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Background/objectives Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an immune-mediated disease that causes inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. Diet has an important role in the treatment of UC. This study aimed to compare the effects of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), as a functional food, with canola oil in the treatment of UC. Subjects/methods Forty patients were participating in this crossover clinical trial. Thirty two patients completed two intervention rounds. Blood samples were taken before and after 20 days intervention. Disease activity score and gastrointestinal symptoms were evaluated using the Mayo score and gastrointestinal symptom rating scale (GSRS) respectively. Results Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p = 0.03) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (p < 0.001) were decreased significantly after EVOO consumption. Bloating, constipation, fecal urgency, incomplete defecation, and final GSRS were reduced significantly after EVOO consumption (p < 0.05). Conclusions Intake of EVOO decreased the inflammatory markers and improved gastrointestinal symptoms in UC patients. It seems this functional food can be beneficial in the treatment of UC as a complementary medicine., Author(s): Mehrnaz Morvaridi [sup.1], Sima Jafarirad [sup.2] [sup.3], Seyed Saeed Seyedian [sup.4], Pezhman Alavinejad [sup.4], Bahman Cheraghian [sup.5] Author Affiliations: (1) Diabetes Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University [...]

Objective(s): Studies show that chronic injuries like air pollution or acute damage such as hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (IR) cause various cellular pathologies such as oxidative stress, apoptosis, autophagy, and inflammation in hepatocytes. p-Coumaric acid (p-CA) is known as an antioxidant with many therapeutic impacts on inflammatory-related pathologies. In this experiment, we aimed to assess the hepatoprotective effects of p-CA on liver damage induced by dust and IR injury in adult male rats. Materials and Methods: Forty-eight adult male Wistar rats were divided into 6 groups; Control (CTRL); sham; DMSO+Dust+Laparotomy (LPT); DMSO+Dust+Ischemia-reperfusion (IR); p-CA+Dust+LPT; and p-CA+Dust+IR. Clean air, DMSO, p-CA, and dust were administrated 3 days a week for 6 consecutive weeks. Animals were sacrificed, the blood samples were aspirated and the liver sections were prepared for biochemical and histopathological assessments. Results: Significantly (P<0.05), the results represented that dust and IR can potentially increase the levels of ALT, AST, direct and total bilirubin, triglyceride, and cholesterol in serum. Also, MDA, TNF-α, NF-κB, HMGB-1, and ATG-7 levels were increased in hepatocytes. Gene expression of Nrf2, HOX-1, IL-6, HOTAIR, and miR-34a showed an incremental trend in the liver tissue. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in hepatocytes was decreased following dust exposure and IR induction. Also, miR-20b-5p, MEG3, and SIRT1 in the liver were decreased in dust and dust+IR groups. Conclusion: p-CA alleviated pathological changes caused by dust exposure and IR injury. p-CA protected hepatic injury induced by dust and IR by inhibition of oxidative injury, inflammation, and autophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Chronic hepatitis B infection is the main cause of liver complications such as hepatic failure, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we attempted to evaluate molecular characterization and phylogenetic analyses of full-length viral genomes from chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected patients. Methods: The full-length genomic sequence of the five HBV isolates from Ahvaz (city of Iran) patients was amplified, cloned in pTZ57R/T vector, sequenced and examined. Results: Phylogenetic analyses showed that all isolates belonged to genotype D (D1/D3). Serotyper tool identified ayw2 serotype in all HBV isolates. YMDE mutation was detected in an HBV isolate in the reverse transcriptase domain. Conclusion: In the present study, the analyses of full-length sequence of genome revealed that the HBV genotype D, sub-genotype D1/D3, and subtype ayw2 were predominant among Ahvaz HBV strains. As HBV genome replicates and is mediated via reverse transcription process, periodic investigations of full HBV genome are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This study aims to evaluate the effects of Plantago major (P. major) seed on liver enzymes and ultrasound patterns in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Design. In this randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial, 74 patients with NAFLD were administered either 2 g P. major or placebo twice daily for 12 weeks. All patients were advised to follow the recommendations for daily exercise and diet modification. Levels of liver enzymes as well as other laboratory indexes were measured at the beginning of the study and after 12 weeks. Indeed, the alteration in ultrasound grade was evaluated in NAFLD patients. Results. Sixty-three participants completed the study in the intervention and control groups. The mean age of participants was 43.3 (±8.927) and 38.7 (±8.48) years in the intervention and control groups, respectively. P. major group showed significant reduction in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (47.32 ± 21.77 IU/L vs. 50.03 ± 21.19, P = 0.021), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (28.29 ± 10.49 IU/L vs. 32.03 ± 13.30, P = 0.004), triglyceride (TG) (200.93 ± 106.741 mg/dl vs. 183.75 ± 73.96, P = 0.001), waist circumference (WC) (101.25 ± 9.27 cm vs. 101.18 ± 8.63, P = 0.027), and grade of fatty liver in ultrasonography (P = 0.038), comparing to the placebo group. There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding serum levels of fasting blood sugar (FBS), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), cholesterol, and other outcomes. Conclusion. P. major supplementation with a daily dose of 2 g for 12 weeks improved serum levels of ALT, AST, and TG in patients with NAFLD. Further studies with a larger sample size are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of a highly pathogenic virus named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) accounts for severe pneumonia throughout the world. More than 7 million world population have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, and the number of deaths is increasing every day. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 in hospitalized patients with acute respiratory infection (ARI). During an outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2, the nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs were collected from 909 hospitalized patients with severe pneumonia, including 517 (56.9%) males and 392 (43.1%) females. All the collected samples were from different cities of Khuzestan province from 19 February to- 27 March 2020. The RNA was extracted from samples and subjected to real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for the detection of the SARS-CoV-2. Simultaneously, the computerized tomography (CT) scan was tested for the presence of ground-glass opacity in the lung among the patients. Of the total number of 909 specimens, 328 (36.08%) cases, including 185 (20.35%) females and 143 (15.73%) males, were positive for the SARS-CoV-2 while, 581 (63.9%) cases, including 374 (41.14%) males and 207 (22.77%) were negative for the SARS-CoV-2 by real-time PCR (p=0.001).Four hundred sixteen (45.76%) cases were positive for ground-glass opacity in the lung by CT scan, while 328/909 (36.08%) trials proved positive for SARSCoV- 2 by the real-time PCR (p=0.003). In this study, 36.08% of patients were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Although the results of positive cases by CT scan showed higher than real-time PCR, screening the SARS-CoV-2 with a real-time PCR method is the first line of choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Hepatitis C virus and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) share the same rate of transmission. HIV/HCV co-infected individuals may result in faster progression of liver fibrosis and highly increase the risk of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma development. Thus this study was conducted to determine co-infection of HCV genotypes in positive HIV patients in Ahvaz city, Iran. Materials and Methods: The sera samples were collected from confirmed 78 infected HIV, 67 (85.89%) males and 11 (14.1%) females. All sera samples were tested for HCV Ab using ELISA test. The HCV Ab positive samples were tested for detection of 5' untranslated (UTR) and core regions of HCV genome using nested RT-PCR. The PCR products of 5UTR and core regions were sequenced to determine HCV genotypes. Results: Among the 78 infected HIV, 25 (32.05%) cases including 20 (25.64%) males and 5 (6.41%) females were positive for HCV Ab (p=0.316). 53 (67.94%) of HIV patients were negative for HCV Ab. Among 25 positive HCV Ab, 19 (24.35%) cases including 15 (19.23%) males and 4 (5.12%) females were positive for HCV RNA (p=0.447). The PCR products of 5 positive samples were randomly sequenced. The results of sequences and alignments showed that the detected HCV genotypes were three 3a and two 1a. The occurrence of genotype HCV 1a was found in one male injecting drug user Injecting Drug User (IDU) and one female. The HCV 3a genotype was detected in the three males IDU. Conclusion: The results of this survey indicated that 32.05% of HIV patients were positive for HCV Ab, among them 24.35% were positive HCV RNA. HCV genotype 3a was dominant and detected in the three males IDU. Regarding the consequences of HIV/HCV co-infection, it is suggested that HCV RNA detection should be regularly checked in individuals infected with HIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Considering the high prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and based on the evidence about the role of dietary cholesterol in liver inflammation, and also with regard to the effect of phytosterols on the metabolism of cholesterol, we aimed at exploring the therapeutic potential of phytosterol supplementation against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.Method: Thirty-eight patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease were randomly divided into two groups: The phytosterol group (n = 19) received a 1.6-g phytosterol supplement daily and the control group (n = 19) received 1.6 g starch daily as placebo for an 8-week period. Blood samples of all patients were taken at baseline (week 0) and at the end of the study (week 8) for measurement of lipid profiles, liver enzymes, inflammatory markers, adiponectin, and leptin.Results: Phytosterol supplementation significantly improved the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and tumor necrosis factor alpha compared to the placebo group. On the other hand, there were no significant differences between the two groups in total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, ratios of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, gamma-glutamyl transferase, interleukin 6, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, adiponectin, and leptin.Conclusions: The present study suggested that daily consumption of 1.6 g phytosterols efficiently lowers low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and tumor necrosis factor alpha in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is raising prevalence among children, and adolescence population in developed and developing countries as a major public health concern. The present study aims to determine the relationship between serum ferritin level and transient elastography findings in patients suffering from NAFLD. Materials and Methods: The demographic and biochemical profile of included individuals such as body mass index, age, level of serum transaminases, fasting blood sugar, lipid profile, and serum ferritin level were determined and a transient elastography was performed for all of them. Results: The mean serum ferritin level among men with mild and advanced liver stiffness was 154 ± 97 and 244 ± 214, respectively (P < 0.001), which showed a meaningful relationship. These figures among female patients with mild and advanced liver stiffness included 79 ± 91 and 161 ± 103, respectively (P = 0.003) and again revealed a significant relationship. The cutoff values of ferritin with 90% accuracy for differentiation of mild from advanced liver stiffness among male and female patients were determined as 255 ng/ml and 135 ng/ml, respectively. These cutoff values for ruling out of advanced liver stiffness with 90% accuracy among both sexes were 72.5 ng/ml and 65.5 ng/ml, respectively. Conclusion: The finding of this study revealed a significant relationship between serum ferritin level and liver stiffness among NAFLD patients, and if these results repeated in further investigations, it could be advisable to measure serum ferritin level for predicting possibility of advanced liver fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficacy of β -cryptoxanthin (BCX), a high-protein diet (HPD), or both in reducing oxidative stress and inflammation in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has never been examined within a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Thus, we aimed to assess the efficacy of an energy-restricted HPD supplemented with BCX in alleviating these conditions in NAFLD in an RCT design. We hypothesized that this combination may improve oxidative stress and inflammation in NAFLD as compared to a standard energy-restricted diet. Ninety-two ultrasonographically confirmed overweight/obese adult NAFLD patients attending an outpatient clinic in Ahvaz, Iran, were recruited for this 12-week, single-center, parallel-group, double-blind RCT from 2017 to 2018. Subjects were randomized into 4 equal groups (n = 23): HPD-BCX (energy-restricted HPD + BCX), HPD (energy-restricted HPD + placebo), BCX (standard energy-restricted diet + BCX), and control (standard energy-restricted diet + placebo). Serum levels of oxidative stress– and inflammation-related markers, as primary outcome measures, were determined at baseline and at the study end point. The 1-way analysis of covariance models in the intention-to-treat population (N = 92) showed that the HPD-BCX group achieved greater 12-week reductions in malondialdehyde, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and total cytokeratin-18 (CK18-M65) but higher increases in total antioxidant capacity and adiponectin compared to the control group (mean differences for malondialdehyde, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, total cytokeratin-18, total antioxidant capacity, and adiponectin were −1.9 nmol/mL, −1.0 mg/L, −2.0 ng/L, −270.9 ng/L, 2.5 U/mL, and 1.9 mg/L, respectively; all P <.001). These results show that an energy-restricted HPD supplemented with BCX more efficaciously alleviates oxidative stress and inflammation in NAFLD as compared to a standard energy-restricted diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Most commonly reported clinical manifestations are fever, fatigue and dry cough. Interestingly, a small percentage of patients experience GI symptoms, with the most common being anorexia, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. We aimed to conduct a comparative study on COVID-19 patients with or without gastrointestinal patients (GI)., Aims: The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as a dire health problem, causing a massive crisis for global health., Methods: Collective data of clinical manifestations and laboratory reports of patients admitted to Razi Hospital, Ahvaz, Khuzestan, Iran, for two weeks were analyzed., Results: Our results showed that GI symptoms are not statistically significant criteria to be predictive or prognostic factors in COVID-19 patients, although they are probably related to the acute or non-acute phase of the disease. Moreover, non-specific GI symptoms seem to result from cytokine storm that occurred during the disease., Conclusion: Therefore, our results did not support GI tract involvement as a common route of COVID- 19 infection. Maybe future research will shed light on why and how the gastrointestinal system becomes infected by COVID-19., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Objective: Inflammatory markers are among the possible contributing factors with a proposed role in hepatic and ischemic heart disease. The present study aimed to determine the association between high-sensitivity-C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), liver elastography, and cardiac ischemic diseases in patients with fatty liver., Methods: In this cross-sectional comparative study, 103 consecutive patients with fatty liver were enrolled to undergo angiography. They were divided into groups with and without cardiac ischemia., Results: The results demonstrated that the mean hs-CRP was 2.3 and 10.9 mg/L in normal and ischemic angiography groups, respectively ( P = 0.001). According to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, the predictive role for hs-CRP was 94.5% that had sensitivity and specificity of 95.2% and 90%, respectively, with a cut-off point of 3.1., Conclusion: This study showed that there is an association between the fatty liver, cardiac ischemia, and hs-CRP level., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.)

Background: Crohn's disease is a group of special diseases that are considered in psychiatric studies because there is a contrast between the physical and psychological diseases among the affected patients., Aim: The aim of this study was assessing mental health and the relation with variables of demographic and clinical in Crohn's disease patients., Methods: In this epidemiological study, 96 patients with Crohn's disease who referred to educational hospitals in Ahvaz during 2016--2017 were evaluated by demographic and clinical questionnaires and SCL-90 questionnaires for mental health, and the information was analyzed by SPSS software version 22., Results: The mean physical complaints in subjects was 24.63 ± 4.08 and the mean mental health was calculated to be 187.75 ± 25.17. Multivariate analysis of mental health showed that steroid consumption ( P value < 0.001) and nonsmoking ( P value = 0.038) were associated with higher mental health in the individuals., Conclusions: Crohn's patients suffered from decreased mental parameters in dimensions such as physical complaints, obsession--compulsion behavior, sensitivity to interactions, depression, anxiety, aggression, phobia, psychosis, and paranoid thoughts., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Objective: Considering the high prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and based on the evidence about the role of dietary cholesterol in liver inflammation, and also with regard to the effect of phytosterols on the metabolism of cholesterol, we aimed at exploring the therapeutic potential of phytosterol supplementation against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease., Method: Thirty-eight patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease were randomly divided into two groups: The phytosterol group (n = 19) received a 1.6-g phytosterol supplement daily and the control group (n = 19) received 1.6 g starch daily as placebo for an 8-week period. Blood samples of all patients were taken at baseline (week 0) and at the end of the study (week 8) for measurement of lipid profiles, liver enzymes, inflammatory markers, adiponectin, and leptin., Results: Phytosterol supplementation significantly improved the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and tumor necrosis factor alpha compared to the placebo group. On the other hand, there were no significant differences between the two groups in total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, ratios of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, gamma-glutamyl transferase, interleukin 6, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, adiponectin, and leptin., Conclusions: The present study suggested that daily consumption of 1.6 g phytosterols efficiently lowers low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and tumor necrosis factor alpha in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Introduction: Anxiety is one of the problems in patients undergoing invasive procedures. One way to control anxiety is through psychological preparation., Aim: This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of psychological preparation on anxiety level in patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy., Materials and Methods: The present study consisted of 98 patients which were referred to Ahvaz Golestan Hospital for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. They were randomly (table of random numbers) divided into a control group and an experimental group. All of the participants filled out Spielberg State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The experimental group was psychologically prepared for endoscopy (given information about endoscopy and behavioural intervention), and then both groups were asked to complete STAI again an hour before endoscopy. The collected data were analysed through Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, and Chi-square tests using SPSS 17.0., Results: Before the intervention was carried out, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the rate of state and trait anxiety (p>0.05). After the intervention, the rate of state and trait anxiety decreased significantly (p<0.05) in experimental group., Conclusion: In patients subjected to endoscopy, psychological preparation was effective in reducing their anxiety and thus this can be considered as an efficient method in decreasing anxiety.