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Background and Objective: It seems that using a combination of aerobic and anaerobic exercises (resistance exercises) can induce beneficial physical, psychological, and social effects on hemodialysis patients who are encountered with various stressors. This study aimed to determine the effect of combined aerobic and anaerobic exercises on quality of life in hemodialysis patients. Materials and Methods: In this study we used a pre and post semi-experimental design with two comparison groups. The subjects consisted of 74 patients from two hemodialysis centers affiliated to Zanjan University of Medical Sciences. All subjects were randomly allocated into two groups. Kidney Disease Quality of Life- Short Form (KDQOL-SF) was used to assess quality of life in patients with kidney disease. Results: The results showed that the mean and standard deviation of quality of life before the intervention in the combined exercises group was 47.7 ± 15.56 and in the aerobic exercise group was 41.1 ± 11.51. But after the intervention, the mean and standard deviation of quality of life in the combined exercises group increased to 77.1±28.06 and in the aerobic exercise group increased to 56.4 ± 12.78 indicating significant differences between the two groups (P<0.0001). Both aerobic and combined exercises increased quality of life in hemodialysis patients. Though, the effect of the combined exercises during the hemodialysis was outstanding in enhancing quality of life in hemodialysis patients in comparison to aerobic exercises alone. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the aerobic exercises, especially combined exercises in hemodialysis patients may lead to an increase in their quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resistance to recombinant erythropoietin (rEPO) in hemodialysis patients may be due to inadequate iron recruitment and defect in iron use. In this cross over randomized clinical trial, 30 hemodialysis patients with serum ferritin levels of ≥500 ng/ml, hemoglobin ≤11.0 g/dl, and transferrin saturation (TSAT) of 20% or less were administrated intravenous iron (50-100 mg/wk) and rEPO (120- 360 U/kg/wk) for 6 months. Patients were excluded if there was a clear explanation for rEPO hyporesponsiveness. Patients were divided into two groups. Group1 received standard care and 500 mg of intravenous ascorbic acid (IVAA) with each dialysis session in the first week of each month for a total of 3 months. Group 2 received standard care only. After 2 month washout period, groups were crossed over. Each month hemoglobin (Hb) was assessed. Iron, TIBC (transferrin iron binding capacity), TSAT, iPTH (intact parathyroid hormone), liver enzymes, albumin and cholesterol levels were measured every 3 months. After 3 months of intervention, Hb significantly increased from 10.11 to 12.19 g/dl (P < 0.001; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.7-1.4) and TSAT increased from 18.9 to 28.1% (P = 0.008; 95% CI 0.09-3), while ferritin and serum iron declined significantly from 1391 to 938 ng/ml (P = 0.001; 95% CI 216-689), 97.2 to 64.6 (P = 0.001; 95% CI 14.8-50.4) in the study group. Change of Hb over time in IVAA group was significant (P < 0.0005). There were significant differences between two groups in change of Hb level over time (P < 0.0005) and treatment effect (P = 0.002). Baseline laboratory tests were similar in the two groups and there was no carry over effect at phase 2. We showed that low amount of IVAA could reduce ferritin level and enhance Hb and TSAT, suggesting improved iron utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The role of metabolic syndrome (MS) in hemodialysis population has not been thoroughly studied. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of MS and to identify its correlates among hemodialysis patients. Materials and Methods. This cross-sectional study was conducted on patients in a hemodialysis center. The MS was defined according the Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Clinical data of the patients were collected and blood samples were studied to measure fasting blood glucose and lipid profile. Results. Eighty hemodialysis patients, including 47 men (58.8%) and 33 women (41.2%) with a mean age of 55.6 ± 15.6 years, were enrolled in this study. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed in 23 patients (28.7%). Hypertension was present in 55 patients (68.8%). Fifteen patients (18.8%) were diabetic, 24 (30.0%) had a high serum triglyceride, 22 (27.5%) had a low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and 20 (25.0%) had evidence of abdominal obesity. Patients with MS had significantly higher body mass indexes (P < .001), fasting blood glucose levels (P < .001), and triglyceride levels (P = .004). Metabolic syndrome was not associated with gender, age, and duration of hemodialysis. Men showed significant abnormality in glucose metabolism (P = .008). Prevalence of low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly higher in the women than in the men (P = .02). Conclusions. The prevalence of MS in our hemodialysis patients was relatively high, with the most common element being hypertension. We suggest that there needs to be a new set of criteria defined for MS in hemodialysis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Helicobacter pylori infection can be diagnosed by biopsy-based or noninvasive methods. Our aim was to identify H pylori-positive patients on hemodialysis by the noninvasive method of H pylori stool antigen (HPSA) and investigate its diagnostic accuracy for assessment of the eradication of infection after treatment in comparison with urea breath test (UBT). Materials and Methods. Serology, HPSA, and UBT were performed on 87 hemodialysis patients. Infection with H pylori was confirmed if at least 2 tests were positive. Patients with H pylori infection received a 2-week course of triple therapy. To evaluate success of eradication HPSA and UBT were done after 8 weeks. Results. Eighty-seven patients were enrolled in the study, of whom 39 (44.8%) were proved to have H pylori infection. The HPSA was positive in the stool specimens of 37 patients (42.5%) and the serology test was positive in 39 (44.8%). The HPSA had a 87.1% sensitivity and a 93.7% specificity for detection of H pylori infection. Thirty-seven patients completed the treatment period. Success of H pylori eradication was documented in 30 of the 37 patients (81.1%) based on UBT. After the treatment, the HPSA was negative in 32 of 37 of the stool specimens (86.4%), showing a 42.8% sensitivity and a 93.3% specificity to detect the failure of eradication of H pylori. Conclusions. Helicobacter pylori stool antigen assay is a noninvasive reliable tool to screen H pylori infection before therapy and assess the success of eradication in patients on hemodialysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research on the relationship between dietary phytochemical intake and the anthropometric indices as well as the diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) remains inconsistent. We aimed to investigate the associations of dietary phytochemical index (DPI) with the novel anthropometric indices and the severity of DFUs., Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 339 adults with type 2 diabetes. Dietary intake was assessed using three 24-hour dietary recalls. To quantify the phytochemical content of the diet, the DPI estimation was done through an equation proposed by McCarty. The International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) criteria and Wagner classification system were applied to assess DFUs. New anthropometric indices including a body shape index (ABSI), body roundness index (BRI) and abdominal volume index (AVI) were calculated based on formulas. We employed analysis of variance (ANOVA), analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and logistic regression to explore associations between DPI and the anthropometric indices and DFU variables., Results: Our results revealed no significant association between DPI and the foot ulcer indices, following adjusting for the possible covariates. Furthermore, we also examined the relationship between diabetic neuropathy, as measured by monofilament score, and the DPI. Similarly, we did not find any substantial relationship between the DPI and monofilament score (OR: 1.18; 95% CI: 0.66-2.09; P trend = 0.56), as well as biochemical indices. Our analysis did not reveal any significant associations between the DPI and ABSI (OR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.35-1.38; P trend = 0.30), BRI (OR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.33-1.95; P trend = 0.59), and AVI (OR: 1.99; 95% CI: 0.92-4.33; P trend = 0.08)., Conclusions: Our study revealed no significant links between the DPI and foot ulcer indices, neuropathy measures, and anthropometric indices. These findings imply that factors beyond dietary phytochemical intake may exert greater influence on the development of foot ulcers in diabetes., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Research indicates that bitter melon could be useful in the management of dyslipidemia. Still, there is disagreement concerning the findings. This systematic study was undertaken to clarify the impact of consuming bitter melon on lipid profile. The databases Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Scopus were queried from inception until February 9, 2023. The study assessed triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. The effect sizes were calculated using weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Eight randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with a total of 423 participants were included. Bitter melon consumption resulted in a significant decrease in plasma concentrations of TC (WMD; -9.71 mg/dL; CI: -17.69 to -1.74, p = 0.01) and TG (WMD; -10.24 mg/dL; CI: -19.92 to -0.56, p = 0.03), while bitter melon did not significantly lower blood LDL-C (WMD; -8.66 mg/dL; CI: -19.83 to 2.50, p = 0.12) and HDL-C concentrations (WMD; 0.54 mg/dL; CI: -2.38 to 3.45, p = 0.71). Subgroup analysis showed a significant decrease in TC and LDL-C and an increase in HDL-C at a dose of ≤ 2000 mg/day and an intervention period of ≤ 8 weeks. Also, the greatest impact of LDL-C and HDL-C was seen in diabetic and prediabetic people. Bitter melon supplementation positively impacts TC and TG levels. The limitations of this study were short-term trials (less than 3 months)., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Previous studies have assessed how supplementing with policosanol affects blood sugar levels. The outcomes, nevertheless, were not constant. Multiple electronic databases were searched including ISI Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus until February 9, 2023. To assess the effects of policosanol on glucose, we employed a random-effects or fixed-effects meta-analysis approach to examine the weighted mean differences (WMDs) and associated 95 % confidence intervals (CI) before and after policosanol and placebo administration. The final analysis comprised a total of 25 trials with 2680 participants. Compared to the control group, policosanol supplementation significantly reduced blood glucose levels (WMD: -2.24 mg/dl; 95 % CI: -4.05, -0.42, P = 0.01). Findings from subgroup analysis revealed a significant reduction of policosanol supplementation on glucose levels in period of less than 24 weeks, and in individuals below 50 years of age. Additionally, the reduction was statistically significant in dosage of 10 mg/day. Our dose-response analysis indicates no evidence of a non-linear relationship between policosanol dose and duration and changes in glucose levels (P-nonlinearity = 0.52, and P-nonlinearity = 0.52, respectively). Policosanol supplementation might improve blood glucose. Further trials with more complex designs are required to confirm the findings., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Diabetes can cause nerve damage, vascular issues, and reduced blood flow to organs such as the feet, leading to foot deformities and ulcers due to high glucose levels. A healthy dietary pattern like DASH can improve insulin sensitivity and weight loss. Due to limited data and rare evidence, our study aims to investigate the relationship between DASH diet adherence and anthropometric, cardiovascular, and foot ulcer indicators., Methods: The study included 339 diabetic patients with foot ulcers (122 females and 217 males). The study gathered data on patient dietary intake, anthropometric measurements, biochemistry, foot ulcers, and novel atherogenic risk factors per international definitions., Results: The average BMI of the participants was 29.2 ± 5.0, 28.1 ± 4.3, and 28.2 ± 4.2 in the tertiles of DASH index (P-value: 0.18). By increasing the adherence to the DASH index, the monofilament score did not change significantly OR: 1.47; CI: (0.81-2.67). Also, foot ulcer area did not change significantly between DASH tertiles OR: 1.01; CI: (0.56-1.83). Atherogenic risk factors also decreased among the DASH tertiles, but statistically not significant., Conclusion: DASH adherence did not change neuropathy score and cholindex and cardiovascular risk factors significantly and has no significant effect on foot ulcer size., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors have no financial or non-financial interests directly or indirectly related to the submitted work., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Tehran University of Medical Sciences 2024. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Garcinia cambogia (GC) has antioxidant, anticancer, antihistamine, and antimicrobial properties. To determine the effect of GC on lipid profiles, a systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out. Up to February 9, 2023, six electronic databases (Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar) were searched at any time without limitations. Trials examining the impact of GC on serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in adults were included. The total effect was shown as a weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) in a random-effects meta-analysis approach. This systematic review and meta-analysis included 14 trials involving 623 subjects. Plasma levels of TC (WMD: -6.76 mg/dL; CI: -12.39 to -0.59, p-value = 0.032), and TG (WMD: -24.21 mg/dL; CI: -37.84 to -10.58, p < 0.001) were significantly reduced after GC use, and plasma HDL-C (WMD: 2.95 mg/dL; CI: 2.01 to 3.89, p < 0.001) levels increased. low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (WMD: -1.15 mg/dL; CI: -16.08 to 13.78, p-value = 0.880) were not significantly affected. The effects of lowering TC and TG were more pronounced for periods longer than 8 weeks. Consuming GC has a positive impact on TC, TG, and HDL-C concentrations. The limitations of this study include the short duration of analyzed interventions and significant heterogeneity. Nevertheless, it is imperative to conduct well-structured, and high-quality long-term trials to comprehensively evaluate the clinical effectiveness of GC on lipid profile, and validate these findings., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background Interdialytic weight gain (IDWG) is a marker of higher pre-dialysis blood pressure, nutrition, and survival in hemodialysis (HD) patients. However, this relationship is incompletely characterized. In this study, we seek to define the association of IDWG/dry weight x100 (IDWG%) on blood pressure (BP), and the nutritional status of an HD population. Material and Methods This study was performed on 300 HD patients. The data was collected over four weeks, including total IDWG, IDWG%, and blood pressure. Normalized protein nitrogen appearance (nPNA), and serum albumin were used as markers of nutritional status. Participants were divided into three groups according to the mean of the IDWG% between two sessions of HD (group A < 3%, group B = 3% - 3.9%, and group C ≥ 4%); they were then compared on various aspects. Student t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and linear regression analysis were used as statistical tools. Results The mean (± standard deviation (SD)) age was 61.7 ± 14.2 years with 57.7% of the patients being male and 42.3% being female. The mean IDWG% for the whole studied population was 3.72% ± 1.73%. Between these three groups, a higher IDWG% was associated with younger males (p = 0.032), lower dry weight (p = 0.009), and longer duration on HD therapy (p = 0.009). IDWG% was directly associated with lower pre-dialysis serum sodium (p = 0.04), higher pre-dialysis serum creatinine (P = 0.002), and lower body mass index (BMI) (p= 0.003). Between these three groups, interdialytic variations in weight gain were not associated with increased BP. There was no significant difference between the three groups in terms of nPNA and serum albumin.  Conclusions The most important associations of IDWG% are age, weight, pre-dialysis sodium, serum creatinine, and duration of dialysis (months). There was no association between IDWG% and increased systolic BP. IDWG% had no association with nutritional status., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2021, Jalalzadeh et al.)

Treatment of snakebite complications is challenging, as it is difficult to distinguish what kind of antivenins should be used. Kidney failure as a result of rhabdomyolysis or hemolysis may happen due to accumulated fluids that increase the pressure in the abdomen. This case report describes acute kidney failure probably due to intra-abdominal hypertension following an unknown bite.

Accurate and early diagnosis of vertical root fractures (VRFs) is imperative to prevent extensive bone loss and unnecessary endodontic and prosthodontic treatments. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of time lapse on the diagnostic accuracy of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) for VRFs in endodontically treated dog's teeth. Forty-eight incisors and premolars of three adult male dogs underwent root canal therapy. The teeth were assigned to two groups: VRFs were artificially induced in the first group (n=24) while the teeth in the second group remained intact (n=24). The CBCT scans were obtained by NewTom 3G unit immediately after inducing VRFs and after one, two, three, four, eight, 12 and 16 weeks. Three oral and maxillofacial radiologists blinded to the date of radiographs assessed the presence/absence of VRFs on CBCT scans. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy values were calculated and data were analyzed using SPSS v.16 software and ANOVA. The total accuracy of detection of VRFs immediately after surgery, one, two, three, four, eight, 12 and 16 weeks was 67.3%, 68.7%, 66.6%, 64.6%, 64.5%, 69.4%, 68.7%, 68% respectively. The effect of time lapse on detection of VRFs was not significant (p>0.05). Overall sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of CBCT for detection of VRFs were 74.3%, 62.2%, 67.2% respectively. Cone beam computed tomography is a valuable tool for detection of VRFs. Time lapse (four months) had no effect on detection of VRFs on CBCT scans.

Background: The metabolic syndrome (MeS) is a common risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) in the general population., Objectives: We examined the association between MeS and its risk in terms of CHD in patients on hemodialysis (HD)., Patients and Methods: This study was conducted on 300 patients on HD in six HD centers during March 2012. Patients were divided in two groups regarding presence of MeS. The rate of CHD were evaluated in each group and compared with each other., Results: A total of 300 patients on HD, 173 males and 127 females with mean age of 61.7 ± 14.2, were enrolled in the study. Prevalence of MeS was 50.3%; hypertension, 83.7%; diabetes mellitus, 52%; high triglyceride level, 34%, low HDL cholesterol, 48.3%; and abdominal obesity, 41.3%. During the study, the CHD was more frequent in patients with MeS (27.8%) than was in those without MeS (14.1%) (P = 0.004). In addition, stroke happened more frequently in the MeS group than in those without MeS (30.5% vs. 17.4%; P = 0.008). The mean number of criteria for MeS was not significantly associated with mortality causes (CHD, 2.7 ± 1.3; stroke, 2.8 ± 0.9; other causes, 2.9 ± 1.3 P = 0.78). However, hypertension (89.3%) and diabetes mellitus (53.8%) were associated with increased risk for mortality. In the group of MeS, CHD were not significantly associated with serum albumin, calcium, phosphate, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, ferritin, C-reactive protein, and KT/V; but there was significant association with white blood cells count (P < 0.0002)., Conclusions: These findings suggested MeS might be an important risk factor for CHD, but not for mortality due to CHD in patients on HD.

Background: Patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) can be sustained with dialysis therapy., Objectives: In this study, we followed up the effect of early acute and late acute rejections on survival rates of patients' grafts., Patients and Methods: We investigated the timing and frequency of acute rejection episodes related to long-term patient-graft survival in Taleghani hospital between 1990 and 2011. Recipients were divided into three groups as Group-1 (no rejection), Group-2 (early acute rejection [EAR]: less than 3-months) and Group-3 (late acute rejection [LAR]: after 3 months of transplant)., Results: One and five-year patient's survival rates were 94.87% and 93.8%, and graft survival (GS) rates were 92.6% and 81.9%. EAR and LAR occurred in 125 (18.8%) and 77 (11.7%) patients, respectively. Graft and patient survival rates at one and five years were as follows; Group-1 (Graft 96.7% and 94.5% patient: 97.4% and 96.8%), Group-2 (Graft: 72% and 61%, patient: 85.6% and 84%), Group-3 (Graft: 84.4% and 36.8%, patient: 92.2% and 89.4%). Recipient age, type and length of dialysis, number of transplantations and the status of panel reactivity antibody (PRA) had no effect on the type of rejection. LAR was more commonly associated with males (P = 0.001) and donors' age was associated with rejection (P = 0.0002). Five-year GS rate among the three groups was lower in the LAR group (P < 0.0001)., Conclusions: LAR had a negative impact on long-term renal allograft survival and the risk of chronic graft dysfunction increased in patients with a history of LAR.

Background: Biofilm formation of Staphylococcus epidermidis is a major etiological factor of inducing device-related infections., Objectives: The ability of biofilm formation by the S. epidermidis was assessed in vitro on two brands of foldable (hydrophilic) and two brands of rigid (hydrophobic) intraocular lens materials in order to investigate the role of lens material in postoperative endophthalmitis., Materials and Methods: To ensure reproducibility of biofilm formation on intraocular lenses, two strains of S. epidermidis and three quantification methods were performed. The S. epidermidis strains, DSMZ3270 (biofilm-producer) and ATCC12228 (non-biofilm-producer) were applied. Organisms were cultivated on disks of different brands of foldable hydrophilic Intra Ocular Lens (IOL) made of acrylic (Didar, Iran; (A) and Omni, India; (B)), and rigid hydrophobic IOL made of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA; Didar, Iran; (C) and Hexavision, France; (D)). Biofilms were stained with crystal violet (CV) dye, which is an index of biofilm formation. The bacterial population was counted after biofilm homogenization. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was performed to examine the extent of biofilm formation., Results: Adherence of DSMZ3270 strain on both types of foldable and rigid IOLs, was significantly more than ATCC12228 (P < 0.001-0.05 and, P < 0.01-0.05, respectively). The bacterial populations between the lenses were significantly different (P < 0.05). Subsequent studies demonstrated significant differences between brands of foldable and PMMA IOLs. According to statistical analyses the incubation time influenced the biofilm formation on both types of IOLs which meant that by increasing incubation time, the biofilm formation increased. According to the SEM pictures, biofilm seems to be lysed at 72 hours., Conclusions: These data demonstrated that the attachment of bacteria to hydrophilic acrylic IOLs was more than hydrophobic PMMA ones independent of the brand. According to these results the bacterial strain might have more hydrophilic properties. Augmenting the biomass of biofilm by passing of time demonstrated the key role of time in biofilm formation on the IOL surfaces. The differences between IOL brands in the biofilm formation indicated the influence of design parameters for IOLs.

To compare a triple-therapy regimen based on change of antibiotic (azithromycin and clarithromycin) for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori in hemodialysis (HD) patients, we studied in a prospective, randomized, double-blinded clinical trial 39 patients who had dyspepsia and showed two positive results from the diagnostic tests of H. pylori infection including anti-H. pylori serology and stool antigen (HpSAg) and urease breath test (UBT). The patients were divided into two groups: Group-A received omeprazol 20 mg, amoxycilin 500 mg and clarithromycin 500 mg twice a day and Group-B received omeprazol 20 mg, amoxicillin 500 mg and azithromycin 250 mg twice a day. The adverse events and compliance with triple therapy were reviewed at one visit per week. Both groups were prescribed their medications for 14 days. Of the 39 patients, only 37 patients completed the treatment schedule (20 men and 19 women, with the mean being 59 years). Two patients died due to myocardial infarction before the start of treatment and were out of the study. The eradication rate of H. pylori, evaluated by negative results of UBT, was 82.4% in Group-A and 80% in Group-B (P-value = 1.0). The results of our study showed no significant difference of azitromycin versus claritromycin in the eradication of H. pylori infection in HD patients.

Background: The effectiveness of health care and health policy developments are often determined by health-related quality of life (HRQOL) assessment., Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore the potential corresponding factors and traditional biomarkers of HRQOL in a large number of Iranian hemodialysis patients., Patients and Methods: A total of 6,930 chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients enrolled. KDCS-SF version 1.3 questionnaire was used to assess the health related quality of life (HRQOL). We pooled PCS, MCS and KDCS scores with random effect model from 19 similar studies performed between 1996 and 2010., Results: The mean age was 54.4 ± 17.1 years. Mean PCS, MCS and KDCS scores obtained for the study cohort were 40.79 ± 20.10, 47.79 ± 18.31 and 57.97 ± 11.70, respectively; the total score of SF-36 plus KDCS was 51.12 ± 13.41 as well. The most common primary known disease was hypertension (31.9%) and the second etiology was diabetes (25.5%). In multilevel logistic regression, Kt/V between 1 and 1.2 and PCS, KDCS more than 50 were considered as a significant reduction in the risk of hospitalization., Conclusions: This study showed that PCS and MCS score were slightly more than overall results while KDCS was slightly less than overall results. In addition, dialysis adequacy with Kt/V between 1 and 1.2 is associated with lower rate of hospitalization.

Background: In dialysis patients, chronic infections have been associated with cachexia and anorexia., Objectives: This study was carried out to determine the association between Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection and body mass index (BMI) in hemodialysis (HD) patients., Patients and Methods: Ninety eight patients were divided into two groups of negative (group 1) and positive (group 2), for HP. BMI of all patients was measured at the beginning and in group2 after six months following eradication of HP. Before dialysis, various paraclinical parameters were checked at the same intervals., Results: Fifty-nine patients were enrolled in group 1 and 39 patients in group 2. The means of BMI in groups 1 and 2 were 23.4±3.7 and 25.8±4.4kg/m², respectively. Prior to the study, there was no significant difference for BMI, duration of HD and paraclinic data between two groups. Group 2 took anti HP therapy and eradication occurred in 30 of them. In this group six months after eradication of HP, the BMI was significantly decreased from 25.02±4.4 to 24.4±4.0 kg/m² (P = 0.001). Also six months following the eradication of HP, the mean of serum albumin level was significantly declined from 4.2 to 3.7 g/L (P<0.001). There was also significant decrease in cholesterol (P=0.001), blood urea nitrogen (P=0.005) and calcium (P=0.02). However, significant increase in hemoglobin level was also seen (P=0.03)., Conclusions: The results of this study show that eradication of HP has an impact on BMI. The results need to be investigated with larger cases.

Background: Hepatitis-B virus (HBV) infection is a big problem in chronic kidney disease (CKD) population. We attempted to compare the response rate to HB vaccine in CKD stages3-4 patients with that in hemodialysis (CKD stage-5; HD patients) and medical staff., Materials and Methods: Three hundred and three participants were enrolled into the study to test the seroconversion rate after vaccination. Participants formed three groups: Group-A:HD patients, Group-B: diagnosed with CKD stages 3-4, and Group-C: healthy medical staff. CKD stages 3-4 participants were vaccinated from February to November 2010. HD patients were vaccinated at the time of initial HD. While the medical staffs were vaccinated at the time they started working at the hospital. Group-A, Group-B and Group-C received four 40μg (in 0,1,2 and 6 months), three 40μg (0, 1 and 6 months) and three 20μg (0, 1and 6 months) doses of HB vaccine, respectively. Three months after completion of the vaccination schedule, seroconversion and seroprotection rates in each group were investigated., Results: Seroconversion rates were 44.3%, 89.7%, and 96.2% for groups A, B and C, respectively. CKD stages 3-4 patients showed higher response rate than dialysis patients [χ(2)(1):30.6, P <0.001]. But a significant difference in the seroconversion rate between CKD stages 3-4 patients and medical staffs was not observed [χ(2)(1):3.4, P = 0.064]. Multivariate analyses showed patients with more advanced CKD and who were older had less seroconversion rates [odds ratio: 0.09(95%CI: 0.04 - 0.25) and [odds ratio: 0.39(95% CI: 0.18-0.85)], respectively. But sex was not associated with seroconversion (P>0.05)., Conclusion: Stages 3-4 patients with higher dosages of routine HB vaccine had higher seroconversion rate than HD patients. Future studies should evaluate the recommended dosage of HB vaccine among these patients.

Background: Helicobacter pylori eradication with clarithromycin is more expensive than with azithromycin., Objectives: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of these two antibiotics in eradicating H. pylori in hemodialysis (HD) patients., Patients and Methods: This is a prospective, randomized, double-blinded clinical trial analysis of HD patients. Patients who had dyspepsia and showed positive results for two of three tests, anti-H. pylori serology, H. pylori stool antigen (HpSAg), or Urease Breath Test (UBT), were included in the study. The subjects consisted of 39 dialysis patients who were randomly divided into two groups that received medication twice daily. Group OAC received 20 mg omeprazol, 500 mg amoxycilin, and 250 mg clarithromycin, and Group OAAz received 20 mg omeprazol, 500 mg amoxicillin, and 250 mg azithromycin. Both regimens were administered for 14 days. Eradication was investigated by performing the UBT and the HpSAg test eight weeks later., Results: This study began with 39 patients, 37 of which completed the treatment schedule (20 males and 17 females, mean age 59 years). Two patients died due to MI before beginning treatment. In the OAC group, negative results on the UBT and HpSAg tests were found in 82.4% and 88.2% of the participants, respectively. In the OAAz group, these values were 80% and 85%, respectively. The data showed that the difference between the two regimens was not significant (P = 1.0)., Conclusions: According to the data, no differences in eradication rates were apparent between the azitromycin and the claritromycin regimens. However, lower cost and fewer complaints could be considered as an advantage of the triple therapy with azithromycin.

Malignancy is a common complication after renal transplantation. However, limited data are available on post-transplant malignancy in living kidney transplantation. Therefore, we made a plan to evaluate the incidence and types of malignancies, association with the main risk factors and patient survival in a large population of living kidney transplantation. We conducted a large retrospective multicenter study on 12525 renal recipients, accounting for up to 59% of all kidney transplantation in Iran during 22 years follow up period. All information was collected from observation of individual notes or computerized records for transplant patients. Two hundred and sixty-six biopsy-proven malignancies were collected from 16 Transplant Centers in Iran; 26 different type of malignancy categorized in 5 groups were detected. The mean age of patients was 46.2±12.9 years, mean age at tumor diagnosis was 50.8±13.2 years and average time between transplantation and detection of malignancy was 50.0±48.4 months. Overall tumor incidence in recipients was 2%. Kaposis' sarcoma was the most common type of tumor. The overall mean survival time was 117.1 months (95% CI: 104.9-129.3). In multivariate analysis, the only independent risk factor associated with mortality was type of malignancy. This study revealed the lowest malignancy incidence in living unrelated kidney transplantation.

INTRODUCTION. Helicobacter pylori infection in gastric mucosa may cause systemic inflammatory reaction. We investigated the inflammatory effect of H pylori infection on nutritional factors such as serum albumin in hemodialysis patients and influence of eradication of H pylori on this association. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Ninety-eight patients on hemodialysis were divided into 2 groups according to H pylori infection. Eradication of H pylori, 8 weeks after treatment, was confirmed by urease breath test and H pylori stool antigen. Serum albumin, lipid profile, and metabolite levels were checked before and after 8 weeks and 6 months of eradication of H pylori. RESULTS. Thirty-nine patients (39.8%) were infected with H pylori. There were no significant differences between the two groups in age, dialysis duration, serum albumin, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, hemoglobin, serum calcium, serum phosphorus, and lipid profile. Thirty-seven patients with H pylori completed the treatment period. Eradication was successful in 30 patients (81.1%). Eight weeks and 6 months after anti-H pylori drug therapy, the mean serum albumin level significantly decreased from 4.2 mg/dL to 3.6 mg/dL (P < .001) and 3.7 mg/dL (P < .001), respectively. Significant decreases were seen in serum cholesterol (P = .001), blood urea nitrogen (P = .005), and serum calcium level (P = .03) and a significant increase in hemoglobin level (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS. Our study did not demonstrate nutritional benefits after H pylori eradication treatment, as the level of nutritional markers reduced. This relationship needs to be confirmed by further prospective studies.

Introduction: The resistance to fracture of endodontically treated teeth restored with esthetic post systems has not been extensively researched. This in vitro study compared the fracture patterns of endodontically treated teeth with esthetic post systems with different analysis methods., Materials and Methods: A total of 26 recently extracted human maxillary central incisors were decoronated and then endodontically treated. Teeth were restored with quartz fiber posts. All posts were cemented with Panavia dual curing adhesive resin cement and subsequently restored with composite cores. Three methods were used to test fracture resistance. Each specimen was embedded in acrylic resin and then secured in a universal load-testing machine. A compressive load was applied at 135º degree angle at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min to the long axis of the tooth until fracture occurred. The two other methods, finite element analysis (FEA) and photo elastic study used the same angulation and 90 N force to simulate the first method. The data were then compared., Results: Clinical results indicated that fracture was most likely to occur between core and dentin, and then in the cervical 1/3 of the root. Photo elastic study demonstrated similar results; the highest stresses occurred at the junction of dentin and core contralateral to the side where force was applied. FEA also confirmed these results; however it also showed that the highest stresses arise at the dentin/core junction contralateral to the force point., Conclusion: All three techniques reiterate that the risk of fracture is greatest at the cervical dentin/core junction.