Journal of Kerman University of Medical Sciences
Volume:12 Issue: 2, 2005

This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of migraine and tension-type headaches among Shiraz primary schools teachers and to provide an epidemiologic model for them. A random sample of 538 teachers, constituting a 10% sample of the primary schools teachers’ population, was evaluated on the basis of the diagnostic criteria of the international headache society (IHS) as well as clinical diagnosis. The estimated prevalence was 10% (54 subjects) for migraine, 24% (129 subjects) for tension-type headache and 5.2% (28 subjects) for coexisting headaches. In a case-control study, each case of migraine, tension-type and coexisting headache was matched for age, sex and educational region to respectively two, one and three controls selected among headache-free teachers and conditional logistic regression model was used for univariate and multivariate analyses of the relationships between each type of headache and the considered variables. The relationship between the studied headaches and measures of general health questionnaire (GHQ-28) were also determined. Significant associations were found between migraine and positive family history of headache, anxiety and abnormal sleeping pattern. Tension-type headache was significantly associated to positive family history of headache, anxiety, depression, marital status and social dysfunction. Significant associations were found between the coexisting, headache and positive family history of headache, anxiety, depression, abnormal sleeping pattern and social dysfunction. No association was found between any type of headaches and blood pressure, body mass index, birth order, study position, cigarette smoking and level of education. Improving general health measures including physical status, social performance, anxiety and depression alleviation in home and school in cases with tension-type headache and correction of sleeping pattern and stress alleviation in subjects with positive family history of migraine headaches are recommended for prevention and treatment of these headaches.

The aim of this study was the evaluation of hearing threshold in patients with beta thalasemia major. For this purpose, 178 patients who were under regular chelation therapy with desferrioxamine (DFO) were selected and underwent ear, nose, throat examinations and audiological evaluations. Patients were between 4 to 25 years old and 54.9% were male and 45.1% were female. Three patients were excluded from the study due to middle ear disease and tympanic membrane perforation. Mean hearing threshold was 12.46 db. The incidence of hearing loss in speech frequencies was 1.8% and there was a correlation between hearing threshold increase and the duration of disease and desferrioxamine consumption. But no correlation was found between hearing threshold and serum ferritin level (Mean 4046 ng/ml) or DFO dose (Mean=38.68 mg/kg/day).

The potential role of omega-3 (?-3) and omega-6 (?-6) fatty acids on wound healing is of interest and controversial. In the present study, the effect of dietary intake of fish oil (?-3 diet) and corn oil (?-6 diet) on skin wound healing has been investigated in rat. This experimental study was performed on four groups of male rats (One normal group and three diabetic groups). Diabetes was induced by subcutaneous injection of 50 mg/kg streptozotocin. In diabetic groups, one group was control and received STZ alone, and the other two diabetic groups were respectively fed with oral fish oil (FO group) and corn oil (CO group) from 4 weeks after the induction of diabetes till complete wound healing. All animals were wounded by a 4 cm vertical incision in the midline of dorsum 8 weeks after diabetes induction. Wound surface area, percentage of wound healing, vessels density, and epidermal growth were measured at various post-operated periods. The results showed that, surface area of wound in CO group was less than that of FO-treated rats and control group at the 7th post-operative day. Moreover the percentage of wound healing in CO group was 97% at the 20% day, while this parameter in FO group and control group were 66% and 71.3% respectively. Although vessels density and epidermal growth in control group were significantly less than those of normal group, no significant difference was found between both FO and CO groups with control group in this regard. Moreover, FO diet and CO diet had an inhibitory effect on increased plasma glucose in diabetic rats by 46.8% and 40.7% respectively. Diabetic rats demonstrated increased plasma totals cholesterol, triglyceride and LDLc levels, but this change was significantly decreased by both diets at the end of 7th week. FO and CO diets also caused an increase in plasma HDL level comparing to the control group. We concluded that, corn oil (?-6 diet) supplementation can result in an acceleration of skin wound healing in chronic diabetic rats, but fish oil have no effect. These actions of corn oil may be mediated through changes in inflammatory or fibroplasias stages of wound response.

The present study aimed at evaluating the effect of local hyperthermia on the healing of burn wounds. Right and left flunks of 8 balb-c mice (As treated and control wounds respectively) were burned. Local hyperthermia was applied only for the burn wounds of the right flunks (The treated wound). Sampling was accomplished on the 6th day for half of the mice and on the 9th day for the other half. The treated wounds had significantly smaller sizes than control wounds on the 6th day (P=0.019) and the 9th day (P=0.007). The number of hair follicles and sebaceous glands of the treated wounds were significantly more than those of control wounds both on the 6th day (P=0.025 and P=0.043, respectively) and on the 9th day (P=0.012 and P=0.033, respectively). Regarding the neovascularization there was no significant difference between the treated and control wounds on the 6th day but on the 9th day the neovascularization of the treated wounds was significantly more comparing to the control wounds (P=0.025). Acute inflammation of the treated wounds was significantly less than the control wounds (P=0.015). Collagen formation and reepithelialization in the treated wounds were more than the control wounds both on the 6th and 9th day. It is concluded that local hyperthermia can accelerate the healing process of the second degree burn wounds.

Multilamellar vesicles (Noisome) of polyoxyethylene alkyl ether surfactants (Brij 52, 72, 76 and 92) were prepared using classic film hydration method. Vesicle formation ability of the surfactants was assessed in presence or absence of cholesterol. All used surfactants formed vesicles in the absence of cholesterol. Recombinant human insulin was used as a model protein drug to investigate encapsulation efficiency and release characteristics of the vesicles. The amount of insulin released in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) and simulated gastric fluid (SGF) from brij 92 vesicles was lower than the other ones. This vesicles also showed the highest protection of insulin against proteolytic enzymes, pepsin and trypsin. Diabetes was induced by IP injection of streptozotocin (65 mg/kg) in male wistar rats. Animals treated with oral niosome (Brij 52 and 92)-encapsulated insulin (100 IU/kg) showed decreased levels of blood glucose and elevation of serum insulin, which in the case of brij 92 niosomes the hypoglycemic effect was significant (P<0.05).

Achieving complete anesthesia in the presence of inflamed pulp is one of the main problems in root canal therapy, and researchers are trying to find a more efficient anesthetic drug for these cases. The main goal of this study was to compare the analgesic effect of lidocaine and lidocaine mixed with mannitol in teeth with inflamed pulp. By using an electrophysiological method the anesthetic effect of lidocaine and lidocaine-mannitol injections on 24 manibular canine teeth belonging to 12 cats were compared. At the first stage, right and left canines were exposed to the oral cavity fro about 3 days in order to induce pulp inflammation. At the second stage, the inferior alveolar canal was exposed by a surgical flap and the extraction of the covering bone. Then recording electrodes were connected to the inferior alveolar nerve and stimulating electrodes were connected to the canines teeth. The teeth were stimulated by increasing the voltage with a stimulator. The lowest voltage that produced the highest amplitude of the neurological wave was considered as the main voltage of the study and neurograms were recorded before and after drug injections in each tooth. Lidocaine and lidocaine-mannitol were used alternatively for each side of the mandible. Mann Whitney test was used for data analysis. Based on the obtained results there is no significant difference between the two anesthetic agents in decreasing the amplitude of the neurological wave.

In the recent years, there has been an increasing rate of kala-azar disease in the south of Baft (Kerman/Iran). A survey on the records of admitted patients in the main hospital of Kerman city from 1993-2003 showed that from the total of 36 cases of visceral leishmaniasis, 12 cases (33.3%) were from south Baft. Since awareness of visceral leishmaniasis vectors status has a key role in disease control and programming, this study was carried out in order to determine the fauna, monthly activity, host preference, and susceptility of dominant species to 4% DDT insecticide. For this purpose, 1710 sandflies (17 species) were collected by sticky traps and aspiratory methods and based on the standards during their monthly activity. The results of the investigation showed that the activity of sand flies starts in April and ends in October with two peaks in July and September. The predominant species of this area were P.Papatasi (33.74%) and P.Alexandri (29.82%) that were observed during all months of sandflies activity. According to the result of blood-fed index by ELISA test and using dog and human antiserums, P.Papatasi (43.3%) and P.Alexandri (33.3%) were positive to human blood. Diagnostc dosage test showed that P.Papatasi is susceptible to DDT 4% with one hour exposure.

Depression is one of the most frequent behavioral disorders characterized with disenjoyment, lack of motivation, sexual disorders, sleeping disorder and depressed mood. Depression is a prevalent complication in cancerous patients that mostly occurs as a result of social function impairment. In this cross-sectional study on cancerous patients hospitalized during a 6-month period in the radiooncology ward of Kerman university of medical sciences, the relationship of depression severity with variables of age, sex, marital statues, educational statues, life region and frequency of chemoradiotherapy sessions were studied and the predictive factors were determined. The prevalence or severity of depression showed significant relation with age increase (OR=10.8, P<0.05), low education (OR=6.4, P<0.05), being single (OR=2.8, P<0.05), and undergoing more than six therapeutic sessions (OR=3.2, P<0.05), while there was not such a relation for variables of sex and life region. Logistic regression model showed that, age over 45 (OR=8.1, P<0.05), being illiterate (OR=6.5, P<0.05) and being single (OR=4.3, P<0.05), are good predictors for depression in patients with cancer, while the number of therapeutic sessions was not a significant risk factor. Treatment of depression as a part of therapeutic plan of cancerous patients especially in high-risk cases, seems to be so important in decreasing the period of disease and patient’s disability.

A neonate was admitted on the second day of birth in the pediatric ward of Kerman medical sciences university No. 1 hospital, because of abdominal distention and the absence of penis. Physical findings were lethargia, infancy hyporeflexia, abdominal distention without any organomegally, absence of penis, two touchable masses in the scrotum and a hole on scrotum for urine discharge. CBC and electrolytes were normal. Urea and creatinin were higher than normal rate but decreased to normal rate on the 4th day of birth. Urine analysis showed a lot of white and red cells and bacteria, but urine culture and blood culture were negative. Abdominal radiography revealed intestinal lobes full of gas, but there was no gas in the rectum. Barium enema was normal. Vertebral radiograph and echocardiograph were normal. Abdominal sonography showed pyelocalisil distention in both kidneys, but more in the left kidney, right scrotum and a hypoplastic penis in scrotum. In CT scan, perfusion and function of right kidney were normal while no perfusion and function were observed in the left kidney. The karyotype was 46XY. Abdominal distention was relieved after the washing of rectum with normal salin and discharge of gas and meconium. Urea and creatinin levels decreased to normal rate and oral feeding was started. The neonate was discharged because of parents’ discontent for genital repair, but readmitted on the 41st day of birth due to urinary retention and visiculotomy was performed. Genital repair was not done due to parents’ discontent.