Risk factors of HBs Ag positive in blood donors of Hamedan, Iran

Background: Viral hepatitis B is a common community acquired infection. It damages the liver tissue and can be a risk factor for cirrhosis and liver cancer. In the present study, we investigated the major risk factors for being HBs Ag positive among blood donors of Hamedan, Iran.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Hamedan city. All of the blood donors in Blood Transfusion Organization Center of the city were asked to fill out a questionnaire between September 2011 and February 2012. Logistic regression was used to calculate Odds Ratios (OR) for risk factors of being HBs Ag positive using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 22.0.Results: Among 571 participants 119 (20.8%) were HBs Ag positive. Of all patients, 158 (27.6%) were female, 506 (88.6%) were living in urban areas. Also, 375 (65.7%) were married. Among the potential risk factors of HBs Ag positivity studied, “History of Surgery” ranked first (OR=3.11 P=0.003) and “Familial History of Liver Disease” was the second significant risk factor (OR=2.90 P=0.013). Human bite, dental filling, and needle stick had odds ratios less than one. However, they were not found to be statistically significant (P>0.05).Conclusion: Of all risk factors investigated in the present study, “History of Surgery” suggests a risk of infection transmission through surgical team. More studies on different populations are needed due to regional characteristics of hepatitis transmission

A review on potential roles of vitamins in incidence, progression, and improvement of multiple sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease, with unknown etiology. Vitamins, as important micronutrients playing different roles in body, seem to be important in MS pathogenesis. In vitro, in vivo and human studies, supports the protective role of some vitamins in MS occurrence or progression. Current study reviews recent insights and reports about the importance of vitamins in MS incidence or progression. In accordance, the importance of all water and fat-soluble vitamins in MS pathogenesis based on observational studies in human population and their role in the function of immune system as well as possible therapeutic opportunities are discussed in depth throughout this review. Keywords: Multiple sclerosis, Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin D, Folic acid, Vitamin B 12, Vitamin