No abstract

A cross-sectional study measured the frequency of self-reported stress symptoms among a weighted random sample of medical students in Isfahan, Islamic Republic of Iran. The data were gathered using the Kessler 10-item psychological distress scale. The overall prevalence of stress among 222 students was 61.3% and there were no statistically significant differences in stress levels between students in the pre-clinical and clinical phases or different years of study. Married students had significantly lower scores than single students but there were no differences between the sexes. Students who chose to study medicine had lower stress scores than those who were influenced by family or had no choice about the subject. Students with mild to moderate stress were significantly more likely to suffer physical problems (OR = 4.42). Interventions are needed to tackle stress and improve Iranian medical students' physical and psychological well-being.

No abstract

Objective:MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can regulate various genes after binding to target mRNAs. Studies on Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in relation with miRNA are much less shown. The aim of the present study was to assess the expression patterns of microRNA 106a and microRNA 362-3p in peripheral blood samples of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) patients including Crohn’s Disease(CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC).Methods:This study consisted of 32 CD, 32 UC patients and 32 controls. The expression level of the micro-RNAs -106a and -362-3p was determined using reverse transcription and real-time RT-PCR.Results:Our findings showed that MiR-106a and miR-362-3p are expressed at significantly higher levels in the peripheral blood from patients with CD and UC compared to controls. MiR-106a and miR-362-3p expression are also different in the peripheral blood of patients regarding the activity score of the disease. There were significant differences of miR362-3p in active UC relative to inactive UC.Conclusion:Altogether our findings suggest that miR-106a and miR-363-3p can play an important role in the pathogenesis of IBD. The differences in expression of miR106a and miR362-3p in peripheral blood of the UC and CD patients in an active phase in comparison to inactive disease suggest that these miRNAs may be useful as potential biomarkers for diagnosis and monitoring the disease activity.