مجله دانشگاه علوم پزشکی مازندران
پیاپی 205 (بهمن 1400)

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD (is a psychotic illness caused by different types of stressors and is associated with high economic and psychological burdens on health systems. Physiological studies of the brain have shown that serum corticosterone and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels have important roles during brain damage and trauma to the nervous system. In this project, we studied the effect of exercise as an effective factor on improving anxiety and serum levels of corticosterone and IGF-1in male PTSD rats.

In this experimental study, single prolonged stress (SPS) was used to induce PTSD in male Wistar rats. The animals were divided into two groups: Sham (Non-SPS [NSPS]) and SPS. The two groups were then divided into two subgroups and one of the subgroups in each group did the exercise after two weeks which continued for four weeks according to the following program: moderate treadmill exercise, 5 days a week; the first two weeks 10m/min and the second two weeks 15m/min). Then, anxiety test was performed by open field test and serum levels of IGF-1 and corticosterone were measured using Eliza.

The rats in SPS group exhibited increased anxiety levels in open field test, decreased serum IGF-1 levels, and increased serum corticosterone levels compared with the controls. Moderate treadmill exercise alleviated SPS-induced alterations, anxiety, and IGF-1 and corticosterone levels.

Moderate exercise could be used as a useful complementary treatment in behavioral and molecular injuries in PTSD patients.

Induction of cellular senescence is indicative of new strategy to prevent abnormal proliferation of cancer cells. Doxorubicin (DOX) is gaining attention for its neoplasia suppressive and inhibitory properties, but its clinical utility is limited due to irreversible effects on non-target cells/tissues. In this way, nanoliposomal structures were developed in drug delivery systems with minimal systemic side effects. The biological role of doxorubicin-loaded nanoliposome (NLDX) in inflammation, a prerequisite for the onset of senescence, is unclear. This study was designed to evaluate the function of P53 and senescence-associated inflammatory markers during NLDX clearance in normal tissue of the liver.

This experimental study included three groups of Wistar rats; DOX (0.75, 0.5, and 0.1 mg/kg/BW) and LDOX (0.1, 0.05, 0.025 mg/kg/BW) groups, and a control group. Liver tissues were studied for inflammatory markers evaluation and Real-Time PCR was performed to investigate the level of P53 expression.

Data showed that NLDX at 0.1 mg/kg/BW could significantly induce senescence in rat liver tissue by remarkable increase in expression level of P53 (P<0.05) and senescence-related inflammatory markers, including TNF-α, NF-κB, interleukin -1, and interleukin-6 compared with a similar dose of DX (P<0.01).

This research provides sufficient evidence of increased senescence in rat liver tissue caused by NLDX compared with DOX during liver excretion.

Melatonin is a well-known neuroendocrine reproductive hormone-based hormone that has an important role in the circadian clock system and has potent antioxidant properties. New studies have also suggested an antitumor role for melatonin. The role of melatonin receptors is proven in many cancers, including colon and breast cancers, but so far, no study has been performed in children with leukemia. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate MT1A receptor polymorphism in children with leukemia using RELP-PCR.

In this case-control study, 84 patients and 70 healthy individuals were included. After informed consent had been obtained, 10 ml of peripheral blood were taken from the participants. Genomic DNA was extracted using salting-out method and PCR-RFLP was used to evaluate the frequency of allelic and genotypic polymorphisms.

The genotypes of MT1 gene rs2119882 polymorphism in control group included 40% TT genotype, 50% TC genotype, and 10% CC genotype. In patients, 40% had TT genotype, 35% had TC genotype, and 25% had CC genotype. Chi-square test showed a significant difference in genotypes between the groups studied (P<0.05).

This study confirmed the association between MT1 gene rs2119882 polymorphism and increased risk of childhood leukemia, Therefore, screening for melatonin receptor polymorphism can be helpful in prognosis and prevention of disease and appropriate treatment strategies in this cancer.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic disease with multiple long-term complications that could trigger depression. This study was performed to determine the relationship between HbA1C levels and depression in children and adolescents with T1DM.

This cross-sectional study was conducted in all children and adolescents with T1DM attending an endocrine clinic affiliated with Amirkola Children's Hospital, Iran 2018-2019. The patients aged 7-18 years old and at least 1.5 years had passed since the onset of their diabetes. Average of three HbA1c values (every six months) were considered and depression was measured using the Marques Children Depression Inventory.

Out of 100 patients with T1DM based on age-appropriate HbA1c, good, poor, and severe control of diabities were seen in 22%, 74%, and 4%, respectively. The risk of of depression in patients with poor control of diabities was 1.75 times higher than those with a good control of the disease, but this was not statistically significant (P=0.29). The risk of depression in children with illness duration of more than 6 years was 3.74 times higher than that in children with less than 6 years duration of the disease (P= 0.005).

Better management of T1DM and HbA1c levels are needed to reduce the risk of depression in these patients.

The boundary between bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder has always been a matter of debate. Despite the importance of this issue, only a few studies have directly compared these two groups. The main purpose of this study was to compare the cognitive profile of patients with bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder in terms of attentional bias.

In this causal-comparative study, attentional bias was compared between 52 patients with bipolar II disorder and 50 patients with borderline personality disorder attending cognitive disorder and psychological clinics in Babol, Iran. Also, 50 healthy individuals were studied as control group. Dot-probe task was done and Young Mania Rating Scale was completed. Data were then analyzed using independent T-test.

The mean age and sex (F and M) of patients with bipolar II and borderline disorders and healthy controls were 25±1.73 (52% and 48%), 27.33±2.87 (61% and 39%), and 26.47±2.34 (50% and 50%), respectively. Mean scores for attentional bias in control group and patients with bipolar II and borderline disorders were 11.36±6.57 (P=0.0012), 19.67±6.85 (P=0.0025), and 16.26±5.85 (P=0.003), respectively.  

In current study, both patient groups had poor performance in attentional bias tasks compared with control group. Patients with bipolar disorder showed more deficits in attention bias than patients with borderline personality disorder and healthy individuals. According to the differences in attention bias found in this study, cognitive studies may help to clarify the boundaries between bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder.

Regional lymph node involvement is one of the main prognostic factors for breast cancer. Intraoperative assessment of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) by frozen section (FS) allows necessary axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) at the same time. But, false negative results are the main problems of the FS. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between non-technical factors and occurrence of false negative FS results in SLNB.

In this retrospective cross-sectional research, we studied the medical records of patients who underwent breast cancer surgery and SLNB in 2017-2018 in Shiraz Shahid Faghihi Hospital. FS and permanent pathology (standard method for examining pathology specimens) reports were compared to determine the rate of false negatives results.

We investigated 198 patients. The average size of breast mass was26.2 mm. Sensitivity, specificity and false negative rate were 80%, 98.4%, and 19.6%, respectively. Among the non-technical factors studied, including breast tumor diameter, type of pathology, micrometastasis, tumor grade, and lymphovascular involvement, there was a significant relationship between lymphovascular involvement and false negative results (P= 0.026).

The present study showed that false-negative results were significantly higher in mass with lymphovascular invasion.

Perforation impairs the prognosis of endodontic treatments, so, timely and accurate diagnosis is important. For this purpose, various radiographic diagnostic tools have been studied to select the method that has the least complications and helps in making the most accurate diagnosis. This study aimed to compare the accuracy of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and intra oral digital radiography phosphor storage plates (PSP) in detection of strip perforation in endodontically treated teeth.

In this experimental study, 124 extracted mandibular molar teeth were selected. Standard access cavities were prepared, then cleaning and shaping in mesiolingual canal were performed by Protaper Gold rotary instruments to size F2. Next, the teeth were randomly divided into four groups (n=31 per group). Control group was left with no perforation while distal wall of mesiolingual canal in other three groups were perforated using Gates Glidden #2 and 3 in 1-3 mm below the furcation region in three ranges; 0-0.5, 0.5-1, and 1-1.5 mm. Electronic Digital Caliper was used to confirm the accuracy of the size of perforations. Obturation was performed in mesiolingual canals employing sealer and gutta-percha by lateral condensation technique. The teeth were then randomly placed in bovin ribs. PSP and CBCT images of all samples were examined by two oral radiologists and data were analyzed in SPSS.

The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of PSP were 90.8%, 88.7%, and 90% and those of CBCT were 95.7%, 72.6%, and 90%, respectively. Sensitivity of CBCT was found to be significantly higher than that of PSP (P<0.01), while specificity of PSP was significantly higher than that of CBCT (P<0.01).

CBCT is the most reliable technique when it is not possible to detect strip perforation in filled root canals by conventional periapical digital imaging systems.

Venlafaxine is an antidepressant that belongs to the family of selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRIs) drugs. Recent studies have indicated that prolonged use of antidepressants leads to a state where increased formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) overwhelms body antioxidant protection and subsequently induces DNA damage, lipid peroxidation, protein modification and cytotoxicity. This study attempts to examine the protective effect of simvastatin against venlafaxine induced cytotoxicity and oxidative stress in human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) cells.

In this experimental study, the intracellular ROS generation and IC50 were measured in cells treated with venlafaxine and simvastatin at different concentrations (50, 100, 150, and 200 μM) in pre-treatment in vitro condition.

According to findings, HGF cell viability was significantly different in 150, and 200 μM of simvastatin compared with venlafaxine (P<0.01). Also, simvastatin significantly decreased the effects of venlafaxine by reducing the level of ROS at 150 and 200 μM (P<0.01).

This study suggests that simvastatin attenuates venlafaxine-induced cytotoxicity in HGF cells through scavenging excessive ROS.

Mushrooms are natural sources that have antitumoral effects, immunomodulatory and anti-oxidant effects. One of the fungus which remained intact is Daedaleopsis tricolor that belongs to the family of Polyporaceae. There are limited phytochemical investigations on other species of this genus, so, we aimed at performing a phytochemical analysis of this fungus.

Fungal components were extracted by hexane using maceration method. Then, the extract was concentrated under reduced pressure using a rotary evaporator. The concentration extract was subjected to silica gel column chromatography through mobile phases consisting of hexane: ethyl acetate. Three fractions of hexane purified extract were called F3, F2, and F1. They were analyzed by 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR Spectroscopy and DEPT 90 and DEPT 135 experiments.

After analysis and receiving the spectrum results and comparing them with other studies, we identified ergosterol derived compounds, ergosterol peroxide, ergosta-7, 22-dien-3β-ol, and linoleic acid.

The three compounds, including ergosterol peroxide, ergosta-7, 22-dien-3β-ol, and linoleic acid were reported for the first time in this fungus.

Osteoporosis as an undesirable factor may cause complications in spinal fusion surgery and lead to re-operation. We evaluated the adequacy of routine preoperative assessments for osteoporosis in patients undergoing spinal fusion surgery among neurosurgeons in Iran.

In this cross-sectional study, a validated Persian version of spine surgeons’ attitude regarding osteoporosis questionnaire was used to assess the performance of surgeons before spinal fusion surgery in patients with suspected osteoporosis. Data were analyzed using SPSS V23.

Out of 800 surgeons, 380 (47.5%) responded. Overall, 235 surgeons (61.8%) did not assess osteoporosis in patients undergoing fusion surgery, while 77 (20.2%) used radiography, 56 (14.7%) used dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and 12 (1.3%) used DXA and laboratory tests to assess these patients. The rate of re-operation was significantly higher in patients who were not assessed for osteoporosis before fusion surgery (84.1% vs. 15.9%, P=0.0001).

Current study showed inadequate awareness of neurosurgeons on necessary preoperative assessments for osteoporotic in patients undergoing spinal fusion. Neurosurgeons are suggested to pay more attention to preoperative assessment of osteoporosis in these patients.

The present study assessed the incidence of Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) and its relationship with demographic variables, previous orthodontic treatment, and mandibular mobility in patients attending Sari Dental School.

In this cross-sectional study, 68 individuals were randomly selected. Data were obtained by interviewing the patients and clinical examinations. The relation between TMD and other variables was then analyzed applying Chi-square test and exact fisher test in SPSS V22.

TMD was found in 75% (n=51), including 35.3% of men and 64.7% of women. Among these, 14 had previously received orthodontic treatment, 34 had a monthly salary of less than one million tomans ($30), and 49 were city dwellers. Maximum mouth opening was 44.52±7 mm in patients without TMD (P= 0.84). People without TMD had greater maximal lateral mandibular movement to the right
(P= 0.2) and left (P= 0.84), but this was not statistically significant. 

A history of orthodontic treatment can contribute to the development of TMD. Nevertheless, good financial status helps in benefiting from more follow-up treatments and decreases the incidence and progression of TMD, although this was not significantly correlated with other variables.

Hospitals have a significant role in crisis management in every society. This study intended to assess the awareness and prepardness of nursing staff during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in selected hospitals affiliated to Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, 2020. The participants included 142 nurses selected via census sampling. Data were collected using a questionnaire.

Nurses demonstrated a satisfactory level of knowledge about preventive measures and protective behaviors for disease transmission from patients with suspected COVID-19 (73%) as well as Coronavirus diagnostic tests (38.8%). Nurses were rated poorly in attending hospital training programs (66%), being prepared for the Coronavirus outbreak (44%), self-confidence in providing care to suspected patients (50%), and satisfaction with personal protective equipment and supplies (37%).

The study showed low levels of awareness and prepardness in some areas related to management of the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has seriously spread worldwide. One of the problems of COVID-19 patients is co-infection with other microbial infections such as fungal infections that are severely life-threatening. Mucormycosis, one of these opportunistic fungal diseases that is mistakenly known as black fungal disease, has been reported in Iran and the world. This non-systematic review is intended to review the latest studies in the world and Iran about the incidence of mucormycosis in COVID-19 patients to better understand the disease and its predisposing factors. In general, patients with COVID-19 with underlying diseases, diabetic patients, those treated with immunosuppressive drugs, ICU patients, and patients under invasive mechanical ventilation are at higher risk for mucormycosis. Therefore, early diagnosis, treatment, and prevention methods can be effective in reducing the risk of mucormycosis in COVID-19 patients.

There are controversies on the association between electrolytes and Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its severity. Studies on these issues may help in resolving ambiguities. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between electrolyte indices and being infected with COVID-19 and developing severe symptoms using a meta-analysis.

A thorough search was done in national and international electronic databases using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms. Quality assessment was conducted by Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS) checklist. We estimated the standardized mean difference between electrolyte indices and the incident of COVID-19 infection and its severity.

After screening the papers, 12 met the inclusion criteria. According to the meta-analysis results, the standardized mean differences for serum level of sodium and potassium between the dead and survived COVID-19 patients was estimated to be 0.22 (95% CI: -0.03, 0.46) and 0.14 (95% CI: -0.22, 0.50), respectively. The standardized mean differences for serum levels of sodium, calcium, and potassium between patients with severe and non-severe COVID-19 were estimated to be -0.28 (95% CI: -0.72, 0.17), -1.07(95% CI: -1.58, -0.55), and -0.10 (95% CI: -0.47, 0.27), respectively.

In this meta-analysis, the standardized mean difference for calcium was significantly lower in severe COVID-19 patients compared to that in patients with mild and moderate forms of the disease.