THE EFFECT OF HOLY QURAN RECITATION SOUND ON VITAL SIGNS AND ARTERIAL OXYGEN PRESSURE OF UNCONSCIOUS PATIENTS HOSPITALIZED IN ICU

Introduction: Treatment of diseases may be one of the numerous aspects of the divine verses of Quran. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of playing holy Quran recitation as a tranquilizer on vital signs and arterial oxygen pressure of unconscious patients hospitalized in ICU. Materials and methods: This is a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest study conducted on 20 unconscious patients in ICU that were almost homogenous in terms of consciousness level and cause of coma. Participants were divided randomly into case and control groups. For participants in the case group, the Yasin surah with the voice of Al-Menshawi was played every day for 15 minutes by an MP3 player. The vital signs and arterial oxygen pressure of two groups was checked before and after intervention. The collected data was analyzed by means of SPSS 16 software and by paired t-test. Results: Results of this study showed that after intervention, in the case group, the mean systolic P=0.04] and diastolic P=0.05] blood pressure, pulse rate P=0.001] and arterial oxygen pressure P=0.04] had significant differences in comparison with before intervention. However the difference was not statistically significant about the breath rate and body temperature. discussion: Playing the holy Quran recitation led to the balance in blood pressure and arterial oxygen pressure of patients. Therefore it is possible to use it as a treatment method in order to make a balance in the vital signs of unconscious patients

Biallelic MED27 variants lead to variable ponto-cerebello-lental degeneration with movement disorders

MED27 is a subunit of the Mediator multiprotein complex, which is involved in transcriptional regulation. Biallelic MED27 variants have recently been suggested to be responsible for an autosomal recessive neurodevelopmental disorder with spasticity, cataracts and cerebellar hypoplasia. We further delineate the clinical phenotype of MED27-related disease by characterizing the clinical and radiological features of 57 affected individuals from 30 unrelated families with biallelic MED27 variants. Using exome sequencing and extensive international genetic data sharing, 39 unpublished affected individuals from 18 independent families with biallelic missense variants in MED27 have been identified (29 females, mean age at last follow-up 17 ± 12.4 years, range 0.1-45). Follow-up and hitherto unreported clinical features were obtained from the published 12 families. Brain MRI scans from 34 cases were reviewed. MED27-related disease manifests as a broad phenotypic continuum ranging from developmental and epileptic-dyskinetic encephalopathy to variable neurodevelopmental disorder with movement abnormalities. It is characterized by mild to profound global developmental delay/intellectual disability (100%), bilateral cataracts (89%), infantile hypotonia (74%), microcephaly (62%), gait ataxia (63%), dystonia (61%), variably combined with epilepsy (50%), limb spasticity (51%), facial dysmorphism (38%) and death before reaching adulthood (16%). Brain MRI revealed cerebellar atrophy (100%), white matter volume loss (76.4%), pontine hypoplasia (47.2%) and basal ganglia atrophy with signal alterations (44.4%). Previously unreported 39 affected individuals had seven homozygous pathogenic missense MED27 variants, five of which were recurrent. An emerging genotype-phenotype correlation was observed. This study provides a comprehensive clinical-radiological description of MED27-related disease, establishes genotype-phenotype and clinical-radiological correlations and suggests a differential diagnosis with syndromes of cerebello-lental neurodegeneration and other subtypes of 'neuro-MEDopathies'

Pentalogy of Cantrell: A case report of probable pentalogy of Cantrell in a full-term neonate

Background: Pentalogy of Cantrell (PC) is an extremely rare congenital anomaly which was first described in 1985. The incidence of the PC has been reported to vary from 5.5-7.9 cases per million live births. This anomaly involves diaphragmatic pericardial defects, lower sternal defect, intracardiac anomalies, ventral abdominal wall abnormality, and anterior diaphragmatic defect. Considering the number of presented anomalies, PC is classified into three groups of certain, probable, or incomplete pentalogy. Although the etiology of PC is unknown, it has been assumed that abnormalities in intra embryonic mesodermal differentiation formation and migration at around 14-18 days after conception are responsible for the anomalies observed in PC. The prenatal diagnosis of the PC can be made via prenatal two-dimensional or three-dimensional ultrasound. Case report: This case report investigated an Iranian 2-hour-old full-term neonate who was referred to Imam Reza Hospital, Kermanshah, Iran, due to respiratory distress and abdominal wall defect. The patient was finally diagnosed with a probable PC, although his prenatal investigations were considered normal. Conclusion: Although ultrasonography is a widely available tool for prenatal diagnosis of PC, as in our case, the absence of ectopic heart and omphalocele makes the prenatal diagnosis of PC via ultrasonography less possible.   Keywor

The relationship between the level of salivary alpha amylase activity and pain severity in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis

Objectives Assessment of dental pain severity is very challenging in dentistry. Previous studies have suggested that elevated salivary alpha amylase may contribute to increased physical stresses. There is a close association between salivary alpha amylase and plasma norepinephrine under stressful physical conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between pain severity and salivary alpha amylase levels in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. Materials and Methods Thirty-six patients (20 females and 16 males) with severe tooth pain due to symptomatic irreversible pulpitis were selected. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score was used to assess the pain severity in each patient. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected, and the level of alpha amylase activity was assessed by the spectrophotometric method. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 13. Results The level of alpha amylase was significantly increased in the saliva in association with pain severity assessed by VAS. The salivary alpha amylase was also elevated with increased age and in males. Conclusions There was a significant correlation between the VAS pain scale and salivary alpha amylase level, which indicates this biomarker may be a good index for the objective assessment of pain intensity

Salivary VEGF-R3, TNF-α, TGF-β and IL-17A/F Levels in Patients with Minor Aphthous

Background : Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is one of the most common mucosal ulcerative of oral cavity. Role of immune system, especially cytokines in immunopathogenesis of aphthous stomatitis was not highly considered. The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of salivary cytokines, including VEGF-R3, TGF-&beta1, TNF-&alpha, and IL-17A/F in patients with RAS in two clinical stages, ulcerative and healing period. Material and Methods: In this case –control study, 18 patients with RAS (case group) and 18 healthy individuals (control groups) who were matched for age and sex, were selected. In both ulcerative and healing stages, unstimulated saliva of patients with RAS and healthy controls were collected. Levels of salivary cytokines, including VEGF-R3, TGF-&beta, TNF-&alpha, and IL-17A/F at each stage was determined by ELISA procedure and result were compared with the control group. Results: The levels of salivary VEGF-R3 in the ulcerative (5.92 1.87ng/ml) and healing (7.14 ±3.1 ng/ml) stages significantly decreased comparing with control group ( 9.71±2.24 ng/ml). Moreover, the level of salivary TGF-&beta1 in ulcerative (142.21±18.7 pg/ml) and healing (167.02±28.1 pg/ml) stages significantly reduced comparing with control group (178.35±55.67 pg/ml). In addition, our finding showed that both inflammatory cytokines including TNF-&alpha and IL-17 A/F significantly increased comparing to control group. The level of salivary TNF-&alpha in ulcerative (34.9±11.35pg/ml) and healing (28.09±9.07pg/ml) stages significantly increased comparing with control group (10.76±1.83 pg/ml). Also, the IL-17 A/F level in the ulcerative  (96.44±25.74 pg/ml) and healing (79.17±24.96 pg/ml) stages significantly increased comparing to the control group (53.47±13 pg/ml). Conclusion: Our finding in this study showed that the reduction of VEGF-R3 and TGF-&beta1 cytokines and increasing of inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-&alpha and IL-17 A/F are effective in the pathogenesis of minor aphthous particularly in ulcerative stage.

Investigation of Temporal Pattern of Scorpion Sting and Snakebite Incidence in Patients Referred to Masjedsoleiman’s Main Hospital, During 24 Months from 21 March 2008 to 20 March 2009

  Background and Objective: Scorpion sting and snakebite are the important problems in some area such as Iran that must be addressed. This study was to investigate temporal pattern of scorpion sting and snakebite incidence in patients referred to Masjedsoleiman’s main hospital, during 24 months from 21 March 2008 to 20 March 2009. Materials and Methods: It was an analytical study to scrutiny of monthly and seasonal procedure of scorpion sting and snakebite. Data were analyzed by SPSS and Minitab. To identify the goodness of fit model for monthly and seasonal incidence of scorpion sting and snakebite, autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models were used to explore time series analysis. Results: Of all 9457scorpion sting and snake-bite cases in patients referring to hospital, 45% (n=4253) were men. Mean age of them was 28.26±0.36 years. Significant numbers (27%) of these patients had 21-30 years old, and were bitted in urban (93%), at their home (99.7%). The auto regression suggested that monthly average incidents model have a moving average. The analyses through Anderson- Darling test provide evidence that the distribution of residuals was normal (P= 0.125). Conclusion: Weather variables can be as the predictors of scorpion sting and snake-bite incidence for Masjedsoleiman.  REFERENCESREFERENCES1- Bahloul M, Rekik N, Chabchoub I, Chaari A, Ksibi H, Kallel H, et al. Neurological complications secondary to severe scorpion envenomation. Medical science monitor: international medical journal of experimental and clinical research. 2005; 11(4):CR196-202.2- Ozkan O, Carhan A. The neutralizing capacity of Androctonus crassicauda antivenom against Mesobuthus eupeus scorpion venom.Toxicon. 2008; 52(2):375-9.3- Ghaderi H, Shariati Z, Ghodoosi A, Ziyaee M. Scorpion bites in the north-western of Khuzestan province from May 2002 to December 2003. Hayat. 2006; 12(2): 73-8.4- Jalali A, Vatan Pour H, BagheriKhalili M, Ayatollahi SAM, KamaliNejad M. 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Maternal stress induced endoplasmic reticulum stress and impaired pancreatic islets’ insulin secretion via glucocorticoid receptor upregulation in adult male rat offspring

Abstract Exposure to perinatal (prenatal and/or postnatal) stress is considered as a risk factor for metabolic disorders in later life. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the perinatal stress effects on the pancreatic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress induction, insulin secretion impairment and WFS1 (wolframin ER transmembrane Glycoprotein, which is involved in ER homeostasis and insulin secretion) expression changes, in rat offspring. According to the dams’ period of exposure to variable stress, their male offspring were divided into, control (CTRL); pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, lactation stress (PPPLS); pre-pregnancy stress (PPS); pregnancy stress (PS); lactation stress (LS); pre-pregnancy, pregnancy stress (PPPS); pregnancy, lactation stress (PLS); pre-pregnancy, lactation stress (PPLS) groups. Offspring pancreases were removed for ER extraction and the assessment of ER stress biomarkers, WFS1 gene DNA methylation, and isolated islets’ insulin secretion. Glucose tolerance was also tested. In the stressed groups, maternal stress significantly increased plasma corticosterone levels. In PPS, PS, and PPPS groups, maternal stress increased Bip (Hsp70; heat shock protein family A member 4), Chop (Ddit3; DNA- damage inducible transcript3), and WFS1 protein levels in pancreatic extracted ER. Moreover, the islets’ insulin secretion and content along with glucose tolerance were impaired in these groups. In PPS, PS, LS and PPPS groups, the pancreatic glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression increased. Maternal stress did not affect pancreatic WFS1 DNA methylation. Thus, maternal stress, during prenatal period, impaired the islets’ insulin secretion and glucose homeostasis in adult male offspring, possibly through the induction of ER stress and GR expression in the pancreas, in this regard the role of WFS1 protein alteration in pancreatic ER should also be considered