The prevalence of dyspepsia symptoms and its correlation with the quality of life among Qashqai Turkish migrating nomads in Fars Province, Southern Iran.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of dyspepsia and its correlation with quality of life in Fars Qashqai Turkish migrating nomads from Southern Iran. METHODS: During 2010 we enrolled 397 Qashqai migrating nomads from Southern Iran who were 25 years of age or older. Participants completed a questionnaire that consisted of demographic factors, lifestyle data, gastrointestinal symptoms, and the Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire. RESULTS: There was a 48% prevalence of dyspepsia symptoms among participants. The prevalence was higher among females, those less than 35 years of age, married participants, and those with a low body mass index (BMI). The correlation between dyspepsia and quality of life was significant. Dyspeptic patients were classified into ulcer-like (27.9%), dysmotility-like (26.2%), and unspecified (45.9%) groups. A significant correlation existed between dyspepsia symptoms and consumption of dairy products, drinking water and tea before and after meals, smoking, dysphagia, reflux, heartburn, and use of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs and acetaminophen. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of dyspepsia in Qashqai nomads necessitates educational health programs for the migrating tribes in order to decrease prevalence of this disease.

The healing effects of Teucrium polium in the repair of indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer in rats.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the healing effect of Teucrium polium (T. polium) in indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer in rats. METHODS: In the fall of 2007, 250 Sprague-Dawley rats provided by the Shiraz University Laboratory Animal Center were divided into 4 equal groups including control (70 rats), and 3 experimental groups (60 rats each), and each group received different doses of T. polium. Ten rats were used to study the induction of gastric ulcer by indomethacin (25 mg/kg/stat). After 24 hours, their stomachs were evaluated for any mucosal ulcer. The T. polium extract was administered orally, 24 hours after indomethacin administration. In the experimental group, 10 animals were sacrificed after 24, 48, and 72 hours, after administration of T. polium, and at one, 2, and 4 weeks, and in the control group identically after the administration of distilled water. RESULTS: In rats treated with indomethacin, multiple ulcers were evident. After 4 weeks of treatment with T. polium, more re-epithelialization, proliferation, mucosal hyperplasia, migration of the gastric epithelial cells, and decrease in inflammatory cells were observed. The T. polium reduced the ulcer indices by >50% after one week, >80% after 2 weeks, and >90% after 4 weeks. CONCLUSION: The healing effect of T. polium may be due to antioxidant activity along with the ability to modulate the mucin secretion, prostaglandin synthesis, and epidermal growth factor receptor expression. These results along with the non-toxicity properties of T. polium suggests it as a promising anti-ulcer compound.

Immunoglobulin and complement depositions in the liver of chronic hepatitis patients.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Liver biopsy is a cornerstone in the management of chronic hepatitis patients. In biopsy, liver cell damage as well as severity of inflammatory cell infiltration in the parenchyma and portal tracts are evaluated. There are some other inflammatory markers such as complements (C) and immunoglobulins (Ig), which are involved in the pathogenesis of inflammation. This study was carried out to investigate the status of Ig and C depositions in the liver of chronic hepatitis cases. METHODOLOGY: Two biopsy samples were taken from patients who were scheduled for liver biopsy for chronic hepatitis. The acetone fixed sections were incubated with fluorescin-conjugated anti human IgG, IgA, IgM, C3 and C4. Ten samples of non-hepatitis control cases were provided during elective cholecystectomy. RESULTS: Deposition of IgG, IgM, and Cs were seen in the parenchyma in HBV, HCV and non viral hepatitis cases. The parenchyma of control liver did not show any deposition of IgG, IgM, and Cs. IgA was found in the parenchyma of 3 control cases. C3 deposition in the parenchyma had significant association with enzyme rising in HCV (p=0.001) and non viral groups (p=0.004). C4 deposition in the parenchyma was also associated with enzyme rising in HCV cases (p=0.01). There was an association between ALT elevations with the presence of IgM in the parenchyma in HBV (p=0.01) and HCV (p=0.03) groups. Mantel-Haenszel chi2 test (for evaluation of the effects of stage and grade) confirmed that the depositions of C3 and C4 in HCV and C3 in nonviral hepatitis have positive association with enzyme rising. CONCLUSIONS: Presence of IgM, IgG, C3, and C4 in the liver parenchyma is abnormal and may be helpful in histological evaluation in chronic hepatitis. Parenchymal (but not portal) depositions of C3 and C4 in HCV and non-viral hepatitis cases show close association with elevation of liver enzymes.

Prevalence of celiac disease in Shiraz, southern Iran.

BACKGROUND/AIM: This study was performed to evaluate the prevalence of celiac disease (CD) in Shiraz, southern Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum samples were collected from 1440 persons (age range = 20-83 years, mean age = 45.4 years) in 2004 and screened for endomysial and tissue transglutaminase antibodies. A questionnaire was completed for all subjects in relation to gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and cases with positive serology were requested to undergo small-bowel biopsy. RESULTS: Seven cases (0.5%) were positive for IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase (anti-tTG), and only two (0.14%) were positive for IgA anti-endomysial antibody (anti-EMA), both of whom had highly positive anti-tTg levels (40.4 and 48.0 IU/l). The major clinical symptoms of CD, such as recurrent abdominal pain and change in bowel habits were present in all patients with positive anti-tTG assays. Only five subjects with positive serology agreed to undergo upper GI endoscopy and duodenal biopsy. Three of these cases were reported with Marsh I histologic findings, while in the two cases with positive serologic anti-EMA, more advanced forms of CD were present. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of CD in apparently healthy adults was lower than the reported series from northern parts of the country; therefore, we suggest a more long-term follow-up study in high-risk groups, especially in the apparently healthy subjects in our region.