Background and Objective: The diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is performed by colonoscopy, sampling, and histopathology. Stool calprotectin is a test showing the presence of inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. This study was done to determine the relationship between the calprotectin level in the feces and endoscopic findings in ulcerative colitis patients referred to the gastroenterology clinic in Gorgan, Iran.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 100 patients with ulcerative colitis referred to the gastroenterology clinic of Sayad Shirazi Hospital, Gorgan, north of Iran during 2020. The patients were asked to collect their stool samples one day before the procedure (just after taking the drug for bowel cleansing). Bowel cleansing was done by administering polyethylene glycol solution dissolved in water. The activity of ulcerative colitis was measured using the disease activity score. According to this criterion, a score greater than or equal to 5 is considered an active disease. Patients were classified into two groups: extensive or pan-colitis and left-sided colitis. Stool samples were evaluated for calprotectin in a single laboratory using a commercially available kit (Calprest- EuorociationspA. Trieste) at normal values of less than 50mg/g. The relationship between stool calprotectin with colonoscopic findings was evaluated.
Results: The average duration of infection was 4±3.1 years in the time range of 1-14 years. The calprotectin level was less than 50 μg/g in 16 patients. Stool calprotectin less than 50 µg/g was seen in only 16 patients. There was no significant relationship between the level of calprotectin and the either age or gender of patients. Most patients (84%) had active disease based on colonoscopic findings. Left-sided involvement was seen in 60% of patients. Fecal calprotectin level was significantly higher in those with acute phase and those with severe disease (P<0.05). Additionally, the calprotectin level had no significant relationship with the location of bowel involvement, extension, and disease duration.
Conclusion: This study showed that the fecal calprotectin level in patients with ulcerative colitis had a significant relationship with the severity and activity of the disease in north of Iran.

Background and Objective: Docetaxel is an effective chemotherapy drug for treating lung cancer, but its side effects and cytotoxicity limit its use. Natural compounds like carvacrol and thymol, known for their anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties, have gained attention as adjunct agents to reduce toxicity and enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs. This study aimed to investigate the impact of carvacrol and thymol on cell viability and function in A549 cancer cells exposed to docetaxel.
Methods: This experimental study was conducted on the epithelial cell line derived from lung cancer tissue (A549), obtained from the Pasteur Institute of Iran at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in the year 1042. In this research, A549 cells were pre-treated with various concentrations of carvacrol and thymol (5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 100, and 200 µg/mL) along with a cytotoxic dose of docetaxel (8.92 µg/mL) over a period of 48 hours. Cytotoxicity was assessed using the MTT assay. Additionally, the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells were measured using the DA-DCFH reagent, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were determined using the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) reagent.
Results: Carvacrol and thymol significantly reduced the cytotoxic effects of docetaxel at concentrations ranging from 5 to 200 µg/mL (P<0.05). The evaluation of cytotoxicity indicated that at a concentration of 200 µg/mL, carvacrol and thymol exhibited a more pronounced enhancing effect (98.11±1.64%) compared to the concentration of 5 µg/mL (54.64±2.03%). Furthermore, these compounds significantly mitigated the oxidative stress induced by docetaxel by decreasing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) (P<0.05). Specifically, at the concentration of 200 µg/mL, the levels of ROS and MDA were (13.57±0.09%) and (0.55±0.003%), respectively, in contrast to the levels at 5 µg/mL, which were (20.50±0.59%) and (0.98±0.01%). This demonstrates a notable inhibitory effect on the growth of cancer cells by carvacrol and thymol.
Conclusion: Carvacrol and thymol demonstrate high potential as compounds to improve cell function and reduce the cytotoxicity induced by docetaxel in A549 cancer cells. These findings suggest the potential enhancement of chemotherapy regimens for cancer treatment.

Background and Objective: Clarithromycin-based quadruple treatment is a common treatment regimen for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication in Iran. However, its success rate has been unsatisfactory in recent years due to increasing antibiotic resistance. This study aimed to compare the two treatment regimens, i.e., furazolidone and clarithromycin, for H. pylori eradication.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical retrospective study was conducted on the medical records of 100 symptomatic patients (54 females and 46 males; mean age=45.86±11.97 years) confirmed with H. pylori infection via urea breath test (UBT) or rapid urease test (RUT), who presented to Shahid Sayyad Shirazi Educational-Therapeutic Center in Gorgan, Iran, for endoscopy during 2019. Patients had been treated for two weeks with one of two routine oral quadruple drug regimens based on furazolidone and clarithromycin. The first quadruple drug regimen included bismuth subnitrate 240 mg twice daily, clarithromycin 500 mg twice daily, omeprazole 20 mg once daily, and amoxicillin 1000 mg twice daily. The second quadruple drug regimen involved bismuth subnitrate 240 mg twice daily, furazolidone 200 mg twice daily, omeprazole 20 mg once daily, and amoxicillin 1000 mg twice daily. H. pylori eradication rates were determined using a stool antigen test in patients who completed the entire course of treatment (four weeks after the end of the treatment regimen).
Results: The eradication rates for the furazolidone-based and clarithromycin-based quadruple regimens were determined to be 98% and 94%, respectively, showing no statistically significant difference. The odds ratio for H. pylori eradication was not statistically significantly associated with age, gender, or treatment regimen type.
Conclusion: Both two-week furazolidone-based and clarithromycin-based quadruple regimens were effective in eradicating H. pylori, with neither regimen demonstrating superiority over the other.

Background and Objective: Most Iranian provinces, including Golestan Province, have achieved the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for childhood mortality. However, evidence suggests that mortality rates in some population groups within these regions remain high and concerning. This study aimed to determine the childhood mortality rate in the city of Aqqala in Golestan Province, Iran.
Methods: This descriptive study was conducted on 416 cases (243 males, 172 females, 1 ambiguous genitalia) of mortalities among children aged 0-18 years residing in rural and urban areas of the city of Aqqala from 2017 to 2022. All registered mortalities were extracted from the electronic health record system at Golestan University of Medical Sciences. Incomplete records or those with imprecisely documented causes of mortality were excluded from the study. The causes of childhood mortality were categorized based on the International Classification of Diseases (10^th Revision, 2016). Age divisions were regarded as 0-28 days, 1-12 months, 1-2 years, 2-6 years, 6-12 years, and 12-18 years for neonates, infants, toddlers, preschoolers, school-aged children, and adolescents, respectively.
Results: The overall mortality rate was determined to be 2.15 deaths per 1000 live births, with rates of 23.1 per 1000 live births for male children and 10.3 per 1000 live births for female children. This rate decreased from 22.7 deaths per 1000 live births in 2017 to 12.3 deaths in 2022. The neonatal mortality rate was determined to be 32.8 per 1000 live births, and the infant mortality rate was 5.5 deaths per 1000 live births. The primary causes of mortality, in order of frequency, included certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (28.2%), congenital malformations and chromosomal abnormalities (17.2%), and transport-related accidents (12%).
Conclusion: Despite a declining trend in the overall mortality rate of children under 18 years in the city of Aqqala in Golestan Province, the neonatal mortality rate in this region is alarmingly higher than the Iranian average, necessitating attention and appropriate measures for further evaluation and intervention.