Aim:This study aimed to evaluate the effects of vitamin D intake on COPD exacerbation and FEV1 in the patients with severe and very severe COPD.Methods:This double blind placebo control randomized clinical trial study was done in the Ashayer university hospital in Khorramabad in 2012. Eighty eight patients with severe and very severe COPD were randomly selected from those who recoursed to the internal medicine clinic of Ashayer hospital. They were randomly allocated to case and placebo group. The patients received routine treatment for COPD. Along with the routine treatment, placebo group received 100,000 IU of oral vitamin D per month, for 6 months. Data was analyzed using SPSS computer software, paired t-test, independent t-test, non parametric t-test and Pearson correlation coefficients.Results:In each group, there were 44 patients. After the intervention, there were significant differences in FEV1 and the number of COPD exacerbation between the case and control group patients. Also, after the study, in the case group, FEV1 was increased and the number of COPD exacerbation was decreased significantly.Conclusion:Vitamin D intake decreased COPD exacerbation and improved FEV1 in the patients with severe and very severe COPD. It is suggested that baseline serum vitamin D levels will recorded in similar studies and the effect of vitamin D intake will evaluated regarding the baseline serum vitamin D levels.

The bacterium Helicobacter pylori colonizes the human stomach, with individual infections persisting for decades. The spread of the bacterium has been shown to reflect both ancient and recent human migrations. We have sequenced housekeeping genes from H. pylori isolated from 147 Iranians with well-characterized geographical and ethnic origins sampled throughout Iran and compared them with sequences from strains from other locations. H. pylori from Iran are similar to others isolated from Western Eurasia and can be placed in the previously described HpEurope population. Despite the location of Iran at the crossroads of Eurasia, we found no evidence that the region been a major source of ancestry for strains across the continent. On a smaller scale, we found genetic affinities between the H. pylori isolated from particular Iranian populations and strains from Turks, Uzbeks, Palestinians and Israelis, reflecting documented historical contacts over the past two thousand years.

This is the first report of the seroprevalence and contributing factors for E. granulosus infection in the general population in Khorram Abad. The findings confirm the importance of diagnosing human cystic echinococcosis in these regions, given the prevalence rates of surgical cases during the last 5 years, and need further evaluation of the risk factors present.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common types of inflammation-based cancers and is occurred due to growth and spread of cancer cells in colon and/or rectum. Previously genetic association of cell cycle genes, both proto-oncogenes and the tumor suppressors has been proved. But there were few studies about association of immune related genes such as killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs). Thus we intend to perform a meta-analysis to find the association of different genes of KIR and susceptibility to be affected by colorectal cancer. The overall population of the four studies investigated in our meta-analysis was 953 individuals (470 individuals with colorectal cancer and 483 individuals in control groups). After the analyses, we concluded that colorectal cancer is affected by KIR2DS5 and also there were no protecting gene. This result shows the inflammatory basis of this cancer. In other words, in contrast to leukemia and blood cancers, colorectal cancers seem to be affected by hyper activity of natural killer-cells (NKs). Whys and therefore of this paradox, is suggested to be investigated further.

Background: Selenium is an antioxidant trace element that is capable protects various tissues against damage induced by ischemiareperfusion injury. Objectives: This study examines the selenium effect on antioxidant activity and recovery from sciatic nerve ischemia-reperfusion in adult rats. Materials and Methods:In this experimental study, 80 adult male Wistar rats weighing 250 -300 g were used. They were divided into ten groups (n = 8 per group). The first group received sham surgery only. The second group received 0.2 mg/kg selenium without ischemiareperfusion surgery and eight remaining groups were divided to four control groups and four experimental groups which the latter groups received 0.2 mg/kg selenium. All ischemia groups were rendered in ischemic for 3 hours and reperfused for various times of 3, 7, 14 and 28 days. Half of the groups had experimental selenium (0.2 mg/kg) intraperitoneal injection treatment immediately after ischemia. According to a schedule for each group of rats bled and then centrifuged, and serum was prepared for assessment of activity levels of glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT), nitric oxide (NO), paraoxonase (POX), and malondialdehyde (MDA). Results: Comparison of the serum GPX, CAT, NO, POX, and MDA levels in the groups that received selenium with corresponding control group showed that selenium can increase plasma activity levels of GPX, POX and decrease activity levels of NO. Conclusions: Selenium with decreased activity levels of NO and increased activity GPX and POX can decrease ischemia-reperfusion injury in lower limb especially sciatic nerve.