The inverse association of serum HBV DNA level with HDL and adiponectin in chronic hepatitis B infection

<p>Abstract</p> <p>BACKGROUND</p> <p>The natural history of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is complex and influenced by the level of viral replication and host factors. The hepatoprotective role of high density lipoproteins (HDL) and adiponectin as host factors on HBV persistence is less well understood.</p> <p>METHODS</p> <p>To investigate correlation between HBV DNA level with clinical parameters in patients with chronic hepatitis B, 92 male subjects with HBV infection without any risk factors for diabetes were enrolled in this study. Age and BMI of the study population were matched and HBV DNA, ALT, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), adiponectin and lipid levels was measured.</p> <p>RESULTS</p> <p>Serum HBV DNA correlated inversely with serum HDL level (r = -0.23; P = 0.014). The median of log copies/ml for HBV DNA (3.67) was considered as cut off point. Patients with HBV DNA level higher than cut off point had lower adiponectin (8.7 ± 5.3 vs 10.7 ± 4.9 μg/ml p = 0.05). Also, adiponectin had a negative correlation with TNF-α (r = -0.21, P = 0.04) and positive correlations with HDL (r = 0.18, P = 0.043).Multivariate regression models show that serum HDL level is an independed factor to predict serum HBV DNA.</p> <p>CONCLUSION</p> <p>Our findings showed that higher HBV DNA levels are associated with lower HDL and adiponectin but induced TNF-alpha values.</p

Prevalence of diabetes, impaired fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance in patients with thalassemia major in Iran: A meta-analysis

Background: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of diabetes, impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in Iranian patients with thalassemia major. Methods: The current study has been conducted based on PRISMA guideline. To obtain the documents, Persian and English scientific databases such as Magiran, Iranmedex, SID, Medlib, IranDoc, Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Cochrane, Web of Science, Springer, Wiley Online Library as well as Google Scholar were searched until December 2015. All steps of the study were conducted by two authors independently. To the high heterogeneity of the studies, the random effect model was used to combine studies. Data were analyzed using STATA Version 11.1 software. Results: Thirty-two studies involving 3959 major thalassemia patients with mean age of 16.83 years were included in the meta-analysis. The prevalence of diabetes in Iranian patients with thalassemia major was estimated as 9% (95% CI: 6.8-10.5) and estimated rate was 12.6% (95% CI: 6.1-19.1) for males and 10.8% (95% CI: 8.2-14.5) for females. The prevalence of IFG and IGT were 12.9% (95% CI: 7-18.8) and 9.6% (95% CI: 6.6-12.5) respectively. No relationship between serum ferritin and development of diabetes was noted. Conclusion: The prevalence of diabetes, IFG, and IGT in patients with thalassemia major in Iran is high and accordingly requires new management strategies and policies to minimize endocrine disorders in Iranian patients with thalassemia major. Screening of patients for the early diagnosis of endocrine disorders particularly diabetes, IFG, and IGT is recommended

Predicting the behavioral intention of pregnant women’s choice of delivery method based on the theory of planned behavior: A cross-sectional study

Introduction: Cesarean, as a major abdominal surgery, if done without a medical indication, may impose numerous complications on the mothers and the babies and increase frequency of cesarean deliveries in subsequent pregnancies. This study aimed to predict the behavioral tendencies of pregnant women in selecting their delivery approaches, based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 100 pregnant women referred to healthcare centers of Kermanshah city (western Iran). A researcher-made questionnaire was applied, based on TPB constructs including attitudes, perceived behavioral controls, subjective norms, and behavioral tendencies. To analyze the data, Pearson correlation, Spearman, s regression, and ANOVA were used via the SPSS statistical software, version 20. Results: The average age of pregnant woman was 23.7±3.93 years old. The results demonstrated a significant correlation between the subjective norms and behavioral tendencies (r=0.335, P=0.001). A significant relationship was seen between the perceived behavioral controls and tendencies (r=0.277, P=0.004). A significant relationship was found between the perceived behavioral control and the attitude (r=0.293, P=0.002). The results of the regression results demonstrated that the subjective norms and perceived behavioral controls can significantly predict 14.1 percent of changes in the variable of tendencie. Conclusion: The findings indicate the strength of the variable of subjective norms as the most effective factor in predicting the delivery approach; therefore, systematic and planned training seems necessary, not only for the pregnant women, but also the individuals affecting this group. Thus, to reduce caesarean sections, physicians, as an effective factor, need to be urged to boost natural childbirth

The prevalence of visual disorders in Iranian students: A meta-analysis study and systematic review

Background: Visual defects have dramatic effects on health, self-esteem, and educational function of students, and delayed diagnosis will cause complications, like academic failure and psychologic disorders. Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of ocular disorders in Iranian students in a systematic review. Methods: We searched databases, including PubMed, SID, Magiran, Google Scholar, and Iranmedex using the following keywords in Persian and English: disorders, vision, amblyopia, refractive errors, astigmatism, student, and Iran with all the possible combinations, important, chief, and sensitive words. Search resulted in 28 articles, conducted during a period from 1996 to 2014 in Iran and their data was analyzed using meta-analysis and random effects model. Heterogeneity of studies was assessed using I2 index, and data was finally analyzed with R Software and STATA (Version 11.2). Results: Total number of subjects in the study was 1,117,274, aged 2 to 18 years. The prevalence of disorders related to amblyopia, refractive error, and strabismus was 8%, 7% and 1%, respectively. The greatest amount of refractive error was related to astigmatism (19%) followed by myopia (17%). Conclusion: According to the study results, the prevalence of visual disorders among Iranian students indicated the critical necessity of screening programs for prevention of visual disorders in this age grou