Medical Journal of The Islamic Republic of Iran (MJIRI)

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The latest micromanipulative technique, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), has been very successful in cases of severe male factor infertility. The main objective of this study is to report the results of our fIrst experience with ICSI in cases of male factor infertility, as well as patients who had failed their previous cycles with conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF). Normal fertilization occurred in 30.9% of oocytes retrieved from 99 patients. Embryo transfer was done for 67.7% of the patients, and a total of 12 (12.12%) clinical pregnancies were achieved. The success rate was noticeably lower in patients greater than 35 years old, and in patients with severely abnormal sperm parameters (e.g., oligoasthenoteratozoospermia). This study suggests that ICSI is a method of choice to treat couples with severe male factor infertility. Patients' age, as well as sperm parameters, can affect the success rate of infertility treatment with ICSI.

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  Abstract

  Background: Recently, small dense low density lipoprotein (sdLDL) has been

  highlighted as a new risk factor for the coronary artery disease (CAD).Small dense

  LDLs are believed to be atherogenic since these particles are taken up more easily by

  arterial wall. They are readily oxidized and have reduced affinity for low density

  lipoprotein (LDL) receptor and increased affinity for arterial proteoglicans. LDL

  cholesterol is only a measure of the cholesterol level in the LDL whereas apolipoprotein

  B(apo B) is a measure of the cholesterol levels of all the atherogenic particles, including

  very low density lipoprotein, intermediate density, and low density lipoproteins.

  Therefore, it might be a better marker than other traditional lipids. The aim of

  the present study was to evaluate the association between serum small dense LDL,

  apolipoprotein B, apolipoprotein A1 (apo A1) and apoB/apoA1 ratio and the coronary

  stenosis.

  Methods: 86 patients with coronary stenosis , 35 patients without coronary stenosis

  identified by angiography who were referred to Rajaii Heart Center , and 30

  healthy individuals were studied. SdLDL was measured by a direct homogenous

  LDL-C assay in the supernatant of serum which remained after heparin-magnesium

  precipitation. Serum apolipoprotein A1 and apolipoprotein B were measured by using

  immunoturbidimetric method.

  Results: The results showed that the sdLDL levels were higher in patients with

  coronary stenosis than patients without coronary stenosis and healthy individuals

  (21.54±7.1, 16.88±4.4 and 15.45±5mg/dl, p=0.001, respectively). In addition the level

  of apoB (with stenosis: 113.71±21.8, without stenosis:100.88±18.7 and healthy:

  102.30±9.6, p=0.003) and apoB/apoA1 ratio (with stenosis:1.100±0.24, without

  stenosis :0.589±0.26 and healthy:0.751±0.16, p=0.001) were significantly higher in

  patients with coronary stenosis. SdLDL levels were positively correlated with the

  level of apoB(r=0.589), apoB/apoA1 ratio(r=0.416), triglyceride(r=0.494), LDL-C

  (r=0.749), Total cholesterol(r=0.354) and were inversely correlated with the level of

  HDL-C (r = -0.586)(p<0.01).

  Conclusion: The elevated levels of small dense LDL, apoB and apoB/apoA1 ratio

  were associated with coronary artery stenosis.

 

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Background: It has been widely acknowledged that change and constant modification is the key to survive for any organization among their rivals. Since success in implementing changes in the organization strongly depends on the organizational culture, this study aims to assess the organizational culture in Iran University of Medical Sciences. The results of this study can be beneficial in initiating a movement towards the third – and fourth generation of universities.
   Methods: This study is descriptive-correlational. The Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) was employed to collect data. A questionnaire was sent to the faculty members via email, and the responses were collected and analyzed.
   Results: Out of the 982 faculty members, 189 participated (20.7%) in this study. Analysis showed that the organizational culture of the university is congruent and harmonious and in the current state, it is primarily hierarchical (31%) and market-oriented (28%) with emphasis on stability and control in the organization. Whereas, faculty members tend to move the organizational culture of the university towards adhocracy (30%) and clan culture (29%).
   Conclusion:  University administrators must strengthen the culture of innovation and creativity based on the needs of the market. This only can be achieved by supporting teamwork in their move towards desired change.

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Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a progressive and common autoimmune disease with multifactorial etiology. Several pieces of research show that genetic factors play a major role in the incidence of RA. Several genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified the tumor necrosis factor alpha inducible protein 3 (TNFAIP3) genes as one of the candidate loci. The TNFAIP3 gene encoding ubiquitin-editing protein A20 witch restricts B cell survival and prevents autoimmunity. Previous studies have indicated that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TNFAIP3 gene are correlated with several autoimmune disorders. In the present study, we assessed the possible association between SNP rs5029937 (intronic variant) in the TNFAIP3 gene with RA risk in the Iranian population.
   Methods: A case-control study using 50 RA patients and 50 control subjects was undertaken to evaluate rs5029937 (G>T) genotypes using real-time PCR high resolution melting method (HRM). The SPSS22 was used for statistical analyses and the significance level was set at P<0.05.
   Results: Logistic regression analysis demonstrates that homozygous TT + heterozygous TG genotypes compared with GG genotype increase the risk of RA (TT+TG vs GG; P= 0.004, OR= 3.46; 95%CI [1.492-8.075]). Also, individuals with allele T were more frequently affected with RA than subjects with G allele (T vs G; P= 0.004, OR= 2.61; 95%CI [1.382-4.919]).
   Conclusion: Our findings propose a substantial correlation between rs5029937 (G>T) polymorphism and RA risk in Iranian population.

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Background: Neurostimulation is one of the new therapeutic approaches in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, and despite its high efficiency, its mechanism of action is still unclear. On the one hand, electrical stimulation in the human brain is immoral; on the other hand, the creation of the epilepsy model in laboratory animals affects the entire brain network. As a result, one of the ways to achieve the neurostimulation mechanism is to use epileptiform activity models In vitro. In vitro models, by accessing the local network from the whole brain, we can understand the mechanisms of action of neurostimulation.
   Methods: A literature search using scientific databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus, using "Neurostimulation" and "epileptiform activity" combined with "high-frequency stimulation", " low-frequency stimulation ", and "brain slices” as keywords were conducted, related concepts to the topic gathered and are used in this paper.
   Results: Electrical stimulation causes neuronal depolarization and the release of GABAA, which inhibits neuronal firing. Also, electrical stimulation inhibits the nervous tissue downstream of the stimulation site by preventing the passage of nervous activity from the upstream to the downstream of the axon.
   Conclusion: Neurostimulation techniques consisting of LFS and HFS have a potential role in treating epileptiform activity, with some studies having positive results. Further investigations with larger sample sizes and standardized outcome measures can be conducted to validate the results of previous studies.