Background. Autoimmune process and immunosuppressive therapy of pemphigus vulgaris would predispose the patients to infections. Aim. We aimed to study the prevalence of infection and pathogenic agents in pemphigus vulgaris patients admitted to dermatology service. Material and methods. This retrospective study was conducted on 155 pemphigus vulgaris patients (68 males, 87 females) admitted to dermatology service between 2009 and 2011. In this study, the diagnosis of pemphigus vulgaris was confirmed by light microscopic and direct immunofluorescence findings. Data were collected through a questionnaire. Results. Of 155 pemphigus vulgaris patients, 33 had infection at admission and 9 acquired nosocomial infection. In addition, 37 cases of oral candidiasis and 15 cases of localized herpes simplex were recorded. Totally, 94 cases of infection were recorded. The occurrence of infection was significantly related to the severity of disease, number of hospital admissions, and presence of diabetes mellitus. The most common pathogenic germs isolated from cultures were Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Conclusion. Severity of pemphigus vulgaris and diabetes were directly related with tendency to infections. Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were the most common pathogenic agents. Due to limitations of retrospective study, a prospective study is recommended.

BackgroundGroup B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of serious neonatal infections. Although great progress has been made in preventing prenatal GBS, its colonization rate in different regions of Iran remains unknown.AimTo determine GBS colonization prevalence and its risk factors among Iranian pregnant women.MethodsThis prospective cross-sectional study was performed on 186 pregnant women, who attended Boo-Ali hospital which is affiliated with Islamic Azad University in Tehran, Iran, from March 2014 to June 2015. The demographic, obstetric and gynecological data were gathered. A recto-vaginal culture was taken from each patient, with a sterile swab, in lithotomy position without using speculum, and vaginal pH was measured. Patients with positive GBS received IV antibiotic therapy during labor (penicillin G 3 gram at first dose then 1.5 gram Q/4h until delivery). Data were analyzed by statistical software SPSS version 21. Statistical tests for differences were performed by Chi-square test. Potential confounding was assessed by logistic regression. Level of significance was set at p<0.05.ResultsTwenty-two (11.8%) patients had positive recto-vaginal colonization. No significant differences between colonized and GBS-negative women with regard to age, obstetrics history and socio-economic factor were noticed. In contrast, smoking, history of previous infection with HPV, presence of vulvitis and a vaginal pH>4.5 were associated with GBS colonization (p≤0.05).ConclusionsWith a relatively low prevalence and few significantly correlated factors, it is hardly possible to define a high risk group of pregnant women for GBS colonization. Therefore, thorough measures should be taken in order to prevent infection complications in mothers and neonates in the Iranian population.

Introduction: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is one of the major health concerns of women in developing countries. This study gives an insight into the prevalence and genotype distribution of HPV infection and compares it with Pap smear results among Iranian women.Methods: In this study, 12 076 Iranian women underwent routine examination from November 2016 to November 2018 using HPV Direct Flow CHIP System for HPV DNA typing. Cytology was undertaken for 5138 samples.

Objectives:Women are one of the most important parts of the family and society, and community health is dependent on provision of the needs of this group. Menopause is one of the most critical stages of life among women. One of the aims of health services for all of the people in the 21st century is improvement of the quality-of-life. In menopausal women, the term quality-of-life incorporates its physical symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats and vaginal mucosa dryness. We set out this study in order to evaluate the effect of education on the quality-of-life and the improvement of health standards in menopausal women.Materials and Methods:Sixty-two women aged 44–55 referring to and academic outpatient clinic in Shiraz were selected by simple random sampling, and allocated in two groups. Data was collected using a modified Hildich questionnaire on quality-of-life in menopause stage. Quality-of-life of the subjects (vasomotor, psychosocial, physical and sexual aspects) were evaluated prior to and 3 months after educational intervention.Results:Mean quality-of-life score in study and control groups, prior to education, was 81.7 and 74.8; changing to 75.3 and 75.8, respectively three months after intervention. The study group showed a significant improvement in their quality-of-life (P = 0.001). A significant difference was seen between groups in terms of changing quality-of-life after intervention (P = 0.001).Conclusions:Appropriate training to menopausal women improves their quality-of-life and promotes their health.

Because of its higher sensitivity, colposcopy can be recommended for the investigation of persistent PCB, even in the presence of normal cytology.

Weekly methotrexate without dose escalation may be an appropriate option for primary chemotherapy of patients with LRGTN.

Background: During pregnancy, asymptomatic bacteriuria is associated with different complications such as pyelonephritis and preterm birth. Pregnancy changes pave the way for the growth and multiplication of pathogenic factors. This study was aimed at exploring the frequency of asymptomatic bacteriuria among pregnant women who attended Boo–Ali Hospital, a teaching center of Islamic Azad University in Tehran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 123 pregnant women without urinary symptoms who attended Boo–Ali Hospital from March 2013 to September 2014. Demographic information of the patients including age, gestational age at the time of experiment and parity were recorded. An amount of middle part of urine (20cc) was collected in an appropriate sterile container. Urine samples were examined for WBC, RBC and bacteria. Other parts of the samples were cultivated for urine culture (U/C). Results: Two (1.6%) women had significant bacteriuria (≥105/ml). Pyuria, bacteriuria and hematuria were seen in 49(39.8), 7 (5.6%) and 8 (6.5%) women, respectively. There was a significant association between positive U/C and pyuria (P=0.003). However, positive U/C showed no significance association between bacteriuria and hematuria (P>0.05). Conclusion: Regarding the low frequency of asymptomatic bacteriuria (less than 2%) in the investigated population, the administration of U/C does not seem logical for all pregnant women. Hence, U/C is recommended for those with significant pyuria in their urinalyses. [GMJ.2015;4(4):159-63]

Background and Objectives: HPV infections cause a wide spectrum of pathological changes in lower anogenital epithe- lium. The aim of this study was to investigate the HPV DNA status and histological findings in cervical biopsy specimens diagnosed as flat condyloma. Materials and Methods: This study included 20 cervical biopsy specimens diagnosed as flat condyloma. The histopatholog- ical criteria and presence of HPV DNA were evaluated. HPV genotyping was determined in HPV-positive specimens using BioEdit software and the results were analyzed in SPSS software. Results: HPV DNA was not found in 30% of specimens and relative frequency of HPV genotypes was: 15% HPV6, 15% HPV11, 5% HPV16, 5% HPV18, 5% HPV53, 5% HPV68, 5% HPV84, 10% HPV45. Relative frequency of histopathologi- cal criteria was as below: 100% of specimens had koilocytosis, 100% acanthosis, 15% nuclear immaturity, 100% atypia, 15% mitotic activity, 50% dyskeratosis, 35% parakeratosis and 10% hyperkeratosis. Conclusion: There were significant differences between HPV positivity and two pathologic criteria; multinucleation and hyperkeratosis (P Value: 0.02). Nuclear immaturity was significantly more prevalent in high risk HPV-positive specimens (P Value: 0.03).