Cow`s Milk Allergy among Children with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

( Fatemeh Farahmand ),( Mehri Najafi ),( Pedram Ataee ),( Vajiheh Modarresi ),( Turan Shahraki ),( Nima Rezaei ) 대한소화기기능성질환·운동학회 2011 Gut and Liver Vol.5 No.3

Background/Aims: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and cow`s milk allergy (CMA) are two common conditions that occur in infancy. This study was performed to investigate the frequency of CMA in a group of patients with GERD. Methods: Eighty-one children with signs and symptoms of GERD were enrolled in this study. All subjects received omeprazole for 4 weeks after the initial evaluation. Empirical elimination of cow`s milk from the diet was started for the patients who did not respond to the omeprazole treatment. Results: Seventy-two cases presented with gastrointestinal signs and symptoms, whereas the remaining nine cases presented with respiratory complaints. After the initial treatment with omeprazole, two thirds of the cases (54 patients, 66.7%) responded well, and all of their symptoms were resolved. Cow`s milk was eliminated from the diets of the remaining 27 patients. All signs and symptoms of GERD were resolved in this group after a 4 week elimination of cow`s milk from the diet. Conclusions: A diagnosis of CMA was considered in one third of the pediatric cases with signs and symptoms of GERD. This finding shows that CMA can mimic or aggravate all signs and symptoms of severe GERD during infancy. (Gut Liver 2011;5:298-301)

Solid phase extraction using nanoporous MCM-41 modified with 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde for simultaneous preconcentration and removal of gold(III), palladium(II), copper(II) and silver(I)

Mohammad Behbahani,Fatemeh Najafi,Mostafa M. Amini,Omid Sadeg,Akbar Bagheri,Parmoon Ghareh Hassanlou 한국공업화학회 2014 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.20 No.4

In this paper, functionalized MCM-41 nanoporous silica with 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde was applied for trace determination of copper, silver, gold and palladium in real samples. The content of solutions containing the mentioned metals was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS), and the limit of detection was 0.09, 0.03, 0.5 and 0.08 ng mL 1 for gold, copper, silver, and palladium, respectively. The recoveries and precisions for mentioned ions were >97.0% and <3%, respectively. The adsorption capacity of the modified MCM-41 was 290 mg g 1 for gold, 130 mg g 1 for copper, 160 mg g 1 for silver and 155 mg g 1 for palladium, respectively.

Protein Expression of Stromelysin-2 in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas

Kadeh, Hamideh,Heydari, Fatemeh,Saravani, Shirin,Ghodsi, Iman Najafi Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.17

Background: Some matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are involved in invasion and metastasis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, there are few studies on association between stromelysin-2 (ST-2) and invasive behavior of HNSCC. The purpose of this study was to investigate Stromelysin-2 expression by immunohistochemistry. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on 81 specimens, including 61 HNSCC and 20 non neoplastic epithelium. Sections with 5 micron thickness were prepared and stained with immunohistochemistry technique. Then expression of ST-2 was evaluated according to percentage of stained cells and intensity of staining. Data were analyzed by SPSS (V.21) using Kruskal-Wallis and Tukey tests (P<0.05). Results: The 61 HNSCC specimens were grades I 36.1%, II 34.4% and III 29.5%. The level of ST-2 expressions were moderate (++) and intensive (+++) in 21.3% and 78.7% of tumors, respectively. The ST-2 expression level was only significant between the tumors with grade I and grade III (P=0.016). Tumors presented ST-2 expression with staining intensity of mild 6.6%, moderate 26.2% and strong 67.2%. Staining intensity of ST-2 in grade I tumors was significantly lower than grade II and grade III (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference between grades II and III (P=0.99). Conclusions: According to this study, the expression of ST-2 is associated with histopathological grade and tumor differentiation in HNSCCs.

Effect of Fennel on the Health Status of Menopausal Women: A Systematic and Meta-analysis

( Talat Khadivzadeh ),( Mona Najaf Najafi ),( Leila Kargarfard ),( Masumeh Ghazanfarpour ),( Fatemeh Rajab Dizavandi ),( Imaneh Khorsand ) 대한폐경학회 2018 대한폐경학회지 Vol.24 No.1

Objectives: The aim of the present study is the systematic and critical investigation of the effectiveness of fennel on the climacteric symptoms among menopausal females. Methods: A search of the trials studying the effect of fennel on menopausal females was conducted in 2017 using the MEDLINE and Scopus databases and the Cochrane Library with the following keywords: fennel, Foeniculum vulgare, and menopause. Results: Fennel combined with officinalis is more effective in the attenuating of sleep disorders compared to Citalopram. The comparison of these two groups regarding the mean bone mineral density and bone mineral content (P = 0.14, P = 0.504); the total hip femoral (P = 0.42, P = 0.66); the trochanter (P = 0.075, P = 0.07); the intertrochanter (P = 0.84, P = 0.93); and the femoral neck (P = 0.43, P = 0.64) did not show any significant statistical differences; however, a statistically significant difference regarding the vasomotor symptoms (P < 0.01) was found. The other significant differences are related to the values of the total cholesterol (P = 0.103); low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or LDL-C (P = 0.104); high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or HDL-C (P = 0.266); triglyceride (P = 0.679); body weight (P = 0.212); body mass index (P = 0.041); waist and hip circumferences (P = 0.365); and fat distribution (P = 0.337) between the two groups. The standardized mean difference (SMD) values of sexual activity (SMD = 0.638; P < 0.001), and maturation value (SMD = 0.601; P = 0.003) are highly significant among the fennel-treated women compared with the placebo group. Conclusions: According to the findings of the present study, fennel is important in the relieving of vasomotor symptoms, vaginal itching, dryness, dyspareunia, sexual function, sexual satisfaction, and sleep distribution. (J Menopausal Med 2018;24:67-74)

Aromatherapy for Sexual Problems in Menopausal Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

( Talat Khadivzadeh ),( Mona Najaf Najafi ),( Masumeh Ghazanfarpour ),( Morvarid Irani ),( Fatemeh Rajab Dizavandi ),( Khatereh Shariati ) 대한폐경학회 2018 대한폐경학회지 Vol.24 No.1

Objectives: The aim of the present systematic review and meta-analysis is the exploration of the potential evidence of the effectiveness of aromatherapy products on the sexual function of menopausal women. Methods: From inception to December 2017, the search process was performed using the MEDLINE and Scopus databases and the Cochrane Library regarding the trials on the effectiveness of herbal-medicine aromatherapy on the sexual function of menopausal women. Results: Three of the trials comprise suitable data for inclusion in the meta-analysis. According to the meta-analysis, it is possible to improve the standardized mean difference (SMD) of the sexual desire up to 0.56 in the aromatherapy group compared with the control group (SMD = 0.56; P < 0.001; heterogeneity; I² = 42%; P = 0.141). According to one of the trials, the serum-estrogen level of two different doses did not change in the neroli oil inhalation group compared with the almond-oil group. Conclusions: Both aromatherapy with neroli oil or lavender (monopreparation) and combined-oil aromatherapy with lavender, fennel, geranium, and rose significantly improved human sexual function; however, a significant change of the serum-estrogen level was not detected. The findings of the present review should be presented cautiously because of the corresponding limitations such as the lack of a standardized tool, the lack of intention-to-treat reporting, the low study amount, and the short-term follow-up. (J Menopausal Med 2018;24:56-61)

The role of risk perception, risk communication, and demographic factors in COVID-19 preventive behaviors: an online survey in Iran

Mansour Rezaei,Nader Rajabi Gilan,Ali Almasi,Mehdi Khezeli,Fatemeh Jamshidi Nazar,Zahra Jorjoran Shushtari,Yahya Salimi,Farid Najafi,Neda Sarabi,Shahram Saeidi,Saeid Saeidi 질병관리본부 2022 Osong Public Health and Research Persptectives Vol.13 No.4

Objectives: This study investigated preventive behaviors toward coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and related factors in a Kurdish Iranian sample.Methods: This online survey was conducted among the population aged 18 and above in Kermanshah Province, in western Iran, in April 2020. Samples were invited and recruited through social media. Data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of 4 sections (questions on demographic variables, risk perception, risk communication, and COVID-19 preventive behaviors) and analyzed using Stata ver. 8.Results: The Pearson correlation test showed that risk communication was significantly correlated with COVID-19 preventive behaviors (r=0.320, p<0.01). In the final model, where the explanatory power increased with the entry of the risk communication variable, the variables explained a total of 14% of variance in COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Sex (β=−0.482), risk perception (β=0.047), and risk communication (β=0.662) were significant determinants.Conclusion: Risk communication and risk perception related to COVID-19, as well as being a woman, were determinants of COVID-19 preventive behaviors.

Original Article : Evaluation of Antibody Response to Polysaccharide Vaccine and Switched Memory B Cells in Pediatric Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

( Gholamhossein Fallahi ),( Asghar Aghamohammadi ),( Ahmad Khodadad ),( Mojtaba Hashemi ),( Payam Mohammadinejad ),( Hossein Asgarian Omran ),( Mehri Najafi ),( Fatemeh Farhmand ),( Farzaneh Motamed ) The Editorial Office of Gut and Liver 2014 Gut and Liver Vol.8 No.1

Background/Aims: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disease of the gastrointestinal tract, whose etiologies are still unknown. This study was performed to evaluate the humoral immune response in terms of B cell functions in selected IBD patients. Methods: Eighteen pediatric patients with IBD, including 12 cases of ulcerative colitis (UC) and six with Crohn disease (CD), were enrolled in this study. The pneumococcal vaccine was injected in all patients, and the IgG antibody level to the polysaccharide antigen was measured before and 4 weeks after injection. The B cell switch-recombination process was evaluated. Results: Five patients with IBD (three CD and two UC) had defects in B cell switching, which was significantly higher than in controls (p=0.05). Ten patients had a specific antibody deficiency and exhibited a higher frequency of bacterial infection than the healthy group. The mean increased level of IgG after vaccination was lower in IBD patients (82.9±32.5 μg/mL vs 219.8±59.0 μg/mL, p=0.001). Among the patients who had an insufficient response, no significant difference in the number of switched memory B-cell was observed. Conclusions: A defect in B lymphocyte switching was observed in pediatric IBD patients, and especially in those patients with CD. Owing to an increased risk of bacterial infections in those patients with antibody production defects, pneumococcal vaccination could be recommended. However, not all patients can benefit from the vaccination, and several may require other prophylactic methods. (Gut Liver 2014,8:24-28)