Search

Abstract Background Functional and structural complexities associated with craniosynostosis present challenges for families of affected individuals. Additionally, these patients undergo childhood surgeries that significantly impact the role of the family/caregiver. Consequently, multiple therapeutic teams have provided various guidelines, with the most recent version in 2023 introducing the patient/family guide. The objective of this study was to evaluate the level of awareness among the patient’s family/caregiver regarding the treatment plan. Methods The descriptive-analytical study sample consisted of 117 caregivers (parents) of children diagnosed with craniosynostosis between 2013 and 2023, who were conveniently selected for participation. The self-designed questionnaire was based on the 2023 guidelines and underwent reliability and validity testing. It comprised 14 chapters derived from the literature, with a total of 55 yes/no questions. Results Based on the results obtained from this study, the total correct response rate is 62.3%. The highest level of respondent awareness was associated with Chapter 12, with a correct response rate of 69%. The lowest level of awareness, at 41.8%, was related to Chapter 10. Conclusion It is better to use appropriate educational aids such as educational podcasts based on the latest guidelines for craniosynostosis to educate parents.

Introduction: Diastemamtomyelia is a rare congenital disorder, caused by longitudinal duplication of the spinal cord. Some patients are asymptomatic at birth, leading to delayed diagnosis. The average age of the patients at the time of diagnosis is 5–7.4 years. Adults constitute around 20% of diagnosed cases, with an average age of 37.8 at the time of diagnosis. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can prevent neurological complications. Methods: This retrospective study covers all patients with the primary diagnosis of diastematomyelia at three tertiary referral hospitals in Iran between April 1996 and December 2022. Patients who were followed up for less than a year after surgery and the ones who underwent surgery due to accompanying lesions such as myelomeningocele, were excluded from the study. All patients were operated on using microscopic or loup magnification. Results: This retrospective study included thirty patients diagnosed with diastematomyelia. The mean age of patients was 20.4 years old ranging from 8 months to 63 years old. Eighteen of patients were below 18 and twelve were older than 18 years old, with the mean age of 10.1 and 36 years old, respectively. Six (20 %) of the patients were male, and 24 (80 %) were female, with a gender ratio of 1/4 (M/F). For patients younger than 18 years old, 3 (16.7 %) were boys and 15 (83.3 %) were girls (M/F: 1/5). Within the subgroup of patients older than 18, 3 (25 %) were male and 9 (75 %) were female (M/F: 1/3). Conclusion: Early diagnosis and treatment of diastematomyelia can prevent neurological irreversible complications.

Introduction: Craniosynostosis is a congenital anomaly disturbing children’s cognitive disability and motor status and appearance. The present study aimed to determine the physical and neurocognitive outcomes of children with primary non-syndromic single-suture craniosynostosis. Method: The present cohort study started data collection from the Imam Hossein Hospital of Isfahan in 2019 and continued it until 2022. A total of 70 children with primary non-syndromic single-suture craniosynostosis were selected by the census method and then were included in the study. Children were examined before the treatment and up to one year after the surgery (1,3,6,12 and 15 months), and data were collected using a checklist. Results: A total of 68 children with primary non-syndromic single-suture craniosynostosis were followed up in this study for 15 months. Among them, 72.1% were male, and the skull shapes were Scaphocephaly in 37 children (54.4%). The mean head circumference score increased from one month to 6 months; however, it decreased from 12 months onward. In each examination, the mean HC had a significant difference from the pre-operation stage. The 12-month follow-up indicated that 15 children (25.8%) had cognitive deficits. A total of 7 children (46.7%) had cognitive disability, 3 (20%) had motor problems, 3 (33.3%) had both problems, and 7 (31.8%) improved after the operation. Finally, the cranial index was significantly related to the intra-operative child's age. Conclusion: According to the results, the cranial index is significantly associated with the intra-operative child age and it is probably a more suitable index than the head circumference to investigate the child's appearance.

Abstract Background Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the world's most common gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, and current treatments do not meet patients' demands. This study aimed to investigate melatonin's therapeutic effects on IBS score, GI symptoms, quality of life, and sleep parameters in both groups of IBS patients with and without sleep disorders. Methods In this randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled trial study, 136 patients with a diagnosis of IBS based on ROME IV criteria were enrolled and then divided into two groups respecting having sleep disorders or not. Patients of each group were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive melatonin 6 mg daily (3 mg fasting and 3 mg at bedtime) for 2 months (8 weeks). Blocked randomization was used in this process. All patients were evaluated both at the beginning and the end of the trial regarding IBS score, GI symptoms, quality of life, and sleep parameters through valid questionnaires. Results In both groups of patients with and without sleep disorders, a significant improvement was observed in IBS score and GI symptoms, including the severity and the frequency of abdominal pain, the severity of abdominal bloating, satisfaction with bowel habits, disease's impact on patient's life, and stool consistency; however, there was no significant improvement in the frequency of defecations per week. In patients with sleep disorders, significant improvement in sleep parameters, including subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and daytime dysfunction, was observed, while in patients without sleep disorders, there was no significant improvement in sleep parameters. In addition, quality-of-life improvement was observed in a significant number of melatonin recipients compared to placebo in both groups of patients. Conclusion Melatonin can be considered an effective treatment for improving IBS score, GI symptoms, and quality of life in IBS patients with and without sleep disorders. It is also effective to improve sleep parameters in IBS patients with sleep disorders. Trial registration This study has been registered to the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) with the approval number IRCT20220104053626N2 on the date of 13/02/2022.

BACKGROUND: Appropriate care of patients with definite spinal cord injury or at risk of it in the prehospital and hospital stages requires comprehensive planning in the health system. It is also the requirement of any successful program to explain the needs from the perspective of its stakeholders. Thus, this study aimed to discover the care needs of adults with spinal trauma in prehospital and hospital settings from the perspective of the patient care team. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This qualitative study was conducted with the participation of urban and rural prehospital emergency personnel and emergency departments of educational and therapeutic hospitals affiliated to Isfahan, Tehran, Shiraz, Kermanshah, Ahvaz, and Yasuj Universities of Medical Sciences, through conducting 36 in-depth semi-structured interviews from September to December 2021. Using purposive sampling method, the participants were selected considering the maximum variation. The data saturation was reached after conducting interviews and group discussions with 36 subjects. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis approach. Lundman and Graneheim approach were used for the study rigour. Data were simultaneously analyzed using MAXQDA software version 10. RESULT: During the data analysis, two themes of prehospital care with two main categories (emergency care and management of secondary complications of spinal trauma) and hospital care with two main categories (emergency care and management of secondary complications of spinal trauma) emerged. CONCLUSION: Emergency care and management of secondary complications of spinal cord injury in the prehospital and hospital stages can affect treatment results, improve quality of life, and reduce mortality rate, secondary injuries, and healthcare costs. Thus, identification of the care needs of the adults with spinal trauma from the perspective of the patient care team can help the authorities to plan appropriate interventions.

Introduction: Pneumocephalus refers to the presence of air inside the cranial cavity. The presence of air in the cranial cavity without spinal involvement following penetrating trauma to the spine is a very rare condition. In this report, we present a rare case of pneumocephalus after penetrating spine injury. Moreover, the pathophysiology of pneumocephalus, as well as its recommendations for diagnosis and treatment, will be explained.Case presentation.A 24-year-old man who was transferred to the hospital emergency room following a penetrating back trauma. Physical examination showed a horizontally oriented, deep, and sharp confined wound of about 4 to 5 cm in length, located at the thoracic midline area around the T5 vertebra.Brain CT scan revealed intracranial pneumocephallus. Conclusion: All patients with headache, nausea, vomiting, seizures, dizziness, confusion and focal FNDs after spinal trauma and suspicion of CSF leakage should be managed as having the clinical diagnosis of a tension pneumocephalus.

Key Clinical Message In patients with acute symptoms such as pain, swelling, and erythema of the upper extremities shortly after receiving COVID‐19 vaccines, even inactivated virus vaccines, these symptoms may indicate thrombosis, which may be due to the vaccination. Abstract BBIBP‐CorV COVID‐19 vaccine (Sinopharm vaccine) is an inactivated whole virus vaccine to control the COVID‐19 pandemic. Studies concluded that inactivated COVID‐19 vaccines do not increase the risk of thrombosis. This report presents a 23‐year‐old man with the chief complaint of severe pain, swelling, and erythema of the right upper extremity following his second dose of the Sinopharm vaccine. Duplex ultrasound of the right upper extremity revealed upper extremity deep vein thrombosis, and treatment started with oral anticoagulation. It is probably the first upper extremity deep vein thrombosis case following inactivated COVID‐19 vaccines.

Background and objective: Craniosynostosis is the premature closure of one or more of the cranial sutures, which leads to skull deformities and other complications. Non-syndromic craniosynostosis (NSCS) usually involves only one cranial suture. Unicoronal (UCS) and metopic craniosynostosis (MS) are two common types of NSCS. Correction of fronto-orbital deformity is the main aim of surgical intervention in patients of UCS and MS. In this article, we express our novel technique of bone increment to use a bone graft for reshaping of the orbital rim deformity in patients diagnosed with UCS and MS. Methods: 20 patients (10 UCS and 10 MS) were treated surgically at our institute, between 2020 and 2022. The degree of the needed fronto-orbital advancement was determined preoperatively using full history, preoperative examination, three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) and longitudinal orbital projection. Results: The mean hospital stay, operative time, anesthetic duration, intraoperative blood loss and transfusion showed significantly lower results than the literature. Conclusion: The bone increment technique for fronto-orbital reshaping of patients diagnosed with UCS and MS, is an innovative and efficient reconstructive technique and may provide a valuable and alternative technique and addition in selected cases in craniofacial surgery.

Au-delà des effets des isomères conjugués de l’acide linoléique (conjugated linoleic acid isomers (CLA)) sur la composition corporelle (diminution de la graisse), ces composés bioactifs ont des effets sur la santé humaine, tels que les effets anti-can-céreux, anti-athérogéniques, anti-adipogéniques, anti-diabétiques, antiinflammatoires, impact potentiel sur la cholestérolémie et stimulation de la fonction immunitaire. Les bactéries probiotiques ont été trouvées capables de conjuguer l’acide linoléique. Toutefois, peu d’études ont mis le point sur cette production des isomères conjugués d’acide linoléique par des bactéries intestinales humaines et restent peu concluantes. Leurs effets santé ont été reliés à deux types d’isomères, à savoir le 9cis, 11trans et le 10trans, 12cis. La présente mise au point a pour objet de souligner les données disponibles concernant les effets des isomères CLA sur la santé, en particulier ceux produits par des bactéries probiotiques. Les mécanismes impliqués dans leurs activités sont aussi évoqués. [In addition to their effect on body composition (fat reduction), conjugated linoleic acid isomers (CLA) can play several health benefits, including anti-cancer, anti-atherogenic, anti-adipogenic, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, possible cholesterolemia regulation, and immune function stimulation. Probiotics have been found to produce CLA, however, there is still controversy in the results obtained on the production and effects of human gut bacterial CLA reported in literature. Most of the biological effects have been attributed to cis9, trans11, and trans10, cis12 isomers. The aim of this review was to highlight and discuss how probiotic bacterial CLA isomers provided health benefits.]

Key Clinical Message Patients complaining of rectal bleeding, constipation, and a suspicious mass in colonoscopy should undergo biopsy. Histological features such as fibromuscular obliteration in the lamina propria favor SRUS, a benign disorder.

Abstract A 6‐year‐old girl with persistent headaches and the visual problem was diagnosed as a delayed onset cranial pansynostosis with concurrent type 1.5 Arnold‐Chiari malformation. She underwent multi‐sutural reconstructive surgery and followed. The headache was greatly decreased and tonsillar‐brain stem herniation and syrinx were resolved.

This study aims to screen new LAB from Algerian cow’s milk to assess their probiotic properties. Molecular identification and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry methods were used to identify the LAB isolates. The probiotic potential of isolates was determined with in vitro tests of survival to gastrointestinal conditions (pH 2, 0.3% pepsin, 0.5% bile salts, 0.1% trypsin, and 0.1% pancreatic amylase) and antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Eight isolates were identified as Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (100%) and one isolate as Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (95.75%). The MALDI-TOF MS analysis of the isolates confirms that the strains belong to the group of lactobacilli bacteria, particularly Lactiplantibacillus plantarum. The high survival rate reflects a good strain tolerance to the in vitro host simulated gastrointestinal conditions. All bacteria exhibit an antibacterial activity strain with inhibition zone diameters ranging from 4.9 mm against Aspergillus niger ATCC 106404 to 17.47 mm against Candida albicans ATCC 10231. The antioxidant activity with the highest DPPH scavenging activity (92.15%) was obtained with the LbN09 strain. In light of these results, some of the strains isolated from raw milk of the local Algerian breed cows show promising probiotic properties, giving them a possible use in preserving food from microbial spoilage and oxidation during storage.

Galactomannans are the main component of locust bean gum from the fruit of the carob tree, Ceratonia siliqua L. They are a reserve of polysaccharides, found in the translucent endosperm of the seeds. They are designated as the best gels with thickening capacity and are, therefore, widely used as a natural food additive (E410) in many food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic preparations. In this study, we aim to exploit this gelling property of carob galactomannans in the microencapsulation of lactic bacteria in order to protect them from the negative effects of simulated digestive conditions. Two beneficial bacteria are used: Lactobacillus rhamnosus LBRE-LSAS and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb12. Their survival in the free state or encapsulated in pure carob galactomannan gel combined with xanthan, was determined after residence in simulated in vitro digestive conditions (gastric: pH 2, pepsin 3 g/l and intestinal: bile 0.3%: W/V, pH 6.5. The results obtained show that gel encapsulation of carob galactomannans combined with xanthan improves the survival of these two beneficial strains to simulated digestive hostilities. the loss under gastric conditions 36.79% (3.55 log CFU/mL) for the non-encapsulated cells and only 12% (1.2 log CFU/mL) for the encapsulated ones. However, galactomannans alone do not appear to be effective in keeping a minimum of 106 bacterial cells viable when confronted with the hostile conditions of the digestive tract where they will be called upon to exert their positive effect on health. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7048634

Background: Little is known about the development of acute pancreatitis as a complication of corona virus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) infection. This case report describes the presentation of acute pancreatitis in a young woman who then was diagnosed with COVID-19 infection. Case Presentation: An 18-year old previously healthy woman referred to Imam Raza hospital, Tabriz, Iran with a 3-day history of intermittent and crampy abdominal pain. She had serum amylase of 1288 IU/L and serum lipase of 1541 IU/L. She was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. She was instructed nil per os (NPO) and serum therapy and also was given pantoprazole, and pethidine for her pain management. The laboratory tests for assessing the etiology of acute pancreatitis were normal. Abdominal and pelvic spiral computed tomography (CT) scan revealed edematous pancreas and enhancing loculi fluid accumulation around pancreas along with the small amount of ascites fluid that all suggest acute pancreatitis. Due to the presentation of fever and COVID-19 pandemic and her potential society exposure, we tested SARS CoV-2 by polymerase chain reaction which was positive. The blood C-reactive protein (CRP) level was 3+ but the chest x-ray showed no findings compatible with COVID-19. Eventually after receiving conservative therapy for her pancreatitis, she was discharged from hospital in the good general condition and she has not experienced any episodes of abdominal pain again. Conclusion: This case highlights acute pancreatitis as a suspected complication associated with COVID-19 and the need for further research.

Alkaptonuria (AKU) is an uncommon disorder which is inherited as an autosomal recessive condition. Although intervertebral disc degeneration can be detected in the expected course of AKU, revealing of the disease by black disc color change in old patients without any other clinical manifestation is an extremely uncommon condition. We report two cases of neglected, asymptomatic and unknown AKU presented with degenerative disc disorder. The resected disc materials were dark. As a result clinicians should be aware of these extremely rare types of metabolic multisystem disorders and their association with dark herniated disc.

This study aims to see if probiotic bacteria from human milk could ameliorate oral cow’s milk sensitization. The probiotic potential of the SL42 strain isolated from the milk of a healthy young mother was first determined. Rats were then randomly gavaged with cow’s milk casein without an adjuvant or assigned to the control group. Each group was further subdivided into three groups, with each receiving only Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938, SL42, or a phosphate-buffered saline solution. Body weight, temperature, eosinophils, serum milk casein-specific IgE (CAS-IgE), histamine, and serum S100A8/A9 and inflammatory cytokine concentrations were measured. The animals were sacrificed after 59 days; histological sections were prepared, and the spleen or thymus weights, as well as the diversity of the gut microbiota, were measured. On days 1 and 59, SL42 abridged systemic allergic responses to casein by dropping histamine levels (25.7%), CAS-specific IgE levels (53.6%), eosinophil numbers (17%), S100A8/9 (18.7%), and cytokine concentrations (25.4–48.5%). Analyses of histological sections of the jejunum confirmed the protective effect of probiotic bacteria in the CAS-challenged groups. Lactic acid bacteria and Clostridia species were also increased in all probiotic-treated groups. These findings suggest that probiotics derived from human milk could be used to alleviate cow’s milk casein allergy.

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 20149 (COVID-19) may be associated with the elevated liver enzymes including alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), in which the disease has been associated with more severity. Liver stiffness (LS) is associated with the increased liver enzymes. Liver elastography is a non-invasive technique that is used to evaluate LS. This study aimed to evaluate the functional status of liver and its relationship with liver elastography results in the patients with COVID-19. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 90 patients with COVID-19, whose diagnosis was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, were included. Levels of liver enzymes were measured and the patients underwent liver elastography. Liver size and interquartile range-median (IQR/M) of LS were also measured. Six months later, the patients underwent another liver elastography and measurement of liver enzymes. Results: The frequency of fatty liver in the case group was significantly higher compared to the control group but no significant difference was observed in the frequency of liver fibrosis between two groups. In patients with COVID-19, the LS and IQR/M values at the beginning and six months after recovery were significantly higher in the group with the increased liver enzymes (case) compared to the group without the increased enzymes (control). P value was 0.001. Conclusion: The use of elastography to evaluate LS in the patients with COVID-19 can be significantly effective in assessing the status of liver damage and inflammation of liver tissue. Since elastography is an inexpensive and non-invasive available tool, it can be used mainly in most medical centers.

Background: Craniosynostosis mostly occurs as a single abnormality; however, it may rarely occur concomitantly with other congenital abnormalities known as syndromic craniosynostosis. Cardiac anomalies are among the most common ones occurring coincidentally with craniosynostosis. Nevertheless, the information about the exact prevalence of cardiac anomalies in craniosynostosis has not been well-understood yet. We aimed to assess the prevalence of different cardiac anomalies that coincidence with craniosynostosis. Method: This cross-sectional study was done on 145 patients with craniosynostosis from January 2015 to December 2019. 103 patients with a single-suture involvement were placed in the nonsyndromic group, and the remaining 42 with pansynostosis or the clinical manifestations of Apert, Pfeiffer, Crouzon, and Carpenter syndromes in the syndromic group. The prevalence of cardiac anomalies was evaluated and compared between the groups. Results: The prevalence of congenital cardiac anomalies was 22.3% and 50% in non-syndromic and syndromic cases, respectively (P=0.001). Syndromic boys predominantly presented cardiac anomalies (P=0.85), whereas non-syndromic girls were mostly affected by cardiac anomalies (P=0.75). Age was not associated with congenital cardiac anomalies, neither in non-syndromic (P=0.31) nor in syndromic (P=0.26) patients. The number of affected sutures was not associated with cardiac anomalies (P>0.05). Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) (16.7%), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) (14.3%), and ventricular septal defect (VSD) (11.9%) were the most prominent anomalies found among the syndromic patients, while TR (8.7%), atrial septal defect (ASD) (3.9%), and PDA (3.9%) were common among the non-syndromic ones. Conclusion: Congenital heart disease is a prevalent abnormality among children with craniosynostosis. Therefore, cardiac assessment in craniosynostosis is strongly recommended.

The use of the cervical collar to support the head and neck is inevitable in many patients with head and spinal cord injuries. One of the consequences of using this instrument is the development of pressure injuries. Therefore, in this review study, the incidence of as well as the risk factors for cervical collar-related pressure injury in this group of patients was evaluated. The current study is a scoping review conducted in 2022. Five scientific databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, and CINAHL), as well as Google Scholar, were searched for relevant studies published from 1990 to 2022 using the following keywords: trauma, spinal cord injury, head injury, head trauma, collar, cervical collar, cervical immobilization, risk factors, incidence, pressure injury, pressure ulcer, and bed sore. The search was performed independently by two researchers. Articles from the initial search were first recorded in special tables, and then, were reviewed and analyzed separately by two researchers. After extraction, information from each article was entered into a special table categorized by year, country, study design, study population, the incidence of cervical collar-related pressure injury, risk factors for cervical collar-related pressure injury, and grades of pressure injury. Of the 10 articles, 6 were retrospective cohort studies, 3 were cross-sectional descriptive studies, and 1 was a case report study. In terms of the study population, one study was conducted on pediatric patients, one was conducted on elderly patients, and eight were conducted on adults with head and neck trauma. In eight articles, the incidence of cervical collar-related pressure injury was reported. The reported incidence varied between 1.1% and 78.4%. In eight articles, risk factors for cervical collar-related pressure injury were reported. The most common risk factors were duration of cervical collar use, hospitalization in intensive care units, low level of consciousness, and longer hospital stay. The current review study showed that a significant percentage of head and neck trauma patients for whom cervical collar is used suffer from different grades of pressure injuries. Hence, healthcare providers should consider this issue when caring for this group of patients and take the necessary preventive measures in this regard. It should be noted that previous studies in this field had significant limitations, and thereby, it is strongly recommended to conduct further studies with a stronger methodology.

The enteric pathogen, Salmonella enterica is a major cause of human gastroenteritis globally and with increasing bacterial resistance to antibiotics, alternative solutions are urgently needed. Single domain antibodies (sdAbs), the smallest antibody fragments that retain antigen binding specificity and affinity, are derived from variable heavy-chain only fragments (VHH) of camelid heavy-chain-only immunoglobulins. SdAbs typically contain a single disulfide bond simplifying recombinant protein production in microbial systems. These factors make sdAbs ideally suited for the development of effective anti-bacterial therapeutics. To this end, we generated an anti-Salmonella VHH library from which we screened for high affinity sdAbs. We present a novel sdAb (Abi-Se07) that targets the Salmonella virulence factor, FliC, required for bacterial motility and invasion of host cells. We demonstrate that Abi-Se07 bound FliC with a KD of 16.2 ± 0.1 nM. In addition, Abi-Se07 exhibited cross-serovar binding to whole cells of S. enterica serovar Typhimurium, Heidelberg, and Hadar. Abi-Se07 significantly inhibited bacterial motility and significantly reduced S. enterica colonization in a more native environment of chicken jejunum epithelium. Taken together, we have identified a novel anti-Salmonella sdAb and discuss future efforts toward therapeutic development.

Cucurbita moschata Duchesne (Cucurbitaceae) is a plant food highly appreciated for the content of nutrients and bioactive compounds, including polyphenols and carotenoids, which contribute to its antioxidant and antimicrobial capacities. The purpose of this study was to identify phenolic acids and flavonoids of Cucurbita moschata Duchesne using high-performance liquid chromatography–diode array detection–electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–DAD–ESI-MS) at different ripening stages (young, mature, ripened) and determine its antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. According to the results, phenolic acids and flavonoids were dependent on the maturity stage. The mature fruits contain the highest total phenolic and flavonoids contents (97.4 mg GAE. 100 g−1 and 28.6 mg QE. 100 g−1).A total of 33 compounds were identified. Syringic acid was the most abundant compound (37%), followed by cinnamic acid (12%) and protocatechuic acid (11%). Polyphenol extract of the mature fruits showed the highest antioxidant activity when measured by DPPH (0.065 μmol TE/g) and ABTS (0.074 μmol TE/g) assays. In the antimicrobial assay, the second stage of ripening had the highest antibacterial activity. Staphylococcus aureus was the most sensitive strain with an inhibition zone of 12 mm and a MIC of 0.75 mg L−1. The lowest inhibition zone was obtained with Salmonella typhimurium (5 mm), and the MIC value was 10 mg L−1.

Introduction: Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is the most life-threatening complication of cirrhosis and it's predicting is crucial for the management of cirrhotic patients. The present study aimed to assess the relationship between INR and plasma fibrinogen level and the risk of GI bleeding using in cirrhotic patients. Methods: In the present cross-sectional study, seventy-eight cirrhotic patients were enrolled. We assessed demographic, biochemical, hematologic parameters in all patients. Underlying diseases and the etiology of cirrhosis were documented. The Child-Pugh and the Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores were used to assess the severity of liver cirrhosis. The history of bleeding episodes within 6 months before inclusion were recorded. A blood sample was drowned and fibrinogen and prothrombin time (PT) were measured and INR was calculated. Results: The patients' mean age was 51.23±15.08 years and 40 (51.3%) were male. About 17 patients (%21.7) had a history of GI bleeding within 6 months before the study. The significant difference was observed between the two groups who experienced bleeding and who did not regarding the fibrinogen level (P < 0.05). The fibrinogen level was a better predictive marker of bleeding in cirrhotic patients (AUC: 0.87). According to the results of predictive tests, the fibrinogen level had a sensitivity of (77%) and specificity of (%94) in the prediction of bleeding with the cut-off value of 182.5. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that the fibrinogen level is a better predictor of bleeding in cirrhotic patients compared with INR.

Introduction: Considering that portal hypertension is principally caused by hepatic fibrosis, some studies postulated the predictive value of serum liver fibrosis indices in the diagnosis of portal hypertension. In this study we assessed the prognostic value of serum indices in the diagnosis of portal hypertension in cirrhotic patients. Methods: One hundred two cirrhotic patients were selected according to inclusion/exclusion criteria. Cirrhosis and the Child-Pugh score was determined by the gastroenterologist. Portal hypertension was diagnosed by the radiologist using the color Doppler method. The fasting blood sample was drawn and different serum indices were determined. The following indices were calculated: FIB4, Fibroindex, APRI, FORNS, LOK. Results: The patients mean age was 54.39±6.60 years. About 52.94% of the patients were women. The mean liver enzymes level was higher in patients with portal hypertension. In 50.98% of patients, the etiology of cirrhosis was viral hepatitis. Significant differences was observed between the two groups regarding the studied indices (P

Because propolis contains many types of antioxidant compounds such as polyphenols and flavonoids, it can be useful in preventing oxidative damages. Ethyl acetate extracts of propolis from several Algerian regions show high activity by scavenging free radicals, preventing lipid peroxidation and inhibiting myeloperoxidase (MPO). By fractioning and assaying ethyl acetate extracts, it was observed that both polyphenols and flavonoids contribute to these activities. A correlation was observed between the polyphenol content and the MPO inhibition. However, it seems that kaempferol, a flavonoid, contributes mainly to the MPO inhibition. This molecule is in a high amount in the ethyl acetate extract and demonstrates the best efficiency towards the enzyme with an inhibiting concentration at 50% of 4 ± 2 µM.

Campylobacter jejuni is the leading cause of bacterial foodborne illness in the world, with symptoms ranging from acute diarrhea to severe neurological disorders. Contaminated poultry meat is a major source of C. jejuni infection, and therefore, strategies to reduce this organism in poultry, are expected to reduce the incidence of Campylobacter-associated diseases. We have investigated whether oral administration of C. jejuni-specific single-domain antibodies would reduce bacterial colonization levels in chickens. Llama single-domain antibodies specific for C. jejuni were isolated from a phage display library generated from the heavy chain IgG variable domain repertoire of a llama immunized with C. jejuni flagella. Two flagella-specific single-domain antibodies were pentamerized to yield high avidity antibodies capable of multivalent binding to the target antigen. When administered orally to C. jejuni-infected two-day old chicks, the pentabodies significantly reduced C. jejuni colonization in the ceca. In vitro, the motility of the bacteria was also reduced in the presence of the flagella-specific pentabodies, suggesting the mechanism of action is through either direct interference with flagellar motility or antibody-mediated aggregation. Fluorescent microscopy and Western blot analyses revealed specific binding of the anti-flagella pentabodies to the C. jejuni flagellin.