Arch Iran Med
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Comparison of Three Different Therapies for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis and Identification of the Etiologic Isolates in Isfahan, Iran.
In Iran, zoonotic and anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) are caused by Leishmania major and L. tropica respectively. Despite extensive studies, no effective therapies have ever been reported for CL. The main objective of this research was to determine and compare the three different protocols for treatment of CL patients referring to Skin Diseases and Leishmaniasis Research Center (SDLRC), affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran from September 2017 to October 2018. ⋯ In this study, the average duration of lesion healing among the three groups was the shortest in patients with IL glucantime plus 50% TCA treatment regimen. Also, the use of 50% TCA in patients suffering from CL was associated with a significant improvement in the depth of scars, the time and the percentage of recovery, and the low cost of this agent in the treatment of CL.
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Review Historical Article
Fifty Years of Research and One Conclusion: Opium Causes Cancer.
In September 2020, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) announced that opium consumption causes cancer in humans - a conclusion drawn after reviewing data from five decades of research. Given the widespread use of opium and its derivatives by millions of people across the world, the classification of opium consumption as a "Group 1" carcinogen has important public health ramifications. In this mini-review, we offer a short history of opium use in humans and briefly review the body of research that led to the classification of opium consumption as carcinogenic. We also discuss possible mechanisms of opium's carcinogenicity and potential avenues for future research.
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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been widespread since late December 2019, with several symptoms related to the upper and lower respiratory system. However, its cardiac manifestations are less frequently studied. We aimed to analyze the available COVID-19 data on acute cardiac injury, using troponin and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels. ⋯ Acute cardiac injury in COVID-19 patients is more frequent than what was expected at the beginning of the outbreak. Meanwhile, further studies are needed to investigate the utility of cardiac biomarkers as diagnostic and prognostic tools for long-term cardiac complications of this infection.
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Multicenter Study
A Multicenter Survey on the Trend of Chest CT Scan Utilization: Tracing the First Footsteps of COVID-19 in Iran.
Chest computed tomography (CT) scan has been used widely to diagnose COVID-19 in Iran. ⋯ The observed peak in chest CT utilization in Month 3 prior to the surge in Month 6 could be explained by the seasonal influenza. However, unawareness about an emerging viral disease, i.e. COVID-19, might have underutilized chest CT in Months 4 and 5 before the official announcement in Month 6. The unbalanced increase in the workload of radiology departments in the shortage of cardiothoracic radiologists with the simultaneous decrease in income initiated a vicious cycle that worsened the economic repercussions of the pandemic.
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Thrombocytopenia is the most well-known hematological abnormality occurring in patients with liver cirrhosis. However, the rate of platelet count reduction is not the same across different chronic liver disease etiologies. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare the differences in the platelet count levels between primary sclerosing cholangitis-related cirrhosis (PSC-C) and other causes of liver disease. ⋯ The findings indicate that PSC-C patients present with mild degrees of thrombocytopenia compared to other causes of chronic liver disease.