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Showing 71 results for Sharif
Induced pluripotent stem cells, from generation to application: review article
Sharif Moradi , Hossein Baharvand ,
Volume 72, Issue 8 (November 2014)
Abstract
Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent stem cells which have the ability to indefinitely self-renew and differentiate into all differentiated cells of the body. Regarding their two main properties (unlimited self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation), these cells have various biomedical applications in basic research and cell based therapy. Because the transplantation of differentiated cells that are derived from embryonic stem cells is allogenic, they face the problem of immune rejection following the transplantation of embryonic stem cell-derived cells into patients. In 2006, researchers from Japan reported the derivation of a new type of pluripotent stem cells which could overcome the problem of immune rejection that is associated with the application of embryonic stem cells. They designated these cells as induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, because their production was ‘induced’ from differentiated somatic cells using a combination of four embryonic stem cell-associated transcription factors. Importantly, these pluripotent stem cells exhibit all the key features of embryonic stem cells including unlimited self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation potential, and can pass the most stringent test of pluripotency which is known as the tetraploid (4n) complementation. Hence, in addition to bypassing the problem of immune rejection, iPS cells have all of the potential applications of embryonic stem cells, including in developmental studies, toxicology research, drug discovery and disease modeling. Also, considering that they could be generated from patient’s own cells, iPS cells hold great promise in the future of patient-specific cell replacement therapies using pluripotent stem cells. In this review article, we will present a comprehensive review on the how and why of the generation of iPS cell from somatic cells of the body and discuss how they should be characterized in terms of morphologically, pluripotent stem cell behavior, and the molecular signature. In addition, their medical applications as well as some of the considerations and future challenges in their use will be discussed.
Nourodevelopmental follow-up in high-risk infants: review article
Farin Soleimani , Nasibe Sharifi , Fereshteh Rasti Borujeni , Mina Amiri , Somayeh Khazaiyan , Azita Fathnezhad Kazemi ,
Volume 72, Issue 11 (February 2015)
Abstract
Growing and developing are influenced by genetic, social and environmental factors and it's most important and initial phase step is formed of the early life of the fetus and infant. According to the world health organization, the incidence of preterm birth and low birth weight are increasing in most countries that most of it related to developing countries. Low birth weight (LBW) and preterm birth are one the most important causes of death in the world and therefore are considered as one of the major health problems that can affect growing and developing so that it can threaten public health. Advances in medical technology in recent decades at intensive care unit, increased survival of premature infants and high-risk specialist care is needed, but failed, to reduce the complications of premature birth but it couldn’t reduce complications of preterm birth. There is also an increased recognition of the potential disconnect between perinatal outcomes and long-term outcomes. The administration of oxygen and postnatal steroids are prime examples of interventions that may have immediate positive effects but negative long-term effects. Many premature babies will be encounter with mobility problems, cognitive, neurosensory impairments, cerebral palsy, cognitive and language delays, neuromotor developmental delay, blindness and hearing loss, behavioral and psychosocial disorders, learning difficulties and dysfunction in scholastic performances in the future. These disadvantages appear to persist into adulthood and therefore have broad implications for society. Without a doubt, one of the tragedies of the world is people with physical or mental damage caused by premature birth, many of these disorders are not early diagnosed and the prediction of long term complications of infants discharged from the NICU is difficult. Although nourodevelopmental follow-up of these babies is a necessary part of the neonatal assessment but there is no standard process for it. The present review article aims to introduce the care process and tools that is used for following-up these babies, also introduces the application of screening tools for neuro-developmental care.
Hearing evaluation of infants with respiratory distress syndrome by TEOAE test
Mahya Sharifinik , Fahime Haji Abolhasan , Shohre Jalaee , Vahid Moradi , Mohsen Jafari , Mahdi Ghasemi Amir ,
Volume 72, Issue 11 (February 2015)
Abstract
Background: Respiratory distress syndrome is developmental immaturity of lungs, that is caused by lack of surfactant. Lack of surfactant lead to wide atelectasis and arterial hypoxemia which is a life-threatening lung disorder. The aim of this study was to compare the function of cochlear in infant who suffer respiratory distress syndrome with normal infants by transient evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) test. Methods: This descriptive- analytic cross sectional study was carried out on 21 respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) infants (42 ear) that consists of 11 male and 10 female, 21 normal infants (42 ear) that consists of 10 male and 11 female in Mirza Koochakkhan Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, which all of them were 3 to 6 month year old, to collect informations about the health of infants we used the files in hospital and to assess the cochlear function we used computerized recording by TEOAE instrument. Statistical analysis carried out by SPSS software version 17 and Chi-square test. Results: The results of TEOAE test demonstrated that in normal group there is no statistical differences between ears and gender, also there was no statistical differences between ears in respiratory distress syndrome group but there was statistical differences between gender in this group. The frequency of pass result (show normal function of outer hair cell in cochlea) was greater in male than female in male the frequency of pass result was 17 ear (77.3%) but in female was 8 ear (40%). In TEOAE test results there was statistical differences between two groups of study. The frequency of pass result in normal group was 34 ear (81%) and in respiratory distress syndrome group was 25 ear (59%) which was significantly more in normal group than in respiratory distress syndrome infants (P= 0.032). Conclusion: According to results, it seems that the respiratory distress syndrome could affects the cochlear and the function of outer hair cell in it so in infants who suffer respiratory distress syndrome we should use the test battery of hearing.
Analysis of epidemiological data of foodborne outbreak reported in Iran
Mohammad Mehdi Soltan Dallal , Samaneh Motalebi Motalebi , Hossein Masoumi Asl , Abbas Rahimi Forushani , Mohammad Kazem Sharifi Yazdi, Zahra Rajabi , Nooshin Aghili ,
Volume 72, Issue 11 (February 2015)
Abstract
Background: Diarrhea is the most common bacterial infections, and the main cause of death in the children. Worldwide, food and waterborne diseases are estimated to cause more than two million deaths per year. Foodborne diseases and resistance to antimicrobial agents are two problems worldwide and are increasing. However, standard surveillance systems do not routinely collect information on controls. The aim of this study was to analysis epidemiological data of foodborne outbreaks at the country level. Methods: This is a descriptive study, in total 305 fecal swab samples from 73 outbreaks during one year from April 2012 to March 2013 in different provinces of Iran, were collected and transferred to the microbiology laboratory of Public Health School of Tehran University of Medical Sciences to identify the cause’s diarrhea. The patterns of antibiotic-resistance were determined by using Kirby Bauer method. Results: In total 73 food borne outbreaks that were studied, the largest number 26 (35.6%) were found in Hamadan province with 103 samples (34.2%). Out of 73 outbreaks 40 (54.79%) of were related to foods, 6 (8.22%) to water, and 27 (36.98%) were unspecified (P< 0.0001). Fifty seven outbreaks (78.08%) in the city and 16 outbreaks (21.92%) occurred in rural areas (P< 0.0001). The most dominated Gram-negative isolated organisms were Shigella (6.9%) and Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (12.8%). The dominated age group was under five years (16.4%), and dominant gender group was men 186 (61.8%) (P< 0.0001). In total 69 (22.9%) were hospitalized and 11 deaths were reported. Most clinical symptoms of abdominal cramping (82%), nausea and vomiting (68.4%), bloody diarrhea (23.3%), and non-bloody diarrhea (76.7%). All the isolated gram-negative were sensitive to ciprofloxacin and resistant to clindamycin. The gram-positive were sensitive to cephalexin and resistant to penicillin. Conclusion: The knowledge of bacterial agent of foodborne diseases and determination of antimicrobial resistance pattern are helpful to reduce the rate of foodborne outbreaks, the cost of treatment. The prevention control of outbreaks is also very important.
Association between serum homocysteine and subclinical atherosclerosis markers in subjects with and without diabetes mellitus
Hossein Fakhrzadeh , Mohamad Jafar Mahmoudi , Zahra Droudian, Farshad Sharifi , Yaser Tajalizadeh Khoob, Neda Mehrdad , Fatemeh Jafaraghaei , Zohreh Badamchizadeh ,
Volume 74, Issue 3 (June 2016)
Abstract

Background: The relationship between serum homocysteine levels and cardiovascular diseases has been elucidated since many years ago. In this study, the association between serum levels of homocysteine, folic acid, and vitamin B12 with the pulse wave velocity and Buckberg index or subendocardial viability ratio was assessed in individuals with diabetes and also non-diabetic subjects.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 58 individuals with type 2 diabetes and 36 non-diabetic people, from April to October 2013 were enrolled in Dr. Shariati Hospital affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were performed with standard methods. Fasting serum glucose, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, Triglyceide, A1C, vitamin B12, folic acid and serum homocysteine levels as well as, highly sensitive complement-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were measured. Artherial stiffness was assessed by calculating pulse wave velocity and aortic agumentation index via Sphygmocor. In addition, Buckberg index (Subendocardial viability ratio) was assessed by dividing myocardial oxygen supply to dimand expressed as percent. The normality of distributions was evaluated by Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and linear regression models were utilized to detect associations.

Results: Diabetic and non-diabetic subjects differed in terms of age, history of hypertension, serum levels of homocysteine, and LDL-C (P< 0.05). The pulse wave velocity in subjects with diabetes and without diabetes were 60.91 m/s and 41.91 m/s, respectively (P= 0.01). After adjustment for confounding factors in multivariate regression analysis pulse wave velocity was associated with age and homocysteine levels in non-diabetic group, (β equal to 0.441 and 0.345, respectively), and it was related to age, diastolic blood pressure and serum levels of c-reactive protein in subject with diabetes (β= 0.417, 0.302, and 0.262, respectively).

Conclusion: Homocysteine levels in non-diabetic individuals were associated to sub-clinical atherosclerosis markers but we could not find this association in diabetic participants.

HLA-E polymorphism study in Iranian thalassemic patients
Ehsan Sarraf Kazerooni , Ehteramolsadat Hosseini , Zohreh Sharifi , Azita Azarkeivan , Mehran Ghasemzadeh ,
Volume 74, Issue 5 (August 2016)
Abstract

Background: Human leukocyte antigen E is a member of non-classical HLA class I. Interaction between HLA-E molecule on the target cells and inhibitory CD94/NKG2A receptor on the cell surface of natural killer (NK) cells has an important role in the regulation of immune system against pathogens; therefore different cell surface expression of HLA-E molecule plays an important role in host resistance against viral infections as well as host response to treatment. Considering this fact, we analyzed the frequency of different HLA-E genotypes (HLA-E*01010101, HLA-E*01030103, HLA-E*01010103) in major thalassemic patients who underwent frequent transfusion therapy and are thus more susceptible to infectious diseases.

Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study of 104 major thalassemic patients who referred to Tehran Thalassemia Clinic between the years 2015 to 2016. Blood DNA was extracted and proliferated by sequence-specific primer polymerase chain reaction (SSP PCR). The PCR product was subjected to electrophoresis on 1.5 percent agarose gel then DNA fragment bands on the gel were detected by exposing to UV light. Furthermore, PCR products were also subjected to sequencing analysis for further confirmation.

Results: From 104 patients in this study, 49 (47.1%) were man and 55 (52.9%) were women. These patients were in the age range of 16 to 43 years (mean+SD; 31.03±4.7 year). The frequency of HLA-E*01010103 genotype (64.4 percent) was significantly (P= 0.001) higher than the genotypes of HLA-E*01010101 (15.4%) and HLA-E*01030103 (20.2%) whereas there was no difference between the frequency of HLA-E*0103 allele (52.4%) and HLA-E*0101 (47.6%).

Conclusion: This is the first study that examined the HLA-E polymorphisms in Iranian thalassemic patients referred to Tehran Thalassemia Clinic. This study has shown that the frequency of HLA-E*01010103 genotype was significantly higher than other genotypes of HLA-E whereas there was no difference between the frequency of HLA-E*0103 allele and HLA-E*0101 allele. Whether different frequencies of HLA-E genotype may affect thalassemic patients’ susceptibility to blood-borne infections will be of interest for future studies.


Epidemiology, etiology and outcomes of burn patients in a Referral Burn Hospital, Tehran
Mohammad Mehdi Soltan Dallal , Mohammad Kazem Sharifi Yazdi, Abbas Rahimiforoushani , Mohammad Reza Akhoondinasab ,
Volume 74, Issue 5 (August 2016)
Abstract

Background: Burns and its complications are regarded as a major problem in the society. Skin injuries resulted from ultraviolet radiation, radioactivity, electricity or chemicals as well as respiratory damage from smoke inhalation are considered burns. This study aimed to determine the epidemiology and outcome of burn patients admitted to Motahari Hospital, Tehran, Iran.

Methods: Two hundred patients with second-degree burns admitted to Motahari Referral Center of Burn in Tehran, Iran. They were studied during a period of 12 months from May 2012 to May 2013. During the first week of treatment swabs were collected from the burn wounds after cleaning the site with sterile normal saline. Samples were inoculated in blood agar and McConkey agar, then incubation at 37 C for 48 hours. Identification was carried out according to standard conventional biochemical tests. Treatment continued up to epithelial formation and wound healing. Results of microbial culture for each patient was recorded. Healing time of the burn wounds in patients was recorded in log books. Chi-square test and SPSS Software v.19 (IBM, NY, USA) were used for data analysis.

Results: Our findings indicate that the most causes of burns are hot liquids in 57% of cases and flammable liquid in 21% of cases. The most cases of burns were found to be in the range of 21 to 30 percent with 17.5% and 7% in male and female respectively. Gram-negative bacteria were dominated in 85.7% and among them pseudomonas spp. with 37.5% were the most common cause of infected burns, followed by Enterobacter, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter and Klebsiella spp.

Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the most cause of burns in both sex is hot liquid. Men were more expose to burn than women and this might be due to the fact that men are involved in more dangerous jobs than female. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most common organism encountered in burn infection.


Omeprazole versus doxycycline combination therapy with topical erythromycin the treatment of acne vulgaris: a randomized clinical trial
Fariba Jaffary , Mohammad Ali Nilforoushzadeh , Hanieh Sharifian Koupaiee , Gita Faghihi , Seyed Mohsen Hosseini , Fateme Sokhanvari , Nazli Ansari , Giti Sadeghian ,
Volume 75, Issue 1 (April 2017)
Abstract

Background: Acne vulgaris is self-limiting, multifactorial disease involving sebaceous glands. Omeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor with in vitro antibacterial effects against staphylococcus aureus and anti-androgen that can be potential treatment of acne vulgaris. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of oral omeprazole and erythromycin 4% compared to doxycycline combination therapy in the treatment of acne vulgaris.

Methods: In this clinical trial study, patients with moderate acne were referred to Skin Diseases and Leishmaniasis Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Iran, during August 2014 until November 2015 and were randomized into two groups receiving topical erythromycin 4% plus omeprazole (34 patients) or doxycycline (35 patients) for 3 months. Moderate acne, lack of sensitivity to proton pump inhibitors, lack of warfarin, phenytoin, diazepam consumption, lack of active liver or kidney disease, being older than 12 years, were considered as inclusion criteria. Pregnant or lactating patients, patients with drug allergy history, patients taking oral contraceptives, acne topical medications (including retinoids) or systemic treatment within 30 days of study, patients with oligomenorrhea, hirsutism, acne conglobata, acne fulminant or body acne alone were excluded from the study. All patients were tested for Helicobacter pylori test at the beginning of the study.

Results: Both inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions decreased in both groups with negative correlation with age (P< 0.05). There was no significant correlation between positive Helicobacter pylori test and inflammatory or non-inflammatory lesion reduction (P= 0.794, P= 0.514). Also, patient satisfaction and rate of total drug side effects was not different between two treatment groups. Rate of skin reactions was 20.58% in omeprazole treated group and 11.42% in doxycycline group. For side effects, other than skin it was 2.94% versus 14.28% respectively.

Conclusion: Omeprazole could be suggested as an alternative for doxycycline in the treatment of patients with moderate acne vulgaris especially in non-inflammatory lesions.

Wound healing in animal models: review article
Fariba Jaffary , Mohammad Ali Nilforoushzadeh , Hanieh Sharifian , Zahra Mollabashi ,
Volume 75, Issue 7 (October 2017)
Abstract
Wound healing and reduction of its recovery time is one of the most important issues in medicine. Wound is defined as disruption of anatomy and function of normal skin. This injury could be the result of physical elements such as  surgical incision, hit or pressure cut of the skin and gunshot wound. Chemical or caustic burn is another category of wound causes that can be induced by acid or base contact irritation. Healing is a process of cellular and extracellular matrix interactions that occur in the damaged tissue. Wound healing consists of several stages including hemostasis, inflammatory phase, proliferative phase and new tissue formation which reconstructs by new collagen formation. Wounds are divided into acute and chronic types based on their healing time. Acute wounds have sudden onset and in normal individuals usually have healing process of less than 4 weeks without any residual side effects. In contrast, chronic wounds have gradual onset. Their inflammatory phase is prolonged and the healing process is stopped due to some background factors like diabetes, ischemia or local pressure. If the healing process lasts more than 4 weeks it will be classified as chronic wound. Despite major advances in the treatment of wounds, still finding effective modalities for healing wounds in the shortest possible time with the fewest side effects is a current challenge. In this review different phases of wound healing and clinical types of wound such as venous leg ulcer, diabetic foot ulcer and pressure ulcer are discussed. Also acute wound models (i.e burn wounds or incisional wound) and chronic wound models (such as venous leg ulcers, diabetic foot ulcer, pressure ulcers or bedsore) in laboratory animals are presented. This summary can be considered as a preliminary step to facilitate designing of more targeted and applied research in this area.

Evaluation antimicrobial activity of biogenic zinc oxide nanoparticles on two standard gram positive and gram negative strains
Mohammadreza Aflatoonian , Mehrdad Khatami , Iraj Sharifi , Shahram Pourseyedi , Mansour Khatami , Hajar Yaghobi , Mahin Naderifar ,
Volume 75, Issue 8 (November 2017)
Abstract
Background: Nanoparticles are particles that have at least one dimension between 1 and 100 nanometers. Nanoparticles are a new generation of antimicrobial agents. Nanoparticles with antimicrobial activity, especially as a new class of biomedical materials for use in increasing the level of public health in daily life have emerged.  Zinc oxide nanoparticles have attracted a great attention due to the variety of their applications in medical science. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the antimicrobial activity of zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesized by green method.
Methods: This experimental study was done in 2017, from March to September in the Bam Research Center of University of Medical Sciences Kerman, Iran. Green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles was investigated using cumin seeds. The physicochemical characteristics of synthesized nanoparticles were studied by UV-visible ultraviolet spectrometer (Analytik Jena AG, Germany), X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope (TEM) (Carl Zeiss, Germany). Broth microdilution method was used to investigate the antimicrobial activity of zinc oxide nanoparticles. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of these nanoparticles were determined for Pseudomonas aerogenes and Enterococcus faecalis strains.
Results: The UV-visible ultraviolet spectroscopy showed an absorption peak in the range of 370 nm. Transmission electron microscopy shows the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles, mostly spherical, with a size less than 50 nm. Minimum inhibitory concentration of zinc oxide nanoparticles against P. aerogenes and E. faecalis strains was determined at 6.25 and 12.5 μg/ml, respectively. Both bacteria were sensitive to zinc oxide nanoparticles. This sensitivity was higher for gram-negative bacteria.
Conclusion: Zinc oxide nanoparticles were produced using Iranian natural resources and our results showed significant antibacterial activity. Nanotechnology creates materials with novel properties every day, and creates new hope for improving environmental pollution. These nanoparticles can be used as a new generation of antimicrobial agents in various medical disciplines. For example, toothpaste containing zinc nanoparticles can be produced and prescribed for patients with immune deficiency to prevent the growth of microbial pathogens in the mouth and its transmission to the patient's body.
 

Evaluation of thyroid hormones in patients with lead poisoning
Saeed Nouri , Anahita Zoghi , Mohammad Reza Sharif , Najla Farhang , Maziar Shojaei ,
Volume 76, Issue 7 (October 2018)
Abstract
Background: Each toxic agent results in unique presentations, depending on what neurophysiological changes occur following exposure. Scientific understanding of lead toxicity in the organ systems and at low levels of exposure continues to evolve. However, effects of lead poisoning on the thyroid gland function are controversial. In this descriptive study, changes in thyroid hormones in patients with lead poisoning were compared with patients with opioid addiction and healthy individual who were matched for age and sex.
Methods: In this descriptive study, which was conducted from March 2016 to February 2017 in Loghman Hakim Hospital in Tehran, ninety patients were evaluated using convenient sampling method for lead and thyroid hormones levels. The levels of lead and thyroid hormones were evaluated using standard laboratory method, in thirty male patients with lead poisoning, thirty male patients with opioid addiction referring to addiction treatment center and thirty healthy male referring to a blood donation center who were matched for age. Thyroid function parameters in patients with lead toxicity were compared with those of control groups.
Results: The lead level in the lead toxicity group was 57.5±23.5 µg/dl, in the first control group with opium addiction 7.8±3.8 µg/dl and in the healthy male referring to a blood donation center, 5.9±9 µg/dl. Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) was significantly lower in patients with lead poisoning (0.2±0.01 Milli-International Units Per Liter (mIU/L) than in the patients with opioid addiction (2.4±1/05 mIU/L) and healthy male referring to a blood donation center (2.3±0.01 mIU/L) (P= 0.04), and thyroxine hormone (T4) was significantly higher in patients with lead poisoning (17.8±2.6 µg/dl) than in the patients with opioid addiction (8.8±1/9 µg/dl) and healthy male referring to a blood donation center (7.4±3.5 µg/dl) (P= 0.02).
Conclusion: Lead toxicity has an effect on thyroid function and it reduces thyroid stimulating hormone and increases thyroxin levels. Clinicians should be aware of the potential hazardous effects of lead on the thyroid and mechanisms through which lead causes these effects on thyroid function need to be elucidated.

The factors that affect blood and blood products usage in coronary artery graft surgery
Kianoush Saberi , Shahnaz Sharifi, Mehrdad Salehi , Paniz Mihandoost,
Volume 76, Issue 11 (February 2019)
Abstract
Background: Coronary artery bypass surgery is one of the surgeries in which high blood transfusions are needed. About 20% of all surgical operations require a blood transfusion. Packed cell administration increases perioperative morbidity and mortality. In the United States, from every 1000 people, one has undergone a coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and it is estimated that around 800,000 coronary artery bypass grafts undergo each year. Knowledge about relative blood administration during coronary artery bypass graft surgery improves the ability of blood transfusion centers in healthy and adequate blood donations. For this purpose, this study was conducted to determine the effective factors in the need for blood in a coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 317 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery in the heart surgery operating room of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran, Iran, from September 2017 to February 2018. Sampling method has been available. The data of this study were extracted from patient files. The products analyzed in the study included packed cell, fresh frozen plasma and platelets. Demographic data, type of surgery, transfusion of blood and products, and hemoglobin level have been reported. P-value less than 0.05 was reported as meaningful.
Results: In this study, 317 patients underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery. 236 cases (74.4%) were male and the rest were women. The mean of administration of packed cell in women was 2.74±1.3 and in men it was 2.29±1.09 (P<0.001). The mean packed cell administration in patients with hemoglobin levels less than 10 g/dl was 3.27±1.8 and in patients with hemoglobin levels greater than 10 g/dl was 0.99±2.25 (P<0.0001).
Conclusion: The present study showed that the mean transfusion of packed cells in women were more than men in coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Also, hemoglobin levels were the only factor that had a significant effect on infusion of packed cells.

Assessment of the frequency and causes of heart consulting in patients admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit
Amir Hosein Movahedian , Mohammad Jahangiri , Mona Nabovati, Mohammad Reza Sharif , Raheleh Moradi , Ziba Mosayebi ,
Volume 77, Issue 9 (December 2019)
Abstract
Background: Congenital heart diseases are the second group of congenital anomalies in infants. These disorders are a major cause of death in the first year of a child's life. Early detection helps to treat these diseases better. In this study cardiology consultations of hospitalized infants in the neonatal intensive care unit were evaluated.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, two hundred and fifty pediatric cardiology consultations conducted in Shahid Beheshti Hospital in the year 2012 were reviewed. Information such as the cause of consulting, delivery type, age of parents, relative couples, family history of congenital heart disease, maternal medications, maternal background diseases, the final diagnosis, and prognosis follow-up of the patients were recorded in a designed questionnaire. Finally, the data were entered into the SPSS software, version 16 (IBM SPSS, Armonk, NY, USA) and analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square test. P-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: The mean age of the consulted neonates was 4.845±5.14 days with a gestational age of 33.933±3.65 weeks. Male sex and cesarean section were the most frequent. Fifty-six percent of consulted infants were male. The present study revealed that prematurity (76%), murmurs (30.8%), respiratory distress syndrome (14.4%) and cyanosis (13.2%) were the most common causes of the cardiac consultation seeking among infants. Seventy-six percent of infants were consulted due to prematurity. Eighty-four percent of infants had a normal conditions. Septal defects (ventricular or atrial septal defect) and patent ductus arteriosus were the most common disease diagnosed with the prevalence of 27.5 and 17.5%, respectively. There was a significant relationship between preterm labor and congenital heart disease (P<0.001). Additionally, prematurity associated with respiratory distress syndrome and using assisted reproductive techniques.
Conclusion: The higher prevalence of congenital heart disease in the present study, compared with other studies, reflects the fact that cardiology consultation based on clinical suspicion leads to the more identification of congenital heart disease that means the right referral of newborns for consultation was accompanied with a higher incidence of heart failure.

Review on satisfaction of health system transformation project in Iran: brief report
Tahereh Yaghoubi , Hamid Sharif Nia , Mobin Mohammadi Nejad , Azar Jafari , Mostafa Hoseinoo , Amir Hossein Goudarzian ,
Volume 78, Issue 2 (May 2020)
Abstract
Background: Long after the implementation of the “Health System Transformation Project”, no comprehensive assessment of patient and nurse satisfaction rate has been carried out in Iran based on available databases. Thus, this review study was designed and performed to answer this question: “How is the evaluation of the Health System Transformation Project in nurse and patient satisfaction dimensions.”
Methods: A systematic review of related studies based on preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was performed via keywords such as “Health System Transformation Project”, “Transformation Project”, “health”, “Iran”, “challenges”, “physician”, “nurse”, “patient”, and “satisfaction” to search Iranian (Magiran and Scientific Information Database, SID) and international databases (PubMed, ISI web of knowledge, Scopus, Google Scholar, and ProQuest) with OR and AND operators from March 2014 to April 2019. Also the quality of studies was assessed using STROB checklist (special for cross-sectional studies). Then required information (for example type of studies, sample size, mean age of participants and satisfaction score) were gathered from studies.
Results: From 43 articles that were gathered from primary stages, 18 articles were selected after passing different screening levels. On average, the level of patiaent satisfaction with the Health System Transformation Project was acceptable. Ghazvin province was seems more successful in satisfaction of patients against of other provinces. However, various positive and negative reports were found about the satisfaction of nursing groups. Generally, it seems that Tehran province (at the center of Iran) was more successful in performing the Health System Transformation Project (from the aspect of satisfaction of different groups).
Conclusion: Based on obtained results, patient’s satisfaction was appropriate in most of studies and also in nursing group was under average level.

A review on the relation between obesity and vitamin D with pediatric asthma, and a report of a pilot study in Tehran, Iran: review article
Mansoureh Shariat, Ezoddin Rostamian, Heshmat Moayeri, Mamak Shariat, Laleh Sharifi,
Volume 78, Issue 5 (August 2020)
Abstract
Asthma is an inflammatory and chronic disease that affects about 300 million people globally. The disease is more common in developed countries. The increase in the prevalence of asthma is not only due to genetic factors, but also to many environmental factors related to urbanization and type of nutrition. It has been reported that obesity is an independent risk factor for asthma and obese children are at higher risk of asthma. The researchers found that many of the common phenotypes of obesity and asthma are due to genetic effects and some genetic component is common to asthma and obesity. Genetic data suggest that there are areas of genetic overlap between the obesity and asthma genes. These children experience more severe asthma and have a poor treatment outcome. On the other hand, there is an association between vitamin D deficiency in the earlier stages of life and incidence of asthma in the following years. Interestingly, obesity is a common risk factor for both asthma and vitamin D deficiency. Therefore, study on the interaction of asthma, obesity, and vitamin D deficiency may play an important role in unraveling the intricate nature of asthma. Prevalence of Pediatric asthma in 6-7 and 13-14 years-old children has been reported more than 10% in Iran. In this review we aimed to assess the latest findings about pediatric asthma and its association with obesity and vitamin D in Iran and the other countries. In addition, the results of a pilot study that has examined the frequency of overweight and obesity, as well as vitamin D deficiency in children with asthma in Tehran, are briefly presented. Enrolling a national study on obesity and vitamin D levels in children with asthma, can provide excellent information on the effects of obesity and vitamin D deficiency on asthma in Iranian children. Also the results could provide a basis for ecological studies to measure correlation between pediatric asthma and Sunlight and food and cultural habits in different parts of the country. Also, it is recommended that for a better understanding of the subject, experimental studies examine the effect of vitamin D supplementation and vitamin D-rich diets on the prevention and treatment of pediatric asthma in different age groups as well as different ethnicities of Iran.

Health insurance literacy for the Iranian community, a qualitative study: brief report
Jalal Saeidpour, Mohammad Javad Kabir, Amrollah Roozbehi, Mehran Pozesh, Moslem Sharifi,
Volume 78, Issue 9 (December 2020)
Abstract
Background: Health insurance literacy is a nascent concept that has emerged mainly after the implementation of the law known as Obamacare in the United States. This study seeks to identify the themes of health insurance literacy in Iranian society.
Methods: The study approach is qualitative. Data were collected using nine semi-structured interviews, ten focal group meetings with the presence of 86 experts of an insurance organization and a specialized meeting with fifteen academic experts, from September to December 2018 at the organization's location. MAX QDA10 software was used to organize the data. Qualitative data analysis was performed using continuous comparison analysis and in the form of directional qualitative content analysis based on the conceptual model (Paez et al 2014). Coding was performed independently by two researchers and then collected. Results were reviewed by an external observer. Finally, in a specialized meeting with the participation of representatives of specialized (groups secretaries) and academic experts(participants in the initial interviews), the findings of the study were re-examined and confirmed
Results: By reviewing the collected texts, 264 initial codes, 21 components, 10 sub-themes, and five themes were extracted. Based on the conceptual model of the study, the data were organized in three axes. In the knowledge axis, the themes of health insurance knowledge (including health insurance knowledge and attitude toward health insurance) and awareness of insured rights and assignments (including insured assignments and insured rights), in the axis of skill, themes of information search and services (including information acquisition and service search) and utilization of insurance coverage (including receiving insurance coverage and benefiting from benefits), and in the axis of self-confidence, the theme of self-efficacy (including Timely decision making and environmental awareness) have been identified.
Conclusion: Health insurance literacy for Iranian society, instead of being able to choose the type of insurance, focuses on its application in improving decision-making behavior and seeking insured treatment in the health market.

Renal Ewing's sarcoma with the spread of tumor thrombosis to the inferior vena cava: case report
Mohsen Ayati, Mohammad Reza Nowroozi, Amirreza Fotovat, Erfan Amini, Faeze Salahshour, Laleh Sharifi ,
Volume 79, Issue 2 (May 2021)
Abstract
Background: Ewing's sarcoma/Primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) is a group of tumors with small round cells that originate from nerve stem cells. They are generally more common in children and often occur in the soft or bony tissues of the limbs, trunk, head, and neck. Ewing's sarcoma is a rare disease in the kidney and its tumor thrombosis into Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) is assumed as a very rare condition.
Case Presentation: The patient was a 14-year-old boy who underwent an MRI of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae due to paresthesia of the lower limbs, which showed the presence of the mass in the vertebrae of T3, T4, T5, and concurrently right kidney. The pathology report confirmed the diagnosis of Ewing’s sarcoma, PNET. The patient underwent T4 laminectomy and bone mass resection and then received 4 courses of chemotherapy with VAC + IE. In the next stage of treatment, the patient had abdominal MRI and MR Venography (MRV) that demonstrated a mass in the middle of the upper right kidney with a 10 cm length tumor thrombosis into IVC with extension to the suprahepatic area and involvement of several aortocaval lymph nodes. In January 2020, the patient was operated in Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran by a midline incision, at first, the kidney artery and vein were controlled, and without thrombectomy, the IVC was controlled from above and below the liver, then the tumor thrombosis was removed. The right kidney underwent a radical nephrectomy. Three days later, the patient was discharged in good general condition and referred for chemotherapy.
Conclusion: Because Ewing's sarcoma is a rare condition in the kidney, this case is considered a very rare case due to its tumor thrombosis. This case study showed that despite the advanced stage of the disease, early diagnosis and treatment of patients with Ewing's sarcoma, along with adjuvant treatments can play an important role in the survival of these patients.

Using data mining techniques for predicting the survival rate of breast cancer patients: a review article
Hossein Bagherian, Shaghayegh Haghjooy Javanmard, Mehran Sharifi, Mohammad Sattari,
Volume 79, Issue 3 (june 2021)
Abstract
 
  This review was conducted between December 2018 and March 2019 at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. A review of various studies revealed what data mining techniques to predict the probability of survival, what risk factors for these predictions, what criteria for evaluating data mining techniques, and finally what data sources for it have been used to predict the survival of breast cancer patients. This review is based on the Prism statement consisting of published studies in the field of predicting the survival of breast cancer patients using data mining techniques from 2005 to 2018 in databases such as Medline, Science Direct, Web of Science, Embase data and Scopus. After searching in these databases, 527 articles were retrieved. After removing duplicates and evaluating the articles, 21 articles were used. The three techniques of logistic regression, decision tree, and support vector machine have been most used in articles. Age, tumor grade, tumor stage, and tumor size are used more than other risk factors. Among the criteria, the accuracy criterion was used in more studies. Most of the studies used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) dataset. Typically, in the field of survival probability prediction, data mining techniques in the field of classification are given more attention due to their adaptation to this field. Accordingly, data mining techniques such as decision tree techniques, logistic regression, and support vector machine were used in more studies than other techniques. The use of these techniques can provide a good basis for clinicians to evaluate the effectiveness of different treatments and the impact of each of these methods on patients' longevity and survival. If the output of these techniques is used to provide the data input required by a decision support system, clinicians can provide risk factors related to the patient, the patient's age, and the patient's physical condition when providing services to breast cancer patients. Through the outputs provided by the decision support system, they provided the most optimal decision to choose the best treatment method and consequently increase patient survival.

Evaluation of the confounding factors disturbing the quality of CT images of pulmonary angiography
Pooya Iranpour , Azadeh Sharifzadeh Yazdi , Rezvan Ravanfar Haghighi , Mahdi Saeedi-Moghadam ,
Volume 79, Issue 4 (July 2021)
Abstract
 
 
Background: Since pulmonary angiography is the only non-invasive method for diagnosing pulmonary embolism, the use of radiation reduction methods without affecting the quality of images seems necessary. One of the simplest reasons for unnecessarily increasing of patient exposure is repetitive imaging due to poor image quality. Therefore, it is necessary to identify and eliminate the factors that reduce the image quality, which leads to duplication of imaging or reduced accuracy.  In this study, the reasons for decreasing the image quality of pulmonary computed tomography (CT) angiography were investigated.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed over a period of 6 months (May to November 2018) in a university-affiliated hospital. Data of 75 patients suspected of pulmonary embolism who were referred for CT angiography were collected. All CT scans were performed by a 16-slice CT scanner (Lights Speed, GE Healthcare) with fixed imaging parameters including 100 kVp and 100 mA. In order to evaluate the adequacy of pulmonary artery enhancement, the Hounsfield unit (HU) of the main pulmonary artery was measured in the aortic arch, upper, and lower segmental parts. Also, 8 factors affecting the image quality were examined.
Results: The mean HU of the main pulmonary arteries was 312 in the range of 124 to 677. The mean HU in patients with and without pulmonary embolism was 358 and 302, respectively. Most CT images (61%) had poor quality for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. Only 2% of the images were acceptable compared to standard images and protocols. Late imaging was the most common quality confounding factor in this study.
Conclusion: A low-quality image reduces the accuracy of the physician's diagnosis that leads to misdiagnosis. Besides, sometimes poor image quality leads to repetitive imaging, which results in increased patient exposure and therefore increased radiation hazards. Therefore, modifiable confounding factors must be identified and corrected which one of the most important ones is wrong imaging timing protocols after contrast injection.
 

Preparation of tissue-engineered wound dressing consisting of chitosan fibers containing silver ion-doped bioactive nanoparticles for wound healing
Mahnaz Mahmoudi Sohi , Asadollah Asadi , Peyman Brouki Milan , Esmaeil Sharifi, Arash Abdolmaleki,
Volume 79, Issue 4 (July 2021)
Abstract
Background: Wound healing is a complicated process involving the proliferation of the epithelial cells, deposition of granulation tissue as well as recruitment of inflammatory cells. It also is a hot topic of research for trauma, orthopedics and general surgery studies. There are many forms of cells involved in this process. This study aimed to design a tissue-engineered wound dressing consisting of chitosan fibers containing silver ion bioactive nanoparticles for wound healing.
Methods: The present study is an experimental study that was conducted in the research laboratory of the Department of Biology of Mohaghegh Ardabili University from April to November 2019. All experiments of this study have been performed under the ethical guideline of Helsinki and in accordance with the Ethics Committee of the Mohaghegh Ardabili University of Ardabil (Iran). The wound dressing of nanofibers was prepared by the sol-gel method. Cytotoxicity was assessed by MTT assay. Then the antimicrobial properties of nanofibers were determined by the disk diffusion method. SEM and AFM images were obtained from nanofibers. Finally, nanofibers were analyzed by the FTRI method.
Results: Results of the prepared tissue-engineered wound dressing consisting of chitosan fibers containing silver ion-doped bioactive nanoparticles showed that cytotoxicity was at an appropriate level. The nanofibers prepared with 2% silver nanoparticles produced a 10 mm inhibition zone against Staphylococcus aureus and a 9 mm inhibition zone against Escherichia coli. Therefore, the best percentage of scaffolds in the present study was 2%. Also, results of the SEM micrographs and AFM image analysis of the scaffolds showed that the nanofibers had good roughness and a proper structure for cell seeding and attachments. Besides that, FTIR analysis also showed that the prepared nanofibers had standard bonds.
Conclusion: Chitosan-Silver nanoparticles scaffold have antimicrobial activity on Gram-negative and positive bacteria. The results of the toxicity test also showed that it did not have much toxicity on the cultured cells. Therefore, it can be considered for therapeutic applications, such as wound dressing.
 

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