Does Vitex Agnus-Castus L. Have Deleterious Effect on Fertility and Pregnancy Outcome? An Experimental Study on Rats for Prediction of Its Safety.

Objectives: Herbal medicine is a worldwide health topic. Vitex agnus-castus L. (VAC) is a popular plant used for gynecologic problems due to its hormonal effects.

Serum androgens and prolactin levels in patients with keratoconus.

Clinical Relevance: There is growing evidence for the involvement of sex hormones in the pathogenesis of keratoconus.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate serum androgen and prolactin levels in patients suffering from keratoconus.

Methods: One hundred and two subjects were enrolled in the keratoconus (76 patients) and control (26 subjects) groups in a cross-sectional survey.

The Beneficial Effects of Probiotics via Autophagy: A Systematic Review.

Probiotics are living microorganisms increasingly used to treat or modulate different diseases or disorders because of their benefits and also low adverse reaction, and their positive and protective effects on various cells and tissues have been reported. The mechanisms by which probiotics exert their beneficial effects in different cells and tissues were investigated, and autophagy is one of the main mechanisms to induce their positive effects. Autophagy is a conserved process that occurs in all eukaryotic cells and plays an essential role in homeostasis and cell survival by degrading damaged and dysfunctional intracellular organelles.

Determinants of serum adiponectin levels: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: To review non-surgical prevention strategies in women with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndromes.

Content: Women with a g or mutations face a high cumulative breast and ovarian cancer risk. While bilateral mastectomy (PBM) and bilateral salpingo-oophrectomy (PBSO) profoundly reduce the respective cancer risks, they are also associated with considerable side effects.

Association of vitamin D and FGF23 with serum ferritin in hypoparathyroid thalassemia: a case control study.

Background: FGF23 controls serum l,25(OH)D levels and phosphate homeostasis. This study evaluates the effects of ferritin on intact PTH, FGF23, and l,25(OH)D in patients with major thalassemia. It also evaluates FGF23 changes in patients with hypoparathyroidism to clarify the interaction between FGF23 and PTH in the absence of proper PTH functioning in human.

Bone mineral density in transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients and its associated factors in Southern Iran.

Unlabelled: Despite the significant improvements in the management of thalassemia, there are growing concerns regarding their long-term complications. We showed that low bone mass is one of the most prevalent complications among these patients. Insufficient physical activity and hypogonadism are the main possible associated factors followed by DM and insufficient sun exposure.

The Association Between Prolonged Proton Pump Inhibitors Use and Bone Mineral Density.

Background And Study Aim: Chronic use of proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) has become a mainstay of therapy in common gastrointestinal diseases. A causal relationship between chronic PPI use and development of osteoporosis remains unproven. The aim of this study was to determine whether PPI users are more likely to develop alterations in bone density.

Revised reference curves of bone mineral density according to age and sex for Iranian children and adolescents.

Unlabelled: Bone health evaluation in children requires an appropriate reference database. We have shown higher curves for spine aBMD in Iranian subjects than Americans, but lower curves for femoral neck and total body. These results can be used as reference values to assist Iranian clinicians in interpreting and monitoring bone densitometry results.

Vitamin D supplementation for the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized double blind placebo controlled trial.

Background: Low serum vitamin D has been associated with metabolic syndrome and Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study aimed to investigate the impact of vitamin D supplementation in treatment of patients with NAFLD.

Methods: In a double blind, randomized, placebo controlled trial patients with NAFLD were randomized to receive one weekly pearl of placebo, 50,000 U vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) pearl per week and 0.

Rhus coriaria L. increases serum apolipoprotein-A1 and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels: a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial.

Background: Lipid-lowering effect of Rhus coriaria L. (Rhus) has been investigated in multiple animal studies with promising results. Nonetheless, its clinical efficacy has not been adequately examined.

Investigating the bone mineral density in children with solid tumors in southern Iran: a case-control study.

Unlabelled: Along with increasing childhood cancer survival, there is increasing concern about its chronic complications. We showed that 20.5 and 45.

Evaluation of bone mineral density in children with sickle-cell anemia and its associated factors in the south of Iran: a case-control study.

Sickle-cell anemia is a hereditary hemoglobin disorder among children. We showed that the low bone mass is prevalent among these children, and it has a negative association with hemoglobin. In spite of using supplementary 200 IU/day vitamin D, 59.

Polymorphism in LRP5 (rs556442) is associated with higher TG levels in Iranian children.

Background: Wnt signalling/LRP5 is involved in adipogenesis by down-regulating adipogenic transcription factors. Therefore polymorphisms in components of this pathway may lead to metabolic disorders.

Aim: This study tested the impact of LRP5 polymorphism on lipid profile in Iranian children.

A Candidate Gene Association Study of Bone Mineral Density in an Iranian Population.

The genetic epidemiology of variation in bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporosis is not well studied in Iranian populations and needs more research. We report a candidate gene association study of BMD variation in a healthy cross-sectional study of 501 males and females sampled from the Iranian Multi-Centre Osteoporosis Study, Shiraz, Iran. We selected to study the association with 21 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in the 7 candidate genes , and .

Bone mineral density in children with acute leukemia and its associated factors in Iran: a case-control study.

Unlabelled: Acute leukemia is the most common malignancy in children. We showed that low bone mass is prevalent among children with leukemia, especially in femur. Serum calcium, exercise, chemotherapy protocol, and radiotherapy are the main contributing factors.

Evaluation of bone mineral density in patients with hemoglobin H disease.

Objectives: This study was conducted to assess bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) of patients with hemoglobin H (HbH) disease.

Methods: BMD and BMC were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry of the lumbar spines and femur neck in 21 patients with Hb H disease over the age of 10 years. An association of BMD with sex, age, hemoglobin, calcium, phosphorus, and serum ferritin level was also evaluated.

Vitamin D deficiency and its associated risk factors in children and adolescents in southern Iran.

Objectives: To evaluate prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its associated factors in southern Iranian children.

Design: Cross-sectional study. Anthropometric and pubertal characteristics were assessed by a trained physician.

The impact of LRP5 polymorphism (rs556442) on calcium homeostasis, bone mineral density, and body composition in Iranian children.

Failure to achieve optimal bone mass in childhood is the primary cause of decreased adult bone mineral density (BMD) and increased bone fragility in later life. Activating and inactivating LRP5 gene mutations has been associated with extreme bone-related phenotypes. Our aim was to investigate the role of LRP5 polymorphism on BMD, mineral biochemical parameters, and body composition in Iranian children.

Thyroid autoimmunity in pregnancy and its influences on maternal and fetal outcome in Iran (a prospective study).

Aim Of The Study: Thyroid dysfunction and autoimmunity are common problems in women of child-bearing age. It could be associated with pregnancy morbidities in the mother and fetus. Due to lack of sufficient data about the prevalence of thyroid autoimmunity in pregnant women in Iran, and controversies about its complications on pregnancy outcomes, this study was conducted.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in a cluster of Iranian population: thyroid status and metabolic risk factors.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, metabolic risk factors, and thyroid dysfunction among a healthy urban population.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, the patients were evaluated for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) using ultrasonography. The participants' characteristics such as age, sex, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and history of diabetes, ischemic heart disease (IHD), hypertension, and hyperlipidemia were recorded using a data gathering form.

KIR gene content does not contribute to susceptibility to Graves' disease.

Background: Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) are expressed on NK cells and a subset of T cells. The variable KIR receptors along with their ligands, HLA class I, influence risk for autoimmune and malignant diseases.

Objective: To investigate the KIR gene profiles in relation to susceptibility to Graves' disease in patients with ophthalmopathy.

Long- term efficacy and safety of vanadium in the treatment of type 1 diabetes.

Background: Vanadium compounds are able to reduce blood glucose in experimentally- induced diabetic rats and type 2 diabetic patients, but data about their long- term safety and efficacy in diabetic patients are scarce.

Methods: Fourteen type 1 diabetic patients received oral vanadyl sulfate (50 - 100 mg TID) for a period of 30 months. Fasting blood sugar (FBS), lipid levels, hematologic, and biochemical parameters were measured before and periodically during the treatment.

Normative data and percentile curves of bone mineral density in healthy Iranian children aged 9-18 years.

Unlabelled: We provide the first reference values for bone mineral content and bone mineral density according to age and sex in Iranian children and adolescents. The prevalence of hypovitaminosis D was high, and levels of physical activity were low in our sample. Multiple regression analyses showed age, BMI, and Tanner stage to be the main indicators of bone mineral apparent density.

The relationship between serum adiponectin levels with the presence and severity of coronary artery disease.

Background: Adiponectin plays important roles in the endocrine and cardiovascular systems, in fat and carbohydrate metabolism, and inflammation. In this study the relationship between adiponectin levels with the presence and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) is evaluated.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that enrolled 213 persons who referred for coronary angiography.