Causes of Maternal Mortality in Tehran, Iran

Maternal mortality is a woman’s death during pregnancy or postpartum period due to direct or indirect causes. Its direct causes are related to obstetrical issues. The indirect cause of it refer to an underlying disease, i.e. aggravated during pregnancy and leads to death. A routine data-based study conducted at the Legal Medicine Organization of Tehran City, Iran, the autopsy findings of maternal mortalities during April 2017-2019 were reviewed. During the study period, 53 cases were autopsied of which 29 (54.7%) and 24 (45.3%) died due to direct and indirect causes, respectively. , The prevalent direct causes of death, were bleeding (22.6%), eclampsia/preeclampsia (13.2%), and ectopic pregnancy (5.7%). Frequent indirect causes were cardiac diseases (20.7%) and nervous system and infectious diseases (both: 7.5%). This study revealed the considerable share of indirect causes in maternal mortalities in Tehran. Moreover, we outlined the importance of early detection of non-obstetrical medical conditions during pregnancy care to reduce preventable maternal mortalities

Bilateral presumed tuberculous choroiditis

Purpose: To describe a case of bilateral presumed tuberculous choroiditis which resolved promptly with a short course of antituberculous therapy. Case Report: A 44-year-old lady presented with bilateral visual loss of 8 months'duration. Considering the presence of pan-uveitis, severe macular edema, multifocal leakage on fluorescein angiography, positive tuberculin skin test, and after excluding other diseases, she underwent anti-tuberculous therapy (ATT) for disseminated choroiditis due to presumed ocular tuberculosis. She improved promptly and completely. There were no signs of relapse 18 months after completion of the treatment course. In a young patient with disseminated choroiditis and relatively short duration of symptoms, a course of ATT for 6 months may effectively treat the disease preventing relapse for a considerable period of time. Conclusion: In Presumed Tuberculous chroiditis early diagnosis is crucial for prompt and complete improvement

Bilateral presumed tuberculous choroiditis

Purpose: To describe a case of bilateral presumed tuberculous choroiditis which resolved promptly with a short course of antituberculous therapy. Case Report: A 44-year-old lady presented with bilateral visual loss of 8 months'duration. Considering the presence of pan-uveitis, severe macular edema, multifocal leakage on fluorescein angiography, positive tuberculin skin test, and after excluding other diseases, she underwent anti-tuberculous therapy (ATT) for disseminated choroiditis due to presumed ocular tuberculosis. She improved promptly and completely. There were no signs of relapse 18 months after completion of the treatment course. In a young patient with disseminated choroiditis and relatively short duration of symptoms, a course of ATT for 6 months may effectively treat the disease preventing relapse for a considerable period of time. Conclusion: In Presumed Tuberculous chroiditis early diagnosis is crucial for prompt and complete improvement

Intestinal Tuberculosis Sometimes Mimics Crohn's Disease

Intestinal tuberculosis is an uncommon presentation of tuberculosis (TB) and has clinicopathological similarities with Crohn's disease. In regions where TB is endemic clinicians must aware of this condition and fully evaluate their patients when Crohn's disease is diagnosed. We recommend all pathologic specimens be evaluate effectively for TB.Smear, culture and PCR for Mycobacterium.tuberculosis from samples aside the pathological reviews help for better diagnosis. Here we present a case of intestinal tuberculosis which initially diagnosed as Crohn's disease but after starting immunosuppressive agents he presented with disseminated tuberculosis

Cluster analytical approach to Lifestyle characteristics: A population based study in Shiraz, Iran

Introduction: A limited number of risky behaviors cause most morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to determine the possible clustering of lifestyle behaviors, including transportation behaviors, diet, physical activity, and smoking in Shiraz, Iran. Methods: There were 776 representative Shirazi adults who participated in this cross-sectional study. The questionnaires were completed via person-to-person interviews. The datasets were searched for any clustering patterns. Cluster analysis was used for statistical analysis, and the data were analyzed using SPSS version 11.5. Results: Three distinct clusters were identified. Cluster 1 was named "Healthy," and it included non-smokers, safe drivers, appropriate or acceptable fruit, vegetable, and fast-food consumers, and physically-active people. Cluster 2, "Moderately Healthy," was relatively risky drivers who had appropriate behaviors on the rest of the health-related behaviors. Cluster 3, "Unhealthy," was smokers, risky drivers, inappropriate or unacceptable fruit, vegetable & fast-food consumers, and a sedentary lifestyle. Conclusions: It was obvious that health-related behaviors were clustered together and unhealthy behaviors were not established in isolatio

The role of three-dimensional scaffolds based on polyglycerol sebacate/ polycaprolactone/ gelatin in the presence of Nanohydroxyapatite in promoting chondrogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells

Abstract Background Tissue engineering for cartilage regeneration has made great advances in recent years, although there are still challenges to overcome. This study aimed to evaluate the chondrogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADSCs) on three-dimensional scaffolds based on polyglycerol sebacate (PGS) / polycaprolactone (PCL) / gelatin(Gel) in the presence of Nanohydroxyapatite (nHA). Materials and methods In this study, a series of nHA-nanocomposite scaffolds were fabricated using 100:0:0, 60:40:0, and 60:20:20 weight ratios of PGS to PCL: Gel copolymers through salt leaching method. The morphology and porosity of prepared samples was characterized by SEM and EDX mapping analysis. Also, the dynamic contact angle and PBS adsorption tests are used to identify the effect of copolymerization and nanoparticles on scaffolds' hydrophilicity. The hydrolytic degradation properties were also analyzed. Furthermore, cell viability and proliferation as well as cell adhesion are evaluated to find out the biocompatibility. To determine the potential ability of nHA-nanocomposite scaffolds in chondrogenic differentiation, RT-PCR assay was performed to monitor the expression of collagen II, aggrecan, and Sox9 genes as markers of cartilage differentiation. Results The nanocomposites had an elastic modulus within a range of 0.71–1.30 MPa and 0.65–0.43 MPa, in dry and wet states, respectively. The PGS/PCL sample showed a water contact angle of 72.44 ± 2.2°, while the hydrophilicity significantly improved by adding HA nanoparticles. It was found from the hydrolytic degradation study that HA incorporation can accelerate the degradation rate compared with PGS and PGS/PCL samples. Furthermore, the in vitro biocompatibility tests showed significant cell attachment, proliferation, and viability of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs). RT-PCR also indicated a significant increase in collagen II, aggrecan and Sox9 mRNA levels. Conclusions Our findings demonstrated that these nanocomposite scaffolds promote the differentiation of hADSCs into chondrocytes possibly by the increase in mRNA levels of collagen II, aggrecan, and Sox9 as markers of chondrogenic differentiation. In conclusion, the addition of PCL, Gelatin, and HA into PGS is a practical approach to adjust the general features of PGS to prepare a promising scaffold for cartilage tissue engineering. Graphical Abstrac

Evaluation of Psychopathology and Quality of Life in Patients with Anogenital Wart Compared to Control Group

Anogenital warts (AGW) are one of the most common venereal diseases. Psychosocial complications and quality of life (QoL) of AGW patients have been considered only in recent years. Herein, the QoL and psychopathology in patients with AGW are evaluated. In total, 37 AGW patients and 37 healthy controls were recruited in the present cross-sectional study. All participants were provided with the symptom checklist 90-R (SCL-90-R) and short-form (SF-36) questionnaires. All analyses were performed using the SPSS software, version 16.0.1 for Windows. QoL was not significantly different between the study groups (P=0.12). The data showed that mental health, general health, and social functioning were significantly decreased in AGW patients (P<0.05). In addition, AGW patients were significantly more depressed and anxious than the control group (P=0.01 and P=0.04, respectively). AGW has adverse effects on psychological and QoL elements of the infected individuals. Psychological factors should be carefully considered when treating a patient with the HPV virus; hence, referral to a psychiatrist seems mandatory in these cases