mehdi hassani azad

 Previous studies have shown that smokeless tobacco (SLT) products have a high microbial load and may lead to various diseases. This study reviews microbial contamination (bacteria, fungi, and viruses) of SLT products.

 The literature search was carried out in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases in March and April 2024. Search results were limited to the English language. Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts, and full texts of the search results. For included studies, the data were extracted (year, country of the study, type of SLT, type of sampling, and microbial communities).

 About 50 bacterial species and 20 fungal species were observed in SLT products in previous studies. Among the bacterial agents, bacillus has the highest occurrence with 13 repetitions, followed by pseudomonas (9 repetitions). Furthermore, among the fungal agents, aspergillus has been repeated in 9 studies.

 Ensuring the processing, packaging, and storage of SLT products in hygienic conditions, as well as the implementation of strict rules to protect the health of users is strongly recommended.

This study aims to determine the effectiveness of yoga exercises in reducing perceived stress and improving the organizational resilience of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is a controlled randomized controlled trial. The study population consists of all nurses from the corona ward at Shahid Mohammadi Hospital in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran. Participants were 22 eligible nurses with the highest perceived stress scale (PSS) score who were randomly assigned to two groups of intervention (n=11) and control (n=11). The Connor-Davidson resilience scale was used to measure their organizational resilience before and after the intervention. Statistical analyses, including one-way analysis of variance and chi-square test, were conducted in SPSS software, version 20. The significance level was set at 0.05.

In the intervention group, the mean PSS score decreased and organizational resilience improved compared to the control group after yoga exercises. The difference between pre-test and post-test scores were significant (P<0.05). 

A four-week yoga intervention can significantly reduce perceived stress and improve the resilience in nurses. As an accessible and low-cost intervention, yoga can help improve the mental health of nurses and potentially increase the overall quality of health care.

Depression is a condition that is associated with severe suffering and major damage to the patient's general health, quality of life, and social and occupational activities, which in some cases may lead to suicide. Depression is one of the causes of disability in the world, which has brought a lot of care and economic burden. Since the burden of care and the economic burden of depression have been reported significantly, it is necessary to consider new ways to understand the heterogeneity of clinical phenotypes in depression. Therefore, this article presents a report to review neuropsychological immunological studies in depression.

Considering the extent of scientific research in this field, only English and Farsi articles with a neuropsychological immunological approach have been used in the time range between 2015 and 2024 and in PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases. The keywords used were Neuroinflammation, Inflammation, Depression, and psychoneuroimmunology.

By reviewing the research literature in the field of neuropsychological immunology of depression, this article examined the interaction of stress and the immune system in three levels: 1. Inflammation and depression, 2. Immunological pathways in depression, and 3. The interaction of psychoactive interventions and inflammation in depression.

Neuro-psychological immunological studies of depression or the study of the interrelationship between the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems widely resolve the scientific and research gap regarding the relationship between depression and the immune system. Due to the relative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for the treatment of chronic diseases, psychosocial interventions may be a suitable strategy to reduce the burden of disease and improve human health.

Hepatitis B is a common chronic viral infection in humans. Universal use of hepatitis B vaccine is crucial for controlling the infection, but the duration of vaccine-induced immunity remains uncertain. This study aimed to assess hepatitis B antibody levels (anti-HBs) after vaccination in infancy and adolescence, and explore the relation- ship between immunity levels and variables such as age, sex, BMI, place of birth, and duration since last vaccination among students at Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences from 2019 to 2021.

The study included 1134 students who completed a questionnaire and provided blood samples for ELISA-based measurement of antibody titers.

The findings revealed that 727 students (64.1%) had no protective antibody level (anti-HBs <10 mIU/ml), 299 (26.4%) had partial immunity (anti-HBs 10-100 mIU/ml), and 108 (9.5%) had complete immunity (anti-HBs >100 mIU/ml). No statistically significant relationships were observed between anti-HBs titer and age, sex, or BMI. However, antibody titer decreased with increasing time since last vaccination (P<0.001).

This study highlights the decline in antibody titer over time following primary vaccination. Sustained immunity against hepatitis B virus relies on antibody durability or robust immunological memory, suggesting the importance of timing booster vaccinations.

Asymptomatic malaria is a major challenge to be addressed in the implementation of the malaria elimina tion program. The main goal of the malaria surveillance system in the elimination phase is to identify reliably all the positive cases of malaria reliably (symptomatic and asymptomatic) in the shortest possible time. This study focused on the monitoring of asymptomatic malaria reservoirs in areas where local transmission had been previously established.

It was a case-study approach that was conducted in the Anarestan area. A total of 246 residents and immi grants living in the area at the age range of 4–60 years old were randomly selected to be tested for malaria by micro scope, RDT, and nested-PCR techniques. The inclusion criterion for participants to be entered into the study was the absence of specific symptoms of malaria. Moreover, participants who have been taking antimalarials for the last month were excluded from the study.

The results indicated no positive cases of asymptomatic malaria among the participants tested by all methods.

The results of this study have shown that, without concerns for asymptomatic parasitic patients, a malaria elimination program has been successfully implemented within the studies area. In addition, the findings emphasized the existence of a strong malaria surveillance system in this area.

The clinical characteristics of COVID-19 are diverse from a simple common cold symptom to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In the present study, we attempted to identify the associated factors in surviving COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) patients based on their clinical characteristics.
This retrospective study was performed on 114 laboratory‑confirmed COVID‑19 patients admitted to the intensive care units of Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Demographic, medical, clinical manifestations at admission time, and outcome data were obtained from the patient’s medical records.
Of 114 participants included in this study, 64.9% were men. Their mean age was approximately 54 years old, 69.3% of them died and 30.7% of them were discharged. The mortality rate was 2.96 times higher in people who had ARDS compared to their counterparts, 1.37 times higher in people under non-invasive ventilation, and 3.56 times higher in people under invasive mechanical ventilation.
Three common underlying diseases among them were hypertension in 34.2%, diabetes in 23.7%, and cardiovascular diseases in 17.5% of them. Alive and dead patients significantly differed only in the following laboratory tests: D-dimer, urea, troponin, Procalcitonin, and ferritin.
The mortality rate among COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU is generally high. Dyspnea, as the initial presentation and comorbidity, especially hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, may be associated with a higher risk of developing severe disease and consequent mortality. Therefore, D-dimer, urea, troponin, Procalcitonin, and ferritin at the time of hospital admission could predict the severity of the disease and its probable mortality.

Believers in the existence of meaning for the concept of life can be divided into two groups: those who believe in the meaning of life and those who believe in creating meaning for the concept of life. Those who believe in the meaningfulness of life consider an inherent and hidden meaning for life that must be discovered. But those who believe in making meaning of life, deny the existence of an inherent meaning for life and believe in making meaning. This research is descriptive and with a deep analysis of the content, tries to provide a systematic explanation of the impact and impression relationship between the epidemic of Covid-19 and the problem of the meaning of life. The most important problem is human's encounter with existential suffering. That man can or cannot justify his/her suffering based on his/her intellectual foundations. If he/she is unable to justify why he/she is suffering, then non-existent and non-essential (Mahovi) sufferings are created, which causes the crisis of the meaning of life. It has become difficult for modern man to accept why he is suffering in the covid-19 pandemic, because he/she has become extremely dependent on humanism and scientism and also the role of God has been removed or weakened for him. God in modern human thought, either does not exist or if He does exist, cannot be a human support. Non-essential (Mahovi) sufferings such as the feeling of loneliness and helplessness or the feeling of emptiness and worthlessness of the values, created by scientism or humanism, cause the crisis of the meaninglessness of life and despair in creating meaning for life.

 The harmful effects of smoking on women’s bodies have been proven. One of these effects is an increase in sexually transmitted diseases, including Trichomonas vaginalis infection. Smoking is one of the main risk factors for infections in the respiratory, digestive, and reproductive systems in humans. Mechanisms of susceptibility to infection in smokers may involve changes in the host’s structural, functional, and immunological defenses. T. vaginalis infection is one of the non-viral sexually transmitted diseases and the most common curable sexually transmitted infection in the world, which can increase the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease and HIV transmission. This infection is still relatively common, especially in women who smoke and in groups with lower socioeconomic status. We aimed to present a compressive review of the probability of being infected with T. vaginalis in smokers compared to non-smokers.

 PubMed and Google databases were searched for research articles related to smoking and its association with T. vaginalis infection.

 The smoking status of the person is an independent risk factor for T. vaginalis infection and leads to an increased likelihood of developing this infection.

 Finally, the results of various studies showed that the prevalence of T. vaginalis infection is higher in smokers than in non-smokers.

Today, various drugs have been investigated as the primary or complementary treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has been used as a mucolytic in pulmonary diseases. This drug apparently contributes to the retrieval of the intracellular antioxidant system.

This study aimed to determine the efficacy of NAC in severe COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).

This single-blinded randomized controlled phase III clinical trial included 40 patients with confirmed COVID-19 (based on polymerase chain reaction) admitted to the Shahid Mohammadi Hospital’s ICU, Bandar Abbas, Iran, in 2020. All cases had severe COVID-19. They were allocated randomly to two equal groups. Patients in the control group received standard drug therapy based on the treatment protocol of the national COVID-19 committee, while those in the NAC group received a single dose of intravenous NAC (300 mg/kg) upon admission to the ICU in addition to standard drug treatment. Clinical status and laboratory tests were done on admission to the ICU and then 14 days later or at discharge without knowing the patient grouping.

The two groups were comparable regarding age, gender, and other baseline laboratory and clinical parameters. At the final evaluation, respiratory rate (21.25 ± 4.67 vs. 27.37 ± 6.99 /min) and D-dimer (186.37 ± 410.23 vs. 1339.04 ± 2183.87 ng/mL) were significantly lower in the NAC group (P = 0.004 and P = 0.030, respectively). Also, a lower percentage of patients in the NAC group had lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) ≤ 245 U/L (0% vs. 25%, P = 0.047). Although the length of ward and ICU stay was shorter in the NAC group than in controls, the difference was statistically insignificant (P = 0.598 and P = 0.629, respectively). Mortality, on the other hand, was 75% in the control group and 50% in the NAC group, with no statistically significant difference (P = 0.102). Concerning the change in the study parameters, only the decrease in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was significantly higher with NAC (P = 0.042). The intubation and mechanical ventilation rates were higher, while oxygen with mask and nasal oxygen rates were lower with NAC, but the difference was statistically insignificant.

Based on the current research, NAC is related to a significant decrease in RR, D-dimer, and DBP in severe COVID-19. Also, LDH was significantly lower in the NAC group than in the controls. More research with larger sample sizes is needed to validate the current study results.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza viruses produce a wide range of clinical disease severity, which varies from asymptomatic infection to death. The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei, China, followed a seasonal influenza pandemic. The prevalence of influenza has changed since the outbreak of COVID-19. In this study, we have compared the prevalence of influenza and COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic. Clinical symptoms were also assessed among patients.

The present study was conducted in a single center on 229456 patients with the SARS in Hormozgan province, Iran, during 2019-2021 before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical features including age, sex, fever, cough, shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, headache, body aches, and diarrhea were also analyzed.

The results indicated that out of a total of 229456 samples of patients, 71142 (31.00%) and 527 (.22%) cases were diagnosed with positive COVID-19 and positive influenza, respectively. Influenza activity decreased in March 2020 and remained low until September 2021, but it increased to near pre-pandemic seasonal levels since October 2021. The outbreak of influenza decreased by starting the restrictions and health protocols. Furthermore, the analysis of patients’ symptoms indicated that the most prevalent symptoms in influenza patients were fever, cough, and body pain, while the symptoms in COVID-19 patients were cough and headache.

Social restrictions and adherence to health protocols could significantly reduce the incidence of seasonal influenza even after controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. Influenza and COVID-19 have similar symptoms in patients, so diagnostic tests are necessary for proper diagnosis and management

Erythropoietin plays a significant role in the growth of red blood cells, hemoglobin levels, and tissue oxygenation in critically ill patients, as well as anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of recombinant erythropoietin on improving COVID-19 patients.

This study was conducted on 20 COVID-19 participants with hemoglobin of ≥ 9. The inclusion criteria was at least one severe COVID-19 symptom/sign in this interventional study. The primary outcome was a combination of hospital stay length and paraclinical evaluation (LDH and hemoglobin level). The outcomes and side effects were evaluated on day 0 (before the intervention) and five (post-intervention).

The mean hemoglobin level was 10 ± 1.1 gr/dL in the intervention group and 8 ± 0.7 gr/dL in the control group posttreatment, indicating a significant difference between the groups (P = 0.04). The mean hospital stay length (6 ± 2 days) in the intervention group was significantly less than the control group (9 ± 4 days) (P = 0.001). At the end of the treatment, the mean LDH was significantly lower in the intervention group (503 ± 264 µ/L) than in the control group (725 ± 320 µ/L; P = 0.017).

According to the results, this study provides the first solid evidence for the positive effects of recombinant erythropoietin on COVID-19.

Smoking is a well-known major risk factor for respiratory tract and other systemic infections. The World Health Organization estimates that between 2000 and 2025, about 9% of deaths will be caused by tobacco use, and more than half of all smokers die from smoking-related diseases. Smoking can damage almost all organs of the human body and is a major risk factor for respiratory infections and other infectious diseases. Smoking can increase the risk of respiratory infections through various mechanisms, which include changes in the structural, functional, and immune defenses of the host. Smoking is one of the most serious public health problems in the world. Promoting smoking cessation is the most practical and economical preventive measure to reduce the severity of tobacco-related infections. In this study, we investigated the role of smoking in increasing the risk of bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic infections. We also evaluated various mechanisms by which smoking increases the risk of tobacco-related infections.

COVID-19, an acute respiratory disease caused and transmitted by SARS-COV-2 virus, has turned into a major global concern since 2019. In severe cases, the elevated levels of immune cells cause inappropriate responses. To date, no medications have been approved for COVID-19.

The present retrospective cohort study was designed and conducted in Shahid Mohammadi Hospital, Bandar Abbas, Iran, in 2020. Eligible patients with confirmed COVID-19 based on PCR test were included (n = 200) and allocated to two groups to receive interferon β1-a (IFNβ1-a) either in the first or in the second week of treatment (IFN week 1 and IFN week 2 groups, respectively). The primary objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of IFNβ1-a administration in the first and the second week of treatment on patient mortality. The secondary objective was to investigate the difference between the two groups in terms of laboratory data and length of hospitalization. The data were analyzed using Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests.

The study population was divided into two equal groups. IFNw1 group received IFNβ1-a in the first week and IFNw2 group in the second week of treatment. The two groups matched in terms of baseline demographic data. The mortality rate was significantly lower in the IFNw1 group (13% vs. 18%; P-value = 0.01). At discharge, C-reactive protein (CRP) was clearly reduced in the IFNw1 group compared to the IFNw2 group (15 ± 12 vs. 24 ± 16; P-value = 0.02), but other lab variables did not show a significant difference between the two groups.

There was a relationship between IFNβ1-a administration time and the trend of recovery in patients with moderate COVID-19. Administration of IFNβ1-a in the first days of treatment can reduce inflammatory factors and mortality rates in these patients.

COVID-19 is a viral respiratory disease caused by SARS-COV-2, which affects the lower respiratory tract, and causes pneumonia in patients. The disease rapidly spread around the world after the outbreak in late 2019, and became one of the challenges of health care systems. Older adults and patients with underlying diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and diabetes are at a higher risk for COVID-19, and need more care. Due to its prevalence in older adults and normal population, diabetes is important in terms of putting a burden on intensive care systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. Diabetes is also one of the most common comorbidities in patients with COVID-19, which is considered a risk factor for these patients. In addition, the association between diabetes and respiratory distress syndrome is not yet fully understood. Some studies have suggested that diabetes is not associated with respiratory distress syndrome while some others suggest that pulmonary dysfunction follows diabetes. It is also unclear what factors are associated with disease prognosis and mortality in COVID-19 patients with diabetes. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the status of demographic factors, comorbidities, lifestyle and laboratory results in diabetic patients with COVID-19, and compare them with the non-diabetic population and determine the prognostic factors in diabetic patients with COVID-19.

This study is a cross-sectional study performed on 415 patients with COVID-19 in the COVID-19 ward of Shahid Mohammadi Hospital of Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences from February to September 2020. Based on their diabetes, these patients were divided into diabetic and non-diabetic groups. Then, data on demographic factors, smoking, opioids and alcohol consumption, comorbidities (chronic lung disease, asthma, obesity, chronic kidney disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia, malnutrition, chronic neurological disease, rheumatic disease, hypertension, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, favism, hyperlipidemia, and malignant neoplasms), some personal lifestyle features were determined in diabetic patients and compared with non-diabetic populations. Also, the information on biochemical variables, including hemoglobin, white blood cells, lymphocyte, neutrophils, hematocrit, platelets, prothrombin time, alanine aminotransferase, bilirubin, aspartate transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, blood glucose, sodium, potassium, C reactive protein were measured patients of the two groups. Also, heart rate, respiratory rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, temperature, and oxygen saturation were determined in diabetic and non-diabetic patients.Quantitative variables were described by number (n) and percentage (٪). Qualitative variables were described using mean and standard deviation (SD), median and interquartile range (IQR). The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to assess the normality of quantitative variables. Independent t-test or Man-Whitney U test, and Chi-square or Fisher's exact tests were used to compare variables. In all statistical analyses, a p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Statistical analysis was performed by IBM SPSS version 22 (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA).

The findings of our study showed that in the diabetic patients’ group 82 patients (41.2%) and in the non-diabetic population 135 patients (55.32 %) were men. In the diabetic group, the mean age of recovered patients was 58.52 years and the mean age of those in the deceased was 57.73 years, which was not statistically significant. In the non-diabetic group, the mean age of patients recovered was 47.98 years and the mean age of those in the deceased was 62.58 years, which was statistically significant (p <0.001). In the diabetic population, 773 patients (42.69 %) and in the non-diabetic population, 132 patients (54.09 %) had positive PCR. In the diabetic population, 18 patients (10.59 %) and in the non-diabetic population, 10 patients (4.09 %) had chronic kidney disease. In the diabetic population, 11 patients (6.43 %) and in the non-diabetic population, 13 patients (5.32 %) smoked. In the population of diabetic patients, the mean level of hemoglobin (P = 0.002) and lymphocyte count (P = 0.043) in the living cases were significantly lower than those in the deceased. The mean levels of neutrophils (P = 0.012), aspartate transaminase (P = 0.020), lactate dehydrogenase (P = 0.041), blood urea nitrogen (P = 0.003), and creatinine (P = 0.011) in the diabetic population were significantly higher in the living cases than those in the deceased, but the comparison of these cases in the non-diabetic population did not show a significant difference.In diabetic patients, there was a significant difference between the number of survival and death in each group of positive and negative PCR (P = 0.011); While the difference in mortality and survival between PCR positive and negative groups in non-diabetic subjects was not significant. In diabetic patients, a significant difference was also reported between the number of survival and death in groups with CKD and without CKD; while in non-diabetic participants there was no significant difference between CKD and non-CKD groups in terms of survival and death. Corticosteroid treatment also significantly led to a difference in the number of survival and death cases among the diabetic population, but a comparison of these cases in the non-diabetic population did not show a significant difference.In the group of diabetic patients, respiration rate (number of breaths per minute) was significantly lower among the living cases compared to those in the deceased (P < 0.05), while our findings in this regard did not show a significant difference in non-diabetic individuals. Also, in diabetic patients, the amount of oxygen saturation was significantly higher among the living cases than those in the deceased (P < 0.05), in which case the same results were observed in non-diabetic patients (P < 0.05).

In this study, the mortality rate in diabetic patients was significantly associated with lymphopenia, elevated aspartate transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine compared to non-diabetic patients.  Our findings suggest that individuals with type 2 diabetes are more prone to complications of COVID-19 and its related mortality; therefore these patients need more medical attention in the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, considering that so far limited studies have focused on the possible differences in the complications of Covid-19 disease and its mortality in diabetic individuals compared to non-diabetic individuals, it is recommended that more studies with higher sample sizes in other populations be performed to confirm the results of the present study.

 As the first randomized clinical trial, this study evaluated the effect of Famotidine on the improvement of outcomes of hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

This phase III randomized clinical trial which was designed with two parallel arms, is a placebo-controlled, single-blind, and concealed allocation study, and recruited 20 patients (10 of them received Famotidine as treatment group and 10 received Placebo as control group). Oral Famotidine 160 mg four times a day was given to the COVID-19 patients until the discharge day or for a maximum of 14 days. Patients’ temperature, respiration rate, oxygen saturation, lung infiltration, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level, and complete blood count (CBC) were measured at the baseline (before the intervention) and on day 14 after the intervention or on discharge day. Length of stay in the hospital and length of stay in the ICU were also measured as secondary outcomes of the study.

The results showed a significant decrease in LDH (P=0.01), mean WBC (P=0.04) and length of stay (P=0.04) of patients with COVID-19 in the group treated with Famotidine compared to the control group. There was also a significant increase in oxygen saturation (P=0.01) in the group treated with Famotidine compared to the control group. Cough improvement was also higher in the oral Famotidine group compared to the control group (P=0.02).

This was the first clinical trial on the effect of Famotidine on the improvement of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, which indicated that high-dose Famotidine improves patients’ clinical signs and reduces the severity of the disease and duration of hospitalization.

Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) can cause many radiological manifestations on chest computed tomography (CT) scans. However, the occurrence of pneumomediastinum is rare in these patients. Accordingly, this study represents the rare cases encountered during the COVID-19 epidemic.

This study focuses on describing three patients who attended our medical center during the COVID-19 epidemic showing pneumomediastinum on chest CT scans. Patients’ COVID-19 was confirmed after positive polymerase chain reaction tests. Finally, two of them were expired despite the efforts of the medical team.

Overall, the results of this study suggest the occurrence of pneumomediastinum on the CT scans of patients as a possible finding of COVID-1

To promote mitigation strategies and public health response, this study aimed to evaluate the population-based seroprevalence of anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies in Hormozgan province.

The study was conducted within 10 districts of Hormozgan province with 1325 participants for three months by considering three-month successive follow-ups to evaluate the durability of humoral immunity. The participants completed the questionnaire, and blood samples were taken followed by immunoassay SARS-CoV-2 ELISA testing.

In general, 717 (54.1%) males and 596 (45.9%) females participated in this study. In phase one, 147 (11.1%) and 182 (14.7%) tested positive for immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG, respectively. Upon three months, 13.8% and 17.8% tested positive for IgG and at least for one of the antibodies. Based on the results, 606 (45.7%) cases reported no symptoms while 673 (50.8%) of them reflected at least one. Among 798 (60.2%) participants, the most common symptoms were headache (n = 244, 18.4%), sore throat (n = 186, 14.0%), weakness (n = 150, 11.3%), muscular pain (n = 139, 10.5%), and sputum cough (n = 134, 10.1%). The odds of the antibodies in females was 1.37 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.82, P = 0.03). In phase 2, 43 (5.3%) participants persisted positive for IgG while 559 (73%) tested negative for IgG. Finally, 20% of the suffered participants tested positive for IgG until nine months.

Although IgG antibodies decreased in the first six months, their titers persisted stable for nine months. It seems our population has not reached a desirable level of protection. It is stressed that mass vaccination is needed to prevent future epidemic waves.

This study aimed to investigate the demographic factors, comorbidities, and laboratory results of diabetic patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity.

This cross-sectional study enrolled 171 diabetic patients with COVID-19 admitted based on chest CT scan findings to the COVID-19 ward of Shahid Mohammadi Hospital in Hormozgan, Iran from 1 March to 1 June, 2020. Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test was performed, and the patients were divided into three groups (mild, moderate, and severe) based on the severity of disease. Then we investigated the demographic factors, comorbidities, and laboratory results of diabetic patients with severe COVID-19 severity.

Regarding comorbidities, there was no significant difference between the three groups. Moreover, there was a significantly lower lymphocyte count in the severe group compared to moderate and mild groups (P = 0.001). We showed the increase in blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine to be significantly associated with increased disease severity (P = 0.001 and P = 0.009, respectively). We also showed a significant difference in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels between different groups of patients (P = 0.002) with a higher level of AST in the severe group (P = 0.020). Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and troponin were also significantly associated with an increase in COVID-19 severity in patients with diabetes (P = 0.013 and P = 0.002, respectively).

There was a significant association between disease severity and BUN, creatinine, AST, LDH, and troponin levels in diabetic patients with COVID-19. There was no significant association between different groups regarding severity of disease and comorbidities.

There are few studies showing the association between vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19 severity and mortality. This study designed to investigate the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and the severity and mortality of COVID-19.

The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 48 COVID-19 patients with positive PCR test results. Patients were divided into three groups according to their serum 25-OH vitamin D3 levels: group 1 <20 ng/mL, group 2. 20-50 ng/mL, and group 3, ≥50 ng/ml. The relationship of the levels of vitamin D3, as well as the history of diabetes, hypertension, Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD), Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) ≤60 mL/min, LDH ≥500 U/L, and Lymphocyte count ≤1500 with the severity of the disease and its mortality were investigated.

A significant relationship was observed between vitamin D ≤20 ng/mL and the severity (P<0.001) and mortality (P=0.001, adjusted OR=2.4) of the disease in COVID-19 patients. It was also shown that GFR ≤60 mL/min (P=0.02, adjusted OR=3.6), IHD (P=0.04, adjusted OR=2.8), LDH ≥500 U/L (P=0.027, adjusted OR=1.8), and lymphocyte count ≤1500 (P=0.002, adjusted OR=2.2) significantly affected the mortality.

The present study showed a significant relationship between vitamin D deficiency and the severity of the disease and mortality in COVID-19 patients. These results suggest the need for appropriate health policies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is sparse information to describe the clinical features and outcomes of patients infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

In a single-center retrospective observational study, 50 patients infected with COVID-19 were studied. Epidemiological, demographic, clinical, laboratory, radiological, and treatment data were collected and analyzed. Outcomes of critically ill patients and noncritically ill patients were compared. 

The mean age of the patients was 48.8 years, with male predominance. Dry cough, fever, and dyspnea were the most complaining symptoms on admission. Chronic medical illnesses before admission were present in 56% of the patients. The most common laboratory abnormalities were lymphopenia, neutrophilia, thrombocytopenia, increased aspartate aminotransferase, high serum creatinine level, elevated lactate dehydrogenase, and increasing ESR and CRP levels. Bilateral mixed ground-glass opacity and consolidation were observed in chest CT scan of most patients. Some patients required supplemental oxygen and some needed invasive mechanical ventilation. Blood oxygen saturation was different between survivors and nonsurvivors. 10% of patients died, of whom 60% were men. 40% of dead cases had chronic medical illnesses; 60% underwent invasive mechanical ventilation.

Among the patients diagnosed with COVID-19 infection, the frequent clinical presentation was with a wide range of signs and symptoms. The laboratory changes suggest that COVID-19 infection may be related to cellular immune deficiency, myocardial, hepatic, and kidney injury. Additional research is needed to elucidate COVID-19 pathogenesis.

In Iran, hepatitis B vaccination has been routinely performed for infants since 1993. This vaccination has also been suggested for individuals at risk. Recently, with the birth of children in 1993 and later to the age of entry to the university, assuming they were vaccinated against hepatitis B at birth, the issue of tracking the immunity of these students has been obscured or neglected. Moreover, the entry of some individuals born before 1993 to the university who have not been immunized against this disease in childhood, has made this issue more complicated.

The aim of this study was to investigate Hepatitis B Vaccination Coverage, HBS-Ab level and its related factors among dentistry and medical students.

This study was a cross-sectional study performed through providing a checklist and serological tests. After obtaining written consent from the students, the information of 300 students were entered into SPSS software, version 16.0, and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests were used and P<0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

Of the 300 students, 55%, 28.7%, and 16.3% had weak, medium, and good HBS-Ab titer with rates of less than 10, 10 to 100, and more than 100, respectively, moreover, the mean HBS-Ab titer was significantly different between different immune groups (Weak, Medium, and Good) (P=0.000) (Write P<0.001 instead of P=0.000). Vaccination coverage was at a very low level so that only 6.3% of the subjects completed the hepatitis B vaccination in the past 1 to 5 years (when entering university). the mean HBS-Ab titer was significantly correlated with the time elapsed since the last vaccination (P<0.05) (It was better to write the exact P values). The immunity level among the married individuals and clinical students was significantly higher compared to the single individuals and preclinical students, respectively (P<0.05).

Considering the low level of vaccination coverage among the students of Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences (6.3%) compared with other universities, it is better to design a program that will allow all students enrolled in such fields to receive hepatitis B vaccination when entering the university

The surgical site infections (SSIs) associated with orthopedic surgeries are prevalent since the commonly used implantation techniques increase the risk of infection. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of SSI in patients with femoral shaft fracture (FSF).

This retrospective cross-sectional study was performed on patients with FSF referred to Shahid Mohammadi hospital of Bandar Abbas, Iran from 2012 to 2016 for open intramedullary nailing (IMN) of the femoral shaft. Data were entered into the SPSS software version 25.0 for statistical analysis.

Sixty-two individuals with the mean age of 26.95±1.19 years participated in the study, of whom 85.5% were male and 14.5% were female. Twelve patients (19.4%) had open fractures and 50 (80.6%) had closed FSFs. SSI was observed in eight cases, one of whom had deep SSI (osteomyelitis). Our results showed that SSI was not correlated with age or sex (P<0.05), but it was significantly correlated with the frequency of hospitalizations, fractures in other areas, and the type of fracture (open and closed) (P<0.05).

The overall prevalence of SSI was 12.9%, which was higher compared to previous studies. Humidity and warm weather can be major contributing factors to the high prevalence of post-operative infection in this treatment center; however, the conditions of the orthopedic operating room and facilities should also be considered.