ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Conventional hepatitis B virus vaccination fails to achieve efficient protection in about 5%-10% of the world population. Different factors influence the immunogenicity of hepatitis B vaccine. This study aimed to evaluate these factors in health-care workers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a descriptive study which was implemented among 140 of medical and dental staff working as health-care workers who were low responder after vaccination entered the study. RESULTS: Age (>40 years), weight (body mass index >25), immunodeficiency diseases, (primary immune deficiency and immunosuppressant drugs), diabetes mellitus, and smoking were the important factors. CONCLUSION: In the high-risk group of hepatitis B disease, the risk factors of immunogenicity must be evaluated at vaccination and check titers of antibody after vaccination.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Mastitis is an inflammatory disorder in breast tissues due to bacterial factors, mycobacterial infections or autoimmune diseases. Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM) is a form of mastitis which may be affected by systematic diseases such as sarcoidosis, and infectious causes such as mycobacterium and fungus. This study evaluates the efficacy of medical therapy with a combination of corticosteroid and Azithromycin in patients with IGM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study is a clinical trial research carried out in Alzahra Hospital (Isfahan, Iran) in 2013 on granulomatous mastitis patients. It was administered 250 mg of Azithromycin per 12 hour and 60 mg of Prednisolone per day within 2 weeks. Next, they took 40 mg/day within 8 weeks, and this dosage was tapered during 6 months and the patients clinically and radiologically followed up. The studied patients were examined within 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months, from the beginning of treatment. RESULTS: This study investigated granulomatous mastitis patients in Alzahra hospital in 2013. The mean age of these patients was 33.6 ± 8.9, and their age range was 18-56 years old. Among 26 studied patients, 24 persons (92.3%) according to follow-up the patients by physical examination and sonography responded to treatment of corticosteroid and Azithromycin. The remaining (7.7%) underwent surgery. Treatment periods in case of drug use were respectively, 8.5 ± 0.71 months. CONCLUSION: Treatment with corticosteroid and Azithromycin is an effective and appropriate treatment for IGM.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Conventional hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination fails to achieve efficient protection in about 5-10% of the world population. Hence, different strategies have been adopted to ameliorate HBV antibody titers. This study aimed to evaluate the concurrent application of tetanus-diphtheria (Td) and HBV vaccination on hepatitis B surface (HBs) antibody titer in low-responder healthy individuals. METHODS: This was a randomized clinical trial, which was implemented among 140 of medical staff working as health-care workers assumed as low-responders. The subjects were randomly allocated to either control or interventional groups. The control and interventional groups received HBV recombinant vaccine while the latter group was also vaccinated through Td. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was applied to measure HBs antibody (HBsAb) titers just before and 6 months after the last vaccination. All data were entered into SPSS software. Independent t-test, paired t-test, and Chi-square or Fisher's exact test were applied for data comparison. RESULTS: Antibody titers of the subjects in the intervention and control groups soared from 49.08 ± 20.08 IU/L to 917.78 ± 204.80 IU/L and from 46.95 ± 18.55 to 586.81 ± 351.77 IU/L, respectively (both P < 0.001); nevertheless, by comparison with control group, variation of antibody titer in the interventional group was significantly higher (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Concurrent application of Td and HBV vaccine could effectively enhance protective levels of HBsAb titers in low-responder individuals.
