Oral lichen planus is a premalignant chronic inflammatory mucosal disorder with unknown etiology. It is a multifactorial disease and in addition to genetic background, infections, stress, drug reactions are suggested as risk factors. Helicobacter pylori which is involved in development of many gastrointestinal lesions may also be implicated in oral lichen planus induction. This is of clear importance for cancer prevention and the present study was performed to determine any association between H. pylori infection and oral lichen planus in southwestern Iran. Anti H. pylori IgG levels were determined in 41 patients and 82 sex-age matched controls. The results showed no association between H. pylori infection and oral lichen planus (51% in patients vs. 66% in control). or any of its clinical presentations.

Objectives: This study was designed to determine the effects of air pollutants on emergency admissions for asthma, and to forecast the disease burden in Shiraz, Iran. Methods: The average daily concentrations of fine particles (PM 10), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2), sulfur dioxide (SO 2), carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O 3) were calculated from data reported by two air quality monitoring stations in Shiraz from the beginning of 2007 to mid-2012. Results: The numbers of patients admitted with asthma attack during this period were collected from four main university-affiliated hospitals. Admissions were correlated strongly with the levels of PM 10 , SO 2 , CO and O 3 during warm seasons (P < 0.001), and with NO 2 level during cold seasons (P < 0.001). We forecast increasing trends in air pollutants and patient admissions in the year 2015. Conclusion: Our findings are further evidence of the effects of air pollutants on asthma exacerbations.

Cancer rates are on the rise across the world, making the illness a public health crisis, particularly in developed countries where cancer has become a leading cause of death [...]

No abstract

Radioactive iodine (RAI)-induced thyrocyte destruction may lead to uncontrolled inflammation. This study was designed to evaluate the prophylactic and therapeutic immunomodulatory effects of omega-3 fatty acids in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer scheduled for RAI ablation. A total of 85 patients were divided into two groups based on radioiodine dosage after thyroidectomy: high-dose with 150 mCi and intermediate-dose with 100 mCi. Then patients in each group were randomly divided into three subgroups: G1 with RAI ablation only, G2 treated with omega-3 for 30 days before RAI ablation, and G3 treated with omega-3 for 30 days after RAI ablation. Serum cytokine levels were determined with the cytometric bead assay at different time points. Within-group comparisons showed transient elevation of IL-13 after pretreatment with omega-3, significant reductions in Th1+Th17/Th2+Th22 ratio after high-dose RAI ablation, and decreased Th1+Th17/Th2+Th22 and Th1+Th17/Th2+Th9+Th22 ratios after intermediate-dose RAI ablation in G2. Between-group comparisons showed that IL-10 level in G3 was significantly higher than in G1 1 week after high-dose RAI ablation, whereas Th1+Th17/Th2+Th22 and Th1+Th17/Th2+Th9+Th22 ratios were significantly lower in G3 than G2 1 month after intermediate-dose RAI ablation. However, cytokine changes 1 week and 1 month after RAI ablation when adjusted for baseline values showed no differences among groups. Despite observing within-group changes in some cytokines, we found no real changes attributable to a prophylactic or therapeutic anti-inflammatory effect of omega-3. Because of the specific effect of radioactive iodine on thyroid cells, extensive systemic inflammation may not be induced after RAI ablation.