navid omidifar

Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is the most prevalent cyanotic congenital heart defect. Pulmonary regurgitation (PR) is a common sequela following most surgical repairs for TOF. Tadalafil might reduce pulmonary vascular resistance after Tetralogy of Fallot total correction (TOFTC).

This study evaluated the efficacy of tadalafil in reducing PR volume and improving heart function among TOFTC children with severe PR, using transthoracic echocardiography, particularly focusing on changes in N-terminal pro-b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP).

The present study was conducted on TOFTC patients consecutively between September 2019 and August 2020 at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. M-mode and two-dimensional (2D) Doppler echocardiography were performed, and NT-proBNP levels were measured in 20 patients before and one month after tadalafil administration. SPSS version 23.0 was utilized to analyze all results.

The patients' ages ranged from 25 to 128 months. The mean age and weight of the patients were 67.9 ± 34.5 months and 21.1 ± 6.9 kg, respectively. Tadalafil administration did not significantly improve Doppler and tissue Doppler parameters; however, it increased the pulmonary valve pressure gradient and velocity-time integral. Additionally, tadalafil had no significant effect on improving NT-proBNP levels. The Spearman correlation test did not show any significant correlation between the pulmonary valve pressure gradient and velocity-time integral with age, weight, and NT-proBNP.

Tadalafil increased the pulmonary valve pressure gradient and velocity-time integral in TOFTC patients with severe PR; however, it did not affect NT-proBNP levels or tissue Doppler parameters.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) stands out as a significant contributor to congenital viral infections, exhibiting a prevalence ranging from 40% to 90%. Cytomegalovirus has different effects on people, such that it appears without symptoms in people with a healthy immune system, but it leads to severe symptoms in infants and those with a weak immune system. To comprehend the disease's societal prevalence, seroepidemiological investigations are imperative. This study aims to ascertain the serum prevalence of cytomegalovirus and explore potential correlations between age, sex, and the prevalence of CMV in patients attending Shahid Motahari Clinic in Shiraz

A cross-sectional descriptive study was undertaken on 2,469 individuals who assessed their cytomegalovirus antibody levels between March 2019 and February 2023 at Shahid Motahari clinic in Shiraz. The ELISA method was employed to evaluate CMV, and the obtained data were analyzed using SPSS version 19 software. Chi-square tests and Fisher's exact test were applied to examine the correlation between positive antibody results and age as well as gender.

Among the 2469 surveyed people, 658 people (26.65%) were men and 1811 people (73.35%) were women. Based on ELISA test, antibody titer was reported positive in 1157 people (46.9%), including 315 men and 842 women, and 1312 people (53.1%) had negative antibody titer. The highest number of positives is related to IgG, and in IgM, the test results are mostly negative. IgM prevalence showed no gender correlation but demonstrated a significant association with patient age. Meanwhile, IgG prevalence exhibited significant relationships with both age and gender

Considering that the city of Shiraz is considered as one of the centers of treatment in the country and a large number of patients from all parts of the country and even neighboring countries come to this city for treatment and especially for the purpose of organ transplantation; also with Considering the 46.9% prevalence of CMV infection in the region, it is recommended to use preventive methods such as vaccine and immunotherapy against CMV infection in patients

Bacterial infections are the leading cause of death in newborns. The growing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics is a major concern. In this study, we identified isolates from blood cultures in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a major referral hospital in Shiraz in southwest Iran and determined antibiotic resistance patterns.

All newborns admitted to the NICU were evaluated in a four-year study. The blood samples were cultured using a BACTEC system. From May 2015 to March 2020, 5937 blood culture samples were analyzed. The antibacterial sensitivity test was conducted using the disk diffusion method, following the guidelines of Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) 2018.

In this study, 507 isolates were obtained from 5937 specimens. The most commonly isolated gram-negative bacteria were Acinetobacter (8.7%), Escherichia coli (5.7%), Klebsiella (1.6%), Enterobacter (1.4%), and Pseudomonas (0.9%). Among the gram-positive bacteria, coagulase-positive staphylococci (51.1%), coagulase-negative staphylococci (15.4%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (10.2%), non-hemolytic streptococci (2.4%), alpha-hemolytic streptococci (1.4%), and Streptococcus pneumonia (1.3%) were the most frequently isolated bacteria. Of the 318 Staphylococcus aureus isolates, 88.5% were resistant to methicillin.

Staphylococcus, with a high frequency in the NICU, can be an alarm for medical centers. Also, in dead infants, the most observed bacterial infection was Acinetobacter infection, which requires the serious attention of the hospital infection control unit.

Coronavirus is a new virus that has affected human life on a large scale; it has infected millions of people and killed hundreds of thousands of people. In contrast, among cancers, stomach neoplasia is the most common cancer of the upper gastrointestinal (UGI) tract. COVID-19 disease has disrupted the optimal management of patients with cancer. Metastasis, deterioration of the patient’s nutritional status, UGI bleeding, and increased surgical complications are all consequences of delayed treatment of patients with gastric cancer. However, there is still insufficient evidence on the immunogenicity of the vaccine and the protection provided by coronavirus vaccines in patients with cancer, especially those with immunodeficiency or those who are treated for certain types of cancers. Also, as part of the prevention and control of COVID-19 disease, nutritional support for patients with gastrointestinal cancer is particularly important, and the psychological and physiological limitations caused by the disease duration are hurting the well-being of patients. Therefore, the assessment of the impact of the coronavirus on cancer should be treated as an important issue, and healthcare professionals should be prepared to deal with the long-term effects of the coronavirus disease.

The aggregation of clonal plasma cells causes plasma cell neoplasms, which vary in severity and clinical outcomes. The present research focused on the epidemiological, clinical, immunologic, and cytogenetic characteristics of plasma cell neoplasms.  In this five-year retrospective cross-sectional study, demographic information such as age and sex, calcium elevation, renal insufficiency, anemia, and bone lesion (CRAB) characteristics, as well as laboratory data including bone marrow and peripheral blood film results, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, and cytogenetic study outcomes were collected at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics software (version 20.0). Descriptive statistics were reported as numbers, percentages, and mean±SD. 417 newly diagnosed plasma cell neoplasm patients were confirmed by bone marrow or other tissue biopsy tests. 279 patients were men (66.9%). The most prevalent age group was 60-64 years old (18.46%). Plasma cell myeloma (PCM) affected 355 (85.13%) patients, while monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) affected 6 (1.43%) patients. Solitary plasmacytoma was seen in 56 (13.42%) patients. At the time of diagnosis, 119 (33.52%) of 355 PCM patients were asymptomatic, whereas 236 (66.47%) patients had at least one CRAB symptom, 55 (15.49%) had two or more, and 14 (3.94%) had three or more. There were 7 (1.97%) cases of amyloidosis. Cytogenetic abnormalities were found in 51.28% (40/78) of the patients. Twenty-one individuals (52.5%) were hyperdiploid with multiple trisomy, while 19 (47.50%) were not.  When diagnosed, Iranian PCM patients might have more advanced disease. PCM was more prevalent in young adults, and hyperdiploid was the most common cytogenetic finding in this investigation.

 Simvastatin, a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor, is a commonly used drug to reduce total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels. Furthermore, several mechanisms showed the wound-healing potential of statins, especially simvastatin. Simvastatin is a lipophilic drug, therefore, it has low water solubility with limited skin permeability potential. In this regard, nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) were recruited as novel topical drug delivery systems to enhance skin adhesion and film formation, maintain skin integrity, sustain the release of simvastatin, and prolong simvastatin skin deposition to help pressure ulcers healing and regeneration.

 NLCs were fabricated using the solvent diffusion evaporation technique. Drug loading, in vitro drug release, and morphological assessment on the optimized formulation were considered. Furthermore, in vivo effect of simvastatin-loaded NLCs gel on pressure ulcer healing was assessed using a rat skin model. Histopathological assessments were compared with conventional simvastatin gel and drug-free NLCs gel.

 Simvastatin-loaded NLC with an average diameter of 100 nm was considered as the optimum formulation. According to the results entrapment efficiency of simvastatin within the NLCs was about 99.4%. Drug release studies revealed sustained drug release from NLCs in which about 87% of the drug was slowly released during 48 hours. Animal study results confirmed that simvastatin-loaded NLCs gel has better efficacy on pressure ulcers and could significantly reduce inflammation, and promote skin regeneration compared to both drug-free NLCs and conventional simvastatin gels.

 Simvastatin-loaded NLCs with an average particle size of 100 nm would be a promising novel topical drug delivery system with sustained drug release potential for pressure ulcer treatment.

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) can have severe manifestations in adult patients with other liver diseases, particularly in those infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This study aimed to measure immunity against HAV in HIV-positive individuals to determine the necessity of vaccination against HAV in this population.

This cross-sectional study investigated 171 HIV-positive patients aged 18 years or older who were tested for serum IgG anti-viral hepatitis A antibody. The prevalence and its determinants were analyzed based on patient data.

The average age of the patients was 44.2 years old. The prevalence of HAV antibody positivity was 97.7%. The prevalence was higher in patients older than 30 years. There was a close association between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (P = 0.002). There were no significant correlations between antibody levels and sex, marital status, employment status, education level, economic status, smoking status, drug use status, and physical activity level. The mean and median CD4 + counts in patients with positive (reactive) antibody (Ab) levels were 458 and 404 ± 294, respectively, while the mean and median CD4 + counts in patients with non-reactive antibody levels were 806 and 737 ± 137, respectively, in those who tested negative for anti-HAV Ab (P = 0.05).

The prevalence of anti-hepatitis A IgG antibodies in people with HIV was very high in Shiraz. There is an increasing trend in the number of older patients and those with HCV infections. The negative association with CD4 was borderline in this study, which needs to be confirmed in larger groups.

The TSH reference range's validity affects the thyroid dysfunction diagnosis. The primary objective of this study is to determine the reference range, which is established according to age and region.

The data were collected retrospectively from people over the age of one who visited Motahari Clinic for routine health checkups between August 2017 and October 2019. TSH, T4, T3, personal drug usage, and thyroid history were collected. After excluding subjects with thyroid diseases and outliers, a list of 1392 participants was analyzed. Hormone intervals of men and women ≥1 year old have been determined using the non-parametric method.

The non-disease subjects' TSH, T3, and T4 reference ranges were 0.64 to 5.94 lU/mL, 0.91 to 2.47 ng/dL, and 5.53 to 12.48 g/dL, respectively. According to this range, total thyroid dysfunction prevalence in our study in children was 8.94%. There was no significant difference between TSH, T4 level, and sex in the non-disease population (P=0.46 and 0.13, respectively), but there was a statistical difference between sex and T3 (P =0.03). Our study also illustrates that for subjects under 18 years old and above it, hormones (TSH, T3, T4) concentration is statistically different (P≤0.001).

We found a statistical difference between hormone values after and before age 18 (P=≤0.01); therefore, it is not appropriate to use the same reference range for children under age 18 and adults. There was male dominance in the population 1-18 years old.

SARS-CoV-2 is a novel virus that caused the recent global pandemic. Health care workers (HCWs), especially hospital staff, are at a higher risk of infection by this virus than the general population. In this study, anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies were assessed in hospital workers.

This prospective seroconversion-based cohort study assessed chronic immunity against covid-19 in the staff of two hospitals, the main referral hospital and a general hospital in Shiraz, south of Iran. A valid and reliable checklist was filled out for each available staff member willing to participate in this study through a face-to-face interview. Furthermore, the titer of anti-covid-19 IgG was measured by ELISA twice; in July 2020 after the second wave of COVID-19 and in February 2021 after the third wave in IRAN.

One hundred forty (65%) of the 214 members who participated in both stages of this consideration were from the COVID-19 referral healing center, and 74 (35%) were from the common clinic. Twelve (5.6%) of staff members had anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies, including 10 (7.1%) from the referral healing center and 2 (2.7%) from the common healing center (P = 0.23). In the second measurement (second overview), 79 (36.9%) of members had IgG antibodies; 58 (41.4%) from the primary hospital and 21 (28.3%) from the second healing center (P = 0.039). Cruel of the IgG titer within the first study and the referral clinic was 0.8 ± 0.3 compared to 0.15 ± 0.42 within the common clinic (P = 0.001). These figures were 3.05 ± 4.58 and 1.74 ± 3.53 in both clinics and within the second overview separately (P = 0.003). IgG levels were significantly higher in the second overview compared to the first (P < 0.0001).

During the third wave of COVID-19, a significant proportion of hospital staff developed COVID-19 IgG, especially in the referral hospitals for COVID-19. As a result of their higher and chronic exposure to COVID-19 patients than the general hospital staff, the titer of IgG in the referral hospital staff was also higher. However, the seroconversion rate between the two waves was 1.8 times in the general hospital staff compared to the referral hospital, possibly due to less conservative precautions against covid-19 among them. Even after receiving the anti-covid-19 vaccination, it is important to monitor the immunity of hospital staff to covid-19 and to adhere strictly to standard precautions.

Fetal abortion is one of the critical and controversial issues in most societies’ scientific, social, and academic ceremonies due to known and unknown reasons. Furthermore, updating our knowledge about isolated bacteria, their antibiotic resistance pattern, and related factors is essential for designing and implementing appropriate interventions.

The current study was conducted to determine the prevalence of bacteria among fetal abortion cases and demonstrate the antimicrobial susceptibility among isolated bacteria.

For this, 153 blood samples were collected percutaneously from the heart blood of aborted fetuses 1 - 15 hours after birth; subsequently, the identification of bacteria and evaluation of antimicrobial susceptibility testing were performed.

Generally, 82 out of 153 test cultures were positive, comprising 66 and 26 Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, respectively. The most isolated bacteria among Gram-negative isolates were Acinetobacter spp. (34/82) and Escherichia coli (17/82). Likewise, the highest antibiotic resistance was detected for Acinetobacter spp. against cefixime, amikacin, gentamycin, and ciprofloxacin (24/34). On the other hand, Staphylococcus spp. was the predominant Gram-positive cocci (10/82). Also, the highest resistance for Staphylococcus spp. was against cefoxitin and ciprofloxacin (100%).

It seems more focus on following the general hygiene of pregnant mothers is essential. However, further evidence of a clinical correlation between aborted fetuses and their mothers is required.

Effusion in body cavities can be considered as the presentation of malignancy or inflammatory conditions. Pleural fluid cytology is a popular diagnostic tool for the differentiation of adenocarcinoma cells (AC) from reactive mesothelial cells (RMC). However, there are many sources of controversies and errors in this technique that should be addressed. This case-control study aimed to evaluate the use of immunohistochemistry markers, namely epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) and calretinin, on cell blocks to differentiate between RMC and AC in pleural effusions. Suspected malignant effusions were selected according to the clinical data and their equivocal cytological smears. A total of 80 samples corresponding to the fresh specimens sent from the Department of Internal Medicine to the Cytology Laboratory of Faghihi Hospital during Jan 2017-Feb 2018 comprised the case group. In addition, the control group entailed 80 non-malignant pleural samples with RMC. We observed that 74 (out of 80) effusion samples were strongly positive for EMA (92.5%). The sensitivity, specificity, and efficiency of the EMA marker were 92.5%, 95%, and 93.7%, respectively. The results of the calretinin assessment indicated 78 (out of 80) positive cases in the control group (97.5%). The sensitivity, specificity, and efficiency of calretinin staining were 97.5%, 98.7%, and 98.1%, respectively. According to the results of the current study, EMA and calretinin are two reliable markers with acceptable accuracy in differentiating between RMC and AC.

For a successful treatment process, the medical team members must be in good physical and mental condition. Pathologists are one of the main modern medicine members that should be consulted in all stages of the treatment procedure. Sixty‑six percent of clinical decisions are made based on in vitro diagnosis. Burnout is defined as chronic uncontrolled occupational stress. Burnout has a massive impact on patient safety, quality of treatment, and reduced patient satisfaction. Physician satisfaction with his job affects patient satisfaction and the quality of medical services provided. The most influential factors on quality of life were exercise and physical activity, having leisure time, and not smoking. In different aspects of lifestyle, physicians have scored lower on their physical activity index. One of the most critical pillars of human life is their religiosity. The presence of religious beliefs among physicians is strong. Workload and increased responsibilities are the most effective factors on pathologists’ stress. Pathology creates a bridge between basic sciences and clinical sciences. Therefore, promoting pathology education leads to training better physicians. The purpose of compiling this Narrative review is to clarify the issues raised in various aspects of pathologists’ lives and provide solutions to improve each of them. There are several solutions to the problems raised in this article: Increasing salaries, improving working conditions, creating a better view of pathologists by avoiding isolation and being more active and visible, and paying attention to medical education. We recommend that researchers review issues in other medical specialties to provide accurate and concise information to physicians and policymakers.

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent malignancies in women worldwide, and the rate of breast cancer is increasing among Iranian women. The purpose of this study is to determine the cost-effectiveness of intraoperative frozen section analysis in women with breast cancer. This study was a cost-effectiveness analysis, which was implemented as a cross-sectional study from a societal perspective. In this case, total direct and indirect costs were calculated, and the study outcome was involved in preventing reoperation. A data collection form has been used to collect the cost and effectiveness data. The sample size was comprised of all the patients referred to the hospitals of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences for breast cancer surgery in 2019. The patients were studied in two different groups, including individuals who received frozen counseling during surgery, and individuals who did not receive it. A one-way sensitivity analysis was performed for this case. Moreover, the Tree Age and Microsoft Excel Software were employed for analyzing processes. The results demonstrated that the mean costs of frozen and non-frozen patients were 4168$ and 3843$ purchasing power parity (PPP), respectively. In addition, the effectivenesses were 0.996 for the former and 0.8 for the latter. Furthermore, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was 1658.2 PPP$. This issue revealed that the frozen section procedure during surgery was more cost-effective than the other case. Because, the cost-effectiveness of this option was below the threshold. Besides, the one-way sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of the study results. The results showed that performing frozen sections during surgery in women with breast cancer was more cost-effective than ignoring them. Indeed, the frozen section can prevent the costs of subsequent reoperations.

Regional lymph node involvement is one of the main prognostic factors for breast cancer. Intraoperative assessment of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) by frozen section (FS) allows necessary axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) at the same time. But, false negative results are the main problems of the FS. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between non-technical factors and occurrence of false negative FS results in SLNB.

In this retrospective cross-sectional research, we studied the medical records of patients who underwent breast cancer surgery and SLNB in 2017-2018 in Shiraz Shahid Faghihi Hospital. FS and permanent pathology (standard method for examining pathology specimens) reports were compared to determine the rate of false negatives results.

We investigated 198 patients. The average size of breast mass was26.2 mm. Sensitivity, specificity and false negative rate were 80%, 98.4%, and 19.6%, respectively. Among the non-technical factors studied, including breast tumor diameter, type of pathology, micrometastasis, tumor grade, and lymphovascular involvement, there was a significant relationship between lymphovascular involvement and false negative results (P= 0.026).

The present study showed that false-negative results were significantly higher in mass with lymphovascular invasion.

Front‑line clinicians and health‑care workers need to be educated to provide care in critical situations such as large‑scale catastrophes and pandemics. This narrative review is focused on investigating educational strategies in confrontation with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) pandemic. We conducted a literature search in December 2020 through LitCovid, PubMed, ERIC, and Cochrane Library in order to retrieve relevant studies regarding the role of education in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID‑19. There were 12 reviewed studies related to this specific subject. The articles selected for this study demonstrated that education and training had a positive impact on the knowledge and attitude of the participants and also the educational interventions, whether they were simulation‑based or other formats of training, would be deemed crucial for enhancing participants’ level of perceptions and confidence. Therefore, it is highly recommended that public health policymakers consider this important issue.

The virus causing COVID-19 disease is known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease spread rapidly and was transmitted like a contagious disease throughout China, and then it gradually spread in other parts of the world. Accordingly, the rapid and accurate detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus plays an essential role in selecting timely treatments, saving lives, and preventing the spread of the disease. This study summarizes the methods used to identify coronavirus nucleic acid. The effectiveness of coronavirus nucleic acid detection kits by different samples and the performance of other diagnostic techniques are also addressed in this study. We searched Embase, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases as well as the references of all relevant articles in English published during 2019 - 2020 using keywords related to COVID-19, detection kits, and respiratory failure and proceedings from relevant conferences and congresses. The authors collected the relevant reports, and each of the authors independently reviewed the data published in different studies. The results of previous studies indicated that the diagnosis methods of the COVID-19 disease are the RT-PCR method, ELISA kits, quick tests, white blood cell count, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, other laboratory factors and antigenic detection methods. Given the sensitivity and specificity of these methods at different periods using different samples, the disease interpretation can be performed accurately. The findings showed that proper laboratory equipment and appropriate laboratory kits are necessary for the rapid and precise identification of COVID-19.

The outbreak of COVID-19 in China in late 2019 was an unprecedented catastrophe that also involvedmany other countries, including Iran. Concerning the danger of disease contagion, it is necessary to detect asymptomatic or mild cases, especially in hospital staff who are highly exposed to the disease.

In this serosurvey study, we aimed to estimate IgG seroprevalence among hospital staff in two public hospitals to determine local transmission and infection risk factors, as well as protective immunity among high-risk populations.

Screening was offered to the hospital staff of two public hospitals in Shiraz, Iran. Screening involved the measurement of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Besides, a checklist that consisted of questions about sociodemographic, occupational, and epidemiological characteristics was completed by the participants.

Among 494 participants in this study, 29 (5.8%) had anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG in their blood. Besides, 320 (64.8%) had at least one of the clinical symptoms within sixmonths before this survey. Among participants with positive PCR, nine (21.4%) had anti-SARS-CoV2 IgG, while this figure was seven (33.3%) for individuals with positive CT scans. Non-proper disposal of used protective equipment or infectious wastes (OR = 26.5), rotational daily work shifts (OR = 7.5), being anxious about getting COVID-19 (OR = 3.8), and age (OR = 1.06) were the significant determinants of having anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG in the hospital staff.

It is essential to continue training and giving technical consultations about COVID-19, especially the proper disposal of used protective equipment or infectious wastes in rotational daily shift workers

Pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic disease of the lungs caused by inflammation, species of reactive oxygen, and immune defects. Antioxidant properties of Nasturtium officinale has been reported in some studies. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to evaluate the effect of ethanolic extract of Nasturtium officinale (EENO) on bleomycin (BLM)-induced lung fibrosis in rats.

Forty adult male Wistar rats (180-220 g) were randomly divided into 5 experimental groups. Normal control, BLM control received a single dose of BLM (6 IU/kg) intratracheally only on the first day, EENO + BLM group received EENO (500 mg/kg) one week before intratracheal BLM instillation and two weeks afterward, BLM + EENO group and BML + vitamin E group received EENO (500 mg/kg) and vitamin E (500 mg/kg) half-hour after BLM installation, respectively. The animals were sacrificed on day 22. Change in body weight, lung index, serum level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) metabolite, lung tissue hydroxyproline content and lung pathology were assessed.

Pre- or post-treatment with EENO attenuated pulmonary fibrosis as evidenced by normalized lung index, improved histological changes and inhibited collagen deposition (hydroxyproline) in the animal lung. EENO also decreased MDA and NO metabolite release in comparison to the BLM control. vitamin E (500 mg/ kg) also significantly inhibited the BLM-induced lung toxicity.

EENO can prevent BLM-induced lung fibrosis in rats via antioxidant activities. However, more studies are needed to elicit the exact mechanism of this effect.

The aim of the current study was to investigate the antioxidative effect of metformin (MTF) on bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced hepatic disorder and histological damage in rats. The rats were divided into 4 groups including sham control (SC), BDL alone (BDL surgery), MTF1 (BDL surgery and administration of 250 mg/kg of MFM) and MTF2 (BDL surgery and administration of 500 mg/kg of MTF). After BDL, the animals treated with MTF by gavage for 10 days. Hematoxylin and eosin staining, biochemical analysis and oxidative stress markers were assayed to determine histological alterations, liver functions, and oxidant/antioxidant status. Hepatotoxicity was verified by remarkable increase in plasma levels of aminotransferases and alkaline phosphatase activity and liver histology 10 days after the BDL surgery. Our finding showed that treatment with MTF markedly reduced plasma alkaline phosphatase and alleviated liver injury indices (P ≤ 0.05). Furthermore, BDL caused a considerable increase in the protein carbonyl and malondialdehyde content (P ≤ 0.05). However, MTF reduces oxidative stress by constraining the protein oxidation and lipid peroxidation, and increases antioxidant reserve by increasing the ferric reducing ability of plasma and reducing glutathione levels. MTF exerts antioxidative effects in the liver fibrosis and may represent a hepato-protective effect when given to rats with BDL-induced hepatic injury.

Hepatic sickness is a serious problem for human health. The researchers are interested in using medicinal plants including barberry to cure many of these sicknesses. In this study, the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Berberis vulgaris leaf on hepatic protection was assessed in rats.

Forty healthy male Wistar rats were divided randomly into five groups (n = 8): Group 1 (healthy control), intraperitoneal injection of olive oil; Group 2 (hepatotoxic control), intraperitoneal injection of carbon tetrachloride and daily gavage of distilled water; and testing groups, intraperitoneal injection of carbon tetrachloride along with daily gavage of B. vulgaris leaf extract 40, 80, and 120 mg/kg of weight, respectively. After 6 weeks, the following were checked: enzyme level of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), as well as serum level of total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), and histopathological status of the liver.

The level of AST, ALP, and ALT was increased to 109 (IU/L), 95(IU/L), and 71(IU/L), respectively, in hepatotoxic control group than healthy control group, and there was a decrease of 0.86 (g/dl) and 0.04 (g/dl) in TP and ALB levels, respectively. The B. vulgaris extract in every three doses caused a significant decrease in hepatic enzymes level. However, the TP had a significant increase in 80 and 120 mg/kg of body weight. Regarding ALB, there was no significant difference among these groups. The histopathological results were not conformed to biochemical findings.

Using the appropriate dose of B. vulgaris leaf extract can help the improvement of laboratory symptoms of fatty liver.

Thymoquinone (TQ) is the main active constituent of Nigella sativa seeds. The objective of this study was to explore the protective effects of TQ on diazinon (DZN)-induced liver toxicity in the mouse model. The animals were divided into five groups of 6 each and treated intraperitoneally. Group 1 received the vehicle, group 2 was given 16 mg/kg DZN, group 3 received 5 mg/kg TQ, and groups 4 and 5 were treated with 1.25 and 5 mg/kg of TQ as well as 16 mg/kg DZN, respectively. Finally, butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) serum activity as well as nitric oxide (NO), lipid peroxidation (LPO), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total thiol molecule (TTM), and histopathological experiments were evaluated in the liver samples. Our findings showed that DZN caused a significant increase in ALT (P < 0.01), AST (P < 0.001), ALP (P < 0.001) serum levels, LPO (P < 0.001) and NO (P < 0.001), the depletion of the TAC (P < 0.05) and TTM (P < 0.001), and structural changes in the liver tissue. Following TQ administration, a significant improvement was observed in the oxidative stress biomarkers in the liver tissue. In addition, our biochemical findings were correlated well to the histopathological examinations. In conclusion, the data from this study indicate that the administration of TQ may prevent liver damage by preventing free radical formation in animals exposed to DZN.

Teaching of clinical pathology to medical students has been ignored in many countries such as Iran. We aim to introduce a practical brief course and its proper timing.

Three groups of medical students from consecutive years of entrance passed a 1.5 working day practical course on the field. Their level of knowledge was assessed by pre‑ and post‑tests. Their idea and satisfaction were gathered by questionnaires.

Knowledge of students became significantly higher after the course. Their satisfaction was high. Students in later year of education got significantly higher marks. Most of the students wished such a course should be away from basic sciences period and as near as possible to internship.

Due to overloaded curriculum of general medicine in Iran, we decided to run a brief practical course of laboratory medicine education for medical students. Although the course was practical, the knowledge of students became higher. Students with more clinical experience and knowledge absorbed more. Being actively involved in the classes lit the enthusiasm of students and made them satisfied with the course. It seemed that the course should be placed in later years of clinical training to get the best uptake and results.

We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of hydroalcoholic extract of Quercus brantii’s nut on clinical, endoscopic, and pathological fi ndings of patients with dyspepsia.

In this randomized, double-blind clinical trial, patients with symptomatic dyspepsia who had an endoscopic evaluation for dyspepsia were included and randomized into two groups. One Group (A) received drug extract with a dose of 100 mg twice a day for 10 days. Group B, as a control group, received placebo. Immediately and 2 months after intervention, the patients were followed up, and the characteristics of their dyspepsia (severity and frequency), endoscopic and pathologic fi ndings were reevaluated and compared.

In this trial, 13 and ten patients participated in the study in Groups A and B, respectively. Two months after intervention, ten (76.9%) and six (60%) participants referred for follow-up and endoscopic evaluation. There were no signifi cant changes in clinical presentations after intervention (P > 0.05). Two months after intervention, clinical presentations including severity and frequency of epigastric pain had signifi cant decrease in Group A and endoscopic evaluation indicated signifi cant improvement in Group A (P < 0.05). Pathologic fi ndings were similar and not signifi cantly different in two studied groups after intervention (P > 0.05).

The fi ndings of this trial indicated that hydroalcoholic extract of Q. brantii’s nut could have delayed signifi cant proper effect on clinical and endoscopic presentations of patients with dyspepsia. We recommend that this study should be considered as pilot one in this fi eld. The results could be used as baseline data for more interventional studies. More surveys are needed to investigate the mechanism of extract action at molecular basis.

Chondromyxoid fibroma (CMF) is a benign tumor which usually occurs in skeletal long bones. Its presence in zygoma is extremely rare. The patient was a 47‑year‑old female, with chief complaint of painful swelling in the left side of zygoma since 1 month ago after a long‑lasting painless swelling for about 15 years. Computed tomography scan showed an osteolytic lesion, in the body of left zygomatic bone with lobulated and well‑demarcated margins. During surgery, the mass was completely excised and the histological feature of the tumor was in favor of CMF. CMF is benign tumor and complete resection is the treatment of choice.

Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT) is a rare malignant tumor with gloom destiny. Our case was a 4‑year‑old boy with a temporal lobe tumor that was then became evident of ATRT with recurrent happening. In a retrospective review of all cytologic slides, we found unique rhabdoid cells that are morphologically evident cells for ATRT in both times. Unfortunately, the cells were overlooked at the first time. We conclude if the pathologist is experienced to see rhabdoid cells noticing these cells is highly helpful for diagnosis ATRT, especially in frozen sectioning.