Introduction: Leptospirosis is an important zoonotic disease in paddy field with 29.5% prevalence rate in Mazandaran province and 4% to 52% mortality rate among hospitalized patients. Prevention is an important strategy for the control of this disease. This study aimed to compare the prophylactic effect of azithromycin versus doxycycline against leptospirosis in an endemic area in north of Iran. Methodology: In this randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial, paddy field workers (n = 187) were randomized to receive azithromycin (500mg weekly), doxycycline (200 mg weekly) or placebo starting one week before exposure to paddy field, during and to four weeks after. Paddy field workers aged 18- 65 years who signed the informed consent form were assessed for signs and symptoms of leptospirosis in addition to serologic evidence of the disease 6th and 12th week. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 13 using Chi-square and Fisher exact test and ANOVA. Results: From June to September 2016, 187 participants were entered the study to receive azithromycin (n = 66), doxycycline (n = 71) or placebo (n = 50). In terms of preventing against clinical leptospirosis, there was not any significant difference between three arms, though there was statistically significant difference of seropositivity after 6 and 12 weeks in comparison to baseline among all three groups (P = 0.029) and between active treatment (eg. azithromycin and doxycycline) groups and placebo group (P = 0.01). Conclusion: Azithromycin like doxycycline decreased seropositivity without significant effect on clinical leptospirosis.

Recently, the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) has been introduced as a valuable tool to assess the nutritional status of hemodialysis (HD) patients. To determine the predictive value of the GNRI score for death in HD, we studied 145 chronic HD patients (%53 men, mean age 60 ± 16 years). The GNRI score was estimated by an equation involving serum albumin and individual's weight and height. According to the highest positive likelihood and risk ratios, the cut-off value of the GNRI for mortality was set at 100. The survival of patients on HD was examined with the Cox proportional hazards model. Mortality was monitored prospectively over an 18-month period, during which 35 patients died. The GNRI (mean 102.6 ± 5.5) was significantly positively correlated with lean body mass, hematocrit, serum lipids and presence of metabolic syndrome. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis demonstrated that the GNRI <100, serum ferritin ≥ 500 μ g/L and age 65 years or older were significant predictors for mortality (hazard ratio 3.691, 95% CI 1.751-7.779, P = 0.001; hazard ratio 3.105, 95% CI 1.536-6.277, P = 0.002; and hazard ratio 2.806, 95% CI 1.297-6.073, P = 0.009, respectively), after adjustment to gender and vintage time. It can be concluded that, in addition to old age, malnutrition (low GNRI) and inflammation (high ferritin) are identified as significant independent risk factors that predict all-cause mortality in HD patients.

Hyperphosphatemia is common in patients with end-stage renal disease. Recent studies have shown that niacinamide and niacin achieve clinically significant reductions in serum phosphate in patients undergoing dialysis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the serum phosphorus lowering effect of niacin in long-term hemodialysis patients. In this 8-week randomized, double-blind clinical trial, 37 patients were assigned to niacin or placebo with titration from 400 to 1000 mg daily. A 2-week washout preceded the switch from niacin to placebo or vice versa. The mean dose of niacin at the end of the 8-week treatment period was 750±200 mg/day. Serum phosphorus decreased from 6.66±1.40 to 5.96±0.87 mg/dL (P = 0.006) in the niacin-treated group after 8-weeks. However, the main reduction occurred at the beginning of study and seems not to be related to the phosphate-lowering effect of drug. In spite of a sharp increase in phosphorus level between w6 and w8 in patients on placebo, phosphorus values in drug-treated group showed nearly steady trend, presumably due to the inhibitory effect of niacin on phosphate absorption from gut. Niacin also increased the high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (P = 0.018). Our study suggests that niacin should be considered as adjunctive therapy for patients with hyperphosphatemia despite management with phosphate binders. The modest increase in HDL values may be another beneficial effect of this treatment.

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