Nayereh Akbari; Ahmad Hormati; Ehsan Sharifipour; Seyed Amir Hejazi; Fatemeh Jafari; Seyed Ali Mousavi-Aghdas; Samad EJ Golzari
Volume 18, Issue 1 , January 2019, , Pages 19-24
Abstract
Background: Numerous studies have evaluated the impact of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication on the number, severity, and recurrence of migraine attacks. But the association of migraine, H. pylori, and gastrointestinal (GI) presentation is challenging. The aim of the current study was to investigate ...
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Background: Numerous studies have evaluated the impact of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication on the number, severity, and recurrence of migraine attacks. But the association of migraine, H. pylori, and gastrointestinal (GI) presentation is challenging. The aim of the current study was to investigate the correlation between migraine, H. pylori, and peptic ulcers among patients with dyspepsia undergoing upper GI endoscopy.
Methods: 305 dyspeptic patients referring to our endoscopy ward, Shahid Beheshti Hospital affiliated to Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran, for upper GI endoscopy filled out the study questionnaire. If a patient was experiencing headaches and the migraine was confirmed by neurologists, he/she was asked to answer the questions related to migraine, which were prepared exactly from Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) questionnaire. The relation between migraine and confirmed H. pylori contamination was investigated using statistical models.
Results: Of all the 305 patients, 133 (43.6%) had confirmed episodic migraine headaches (MHs). 52 (17.0%) had duodenal peptic ulcer(s), of which, 49 (94.2%) had a positive rapid urease test (RUT) (P < 0.001). 20 (6.5%) of all patients had the gastric peptic ulcer(s) which did not have a significant relation with H. pylori contamination. There was a significant relationship between the peptic ulcer site and migraine. In total, 177 patients (58.0%) had a positive RUT. History of migraine was significantly positive in those with positive H. Pylori contamination. Notably, multivariable analysis demonstrated a significant relation of H. pylori and migraine at younger ages.
Conclusion: Patients with dyspepsia seem to have more migraine attacks. Also, it seems that there is a meaningful association between migraine, duodenal peptic ulcers, and H. pylori. infection, too.
Mahnaz Talebi; Mohammad Ghertasi; Aliakbar Taheraghdam; Sasan Andalib; Ehsan Sharifipour
Volume 13, Issue 4 , December 2014, , Pages 215-219
Abstract
Background: Gender difference has been reported in stroke risk factors and disease history. The aim of this study was to compare risk factors and the severity of ischemic stroke based upon modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and hospital mortality between two genders.Methods: ...
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Background: Gender difference has been reported in stroke risk factors and disease history. The aim of this study was to compare risk factors and the severity of ischemic stroke based upon modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and hospital mortality between two genders.Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 341 patients (44% males and 56% females with a mean age of 68.94 ± 12.74 years) with ischemic stroke, who were hospitalized in the neurology wards of two referral university hospital of North-West Iran (Imam Reza and Razi Hospitals), from the beginning to the end of 2011 were selected and assessed. Gender difference in terms of demographic findings, vascular risk factors, 7th day mRS, and hospital mortality (during admission) were evaluated.Results: In 2.6% of cases, mRS was found to be less than 2 (favorable) and in 97.4% of cases; mRS was 2-5 (with disability). No significant difference in ischemic stroke severity based on mRS was observed between two genders. ere was a significant difference in the rate of hypertension (females = 72.3%, males = 59.3%, P = 0.010), diabetes (females = 28.8%, males = 18.7%, P = 0.030), smoking (females = 6.3%, males = 35.3%, P < 0.001). No significant difference was seen in other risk factors between two genders. There was no significant difference in the mortality rate, which constituted 8.9% and 4.7% in females and males respectively (P = 0.140).Conclusion:The evidence from the present study suggests that despite the existence of some difference between risk-factors in two genders, there was no difference in terms of ischemic stroke severity and mortality rate between two genders.
Sheyda Shaafi; Ehsan Sharifipour; Rouhollah Rahmanifar; SeyedShamseddin Hejazi; Sasan Andalib; Masoud Nikanfar; Behzad Baradarn; Robab Mehdizadeh
Volume 13, Issue 2 , June 2014, , Pages 70-76
Abstract
Background: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is one of the inflammatory mediators characterized by elevated levels in ischemic stroke (IS) patients. The present study set out to assess the role of IL-6, as a marker for inflammation, in the severity and prognosis of acute IS.Methods:In a cross-sectional descriptive ...
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Background: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is one of the inflammatory mediators characterized by elevated levels in ischemic stroke (IS) patients. The present study set out to assess the role of IL-6, as a marker for inflammation, in the severity and prognosis of acute IS.Methods:In a cross-sectional descriptive study, 45 patients with acute IS were selected. Patients with their first day of stroke were included in the study. National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) for stroke severity were evaluated on Days 1, 5, 90, and 365. Serum IL-6 level was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on days 1 and 5.Results:In the present study, 45 patients with a mean age of 77.6 ± 4.9 including 32 (71%) men and 13 (28.9%) women were studied. Death occurred in 2 (4.4%) patients before discharge from the hospital; the others, be that as it may, followed the study until Day 365 with a mortality rate of 6 (13.3%). A positive significant correlation was found between IL-6, and NIHSS and mRS of the patients from the time of admission to the end of the follow-up period (P < 0.001, r = 0.6). Moreover, there was a significant correlation between IL-6 and infarction size in brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan (P < 0.001, r = 0.7).Conclusion:The evidence from the present study suggests that IL-6 contributes to determination of severity of ischemic stroke. In addition, IL-6 concentrations affect clinical outcomes in ischemic stroke.
Aliakbar Taheraghdam; Peyman Pourkhanjar; Mahnaz Talebi; Mohammadreza Bonyadi; Ali Pashapour; Ehsan Sharifipour; Reza Rikhtegar
Volume 13, Issue 1 , March 2014, , Pages 7-12
Abstract
Background: Due to underlying autoimmune background of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), the possible role of infectious agents cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and also due to association of anti-ganglioside antibodies with GBS, the present study aimed to investigate the associations ...
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Background: Due to underlying autoimmune background of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), the possible role of infectious agents cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and also due to association of anti-ganglioside antibodies with GBS, the present study aimed to investigate the associations between serum anti-ganglioside antibodies (AGA) level, type of infection and electrodiagnostic (ED) findings with the severity and three- month functional outcome of patients with GBS.Methods: In a prospective study, 30 patients with GBS were selected and before starting the treatment, baseline serum samples of patients were obtained for measuring the serum AGA including the antibodies against GQ1b, GT1b, GD1a, GD1b, GM1, GM2, GM3 and strains of CMV and EBV. All the patients were precisely examined for ED findings. Functional status of patients on admission and three months after admission were recorded according to the modified Rankin scale (mRS).Results: The results of patients' serum assessment revealed that CMV IgM was positive in one patient (3.3%), CMV IgG in 29 patients (96.7%) and EBV IgG in 27 patients (90%). Anti-GM1 was found in 3 patients (10%) and anti- GM3 was found only in one patient (3.3%). However, no statistical significant association was found between the AGA and strain of the disease and ED findings.Conclusion: Despite the coexistence of AGA and serum antibodies against CMV and EBV in some GBS patients, there was not clear association in this regard. However, the AGA was positive in patients who suffered from severe phase of the disease.
Mahnaz Talebi; Masoud Nikanfar; Rana Sorkhabi; Ehsan Sharifipour; Mansour Bahrebar; Ali Kiavar; Sasan Andalib; Hadi Mohammad Khanli
Volume 12, Issue 3 , September 2013, , Pages 81-86
Abstract
Background: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a simple, high-resolution technique to quantify the thickness of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and macula volume, which provide an indirect measurement of axonal damage in multiple sclerosis (MS). This study aimed to evaluate OCT finding in relapsing-remitting ...
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Background: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a simple, high-resolution technique to quantify the thickness of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and macula volume, which provide an indirect measurement of axonal damage in multiple sclerosis (MS). This study aimed to evaluate OCT finding in relapsing-remitting MS patients of the northwest of Iran and compare them with a normal control group.Methods:In a cross-sectional, descriptive, analytic study, 60 patients with MS as case group and 60 patients as controls were studied. Total macular volume (TMV) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in perioptic disk area (3.4 millimeter around the disk) and macula was measured using Stratus 3000 in circular form. These findings were compared between the two groups and their relationship with the duration and severity of MS [based on Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS)] and history of optic neuritis were evaluated.Results:In total, 35 men and 85 women with a mean age of 34.8 years were evaluated.The mean RNFL in MS patients were 231.9 and 233.1 micrometers in right and left eyes; while they were 246.7 and 250.4 micrometers in right and left eyes of healthy subjects, respectively. This difference in thickness of RNFL in total measure and all quadrants around the optic disk and TMV between case and control groups was analytically meaningful (P = 0.001 and P = 0.001 for right and left eyes, respectively). The mean thickness of RNFL in patients with optic neuritis was significantly lower than other patients in right and left eyes (P = 0.042 and P = 0.005). There was a significant correlation between most of OCT findings and the MS disease duration and EDSS.Conclusion:Findings of the present study in the northwest of Iran buttress the idea that RNFL thickness can be greatly affected by MS. Our results also indicate that this effect is associated with ON and MS duration and severity.
