Age related secretary pattern of growth hormone, iansulin-like growth factor-I & insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 in postmenopausal women.

Background & objectives: After menopause in women, loss of bone density increases rapidly with estrogen deficiency. Evidence has revealed that this deficiency may be directly correlated with growth hormone (GH) level declining with age. The present study was designed to evaluate the age dependant patterns of GH, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1-1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) endogenous secretion in postmenopausal women. Methods: During this prospective study in a 12-month period, 150 postmenopausal women were enrolled who were referred to the densitometry unit of bone research centre of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences for assessing bone mineral density. Serum levels of basal and clonidine stimulated GH were measured using radioimmunoassay while IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were measured by ELISA. Post stimulation over 3 to 6 fold increase in GH over the baseline level was considered normal response and less increase was considered abnormal. Results: There were no significant differences in the mean levels of GH0, GH60 and GH90 in different age groups of postmenopausal women. No significant difference in the mean IGFBP-3 and IGF-1 levels was seen in different age groups of postmenopausal women. The number of postmenopausal women with abnormal response to stimulation by clonidine in 61-70 and > 70 yr age groups was higher than in other groups (P<0.05). Interpretation & conclusions: Despite the higher rate of abnormal response to stimulation by clonidine in women aged more than 60 yr, the current study showed no significant correlation between age, and the basal and stimulated GH secretion rate and serum levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in postmenopausal women.

Magnetic resonance imaging of intact globe superior subluxation into the intracranium.

A 67-year-old man with right-sided blunt ocular trauma is reported here. Despite having received primary medical care, the patient complained of severe headache for 14 days. Initial computed tomography (CT) indicated hematoma in the right frontal lobe. However, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indicated that the right globe along with its optic nerve had been intactly dislocated into the intracranium and differentiated from hematoma. In this case, the significance of MRI, in blunt ocular trauma work-up, and also regaining successful ocular function are highlighted.

Immunohistochemical positive stained p53 protein in bladder transitional cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Molecular genetics and immunopathologic analysis of bladder cancer have shown some abnormalities in a number of genes and proteins that have been implicated in the development and progression of such tumors, mainly in the p53 pathway. AIMS: To investigate the rate of positively stained p53 protein in patients with urothelial papillary carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) by immunohistochemistry and its relationship with tumor grade, gender and age of the patients. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: During the present cross-sectional study, 100 paraffin-embedded specimens of UCB, which were provided from biopsies of the bladder by transurethral access, were immunohistochemically stained and studied for p53 protein from May 2006 to May 2007 in our referral center pathology laboratory. MATERIALS AND METHODS: First, 4 microm slices of paraffin sections were provided and then stained by the avidin-biotin peroxidase method. The rate of positively stained p53 protein (defined as positive nuclear staining in over 10% of the cells) was assessed. This rate was also estimated and compared between grades, genders and age-related groups (< 70 years, > or = 70 years). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The chi2 , Fisher's exact test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for comparing. RESULTS: The overall rate of positively stained specimens was 11% for nuclear p53 protein. This rate was significantly higher in females (10/29 vs. 1/71; P < 0.001; odds ratio [OR]: 0.23; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.43-306.08), patients with 70 or older than 70 years (8/42 vs. 3/58; P = 0.04; OR: 0.55; 95% CI: 1.07-17.39) and in high-grade tumors (10/58 vs. 1/42; P = 0.02; OR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.01-0.95). CONCLUSIONS: The rate of positively stained p53 protein for UCB was lower in our population. This rate was also higher in females, patients with 70 or older than 70 years and high grade of UCB.

Supplemental food may not prevent iron-deficiency anemia in infants.

OBJECTIVE: The present study evaluates the role of supplementary food and medicinal iron intake in preventing iron deficiency anemia in children aged between 4 to 6 months. METHODS: During a case-control study in "Tabriz Children Hospital", nutritional and medicinal-iron intake of 60 consecutively selected patients with iron-deficiency anemia were compared with 60 non-anemic children of similar age and sex distributions. RESULTS: The mean hemoglobin concentration, corpuscular volume and serum iron were 9.11 g/dl, 65.41 fL and 19.33 microg/dl, in case group; and 12.6 g/dl, 75.18 fL and 78.28 microg/dl, in control group, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between age of case and control groups when complementary-semisolid foods were started (P=0.058), but the mean of received medicinal iron in case group was significantly lower than control group (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Supplementary food intake alone is not efficient to prevent iron deficiency anemia since the age of 4-6 months. So, regular administration of medicinal iron is crucial to prevent iron-deficiency anemia in children aged 4-6 months.