مجله دانشگاه علوم پزشکی مازندران
پیاپی 210 (تیر 1401)

Tissue engineering and cell therapy, as promising therapies, provide the opportunity to repair bone lesions and defects. Combined scaffolds, synthetic and natural polymers can provide a suitable structure for differentiation of Wharton Jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) into bone. In current study, the effect of lyophilized blood growth factors in promoting the process of osteogenesis is important.

In this study, PCL-Gel nanofiber scaffolds were prepared by electrospinning method. To prepare membrane, blood was collected from volunteers and its growth factors were extracted and loaded on nanofiber layers. They were then placed in a freezer at -20°C for three days and finally in a freezer for 48 hours. They were structurally examined by electron microscopy and sterilized by gamma rays. WJ-MSCs were then cultured on scaffolding. MTT and Real-Time PCR tests were performed to evaluate cell viability and expression of ALP, RUNX2, COLX, and COLI genes in the designed scaffold.

Findings showed that the viability, growth, proliferation, and the expression of WJ-MSCs and osteogenic-specific genes were significantly higher at high concentration of blood derived growth factors/ polycaprolactone /gelatin-scaffold combination (P<0.001).

High concentration of blood derived growth factors in designed scaffolds facilitated the osteogenesis process.

Spermatogenesis is a well-organized process that is influenced by a variety of factors. Alkaline phosphatase, and Gfra1, Lin28, and Sall4 genes are among the key players in this interconnected process. This study aimed to investigate the expression levels of Gfra1, Lin28, and Sall4 genes in embryonic, spermatogonial, and embryonic stem-like (ES-like) cells in mice.

First, spermatogonial stem cells were isolated, and then mouse embryonic stem cells and ES-like cells were prepared. Alkaline phosphatase expression was determined by alkaline phosphatase staining. After that, a bioinformatics analysis of directly related genes was done. Then the expression levels of the Gfra1, Lin28, and Sall4 genes were measured using Fluidigm PCR, and immunohistochemistry was done for Gfra1 expression.

In pluripotent stem cells and germ cells, the expression levels of Gfra1, Lin28, and Sall4 genes were found to be significantly positive (P<0.05). Alkaline phosphatase was also expressed positively in germ stem cells and pluripotent stem cells, but not in Sertoli cells or fibroblasts, indicating that this enzyme is exclusive to these cell types.

Because of their interaction and expression in pluripotent stem cells and germ cells, alkaline phosphatase, Gfra1, Lin28, and Sall4 genes can be employed as detecting markers for these cell lines.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In this study, an indirect ELISA method was designed to measure the human IgM and IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.

Protein sequence of nucleocapsid antigen from SARS-CoV-2 was expressed in E. coli BL21 and then was purified by chromatography. The purified protein was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. An indirect ELISA method was designed to measure the specific IgG and IgM antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 using recombinant N protein. The optimized ELISA method was then applied to measure the IgG and IgM antibodies in 61 infected or recovered COVID-19 patients and in 31 healthy controls. Finally, data obtained from the designed ELISA method were compared with those of a commercially approved ELISA kit.

The recombinant nucleocapsid protein was successfully expressed and purified which was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. The amount of optical densities obtained from the designed ELISA method was similar to those of the commercial kit in 61 patients and 31 controls. The sensitivity and specificity of the designed ELISA method for IgG were 100% compared with the commercial ELISA kit, while the sensitivity and specificity for IgM were 96.72 and 96.77, respectively.

Serological tests alone are not suitable for diagnosis; however, their combination with molecular tests increases the accuracy and sensitivity of the COVID-19 diagnosis. These tests are also vauable for epidemiological studies.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the sixth most common cancer in the world. Podoplanin is a mucin-like integral membrane glycoprotein that is expressed in the lymphatic endothelial cells but not in the blood vascular endothelial cells. The aim of the present study was to investigate the immunohistochemical expression of podoplanin and evaluating lymphangiogenesis in OSCC compared with normal oral mucosa.

In this laboratory study, 40 paraffin blocks archived in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology in Babol Dental School with previous diagnosis of OSCC were used. Also, 40 samples of normal oral mucosa obtained during impacted wisdom tooth surgery with minimal inflammation from histological and histopathological point of view were included. Immunohistochemical expression of podoplanin in epithelial cells and the number of lymphatic vessels were evaluated in both groups. Chi-square, Mann-Whitney, Wilcoxon, and Oneway ANOVA were applied for data analysis.

Findings showed significant difference in the mean number of lymph vessels between the area of tumor invasion in OSCC group (4.43±2.02) and center of the tumor (6.78±2.72) (P<0.001). In the study of podoplanin expression in terms of quality, it was found that in the OSCC group, podoplanin expression was between 51% and 100% in 23 cases (57.5%), while these expression levels in the control group were seen only in four cases (10%). Podoplanin expression in epithelial cells in squamous cell carcinoma was significantly higher than normal oral mucosa (P<0.001).

The present study suggests that podoplanin is involved in the pathogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Gavage feeding tubes increase the length of stay and reduce the growth process in neonates. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of non-nutritive sucking on weight gain and length of stay in neonates that required gavage feeding.

In a clinical trial, neonates were selected via convenience sampling and randomly assigned into an intervention group (n=37) or a control group (n=38). Data including demographic information, admission and discharge dates, and neonates’ weights were recorded. In the intervention group, non- nutritive sucking was performed by the mother's finger at the same time as the gavage feeding. Data analysis was performed in SPSS V20 applying independent t-test, Mann-Whitney, and Chi-square.

The mean weight at discharge was 90.73 g higher in the intervention group than the control group (P=0.121). The mean weight loss was found to be higher in control group than the intervention group (P= 0.818). The mean length of stay was 14.22± 8.32 days in intervention group and 14.61±7.34 in control group, indicating no significant differences between the two groups (P=0.830, statistical power=60%).

Non-nutritive sucking had no significant positive effect on length of stay and weight gain in preterm infants. Further studies with larger sample size are suggested.

Inhaling substances are hydrocarbons that are converted to gas at room temperature and enter the lungs through the nose and mouth and then our brain. Neurological and psychiatric effects are reported following inhalation, however, there are few studies about acute effect of inhalant on brain electroencephalogram (EEG).

This observational study was performed in Quantitative Electroencephalography unit in Sari Zare Hospital, 2020. Twenty people who used nail polish containing aceton for cosmetic usages participated in this study. Brain signals were recorded before, during, at first and second three minutes after termination of using nail polish containing acetone, were recorded by mitsar 201 amplifier in eyes-open condition. The relative power of the band frequency waves in the occipital, frontal, parietal and midline lobes were calculated using Neurogide software. Data analysis was performed in STATA-15.

During acetone nail polish use and at first and second 3 minutes after that relative power in delta and beta band waves significantly increased in C3, C4, Cz, F3, F4, Fz, O1, O2, P3, P4, and Pz (P<0.01) while relative power of alpha frequency band significantly decreased (P<0.01). Theta frequency band showed no changes.

In this study, acute exposure to acetone increased relative power of delta and beta waves and reduced relative power of alpha waves, in frontal, parietal, occipital, and midline regions in both hemispheres.

Infants with persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN) are readmitted to hospital three times more than other infants or die after discharge. The disease imposes a high cost on families and health systems. In this study, for the first time, the prevalence of PPHN and associated factors were investigated in mature neonates born in southeast of Iran.

In this cross-sectional study, the clinical records of 1859 infants born in Kerman Afzalipour Hospital, 2020 were reviewed. Infants hospitalized from delivery, congenital heart disease, other differential diagnoses of PPHN, and evidence of genetic diseases were excluded from the study. Then, mature infants with clinical evidence of PPHN underwent Doppler echocardiography to confirm the final diagnosis. Information about pregnancy, childbirth, infant gender, birth, 1-minute and 5-minute Apgar scores, and advanced respiratory support were also obtained. Data were analyzed by SPSS V25.

Out of 229 neonates meeting the inclusion criteria, 31 (11.9%) had PPHN. Signification relationship was observed between frequency of PPHN and cesarean delivery and 5-minute minute Apgar score (P<0.05). But, no significant association was found between developing PPHN and other maternal or neonatal factors (P>0.05). The mean parameters of PPHN, including tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), tricuspid regurgitation rate, mean pulmonary artery pressure, and pulmonary artery diameter were significantly higher in infants delivered by cesarean section than those born by normal vaginal delivery group (P<0.05).

Further multicenter studies with larger sample size over a longer period of time are suggested in southeast of Iran to elicit clear explanations on the association between PPHN and maternal, fetal, and neonatal factors.

Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium that causes disease in humans due to its pathogenic nature and is more responsible for infections than other Staphylococcus species. Methicillin-resistance Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is resistant to antibiotics and such as penicillins, cephalosporins and their derivatives has β-lactam rings. This study aimed to isolate and investigate MRSA in apparently healthy students in Edo State University Uzairue, Nigeria.

From both male and female subjects, 100 swab samples were obtained from the neck, ear, axilla, skin, and nose and were microbiologically analyzed. Gram staining was performed to identify and confirm the isolated S. aureus species using coagulase and catalase tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was perfomed by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion test. Sensitivity to methicillin was determined by transparent halo formation around the bacterial colonies which was measured and expressed as the degree of sensitivity.

In this study, 46 samples were positive for S. aureus of which 36 strains (84.78%) were susceptible to methicillin and 10 (15.22%) were resistant to methicillin.

This study showed few positive cases since the study population was relatively small and the majority of young students were not exposed to antibiotic abuse and hospital-acquired infections.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) causes different symptoms. Mizaj or temperament in Persian traditional medicine is a specific feature of every human being. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between Mizaj and severity of symptoms in patients with COVID-19.

A descriptive correlational study was performed in patients with symptomatic COVID-19 during recovery and interviews were carried out to record patients’ symptoms (fever, cough, chills, etc.). Salmannezhad Mizaj questionnaire was used to determine the patients’ temperament (warm, cold, wet, and dry). The number of symptoms in each patient was determined and the severity of symptoms was classified into three levels: mild, moderate, and severe. The relationship between Mizaj and COVID-19 clinical symptoms were assessed by Chi-square and Pearson correlation coefficients.

In this study, 168 patients (48 ± 13.3 years) were cared for between 4 and 30 days in COVID Recovery Center. Fever, dyspnea, and cough were seen in 73.2%. Among the patients, 47.6% had cold Mizaj and 26.2% had warm or moderate Mizaj. The frequency of severe symptoms was higher in patients with cold Mizaj compared with that in patients with warm or moderate Mizaj (P= 0.204). Myalgia was found to be considerably higher in cold-Mizaj patients than warm-Mizaj people (P= 0.006). Significant correlations were seen between wet and dry Mizaj and severity of symptoms (P<0.046,R= 0.554) and warm and cold Mizaj and frequency of symptoms (P< 0.054, R= 0.489).

Patients with COVID-19, who had cold or wet Mizaj had more symptoms, therefore, support, care, and preventive measures of Persian traditional medicine are recommended for people with cold or wet Mizaj exposed to Coronavirus.

Comprehensive discharge program refers to providing education, follow-up and continuity of care. This issue is one of the requirements for the effectiveness of treatment in patients with mental health diseases. This study aimed at investigating post discharge follow-up challenges in psychiatric patients in Isfahan Farabi Hospital, 2021.

A qualitative study with Conventional Content Analysis approach was conducted by interviewing 13 nurses, physicians, managers, and hospital discharge staff who were purposefully selected. Sampling was performed until reaching data saturation. Data were analyzed using MAXQDA V10.

Findings were organized into 32 Semantic codes and three main categories that each included two subcategories: I. Patient and Disease Challenges (nature of disease and patient/family condition), II. Hospital and Health System Challenges (hospital policy and procedures and poor intersectoral communication), and III. Socio-Economic Challenges (lack of social support and financial problems).

Effective follow-up of psychiatric patients is faced with some problems such as insufficient insurance coverage, lack of awareness of families, and lack of a thorough follow-up process. Meanwhile, poor social services and supporting institutions contribute to aggravation of disease and hospital readmission.

The term nosocomial infection refers to any type of infection that does not exist at the time of hospital admission and occurs within 48-72 hours after admission or up to 3 days to 6 weeks after discharge, or 30 days after surgery. Nosocomial infections can cause side effects, mortality and reduce quality of life in patients. So, so we decided to study the clinical, laboratory, and microbiological characteristics of patients with heart disease and nosocomial infections in Sari Fatemeh Zahra Hospital.

In this descriptive study, 22811 people were studied. Information were recorded, signs of infection in patients were reviewed and in case of symptoms, patients were further examined. Data analysis was performed in SPSS ver.18.

In this study, 1.4% of patients developed nosocomial infections. The mean age of patients was 64.5±12.5 years and the majority of patients were males (53.3%). The most common underlying diseases were hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. The most common type of nosocomial infection was respiratory infection (47.8%) and the most common bacteria found in culture medium was Escherichia coli. Acinetobacter was resistant to all antibiotics tested except colistin which was susceptible in 80% of cases and resistant in 20%.

Control and prevention of nosocomial infections is of particular importance, especially in patients admitted to intensive care units after heart surgery.

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the major factors of mortality and morbidity in Intensive care units (ICUS), especially in open-heart surgery patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate VAP in open-heart surgery patients admitted to the ICU in Sari Fatemeh Zahra Hospital, 2017-2019.

In this retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study, demographic, clinical, laboratory, and therapeutic information of patients with VAP were examined. Data were analyzed using SPSS V25.

A total of 52 patients with VAP were elevated after open heart surgery. The mean age of patients was 64.41±10.85 years and 55.8% were men. Half of the patients (51.9%) underwent intubation for less than five days and the mean duration of occurrence of VAP after initiation of ventilation was about six hours. The most common microorganisms causing pneumonia were Acinetobacter baumannii (23.63%) and Citrobacter freundii (16.36%). In general, the highest resistance of isolated microorganisms was toward third-generation cephalosporins and their highest sensitivity was to aminoglycosides.

Control and prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia is of particular importance, especially in patients after open-heart surgery admitted to intensive care units.

Tooth extraction, for any reason, has negative effects on the human psyche. In addition, it causes problems in chewing food, appearance, and speech. The aim of this study was to investigate the causes of permanent tooth extraction in patients attending public health centers in Sari, Iran 2020.

A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out and 522 who had their teeth extracted were selected by convenience sampling. People aged 18 to 65 years old were included and Chi-square test was used to compare the causes of tooth extraction in men and women and other characteristics. Data analysis was conducted in SPSS V25.

Causes of permanent tooth extraction included caries (64.8%), periodontal problems (15.7%), partial occlusion of teeth (6.1%), periapical abscess (5.4%), patient demand (4.8%), trauma (1%), and other reasons (1%). 

Tooth decay and periodontal diseases were the main reasons for removing permanent teeth in people studied.

Skeletal anchorage is a new aid for the correction of moderate anterior open bite. This study aimed at treating moderate anterior open bite using posterior intrusion via mini implants. In addition, a review of studies carried out on open bite correction using absolute anchorage was performed.

The following keywords were used: open bite, camouflage, extraction, surgery, bone-anchor intrusion, posterior intrusion, mini screw, mini plate, and absolute anchorage. A review of articles was performed in PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, and Cochrane. The time span of article search was from January 2011 to April 2021. In the case presented in this study, an anterior open bite was corrected with mini implants.

Twelve studies were selected from 42 articles that met the initial eligibility criteria.  In most studies, the reduction in mandibular plane angle (SN-GoGn and FMA) was less than 2◦ following counterclockwise rotation. But, in some studies the changes ranged between 2.3 and 3.9◦. In all studies following mandibular autorotation, facial convexity decreased, chin contour improved, and lower anterior face height decreased. Our patient also showed a decrease of 2° in the mandibular plane angle and a decrease of 1°in facial convexity.

According to this study, intrusion of posterior teeth with the aid of moderate skeletal anchorage is a non-invasive camouflage treatment. Also, in the patient studied here it corrected overbite, improved facial appearance, and reduced the need for surgery.

Throughout human history, the most valuable inventions have been those that, even decades after their initial introduction, affected the lives of people around the world. 3D printers similar to steam engines, light bulbs, and the World Wide Web are thought to be among the inventions that will revolutionize the future of different industries. This technology is generally introduced as the manufacturing of a three-dimensional structure using a matrix material such as plastic, polymer, or metal and has exclusive advantages in pharmaceutical industry. These advantages include the development of drug delivery systems with controlled release, designing systems that can change over time or the so-called four-dimensional (4D) printed systems, and personalization of the drug formulation to suit the needs of each patient. Despite numerous advantages, 3D printers still have a long way to find their actual position in pharmacy, as there are only a few 3D-printed delivery systems approved by the food and drug administration (FDA). This would not be possible without a thorough understanding of the history of the development of these systems. This study reviewed recent advances in pharmaceutics achieved by 3D printing technology and the mechanism of the most popular 3D printing methods in pharmacy, including, Stereolithography (SLA), Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). Also, the recently developed 3D-printed drug delivery systems for ocular, transdermal, oral, and other routes of administration were reviewed in the present study to achieve a good perspective on the current position of this technology in pharmacy.