A Review of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in Children

Abstract: Since December 2019, an outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with a high morbidity and mortality rate has spread globally and affected all age groups. Children can carry and transmit the novel coronavirus, but usually do not develop severe disease. The number of children who contracted coronavirus disease 2019 has increased significantly; however, compared to adults, there have been fewer reported cases of COVID-19 in the pediatric population. This review is mainly about the epidemiological features, clinical findings, laboratory tests, imaging, and treatment recommendations in children with COVID-19 disease

Psychotherapy for Depression and Anxiety in Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: There are several therapeutic methods for the premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Although psychotherapy has been introduced for women with PMS, no regular reconsiderations of these treatments are available. Aim of the present meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effect of psychotherapy interventions on the PMS. Materials and Methods:  The present systematic review and meta- analysis was conducted no restriction in date of publication until 13th March 2018 on electronic international databases of Medline (via PubMed), Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library as well as Iranian databases, such as Magiran, Medlib, and SID, using equivalent keywords in Persian. The quality of studies and data extraction was assessed by two authors. The standardized mean difference (SMD) measure was applied to calculate the main effect size. Results: Seven trials were included in systematic review. Depression level [SMD =-0.978;

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Onset in a Neonate: A Rare Case Report

Background: A common type of chronic arthritis in children and adolescents is juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).According to the International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR) classification, JIA diagnostic criteria include age under 16 years and disease duration of six-weeks. Based on the number of involved joints in the first sixmonths of disease onset, JIA is categorized into oligoarticular or polyarticular subtypes. Age is a characteristic factor in the diagnosis of disease subsets; it is worth mentioning that cases younger than six months of age are seldom found in any of the subtypes. Case report: In this report, we present a rare case of JIA in an infant, presenting at 20 days of age. Effusion of the right hip joint was one of the primary manifestations of the disease. During hospitalization, she went through sepsis workup and a four-week antibiotic therapy for management of lower limb pseudoparalysis. In spite of antibiotic therapy, she developed effusion of a second joint. According to the course and duration of symptoms and ILAR classification forJIA, oligoarticular JIA was diagnosed and treated.Conclusion: In this case, infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis and brucellosis, and malignancies were ruled out as a cause of inflammation through bone marrow aspiration, culture, and tests; ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging showed no lytic and sclerotic lesions or a fracture. Our experience showed a rare case of JIA and suggested that JIA must be considered in children with joint inflammation at any ag

Ultrasound Evaluation of Spinal Cord in Newborns with Sacral Pit

Background: Sacral pit is a shallow or deep dimple in the lower sacral region, with a reported prevalence of 3-5% among newborns. The aim of the present study was to investigate spinal cord abnormalities in newborns with sacral pit via ultrasound examinations. Methods: In this descriptive study, 3071 infants born at 34-42 weeks of gestation were studied in hospitals affiliated to Islamic Azad University of Mashhad, Iran during 2014-2015. Information including age, sex, and birth weight was recorded in a questionnaire. Infants with a sacral pit underwent ultrasonography; spinal shape and mobility in these infants were compared with their healthy counterparts. For statistical analysis, data were entered to Microsoft Excel software. Chi-square and student’s t-test were performed, using SPSS version 20. Results: Based on the findings, 1.6% of the studied infants were born with a sacral pit. The weight and age were not significantly different between healthy neonates and those with a sacral pit. The prevalence of sacral pit was higher in female cases (54.2%), although there was no significant difference between the genders. Ultrasound examination of the spinal cord revealed its normal position and motility in all newborns with a sacral dimple. Conclusion: The present results showed the normal shape and motility of the spinal cord in newborns with a sacral pit. Therefore, there was no correlation between sacral pit as a cutaneous marker and neural tube defects

The Effect of resistance training on GLUT4 expression in muscle tissue, glucose and insulin resistance in rats

Introduction: One of the most important glucose transporters is glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), which can be expressed in insulin-sensitive tissues such as skeletal muscles. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of resistance training on GLUT4 gene expression and glycemic index in rats with type 2 diabetes. Materials & Methods: Twenty-seven Wistar rats were selected; the rats were fed a high-fat diet for 6 weeks and then randomly divided into three groups: diabetic with resistance training (n=10), diabetic control (n=10), and obesity control (n=7). Type 2 diabetes was induced by injection of a low dose of Streptozotocin (STZ) (30 mg/kg). The resistance training program was performed for 6 weeks, five days per week. The glucose concentration was measured by glucose oxidase enzyme technology, serum insulin by the ELISA method, and real-time PCR was used to test the GLUT4 gene expression. For data analysis, independent t-test and one-way analysis of variance were used (α=0/ 05). Findings: The results indicated that induction of diabetes reduced the GLUT4 gene expression in the gastrocnemius muscle tissue of diabetic rats (P=0.001). Also, GLUT4 gene expression increased in the diabetic training group compared with the diabetic control group (P=0.038). In addition, blood glucose and insulin resistance decreased significantly. The content of GLUT4 gene expression was increased in the training group compared with the diabetic control group (p=0.001). Discussion & Conclusions: Based on the findings of this study, it can be stated that the GLUT4 gene expression in rat gastrocnemius muscle tissue is reduced in diabetic rats. Also, resistance training could increase the GLUT4 gene expression and improve glucose transport and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic rats. This could be due to improvement in the performance of glucose transporters by resistance training

Prevalence and risk factors of seizure in children with acute bacterial meningitis: an update epidemiologic study

Abstract Objective The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factorsof seizure in acute bacterial meningitis. Materials & MethodsIn the present study, a total of 180 children (age range, 2 months to 14 years) with acute bacterial meningitis, were separated into two groups based on the diagnosis of seizure. The study was conducted in Mashhad (Iran) from 2002 to 2016. Results Seizure occurred in 37.4% of children with bacterial meningitis. Streptococcus pneumonia (S. pneumonia) was the most common organism. Most of the children with seizures (53.7%) had more than one episode. Also, 35% of patients had neurologic complications. Complications were more related to the seizure occurrence, the number of episodes, prolonged seizure, and being younger than 12 months. Age categories of less than 1 year and 1-5 year were associated with increased risk of seizure (odds ratio: 4.33 and 6.54, respectively). The more episode of seizure was associated with more complications (odds ratio: 6.33). Conclusion The prevalence of seizure in acute bacterial meningitis was 37.4%. Because of association between seizure and complication, it is necessary to pay more attention to the exact and on-time diagnosis of bacterial meningitis

Effect of sevelamer on serum phosphorus levels in chronic kidney disease and hemodialysis patients; a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: Hyperphosphatemia is an independent risk factor for mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the effect of Sevelamer on serum phosphorus levels in CKD and hemodialysis patients. Materials and Methods: The data were obtained after searching the international databases of Cochrane, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Google Scholar search engine until February 28, 2023. The heterogeneity of articles was assessed using the I2 index. The data were analyzed in STATA 14, and P values < 0.05 were considered significant. Findings: A total of 22 articles were assessed with a total sample size of 3221. Sevelamer reduced calcium levels in CKD and hemodialysis patients compared with those in the comparison group (standardized mean difference [SMD]: -0.67; 95% CI: -1.23, -0.11); however, sevelamer had no significant effect on serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels (SMD: 0.07; 95% CI: -0.39, 0.54) and Ca × P product (SMD: -0.20; 95% CI: -0.41, 0). A significant decrease in serum phosphorus level was observed in patients who had taken sevelamer for a maximum of 12 weeks compared with the comparison group (SMD: -0.27; 95% CI: -0.54, -0.01); however, no significant decrease in serum phosphorus level was observed in patients who had taken sevelamer for more than 12 weeks. A significant decrease in serum phosphorus level was observed in sevelamer users compared to placebo group members (SMD: -0.36; 95% CI: -0.68, -0.05). Conclusion: The administration of sevelamer reduced serum phosphorus levels in CKD and hemodialysis patients compared with those in the placebo group in the short term. Therefore, physicians are recommended to prescribe sevelamer for a maximum period of three months. Registration: This study has been compiled based on the PRISMA checklist, and its protocol was registered on the PROSPERO website (ID: CRD42023406804)

β-Sitosterol Alters the Inflammatory Response in CLP Rat Model of Sepsis by Modulation of NFκB Signaling

Purpose. Sepsis originates from the host inflammatory response, especially to bacterial infections, and is considered one of the main causes of death in intensive care units. Various agents have been developed to inhibit mediators of the inflammatory response; one prospective agent is β-sitosterol (βS), a phytosterol with a structure similar to cholesterol. This study is aimed at evaluating the effects of βS on the biomarkers of inflammation and liver function in cecal ligation and puncture- (CLP-) induced septic rats. Methods. Thirty male Wistar rats were divided equally into six groups as follows: sham, CLP, CLP+dexamethasone (DX, 0.2 mg/kg), CLP+βS (1 mg/kg), CLP+imipenem (IMI, 20 mg/kg), and CLP+IMI (20 mg/kg)+βS (1 mg/kg). Serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, AST, ALT, and liver glutathione (GSH) were assessed by ELISA. Liver expression levels of TNF-α and NF-κBi mRNAs were evaluated by RT-qPCR. Results. Serum concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, ALT, and AST and mRNA levels of TNF-α and NF-κBi were all significantly higher in septic rats than in normal rats (p<0.05). Liver GSH content was markedly lower in the CLP group than that in the sham group. βS-treated rats had remarkably lower levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, NF-κBi, AST, and ALT (51.79%, 62.63%, 41.46%, 54.35%, 94.37%, 95.30%, 34.87%, and 46.53% lower, respectively) and greater liver GSH content (35.71% greater) compared to the CLP group (p<0.05). Conclusion. βS may play a protective role in the septic process by mitigating inflammation. This effect is at least partly mediated by inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Thus, βS can be considered as a supplementary treatment in septic patients