Background: Regarding the growing prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, concentrating on various strategies for its prevention and management seems necessary.Objectives: This study aimed to assess the effects of synbiotic administration on body composition and lipid profile in patients with NAFLD.Methods: Eighty patients with NAFLD participated in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial (from March to July 2014) in Iran. Based on AST and ALT as main variables of the study, 34 patients were required in each group (power 80% and α = 5%). Considering a 20% sample loss, 80 patients were enrolled. Synbiotic supplement in form of a 500 mg capsule (containing 7 species of probiotic bacteria and Fructooligosaccharides) was administrated to patients in the intervention group and those in the placebo group received 1 placebo capsule daily for 8 weeks. At the baseline and the end of the study, body composition and lipid profile were evaluated.Results: A significant reduction was observed in weight (P = 0.001), body fat (P = 0.02), and total cholesterol (P = 0.04) within the synbiotic group. On the other hand, WC (P = 0.02), total cholesterol, and LDL-c (P = 0.04 and P = 0.001, respectively) were significantly increased in the placebo group. TG, HDL-c, and FBG levels remained statistically unchanged in both groups. Significance betweengroup differences were seen in total cholesterol (P = 0.01), LDL (P = 0.01), weight, WC, and body fat after adjustment for energy intake (P = 0.05).Conclusions: Synbiotic supplementation may improve lipid profile and body composition in patients with NAFLD and might be useful in prevention of the disease progression.

Background:Different populations have shown various patterns of association between impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and body composition parameters and risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The current study aimed at investigating the differences between persons with prediabetes and healthy people in terms of CVD risk factors including body composition parameters, blood pressure, and lipid profile in a sample of the Iranian population.Materials and Methods:In a case-control setting, a sample containing 386 (193 prediabetic subjects and 193 normal subjects) of the first-degree relatives of diabetic patients aged 35-55 years were investigated. Samples were assessed using glucose tolerance categories. Prediabetes was defined according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) criteria. Body composition parameters, blood pressure, glucose parameters, and lipid profile were measured and compared between the two groups.Results:Prediabetic patients had higher body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and body fat (BF) in comparison to the control group (P < 0.05). In addition, prediabetic subject had a higher intake of energy, carbohydrate, protein, fat, and cholesterol and it seems that these patients had an unhealthy dietary intake (P < 0.05). Fasting blood glucose (FBG) (P < 0.001), total cholesterol (P = 0.007), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglyceride (P = 0.021) were higher in prediabetic patients (P < 0.05) than in the controls.Conclusion:Both the risk factors of CVD and body composition parameters were different between the prediabetic and normal groups; total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and FBS were predictors of the risk of prediabetes.

Background:Obesity is growing rapidly in our country. Nutrition is an important issue of obesity. The aim of this study was to determine the association between fruit and vegetable intake with the waist circumference and the body mass index (BMI) among young female university students.Materials and Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted on 236 healthy female university students aged between 18 and 30 years old, who were selected randomly from the students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. A previously validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire was used to assess the entire dietary component intake. Physical activity was assessed by daily recording of the physical activities.Findings:The prevalence of obesity, central adiposity and overweight was 1.7, 0.9 and 8.1%, respectively. The mean value of BMI and the waist circumference was 21.54 kg/m2 and 70.37 cm, respectively. There was an inverse correlation between the fruit and vegetable intake and body weight (r = -0.1, P = 0.03) as well as BMI (r = -0.1, P = 0.04) and also there was an inverse correlation between the fruit intake and body weight (r = -0.1, P = 0.01) and BMI (r = -0.1, P = 0.01). There was no significant correlation between fruit and vegetable as well as fruit or vegetable separately with the waist circumference.Conclusion:There were significant correlations between fruit and also fruit and vegetable and body weight and BMI among female university students. There was no significant correlation between fruit and vegetable as well as fruit or vegetable separately with waist circumference.

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Introduction: The two less-known subtypes of lichen planus (LP) are lichen planus actinicus (LPA) and lichen planus pigmentosus (LPP), with the highest prevalence in the Middle East. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the clinicopathological profile of these patients. Methods: 307 cases including 184 LPA and 123 LPP patients were recruited from the registered pathology reports of Razi Skin Hospital of Tehran from April 2016 to March 2021. The clinical features and pathological reports were extracted and analyzed. Results: Among 307 patients, 117 (63.9%) in the LPA group and 88 (71.5%) in the LPP group were women. Duration of disease ranged from 1 month to 20 years and 1 month to 12 years in the LPA and LPP groups, respectively. Face (159 patients), limbs (68), and neck (23) were the most frequent sites of involvement in LPA patients, whereas face (60 patients), limbs (47), and trunk (42) were more commonly involved in the LPP patients. Pruritus and oral mucosal lesions were found with similar frequency in both groups. Pathological evaluation showed vacuolar degeneration of basal layer (100%), lymphocytes infiltration (97.3%), and melanin incontinence (58.2%) as the most frequent findings in LPA and vacuolar degeneration of basal layer (100%), lymphocytes infiltration (100%), and melanin incontinence (52/8%) as the most frequent findings in LPP cases.Conclusion: LPA and LPP were both more prevalent among women.  Face was the most common site of involvement in both LPA and LPP. Vacuolar degeneration, lymphocyte infiltration, melanin incontinence, and hyperkeratosis were more common histological findings in this study.