Background: Iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) is a major worldwide public health problem. Children and women of reproductive age are especially vulnerable to IDA, and it has been reported that these patients are more prone to infection. This study was done to evaluate alteration of lymphocyte subgroups in IDA. Methods: In this prospective study, we investigated lymphocyte subsets in pre-menopausal women with iron-deficiency anaemia; 50 normal subjects and 50 IDA (hypochromic microcytic) cases were enrolled. Experimental and control anticoagulated blood samples were evaluated using flow cytometry to determine the absolute and relative numbers of various lymphocyte subgroups. Finally, the results of the patient and control groups were compared. Results: Mean (SD) absolute counts of lymphocytes, CD3+ cells, CD3+/CD4+ subsets (T helper) and CD3+/CD8+ subsets (T cytotoxic) in the patient group were 2.08 (0.65) x 109/L, 1.53 (0.53) x 109/L, 0.87 (0.28) x 109/L, and 0.51 (0.24) x 109/L, respectively. The results showed significant differences between case and control groups in mean absolute counts of lymphocytes (P = 0.014), T lymphocytes (P = 0.009), helper T cells (P = 0.004), and cytotoxic T cells (P = 0.043). Conclusion: This study showed that absolute counts of peripheral blood T lymphocytes as a marker of cell-mediated immunity may be decreased in pre-menopausal women with iron-deficiency anaemia, and that these patients may be more prone to infection.

Background: Helicobacter pylori infection is a major risk factor for chronic gastritis and gastric cancer. Some findings show increased frequencies of these diseases in individuals with type O blood and in secretors (expressing Leb antigen), but other studies have not found any relationship between blood groups and this infection. Given that H. pylori infection and gastric cancer are common in Iran, the assessment of the pathogenesis of this infection in relation to these blood groups could be valuable. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we determined the ABO and Lewis blood groups of participants using the tube method and evaluated the level of anti-H. pylori immunoglobulin G using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. This study included 171 Iranian blood donors from Mashhad, Iran, during 2010. The significance of the differences in the frequencies of the Lewis and ABO phenotypes between individuals infected with and without H. Pylori infection were tested using the chi-square test. A P-value < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: H. pylori infection was found in 76.6% of the study subjects (n = 131). The most common ABO blood group was O (33.9%), and the most common Lewis blood group was Le(a-b+) (54.7%). The frequencies of the ABO, Lewis, and secretion phenotypes were not significantly different between the infected and uninfected subjects. Conclusion: We did not find any significant relationship between the Lewis, ABO, and secretion phenotypes and H. pylori infection.

STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive cases series. PURPOSE: To evaluate clinical findings and results of conventional surgery in patients with spinal osteoid osteoma (OO). OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: OO is a rare benign tumor with spinal involvement rate of about 10%-20%. METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted on 19 patients (11 males and 8 females with an average age of 19.8 years) with documented histopathological and imaging findings of OO referred to a university hospital. Neurologic symptoms and pain were scored before and after the open surgical excision. Data were analyzed by SPSS ver. 16 software using chi-square and significance level of 0.05. RESULTS: The most common complaint was back or neck pain (84.2%) and in 68.4% spinal deformity (mostly scoliosis) shown with an average cobb angle of 21degrees at presentation. The sites of involvement were 35% in the lumbar, 35% in the thoracic, 25% in the cervical, and 5% in the sacrum. Lamina was the most common site (50%) of involvement with predilection for the right side (p=0.001). All patients were treated by conventional surgical excision with a complete recovery of pain and deformity. No recurrence occurred after a mean follow up of 44.5 months, but 4 of 19 cases instrumented because of induced instability. In one case there were two levels of involvement (C7-T1) simultaneously. Interestingly, 10 out of 19 of our cases belonged to a specific race (Bakhtiari). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical intra-lesional curettage is potentially an effective method without any recurrence, which can lead to spontaneous scoliosis recovery and pain relief. Race may be a potential risk factor for spinal (OO).
Congenital Abnormalities ; Continental Population Groups ; Curettage ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Neck Pain ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Osteoma, Osteoid* ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors ; Sacrum ; Scoliosis ; Spine

Background: There is supportive evidence that multiple sclerosis (MS) could potentially affect the peripheral nervous system. We assessed peripheral sensory and motor nerve involvement in patients with MS by a nerve conduction velocity test. Methods: We studied 75 patients who had a relapsing-remitting or secondary progressive pattern. We measured amplitude, latency, conduction velocity, Hoffmann reflex (H-Reflex), and F-Waves. Results: The amplitude of the right tibial, right proneal, left tibial, left proneal, and left median motor nerves was less than the mean for the normal population. Right ulnar sensory conduction in the patients showed an amplitude that was less than that of the normal population; there was no significant change in the amplitude of other sensory nerves. Latencies of the right and left median and right proneal motor nerves and left ulnar sensory nerves were statistically less than that of the normal population. Mean motor conduction velocity and F-wave conduction did not differ significantly from the normal population. H-reflex latencies of the right and left lower limbs were significantly more prolonged than those of the normal population. Conclusion: Our results suggest possible peripheral motor nerve abnormalities in MS patients, especially with the amplitude of the motor nerves; however, our results do not demonstrate any significant difference among the nerve conduction velocity parameters of sensory nerves between MS patients and the normal population.
Demyelinating Diseases ; Multiple Sclerosis ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of mortality among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients and the majority of them occur in developing countries. The aims of the present study were to determine the frequency of HIV/TB co-infection and other probable associated factors. METHODS: This 10 year retrospective study was conducted on 824 HIV patients in the south-west of Iran. HIV infection was diagnosed by the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and confirmed by Western blot. TB diagnosis was based on consistency of the clinical manifestations, chest X-ray, and microscopic examination. Drug susceptibility testing was done by the proportional method on Lowenstein-Jensen media. RESULTS: Of 824 HIV patients, 59 (7.2%) were identified as TB co-infected and the majority (86.4%) of them were male. Of the overall TB infected patients, 6 cases (10.2%) showed multidrug-resistant with the mean CD4+ lymphocyte count of 163+/-166 cells/mm3. The main clinical forms of TB were pulmonary (73%). There was a significant (p<0.05) correlation between TB infection and CD4+ lymphocyte counts < or =200 cells/mm3, gender, prison history, addiction history, and highly active anti-retroviral therapy. CONCLUSION: We reported novel information on frequency of HIV/TB co-infection and multidrug resistant-TB outcome among co-infected patients that could facilitate better management of such infections on a global scale.
Blotting, Western ; Coinfection ; Developing Countries ; Diagnosis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; HIV ; HIV Infections ; Humans ; Iran* ; Lymphocyte Count ; Male ; Methods ; Mortality ; Prisons ; Retrospective Studies ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant

PURPOSE: Vitis vinifera is a species of Vitis that is native to the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, and has been used as a drug in traditional medicine. Traditional medicinal plants have been used for medical purposes with increasing effectiveness. It is important to identify drugs that inhibit spermatogenesis. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of grape juice (GJ) on serum levels of inhibin B and sperm count in normal male rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-five adult male rats were randomly divided into five groups, each containing seven rats. Rats in the control group received 1 mL of normal saline over the course of the study. The experimental groups received GJ (100, 200, 400, and 1,600 mg/kg, orally, for 35 days consecutively). At the end of the treatment period, fertility indices were measured, including body weight difference, sex organ weight, sperm motility and count, epididymal sperm reserve, daily sperm production (DSP), and serum inhibin B levels. RESULTS: We found that GJ reduces body weight difference, was associated with decreased sperm motility and count in all treatment groups (p< or =0.05 and p< or =0.001, respectively). Moreover, DSP was significantly decreased in all treatment groups compared to the control group (p< or =0.05), except in the group receiving 100 mg/kg of GJ. Inhibin B levels were significantly decreased in all treatment groups (p< or =0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study suggest that GJ in all doses, but especially in higher doses, may decrease fertility in male rats.
Adult* ; Animals ; Asia ; Body Weight ; Europe ; Fertility ; Humans ; Inhibins* ; Male* ; Medicine, Traditional ; Mediterranean Region ; Organ Size ; Plants, Medicinal ; Rats* ; Sex Characteristics ; Sperm Count* ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatogenesis ; Spermatozoa* ; Vitis*

OBJECTIVES: Epidemiology has taken on new roles in the management of health care services. In this study, we developed a non-pharmacological self-management modular program group intervention and evaluated its efficacy as an adjunct therapy in patients suffering from early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Patients were randomized to either participate in a non-equivalent intervention group along with the standard of care or only receive standard-of-care treatment at a community rheumatology center. The outcomes measured were a pain visual analog scale (VAS), patient general health (GH) on a VAS, and the Short Form 36 Health Survey version 2 scale measuring quality of life. These parameters were evaluated in the first week to obtain baseline values, and at 20, 32, 48, and 60 weeks to evaluate the efficacy of the intervention group. RESULTS: The patients were randomized, with 100 patients in the intervention group and 106 in the control group. The intervention and control groups were similar with regard to the percentage of women (86% vs. 89.6%), tobacco usage (25% vs. 19.8%), mean age (42.6±13.2 years vs. 46.6±10.9 years), and disease duration (15.3±6.7 months vs. 14.5±6.6 months). The mean outcomes were significantly different between the two groups, and post-hoc pairwise analysis demonstrated significant deterioration in the control group in contrast to improvement in the intervention group at the second, third, fourth, and fifth evaluations. Improvements were often seen as early as the 12-week and 24-week follow-up visits. CONCLUSIONS: Epidemiology contributes to the evaluation of how well specific therapies or other health interventions prevent or control health problems. The modular program group intervention implemented in this study appears to be a suitable and feasible method to facilitate much more comprehensive management of early RA in socioeconomically challenged communities.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Epidemiologic Methods ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Prospective Studies* ; Quality of Life* ; Rheumatology ; Self Care ; Standard of Care ; Tobacco ; Visual Analog Scale

Examining the trend of anthropometric indices in children and adolescents in each region can be highly beneficial in providing effective strategies to improve the status of their growth. This study was conducted with the aim of determining the trend of anthropometric indices in students from primary to high school in the west of Iran. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and health certificates for anthropometric information of primary school students, and current anthropometric measurements with scale for high school students. Then, all of the data were analyzed in AnthroPlus and SPSS software. Of the 731 students, 350 were female and 381 were male. Mean height Z-score to age showed a significant reduction from primary to high school (from +0.0386 to −0.27416), and mean body mass index Z-score to age showed a significant increase (from −0.3916 to +0.1826). Prevalence of stunting and overweight/obesity in high school was 1.4 and 2.5 times higher than primary school, respectively, but the prevalence of wasting reduced by 2.3 fold. Girls were more affected by the increased trend of obesity and stunting compared to boys. Nutritional transition was evident in students. Healthcare policy-makers should design and implement a comprehensive health strategy to deal with this situation, especially in girls.
Adolescent ; Anthropometry ; Body Mass Index ; Child ; Delivery of Health Care ; Female ; Growth Disorders ; Humans ; Iran* ; Male ; Obesity ; Prevalence

Curcumin is the principal polylphenol of turmeric that has been used to treat various disorders. However, its anti-obesity effects in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remain controversial. Therefore, we aimed to perform a meta-analysis on the effects of supplementation with turmeric/curcumin on body weight, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) in these patients. PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and ISI Web of Science were searched until January 2019, without any restrictions. Clinical trials that reported body weight, BMI and WC in patients with NAFLD were included. Weighted mean differences (WMDs) were pooled using a random-effects model. Eight studies (449 participants) fulfilled the eligibility criteria of the present meta-analysis. Overall, meta-analysis could not show any beneficial effect of turmeric/curcumin supplementation on body weight (WMD, −0.54 kg; 95% confidence interval [CI], −2.40, 1.31; p = 0.56; I² = 0.0%), BMI (WMD, −0.21 kg/m²; 95% CI, −0.71, 0.28; p = 0.39; I² = 0.0%) and WC (WMD, −0.88 cm; 95% CI, −3.76, 2.00; p = 0.54; I² = 0.0%). Subgroup analysis based on participants' baseline BMI, type of intervention, and study duration did not show any significant association in all subgroups. The results showed that turmeric/curcumin supplementation had no significant effect on body weight, BMI and WC in patients with NAFLD. Further studies with large-scale are needed to find out possible anti-obesity effects of turmeric/curcumin.
Anthropometry ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Curcuma ; Curcumin ; Humans ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; Waist Circumference

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by major impairments in social communication, stereotyped and ritualistic behaviors and deficits in sensory reactivity. Recently, noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) methods, namely transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), have been examined as possible new therapeutic options for modifying the pathological neuroplasticity involved in neuropsychiatric disorders including ASD. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review on the therapeutic uses of tDCS and repetitive TMS (rTMS) in ASD patients. A systematic search was performed on Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane and Embase. Original articles reporting the use of tDCS or rTMS to treat ASD were screened and studied by two researchers independently based on PRISMA guidelines. We found 32 eligible studies including 8 tDCS reports, 23 rTMS reports and one report with both tDCS and rTMS. These studies comprised 6 case-reports, 9 non-controlled trials and 17 controlled trials which assessed NIBS effects on the three cognitive, behavioral and biological dimensions in ASD. Existing evidence demonstrates that NIBS methods could be helpful for treating some dimensions of ASD such as repetitive behavior, sociability or some aspects of executive and cognitive functions. However, such evidence should be regarded with care because of the quality of original researches and serious publication bias as well as the heterogeneity of data. Further randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trials with appropriate follow-up periods should be designed to assess the efficacy of NIBS methods for ASD treatment.