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Background & Objective: Dyslipidemia and smoking are among the most important medical problems in human society. Their share in the mortality of coronary heart disease (CHD) has led to multiple investigations about them. This study was done to determine the prevalence of dyslipidemia and the effect of cigarette usage on it. Materials & Methods: This epidemiological cross-sectional study was carried out on 9632 persons selected randomly in Tehran urban with a minimum age of 20 years and over. We measured fasting blood sugar, blood sugar 2 hours after 75 grams oral glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol. Degree of physical activity was registered according to Lipid Research Clinics classification. Anthropometrics data, social condition, family history and smoking exactly delineated. Our patients were divided into: those having normal lipid profile and primary dyslipidemia (without any risk factor for dyslipidemia) and secondary dyslipidemia (having one or more risk factors such as diabetes mellitus). ANOVA, t.test, and logistic were used to analyze the level of significance. Results: Our population sample consisted of 5619 female and 4013 male. 68.5% of our cases had dyslipidemia. 65.8% of females and 72.3% of males had at least one type of dyslipidemia. There were 1085 smokers (11.4%) that 73.2% of them were dyslipidemic. With comparing smokers to nonsmokers shows that in smokers HDL.cholesterol, LDL.cholesterol and total cholesterol had decreased and triglyceride increased (p<0.05). Conclusion: Tehran population suffers from dyslipidemia. Large number of secondary dyslipidemia and smoking highlighted the importance of education to overcome to these preventable and modifiable factors.

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Background and Objective: One of the most important routes of hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission is from asymptomatic carrier mothers to their infants. It has been concluded that over 50% of Iranian carriers have contracted the infection perinatally, making this the most likely route of transmission of HBV in our country. In this study, we assessed the rate of HBV infection in children were born to HBsAg positive mothers that received hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) and the first dose of vaccine at birth and the second and third of doses of vaccine at 1 and 6 months of age, respectively. Materials and Methods: In this descreptive study, 123 infants born from HBsAg positive mothers assessed and serum sample of these subjects were tested by ELISA technique for detection of HBsAg, Anti-HBs and Anti-HBc markers. Data were then analyzed by the chi-square and fisher exact tests. Results: From 31241 pregnant women with delivery during this 5-years study about 140 (0.45%) of them were HBsAg positive. Children born to these mothers follow-up and 123 serum samples of them tested for serologic markers of HBV infection. HBsAg was found in 0.8% of the children and 91.9% had one or more serologic markers of HBV infection. Protective rate (Anti-HBs positive) and Anti-HBc positive were 82.1% and 8.9% respectively. Conclusion: This study showed that after having focuced on the vertical transmission route for many years, and implementing strategies such as vaccination and HBIG injection to neonates of HBsAg positive mothers, nowadays it seems that we should pay attention to horizontal route of HBV transmission in this area.

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Background and Objective: Many different factors and problems can cause infertility. This study carried out to compare NK, T and B lymphocyte populations in peripheral blood of fertile and infertile women.

Materials and Methods: In this case - control study 30 infertile women and 15 non pregnant women participated. The non pregnant women had a history of at least two alive children as a control group. The monoclonal antibodies and flowcytometry were used for evaluation of T cell subpopulations (CD3, CD4, CD8), B cells (CD22) and NK cells (CD56) in fertile and infertile women.

Results: NK cells (CD56) significantly increased in infertile women compared with control groups (P=0.009) and T lymphocytes CD3, CD4 significantly reduced in infertile women compared with fertile women (P=0.013, P=0.004, respectively). CD4/CD8 ratio reduced in infertile women compared with fertile women (P=0.05). There was no difference in B cells and CD8 T cells in infertile women compared with controls.

Conclusion: This study showed that NK cells increase and CD4 T lymphocytes reduce in infertile women. Our results suggest the immunological alterations may be related to infertility.

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Background and Objective: Alzheimer's disease is an age-related disease that is characterized by dementia and loss of neurons in the brain. It has been shown that brain oxidative stress plays an important role in aging and neurodegenerative disorders. This study was done to evaluate the effect of grape seed extract (GSE) on memory impairment induced by intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of streptozotocin (STZ) in animal model of Alzheimer's disease.

Methods: In this experimental study, Eighty adult male Wistar rats were randomly allocated into control, sham, grape seed extract (100 mg/kg/bw, 30 days, orally) plus STZ and STZ plus grape seed extract. Animals memory were evaluated using Morris water maze, shuttle box and T maze tests.

Results: Intracerebroventricular injection of STZ caused memory corruption in all tests. Administration of GSE before and after of administration of intracerebroventricular STZ in the Morris water maze test, significantly reduced latency to get to the hidden platform compared to Alzheimer's group (P<0.05). The latency to enter the dark compartment in passive avoidance memory test significantly increased in compare to animal model of Alzheimer's disease (P<0.05). The selection of the right arm of the T-maze test in animals that received grape seed extract before and after of STZ injection significantly increased compared to animal model of Alzheimer's disease(P<0.05).

Conclusion: Grape seed extract has important effect in prevention and improving memory impairment induced by intracerebventricular injection of STZ.

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Background and Objective: Neuropathic pain is a large and difficult group of peripheral nerve diseases, which are complicated to treat. This study was designed to determine the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on psychological well-being and pain perception among patients with chronic neuropathic pain.
Methods: This clinical trial was performed on 30 patients with chronic neuropathic pain who were referred to the Rohani Hospital and private clinic of a neurologist in Babol (Iran) in 2022. The patients were randomly divided into an interventional and a control group. The patients completed the psychological well-being scale (Ryff) and pain belief and perception inventory (Williams and Thorn) in the pretest. Then, ACT (120 minutes) was performed for the interventional group, 8 sessions a week. The patients completed the scales after the treatment course and 2 months after the posttest.
Results: In the first follow-up, there were significant differences between the two groups in terms of total score of psychological well-being (P<0.05), the subscales of self-acceptance (P<0.05), positive relationships with others (P<0.05), autonomy (P<0.05), environmental mastery (P<0.05), purpose in life (P<0.05), personal growth (P<0.05), the total score of pain perception (P<0.05), the subscales of belief in the stability of pain in the present (P<0.05) and belief in the mysteriousness of pain (P<0.05). The treatment results were maintained in the second follow-up phase. In the first follow-up, the subscales of belief in the continuation of pain in the future and belief in self-blame did not differ significantly between the two groups, but in the second follow-up, the subscales of belief in the continuation of pain in the future (P<0.05) and belief in self–blame (P<0.05) differed significantly between the two groups. In addition, the average psychological well-being in the intervention group was higher than that in the control group, and the average pain perception in the intervention group was lower than that in the control group.
Conclusion: This study shows the ACT could be an effective intervention for improving psychological well-being and pain perception among patients with chronic neuropathic pain.