مجله طب جنوب
سال بیست و پنجم شماره 5 (آذر و دی 1401)

Vaccines have played a special role in controlling and reducing mortality from infectious diseases. In this regard, DNA vaccines were developed to ease the production and reduce the risks of traditional vaccines. Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been introduced as the causing agent of cervical cancer. The capsid protein (L1) of HPV has been used to produce subunit and DNA vaccines. The aim of this experimental research is to design and construct the L1 expression system of HPV 18 and to investigate its expression in eukaryotic cells.

Method and Materials:

 In this experimental study, the L1 gene of HPV 18 was subcloned in the expression vector pcDNA 3.1 Hygro after optimization and synthesis. Cloning was confirmed through colony PCR test and enzyme digestion reaction. The expression vector was transfected into HEK293 cells using the Turbofect reagent. After 72 hours, total RNA was extracted from transfected cells and control cells and cDNA was synthesized. Gene expression was examined at the mRNA level in cells by performing PCR on cDNA.

The results showed that following the optimization of the L1 gene sequence, the CAI and Fop indices increased to an ideal level. The cloning of the optimized HPV 18-L1 gene in the pcDNA3 expression vector was successfully confirmed by colony PCR test and enzyme digestion reaction, and the results indicate the production of recombinant plasmid pCDNA3.1-L1. Finally, the evaluation of the L1 gene at the mRNA expression level showed the successful expression of the L1 gene in the eukaryotic system.

The results of this research show the effectiveness of the constructed expression vector in the effective expression of the L1 gene in vitro. This expression vector can be used as a DNA vaccine in future studies.

The effect of conditioned medium on apoptosis and invasion of MCF-7 is still debated. Carnosic acid, a component of rosemary extract, is also reported to have anti-cancer property. Therefore, we studied the occurrence of apoptosis through AIF-dependent pathway in MCF-7 cells treated with conditioned medium and rosemary extract by evaluating the expression of AIF, P53, Bcl-2 and Bax genes.

Method and Materials:

In this studty, the experimental groups were: cultured MCF7 cells in medium containing serum (control), cultured cells in conditioned medium containing serum (CM group), cultured cells in medium containing different concentrations of rosemary extract (50 and 100 μg / ml) for 24 and 48 hours (treatment groups). The cell proliferation rate was studied by MTT test. Gene expression was assessed by RT-PCR.

The survival rate of cells treated by conditioned medium and serum for 24 and 48 h was significantly decreased as compared to control. Meanwhile, there was a significant increase in the survival rate of MCF-7 cells cultured with rosemary 50 and 100 μg / ml containing serum for 48 h, compared to group treated with conditioned medium and serum. A significant increase in P53, AIF and Bax gene expression, and also a significant decrease in Bcl-2 gene expression were observed in cells treated with conditioned medium and serum for 24 and 48h, as compared to the control. Rosemary at the concentration of 100 µg/ml and serum for 48 h significantly decreased P53, AIF and Bcl-2 genes and rosemary at concentration of 50 µg/ml containing serum for 24 and 48 h significantly decreased Bax gene expression compared to conditioned medium and serum group.

The AIF-dependent apoptotic pathway was activated in MCF-7 cells after treatment with conditioned medium 24 and 48 h and rosemary 100 containing serum after 48 h.

If blood donors are infected with toxoplasmosis, they often have no obvious clinical symptoms due to a healthy immune system, but the Toxoplasma is still present in their white blood cells. Blood recipients are also often people with various anemia or defective immune systems. Therefore, receiving such blood will increase the risk of infection and acute form of toxoplasmosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sero-epidemiology of toxoplasmosis in blood donors presenting to Bushehr Blood Transfusion Organization.

Method and Materials:

 In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 243 blood donors presenting to Bushehr Blood Transfusion Organization from May 2020 to May 2021 were examined for the presence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies using ELISA method. The results along with the questionnaire information were analyzed using SPSS software and Chi-square test.

In this study, 76 (31.3%) and 10 (4.1%) blood donors were positive for anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies, respectively. In five cases, both IgG and IgM antibodies were positive. The results revealed no statistically significant relationship between infection with toxoplasma and some of the variables such as permanent residence, age, history of cat ownership, history consuming unpasteurized milk and vegetable cleaning method.

Considering the relatively significant prevalence of toxoplasmosis among blood donors in Bushehr and given the fact that toxoplasmosis is a life-threatening risk factor in immune-compromised blood recipients, it is recommended that health planners add the toxoplasmosis diagnosis tests to the list of essential screening tests for blood donors.

Pain causes mental-psychological injuries in babies by affecting neuronal development. This study was conducted to evaluate effect of music therapy and Swaddling on physiological indicators and pain intensity caused by blood sampling in preterm neonates.

Method and Materials:

 This randomized controlled clinical trial was performed on 51 preterm neonates admitted to NICU of Persian Gulf Hospital in Bushehr. The newborns were divided into music, swaddling and control groups by random block allocation method. For neonates in music therapy group, music was played from 5 minutes before to two minutes after blood sampling, while neonates in swaddling group were swaddled with a thin sheet from 10 minutes before blood sampling to two minutes after. In all groups, HR and o2sat were measured 30 seconds before, during, 30, 60, 90, 120 seconds after blood sampling. Also, from 30 second before blood sampling to 2 minutes after, neonates' faces were filmed and pain assessment checklist was completed each 30 seconds. Data analyzed using Kruskall Wallis H and ordinal regression tests.

There was a significant difference between pain score in intervention groups, so that pain score in Swaddling group was lower than music group at 90 and 120 seconds. In intervention groups, HR changes were lower than control group. No significant difference was observed between three groups regarding o2 saturation.

Results showed that swaddling and music therapy can reduce pain caused by blood sampling and keep vital signs more stable, but swaddling has a greater effect on reducing pain in newborns.

Thyrotoxicosis is a clinical state with potentially multiple etiologies, clinical presentations, and treatments. Thyrotoxicosis is a clinical condition that results from inappropriate function of thyroid hormone in the body tissues. During the early 1950s, radioactive iodine was used as a definitive treatment method. During the last two decades, radioactive iodine has been recognized as an effective treatment for thyrotoxicosis because of its simplicity, repeatability, inexpensiveness, and low recurrence rate.

Method and materials:

 One hundred patients with refractory hyperthyroidism (40 men and 60 women) were enrolled according to the inclusion criteria from 2017 to 2021. The data was extracted considering the ethical principles of examining patients' medical files. Patients' information including age, gender, type of hyperthyroidism, serum levels of TSH, and free T4 were collected before and 2, 6, and 12 months after treatment.

The results showed that 61% of the patients had toxic nodular goiter and 39% had diffuse toxic goiter. The mean ± standard deviation values of patient’s TSH and free T4 before treatment were 0.91±0.07 and 2.9±0.8, respectively. Six months after treatment, 49% of the patients became hypothyroid. Also 43% revealed euthyroid state and 5% showed no response (recurrence). One year follow-up of these patients after repetitive radioiodine therapy showed 6% hypothyroidism and 2% euthyroidism.

Our results indicated that radioactive iodine therapy is an effective and definitive treatment for patients with refractory hyperthyroidism.

Since the high rate of inappropriate MRI prescription has a significant financial burden on the health system, the specialists’ opinion, as the people engaged in prescribing such orders, would help the policymakers to solve the problem more efficiently. The present study investigates specialists' opinions about the reasons behind the inappropriate prescription of MRI in 2021.

Method and Materials: 

This study was exploratory-descriptive qualitative research. The interviews were semi-structured. They were all recorded. Then the interviews were coded and analyzed using MAXQD2022.

Sixteen specialists participated in the present study. The reasons for inappropriate prescription were classified into 3 subjects: physician-related, patient-related, and health system-related factors. The reason for the prescription part, the negative motivation of physicians, and the pressure of patients were focused on Developing and implementing indication-based guidelines by the insurance system and educating society presented as solutions

It seems the reasons for the inappropriate prescription of MRI are not considering the indications, the patients' pressure and the doctors' motivation to visit more patients and spend less time on physical examination. Induced demand of physicians is another reason. Experts suggested community education, indication-based insurance coverage, and increased MRI costs. Developing appropriate national guidelines for prescribing MRI and monitoring its implementation by the insurance system can be one of the best approaches to preventing inappropriate prescribing of MRI.