSAID, is associated with a lower incidence of well known side effects reported for the conventional NSAIDs. Sparse information is available on the efficacy of Celecoxib, or Prednisolone, a steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, following periodontal surgery. The aim of the present study was to compare the analgesic efficacy of Celecoxib and prednisolone after periodontal mucoperiosteal flap with minor osseous surgery. In this randomized, double-blind, cross-over, placebo-controlled, clinical trial, 20 patients with generalized, moderate to severe chronic periodontitis underwent three mucoperiosteal flap with minor osseous surgery with at least 4 week interval. Each quadrant was randomly assigned to receive one of the following medications in two doses starting one hour before surgery: 200 mg celecoxib, 10 mg Prednisolone, and placebo. The patients filled out a visual analogue scale [VAS] and a five-point verbal rating scale [VRS-5] at 11 predetermined time periods. Data analyses were performed, using Friedman, Pearson correlation and Spearman rank correlation tests. There was a statistically significant lower pain reported in the celecoxib than placebo groups during 9 postoperative time periods using VAS [p =0.03]. This value was statistically significant for all the time periods under investigation, using VRS-5 [p =0.01]. The level of pain was lower in Prednisolone than in the placebo groups at the four-hour period [p =0.045], and during the day after surgery [p =0.01]. A statistically significant lower pain perception was reported with the use of celecoxib at three postoperative hours [3, 5 and 6] than prednisolone [p =0.02]. There was a positive correlation between VAS and VRS-5 pain rating scales used in this study [p =0.0001, r =0.938]. Within the limitations of this study, preventive and postoperative uses of Celecoxib and Prednisolone were effective in the control of pain following periodontal flap with minor osseous surgery. However, during the first 8 postoperative hours, Celecoxib showed a superior efficacy in the duration and continuity of pain relief in comparison with Prednisolone

[Frequency of salivary gland tumors in two referral center of Qazvin university of Medical sciences from 1999 to 2009]

Salivary gland tumors are the uncommon neoplasms but are very important lesions in the head and neck area especially in adults. They divided into two benign and malignant groups these tumors usually do not have any sign and symptom until they become ulcerated. The aim of this study is to determine the frequency of salivary gland tumors in the archives of pathology department of Qazvin dental school and Ghods hospital of Qazvin university of medical science from 1999-2009 based on age, sex, location and histological types of the lesions.: This cross sectional study was conducted with pathology department of Qazvin dental school and head and neck surgery center of Qazvin University of medical sciences. All patients with salivary gland tumors who were admitted between 1999-2009 were assessed. The variable of age, sex, histological type of tumors and involvements were recorded and analyzed by spss and revealed as percent of prevalance. out of 9761 records in the archives, 64 patient's including 32 males [50%] and 32 females [50%] with salivary gland tumors were evaluated. There were 67.1% major salivary gland tumors and 32.9%minor salivary gland tumors. Benign tumors [81.2%] and malignant tumors [18.8%] with the mean age 38.6, 45.83 years. Pleomorphic adenoma [70.3%] and mucoepidermorid carcinoma were the most benign and malignant salivary gland tumors. Parotid gland was the most area of involvement. This study revealed that frequencies of salivary gland tumors were higher in age26-35 years, pleomorphic adenoma was the most prevatent benign and mucoepidermoid carcinoma was the most prevalent malignant salivary gland tumors. The prevalence of salivary gland tumors was higher in parotid followed by minorsalivary glands

Relationship between calcium-phosphorus product and severity of valvular heart insufficiency in patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis

Recent interests have mainly focused on the roles of serum calcium and phosphorus and their product [Ca-P product] in the development of valvular heart disease. The present study assessed the relationship between the Ca-P product and the severity of valvular heart disease in end-stage renal disease [ESRD] patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis. This cross-sectional study reviewed the clinical course of 72 consecutive patients with the final diagnosis of ESRD candidated for chronic hemodialysis. The severity of valvular heart disease was determined using M-mode two-dimensional echocardiography. The serum calcium and phosphate values adopted were those values measured on the day between the two consecutive dialyses, and the Ca-P product was calculated. The most common causes of ESRD were diabetic nephropathy, malignant hypertension, and chronic glomerulonephritis. The mean Ca-P product level in the dialysis patients was 50.44 +/- 17.78 mg2/dL2. The receiver-operator characteristic [ROC] curve illustrated that a Ca-P product level>42 mg2/dL2 was the optimal value in terms of sensitivity and specificity for predicting the presence of valvular insufficiency. Aortic insufficiency was directly associated with a high Ca-P product value after adjustment for age, gender, serum albumin, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, and serum creatinine [P=0.412, SE=158, p value=0.011]. A positive relationship between the Ca-P product value and the severity of aortic insufficiency is expected. Achieving an appropriate control of the Ca-P product level may decrease aortic valve calcification and improve the survival of patients on chronic hemodialysis

[Effect of intra-hippocampal injection of origanum vulgare L. ssp. Viridis leaf extract on spatial learning and memory consolidation]

Hippocampus is well known to be involved in learning and memory. It is proved that antioxidants improve learning and memory. Origanum vulgare L. ssp. Viridis [ORG] is a rich source of antioxidants. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of intra-hippocampal injection of aqueous extract of ORG on spatial learning and memory. Twenty-eight adult male Wistar rats [275-300gr] were used in this study. The animals were bilaterally canulated in dorsolateral hippocampus. One week after recovery the animals were trained [4 trails for four consecutive days] in Morris water maze [MWM]. Then, the retention of spatial training was evaluated in the fifth day. Twenty minutes before the training or retrieval test, different concentrations of ORG [0.003, 0.03 and 0.3 micro l/rat] or saline were injected into the hippocampus. Repeated-measure ANOVA showd that intra-hippocampal injection of ORG significantly decreased the distance and time of reaching to hidden platform in MWM, Intrahippocampal injection of ORG in the retrieval day did not show any significant difference in the duration of target zone and the platform proximity compared to the saline group. The intra-hippocampal injection of Origanum aqueous extract improves the rat working memory in MWM however it doesn't affect on the consolidation of memory

Clinical and mycological studies of otomycosis

Otomycosis [fungal external otitis] is a common disease especially in persistent or chronic external ear infection. Disease is more prevalent in warm climates. Opportunisus fungi usually cause Otomycosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of otomycosis, species distribution, predisposing factors and sex distribution for otomycosis in Ahvaz, Iran. Secretion and pus were collected from fifty-seven patients by two sterile cotton wool swabs. One swab was used for direct microscopy and next for culture examination. Direct examination of the samples was carried out by staining the smears with methylene blue technique. Collected swab was inoculated onto Sabouraud's dextrose agar. The presence of fungal elements in stained smears was confirmed by growth of fungal colonies. In the present study 53.3% and 46.7% of patients were respectively males and females. The most common fungal pathogens were Aspergillus niger [30.8%] and A. flavus [23.1%]. In conclusion fungi were the etiotogical factor of otomycosis in 45.6% of cases. In order to solve the therapeutic difficulties and to apply the most adequate treatment, comprehensive mycological examinations, often skipped during routine clinical procedures, must be performed

A Survey of Dung Beetles Infected with Larval Nematodes with Particular Note on Copris lunaris Beetles as a Vector for Gongylonema sp. in Iran

Dung beetles (family Scarabaeidae) are one of the largest families of beetles worldwide. Due to biological behavior of these arthropods, they are considered to play an important role in the life cycle of some helminths. In the present study, dung beetles collected from cattle pastures in rural areas of Ardabil province, north-west of Iran were examined for infection with larval stages of helminths. According to the results, nematodes of 2 genera were identified including Rhabditis and Gongylonema. The more common species was Rhabditis sp. which was found in 9 species of beetles. Out of 15 different species of dung beetles, Copris lunaris was the only scarabaeid to be found naturally infected with the larval stages of Gongylonema sp. Our new findings introduce C. lunaris as a potential biological vector for transmission of Gongylonema sp. to vertebrates in the surveyed region.

Scarab beetle [coleoptera: scarabaeidae] fauna in Ardabil province, north west Iran

Dung beetles of Coleoptera associated to undisturbed cattle droppings in pastures present great diversity and abundance. Dung beetles also play an important role for transmission of some helminthes to human and cattle. This study was made to survey the biodiversity and abundance of these beetles in Ardebil Province, western Iran. According to the field study all beetles attracted to fresh cow dung in five areas of Ardebil Province including Namin, Ardabil, Meshkinshahr, Neer and Sarein were collected and identified. They were collected during summer 2007 from June to September, with general peaks appearing to be correlated with temperature mainly at 11 a.m to 15 p.m. The samples were identified using appropriate systematic key A total of 231 specimens belonging to 9 beetle genera and at least 15 species were identified as Euoniticellus fulvus, Sisyphus schaffaer, Euonthophagus taurus, Copris lunaris, Chironitis pamphilus, Gymnopleurus coriarus, Euonthophagus amyntas, Caccobius schreberi, Onthophagus speculifer, Onthophagus furcatus, Aphodius, lugens, Aphodius fimetarius, A. scrutator, Geotrupes spiniger and G. stercorarius The most abundant and diverse subfamilies were Coprinae, Geotrupinae, and Aphodiinae. We found 15 species of dung beetles occurred in the region. The prevalence of each species is varied depending on location. Some of them play an important role for helminths transmission of veterinary and public health importance. The finding will provide a clue for pasture management as well as public health monitoring and surveillance of the disease transmitted by dung beetles

[Assessing time between arriving to hospital and administration of streptokinase in patients with acute myocardial infarction in emergency department of Kerman University of medical sciences in 2003-4]

Acute myocardial infarction is one of the major causes of mortality in developing countries such as Iran. One of the most important progresses in acute myocardial infarction is early administration of thrombolytic agents such as streptokinase. This study was performed to determine the time interval from patients' referral to the emergency wards to the introduction of thrombolytic therapy and the factors associated with delay in drug administration. In a period of 8 months, 130 patients with presumed acute myocardial infarction were investigated. In order to determine the causes of delay in streptokinase administration, duration of symptoms onset to drug administration was divided into 4 specified periods and measured in minutes. Results were analyzed using ANOVA and t-test. Findings showed a mean elapsed time of 298 minutes between pain onset and referring to the emergency ward, 73 minutes between patient's arrival and streptokinase administration. Mean time from symptom onset to drug infusion was 370 minutes. There was a delay of 2 hours in drug administration in 18% of patients. The most important causes of delay were long distance and delay of physicians and staff. Considering the findings, increasing people's knowledge about the symptoms of heart problem, providing medical facilities and instruction of medical staff play important role in decreasing delay time in drug administration and increasing streptokinase output

[Evaluation of treatment in 15 patients with congenital muscular toricollis]

Congenital muscular torticollis is the most common type of congenital painless torticollis. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of age, sex, signs and symptoms, method of treatment and treatment outcome in this disease. In this descriptive study between 1996-2005, 15 patients with congenital muscular torticollis who were admitted to otorhinolaryngology department in Ahwaz, lmam Khomeini hospital, were investigated. Of 15 patients, 60% were males and 40% were females. The mean age of patients was 18.1 years. The most common associated deformity was hip dysplasia. 93.4% had good result after surgery. Muscular torticollis is a congenital disorder causing deformity in the head and neck area. Early treatment have a better final result with fewer complications