Background: The effects of soy extract on memory as well as the oxidative damage to brain tissue induced by ischemia was investigated in ovariectomised (OVX) rats. Methods: The rats were divided into: 1) Sham; 2) OVX; 3) Sham‑Ischemia; 4) OVX‑Ischemia; 5) OVX-‑Ischemia-‑S 20; and 6) OVX-‑Ischemia-‑S 60. The common carotid artery was occluded (30 minutes), and it was then re-‑perfused. The OVX-‑Ischemia-‑S 20 and OVX-‑Ischemia-‑S 60 groups received 20 or 60 mg/kg of soy extract for eight weeks before the ischemia. Results: The Sham-‑Ischemia and OVX-‑Ischemia groups took a longer time to reach the platform while, spent a shorter time in the target quadrant (Q1) than the Sham and OVX. The escape latencies in the OVX-‑Ischemia-‑S 20 and OVX-‑Ischemia-‑S 60 groups were lower while, time spent in the Q1 was higher than that of the OVX-‑Ischemia. In the rotarod test, there were no significant differences between the groups. The hippocampal concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the Sham-‑Ischemia and OVX-‑Ischemia groups were higher than the Sham and OVX. Pre-‑treatment by 20 and 60 mg/kg of the extract reduced the MDA. Conclusion: It is suggested that soy prevents memory impairment and brain tissue oxidative damage due to ischemia in OVX rats.

Diagnosis of hydatidosis is based on immunodiagnostic methods along with radiological and ultrasound examinations. The objectives of the present study were to develop a specific and simple antigen-based ELISA method for diagnosis of hydatidosis and compare it with antibody detection method. The subjects in this study included 89 patients in the following groups: surgically confirmed hydatidosis patients (35 cases), control with other parasitic diseases (29 cases), and healthy controls (25 cases). Hyperimmune serum was raised against hydatid cyst fluid in rabbits. Anti-hydatid cyst IgG was purified by affinity chromatography using protein A column and labeled with horseradish peroxidase. Collected sera were assessed for hydatid cyst antigens and antibody by ELISA. Circulating hydatid antigen was found in 9 out of 35 patients with surgically confirmed hydatidosis. A sensitivity of 25.7% and a specificity of 98.0% were calculated for the antigen detection assay. Antibody detection by indirect ELISA, using antigen B, showed that 94.2% of patients (33 cases) have anti-hydatid cyst antibodies in their serum while cross reaction was noted in a few of non-hydatidosis patients. A sensitivity of 94.2% and specificity of 81.6% were found for the antibody detection assay. Findings of this study indicated that antibody detection assay is a sensitive approach for diagnosis of hydatid cyst while antigen detection assay might be a useful approach for assessment of the efficacy of treatment especially after removal of the cyst.
Adult ; Antibodies, Helminth/*blood ; Antigens, Helminth/*blood ; Echinococcosis/*diagnosis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Gastric Cancer (GC) is one of the most dangerous malignancies in the world. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between miR-146a and miR-155 in patients with H. pylori infections with GC compared to H. pylori-infected patients and healthy subjects. Forty patients with H. pylori and GC positive diagnoses and 40 patients with H. pylori positive and GC negative diagnoses, and 40 healthy persons were selected.The expression of miR-146a and miR-155 genes in the whole blood was examined using qRT-PCR. Moreover, ROC curves were drawn to represent the sensitivity and specificity of miR-146a and miR-155 expression as biomarkers. The results showed the expression of miR-146a and miR-155 in the whole blood of patients with H. pylori and GC positive diagnoses are significantly higher than in healthy individuals and are non-significantly enhanced compared to H. pylori positive and GC negative. Also, the results stated miR-146a and miR-155 expression in the whole blood of patients who are H. pylori positive and GC negative are significantly increased compared to healthy individuals. Furthermore, the ROC curve analysis of miR-146a and miR-155 RNA level demonstrated the two miRNAs have an appropriate sensitivity and specificity for diagnostic goals. In conclusion, H. pylori infection may increase the expression of miR-146a and miR-155 in patients with H. pylori and GC positive diagnoses, which can be effective in the curbing the progression of GC. For this reason, up-regulation of miR-146a and miR-155 along with H. pylori infection might contribute to the pathogenesis of GC, and also can be suggested as biomarkers for GC diagnosis and treatment.

OBJECTIVES: Headache is the most common complaint of patients suffering from temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs). Thus, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) examinations maybe necessary in patients with headache. Considering the high prevalence of bruxism and TMDs in patients with headache the effects of conservative TMD treatment on headache should be assessed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were questioned about headaches in the past three months. Those responding affirmatively to this question were examined for TMD and bruxism. After the examinations, 219 patients remained in the study and received self-management instructions. Patients were requested to modify oral habits except when eating or sleeping. The degree of pain (visual analogue scale), headache disability index (HDI), frequency of headaches (FH) per month and TMD intensity were evaluated. RESULTS: The median levels of pain, HDI, FH, and TMD intensity were 8, 44, 8, and 7, respectively, before modifying oral habits and decreased to 4, 24, 2, and 3, respectively, after intervention. These decreases were statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Having patients maintain free space between the teeth and relax muscles can be an efficient method to treat headache and TMD, especially when repeated frequently.
Bruxism ; Eating ; Headache* ; Humans ; Methods ; Muscles ; Prevalence ; Self Care ; Temporomandibular Joint ; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders ; Tooth

Purpose: The present study was conducted to compare dosimetric parameters for the heart and left lung between free breathing (FB) and deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) and determine the most important potential factors associated with increasing the lung dose for left-sided breast radiotherapy using image analysis with 3D Slicer software. Materials and Methods: Computed tomography-simulation scans in FB and DIBH were obtained from 17 patients with left-sided breast cancer. After contouring, three-dimensional conformal plans were generated for them. The prescribed dose was 50 Gy to the clinical target volume. In addition to the dosimetric parameters, the irradiated volumes and both displacement magnitudes and vectors for the heart and left lung were assessed using 3D Slicer software. Results: The average of the heart mean dose (Dmean) decreased from 5.97 to 3.83 Gy and V25 from 7.60% to 3.29% using DIBH (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the average of Dmean for the left lung was changed from 8.67 to 8.95 Gy (p = 0.389) and V20 from 14.84% to 15.44% (p = 0.387). Both of the absolute and relative irradiated heart volumes decreased from 42.12 to 15.82 mL and 8.16% to 3.17%, respectively (p < 0.001); however, these parameters for the left lung increased from 124.32 to 223.27 mL (p < 0.001) and 13.33% to 13.99% (p = 0.350). In addition, the average of heart and left lung displacement magnitudes were calculated at 7.32 and 20.91 mm, respectively. Conclusion The DIBH is an effective technique in the reduction of the heart dose for tangentially treated left sided-breast cancer patients, without a detrimental effect on the left lung.