The presence of anti-Toxocara antibodies in the sera of school children of Shiraz, southern Iran, was studied by means of an indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay with excretory/secretory antigen of infective stage larva. A total of 519 individuals of both sexes aged 6-13 years were analysed. The total prevalence was 25.6 per cent. A higher rate of infection was observed in urban (30.15 per cent) than rural (20.2 per cent) residents. Most potential risk factors were not related to Toxocara prevalence and no differences existed between socioeconomic classes except for parental education. Neither age or sex was found to be significantly associated with positive serology.

GERD is more common in females, rural and illiterate subjects and correlated with consumption of pickles, occurrence of headache, psychological distress, dyspepsia, halitosis, anxiety, nightmare and restlessness, and a family history of GERD and aspirin intake, but the correlation was negative with consumption of fat and fiber intake.

BackgroundWhile there has been much research regarding risk factors and prognostic factors for breast cancer in general, research specific to Iran is sparse. Further, the association between breast cancer survival and socio-demographic and pathologic factors has been widely studied but the majority of these studies are from developed countries. Southern Iran has a population of approximately 4 million. To date, no research has been performed to determine breast cancer survival and to explore the association between the survival and socio-demographic and pathologic factors in Southern Iran, where this study was conducted.MethodsThe data were obtained from the cancer registry in Fars province, Southern Iran and included 1148 women diagnosed with breast cancer between 2000 and 2005. The association between survival, and sociodemographic and pathological factors, distant metastasis at diagnosis, and treatment options was investigated using Cox regression.ResultsThe majority of patients were diagnosed with an advanced tumour size. Five-year overall survival was 58% (95%CI; 53%–62%). Cox regression showed that family income (good vs poor: hazard ratio 0.46, 95%CI; 0.23–0.90) smoking (HR = 1.40, 95%CI; 1.07–1.86), metastases to bone (HR = 2.25, 95%CI; 1.43–3.52) and lung (HR = 3.21, 95%CI;1.70–6.05), tumour size (≤ 2 cm vs ≥ 5 cm: HR = 2.07, 95%CI;1.39–3.09) and grade (poorly vs well differentiated HR = 2.33, 95%CI; 1.52–3.37), lymph node ratio (0 vs 1: HR = 15.31, 95%CI; 8.89–26.33) and number of involved node (1 vs >15: HR = 14.98, 95%CI; 8.83–25.33) were significantly related to survival.ConclusionThis is the first study to evaluate breast cancer survival in Southern Iran and has used a wide range of explanatory factors, 44. The results demonstrate that survival is relatively poor and is associated with diagnosis with late stage disease. We hypothesise that this is due to low level of awareness, lack of screening programs and subsequent late access to treatment.

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). There are several chemical and herbal drug regimens for treatment of UC. Objectives: The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of Hypericum perforatum on histopathological and tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) level of colonic tissue in rat with induced UC. Materials and Methods: Two milliliters of 3% acetic acid was administered into the colon to induce UC. Seventy rats were divided into seven equal groups. Groups I and II received 1 mL of 600 and 300 mg/kg H. perforatum extract orally per day respectively; groups III and IV received 1 mL of 20% and 10% intra-colonic gel form of H. perforatum extract daily respectively; group V as positive control received 2 mL of intra-colonic asacol; group VI was a negative control receiving 0.5 mL/kg of normal saline after induction of UC; group VII received just intra-colonic gel base. All the animals were evaluated for histological changes and tissue MDA level seven days after the treatment. Results: H. perforatum extract in the two forms of trans-rectal and oral administration on the seventh day after the therapy could result in a more healing effect on acetic acid-induced damaged colonic tissue with a reduction in the MDA activity. In trans-rectal administration, the 20% gel form had a better healing response than the 10% gel form and was prominently more effect on the seventh day of the therapy. In oral administration of strawberry extract, the 600 mg/kg dosage had a better healing response than the 300 mg/kg and was significantly more effective on the seventh day of therapy. Conclusions: So H. perforatum may be considered as a treatment of choice for UC especially in gel form to broaden the current therapy options of the disease.

Summary Background Chronic wound or nonhealing ulcer is essentially a wound that does not progress normally through the wound healing process. This study assessed the healing effect of umbilical cord Wharton's jelly stem cells seeded on biological scaffold in chronic skin ulcers. Materials and Methods In a randomized clinical trial, five patients between 30 and 60 years with chronic diabetic wounds were enrolled. To cover the wounds, acellular amniotic membrane seeded with Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJSCs) was used for 9 days, every 3 days with a follow‐up of 1 month. The percentage and time of wound healing and the size of wound were recorded for each patient. Results In treated patients, the wound healing time and wound size significantly decreased, and after 6 and 9 days, the wound size significantly declined (P < 0.002). Conclusion As WJSCs seeded on amniotic membrane could significantly accelerate the healing effect in chronic diabetic wounds, they can be an alternative source in tissue engineering and repair of chronic ulcers.

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BackgroundBone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) have potential of differentiation and they secrete anti-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors which make them appropriate for cell therapy.Aim of the WorkWere to evaluate the healing effect of BM-MSCs transplantation on germinal cells of busulfan-induced azoospermic hamsters.Material and MethodsIn the present experimental case control study, BM-MSCs were isolated from bone marrow of donor albino hamsters. Five mature male recipient hamsters received two doses of 10 mg/kg of busulfan with 21 days interval to stop endogenous spermatogenesis. After induction of azoospermia, right testis of hamsters was injected with 106 BM-MSCs via efferent duct and the left one remained as azoospermia control testis. Five normal mature hamsters were selected as normal intact control. After 35 days, testes and epididymis of three groups were removed for histological evaluation.ResultsHistomorphological analyses of BM-MSCs treated testes and epididymis showed the epithelial tissue of seminiferous tubules had normal morphology and spermatozoa were present in epididymis tubes. Spermatogenesis was observed in most cell-treated seminiferous tubules. The untreated seminiferous tubules were empty.ConclusionTransplanted BM-MSCs could successfully induce spermatogenesis in seminiferous tubules of azoospermic hamster. Therefore, BM-MSCs can be an attractive candidate in cell transplantation of azoospermia.

The aim of this study was to track dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) labeled with dextran-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Dental pulp was isolated from male Sprague Dawley rats and cultured in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium F12 (DMEM-F12) and 10% fetal bovine serum. Effects of SPIONs on morphology, viability, apoptosis, stemness, and osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation of DPSCs were assessed. Prussian blue staining and MRI were conducted to determine in vitro efficiency of SPIONs uptake by the cells. Both non-labeled and labeled DPSCs were adherent to culture plates and showed spindle-shape morphologies, respectively. They were positive for osteogenic and adipogenic induction and expression of cluster of differentiation (CD) 73 and CD90 biomarkers, but negative for expression of CD34 and CD45 biomarkers. The SPIONs were non-toxic and did not induce apoptosis in doses less than 25 mg/mL. Internalization of the SPIONs within the DPSCs was confirmed by Prussian blue staining and MRI. Our findings revealed that the MRI-based method could successfully monitor DPSCs labeled with dextran-coated SPIONs without any significant effect on osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation, viability, and stemness of DPSCs. We provided the in vitro evidence supporting the feasibility of an MRI-based method to monitor DPSCs labeled with SPIONs without any significant reduction in viability, proliferation, and differentiation properties of labeled cells, showing that internalization of SPIONs within DPSCs were not toxic at doses less than 25 mg/mL. In general, the SPION labeling does not seem to impair cell survival or differentiation. SPIONs are biocompatible, easily available, and cost effective, opening a new avenue in stem cell labeling in regenerative medicine.