Epilepsy caused by head trauma among persons wounded in the war, Chaharmahal & Bakhtiari, 2001

Abstract: One of the common problems of war is head trauma. This complication is usually accompanied by early and late seizures. Type of epilepsy, site of injury, importance of surgery as a preventive measure and prophylactic medication were evaluated in a sample of 50 disabled persons of the war having head trauma and post-traumatic seizures. Data was collected from their medical documents and by interview and medical examination. Our results showed that 86% of the patients had late seizures and 14% had early seizures. 60% of them had convulsions during the first year after trauma. The location of trauma in 73.5% was in temporal or temporoparietal region. 90% of the cases had tonic-clonic seizures and the rest had focal seizures. Prophylactic medication had only affected the early seizures. Surgical prophylaxes were not effective in reducing seizures frequency and patients need having antiepileptic drugs for a long perio

Effect of Various Concentrations of Inhibitors on the Expression of Chemokine Ip-10/Mob-1

Introduction: Chemokines are low molecular weight proteins (8-17kDa) with the main role of immune cells recruitment to injured tissues. IP-10/Mob-1 is a CXC chemokine and different cell systems in response to external stimulation produce this chemokine. Various signaling pathways are used by cell and tissue systems to regulate production of proteins e.g. chemokines. Therefore we have investigated some of these pathways leading to production of IP-10/Mob-1 by primary cultured hepatocytes. Methods: In the present study, hepatocyts were isolated from male Sprague Dawley rats and cultured on Waymouth medium in presence and absence of different inhibitors such as SB203580, MG132, KN62 and Staurosporine for indicated time points. Supernatant medium of culture was centrifuged and proteins were isolated by SDS-PAGE and transferred to nitrocellulose membranes, then membranes were incubated with IP-10/Mob-1 antibody overnight and followed by incubation with secondary antibody and then IP-10/Mob-1 was detected by ECL. Results: We showed that the expression of IP-10/Mob-1 has been decreased in presence of Staurosporine (10 and 50μM), SB203580(50μM) MG132 (20μM) and KN62 (10 and 20μM) but did not change in absence or lower concentrations of these inhibitors. Conclusion: Hence, these in vitro data may aid to a better understanding of the pathways in chronic liver injuries and identify clinical studies that may aid in treatment or prevention of these conditions. Furthermore, there may be further potential to prevent changes to hepatocyte phenotype and allow isolation of hepatocytes with a greater physiological phenotype. Therefore it could be concluded that all of these pathways are used by hepatocytes regarding expression of IP-10/Mob-1

Changes in anti-heat shock protein 27 antibody and C-reactive protein levels following cardiac surgery and their association with cardiac function in patients with cardiovascular disease

The relationship between serum anti-heat shock protein (Hsp)27 antibody and high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels and indices of cardiac function were investigated in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or heart valve replacement. The changes in anti-Hsp27 antibody titers and hs-CRP levels were compared among patients undergoing off-pump and on-pump CABG or valvular heart replacement. Fifty-three patients underwent off-pump, on-pump CABG, and heart valvular replacement in each group. Serum anti-Hsp27 titers and hs-CRP values were measured 24 h before and after the operation and at discharge. Echocardiography was performed before surgery and before discharge. The results were compared with values from 83 healthy controls. hs-CRP levels increased and anti-Hsp27 antibody decreased following surgery (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively), although these changes were independent of operative procedure (P = 0.361 and P = 0.120, respectively). Anti-Hsp27 antibody levels were higher at the time of discharge (P = 0.016). Only in coronary patients were anti-Hsp27 antibody levels negatively associated with E/E' (r = -0.268, P = 0.022), a marker of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. In conclusions, anti-Hsp27 antibody levels are associated with indices of cardiac function in coronary patients. Cardiopulmonary bypass had no significant effect on the induction of changes in anti-Hsp27 levels. Moreover, anti-Hsp27 antibody levels fell in all groups postoperatively; this may be due to the formation of immune complexes of antigen-antibody, and antibody levels were higher at the time of discharge