The distribution of anterior chamber depth in a Tehran population: the Tehran eye study

Purpose:  To determine the normal range of anterior chamber depth (ACD) in the population of Tehran by age and gender.
Materials and methods:  Four hundred and ten people (800 eyes) aged 14 years and over, residing in the first four municipality areas of Tehran were selected through a stratified random cluster sampling method. The measurements were all taken by a single skilled technician using Orbscan II, between 9:00 am and 7:00 pm. The ACD was defined as the distance between the corneal endothelium and the anterior lens surface. Considering the high correlation between the ACD readings of contralateral eyes ( r  = 0.82, p  < 0.001), only data from right eyes were analysed.
Results:  In the participants, the mean age was 40.6 ± 16.8 years and 38.8% were male. The mean ACD was 2.79 mm [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.75–2.83]; 2.84 mm (95% CI: 2.79–2.90) in men and 2.75 mm (95% CI: 2.70–2.81) in women. Linear regression analysis revealed a mean ACD reduction of 0.013 mm per year of age ( p  < 0.001). The ACD decreased by 0.056 mm per diopter of spherical equivalent and 0.018 mm per mmHg of IOP ( p  < 0.001 and p  = 0.030, respectively).
Conclusions:  We found the normal range of ACD in the population of Tehran which is slightly different from that reported from other geographical regions. The study also demonstrated the correlation of ACD with other factors; it decreases with age, and is slightly higher in men.     

Downregulation of Talin‐1 is associated with the increased expression of miR‐182‐5p and miR‐9‐5p in coronary artery disease

BackgroundEvidence indicates that the dysregulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) components can lead to cardiovascular diseases. The Talin‐1 (TLN1) gene is a major component of the ECM, and it mediates integrin adhesion to the ECM. In this study, we aimed to determine microRNAs (miRs) that regulate the expression of TLN1 and determine expression alterations in TLN1 and its targeting miRs in coronary artery disease (CAD).MethodsData sets of CAD and normal samples of blood exosomes were downloaded, and TLN1 was chosen as one of the genes with differential expressions in an in silico analysis. Next, miR‐182‐5p and miR‐9‐5p, which have a binding site on 3´‐UTR of TLN1, were selected using bioinformatics tools. Then, the miR target site was cloned in the psiCHECK‐2 vector, and direct interaction between the miR target site and the TLN1 3′‐UTR putative target site was investigated by luciferase assay. The expression of miR‐182‐5p, miR‐9‐5p, and TLN1 in the serum samples of CAD and non‐CAD individuals was assessed via a real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.ResultsOur data revealed that miR‐182‐5p directly regulated the expression of TLN1. Moreover, miR‐182‐5p and miR‐9‐5p were significantly upregulated in the CAD group. Hence, both bioinformatics and experimental analyses determined the downregulated expression of TLN1 in the CAD samples.ConclusionsOur findings demonstrated that miR‐182‐5p and miR‐9‐5p could play significant roles in TLN1 regulation and participate in CAD development by targeting TLN1. These findings introduce novel biomarkers with a potential role in CAD pathogenesis.     

Spatio-temporal Distribution of Suicide Risk in Iran: A Bayesian Hierarchical Analysis of Repeated Cross-sectional Data

ObjectivesWe aimed to estimate the space-time distribution of the risk of suicide mortality in Iran from 2006 to 2016.MethodsIn this repeated cross-sectional study, the age-standardized risk of suicide mortality from 2006 to 2016 was determined. To estimate the cumulative and temporal risk, the Besag, York, and Mollié and Bernardinelli models were used.ResultsThe relative risk of suicide mortality was greater than 1 in 43.0% of Iran’s provinces (posterior probability >0.8; range, 0.46 to 3.93). The spatio-temporal model indicated a high risk of suicide in 36.7% of Iran’s provinces. In addition, significant upward temporal trends in suicide risk were observed in the provinces of Tehran, Fars, Kermanshah, and Gilan. A significantly decreasing pattern of risk was observed for men (β, −0.013; 95% credible interval [CrI], −0.010 to −0.007), and a stable pattern of risk was observed for women (β, −0.001; 95% CrI, −0.010 to 0.007). A decreasing pattern of suicide risk was observed for those aged 15–29 years (β, −0.006; 95% CrI, −0.010 to −0.0001) and 30–49 years (β, −0.001; 95% CrI, −0.018 to −0.002). The risk was stable for those aged >50 years.ConclusionsThe highest risk of suicide mortality was observed in Iran’s northwestern provinces and among Kurdish women. Although a low risk of suicide mortality was observed in the provinces of Tehran, Fars, and Gilan, the risk in these provinces is increasing rapidly compared to other regions.     

The significance of cytoplasmic inclusions in late infantile and juvenile amaurotic idiocy

Summary The electron microscopic findings of cerebral biopsies from two siblings with late infantile-juvenile amaurotic idiocy are presented. One patient had a mixture of fingerprint and multilamellar inclusions, often in the same cytosome. The second patient had only fingerprint inclusions.Electron microscopic findings in autopsied tissues from two other cases of late infantile-juvenile amaurotic idiocy with multilamellar cytosomes are also presented. Evolution of the multilamellar cytosomes into lipofuscin was not observed. We concluded that cases of late infantile-juvenile amaurotic idiocy with multilamellar and fingerprint inclusions should be distinguished from cases with lipofuscin.The present investigation was supported by Research Grants NS 05572-08, 1 T01 NS 05712-01 and RR 75.     

COVID‐19 infection in an infant with cystic fibrosis: A case report and possible therapeutic effect of hypertonic saline

Pulmonary infections represent the major causes of morbidity and mortality in cystic fibrosis (CF). Here, we report a 3‐month‐old infant with pancreatic insufficient CF was hospitalized with positive RT‐PCR test for COVID‐19. He was treated successfully. Hypertonic saline can be hypothesized as a treatment regimen against COVID‐19 infection after further investigations.     

Pulmonary Embolism After Total Joint Arthroplasty: Cost and Effectiveness of Four Treatment Modalities

Pulmonary embolism (PE) treatment relies on therapeutic anticoagulation and may be associated with severe complications. Inferior vena cava filters (IVCFs) are used as an alternative/adjunct to anticoagulation. In this study we evaluate 4 treatment protocols for clinical efficacy and cost. We reviewed over 27,000 total joint arthroplasty (TJA) patients. We retrospectively identified 294 patients with a documented, symptomatic PE within 90 days of surgery. All patients were treated with warfarin postoperatively. In addition, for the acute management, patients were divided into four treatment groups: (1) IVCF only, (2) IVCF with heparin, (3) heparin only and (4) no treatment. Complication rates, hospital stay and PE recurrence are reported. Among patients who received warfarin, IVCF was associated with fewer complications and lower overall hospital costs compared to the use of heparin for the treatment of PE after TJA.