Evaluation of mothers’ awareness about early childhood caries in Yasuj, Iran, 2015-2016

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Early childhood caries (ECC) is a multifactorial disease and several factors are implicated in its establishment. Considering the numerous problems those children with ECC face and the important role of parents in preventing them, the aim of this study was to evaluate the mothers’ awareness about ECC in Yasuj, Iran. METHODS: It was a cross-sectional study. The study population included 384 mothers of children below 6 years, who were randomly selected from the children referring to 4 urban health care centers. The data were collected using a 30-item questionnaire to assess mothers’ awareness about definition, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of ECC. The face and content validities of the questionnaire were confirmed by pediatric dentists and experts in questionnaire design. Its reliability was confirmed with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.73. Descriptive (mean, standard deviation, frequency) and analytic statistics (Spearman correlation coefficient) were used for data analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of children was 2.45 ± 1.46 years while the mean age of mothers was 29.71 ± 5.04 years. Almost half of the mothers had high school education, while others had higher degrees. Mothers’ awareness about ECC was poor in 20.8% of the cases, moderate in 62.2% of the cases, and good in 16.9% of the cases. It was observed that mother’s awareness about ECC had statistically significant direct relationships with both mother’s age and education. Based on multivariate linear regression, mother’s age (β = 0.17, P = 0.0001) and their education (β = 0.20, P = 0.0001) had significantly direct relation with mother’s awareness, too. CONCLUSION: Considering the undesirable ECC awareness level in the majority of Yasujian mothers and its association with mothers’ educations, the implementation of interventions to increase mothers’ awareness seems essential in this regard. KEYWORDS: Dental Caries; Awareness; Mother

Evaluation of mothers’ awareness about the presence of first permanent molar teeth among the 6-8 year old children in Yasuj, Iran, 2016

BACKGROUND AND AIM: First permanent molar teeth (FPMT) erupt slowly and without any side effects among the 6-8 year old children. Sweet snacks consumption, parents’ unawareness about existence of these teeth and lack of attention to oral health care cause early caries among children in these ages. First permanent molars (FPMs) have a very important role in oral cavity among children. Therefore, missing of these teeth causes serious mastication and dental problems. In the present study, mothers' knowledge on the presence of FPMs in their children’s mouth and its effect on health of these teeth were evaluated. METHODS: In this cross sectional study, 350 elementary school students of the 1st and 2nd grades and their mothers from Yasuj, Iran, were evaluated in 2015-2016. After sampling, questionnaires were used for data collection and were filled out by mothers. Then, each student was visited separately and the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index of FPMs was registered. Data were analyzed statistically using independent samples t-test, Mann-Whitney test and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The results showed that the difference between mothers’ knowledge score about the presence of FPMs in their children’s mouth was not significant regarding their education level, occupation and age. The same result was obtained after evaluation of DMFT index of children’s FPMT. CONCLUSION: Mothers’ education about methods of dental caries prevention and protective oral health care is essential. KEYWORDS: Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth Index; Permanent Molar; Tooth Eruptio

Effect of N-Acetylcysteine on Inflammatory and Biochemical Markers of Hemodialysis Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The oxidative stress results in atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases in patients receiving hemodialysis. N-acetylcysteine is a well-known antioxidant agent. There are little studies about the effect of N-acetylcysteine on patients receiving hemodialysis, and, if any, their results are inconsistent. This study, as a double-blind, randomized clinical trial, was conducted on 44 hemodialysis patients in Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Yasuj, Iran in 2015. Patients were randomly allocated into two groups, in the intervention group, N-acetylcysteine 600 mg every 12 hours for eight weeks was administered and the second group received placebo during this period every 12 hours. Blood samples were taken to measure C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 and other biochemical markers such as ferritin, albumin, and creatinine at baseline and at the end of treatment. 40 patients completed the study (21 on N-acetylcysteine, 19 on placebo), with a mean age of 60.72±17.60. There was not any significant difference between intervention and control groups in interleukin-6 (8.85±6.9 vs. 10.32±8.68, 95% CI, -3.52 to 6.46; P=0.55) and C - reactive protein (0.85±0.29 vs. 0.9±0.31, 95% CI, -.14 to .24; P=0.60). In addition, there was no significant relationship between the two groups in other biochemical markers. In this study, administering N-acetylcysteine was safe and caused a reduction in some inflammatory markers, but these changes were not significant in comparison with placebo

Comparison of the Efficacy of Dexamethasone and Methylprednisolone in Infiltration Injection for Postendodontic Pain in Patients with Necrotic Pulp: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Purpose. Postendodontic pain is one of the problems of root canal therapy. +is clinical study aimed to evaluate the effect of infiltration injection of dexamethasone and methylprednisolone on postendodontic pain in patients with necrotic pulp. Methods. A total of 80 volunteers with necrotic pulp teeth were included and assigned to two groups (n � 40). After the administration of local anesthesia and before root canal therapy, in group 1, an infiltration injection of 1 ml of dexamethasone was done and in group 2, an infiltration injection of 1 ml of methylprednisolone was done in the buccal vestibule of each tooth. Patients’ pain was reported using a visual analogue scale at pretreatment and 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after treatment. Results. +ere was no significant difference between the two groups receiving dexamethasone and methylprednisolone at pretreatment and 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after endodontic treatment. Conclusions. Infiltration injection of dexamethasone and methylprednisolone had a significant effect in reducing pain after the endodontic treatment in necrotic pulp teeth, but between 6 and 12 hours, methylprednisolone had significantly more effect on pain relief than dexamethasone. Overall, the use of any of these drugs to reduce postendodontic pain is recommended

Continuation Rates and Reasons for Discontinuing Tcu380A IUD Use in Isfahan, Iran

Objective: IUD is a highly effective, safe, private, long-acting, and rapidly reversible method of contraception with few side effects. The aim of this study was to assess the continuation rate and cause of IUD discontinuation in Isfahan, Iran. Materials and methods: This historical Cohort study wascarried out on 12 randomly selected health centers of Isfahan province in 2007. 244 literate married reproductive aged women (15-49 years old) who had chosen IUD as a contraceptive method in 2002 enrolled the study by census sampling. After explaining the aim of study and taking informed consent, women completed the questionnaire for demographic characteristics, menstrual characteristics before and after IUD insertion and cause of IUD discontinuation. Data were analyzed by SPSS 11 software, descriptive statistics and Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results: Continuation rates at the end of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 years were 100, 92, 87, 76, 66 and 65 per 100, respectively. Since 2001-2007, 60% (146) preserved and 40% (98) removed their IUD. 27.6% (27) discontinued IUD use due to occurring medical problems that the most common cause was infection (29.6%). 72.4% (71) had voluntary IUD removal and the most common cause was tendency to planned pregnancy (38%). Conclusion: These findings indicate that health care providers should give more emphasis to counseling programs for women desiring IUD insertion

Prevalence of human papilloma virus among women with breast cancer since 2005-2009 in Isfahan

Background : Human papilloma virus (HPV) DNA has been detected in breast carcinoma by different laboratorial techniques, suggesting that the virus could play a role in the pathogenesis of this tumor. Materials and Methods: It was a descriptive study. Systematic random sampling was used for selecting 55 cases of breast cancer and 51 controls of benign breast lesions from the file of Seyedshohada hospital of Isfahan since 2005-2009. A total of 106 paraffin-embedded specimens were selected and HPV DNA was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction and sequenced for different types of HPV in case of positivity for HPV DNA. Data analysis was performed by SPSS 16 software using descriptive statistic, Chi-square, and Fisher′s exact tests. Results: Out of 55 malignant and 51 benign breast specimens, 18.2% (10) and 13.7% (7) were positive to HPV DNA, respectively ( P = 0.53); 70% (7) malignant and 43% (3) benign breast specimens were positive to high-risk HPV genotypes. In malignant specimens, the most common high- and low-risk genotypes were HPV-16 (3.6%) and HPV-11 (3.6%), respectively. In benign specimens, the most common high- and low-risk genotypes were HPV-31 (3.9%) and HPV-43 (3.9%), respectively. Among malignant and benign specimens, ductal carcinoma and fibro adenoma were the most common lesions positive to different types of HPV, respectively. Conclusion: This study demonstrated the presence of HPV genome in both malignant and benign tumor tissues in women with breast lesions in Isfahan; therefore, further larger epidemiologic studies need to be analyzed to establish the exact role of this virus in the pathogenesis of breast cancer

Is Emotional Adjustment Status Predictor of the IUD Survival?

Objective: To evaluate the effect of emotional adjustment on IUD continuation to understand why persons with similar clinical problems have different interpretation and select different strategies to cope with their complaints. Materials and Methods: This historical cohort study was carried out on 12 randomly chosen health centers of Isfahan province in 2007. Two hundred forty eight literate and married women aged 15-49 years who had chosen IUD as a contraceptive method since 2002 entered the study. After explaining the aim of study and taking informed consent, women completed the demographic, individual characteristics and 32 questions in emotional domain of Bell’s Adjustment Inventory (adult form). May 2007 was considered the end time of IUD consumption as a defined outcome. Data analysis was performed with the SPSS version 15. T–test, chi–square, Mann–Whitney, General Linear Model, Regression were used for data analysis. Results: During this period 60% (146) of women preserved their IUD and 40% (98) of them removed their IUD. The mean score of emotional adjustment was 16.16±6.28 in IUD preserved women in comparison to 18.23±5.63 in IUD removed women. Poor ,moderate and good  grades of emotional adjustment were 54%, 40% and 6% in IUD preserved woman vs 72.4% , 24.5% and 3.1% in IUD removed women. Conclusion: Psychological factors such as emotional adjustment can influence IUD survival; so improved counseling and good candidate selection before IUD insertion is recommended

Evaluation of mothers’ awareness about early childhood caries in Yasuj, Iran, 2015-2016

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Early childhood caries (ECC) is a multifactorial disease and several factors are implicated in its establishment. Considering the numerous problems those children with ECC face and the important role of parents in preventing them, the aim of this study was to evaluate the mothers’ awareness about ECC in Yasuj, Iran. METHODS: It was a cross-sectional study. The study population included 384 mothers of children below 6 years, who were randomly selected from the children referring to 4 urban healthcare centers. The data were collected using a 30-item questionnaire to assess mothers’ awareness about definition, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of ECC. The face and content validities of the questionnaire were confirmed by pediatric dentists and experts in questionnaire design. Its reliability was confirmed with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.73. Descriptive (mean, standard deviation, frequency) and analytic statistics (Spearman correlation coefficient) were used for data analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of children was 2.45 ± 1.46 years while the mean age of mothers was 29.71 ± 5.04 years. Almost half of the mothers had high school education, while others had higher degrees. Mothers’ awareness about ECC was poor in 20.8% of the cases, moderate in 62.2% of the cases, and good in 16.9% of the cases. It was observed that mother’s awareness about ECC had statistically significant direct relationships with both mother’s age and education. Based on multivariate linear regression, mother’s age (β = 0.17, P = 0.0001) and their education (β = 0.20, P = 0.0001) had significantly direct relation with mother’s awareness, too. CONCLUSION: Considering the undesirable ECC awareness level in the majority of Yasujian mothers and its association with mothers’ educations, the implementation of interventions to increase mothers’ awareness seems essential in this regard

Metformin protects renal tubular cells; mechanisms and new concepts

Context: The prevalence of diabetes markedly increased in recent decades. It is well accepted that the risk of morbidity and fatality increases in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Evidence Acquisition: An electronic search was performed to detect suitable studies, with keywords of metformin, prediabetes, diabetes Mellitus, Gentamicin and lactic acidosis. Results: Metformin (biguanide) is widely used as the first pharmacological option in pre-diabetic subjects and patients with T2DM. Low-cost, long-term effect, low risk of hypoglycemia, and ease in utilization are considered as significant benefits of metformin compared with other therapies. Numerous studies have explored that medicinal intervention particularly metformin administration not only can decrease high blood glucose in patients with T2DM but also can avoid or postpone the beginning of clinical T2DM in pre-diabetic cases. Protective effect of metformin on renal cells by different mechanisms is described here. Gentamicin is an important factor that affects kidney function and structure. Nephrotoxicity is one of the serious side effects of gentamicin (an aminoglycoside antibiotic). Numerous investigation showed the protective effect of metformin against the gentamicin nephrotoxicity. On the other hand, lactic acidosis is known as an uncommon but serious side effect of metformin that should be mentioned. Signs of lactic acidosis are defined by plasma lactate levels higher than 5 mmol/L and pH smaller than 7.4. Conclusions: Different small series and large experimental investigations have discovered the association between metformin and lactic acidosis summarized here

Relationship of SNP rs2645429 in Farnesyl-Diphosphate Farnesyltransferase 1 Gene Promoter with Susceptibility to Lung Cancer

Background and Purpose. The mevalonate pathway is one of the major metabolic pathways that use acetyl-CoA to produce sterols and isoprenoids. These compounds can be effective in the growth and development of tumors. One of the enzymes involved in the mevalonate pathway is FDFT1. Different variants of this gene are involved in the risk of suffering various diseases. The present study examined the relationship between FDFT1 rs2645429 polymorphism and the risk of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a population from southern Iran. Method. The genotypes of rs2645429 polymorphism of FDFT1 gene were examined in 95 samples: 34 patients with NSCLC and 61 healthy individuals by RFLP method. Results. The results of this study indicated that C allele of this polymorphism was effectively associated with the risk of NSCLC in the Iranian population (p value = 0.023; OR = 2.71; 95% CI = 1.12–6.59) and CC genotype has significant relation with susceptibility to NSCLC (p value = 0.029; OR = 3.02; 95% CI = 1.09–8.39). This polymorphism is located in the promoter region FDFT1 gene, and CC genotype may increase the activity of this promoter. This study also found a significant relationship between C allele and metastatic status. C allele was more common in NSCLC patients. (p=0.04). Conclusion. C allele of FDFT1 rs2645429 polymorphism gene can be a risk factor for NSCLC, whereas T allele probably has a low protective role