Journal of Disease and Diagnosis
Volume:11 Issue: 2, Apr 2022

The use of plants as therapeutic drugs has long been common among human beings. The Glycyrrhiza glabra is one of the medicinal plants with many therapeutic properties. However, using this herb in traditional methods faces some challenges. The use of pharmaceutical nano-carriers such as liposomes is one of the new strategies to overcome these challenges. In this regard, the current study aimed to synthesize and characterize liposomal nano-carriers containing the G. glabra hydroalcoholic extract to improve its therapeutic effects.

After the extraction of the G. glabra root by the Soxhlet method, nano-liposomes containing G. glabra extracts were synthesized by the thin-film preparation method. Then, the encapsulation efficiency (EE) rate and drug release pattern of nanoliposome were examined using the spectrophotometry method. Next, physicochemical properties such as size, zeta potential, morphology, and non-interaction of the nano-system with the extract were investigated by dynamic-light-scattering (DLS), atomic force microscope (AFM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) methods, and finally, the toxicity of the nano-system on human foreskin fibroblast cells was assessed using the MTT method.

Nano-liposomes containing licorice extracts with the EE of 2.3±75.32% were from the type of slow release and controlled release, having a size of 111.4±1.2 nm, a surface charge of -53.6±6.3, and a dispersion index of 0.210±0.13, and they had no interaction with the loaded extract. The results of the MTT test also demonstrated that the synthesized nano-liposomes were non-toxic on normal cells.

Overall, the findings proved that synthesized nano-liposomes with proper physicochemical properties can be a suitable carrier for the G. glabra extract and thus cause stability and improve the therapeutic effects of this herbal extract as a medicinal plant.

Lymphopenia may reflect the degree of lung injury in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Given that few studies have been conducted in this regard, this study aimed to evaluate the association between severity of lung involvement based on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings and lymphocyte count in patients with COVID-19.

This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 123 patients with COVID-19 from March 2020 to April 2020 in Shahid Sadoughi hospital, Yazd, Iran. Data including age, gender, hospitalization ward, lymphocyte count, and computed tomography (CT) scan findings were extracted from medical records.

The mean lung involvement score was 36.8±22.34. The mean lymphocyte count in these patients was 1229.25±536.80 µL. Lymphopenia was observed in 79 patients (64%). No relationship was seen between HRCT findings and lymphopenia in patients with COVID-19 (P=0.31). Although a significant relationship was seen between HRCT findings and lymphopenia in females (P<0.05), there was no relationship between HRCT findings and lymphopenia, regarding age, male gender, and hospitalization wards (P>0.05).

There was no significant relationship between HRCT and lymphopenia findings, and parameters such as age and inpatient ward in patients with Covid-19. However, there was an interesting relationship between lymphopenia and lung involvement in women; therefore, more studies are needed to prove this hypothesis.

Chronic diseases such as diabetes have significant effects on the mental and social health of patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the mental and social health status of children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 52 T1 diabetic patients aged 12-18 years who referred to Yazd Diabetes Center in 2020. The patients were selected by simple random sampling. The data collection tool was the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC) questionnaire, which contained 35 three-choice psychological questions about mental health. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22.

Totally, 31 (56.9%) and 21 (40.4%) of patients were males and females, respectively. The mean age of the subjects was 15.23 (±2) and the mean duration of diabetes was 6.19 (±3.56) years. Moreover, 48.1% of patients had a positive family history of diabetes. The mean of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was 8.05 (±1.62) and the mean of HbA1c in patients with psychosocial disorders was 8.74 (±0.08), which was significantly higher than that of subjects without psychosocial disorders (P=0.032).

T1DM patients, whose blood sugar was not controlled, reported more mental health problems, thus it is essential to apply psychosocial health promotion strategies to these adolescents and their families.

The present study attempted to determine the antibiotic susceptibility of bacteria isolated from endotracheal tube culture on patients admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs) of Shahid Mohammadi hospital in Bandar Abbas.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 114 patients hospitalized in the pulmonary ICU of Shahid Mohammadi hospital in Bandar Abbas from March 2018 to March 2019. The samples of the patients’ endotracheal tube secretions were collected for the culture purpose on the first and fifth days of hospitalization in the ICU where the disk diffusion method was used to determine antibiotic susceptibility.

The most common isolated microorganisms from the first day of culture were 26 Acinetobacter spp. isolates (22.8%), 10 Candida isolates (8.8%), and 9 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates (7.9%). The most common microorganisms which were isolated on the fifth day comprised Acinetobacter spp. with 57 isolates (51.8%), Candida with 6 isolates (5.5%), and P. aeruginosa with 6 isolates (5.5%). The highest resistant bacteria isolated from Acinetobacter spp. samples on the first-day were amikacin (92.3%) and meropenem (84.6%). The highest resistance of P. aeruginosa was against meropenem (77.8%), while the highest resistance of Acinetobacter spp. isolates was found to be amikacin (94.7%) and meropenem (86%) from the fifth-day samples. Further, P. aeruginosa isolates had the highest resistance in meropenem (83.3%), co-trimoxazole, and cefepime (66.7% for each of them).

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is considered a warning condition due to multidrug-resistant bacteria. According to the present study, the most common VAP-causing bacteria are gram-negative, especially Acinetobacter, with high antibiotic resistance.

Hysterectomy is the removal of the uterus and is the most common gynecological operation performed on females worldwide. Establishing a spectrum of hysterectomies helps both the surgeons and patients in making a well-informed decision.

This was a cross-sectional retrospective study. The records of hysterectomies performed for 18 months were collected from the Department of Pathology of Koims, Madikeri. All non-malignant gynecological hysterectomy cases were included, while malignant hysterectomy cases were excluded from the investigation. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics using Microsoft Excel software and expressed in numbers and percentages.

The mean age of the patients was - 46.5±9.4 years of age. The most common approach and indication were the abdominal approach (n=198, 83.19%) and– the fibroid uterus (n=156, 63.87%), respectively. The most common findings in the endometrium-proliferative endometrium (n=105, 44.12%), myometrium-leiomyoma (n=152, 63.86%), cervix-chronic cervicitis (n=133, 53.788%), and ovary and fallopian tubes were unremarkable in majority of the cases.

Spectrum establishes a database, helping us study the trends of hysterectomy. The study provides an honest insight into various lesions of the uterus and its adnexa and reiterates the importance of mandatory data analysis. Panhysterectomy in younger females of reproductive age needs a carefully weighed decision. Knowing the types of lesions in hysterectomy cases can help patients better decide about the surgery. Considering that our study was performed on 238 subjects, further studies are needed on a large number of patients with follow-ups for further insights.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a public health emergency of international concern for the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). This study aimed to review the findings of recent published literature to provide researchers with information regarding the current biggest global health threat of 2019-nCoV pandemic on the basis of previous coronaviruses. To do so, this study attempted to review the available online data on biological nature of 2019-nCoV compared to previous coronaviruses. Additionally, the epidemiology, susceptible population, transmission routes, clinical characteristics, and medications for 2019-nCoV were reviewed. In this article, after an introduction to the subject and characterization of coronavirus, we considered the experiences and lessons learned from previous outbreaks to review the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, prevention, and medications of 2019-nCov disease. There are three main routes for transmission of 2019-nCoV including close contact to infected cases, aerosol, and touch transmissions. This newfound virus can be transmitted from asymptomatic patients or from infected cases with symptoms ranging from a flu-like to severe respiratory syndrome. Currently, there are no 100% approved therapeutic drugs and vaccination for this disease. In conclusion, given that development of vaccine for 2019-nCoV requires close collaboration of vaccine manufacturers and biotechnology companies, which takes a long period for production of vaccine, implementation of prevention and controlling measures based on the current available information about the subject is the best measure to control the spread of the virus.

Complementary methods such as physical activity (PA) and fasting are particularly important for cancer patients. The present study reviewed the effects of regular PA and fasting on cancer patients and attempted to explain the relevant mechanisms.

Several electronic databases such as PubMed, Elsevier, and Google Scholar were searched for keywords. After reviewing, 412 articles were identified until February 1, 2021. The inclusion criteria included meta-analysis, clinical intervention studies that considered different effects of fasting and various types of exercise on health indicators. After carefully reviewing and eliminating duplicates, 68 articles were identified based on the PICO format (participants, intervention, comparison, and results).

The short-term fasting (STF) before chemotherapy (48-72 hours) or rehabilitation exercise could be modulating fasting blood sugar, growth factors, oxidative stress (OS), and inflammatory pathways. In addition, physiological metabolic stress induced by STF or rehabilitation exercise could regulate sex hormone-binding globulin, fat oxidation, leptin secretion, hyperinsulinemia, maintaining mass muscle, and bone density, boosting the immune system, and improving the therapeutic index of cancer.

Metabolic stress in cancer cells leads to the intake of high doses of chemotherapy. The rehabilitation exercise prevents the complications of the disease and improves the patient’s quality of life. Thus, these interventions can be used to improve the cancer-based therapeutic index on individual differences.

Heart failure is one of the most important public health problems with an increasing prevalence and identifying its contributing factors is imperative. This study was conducted to evaluate the iron status in patients with chronic systolic heart failure in Shahid Mohammadi Hospital of Bandar Abbas.

A total of 80 patients with chronic left ventricular failure participated in this cross-sectional study. Data were collected using a researcher developed checklist containing demographic details and echocardiographic data (left ventricular ejection fraction, LVEF%). Additionally, the frequency and distribution of iron status were measured in the research population.

The results showed that the prevalence of anemia was significantly high in patients with chronic heart failure (77.3%). The prevalence of iron deficiency (ID) was 77.33% based on iron level (<60 μg/dL), and it was 82.66% based on the mean ferritin level (ferritin<100, or ferritin of 100 to 299 ng/mL, and transferrin saturation<20%). The prevalence of total iron binding capacity (TIBC)>360 μg/dL was 26.66%, and the prevalence of mean corpuscular volume (MCV)<80 fL was 60%. Age less than 60 years, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) less than 60, and body mass index (BMI) less than 18.5 were also found to increase the risk of anemia in these patients.

Our study showed that the prevalence of anemia was significantly high in patients with chronic heart failure. Due to the high prevalence of anemia in patients with chronic systolic heart failure and the impact of anemia on the prognosis of the disease in these patients, effective treatment is necessary in high-risk patients to reduce the severity of their disease, compensate for their heart failure, and reduce their mortality.