Advanced Biomedical Research
Volume:11 Issue: 5, Jun 2021

Selective norepinephrine‑serotonin receptor inhibitors (SNRIs) such as duloxetine have already shown beneficial effects on symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients. The purpose of the present investigation was to assess the efficacy of duloxetine in the symptom and quality of life improvement in diarrhea predominant‑IBS (IBS‑D) patients.

IN a randomized, double‑blind and placebo‑controlled study, sixty patients diagnosed with IBS‑D (ROM‑IV criteria), referred to the gastrointestinal clinic of Rasoul‑e‑Akram Hospital of Iran university of medical sciences, randomly assigned in the treatment groups, group A: patients who received 135 mg mebeverine tablet twice a day combined with 30 mg duloxetine capsule per day and group B, who received the same regimen, except for placebo capsule once per day instead of duloxetine for twelve weeks. The assessment was performed using the IBS severity index, and IBS quality of life questionnaire (IBS‑QOF) at baseline, and weeks 4, 8, and 12 after beginning the treatment. Drug adverse effects and compliance to treatment were evaluated every 2 weeks after starting the treatment.

Sixty patients completed the trial. The duloxetine group showed significantly greater improvement on the IBS symptoms (P < 0.001), and the IBS‑QOF (P < 0.001) in comparison to the placebo group at the endpoint.

This study showed that adding duloxetine to mebeverine is safe with good efficacy on symptoms and QOL improvement in IBS‑D patients. Besides, this study showed that 12 weeks’ treatment duration is significantly more effective than 4 weeks’ treatment, and drug adverse effects are more prominently seen in the first 2 weeks of treatment.

Patients with heart failure are one of the high‑risk groups for coronary artery. Distance education of self‑care behaviors can be effective in preventing the disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of social networks in explaining the awareness of cardiovascular patients’ self‑care behaviors toward COVID‑19.

In the present survey study, 227 patients with a history of heart failure were selected from Shahid Rajaei Hospital in Tehran by the available sampling method (May to July 2020). Data collection tools were the standard European Self‑Care Behavior Questionnaire for heart failure and the Dorty Elizabeth Orem self‑care model. Data were analyzed using SPSS Version 22.

The results of the Pearson correlation coefficient showed a positive and relatively strong linear relationship between the variable of the degree of persistence in the use of networks with the eight dimensions of self‑care behavior except psychological emotion control (r = −0.39, P = 0.315). Furthermore, a significant weak inverse relationship between the dimension of “cooperation with physicians and treatment staff” (r = −0.22, P = 0.129). Moreover, psychological support (r = −0/034, P = 0.446) was observed with the use of networks. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that the type of activity and participation in networks has a greater share and effect in increasing the score of self‑care behavior of 0.55.

Since the use of networks has a positive effect on patients’ self‑care behavior, the use of these networks is recommended as a community‑based approach in the health system and to improve health and health outcomes.

The detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is prognostic during the disease in women with metastatic breast cancer. Integrins are key role players in nearly every step of cancer progression. In this study, we aimed to analyze integrin alpha6beta4 expression on CTCs isolated from blood samples of patients with advanced breast cancer.

In this single‑center study, peripheral blood samples from 23 breast cancer patients were obtained and analyzed for the presence of CTCs by EasySep™ Direct Human CTC Enrichment Kit combined with subsequent immunocytochemical staining of anti‑cytokeratin and anti‑epithelial cell adhesion molecules, and β4 integrin on CTCs. Data were correlated with clinicopathological parameters.

CTCs were detected in 100% of the patients. The ratio of integrin β4+ CTC was 61% ± 8% of total CTCs. No significant correlation between histopathological parameters and CTC detection was found.

Our results demonstrated the importance of α6 β4 integrin expression on CTCs in distant metastasis.