Mohaddeseh Behjati; Masoud Etemadifar; Morteza Abdar Esfahani
Volume 13, Issue 3 , September 2014, , Pages 119-126
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic auto-immune disease. Most therapeutic strategies for treatment of this disease direct immune modulation and control of inflammatory processes. First-line therapeutic agents showed moderate efficacy and frequent side-effects with moderate efficacy in trials. Their ...
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Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic auto-immune disease. Most therapeutic strategies for treatment of this disease direct immune modulation and control of inflammatory processes. First-line therapeutic agents showed moderate efficacy and frequent side-effects with moderate efficacy in trials. Their parental administration and limited long-term adherence restrict their efficacy compared with second-line therapies. Fingolimod as a second-line therapeutic agent has been shown to reduce annualized relapse rate, risk of disability progression and inflammatory activity of relapsing MS. Safety and efficacy FTY720: Safety and efficacy issues are the main metrics for judgment of drug efficacy. In this article, we focus on cardiovascular effects of FTY720 treatment. Effect of FTY720 on rate and rhythm, impact of FTY720 on endothelial cells, its atheroprotective effects, its effects on cardiac transplantation outcomes, vascular complications of FTY720, effects of FTY720 on endocrine functions and interaction of FTY720 with cardioactive agents are explained in this review article.
Roya Abolfazli; Azam Elyasi; Mohammad Reza Javadi; Kheirollah Gholami; Hassan Torkamandi; Mohammad Amir-Shahkarami; Masoud Etemadifar; Zahra Nasr
Volume 13, Issue 3 , September 2014, , Pages 160-167
Abstract
Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients permanently confronted with serious challenges from treatment regimen. Developing a new questionnaire in MS management, through evaluation of patients’ perspectives and knowledge regarding treatment will help to identify ...
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Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients permanently confronted with serious challenges from treatment regimen. Developing a new questionnaire in MS management, through evaluation of patients’ perspectives and knowledge regarding treatment will help to identify the sources of tension, and to build a therapeutic alliance. We purposed to describe MS patients’ understanding of their treatments.Methods: About 425 completed and returned questionnaire were assessed of a total of 500 recruited MS patients. The knowledge of correct using interferon-beta (IFN-β) and attitude toward medical care were assessed using self- reported questionnaires consisted of 25 items with validity of multidisciplinary panel and pre-testing on 20 patients.Results: Knowledge about IFN-β therapy was very low; however, attitude was at a high level. Female patients, self- injection ability, higher educational level, normal functional status, delay from the start of diagnostic workup to definite diagnosis, and being younger were related to a higher level of knowledge. Attitude was associated with functional status, family history of disease and the summary of knowledge variable.Conclusion: Developing educational interventions are needed for MS patients regarding to their low levels of knowledge.
Mojtaba Azimian; Azam Shahvarughi-Farahani; Mahdi Rahgozar; Masoud Etemadifar; Zahra Nasr
Volume 13, Issue 2 , June 2014, , Pages 105-107
Abstract
Background: Fatigue, depression, and physical impairment are common among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between depression, physical impairment, and fatigue in an Iranian MS cohort.Methods: Fifty consecutive relapsing-remitting ...
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Background: Fatigue, depression, and physical impairment are common among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between depression, physical impairment, and fatigue in an Iranian MS cohort.Methods: Fifty consecutive relapsing-remitting MS patients and 50 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited from Sina Rehabilitation Clinic,Tehran, ran. The depression substance of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Expended Disability Status Scale, and Fatigue Severity Scale questionnaires were used to assess depression, physical impairment, and fatigue, respectively.Results: This study included 38 (76%) females and 12 (24%) males in both patients and HC groups. The depression substance of the HADS in MS and HCs showed a mean value of 1.92 ± 0.80 and 1.17 ± 0.38, respectively (P < 0.001). Pearson’s correlation analyses showed that in the MS group depression was associatedwith fatigue (r = 0.54, P = 0.01), but not with physical impairment (r = 0.16, p = 0.01),while fatigue was associated with both depression (r = 0.54, P = 0.01) and physical impairment (r = 0.36, P = 0.01). Depression in HCs group was also associated with fatigue (r -0.64, P = 0.01).Conclusion: Fatigue is associated with both depression and physical impairment, and an intervention in one of these conditions might improve others.
Elham Eftekhari; Masoud Etemadifar; Ali Ebrahimi; Shahrzad Baradaran
Volume 12, Issue 2 , June 2013, , Pages 60-65
Abstract
Background: Hormones can play a significant role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study was to compare levels of ghrelin, leptin, and testosterone hormones of MS patients with healthy subjects, and assess the relationship between levels of peptide hormone and sex hormones ...
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Background: Hormones can play a significant role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study was to compare levels of ghrelin, leptin, and testosterone hormones of MS patients with healthy subjects, and assess the relationship between levels of peptide hormone and sex hormones in MS patients.Methods: 35 MS patients with definite relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) (male = 9, female = 26) and 13 healthy subjects (male = 4, female = 9) were enrolled in the study. Levels of serum ghrelin, leptin, and testosterone hormones were measured in this study. ANOVA and Pearson correlation were used for data analysis (P < 0.05).Results:The female and male participants of the patient group were compared with the healthy group. No significant differences were found in serum of leptin, ghrelin, testosterone, ghrelin/leptin, and testosterone/leptin (P < 0.05). Spearman correlation coefficient showed that leptin had a significant negative correlation with the variability of testosterone (r = -1.00) in the healthy male group. Moreover, leptin had a significant positive correlation with the variability of BMI (r = 0.68) and weight (r = 0.59), at the 0.01 level (2-tailed), in the female patient group. In addition, in the healthy male group, ghrelin had a significant negative correlation with the variability of weight (r = -1.00).Conclusion:According to the results, there was no significant difference between peptide and sex hormones of MS patients and healthy persons. Furthermore, there was no significant relationship between peptide and sex hormones of MS patients and healthy persons.
