فهرست مطالب soghrat faghih zadeh

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential benefits of motor training in patients with complete thoracolumbar spinal cord injury.

In an outpatient physical medicine and rehabilitation clinic in Tehran, a preliminary clinical trial was conducted on an available sample. Twenty-five patients with complete spinal cord injury were included in this study. All patients were paraplegic and complete spinal cord injury was proven for them by para clinical methods. All patients participated in a comprehensive rehabilitation training program that was personalized. This program included a combination of the Swiss ball and the use of ankle orthosis, as well as ankle and knee long leg orthosis and the use of a parallel bar.

Fourteen of the participants were men and 11 were women. The age of the participants was between 19 and 52 years with an average of 31.54 years. Gait information, somatosensory evoked potential response and magnet motor evoked potential were recorded from all of them. Our study showed that individualized exercise program enables patients with complete spinal cord injury to move. After receiving movement intervention, the patients were able to walk and continued.

Movement training can stimulate the production of response in complete spinal cord injury. At the same time, motor training does not improve neurological deficits in patients with complete spinal cord injury.

During the Iran-Iraq war, the Iraqi regime frequently used sulfur mustard gas as a weapon in various residential areas, including Sardasht, causing multiple and severe long-term destructive effects on all living organisms, including humans. The pulmonary system is among the most essential organs with varying severity involved in sulfur mustard chemotoxicity in the long term. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Rad23B (rs1805329) polymorphism on the severity of lung complications in patients exposed to SM gas 30 years ago.

The study explored 106 severe and 105 mild PBMC patients exposed to SM gas. Furthermore, 47 PBMC samples were added to the study as a non-exposed group (control). Genotyping of rs1805329 was performed using Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).

The results revealed no significant differences in genotype frequencies between the mild, severe, and the unexposed group. Moreover, no statistically significant difference was observed in genotypic frequency in all co-dominant, dominant, recessive, and over-dominant models.

The obtained data indicated that the rs1805329 of Rad23B was not associated with the severity of the lung complications of patients exposed to sulfur mustard 30 years ago.

Social capital is a complex and multi-dimensional construct and concept, and it implies to a phenomenon that the main source of its creation is the sphere of social interaction. Social capital can be considered as the sources that has been created as a result of social relationships in the past, and at the present time, it facilitates collective action. In this study, we seek to describe the status of social capital, based on the four main constituent components: social trust, social relations network, social participation and social norms in Iran, in 2014-2015 (1393). This research is a quantitative-descriptive study that was conducted through survey and questionnaire tools in a cross-sectional study in December 2014 and January 2015 (Azar and Dey 1393). The population of the study includes people aged 15 years and older living in urban and rural areas of Iran. In this research, by systematic random sampling and cluster sampling, 37,200 people were selected as sample from all over Iran. The findings showed that the people of Iran have more trusting to the individuals and groups closest to themselves; are more participation in the collective activities of these groups; and if needed, they provide more social support to these people. We can conclude from this study that the status of bonding social capital (within a group) and bridging social capital (between groups) in Iran is different and people have more bonding social capital than bridging social capital.

Proper exposure and management of removed tooth from the alveolar sac are essential to ensure its long - term prognosis. This study aimed to assess the parents' knowledge about damaged and avulsed teeth and their immediate treatment in children aged 6 - 12 years in Zanjan. Collected data using a standard information questionnaire.

In a cross - sectional study in 1397 from all areas of Zanjan city in a systematic circular method 19 primary schools for girls were selected. A 23 - item questionnaire was distributed among all grades one through six to assess parents' awareness of how to dea l with dental trauma in these schools. Chi - square statistical test was used to analyze the data. The significance level was considered 0.05.

44.6% of parents had previous exposure to dental injuries, and 71.9% of them declared the removed tooth from the alveolar sac to be unsustainable. More than 50% go to the dentist if they notice looseness and bleeding with contusions, broken crowns and dislodged teeth. 92.9% of parents expressed their interest in training for more information on how to deal w ith dental injuries.

Parents with the diploma and university education had more information about trauma and avulsion. Most parents were unaware of the proper intermediate environment for the location of the tooth, and most parents declared th e tooth removed from the alveolar sac unsuitable.

 Few studies have examined the risk factors among Iranians attempting suicide.

 The present study aimed to explore the risk factors of suicide among patients admitted to hospitals due to suicide attempts.

 Suicidal participants (N = 200, 104 males and 96 females, aged 18 to 40) were recruited via judgmental sampling method, and non-suicidal participants (n = 300, 166 males and 134 females, aged from 18 to 40) were selected via a convincing sampling method. The participants completed a battery of questionnaires on family strength, religious identification, substance use, hopelessness, depression, sexual, emotional, and physical abuse, impulsive aggression, neuroticism, suicidal ideation, family discord, stressful life events, and anxiety. Data were analyzed by independent t-test, chi-square and hierarchical logistic regression.

 The current use of cigarettes/hookah, lifetime non-prescribed medication use, suicidal ideation (suicidal thoughts/tendencies), and depression significantly predicted suicide attempts. In addition, lower levels of religious belief were significantly associated with a higher likelihood of attempting suicide.

 Suicide prevention programs should explore the efficacy of treating individuals with substance abuse disorders, depression, and suicidal thoughts/tendencies for the reduction of suicide attempts. Furthermore, family, media, and school-based programs to internalize religious values would be valuable components of prevention programs for suicide in Iran.

Drug addiction is known as one of the health, medical and social problems of the present century. Beyond the harmful physical and mental consequences for addicts, drug abuse can cause serious social problems. The aim of this study was to evaluate drug and alcohol abuse in individuals aged 15 yr and over in Iran in 2015.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was done on individuals aged 15 yr and older who lived in urban and rural areas of Iran. Overall, 36,600 individuals were selected by systematic and cluster random sampling. The postal code was used to access the samples in 31 provinces of Iran. In each province 1200 individuals (50% men, 50% women) were evaluated. The used instrument was the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST), and data were analyzed using SPSS software.

The results showed 4.6% of individuals used Opium and its derivatives, 0.4% used Cannabis, 0.4% used Amphetamine stimulants, 6.1% used Sedative drugs, and 2.6% used Alcoholic beverages on a regular basis. Within the last 12 months, 3.9% of individuals used Opium and its derivatives, 0.4% used Cannabis, 0.3% used Amphetamine stimulants, 5.8% used Sedative drugs, and 1.9% used Alcoholic beverages. With the exception of Sedatives drugs men used more drugs than women and residents of rural areas used more opium and its derivatives than other groups of drugs. Based on the provincial distribution, Kerman and Qom used the highest and lowest prevalence percentage of Opium and its derivatives respectively.

Overall, 2340000 individuals were addicts used Opium and its derivatives in 2015, therefore, medical and health officials should take all necessary measures to deal with these serious social problems.

Allergies are manifested with a variety of signs and symptoms. In this study, the frequencies of asthma symptoms, allergic rhinitis, eczema, and related factors among 6- to 7-year-old schoolchildren were investigated.

Materials & Methods

This cross-sectional study was carried out among schoolchildren of 35 elementary schools of Zanjan by using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISSAC) questionnaire consisting of the following:  asthma symptoms, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, sex, weight, height, feeding, paracetamol and antibiotic use, maternal education, physical activity, exposure to pets or farm animals, heavy traffic exposure, and parental tobacco use. Data were gathered and analyzed by SPSS software.

In this study, 800 children (383 girls and 417 boys) were recruited. The prevalence of wheezing was 28.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] [27, 36]), rhinitis 20% (95% CI [19, 27]), and dermatitis 16.8% (95% CI [13.1, 17.5]). However, the rates of physician-diagnosed asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema were 1%, 8.9%, and 4.1%, respectively. The prevalence rates of asthma symptoms and atopic dermatitis were significantly higher in girls than in boys (P=0.01 and P<0.001, respectively). The weight of children with asthma was significantly higher than children without asthma (P=0.01). 

The frequencies of wheezing, rhinitis, and dermatitis among 6- to 7-year-old children were high. Thus, symptoms and history should be considered for the accurate diagnosis and management of children.

Background and Objectives:

Zanjan is reported as the hot spot region of  Brucellosis infection in Iran. This longitudinal study aimed to determine the epidemiologic pattern as well as the risk of Brucellosis using geospatial estimation in Zanjan province.

Materials and Methods:

The data used in this study were collected from the Health Center of the cities of Zanjan province during 2012-2017 and after the approval of the disease control unit of the province, entered the study. This longitudinal study was used to determine the annual pattern of the disease and to identify high-risk areas using Moran statistics and then analyzed using the temporal spatial cox model.

Results:

The results of the research show that the number of affected people in the province was increased after 2012 and the maximum number was observed from 2013 to 2014, however, from 2015 to 2016 it showed a significant decrease. Spatial variations show that the incidenceof the disease was increased in all areas over the six years. the temporal variations shows that during the years 2012 to 2017 the incidence of brucellosis in spring and summer was higher than other seasons; thereafter the incidence peak was witnessed in Khordad, Tir and Mordad.

The results of this study can be used to determine the starting point of future programs and to evaluate their effectiveness.

Hypertension is one of the most common chronic diseases in recent decades worldwide. It has been distinguished as the main risk factor of coronary artery disease, aortic dissection, heart failure, renal failure, cerebrovascular diseases, and death. In recent years, the global attention has been paid to complementary medicine to preventive, diagnostic and treatment strategies for hypertension, in previous studies, the history of hypertension from the viewpoint of traditional Persian medicine have been reviewed and several hypotheses raised. In this article, we present the concept of an Iranian physician namely Ali ibn Sahl Rabban al-Tabari on hypertension, which has not been considered properly until now. He defined a state called “Hayajan al-dam” that has clinical manifestations similar to hypertension, although these are not the same, also, we reviewed the viewpoint of other Persian medicine scholars namely Rhazes, Haly Abbas, Akhawayni and Avicenna for this topic.

 Asthma is the most common inflammatory disorder of respiratory system.The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of asthma and association of asthma with anxiety among 13-14 year-old students in Zanjan.

 In this cross sectional study 1500 students were randomly selected by cluster random sampling ; ISSAC questionnaire was filled by face to face interview and patients with asthma were recognized and their anxiety status was also measured using  Zung questionnaire.

 A total of 225 students (15%) had symptoms of mild to moderate asthma. The frequency of anxiety among students with and without asthma was 38.7% and 26.7% respectively. There was a significant correlation between asthma with anxiety (P=0.0001). The odds ratio for anxiety in asthmatic group was 1.73, CI95% (1.16- 2.58).

 These results showed higher prevalence of asthma and anxiety inadolescents and significant  correlation between asthma and anxiety.

Trauma is a major challenge for public health. The prevalence of hypothermia in trauma patients is high and rapid recognition is important to prevent further harmful outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of rewarming on injury outcome, injury severity, and arterial blood gases of trauma patients.

In this randomized clinical trial, the total sample size consisted of 96 patients with trauma referred to the emergency department of Ayatollah Mousavi Hospital in Zanjan (n= 50 in control group and n= 46 in intervention group). After approval of the study and approval of the Ethics Committee (code: ZUMS.REC.1396.163), patients were randomly divided into intervention and control groups (received routine care) after applying entry and exit criteria. The intervention is in the form of the temperature-control package that includes several rewarming strategies as full coverage of the trauma patient with a hat, blanket and warmed intravenous fluids (between 38 and 41 ° C).  The primary outcome measure included demographic and clinical characteristics, vital signs, and arterial blood gas and the change from the baseline at the end of the procedure. These parameters were recorded every 15 minutes for the first hour, then 6 hours later until the patient was transferred from the emergency department. The outcome (survived, dead) after rewarming in trauma patients was determined.

Data analysis showed that the mean temperature of the intervention and control group before intervention was 36/04 ± 0/26 and 36/04 ± 0/31, respectively, which was not statistically significant (p =0/250).The mean of the mean temperature of the intervention and control group six hours after the intervention was 36/83 ± 0/26 and 36/53 ±0/26, respectively, which was statistically significant (p <0/001). Considering the measurement of physiological parameters (HR, SBP, and RR) at intervals determined by repeated measures methods, the results were statistically significant and the trend in the intervention group showed a better result. The severity of anatomical injury (ISS) in the intervention group was lower than the control group (p =0/040). Two groups of intervention and control in terms of parameters of arterial blood gases (pH, PaCo2 and BE) before intervention (p =0/097) compared to intervention after 6 hours (p =0/093) and 12 hours (p =0/421) were different. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups, but before the intervention, significant differences were observed between PaO2 and SaO2 (p =0/005).

The two modes of temperature protection equally maintained body temperature in trauma patients during uncomplicated hospitalization. The evidence from our study suggests that rewarming can be effective in creating balance in some arterial blood gases and physiological parameters in the trauma patient. However, this issue should be separately investigated in further studies.

Application of technology for education accounts for an important aspect of expansion of the information technology in the present century.

This study aims to examine the degree of readiness of the faculty member of Zanjan University of Medical Sciences for e-Teaching.

This descriptive-cross-sectional study focused on the degree of readiness of 70 faculty member of Zanjan University of Medical Sciences in 2014. It followed the simple randomized sampling method. The readiness of faculty member was assessed from five dimensions, including organizational support, perceived value, and time commitment, working skill, access to computer, internet and attitude towards e-Teaching, using a standard questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics indices, Pearson correlation coefficient and Logistic Regression Model at 95% confidence interval.

The university faculty member were in adequate level of readiness in terms of organizational support (46.4%), positive attitude towards e-Teaching (49.3%); the skill of work with computer (49.3%), time commitment (44.9%), access to computer (49.3%) and positive perceived value (45.6%). The predictive variables of the university faculty member’ readiness were appropriate in terms of organizational support, access to computer and in term of, perceived value, age and gender of the university faculty member in term of, perceived time obligation, skill in work with computer and organizational support.

The results showed that readiness of the the faculty member of Zanjan University of Medical Sciences for e-Teaching was in a relatively appropriate level. Expanson of the technological infrastructure, holding empowerment workshops in order for improvement of the required skill and changing attitude of the university faculty member for e-Teaching are suggested

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) may originate from the combination of genetic susceptibility factors and environmental exposure. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotypes and CYP1A1*2A allele with susceptibility to AML in an Iranian population.

In this case-control study, 200 patients with AML and 200 normal individuals as controls were included. GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotypes were amplified using multiplex PCR and CYP1A1*2A polymorphisms were genotyped by PCR-RFLP.

The frequency of GSTM1 null genotype was significantly higher in the control group compared to the case group. The frequency of GSST1 null genotype was significantly lower in the controls. No association was observed between the studied CYP1A1*2A variant and the risk of acute myeloid leukemia. The combination of GSTT1 null genotype and CYP1A1 *2A AA and AC alleles further increased the risk of AML.

GSTT1 null genotype can increase the risk of AML, particularly when combined with CYP1A1*2A allele. GSTM1 null genotype can also play a protective role and reduce the risk of AML. However, further studies are required on a larger number of patients.

Providing for patients’ comfort and reducing their pain is one of the important tasks of health care professionals in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The current study was conducted to determine the effect of a protocol using a Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) on some clinical outcomes of patients under mechanical ventilation (MV) in 2017.

This single-blind clinical trial was conducted on 79 traumatic patients in the ICU who were randomly allocated into the intervention (N=40) and the control groups (N=39). The sedation was achieved, using a sedation protocol in the intervention group and the routine care in the control group. The clinical outcomes of the patients (duration of MV, length of staying in ICU, final outcome) were measured. As the participants had different lengths of MV and staying in ICU, the data were restructured, and were analyzed, using proper statistical methods.

The patients’ level of sedation in the intervention group was significantly closer to the ideal score of RASS (-1 to +1). The duration of MV was significantly reduced in the intervention group, and the length of stay in the ICU was also significantly shorter. There was no difference in terms of final outcome. The ICU cost in the control group was twice as high as the cost in of the intervention group.

The applied sedation protocol in this study would provide better sedation and could consequently lead to significantly better clinical outcomes, and the cost of caring as a result.

IFN-γ is one of the most important cytokines in the development of chronic inflammatory diseases such as asthma and COPD. The IFN-γ promoter methylation at CpG islands could be altered by various chemical and toxic substances which may have a role in the incidence of chronic pulmonary diseases and its severity. Thereby, the present study was aimed to evaluate the effect of sulfur mustard gas on the methylation status of IFN-γ gene promoter and its correlation with the severity of pulmonary disease in chemical veterans with delayed pulmonary complications.
 

46 sulfur mustard-exposed individuals with mild-moderate pulmonary complications, 45 with severe pulmonary complicationsand 41 unexposed individuals as a control group participated. The quality and quantity of extracted DNA were assessed by the nanodrop machine. After treatment with bisulfite, the methylation of IFN-γ gene promoter was evaluated by methylation-specific PCR.
 

The methylation of IFN-γ gene promoter showed a significant increase in exposed-patients with mild to moderate pulmonary complications and a significant reduction in exposed-patients with severe pulmonary complications compared to the control groups. The levels of spirometric parameters were significantly higher in individuals with Methylated DNA compared with those with unmethylated DNA.
 

It could be suggested that hyper-methylation of IFN-γ gene promoter and probable changes in IFN-γ gene expressionhave a positive effect on lung function in SM-exposed individuals.

Sulfur mustard (SM) exposure injures different organs such as the lungs and leads to short and long term complications Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) has the main role in altering fibroblast activities linked to airways remodeling. Latency TGF beta binding proteins 1 (LTBP1 facilitates localization of TGF-β in the extracellular matrix. Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 6 (Smad6) negatively regulates TGF-β signaling, thus establishing a main negative feedback loop. In this study, we investigated the expression of LTBP1 and Smad6 in the lung tissues of SM-exposed and control individuals. Lung formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) blocks of SM-exposed (20 samples) and control groups (20 samples) were collected from archival pathology department of several general hospitals. The total mRNA of lung FFPE tissues was extracted. Quality of the extracted mRNA was evaluated by an Agilent Bio analyzer and RNA was quantified using a Nano Drop. LTBP1 and Smad6 expression levels were evaluated by real-time PCR. LTBP1 expression levels did not change between the two groups (p=0.626), howeverSmad6 expression levels were significantly higher (2.6 fold) in SM-exposed individuals compared to the control group (p=0.001). Our results revealed that Smad6 may be involved in lung tissue remodeling process in SM-exposed patients. Smad6 regulates fibrotic alterations in lung tissue and its function as negative feedback mechanisms in TGF-β.

Spirituality is considered as one of the factors influencing physical and mental health of individuals. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of spirituality counseling on coping patterns with pregnancy challenges in primigravida women.

In a randomized clinical trial, the coping patterns were assessed in 60 eligible women. The intervention group attended 8 counseling sessions on the basis of spirituality approach, while the control group received routine care. The data were collected using the Revised Prenatal Coping Inventory before and two months after the study. Data analysis was done applying descriptive statistics, Chi-square, independent t-test, and paired t-test.

After the intervention, the mean score for total coping patterns and its domains in the intervention group (1.94 ± 0.24) was significantly different from that of the control group (1.81 ± 0.22) (P= 0.03). The difference was not significant before the intervention (P= 0.15). In experimental group, the pre and post intervention mean scores for total coping patterns and its domains were significantly different (1.78 ± 1.30 and 1.94 ± 0.24, respectively) (P= 0.001). The scores in control group did not show any significant changes (1.87 ± 1.20 to 1.81 ± 0. 22) (P= 0.17). But, a significant decrease was seen in the mean score for avoidance (P= 0.02).

The study showed that spiritual counseling is an acceptable approach that could improve women's coping patterns with pregnancy challenges and can be used as a basis in designing similar interventions.
 
(Clinical Trials Registry Number: IRCT20150731023423N12)

Sulfur mustard (SM)-exposed individuals develop late pulmonary complications, which are associated with chronic inflammation and fibrotic changes in the lung tissue. MicroRNAs are known to act as important regulators of inflammatory responses, including inflammation and fibrosis-related cytokine signaling. In this study, we investigated the expression miR-15b-5p and miR-21-5p, two regulators of TGF-β signaling, as well as their target molecule, SMAD7, in lung tissues from SM-exposed and control individuals. Total RNA was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) lung tissue biopsies obtained during surgery from SM-exposed (n=20) or control (n=20) cases. Quality of the extracted RNA was evaluated by an Agilent Bioanalyzer and RNA was quantified using a NanoDrop. MiR-21-5p, miR-15b-5p and SMAD7 expression levels were measured by real-time RT-PCR. miR-21-5p expression levels were significantly decreased (2.7 fold) in the lung tissues from SM-exposed individuals compared with tissues obtained from the control group (p=0.02). There were no significant differences in miR-15b-5p expression levels between the two groups (p=0.94). Interestingly, SMAD7 expression levels were significantly higher (5.8 fold) in SM-exposed individuals’ lung tissues compared with the control group (p=0.045). Our data indicate that exposure to sulfur mustard affects the expression of miR-21-5p as well as its target, SMAD7, in lung tissues many years after exposure. Considering the role of SMAD7 in the regulation of TGF-β signaling, these changes might point to a potential mechanism by which SM-exposure regulates inflammatory/fibrotic alterations in lung tissue.

The study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of training of Iranian traditional medicine principles on health workers' lifestyle in Kashan, Iran. This was a quasi-experimental study on a sample of 54 health workers. The educational intervention was performed through 5 weeks and 25 educational hours during which, principles of health maintenance (weather, exercise and resting, sleep and awakeness, eating and drinking, maintaining essential materials and repelling unnecessary materials, psychological health) were taught to health workers. Data collection was conducted before and three months following the educational intervention. According to the statistical analysis significant improvement was observed in five principles (weather, sleep and awakeness, eating and drinking, maintaining essential materials and repelling unnecessary materials and psychological health). The findings indicated that training Iranian traditional medicine principles for maintaining health could improve the lifestyle of health workers.

Speech-auditory brainstem response (ABR) as a new test in the field of auditory electrophysiology, examines the auditory processing of stimuli with complex acoustic structures at the subcortical level. In recent years, speech-ABR has been administered to patients with various hearing impairments and people with special auditory skills. Results of these studies are of great interest to researchers in the fields of cognitive and auditory neurosciences. In this study, because of the increasing use of this test, a review of the studies carried out on the origin of this response and the proposed protocols to stimulate, record, and analyze this electrophysiological response are presented. The most common stimulus parameters used in the published articles was /da/ stimulus in 40 ms duration and 60-85 dB SPL intensity with the use of alternative polarity and rate of about 10 stimuli per second. The verified and widely-used acquisition parameters include using vertical electrode array with 6000 sweeps and a 30-3000 Hz filtering in a 60-70 ms time window. In determining the stimulus-record parameters of the speech-ABR test, in addition to considering the necessary minimums, the final values should always be selected based on the objectives and the study group. The unique features of this test for diagnosis and monitoring of auditory processing at supra-threshold levels, calls for comprehensive studies to formulate guidelines for the application of this test in auditory clinics but the basic points mentioned in this paper should be considered in the selection of each parameter.

Despite several reports on the clinical manifestations of sulfur mustard (SM) intoxication, there is no study on serum concentrations of thyroid hormones long-term after SM exposure. In this study, the changes in thyroid functioning parameters 20 yr after SM exposure were evaluated. This study is a part of a larger historical cohort study conducted in 2007 following 20 years of the exposure to SM, called Sardasht–Iran cohort study (SICS). We (SICS) comprised an SM–exposed group from Sardasht City, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran (n=169 as hospitalized group and n=203 as non-hospitalized exposed group); and control participants were selected from Rabat, a town near Sardasht (n=126). Peripheral blood samples were taken in fasting state and then the sera were separated. T4, T3, TSH, antithyroglobulin (anti–Tg), and antithyroid peroxidase (anti–TPO) concentrations in the sera were measured by the ELISA method. The mean of T3 concentration was significantly higher in the exposed than control group (0.88 ± 0.26 nmol/L vs 0.8 ± 0.25 nmol/L, P<0.001). The levels of TSH, T4, and T3up were not significantly different between the exposed and control groups. Thyroglobulin level was significantly higher in the exposed non-hospitalized group (56.07 ± 140.22 µg/L vs 17.66 ± 41.49 µg/L, P=0.004), but the level of anti–Tg and anti–TPO showed no significant differences between the two groups. More studies are needed on the alterations in thyroid hormones, their gene expressions, and mechanisms involved in SM exposure to clarify the causes of these alterations.

Preterm birth is one of the most important complications of pregnancy, which has a significant impact on the health and mortality of neonates, so early diagnosis and prediction is vital. This study was performed with aim to investigate the relationship between amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein (αFP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and ferritin in the second trimester of pregnancy and preterm birth. 
This cross-sectional analytical study was performed on 60 subjects with gestational age of 15-20 weeks (mean of 17 weeks) who had performed amniocentesis due to positive first-trimester screening from September 2014 to February 2015. The levels of αFP, ALP and ferritin were tested using spectrophotometric and ELISA method in freeze samples of 40 subjects with term birth and 20 subjects with preterm birth. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 22) and t-test and Chi-square test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.
The mean amniotic fluid αFP in term and preterm birth was 382.14 ± 96.44 and 547.47 ± 122.83(ng/ml), respectively; the mean ALP in term and preterm birth was 27.35 ± 13.01 and 74.45±15.51 (IU/ L), respectively; and the mean ferritin was 382.14 ± 96.44, and 547.47±122.83 (ng/ml), respectively. The level of all three markers was significantly higher in preterm birth than term birth (p < 0.001).
There is significant and positive relationship between amniotic fluid αFP, ALP and ferritin levels with preterm birth that may help to increase our understanding of the pathophysiology of preterm birth. According to the results, it is recommended to perform further research with larger sample sizes.

Dental caries is one of the most common diseases during childhood. Saliva can modulate the process of decay, as a rich source of host factors. It has been shown that tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is secreted more in the saliva of individuals with active caries. No study has addressed the relationship between TNF-α levels and age or compared children’s immune response at different age groups and during adolescence. The present study aimed at evaluating the pro-inflammatory cytokine level of TNF-α in saliva and its association with caries in different age groups of children and adolescents. In this case-control study, 128 children and adolescents were divided to four age groups of 32. In each group, half of the individuals had no decay (control group) and the other half had > 4 decayed teeth (case group). Overall, 5 mL of non-stimulated saliva was spitted in sterile tubes for 15 minutes. Furthermore, 1 mL of each sample was centrifuged for five minutes at 12000 rpm. Salivary level of TNF-α was measured using the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) standard kit. A total of 79 children were studied. The mean TNF-α levels in the case group was 35.20 ± 16.23 Pg/mL and in the control group, this was 26.20 ± 6.25 Pg/mL (P value = 0.001). The mean TNF-α level was significantly higher in the age group of six to 12 years than the age group of 13 to 18 years (P value = 0.01). The results of this study indicated that decay plays an important role in increasing cytokine TNF-α in non-stimulatory saliva, there is no confirming evidence of the direct effect of age on immune function yet.

  Sulfur mustard (SM) is a toxic and chemical agent. The incidence of pulmonary complications and inflammatory processes play an important role in SM-exposed individuals. FOXP3 is one of the important factors in the development of chronic pulmonary diseases. FOXP3 gene promoter due to exposure to chemical and toxic materials leads to chronic pulmonary disease. In this study, the effect of toxic sulfur mustard was evaluated on the promoter methylation status of FOXP3 in SM-exposed individuals with delayed pulmonary complications.

In this case-control study, 20 SM exposed cases and 20 unexposed as control were studied. DNA was extracted from blood samples. Methylation specific PCR(MSP) was used to evaluate promoter methylation status of FOXP3.

There was no significant difference between the promoter methylation status of FOXP3 in the exposed group as compared to control group.

The methylation status of the FOXP3 gene did not significantly change after exposure to sulfur mustard and other mechanisms might be involved in expressing this gene. To determine the effect of SM on methylation and its role in the pathogenesis of chemical victims’ lung complications, it is needed to measure other epigenetic factors and further studies.

Statement of the Problem: Dental caries is a common chronic disease. Mouthwashes and other preventive approaches play an important role in caries prevention. Finding the most efficient mouthwash in the market is always a concern for dentists and patients. This study aimed to assess the effect of chlorhexidine (Behsa, Iran) and xylitol plus 920 ppm fluoride (FX) (Fuchs, Germany) mouthwash on salivary Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), which is the main microorganism responsible for dental caries. This single-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on 30 dental students, divided into two groups. The salivary count of S. mutans was measured at the beginning of the study. Group 1 students used chlorhexidine mouthwash while group 2 used FX mouthwash for two weeks. Saliva samples were collected again and salivary count of S. mutans was determined. Data were analyzed using Mann Whitney and Wilcoxon signed rank tests Salivary count of S.mutans significantly decreased in the two groups after using the mouthwashes (p< 0.05) and no significant difference was noted in the mean colony count between the two groups after the use of mouthwashes (p> 0.05). Within the limitations of this study, the results showed that both mouthwashes could decrease S. mutans count.