Evaluation of prognostic factors effect on survival time in patients with colorectal cancer, based on weibull competing-risks model

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the association between survival of patients with colorectal cancer and prognostic factors in a competing risk parametric model using Weibull distribution

Background: The prognosis of colorectal cancer is relatively good in terms of survival time. In many prognostic studies, patients may be exposed to several types of competing events. These different causes of death are called competing risks

Methods: Data was recorded from 372 patients with colorectal cancer who registered in the Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences [Tehran, Iran] from 2004 to 2015 in a retrospective study. Analysis was performed using competing risks model and Weibull distribution. Software used for data analysis was R, and significance level was regarded as 0.05

Results: The result indicated that, at the end of follow-up, 111 [29.8%] deaths were from colorectal cancer and 14 [3.8%] deaths were due to other diseases. The average body mass index [BMI] was 24.61[SD 3.98]. The mean survival time for a patient in 372 was 62.05[SD 48.78] month with median equals to 48 months. According to competing-risks method, only stageIII [HR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.246-2.315], stageIV[HR, 4.51; 95% CI,2.91-6.99 ] and BMI[HR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.96-0.975] have a significant efect on patient's survival time

Conclusion: This study indicated pathologic stage[III,IV] and BMI as the prognosis, using a Weibull model with competing risks analysis, while other models without the competing events lead to significant predictors which may be due to over-estimation

Relationships between family levels of socioeconomic status and distribution of breast cancer risk factors

Not only the expand development of knowledge for reducing risk factors, but also the improvement in early diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and socioeconomic inequalities could affect cancer incidence, diagnosis stage, and mortality. The aim of this study was investigation the relationships between family levels of socioeconomic status and distribution of breast cancer risk factors. This descriptive cross-sectional study has conducted on 526 patients who were suffering from breast cancer, and have registered in Cancer Research Center of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences from March 2008 to December 2013. A reliable and valid questionnaire about family levels of socioeconomic status has filled by interviewing the patients via phone. For analyzing the data, Multinomial logistic regression, Kendal tau-b correlation coefficient and Contingency Coefficient tests have executed by SPSS[19]. The mean age of the patients was 48.30 [SD=11.41]. According to the results of this study, there was a significant relationship between family socioeconomic status and patient's age at diagnosis of breast cancer [p value<0.001]. Also, the relationships between socioeconomic status and number of pregnancies, and duration of breast feeding were significant [p value> 0.001]. In the multiple logistic regressions, the relationship between excellent socioeconomic status and number of abortions was significant [p value> 0.007]. Furthermore, the relationships between moderate and good socioeconomic statuses and smoking were significant [p value=0.05 and p value=0.02, respectively]. The results have indicated that among those patients having better socioeconomic status, age at cancer diagnosis, number of pregnancies and duration of breast feeding was lower, and then number of abortions was more than the others. According to the results of this study, it was really important to focus on family socioeconomic status as a critical and effective variable on breast cancer risk factors among the Iranian women

estimation of survival function for colon cancer data in Tehran using non-parametric Bayesian model

Colon cancer is the third cause of cancer deaths. Although colon cancer survival time has increased in recent years, the mortality rate is still high. The Cox model is the most common regression model often used in medical research in survival analysis, but most of the time the effect of at least one of the independent factors changes over time, so the model cannot be used. In the current study, the survival function for colon cancer patients in Tehran is estimated using non-parametric Bayesian model. In this survival study, 580 patients with colon cancer who were recorded in the Cancer Research Center of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences since April 2005 to November 2006 were studied and followed up for a period of 5 years. Survival function was plotted with non-parametric Bayesian model and was compared with the Kaplan-Meier curve. Of the total of 580 patients, 69.9% of patients were alive. 45.9% of patients were male and the mean age of cancer diagnosis was 65.12 [SD= 12.26] and 87.7 of the patients underwent surgery. There was a significant relationship between age at diagnosis and sex and the survival time while there was a non-significant relationship between the type of treatment and the survival time. The survival functions corresponding to the two treatment groups cross, in comparison with the patients who had no surgery in the first 30 months, showed a higher level of risk in the patients who underwent a surgery. After that, the survival probability for the patients undergoing a surgery has increased. The study showed that survival rate has been higher in women and in the patients who were below 60 years at the time of diagnosis

[Comparision of antifungal effect of Nystatin alone and in combination with nanosilver particles against candida species isolated from chronic candidal vaginitis]

Nystatin is a polyene with antifungal effect which is used in treatment of cutaneous and mucocutaneous candidiasis in diverse forms. Increasing its utilization in recent years has led to predominant increasing of resistances. Nowadays for increasing of antifungal effect and decreasing of resistance and side effects of drugs they are used in combination with each other. So we decided to investigate antifungal effect of Nystatin in combination with nanosilver particles. This was an experimental study which has been accomplished on 30 samples of isolated candida species from patients effected to chronic candidal vaginitis. In this study the antifungal effects of Nystatin and silver nanoparticles each of them alone and in combination with each other by microdilution broth, were examined. Findings were described on the base of logestic regression and man-vitni exam. Findings suggested that Nystatin was able to inhibit the growth of candida species at an expanded range of concentration between 16-128 microgeram per milliliter. As well antifungal activity of Nystatin with silver nanoparticles was increased in comparision with using Nystatin alone. Introduce of nanosilver in drug formation of Nystatin can be useful in treatment of chronic vaginal candidiasis

[Report of 34 cases of saprophytic fungi isolated from dystrophic nails of patients referred to Razi Hospital [2010 - 2011]]

Saprophytes are one of the agents causing nail dystrophy. Saprophytes can invade healthy nail or may invade nails previously damaged in the course of other diseases and grow with suitable conditions. The reported incidence of saprophytic nails is between 1.43-17.6%. Saprophytes preferably invade the nails on the big toes, especially in individuals above 60 years. The most etiologic agents of saprophyte nail are Aspergillus spp, Acremonium spp, Scopulariopsis spp, Penicillium spp, and fusarium. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence agents of saprophytic nails in patient that had referred to Razi hospital. This was a cross sectional study and nail samples were analyzed by direct microscopy and culture. Microscopic examination of these specimens was carried out in potassium hydroxide solution [20%]. These specimens were cultured on two media of sabourad dextrose Agar [S]. Czapek-Dox Agar [CZA] medium was used for identification of Aspergillus species. For investigation of relevance between the variables, Chi-square test and Fisher exact tests were used. In this study, 34 cases were positive by both direct microscopy and culture. Of those, 17 patients were females and 17 patients were males. The most frequently isolated saprophytes from nails was Aspergilus flavous [35.3%]. Meanwhile 58.8% of saprophytes were isolated from toe nails. In this study the distal subungual onychomycosis was the most frequent [% 64.7%]. The age group 50-59 years [29.4%] had the highest prevalence of saprophytic nail infections.In this study the prevalence of saprophytic nails infections was 17.2%. A proper diagnosis, consisting of both clinical and mycological examinations, may aid the clinician in selecting the most appropriate therapy. Knowledge of epidemiology and mycology characteristics of nail infections has been noted by many authors as being an important tool for control of these fungal infections

[Comparision of antifungal effect of fluconazole alone and in combination with nanosilver particles against candida species isolated from chronic candidal vulvovaginitis]

Candidal vulvovaginitis is a female genital infection that is occured by the over growth of candida species and specially Candida - albicans and occasionally it appears as recurrent and chronic and resist to therapy. Fluconazole is one of the current drugs that is used in treatment of this disease and sometimes resistance is observed to this. Therefore indirection of making the therapy better we decided to investigate the activitiy of fluconazole in combination with silver nanoparticles against candida species isolated from chronic and recurrent candidal vaginitis. This was an experimental study with convenient sampling that was performed on 30 patients. All specimens were examined in direct microscopy, culturingand differential tests to identify different candida species from each other such as culture on candida chrom agar, germ tube, temperature test and sugar assimilation with API. Then the antifungal effects of fluconazole and silver nanoparticles, each of them alone and in combination with each other, were examined .Findings were described on the base of logestic regression and man-vitni exam. In our study 30 specimens of chronic genital candidiasis were diagnosed with isolated agents Candida albicans, glabrata, krusei, tropicalis, parapsilosis and Candida famata respectively. Also findings suggested that fluconazole was able to inhibit the growth of candida species at an expanded range of concentration between 4-128 microgeram per milliliter.As well antifungal activity of Fluconazole with silver nanoparticles was increased in comparision with using Fluconazole alone. For the prevention of recurrent cases and to stabilish correct diagnosis it is essential to carry out sensitivity and diagnostic tests in laboratory and also administration of silver nanoparticle in combination with fluconazole in drug formulation for topical uses in treatment of chronic vaginal candidiasis and inhibition of recurrent cases, can useful

Increase in concentration of soluble HLA-G in high-quality embryos after intracytoplasmic sperm injection / 대한해부학회지

Non-invasive methods are normally preferred to conventional invasive methods when selecting suitable embryos to improve pregnancy rates after assisted reproduction techniques. One of the most recognized non-invasive methods is to examine the supernatants of embryo culture media. Soluble human leukocyte antigen, class I, G (sHLA-G) antigen is a non-classical class I molecule that has been widely considered as a marker of pregnancy failure or implantation success. In the current study of some Iranian patients, we examined the concentration of sHLA-G at different time points after intracytoplasmic sperm injection and compared the rates to the morphology and quality of the selected embryos. We showed that the concentration of sHLA-G increases over time in high-quality embryos. We conclude that there is a positive relationship between morphology, quality, and sHLA-G concentration. We suggest that this relationship can be used to increase the chance of a successful pregnancy.