Tehran University Medical Journal

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Background: With respect to the importance of hepatitis B vaccination of high-risk groups such as prisoners, this study was performed to assess the comparability of a short-course double-dose vaccination schedule with the standard 3-dose schedule.
Methods : Within a randomized clinical trial, a short-course vaccination (at months 0 and 1) with 20 microgram (double-dose) doses of the vaccine was compared to the standard method of hepatitis B vaccination (at months 0, 1 and 6, with 10-microgram doses) in 100 prisoners in Zahedan city in Iran in 2009. We made sure the sera from all the individuals were negative for markers of previous hepatitis B infection. Subsequently serum from all the participants was tested for anti-HBs antibody 1, 2 and 7 months after the first dose of vaccination.
Results : Seroconversion rates (HBsAb>10 mIU/ml) 1, 2 and 7 months after the first dose of vaccination were similar in the routine (11%, 79% and 94%, respectively) relative to the double-dose group (26%, 95% and 93 %, respectively). The mean values of anti-HBs antibody titers were similar in the 1st and 2nd months for the two groups but it was significantly higher (P=0.002) in the routine dose (514 mIU/ml) versus the double-dose group (130 mIU/mL), in the 7th month.
Conclusion: Demonstrating comparable results with the standard 3-dose schedule, it seems that short-term double-dose vaccination for hepatitis B is a safe and acceptable method for use in high-risk groups such as prisoners.

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Background: Polymorphisms of the upstream transcription factor 1 (USF1) have been associated with familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCHL), type 2 diabetes and coronary heart diseases (CHD). In the current investigation, the association of USF1s2 variant of human USF1 gene with premature coronary artery disease (PCAD) was evaluated in a population from southern Iran. USF1s2 has the best potential as a functional variant .in the USF1 gene. Methods: In a case-control study USF1s2 variant of human USF1 gene was determined by polymerase chain reaction- restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique using BsiHKA I restriction enzyme for 186 women under 55 years of age and 135 men less than 50 years of age who underwent diagnostic coronary angiography in Saadi, Nemazee and Kowsar Hospitals of Shiraz, between July 2009 and March 2012. Data on the history of familial myocardial infarction or other heart diseases, hypertension, and smoking habit were collected by a simple questionnaire. Blood sugar level and serum lipid profile of all participants were also obtained by measuring the levels of fasting blood sugar (FBS), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL). Results: Frequencies of the major (G) and minor (A) alleles of usf1s2 gene variant were 0.74 and 0.26 in the whole population, respectively. Meanwhile, the prevalence of the minor allele was significantly higher in PCAD patients compared with control subjects. This difference remained significant even after adjustment for confounding parameters. Indeed, subjects with mutant homozygous genotype (AA) were about 5 times more likely to suffer from early-onset CAD than those with wild-type homozygous genotype (GG). Moreover, the baseline characteristics of the control subjects and patients were statistically similar for almost all parameters except for the number of male individuals there was no significant difference among various genotypes in the patient group for any of these investigated variables. Conclusion: It appears that the usf1s2 variant in upstream transcription factor 1 gene is an independent predictor of premature coronary artery disease in our population and applies its effects without affecting blood sugar and lipid levels.