Procalcitonin and white blood cell count (WBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) alterations in children with systemic inflammatory response syndrome before and after treatment

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) due to infection is an important cause of morbidity and  mortality in children. The present prospective observational study aimed to determine the correlation  between  procalcitonin (PCT) and white blood cell count (WBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and  C-reactive protein (CRP) in toddlers before and after treatment. Moreover, 50 patients aged 1 to 36 months who were hospitalized at the Pediatrics Ward in Besat Hospital, Sanansaj city, Kurdistan province Western  Iran through a census sampling method were recruited. The complete blood count (CBC) was measured via  cell counter; ESR by the Westergren method, CRP via semi quantitative method and PCT via semi quantitative  immune-chromatography method. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to estimate correlation between  WBC, ESR, CRP and PCT before and after treatment of SIRS. The results obtained show correlation coefficients between PCT and CRP as well as between PCT and ESR in the first day of trial before treatment were  determined as ‘good’ and ‘moderate’, respectively. However, there was no significant correlation between PCT and WBC. No significant correlation was found between PCT and WBC count, ESR and CRP at the third day of  treatment. It was concluded that procalcitonin and CRP is the most favorable values for confirming SIRS  diagnosis in the onset of treatment. PCT can be considered as the marker of choice for following up purposes.Key words: Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), procalcitonin, toddlers, treatment

Benefit of iodine soil application for alleviating detrimental effects of salinity stress in strawberry

Since the photochemical mechanisms of iodine-mediated adaptation to salt stress is not yet clear, the present study was performed to address this issue. Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) plants were grown under controlled conditions, and soils of iodine treatment were fertilized with potassium iodate (KIO 3 ) (5 and 50 mg/kg soil) before filling the pots. Salt stress (50 mM) negatively affected protein synthesis and photochemical reactions of strawberry, as evaluated by a decrease in performance index (PI abs ) as well as higher levels of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and malondialdehyde, whereas application of KIO 3 (at both 5 and 50 mg/kg) alleviated the detrimental effect of sodium chloride (NaCl) stress. Plants treated with 50 mg/kg showed an increase in the soluble sugars content with respect to no KIO 3 supply under salinity stress. In salt-stressed plants, the OJIP chlorophyll fluorescence curve showed a quicker fluorescence decrease in the I-P phase. Notably, I-P phase in plants treated with KIO 3 was increased. These results indicated that KIO 3 application could protect the photosystem II from damage under salinity stress. Additionally, application of KIO 3 raised free radical scavenging activities of strawberry leaf because of an enhancement of catalase activity. These data provided the first evidence that the root-applied KIO 3 pretreatment alleviated salt stress in strawberry by decreasing reactive oxygen species production, resulting in better photochemical functioning under salt stress

Evaluation of sexual attitude and sexual function in menopausal age; a population based cross-sectional study

Background: Menopause and its physical, hormonal and psychosocial changes could affect women’s sexual function. There are controversial results regarding relationship between sexual attitudes and function. Objective: We aimed to evaluate sexual attitudes and sexual function among Iranian menopausal age women. Materials and Methods: This population based cross-sectional study was carried out on 225 menopausal women, aged 45-65 years. Based on a self-made questionnaire data were collected about women’s socio-demographic characteristics, attitudes regarding sexuality and sexual function. Data were analyzed using SPSS and sexual function was compared between three groups of women who had positive, medium and negative attitudes regarding sexuality. Results: The mean age of women was 53.11±4.56 years. Seventy percent of them had at least one sexual problem. Feeling of dyspareunia was significantly different between three categories of attitudes regarding sexuality (p=0.03). Comparing data obtained on their attitudes, sexual desire, orgasm and dyspareunia demonstrated significant differences (p=0.03, 0.04, and 0.04 respectively). Conclusion: Attitude regarding sexual function has a great impact on sexual activity of postmenopausal women that need to be considered in their health care programming

The influence of the BCL11A polymorphism on the phenotype of patients with beta thalassemia could be affected by the beta globin locus control region and/or the Xmn1-HBG2 genotypic background

To study the influence of the β globin locus control region (LCR) genotypic background on the phenotype modifying role of BCL11A polymorphisms, 100 cases of thalassemia, 48 homozygous for the A allele and 52 homozygous for the G allele at the 5′HS4-LCR palindromic polymorphic site were genotyped for two BCL11A single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs11886868 and rs766432) in the intronic region of this gene. The effect of these polymorphisms on HbF variation was also examined in 122 normal individuals. The 5′ HS4-LCR had the most significant role in determining the phenotype of these thalassemia patients. BCL11A polymorphisms showed a significant role in determining the phenotype of patients homozygous for the G allele at 5′HS4-LCR. However, the majority of patients homozygous for the A allele at 5′HS4-LCR, showed a severe phenotype, regardless of the BCL11A genotype. These results, without undermining the strength of BCL11A as a silencer of the γ globin gene, suggest that the LCR background, by governing the state of BCL11A binding to this region, plays a more significant role in determining the thalassemia phenotype than the level of BCL11A protein expression, that might be influenced by single nucleotide polymorphisms in intronic regions of the BCL11A gene. Functional studies to confirm the interactions between BCL11A and LCR could be useful in designing pharmacogenetic strategies for the treatment of beta thalassemia major