Snoring and Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in Children in Qom, Iran

BACKGROUND: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is an important and common problem in children (4-12%) which affects their daily activities and quality of life. About 1-2% of children suffer from sleep apnea with a common symptom of snoring which might cause behavioral disorders due to the lower quality of sleep. In the present study, we aim to determine the association between snoring and ADHD. METHODS: In this case control study, we enrolled 100 children of 2-12 years who snored as the case group and 100 healthy peers as the control group. Snoring and behavioral problems were assessed by the standard questionnaires of the Berlin Questionnaire and Behavioral Disorder Questionnaire [DSM-IV], respectively. RESULTS: The mean age, height, and weight of children were 6.81 years, 116.11 cm, and 25.39 Kg, respectively. In addition, 53.5% of participants of both groups were boys. A significant relationship was found between snoring and ADHD and its subtypes (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Increasing the information of parents and colleagues on the association of snoring with behavioral disorders might assist in early diagnosis and treatment

Fibrosing mediastinitis: An unusual cause of superior vena cava symptoms

Fibrosing mediastinitis is a rare benign disorder caused by the proliferation of acellular collagen and fibrous tissue within the mediastinum. Although many cases are idiopathic, many (and perhaps most) cases are thought to be caused by an abnormal immunologic response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Histoplasma capsulatum infections. Collagen formation leads to compression of vital structures, resulting in cough, chest pain, and dyspnea. The following case is a former healthy middle-age man who presented with an 8-year history of cough, chest pain, facial swelling, and trouble breathing, and was subsequently found to have fibrosing mediastinitis. Fibrosing mediastinitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cough, chest pain, and dyspnea, primarily when findings such as increased venous pressure are present on physical exam, and hilar abnormalities are seen on chest radiograph

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BIOACTIVE GLASS/FORSTERITE NANOCOMPOSITES FOR BONE AND DENTAL IMPLANTS

In this research, bioactive glass (BG) of the type CaO–P2O5–SiO2 and nanocrystalline forsterite (NF) bioceramic were successfully synthesized via sol–gel processing method. Heat-treatment process was done to obtain phase-pure nanopowders. After characterization of each sample, the nanocomposite samples were prepared by cold pressing method and sintered at 1000°C. The samples were fully characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses. The average nanocrystallite size was determined using the Debye-Scherrer’s formula 19.6 nm. The bioactivity was examined in vitro with respect to the ability of hydroxyapatite (HAp) layer to form on the surfaces as a result of contact with simulated body fluid (SBF). According to the obtained results, the prepared nanocomposite enhances the fracture toughness of the BG matrix without deteriorating its intrinsic properties as bioactivity

Fibrosing mediastinitis: An unusual cause of superior vena cava symptoms

Fibrosing mediastinitis is a rare benign disorder caused by the proliferation of acellular collagen and fibrous tissue within the mediastinum. Although many cases are idiopathic, many (and perhaps most) cases are thought to be caused by an abnormal immunologic response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Histoplasma capsulatum infections. Collagen formation leads to compression of vital structures, resulting in cough, chest pain, and dyspnea. The following case is a former healthy middle-age man who presented with an 8-year history of cough, chest pain, facial swelling, and trouble breathing, and was subsequently found to have fibrosing mediastinitis. Fibrosing mediastinitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cough, chest pain, and dyspnea, primarily when findings such as increased venous pressure are present on physical exam, and hilar abnormalities are seen on chest radiograph

Evaluation of the Effect of Combination Therapy on Treatment of COVID-19: A Cohort Study

Background: COVID-19 is a new disease for which a definitive treatment has not yet been proposed. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of combination therapy on the treatment of COVID-19 due to the importance of finding an appropriate treatment for this epidemic disease. Methods: This two-center cohort study included 175 confirmed COVID-19 inpatients at two medical centers designated for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in Qom and Qazvin, Iran. In this study, four different groups of drug regimens were studied which included G1 (azithromycin, prednisolone, and naproxen), G2 (lopinavir/ritonavir, azithromycin, naproxen, and prednisolone), G3 (hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, naproxen, and prednisolone), and G4 (levofloxacin, vancomycin, hydroxychloroquine, and oseltamivir). It should be noted that G1, G2, G3, and G4 treatment regimens were used on 48, 39,30, and 77 patients, respectively. Results: The study participants included 175 confirmed COVID-19 patients with mean±SD age of 58.9 ±15.1 years, out of whom 80 (46%) patients were male and the rest were females. The results indicated that the hospital stay period was significantly shorter in the G1 compared to other groups (G1:5.9±2.4, G2:8.1±4.2, G3: 6.3±1.7, and G4: 6.4±2.9; [P-value=0.008]). It should be noted that pulse rate, oxygen saturation, hemoglobin, and platelet count (PLT) changed significantly during the study in four treatment groups; however, a significant change in temperature, creatinine, and white blood cell (WBC) was observed only in G3, G4, and G1 groups, respectively. The number of ICU admissions and deaths were not statistically significant among the patients who received the four treatment regimens (P=0.785). Based on the results, the history of ischemic heart disease, baseline oxygen saturation, WBC, neutrophil, lymphocyte count, and C-reactive protein (CRP) are the risk factors for the prolonged hospital stay in COVID-19 patients. Conclusion: The obtained results in this study indicated that the combination of azithromycin, prednisolone, and naproxen is the most effective regimen for the treatment of COVID-19, compared to three other combination treatment regimens. Keywords: Anti-inflammatory drugs, Antiviral drugs, Combination therapy, Corticosteroid, COVID-19, Immunomodulators drug

Assessment of relationship among sleepiness with polysomnographic parameters in patients with OSA

Background: Sleepiness that occurs at inappropriate or undesirable times or that interferes with daytime activities is generally considered excessive daytime sleepiness. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is one of the most common causes of excessive daytime sleepiness. The aim of this study is to finds out the most important nocturnal polysomnographic parameters influencing daytime sleepiness in patients with OSA. Materials and Methods: Considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 112 patients referred to Baqiyatallah subspeciality sleep clinic in Qom city were selected. Patients, demographic and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) data were gathered and then comparison among ESS with polysomnography and anthropometric parameter was performed. Chi-square was used for analysis of qualitative parameters. Data analysis was done by SPSS v.18. P value was significant (˂0.05). Results: The mean age of the cases was 55.07 with male frequency 58.9% and female 41.1%. Body mass index was 34.34, apnea hypopnea index 43.62, mean Arousal Index 30.64 and mean ESS was 12.83. There was significant relationship among ESS>10 with arousal index (p=0.009) and mean O2 saturation (p=0.029), But we didn’t detected correlation between ESS>10 with other polysomnographic parameters. Conclusion: According to the data, the most important parameters of sleepiness in obstructive sleep apnea patients were sleep fragmentation and mean O2 saturation

Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in Truck Drivers and Official Workers

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are common among drivers and official workers. Musculoskeletal disorders are frequent causes of absenteeism in many countries. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and risk factors associated with these symptoms. A total of 346 workers and truck drivers were participated in this case-control study. All the participants were interviewed using a self- administered questionnaire containing demographic data and a Nordic questionnaire about presence site and characteristics of pain. Then the data were gathered, and the prevalence of the mentioned parameters and the relationship between variables in the questionnaire were analyzed statistically. The results of this study revealed that 78.6% out of truck drivers and 55.5% out of official workers had musculoskeletal disorders in on-year and there was a significant difference between two groups in this regard (P<0.001). On the whole, the most common symptoms were neck 47 (27.2%), followed by lumbar pain 42 (24.3%) in truck drivers and knee 63 (36.4%) and lumbar symptom 21 (12.1%) in one-year in official workers. In this study, musculoskeletal disorders showed statistically significant association with work duration, age and BMI (P<0.001). Within the limits of this study, it can be concluded that the musculoskeletal troubles have a high frequency among the drivers and official workers. Both groups usually remain on a prolonged uncomfortable postures and high static muscle load which may imply a risk for development of the troubles

Association between The SIRT1 and SIRT3 Levels and Gene Polymorphisms with Infertility in War Zones of Kermanshah Province, Iran: A Case-Control Study

Objective: War toxin, mustard gas, alkylating agent results in male infertility via inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and DNA mutagenesis. SIRT1 and SIRT3 are multifunctional enzymes that involve in the DNA repair, oxidative stress responses. This study aim is to assess the correlation between serum levels of SIRT1, SIRT3 and both rs3758391T>C and rs185277566C>G gene polymorphisms with infertility in the war zones of Kermanshah province, Iran.Materials and Methods: In this case-control study based on the semen analysis, samples were divided into two groups infertile (n=100) and fertile (n=100). High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was used to determine the malondialdehyde level, and also a sperm chromatin dispersion (SCD) test was used to evaluate the DNA fragmentation rate. Using the colorimetric assays, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was measured. SIRT1 and SIRT3 protein levels were determined by using ELISA. The genetic variants of SIRT1 rs3758391T>C, and SIRT3 rs185277566C>G, were detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length (PCR-RFLP) technique.Results: Malondialdehyde (MDA) level and the percentage of DNA fragmentation were higher in infertile samples, but serum levels of SIRT1 and SIRT3, and SOD activity was lower in infertile compared to fertile samples (PC polymorphism, and CG+GG genotypes and the G allele from SIRT3 rs185277566C>G polymorphism could increase risk of infertility (P<0.05).Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that war toxins through the impact on genotypes, decreasing levels of SIRT1 and SIRT3 and increasing levels of oxidative stress, lead to defects in the concentration, motility and morphology of sperms and thus, infertility in men

Thiopurine S-Methyltransferase Assay by HPLC in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Patients and a Healthy Iranian Population

Thiopurine s-methyltransferase (TPMT) plays a key role in the metabolism of the drug; 6-MP in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The wild-type TPMT*1 allele and mutant alleles are associated with normal and intermediate enzyme activity, respectively. In patients with intermediate or deficient TPMT activity, normal dose of the drug may cause serious side effects such as bone marrow toxicity. The aim of this study was to assay the enzyme activity by HPLC for right ordering of chemotherapy drug doses in the patients. TPMT activity was measured in RBC of healthy adults (n=73) and children (n=10). Also, TPMT (*2, *3A, *3B and *3C) genotype of the samples were assessed by ARMS-PCR and RFLP-PCR. No indication of gender and age differences in the TPMT activity was found. This study showed that the HPLC method was sensitive, accurate and precise and can be used in routine clinical laboratory tests