Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are defined as clinical conditions that involve the masticatory muscles, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) or both. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum 17β-oestradiol and progesterone levels in menstruating women affected by internal derangement of the TMJ. A total of 142 women (mean age 30·2 ± 6·7) who referred to medical diagnostic laboratory of Iranian Academic Centre for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Mashhad Branch, were enrolled during 2007 and 2008. Forty-seven individuals had disc displacement with reduction (Group IIa) according to Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC)/TMD Axis I diagnosis. Radioimmunoassay was used for the detection of serum 17β-oestradiol and progesterone levels in all 142 subjects. The mean progesterone level was significantly higher in control group (11·6 ± 10·4 ng mL(-1) ) compared to women with TMD (8·4 ± 6·8 ng mL(-1) , P = 0·03). No significant difference was found in two groups regarding 17β-oestradiol level. Lower progesterone level in women with TMD can suggest the more important role of this hormone in the development of the disorder.

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IntroductionVitamin D is a steroid hormone that has a significant role in the metabolism of minerals, especially calcium and phosphorus; it also is a major determinant of the strength of bones. This hormone has a significant effect on three major health issues that people worldwide encounter, i.e., high blood pressure, cancer, and diabetes. Considering the limited and dispersed studies on the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Iran and the relationship of vitamin D with lipid profiles in different people, this study was conducted to determine the vitamin D levels in patients and its relationship with their lipid profiles.MethodsA retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in 2015 on 1,110 patients who were referred to the two laboratories at Jihad Daneshgahi and to eight specialist laboratories in Mashhad through random sampling of patients for whom serum vitamin D and serum lipid tests were prescribed. The data that were obtained were entered into SPSS 13 software.ResultsSixty-eight percent of the patients in the study were deficient in vitamin D. The vitamin D levels in males were significantly lower than those in females (p < 0.05). The relationship between age and vitamin D deficiency was significant as well (p < 0.05). A positive and significant relationship was observed between age and vitamin D deficiency (p = 0.000, r = 0.187), i.e., vitamin D deficiency was more apparent in patients whose ages were in the range of 40–59. The relationship between the levels of vitamin D and serum lipids was significant and positive (p = 0.05), with the exception of LDL.ConclusionAbout two-thirds of the population that was studied had a vitamin D deficiency. There was a positive and significant relationship between serum vitamin D and serum lipids and serum calcium. The results of this study showed the necessity for more research and the implementation of preventive measures related to vitamin D deficiency. It is recommended that vitamin D enrichment programs be planned and implemented.

Background and Aim: Despite significant progress in Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) treatment, the emergence of drug resistance mutations is a main challenging health threat. The data is lacking regarding circulation mutant strains in northeastern Iran; therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate HBV reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitors drug resistance mutations in a group of treatment naïve patients in Mashhad, Iran. Materials and Methods:In this study, 25 patients were included. The genomic DNA was extracted from serum samples, and the RT gene of HBV was amplified using specific primers. The PCR products were then subjected to gel electrophoresis and were next sent for sequencing. Finally, the sequences were analyzed using the HBVseq database, mutation list analysis software supported by Stanford University (https://hivdb.stanford.edu). Results:The mean age of the patients was 42.7±16.5. Among the patients, 56% were men. Among 23 cases (92%), no resistance mutation was observed, while 2 cases showed mutations outside the YMDD motif of viral reverse transcriptase causing Lamivudine or Entecavir resistance. The detected mutations included: rt T184A, S202I, S202H, V180I, I169L, and V173L. All sequenced samples were identified as genotype D. Conclusion:Lamivudine/Entecavir resistant variants are circulating in a minority of treatment naïve patients, which may indicate transmission of mutated stains to these patients or may be due to prolonged replication of the virus. This finding might be considered an alarm for increasing circulating mutant variants.