Journal of Research in Medical Sciences
Volume:12 Issue: 6, Nov & Dec 2007

Hypertrophic scar is an elevated scar with ugly appearance that isn’t acceptable even in reconstructive surgery. Unfortunately, there is no standard and effective treatment for it. Conventional treatments such as corticosteroid injection and garment usage have limited effectiveness. In recent year, laser is suggested for reduction of the volume and height of these scars. But in different studies, different results from very effective to ineffective were reported for this type of treatment. This study was a single blind randomized clinical trial that was done on three groups. In each group, 40 patients with hypertrophic scar were included. In group one PDL, group 2 Erbium laser and in group 3 corticosteroid were used. Scar improvement was assessed by the amount of decrease in Vancouver burn scar (VBS) score; the higher the decrease, the better the improvement. Although the mean VBS score significantly decreased in all three groups after treatment, the decrease in mean VBS score in group 3 was significantly lower than the decrease in mean VBS scores of groups 1 and 2 (P values were 0.037 and 0.041, respectively). Some types of laser such as PDL and erbium can improve elevation and vascularity of hypertrophic scar. These types of treatment can use in hypertrophic scar management when vascularity and elevation of scar are unfavorable.

Treatment of hemorrhagic shock is the major problem in emergency surgery. Fluid therapy is one of the first steps but, the conflict has been over the temperature used for the fluid injected to the patient. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of fluid temperature in intravenous fluid resuscitation of hemorrhagic shock. In this experimental study, 3 groups of 10 rabbits underwent hemorrhagic shock class III (mean arterial pressure = 40 mmHg) by catheter on femoral artery. Within 25 minutes, ringer lactate solutes with controlled temperaturesof 15°C, 25°C and 37°C were injected through femoral venous line. They were followed for 72 hours. In the lowest, middle and the highest fluid temperature group, mortality rate was 90%, 10% and 40%, respectively. Statistically significant difference was seen between the 15°C and 25°C resuscitation groups (P<0.001). Our findings showed possible benefit of room temperature as the optimal fluid temperature for fluid resuscitation in hemorrhagic shock.

Most studies about aquaporin 3 (AQP3) in the gastrointestinal tract were carried out on both in vivo and in vitro. The role of AQP3-mediated water transport in human gastrointestinal tract is still unclear. Our aim in this study was to explore the expression of AQP3 gene in chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) and chronic superficial gastritis (CSG) atients and to determine its possible function in the development of gastritis. Twenty-two outpatients diagnosed as CSG and 12 outpatients diagnosed as CAG were selected randomly. Ten cases of healthy individuals were selected as normal control group. In all cases, AQP3 gene expression of gastric mucosa was detected by fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (FQ-PCR). The AQP3 gene expression was significantly higher in gastric mucosa of CSG and healthy individuals than that in CAG (P<0.01). However, there was no significant difference in the AQP3 gene expression between helicobacter pylori positive patients and helicobacter pylori negative patients (P>0.05). AQP3 expression might play certain role in the occurrence and development of gastritis.

Cirrhosis is terminal stage of many chronic liver diseases like hepatitis C and hepatitis B. In some studies the role of helicobacter pylori has been demonstrated in progress of cirrhosis and its complications, but none of the previous studies has investigated the role of socioeconomic conditions of patients in childhood period in this issue. In a case-control study, we examined 100 cirrhotic patients due to hepatitis (49 hepatitis B and 51 hepatitis C patients) and 101 socioeconomically matched healthy controls presenting to Taleghani Hospital for IgG antibody to helicobacter pylori. IgG antibody to helicobacter pylori was present in 73% of cirrhotic patients and 52% of control group (P<0.003). Odds ratio for the presence of IgG antibody to helicobacter pylori in cirrhotic men comparing with healthy men was 3.2 (95%CI: 1.4-7.4). The relative frequency of IgG antibody to helicobacter pylori found to be higher in cirrhotic patients than in controls with regard to socioeconomic condition in childhood.

Finger injuries are very common and the majority can be treated under digital block anesthesia. Traditional digital block is one of the most commonly performed blocks by care providers in several medical fields. There is another less known method, transthecal (Pulley) block, in which local anesthesia is injected into the flexor tendon sheath. A randomized clinical trial was performed to compare the transthecal (Pulley) and traditional digital block with regard to the length of anesthesia and the need for another anesthetic method (due to insufficient anesthesia) as a supplement. We divided 100 patients who needed digital block due to finger injury, into two groups randomly. In each group the patients were anesthetized either by traditional or transthecal digital block. All blocks were performed by the same investigator. Mean length of anesthesia was 34.2 minutes in the transthecal digital block method versus 33.8 minutes in the traditional digital block method (P>0.05). A repeated injection or local infiltration as a supplement was necessary only in 5 instances in the traditional digital block method (P<0.05). Regarding fewer injections and reduced amounts of lidocaine, absence of neurovascular bundles damage and comparable length of anesthesia and no need to supplemental anesthesia, transthecal digital block is an appropriate alternative to traditional digital block.

Thalassemia is the most common hereditary disease in the world. Thalassemic erythrocytes are exposed to higher oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of beta-carotene and vitamin E on erythrocytes lipid peroxidation in beta-thalassemia patients. A prospective double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effect of beta-carotene and vitamin E on lipid peroxidation in erythrocytes membranes was performed on 120 beta-thalassemia major patients in four groups. The patients were supplemented for 4 weeks as follows: group 1 with beta-carotene (13 mg/day), group 2 with vitamin E (550 mg/day), group 3 with beta-carotene plus vitamin E and group 4 with placebo. We prepared all capsules for 4 roups in the same shape and color. Measurements of serum beta-carotene and vitamin E were performed by high performanceliquid chromatography. After preparation of ghost cells from blood specimens, malondialdehyde (MDA) was determined as index of lipid peroxidation in erythrocytes membranes before and after treatment. The levels of serum beta-carotene and vitamin E were significantly lower and MDA concentrations in erythrocytes membranes were significantly higher in beta-thalassemia patients compared to controls (P<0.001). In groups that treated with vitamin supplements for 4-weeks, lipid peroxidation rates were significantly reduced after treatment (P<0.001), but in placebo group there was not significant difference (P>0.05). Our findings provide evidence that an oral treatment with beta-carotene and vitamin E can significantly reduce lipid peroxidation of erythrocytes membranes and could be useful in management of beta-thalassemia major patients.

One of the frequently used measures of research performance of a country or a university is counting the related scientific production. In the present study the number of scientific production including research projects, books, journal articles and conference proceedings published under the name of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences were identified and then compared with those reported by Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education for the year1384. The purpose of this study was to identify one-year research performance of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and to show the growth rate of scientific production of this university from 1384 to 1385. The present cross-sectional study was carried out by reviewing related official documents and running advanced searches in some of the most important databases. The time limitation was set on 1385 hijri shamsi, which is equal to the beginning of April 2006 till the end of March 2007. During the period of the study, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences published 56 books. The total number of approved research projects was 1080, most of which (61.67%) were descriptive studies. A total of 721 journal articles published by the university researchers of which 146 papers were indexed by ISI, 26 papers were indexed by MEDLINE, 194 papers were indexed by EMBASE, Scopus, Biological Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts and CINAHL, 318 articles were indexed by other databases. Only 37 articles published via non-indexed journals. 74.2% of the articles appeared in domestic journals while only 25.8% published in foreign journals. The total number of national andinternational conference proceedings was 726. The findings showed a significant increase (nearly 100%) in all kinds of scientific productions compared to those published in 1384 except the published books. CONCLUTIONS: The present study indicates that despite suffering from limitations in annual research budgets and facilities, research performance of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences has increased appreciably during the last year.

To determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity among a sample of middle class junior high school students in a district of Tehran and its association with certain demographic and dietary factors this study was carried out. Weight, height, waist and hip circumferences were measured and information on two-day food intake and demographics on 398 students aged 10-15 years from district 6 in Tehran were collected. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the studied girls were 19%, 6.5% and in boys were 14%, 13%, respectively. There was an inverse relationship between numbers of siblings and BMI. Overweight/obese students, bought snacks from school shops more frequently than other students did. Findings showed that the high prevalence of overweight/obesity can be related to the household size, including the number of siblings and the pattern of snack purchase by the students.

Caroli’s disease (CD) is a rare congenital abnormality characterized by dilatation of intra hepatic bile ducts, which causes stone formation, recurrent cholangitis and higher risk for biliary malignancy. Association of this anomaly with congenital hepatic fibrosis is named Caroli’s syndrome (CS). The monolobar involvement of CS is a very rare condition, curable by partial hepatectomy. We report a 40-year-old woman with recurrent epigastric pain without icterus withnormal AST, ALT and alkaline phosphates for 5 years due to left lobe Caroli syndrome which was diagnosed by CT scan and MRCP. Then, the patient underwent successful operation (left hepatic resection). After 8 months follow up, she was symptom free. Because the presentation of unilobar CS may be as late as middle age, this congenital anomaly should be considered in differential diagnosis of patients with recurrent epigastric pain without icterus in this age group and MRCP is a useful diagnostic tool.