Childhood physical abnormalities following paternal exposure to sulfur mustard gas in Iran: a case-control study

Background

Mustard gas, a known chemical weapon, was used during the Iran-Iraq war of 1980-1988. We aimed to determine if exposure to mustard gas among men was significantly associated with abnormalities and disorders among progenies.

Methods

Using a case-control design, we identified all progenies of Sardasht men (exposed group, n = 498), who were born at least nine months after the exposure, compared to age-matched controls in Rabat, a nearby city (non-exposed group, n = 689). We conducted a thorough medical history, physical examination, and appropriate paraclinical studies to detect any physical abnormality and/or disorder. Given the presence of correlated data, we applied Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) multivariable models to determine associations.

Results

The overall frequency of detected physical abnormalities and disorders was significantly higher in the exposed group (19% vs. 11%, Odds Ratio [OR] 1.93, 95% Confidence Interval [CI], 1.37-2.72, P = 0.0002). This was consistent across sexes. Congenital anomalies (OR 3.54, 95% CI, 1.58-7.93, P = 0.002) and asthma (OR, 3.12, 95% CI, 1.43-6.80, P = 0.004) were most commonly associated with exposure. No single abnormality was associated with paternal exposure to mustard gas.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates a generational effect of exposure to mustard gas. The lasting effects of mustard gas exposure in parents effects fertility and may impact child health and development in the long-term.     

Comparison of high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection versus enzymatic assay to measure blood pyruvate in clinical practice

ObjectivesMeasurement of blood pyruvate allows the diagnosis of patients with mitochondrial disorders. The aim of this study was to assess the analytical performance of an HPLC and an enzymatic assay for quantifying pyruvate.MethodsThe criteria of analytical performance for each assay and the correlation between methods were evaluated.ResultsBoth assays were linear over the range 0 to 500 μmol/L of pyruvate. The total precision of the HPLC and enzymatic method were < 5% for pyruvate concentrations ranging from 28 and 213 μmol/L and 42 and 181 μmol/L, respectively. The limit of detection for the HPLC technique was determined to be 1 μmol/L and the limit of quantification was 5 μmol/L. The mean recovery for HPLC was 99%. Results for the enzymatic assay showed a limit of detection of 5 μmol/L and a limit of quantification of 10 μmol/L. The mean recovery was 90.4%. In the method comparison, the HPLC method gave values that were on average 24 μmol/L higher than the enzymatic assay.ConclusionBoth techniques demonstrated good analytical performance. The negative bias observed for the enzymatic assay can be explained by its lesser good recovery compared to the HPLC assay.     

Expression patterns of ERα66 and its novel variant isoform ERα36 in lactotroph pituitary adenomas and associations with clinicopathological characteristics

Pituitary - The regulatory effects of estradiol on pituitary homeostasis have been well documented. However, the expression patterns of ERα66 and ERα36 and their correlations with the...     

Molecular analysis of human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 and 2 (HTLV-1/2) seroindeterminate blood donors from Northeast Iran: evidence of proviral tax, env, and gag sequences

Human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 and 2 (HTLV-1/2) Western blot indeterminate results are a problem for blood banks in endemic areas. To determine the prevalence of HTLV-1/2 infection among indeterminate donors, we analyzed 130 cases from Mashhad, an HTLV-1/2 endemic area in Northeast Iran. The most frequent Western blot bands were GD21 alone (37.2%) followed by rgp46-2 alone (32.1%). We further tested 40 available DNA samples of these cases by PCR for viral sequences, tax, gag, and pol, and found five cases (12.5%) to be positive for two or three HTLV-1 genes. There were no significant age, sex, and blood group differences between PCR-positive and PCR-negative cases. Among PCR-positive individuals, the most prevalent Western blot bands were variable combinations of rgp46-1, GD21, and gp21. The mean of the optical density (OD) of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test was significantly higher in PCR-positive individuals. The frequency of the rgp46-1 band was also significantly higher in PCR-positive cases compared to PCR-negative ones. In conclusion, the majority of HTLV-indeterminate donors lack the HTLV provirus and therefore are not considered infected. However, in some cases with higher ODs in the ELISA test and seroreactivity to env proteins, rgp46-1 and GD21 in particular may be indicative of infection and need further evaluation by molecular methods.     

Assessment of occurrence of preeclampsia and some clinical and demographic risk factors in Zahedan city in 2017

Background: Blood pressure dysfunctions are one of the biggest complications and causes of maternal mortality during pregnancy. The aim of the present study is to evaluate some of the clinical and demographic risk factors in various aspects, both of which can help to better understand the causes and reduce the incidence of preeclampsia.

Method: This nested case–control study was carried out on 270 pregnant women with preeclampsia as the case group and 270 pregnant women who did not have symptoms of preeclampsia at the time of referral were interviewed according to inclusion criteria as the control group. The factors studied included age, body mass index, history of hypertension in mother, history of diabetes in mother, history of lupus in mother, number of pregnancies, history of preeclampsia in previous pregnancies, twin or more pregnancies, season of occurrence, maternal educational level, maternal blood group, maternal occupation status, infant’s sex and smoking status which were compared etween the two groups. t test and Chi-square tests were used to compare the variables in both groups. Fisher's exact test or Mann–Whitney U test was used if necessary.

Findings: Of the 6929 pregnant women who participated in our study, 541 (7.8%) had preeclampsia. The means of body mass index (BMI) (24.86% versus 23.52%) (P = 0.032), the history of hypertension (19.3% versus 10.7%) (P = 0.006), history of preeclampsia in previous pregnancies (60.2% versus 13.3%) (P < 0.001), low level of education and illiteracy (51.1% versus 39.6%) (P = 0.028), and twin or more pregnancies (5.6% versus 2.2%) (P = 0.045) were significantly higher in the case group when compared to the control group. There was no statistically significant difference between the mean and standard deviation of age and number of pregnancies and the frequency of diabetes and lupus, the frequency of maternal occupation, maternal smoking, maternal blood group, and season of occurrence in the two groups (P > 0.05).

Conclusion: Maternal BMI, maternal hypertension, history of preeclampsia in previous pregnancies, low maternal educational status, and twin or multiple pregnancies might be the risk factors for preeclampsia during pregnancy.     

Systematic review and meta-analyses of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) supplementation and blood lipid parameters in patients with diabetes mellitus

Background and aimsThe studies have shown that α-tocopherol supplementation could improve lipid profile in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. Nonetheless, the result remains inconsistent. Therefore, this meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the efficacy of α-tocopherol supplement on lipid parameters in DM patients.MethodsWe conducted an extensive search via Cochrane Library, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases to acquire the reported RCTs up to October 2020.ResultsThe results showed no effects of α-tocopherol supplementation on lipid profile in DM patients except when used ≥12 weeks.Conclusionsα-tocopherol supplementation in DM patients had no significant effect on lipid profiles.