RESUMEN
Difficulty in cervical dilatation is a hard situation during the procedure of diagnostic dilatation and curettage in some cases. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of vaginal misoprostol for cervical priming before diagnostic dilatation and curettage. In this study 56 women were selected as the candidates for dilatation and curettage. The study was double blind and was performed for two parallel groups. One misoprostol tablet [200 micro g] was administered in posterior fornix of vagina 2-4 hr before operation in 28 patients whereas in other 28 patients, placebo [VitB6] was used. Then, the two groups were compared according to the patency of the cervix measured by No. 5 Hegar dilators and the duration of dilatation and curettage procedure as well. Chi-square test, t-test, and Mann-Whitney U test were used for comparing two groups, and a p-value less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Before the procedure of dilatation and curettage, the patency of the cervix was measured by passing Hegar dilator number 5 through the cervical canal in fifteen [53.6%] patients in the misoprostol group and 8 patients [28.6%] in the placebo group [p=0.05] which their difference was statistically significant. The effect of misoprostol was not significant in nulliparous women and postmenopausal period either. Vaginal misoprostol is a useful drug for ripening and dilating the cervix. It also facilitates the procedure of dilatation and curettage in premenopausal and multiparous women. Misoprostol was less effective in nulliparous women and in postmenopausal period
RESUMEN
Thalassemia is a common disease in many countries, in which several complications such as infections can occur. Although aberration in the function of the immune system could be a reason for such complication, a little is known about the status of humoral immune system in major beta thalassemia. In this study we measured serum immunoglobulins level in a group of patients with major beta thalassemia. Ninety nine patients with major beta thalassemia were enrolled in this study divided into two groups of splenctomized and not splenctomized patients. Serum IgG, IgM and IgA levels of these patients were measured and analyzed. Serum mean levels of IgG and IgM in patients of all ages in both groups were normal. The mean serum IgA level in the group of not splenectomized patients aged less than five years as well as in the splenectomized patients aged more than twenty years was increased. However, it was normal in other age groups. Although this study could not show any defect in the humoral immune system, evaluation of immunoglobulins could be useful to understand the relmarkable high rate of infection in the patients with major beta thalassemia