Journal of Advances in Medical and Biomedical Research
Volume:19 Issue: 76, 2011

In patients with diabetes, elevated homocysteine levels have been reported to be associated with endothelial dysfunction, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, poor control of disease, nephropathy, macroangiopathy and oxidative stress. Thus, this observational study was performed to determine the plasma homocysteine level and its correlation with clinical, biochemical and nutritional variables.

This study was performed on 70 men with type 2 diabetes under metformin (at least 1500 mg daily) treatment. Regarding plasma homocysteine, patients were divided into two groups: 31patients with normal homocysteine (group 1: Hcy<15 µmol/L) and 39 patients with hyperhomocysteinemia (group 2: Hcy>15 µmol/L).

55.1% patients had hyperhomocysteinemia but none of them had folate and B12 deficiency. Significant differences between the two groups were found for serum folate, total antioxidant capacity and creatinine. No differences were found for insulin resistance and glycemic control. Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis using plasma homocysteine as a dependent variable and all other clinical and laboratory parameters as independent variables indicated that age (β=0.344), creatinine (β=0.351), vitamin B12 (β=0.235), total antioxidant capacity (β=0.285) and malondialdehyde (β=0.245) were independently associated with homocysteine concentration. No correlation was found between the homocysteine and glycemic control, HOMA-IR and intake of B vitamins and caffeine.

Further studies with a large sample size are required to assess the association of plasma homocysteine with total antioxidant capacity and other biomarkers of oxidative stress in type2 diabetes.

Minor aphta has a high incidence in the populations ranging from 2-50%. In spite of its frequency and severity of discomfort, there is not an absolute treatment for it. So, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a herbal medicine in the control of Minor aphta.

In this double-blind, randomized study 137 patients with Minor aphta (with not more than four days from the onset) were selected and then placed into one of the groups of A (solution containing 5 percent Myrtus communis and Melissa officinalis in ethanol 80) and B (solution containing 10 percent Myrtus communis and Melissa officinalis in ethanol 80) or C (placebo containing ethanol 80).

Mean duration for complete recovery in minor aphta was 3.5 days in group A, 7.5 days in group B and 7.3 days in group C. There were significant statistical differences among the three groups (p<0.0005).

The results of this study revealed that using a combination of Myrtus Communis and Melissa Officinalis plants was effective in the treatment of recurrent aphtous stomatits (RAS). In order to obtain the accurate concentrations of the ingredients of this compound, further studies are necessary.

Available information suggests that pregnant women infected with Trichomonas vaginalis may be at increased risk of preterm delivery and low birth weight (LBW). This study evaluated the association between T. vaginalis infection and the risk of LBW.

In this cohort study, we evaluated 1000 pregnant women (gestational age ≥ 28 weeks) for trichomoniasis by using direct and culture methods at the time of delivery at two hospitals of Zanjan, Iran. All the infected women (33 cases) and non-infected women (107) who had been selected with purposive quota sampling were compared with each other. Questionnaires were used to collect demographic and obstetric parameters. Consequently, infant's weights were recorded using mothers’ files.

The prevalence of T. vaginalis infection was 3.3% (33 cases). Mean gestational age of the infected women at the time of delivery was significantly less than the non-infected (36.5±4.5 weeks vs. 39±1.9 weeks; P= 0.009). Higher parity, and living in city were significantly associated with the increased risk of vaginal trichomoniasis (P< 0.05). No significant association was found between the T. vaginalis infection and degree of education, type of delivery, family income, and frequency of LBW.

The results of this study suggest that, T. vaginalis infection may be associated with low gestational age and higher parity at the time of delivery. However, no significant association was found between the T. vaginalis infection and LBW in the third trimester of pregnancy.