afsane bahrami

 Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and primary dysmenorrhea (PD) are gynecological conditions that are associated with psychological and mood disorders. This study assessed the effects of curcumin, a natural polyphenol, on depression, anxiety, stress and quality of life (QL) in woman with PMS and PD.

The study was undertaken in 128 women who were randomised to treatment with either curcumin (n=64) or placebo (n=64) groups. Each subject received one capsules (500 mg of curcuminoids plus 5 mg piperine, or a placebo, plus 5 mg piperine) daily, for 3 successive menstrual cycles. Psychological status and QL were assessed using Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) and the Short Form-12 (SF-12) questionnaires respectively. 

Overall scores as well as the mental health domain of the SF-12 improved significantly after curcumin supplementation (P<0.05). In addition, curcumin decreased significantly (P<0.05) all of the DASS-21 domains (depression, anxiety and stress). Significant differences were also found between the two groups for the DASS-21 domains, SF-12 mental health (total) and overall scores (P<0.05).

Curcuminoids may be useful as a natural, widely accessible therapeutic option for the management of the psychological impact of PMS and PD, and improve the QL of women with these conditions.

Radiodermatitis (RD) is a frequent adverse event of radiotherapy (RT).  Currently, there is no consensus and approved protocol for the treatment of RD. Curcumin (CUR) is a natural polyphenol obtained from turmeric and it has low intrinsic toxicity in humans. The aim of this systematic review was to explore the efficacy of CUR for prevention and treatment of RD.

A systematic literature review was performed in the following online databases: Cochrane library, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, MEDLINE, and EMBASE. Among the 5 selected records, 3 had a randomized clinical trial (RCT)-design and the other had a pilot and controlled study designed. The included studies were performed on breast cancer (N=3), head and neck cancers (N=1) and different types of cancer (N=1).

Four of the studies reported that the application of curcumin in cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy is associated with decreased intensity of radiodermatitis. However, one study did not report any significant effect of CUR on radiodermatitis. This review provides substantial evidence which confirm the clinical value of CUR in cancer supportive care.

Further prospective clinical trials in larger scales are warranted in order to determine the " supplemental form and dose of CUR" for RD prevention and treatment in patients receiving radiotherapy.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality and one of the main challenges for health systems worldwide. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the association of socio-demographic, lifestyle, psychological and anthropometric factors and underlying diseases such as hypertension (HTN), diabetes mellitus (DM) and metabolic syndrome (MS) with CVD risk among a subpopulation of Iranian adults. In this prospective study, a total of 235 CVD patients along with 8405 healthy and non-symptomatic individuals who participated in MASHAD cohort study were enrolled. CVD diagnosis was performed by taking electrocardiogram (ECG) and medical history and performing physical examination for each participant. Health and lifestyle questionnaires, the Beck’s anxiety inventory (BAI), Beck’s depression inventory (BDI) and the James and Schofield human energy requirements equations were completed for all participants. Anthropometric measurements were also recorded for all subjects. All statistical analyses including chi-square and student independent T-test were performed using SPSS 16.0 software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) at a significant level of 0.05. We found that there were significant associations between CVD risk and age, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), diabetes mellitus (DM) and family history (FH) of CVD in both genders; though, there was a significant negative correlation between physical activity level (PAL) and risk of CVD among men and women. Also hypertension (HTN), metabolic syndrome (MS), depression and anxiety were positively and higher education level was negatively associated with CVD events only in females. While, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) was an independent predictor of CVD among males (P-value< 0.05). There are several modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors that are independently considered as CVD predictors among the MASHAD study population. It is recommended to prioritize the lifestyle modification, development of local risk calculators and gender-related stratified strategies in order to prevent and manage CVD among the Iranian population.

Premenstrual syndrome and primary dysmenorrhea are common gynecological complaints that are associated with psychological disorders. There is increasing evidence for the neuroprotective properties of curcumin, a polyphenolic natural product. This study aimed to assess the effects of curcumin on sleep complications in women with premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea.

This triple-masked, placebo-controlled clinical trial comprised 124 patients with both premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea. Participants were randomly assigned to curcumin (n=57) or control (n=60) groups. Each participant received one capsule containing either 500 mg of curcumin plus piperine or placebo, daily, from 7 days before until 3 days after menstruation for three consecutive menstrual cycles. Insomnia and sleepiness were assessed using standard questionnaires.

Scores for insomnia and daytime sleepiness were directly correlated with the Premenstrual Syndrome Screening Tool (PSST) score (p<0.05), but not with the visual analogue scale (VAS) score at baseline (p>0.05). There was a non-significant reduction in insomnia and sleepiness scores in both curcumin and placebo groups after the study intervention. Whilst, improvement rate of insomnia status, daytime sleepiness severity, short sleep duration and difficult sleep initiation was not statistically significant between the curcumin and placebo groups.

Curcumin does not significantly affect sleep disorders in young women with premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea.

Opium has been used for thousands of years for medical and analgesic purposes, and its misuse has also increased in recent years. Methadone, a synthetic opioid, has been used as an analgesic and to help patients quit opium addiction. However, some evidence suggests that long-term use of opioids can affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

We aimed to evaluate the serum cortisol level and response to the cosyntropin stimulation test in opium addicts on methadone treatment.

The study was conducted in November 2019 at Imam Reza Hospital Rehab Center, Birjand, Iran. Thirty-eight methadonetreated opium addicts participated in the study. A blood sample was initially obtained, then 250 g intramuscular cosyntropin was injected. After 30 and 60 minutes, two other blood samples were obtained. The data were analyzed using SPSS.

There was a significant difference between serum cortisol levels and the normal value in methadone users (9.46 ± 5.42 vs. 14 g/dL) (P < 0.001). The mean response to the cosyntropin stimulation test in methadone users was 9.34 ± 8.11 g/dL. Also, 55% of the participants had adrenal insufficiency.

Serum cortisol levels significantly differed from normal values in methadone-treated patients. Therefore, we recommend measuring serum cortisol levels in methadone-treated patients before major medical procedures to consider the stress doses of corticosteroids.

Pentavalent antimonial has been a drug of choice against leishmaniasis, despite the emergence of treatment failure. Identification of resistance markers is urgently needed to design new therapeutic strategies. Iron-Superoxide dismutases (Fe-SODs) are antioxidant enzymes contributing to detoxify reactive oxygen species to prevent a cell from oxidative stress. Since antimonial compounds induce oxidative stress, in this survey, the expression of SOD genes was investigated to identify their expression pattern in clinical resistant isolates.

This cross-sectional survey was done in Mashhad City, northeast of Iran during 2014 to 2019. The RNA expression level of mitochondrial (SODA) and glycosomal (SODB) superoxide dismutase was investigated in 25 antimony responsive (n=15) and unresponsive (n=10) anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) patients. Total RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis, the qRT-PCR approach was utilized to investigate the relative RNA expression level.

The transcript level of SODs was over-expressed in the most resistant isolates. Gene expression analysis demonstrated the over-expression of SODA and B by a factor of 3.8 and 4.81, respectively, in resistance isolates vs. sensitive ones.

Aberrant expression of SODA/B in unresponsive parasites could potentially implicate in detoxifying antimony-induced oxidative stress. Moreover, SODs might be considered as potential predictive markers of the response to antimonials in ACL patients in endemic areas.

Medicine is not only a biological science, but also includes the art of dealing with human and spiritual dimensions. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the views of medical education professionals and students regarding the integration of art in the medical science curriculum.
In this multi-method research, 22 prominent experts in the field of education and 35 medical education students participated. The research tool was a researcher-made questionnaire with seven questions about the need to combine art in medical education, which was done simultaneously with quantitative study, qualitative study and data analysis. Quantitative study method was used descriptively-analytically and content analysis was used in the qualitative part .The face validity and content of the instrument were confirmed by professors and its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α = 0.832).
Basically, 100% of the experts and 80% of the medical students agreed with the integration of art in medical education. They also acknowledged that it does not officially exist in the country's universities and it is necessary to include in the medical curriculum. Also, art has many applications in medical education, including improving teaching and learning, promoting creativity and emotions, keeping content in mind, applied learning, and fostering critical and creative thinking.
The results emphasized the integration of art in the medical curriculum as well as the use of art-based teaching-learning in medical sciences. But it is better to be in such a way that does not impose more educational burden on students.

 The start of menstruation is an important event in female puberty, but there are several health related problems that may be associated with its occurrence. Our goal was to estimate the frequency of menstrual problems and determine the factors related with them in adolescents.

Girls were recruited from the Mashhad and Sabzevar regions in northeastern Iran. Adolescent girls who had attained menarche were administrated to complete a self–reported questionnaire containing items about menstrual pattern and premenstrual symptoms. Descriptive and categorical data were analyzed for statistical significance using t-tests and chi-square tests.

Eight hundred and ninety seven girls (mean age 14.0±1.3 years) ranging in age from 10 to 19 years were recruited. The mean age of menarche was 12.57±1.19 years for the girls recruited in Sabzevar vs 12.68±1.23 years in group from Mashhad (P <0.05). Dysmenorrhea was observed in 617 (68.8%) of participants and irregular cycle was found in 168 (18.7%) of cases. Also, 47.6% of participants had premenstrual syndrome (PMS) which was significantly associated with dysmenorrhea (P<0.05). Backache (60%) and tendency to cry easily (31.8%) were common premenstrual disorders among participants. 21% had delayed menarche and 2.1% suffered from menorrhagia. The prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea and obesity in girls with early menarche was significantly higher compared to those with delayed menarche (P<0.05).

 Menstrual disorders affect a large percentage of Iranian girls. More than half of participants experienced dysmenorrhea that often required medical treatment.

Allergic disorders are common health problems worldwide with significant socio-economic impacts. The best diagnostic method using allergenic extract is the skin prick test. Regarding the effects of geo-climatic factors and allergenic extract source material quality, the aim of study was to determine the safety and efficacy of some in-house-developed allergenic extracts.

Forty-five different allergenic extracts, including common regional pollen, foods, and dog and cat hair, as well as positive and negative extracts, were prepared from domestic sources using optimum extraction methods. All extracts passed stability and sterility testing, and sterile final products containing 50% glycerin in 10 and 20 w/v concentrations were used. Skin prick testing was performed on volunteers and immediate or late side effects were recorded.

In total, 56 students (mean age: 21.2±2.3y, M/F ratio: 1.07) participated in this study. For inhalant allergens, all extracts except dog hair extract caused positive responses. Salsola kali (Russian thistle) and Fraxinus velutina (ash tree) were the most common grass and tree pollen extracts, respectively. Of 18 different food extracts, five, including egg white, tomato, fig, melon, and green pepper caused skin reactivity in only one person. No participant reported any immediate or late side effects, including large local reaction or systemic response.

The result of the current study confirmed the safety of all our in-house-developed allergenic extracts. Regarding efficacy, almost all inhalant and five food allergens caused positive skin responses.

Vitamin D may affect the modulation of signaling pathways in the central nervous system. We aimed to evaluate the effect of high-dose vitamin D supplementation on neuropsychological functions in female adolescents. 

We studied the effects of 9 weeks of vitamin D supplementation (50000 IU vitamin D3 [cholecalciferol]/week) on cognitive abilities and sleep disorders in 940 adolescent girls. 

Oral vitamin D supplementation improved cognitive abilities, including memory, inhibitory control, selective attention, decision making, planning, sustained attention, and cognitive flexibility in healthy adolescent girls (P<0.001). The prevalence of subjects with insomnia after intervention fell from 15.0% to 11.3%. Similar results were also found for the prevalence of sleepiness (15.6% reduced to 14.7%), or cases with both insomnia and sleepiness (8.0% reduced to 6.1%; P<0.05). 

High dose of vitamin D can improve cognitive abilities and alleviate insomnia and daytime sleepiness in adolescent girls. Further investigations are required on different population groups (age and gender) to determine the sustainability of these effects. The value of vitamin D therapy in other neurological disorders would also be of research interest.

 Recently, the study of the impact of art on human performance has attracted many researchers. Also, art can improve academic performance and personal growth of medical graduates. At the same time, little attention has been paid to the role of art in medical education. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of art in medical education from the viewpoint of Birjand University of Medical Sciences students, and to analyze the studentschr('39') practical approach to using art and their different attitudes about the successful and effective impact of the art on education.

 Material & methods:

 The descriptive-analytical research was performed on Birjand University of Medical Sciences students in 2018-2019. Valid and reliable questionnaires were made available to students electronically (mobile application). 

 Totally, 101 students including 38 male students and 63 female students were included in the study. The results showed that 27% of students were pursuing a particular artistic discipline. Over 80% of students were engaged in artistic activity while studying, in this issue the music was introduced as the most effective art. The students also agreed to integration of art in the curriculum and its infrastructure development. 

  taking advantage of the arts to learn is part of the studentschr('39') daily schedule; yet no formal action has been taken. On the other hand, medical humanities as the basis of the art integration in medical education require serious introduction and practical attention

Viral infections are a public health problem.

We would like to evaluate the seroprevalence of hepatitis B, C, and human immunodeficiency virus infections (HIV) in a large sample of the Afghanistan population in Kabul.

In total, 196516 Afghani citizens went to Fateme-al-Zahra clinic to perform obligatory checkup for traveling to Iran. The serum samples were primarily checked by rapid tests for HBV, HCV, and HIV, and in case of positive results, a commercial ELISA kit used as the confirmatory test.

Out of 196516 participants, 153763(78%) were men and 42753 (22%) were women. The seroprevalence of HBV, HCV, and HIV infections was 1.23% (2430), 0.13% (265) and 0.018% (16), respectively. The prevalence of HCV and HIV was significantly higher in males than females (m/f: 0.097%/0.037% vs. m/f: 0.008%/0%, respectively; P < 0.05). The simultaneous co-infection of HBV-HCV and HBV-HIV was 0.004% and 0.0005 %, respectively.

This study showed a low prevalence of HBV, HCV, and HIV among the study group. Considering the selection bias, sensitivity, and specificity of rapid tests, the real prevalence expected to be quite higher. Proper strategies to improve the social awareness and implement preventive vaccination for HBV can decrease the incidence of these infections.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, and specifically in Iran. Generally, diabetes mellitus is the result of impaired glucose tolerance which together with dyslipidemia are considered as important risk factors of CVD. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between fasting serum glucose (FSG), lipid profile and CVD endpoints, and to establish an optimal FSG cut-off in the MASHAD cohort study after nearly 6 years of follow-up.

All the participants of MASHAD study were followed up for 6 years to determine their cardiovascular status. FSG, fasting lipids, and physical examinations were all recorded. To identify the optimal cut- off point of FSG, we carried out receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis

We determined MASHAD cutoff point of blood glucose as 90 mg/dl predicting the CVD outcome. The sensitivity and specificity of the FSG criterion were 54.34% and 71.68%, respectively. The AUC was 0.665 (95% CI 0.656-0.675, P< 0.0001). The adjusted hazard ratio show that FSG is associated with 2.34 increase in CVD risk using MASHAD cutoff point (HR 2.34, 95% 1.73–3.17, P< 0.001).

These findings suggest that not only FSG and lipid profile are related to CVD outcome in the MASHAD study, but also elevated fasting glucose levels is strongly associated with cardiovascular events in this population. Besides, the fasting glucose at a threshold of 90 mg/dl can be used for screening cardiovascular events among the Iranian population.

Functional dyspepsia is a common chronic digestive disorder. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy and anti‑anxiety medication in patients with functional dyspepsia.

The present study was a randomized, controlled clinical trial with sixty patients who were suffering from functional dyspepsia that identified by the ROME III criteria. Patients were divided into three groups by using pre‑ and posttest design, including Group A (dialectal treatment and pantoprazole), Group B (anxiolytic drug treatment and pantoprazole), and Group C (no intervention, only pantoprazole were used). The Beck Anxiety Inventory and the patient assessment of Gastrointestinal Symptom Severity Index Questionnaire were completed by the patients after receiving the written consent. Finally, the data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 20.

There was a significant improvement in the severity of dyspepsia after intervention in all three groups. The greatest decrease in the severity of functional dyspepsia was observed in the dialectical behavioral therapy group as compared to the other groups (Group A: −15.4 ± 6.61, Group B: −3.85 ± 2.77, and Group C: −7.8 ± 4.02; P = 0.001). Furthermore, the Beck Anxiety Inventory scores were statistically significantly improved in all three groups (Group A: −5.75 ± 2.53, Group B: −7.3 ± 3.19, and Group C: −2.60 ± 1.5; P = 0.001). There was a positive correlation between the change in dyspepsia score and change in anxiety score across different intervention groups (r = 0.55; P < 0.001).

Dialectical behavioral therapy can be effective in reducing anxiety and improving the dyspepsia symptoms in patients with functional dyspepsia compared to anti‑anxiety medication or conventional therapy. Therefore, communication between the physicians and psychologists and psychiatrists can have positive effects on the treatment of these patients.

Advancement in science and technology is one of the axioms of the general policies stated by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Along with the Development and Innovation Program in Medical Education, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, as one of the country’s higher education institutions in healthcare, has identified its peculiar potentials for the position of scientific authority in the 9th macro-region.

This descriptive study built on the scientific hegemony model to collect data. The scientific activity of the faculty members was determined based on the number of published articles, citations received, and the faculties’ H-index. Subsequently, the faculty members of Birjand University of Medical Sciences with an H-index of 10 or higher in their respective specialty were compared with their counterparts on both national and macro-regional scales in terms of the H-index. The source of data extraction was the Ministry of Health scientometrics system available on the website isid.research.ac.ir.

At the macroregional level, Birjand University of Medical Sciences has attained the highest H-index in the five specialties of clinical toxicology, infectious diseases, molecular medicine, epidemiology, and parasitology. On the national scale, the university ranks among the 8 to 9-percent top universities in the fields of clinical toxicology and poisoning, infectious diseases, and molecular medicine.

In Birjand University of Medical Sciences, there is potential to assume scientific authority in clinical toxicology and poisoning, infectious diseases, and molecular medicine at the person level. The potential avails at the institutional level in case of support from officials. Given the less than ten years of tenure of the faculties and the currently desirable recruitment policies, the university is capable of turning into a scientific pole in one or more of these specialties in case the scientific staff are empowered further and organized into teams.

Hypertriglyceridemia is a common form of dyslipidemia and is associated with several comorbidities, such as increased risk of pancreatitis and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The white blood cell (WBC) count is a non-specific inflammatory marker associated with a wide variety of diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The objective of this study was to perform a gender-stratified examination of the association between hypertriglyceridemia and hematological parameters in a large sample of Iranian population. The triglyceride (TG) levels and hematological parameters were measured in 9,780 participants (40% males and 60% females) aged 35-65 years, enrolled in a population-based cohort (MASHAD) study in northeastern Iran. Participants were stratified into three groups based on the definition of hypertriglyceridemia: TG<150 mg/dl (n=6521), TG=150-199 mg/dl (n=1597), and TG≥200 mg/dl (n=1662). A complete blood count (CBC) was obtained for all the subjects. The mean WBC count increased with increasing severity of hypertriglyceridemia among both men and women. Participants with high and very high TG levels had significantly higher WBC count, RBC count, platelet count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration and significantly lower RDW. After performing multivariate logistic regression, WBC count and RDW were independently related to hypertriglyceridemia. In conclusion, hypertriglyceridemia is associated with elevated WBC count which may partly explain the observed association between hypertriglyceridemia and CVD.

Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) and Myeloproliferative Leukemia (MPL) mutations are confirmatory indicators for Myeloproliferative Neoplasm (MPN). The current study was performed to determine the frequency of MPL mutation in MPN patients without JAK2 mutation, in order to assign MPL mutation frequency in North-East of Iran. Total of 105 negative JAK2 cases including 5 Myeloproliferative Disorders (MPD), 15 Polycytemia Vera (PV) and 15 Essential Thrombocytosis (ET) who referred to Qaem Medical Center were assigned to this study. ARMS-PCR was carried out for measuring MPL mutations. A significant difference was observed between MPL mutant and non-mutant groups from overview of MPL mutation (P=0.00001). From the total studied population, 14.28% were ET cases and 4.71% of them had splenomegaly. About 66.66% had thrombocytosis and 33.33% of all the individuals had leukocytosis according to WHO criteria, and 4.76% of non-MPL mutant individuals had splenomegaly (P=1).
This mutation was reported in 4-6% of ET and PMF individuals. In this research, 4.76 % of studied individuals had MPL (W515L/K) mutation, which were diagnosed with ET. Generally, the presence of JAK2 and MPL mutations are the most important criteria for MPN diagnosis. The obtained frequency of MPL mutation was similar to previous studies. Despite the high frequency of JAK2 and Philadelphia abnormality, MPL mutation was rare in myeloprolifrative disorders. Further studies are suggested to investigate its prognostic effects for these diseases.

Legionella species are ubiquitous and naturally found in lakes, rivers, streams and hot springs, and other water resources. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Legionella species in water resources of Iran by a systematic review and meta-analysis. In search of papers relevant to the prevalence of Legionella in water resources of Iran, the scientific information database in both English and Persian languages was used. The search was limited to studies between the year 2000 and end of July 2016. Each cohort and cross-sectional study that reported the contamination of water with Legionella was included in the present study. For data analysis, comprehensive meta-analysis software with Cochran’s Q and I2 tests were used. P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. The prevalence of Legionella species in water resources of Iran was 27.3% (95% CI: 25.3-29.3). The prevalence of Legionella spp. in hospital water, dental settings water, and other water resources were 28.8% (95% CI: 26.4-31.2), 23.6% (95% CI: 16.1-33.2), and 29.6% (95% CI: 25.6-33.8), respectively. The most common Legionella species was L. pneumophila with a prevalence of 60.5% (95% CI: 53.3-67.2) and the prevalence of all other species was 52.5% (95% CI: 44.7-60.2). The highest prevalence was reported in Isfahan with 55.7% (95% CI: 48.0-63.0). Based on the results, the prevalence rate of Legionella species in water resources of Iran was high and the most common Legionella species was L. pneumophila.

KRAS mutations are reported in many types of cancers including pancreas, lung, colon, breast, and gastric (GC). High frequency of KRAS mutation is observed in the pancreas, colon, and lung cancers; they commonly arise in codon 12 and 13 of exon 2. Due to the lack of information about the frequency of KRAS mutations in the Northeast of Iran, the current study aimed at evaluating KRAS frequency in cases with GC in this region.
A total of120 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded blocks of patients with GC were assessed. The assays to detect KRAS in codon 12 and 13 were obtained through the peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-clamp.
Totally 87 male and 33 female patients were analyzed in the current study. The mean age of the subjects was 55 years. The most common tumoral fragment was located on the body with 48 cases (40%) and the less frequent was related to fondues with six cases (5%). Of the 120 GC samples, 16 (13.3%) cases had codon 12 KRAS mutation, and 16.7% had codon 13 mutations. There were no significant relationships between gender, age, and KRAS mutations in the studied specimens.
In conclusion, the overall frequency of KRAS codon 12 and 13 mutations in GC was 30% in the current study population. Frequency of KRAS codon 12 and 13 mutations had significant correlation with tumors location. Different pathogenic mechanisms are suggested for GC according to tumor location. The current study results may be an important diagnostic tool for physicians managing atrophic gastritis.

In spite of recent advances in therapeutic approaches, viral infection management continues to be a big challenge. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is considered an important cause of high morbidity and mortality in kidney transplantations. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the frequency and risk factors of CMV infection in kidney recipients during the first year following kidney transplantation in Mashhad, North Eastern Iran.
We retrospectively evaluated medical records of 247 patients undergoing kidney transplantation in Montaserie Organ Transplantation Hospital of Mashhad city during 2012 - 2015 .The patients were followed for 1-year. The data were reported by descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and viral infection associated risk factors were analyzed by Logistic regression.
Findings: During the first year following transplantation, 64 (21.9%) episodes of CMV infections were found. 28 episodes (51.8%) occurred in the first 3 months following the transplantation, 17 (31.5%) during the second 3 months, and 9 (16.7%) after the sixth month. Among the evaluated risk factors for CMV infection (gender, age, medical comorbidities and causes of renal failure), diabetes was the only statistically significant factor identified as a cause for comorbidity and renal failure, (P valueDiscussion & According to our results and conclusions, allograft kidney recipients were more sensitive to develop active CMV. Appropriate prophylaxis intake, vaccination for CMV and post-transplant viral monitoring are suggested to decrease the possibility of infections in kidney recipients.c

Nosocomial infections due to high mortality and economic cost are one of the most important challenges that hospitals face with it. Reports show that hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP) is the second most common nosocomial infection in some countries such as the United States.
The aim was to study the frequency and resistance pattern of Acinetobacter baumannii isolates against imipenem.
This cross-sectional study was conducted for 2 years on patients with nosocomial pneumonia caused by A. baumannii in 2 major university hospitals in Mashhad, Iran. After detection and identification, data regarding mortality, length of hospital stay, and treatment were collected. Furthermore, the pattern of antibiotic resistance was investigated in A. baumannii against imipenem.
In this study, among 700 patients with nosocomial pneumonia, 364 and 336 of those were male and female, respectively. All of these received imipenem. Of the total patients, 317 cases (45%) were resistant to imipenem. 84% of these patients were cured and the remaining 16% expired (P value = 0.001). A. baumannii resistance to the imipenem in both hospitals had an increasing rate. The resistance rate in the Ghaem hospital increased 96.6% at the end of the period compared to beginning of study (P value = 0.004). Also, a similar increase (94.7%) was observed in the Imam Reza hospital (P value = 0.003).
According to our results, excessive use of imipenem has been caused by antibiotic resistance, for this, the appropriate selective choice of antibiotics should be considered. At first, other antibiotics such as new generations of cephalosporins should be chosen for empirical treatment of A. baumannii.

Blood transfusion may induce some adverse effects on receivers. Some methods such as antibody screening and cross matching have been suggested to reduce the risk of transfusion complications. However, these methods require commercial antibody screening kits that may also need special equipment. The aim of this study was to introduce a new method for antibody screening that does not require a commercial kit, and could be used in any transfusion laboratory.

We examined 350 samples that contained alloantibody and 350 control samples without the antibody. A solution containing two O and one O- samples were used instead of screening cells.

Sensitivity and specificity of the method were 73.32% and 45.15%, respectively. Positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 58.33% and 63.88%, respectively.

Our new method can be used in basic hematology laboratories with some modifications.

The Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) gene is originally defined as a tumor suppressor gene and a transcription factor that overexpressed in leukemic cells. It is highly expressed in more than 80% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients, both in bone marrow (BM) and in peripheral blood (PB), and it is used as a powerful and independent marker of minimal residual disease (MRD);we have determined the expression levels of the WT1 by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR) in PB and BM in 126 newly diagnosed AML patients.
This study was done in molecular pathology and cancer research center from April 2014 to June 2015, RQ-PCR method was used to determine the WT1 gene expression in BM and/or PB samples from 126 patients of AML, we cloned both WT1 and ABL genes for creating a standard curve, and we calculate copy number of WT1 genes in patients.
A total of 126 AML patients consist of 70 males (55.6%) and 56 females (44.4%), with a median age of 26 years; 104 (81%) patients out of 126 show overexpression of WT1 gene. We also concomitant monitoring of fusion transcripts (PML RARa, AML1-ETO, MLL-MLL, CBFb-MYH11, or DEK-CAN) in our patients, the AML1-ETO group showing remarkably low levels of WT1 compared with other fusion transcript and the CBFB-MYH11 showing high levels of WT1.
We conclude that WT1 expression by RQ-PCR in AML patients may be employed as an independent tool to detect MRD in the majority of normal karyotype AML patients.

One of the main causes of adverse complications following kidney transplantation is urinary tract infection (UTI). This study was done to define the incidence rate, clinical profiles, causative microorganisms, and UTI risk factors among kidney transplant recipients in Mashhad city.
In this retrospective study, we perused medical files of 247 kidney recipients who underwent transplant surgery at Mashhad University Montaserie Hospital, during 2012–2014. All patients were followed for UTI during the 1st year after surgery.
75 episodes of UTI developed by 152 pathogens in 56 (22.7%) of patients during 1?year follow?up. 26.6% of total UTIs were diagnosed within the 1st month after transplantation. The most frequently isolated uropathogens were Escherichia coli (55.3%, n = 84). The high rate of candiduria (8.5%) was observed, too.
UTI is known as one of the hospitalization reasons in kidney transplantation recipients. Defining appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis against bacterial and fungal agents and early removal of urethral catheter are suggested to decrease posttransplantation complications.