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Biomedical subjects

Mehdi Mohamadnejad

Publications and source records attributed to Mehdi Mohamadnejad.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

14C-urea breath test in patients undergoing anti-tuberculosis therapy.

AIM: Urea breath test (UBT) is a non-invasive diagnostic test for detecting the presence of Helicobacter pylori (H pylori). In this study we evaluated the effect of anti-tuberculosis therapy on the results of 14C-UBT. METHODS: Patients, with the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) who had a positive UBT at the point of starting anti-TB therapy, were included. None had a history of peptic ulcer disease or had taken antibiotics, bismuth compounds and/or PPI in the previous month. 14C-UBT was repeated at the end of the second month and the end of treatment period and one month after completion of treatment course. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients (23 males) were enrolled. 14C-UBT was negative in all 35 patients (100%) at the end of the second month and remained negative in 30 cases (85.7%) at the end of the treatment course. One month after completion of treatment course, UBT remained negative in 13 patients (37.1%). CONCLUSION: Our report underscores the need for caution while interpreting urea breath test results in patients undergoing anti-TB therapy. Furthermore, the combination of drugs used in this study resulted in H pylori eradication in a minority of patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Impact of immunosuppressive treatment on liver fibrosis in autoimmune hepatitis.

The impact of treatment on progression of fibrosis in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is unknown. We assessed the changes in liver fibrosis before and after treatment among these patients. Nineteen AIH patients who had paired liver biopsies were studied. Of these, seven had been treated with 6 months of cyclosporine A and the rest with 6 months of prednisolone for induction of remission. Thereafter all had been maintained on azathioprine. Biopsy specimens before and after treatment were reviewed by one pathologist and scored by the Ishak method. Mean fibrosis stages before and after treatment were compared. Also, factors predicting significant fibrosis (stage > or =3) and cirrhosis (stage > or =5) at presentation were assessed. Mean interval between biopsies was 3.38 years. Mean fibrosis stage decreased from 4.53 to 2.16 following treatment (P < 0.001). Mean decrement in inflammatory grade was 8 scores (range, 4-10) in patients in whom fibrosis improved, and 2 scores (range, 0-4) in patients in whom fibrosis did not decrease after treatment (P < 0.001). ALT-to-platelet ratio was the best predictor of significant fibrosis and also cirrhosis. Fibrosis commonly improves after immunosuppressive treatment in AIH. ALT-to-platelet ratio can predict accurately the presence of significant fibrosis and cirrhosis in AIH.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Prevalence and etiology of persistently elevated alanine aminotransferase levels in healthy Iranian blood donors.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Causes of elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels vary depending on the population under study. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and causes of elevated ALT levels among apparently healthy Iranian blood donors in Tehran. METHODS: A total of 1959 (1465 male) randomly selected blood donors were enrolled in the study. Body mass index (BMI), viral markers and ALT levels were measured. If ALT was elevated (> 40 U/L), it was rechecked twice within 6 months. Blood donors with > or =2 times elevated ALT levels (persistently elevated ALT) were invited for further evaluation. RESULTS: A total of 100 donors (5.1%) had elevated ALT levels at the first measurement. Fifty-two persons (2.65%) were found to have persistently elevated serum ALT. Among subjects with persistently elevated serum ALT, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) was diagnosed in 46 (88.4%), chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in four (7.7%), alcoholic liver disease in one (1.92%), and drug-induced liver disease in one (1.92%). The prevalence of NASH and HCV infection in the studied population was 2.35% and 0.4%, respectively. The mean BMI of NASH subjects was 30.58 kg/m(2), compared with 27.28 kg/m(2) of those without NASH (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis is the most common cause of persistently elevated serum ALT in the asymptomatic Iranian blood donors in Tehran.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Hepatitis B.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed2004

Reversibility of cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis B.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis are the consequences of many types of chronic liver disease, and, at its final stage when liver nodule and scarring develop, they are generally considered to be irreversible. METHODS: Here we describe 3 patients with chronic hepatitis B with clinical, biochemical, and histologic evidence of cirrhosis. They underwent treatment with interferon-alpha or lamivudine and had follow-up liver biopsy while in clinical, biochemical, and virologic remission. Biopsy specimens were randomly coded in unpaired manner according to patient, and they were read independently by 2 pathologists using the modified hepatitis activity index (with a maximum stage of 6). The mean interval between biopsies was 5.5 years. RESULTS: The mean ALT level decreased from 113.7 to 28.3 U/L. The mean bilirubin level decreased from 2.4 to 0.9 mg/dL, and the mean prothrombin time decreased from 16.3 to 12.3 seconds. The mean Child-Pugh score decreased from 8 to 5. The mean fibrosis score decreased from 5.8 to 0.5 (P = 0.004), and the mean grading score decreased from 10.8 to 3.2 (P = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Cirrhosis due to chronic hepatitis B might be reversible in some patients who respond to antiviral therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Coeliac disease is the most common cause of chronic diarrhoea in Iran.

OBJECTIVE: Coeliac disease (CD) is one of the most important causes of chronic diarrhoea. The prevalence of CD in patients with chronic diarrhoea in Iran remains unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of CD among 100 Iranian patients with chronic non-bloody diarrhoea. METHODS: One hundred consecutive patients with chronic non-bloody diarrhoea of more than 6 weeks attending an academic centre in Iran were enrolled. Patients with bloody diarrhoea and renal failure were excluded. IgA endomysial antibody (IgA EMA), IgA antigliadin antibody (IgA AGA), and total serum IgA were tested in all patients. Patients with negative IgA EMA were evaluated for other causes of chronic diarrhoea. Patients who had positive IgA EMA underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and duodenal biopsy. Patients with a positive IgA EMA were advised to follow a gluten-free diet (GFD) strictly for 6 months, and then clinical symptoms, serological and haematological tests were re-assessed. RESULTS: A total of 100 patients (55 men and 45 women) with chronic non-bloody diarrhoea were studied. Mean age of the patients was 31 years. Total serum IgA was in the normal range in all participants. Twenty patients (12/45 women; 8/55 men) had positive IgA EMA. Fourteen of them also had a positive IgA AGA. CD was diagnosed in 19 patients (19%). Small intestinal Crohn's disease, small intestinal lymphoma and idiopathic aetiology were the next. In patients with CD, after 6 months of a GFD, 15 patients (75%) had a complete clinical response, three patients (15%) had a good response, and one patient (5%) had a partial response. One patient did not follow a GFD. CONCLUSION: CD is the most common cause of adult chronic non-bloody diarrhoea in Tehran.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Adenocarcinoma of the colon associated with sarcoidosis.

Lymph node swelling in the setting of malignancy generally suggests metastasis of the primary tumor. Here, we describe a patient with adenocarcinoma of the colon with regional and systemic lymph node enlargement that resulted from sarcoid reaction, not metastasis. Interestingly, sarcoidosis regressed after treatment of colon cancer. The literature is reviewed and possible mechanisms are explained.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2003

Healthy ranges of serum alanine aminotransferase levels in Iranian blood donors.

AIM: The healthy ranges for serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels are less well studied. The aim of this study was to define the upper limit of normal (ULN) for serum ALT levels, and to assess factors associated with serum ALT activity in apparently healthy blood donors. METHODS: A total of 1,939 blood donors were included. ALT measurements were performed for all cases using the same laboratory method. Healthy ranges for ALT levels were computed from the population at the lowest risk for liver disease. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate associations between clinical factors and ALT levels. RESULTS: Serum ALT activity was independently associated with body mass index (BMI) and male gender, but not associated with age. Association of ALT with BMI was more prominent in males than in females. Upper limit of normal for non-overweight women (BMI of less than 25) was 34 U/L, and for non-overweight men was 40 U/L. CONCLUSION: Serum ALT is strongly associated with sex and BMI. The normal range of ALT should be defined for male and female separately.

Adolescent↗