RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Until now, no study has been reported investigating the association between ß-thalassemia minor and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. This study was designed to compare H. pylori infection rate between ß-thalassemia minor patients and healthy controls. METHODS: A number of 100 ß-thalassemia minor patients (50 males, 50 females) and 100 gender-matched healthy controls were prospectively recruited in this study in a period of 3 months. The study population consisted of the people who referred to a health center in Babol, North of Iran, for premarital counseling. H. pylori status was assessed by measuring the anti-H. pylori IgG antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Demographic information and informed consent were collected from all participants. RESULTS: The overall H. pylori infection rate was 43%. The infection was significantly more prevalent in thalassemia patients (53%) than in the controls (33%) in both univariate (OR=2.29, 95% CI: 1.3-4.06) and multivariable analyses (OR=2.05, 95% CI: 1.12-3.76). Age was the only significant factor which was positively correlated with the infection in ß-thalassemia minor cases (OR=1.11, 95% CI: 1.02-1.2). Gender, blood groups, residency, and education level were not related to the infection. CONCLUSIONS: According to the results, it can be concluded that ß-thalassemia minor patients are possibly more susceptible to H. pylori infection than healthy people. Further studies are needed to discover more about the exact mechanisms of increased susceptibility to H. pylori infection in ß-thalassemia minor patients.
RESUMO
Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) is a gram-negative bacterium that has infected more than half of the world's population. This pathogen colonizes the human gastric mucosa and is usually acquired during childhood. It is an important cause of peptic ulcers, chronic gastritis and stomach cancer. Among the risk factors for acquisition of H. pylori infection, poor socioeconomic status, poor sanitization and hygiene practices, and contaminated food and water, are the most significant ones. The main route of H. pylori transmission is still unknown. Studies show that H.pylori bacteria can spread directly from one person to the other, or indirectly from an infected person to the environment. Person to person transmission is divided into fecal-oral, gastric-oral, oral-oral, sexual routes. Presently, interpersonal pathways are more acceptable than environmental exposure routes. Literatures indicate the presence and survival of H. pylori in food samples, such as milk, vegetables and meat, and suggest these foods may play an important role in the environmental transmission of this pathogen. In addition, other studies report the presence of H. pylori in the gastric tissue of some animals (e.g. sheep and cow) and therefore, it is likely they participate in the food chain transmission as reservoirs besides human. Although there are findings which indicate the probable role of food products in the environmental transmission of H. pylori, there is still not enough direct evidence to confirm this and more studies are needed. However, attention to food contamination sources (unhygienic water) and controlling them may prevent transmission of pathogens associated with health.
RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Birth defects are a series of disorders that occur during embryonic life. In Iran, no national situation analysis is available to show the rate of congenital disorders. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of structural birth defects in Iran. METHODS: We searched for English studies on PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar from January 1990 to July 2016. The search for Persian articles was performed in Scientific Information Database and Magiran. Two reviewers assessed the identified articles independently. The relevant studies were selected based on predefined criteria. Data were analyzed using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software. Random effect method was used for meta-analysis. RESULTS: In total, 42 studies were included. The prevalence of congenital anomalies was as follows: orofacial clefts, 1.4 per 1,000 births (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2-1.6); neural tube defects, 3.2 per 1,000 births (95% CI: 2.5-4.3); urogenital anomalies, 3.9 per 1,000 births (95% CI: 1.2-12.9); musculoskeletal malformations, 3.3 per 1,000 births (95% CI: 2.3-4.9); cardiovascular anomalies, 3.3 per 1,000 births (95% CI: 2.2-5.1); Down syndrome, 0.9 per 1,000 births (95% CI: 0.7-1.2); gastrointestinal disorders, 1.4 per 1,000 births (95% CI: 0.9-2.1). CONCLUSION: Our results show that urogenital disorders are the most prevalent births defects in Iran, followed by musculoskeletal and cardiovascular malformations.
