Tehran University Medical Journal

---

Psychiatric disorders are common in women during their childbearing years. Special considerations are needed when psychotic disorders present during pregnancy. Early identification and treatment of psychiatric disorders in pregnancy can prevent morbidity in pregnancy and in postpartum with the concomitant risks to mother and baby. Nevertheless, diagnosis of psychiatric illnesses during pregnancy is made more difficult by the overlap between symptoms of the disorders and symptoms of pregnancy. In majority of cases both psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy should be considered. However, psychiatric disorders in pregnancy are often under treated because of concerns about potential harmful effects of medication. This paper reviews findings about the presentation and course of major psychiatric disorders during pregnancy.

---

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Background: Recent evidence suggest that group A ß-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) infection may increase the risk of pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders (PANDAS) composed of the clinical signs of obsessive-compulsive and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders. The objective of this study was to compare the titer of antibodies against GABHS between children with PANDS and the controls.
Methods : This cross-sectional, case-control study was done in Hazrat Rasoul Hospital, in Tehran, Iran during 2008-2010. We compared serum antibodies streptolysin O, deoxyribonuclease B, and streptokinase against GABHS quantitatively in 79 cases with PANDAS and 39 age-matched controls. The area under ROC curve, sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value (PPV) of tests were calculated.
Results : Most cases were studied in summer (57%) and spring (23%). The three aforesaid antibodies were higher in the cases (P=0.001). Antisterptolysin O (cut-off point 195) had a 90% sensitivity, 82% specificity and a 92% PPV, (CI=95%, 0.99-0.91). Anti streptokinase (cut-off point 223) had an 82% sensitivity, 82% specificity and a 95% PPV, (CI=95%, 0.934-0.735). Anti-DNase (cut-off point 140) had an 82% sensitivity, 82% specificity and a 95% PPV, (CI=95%, 0.99-0.91).
Conclusion: The study demonstrated a possible role for streptococcal infection in PANDAS. We found a significantly higher antibody titer against GABHS in OCD and ADHD cases in comparison with healthy children. Treatment of streptococcal infection is achievable by the use of long-acting penicillin. Use of aggressive treatment schedules like plasmaphresis, IVIG, etc needs further RCT studies.

---

HIV/AIDS is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in world. There are more than 35 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the world. Although the annual incidence of HIV infection is decreasing globally, HIV prevalence is rising due to development of more effective treatment and higher survival. Iran suffers from concentrated HIV epidemics among injecting and non-injecting drug users. There are more than 27 thousand registered cases of HIV infection and it is estimated that there are above seventy eight thousand cases in the country. Regarding the burden of disease, it is projected that HIV/AIDS will have the highest growth during the next 10 years. The outcome of this epidemics will be determined by human behavior. HIV, psychiatric disorders and substance use disorders are closely correlated and are accompanied by similar risk factors. They also share common consequences such as stigma and discrimination. Correlation of psychiatric disorders, as one of the most influential determinants of our behavior, and HIV/AIDS infection is reviewed in this narrative article. Psychiatric disorders are associated with greater risk of HIV acquisition. Substance use disorders, both injecting and non-injecting, as well as severe mental illnesses put the individual at higher risk of acquiring HIV infection. Impaired judgment, diminished inhibition and control over behaviors, lack of insight and poor self-care have been proposed as the underlying mechanisms. On the other hand, HIV infection may put the individual at greater risk of developing a mental illness. Coping with a chronic and life-threatening illness, fear of stigma and discrimination, CNS invasion of the virus as well as the adverse neuropsychiatric side effects of anti-retroviral medications may all contribute to establishment of a psychiatric disorder. Although there exists a bi-directional correlation between mental health problems and HIV/AIDS infection, this reciprocity goes beyond. Psychiatric disorders can affect the patient’s adherence, access to treatment and care and can worsen the course and clinical outcome of the infection. The clinical importance, underlying mechanism and other implications of this correlation are reviewed in this article.