Abbas Abdollahi; Ala Orafaie; Fatemeh Shahabi; Majid Ansari
Abstract
Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a significant health-related infection rarely seen in colorectal patients after surgery. However, over the past two decades, there has been an increase in the incidence and severity of CDI. In addition, the healthcare system is impacted significantly by the morbidity, ...
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Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a significant health-related infection rarely seen in colorectal patients after surgery. However, over the past two decades, there has been an increase in the incidence and severity of CDI. In addition, the healthcare system is impacted significantly by the morbidity, mortality, and costs associated with CDI. While antibiotic use was initially thought to be the only cause, CDI has now been associated with hospitalization and residence in long-term care facilities. The risk of developing CDI is higher for patients who undergo gastrointestinal procedures, including colectomy. Hence, targeting preventive measures and reducing the burden associated with CDI can be achieved by identifying colorectal surgery patients at high risk for this increasingly prevalent disease. In the present article, we aim to review the current evidence of pre- and postoperative CDI in patients with underlying colorectal surgeries due to benign or malignant conditions, pointing to risk factors for infection, clinical impact, and outcomes.
Fatemeh Farhangdoost
Abstract
Morphea is a skin disorder that leads to the sclerosis of the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. In epidemiologic studies, the incidence rate of approximately 0.4 to 2.7 per 100,000 people has been reported that is equal in adults and children. Based on clinical findings of disease and presentations, morphea ...
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Morphea is a skin disorder that leads to the sclerosis of the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. In epidemiologic studies, the incidence rate of approximately 0.4 to 2.7 per 100,000 people has been reported that is equal in adults and children. Based on clinical findings of disease and presentations, morphea disease has been divided into four major types including plaque-type, linear, generalized and a miscellaneous group with morphologically distinct phenotypes. Overall, plaque-type is the most common type of morphea. This disease is characterized by three main histopathologic features that include deposition of collagen in the dermis sometimes with extension to subcutis, vascular changes and an inflammatory cell infiltration, particularly in early lesions. Morphea is a multifactorial process that its main underlying cause is not completely known but the most common causes related to the genesis of morphea including trauma, radiation, medications, infection, autoimmunity and microchimerism. In this paper, we review the literature about the role of infection in the genesis of morphea.
Morteza Hariri Ahari; Elham Pishbin
Abstract
Vitamin D receptors are located in body tissues and cells. In various physiological processes of the body the primary circulating form of vitamin D, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, will become the active form, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, through many enzymatic. Although different functions of vitamin D has been identified, ...
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Vitamin D receptors are located in body tissues and cells. In various physiological processes of the body the primary circulating form of vitamin D, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, will become the active form, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, through many enzymatic. Although different functions of vitamin D has been identified, reducing the possibility of several chronic diseases, including common cancers, autoimmune, infectious, and cardiovascular diseases is proposed as the major role of this component. According to various experimental and clinical studies, vitamin D affects the immune system activity. In this review we study the possible effects of vitamin D on sepsis. The purpose of this review is to evaluate and summarize the role of vitamin D in the immune system, with particular focus on infections and sepsis. We studied different areas related to vitamin D in the literature review including its roles sepsis and infection incidence, as well as seasonal and racial variation in sepsis. Based on evidence, vitamin D positively affects the immune system, so it might act as a therapeutic strategy. Despite several experimental studies which demonstrated the beneficial effects of vitamin D on improved functioning of the immune system, its association with prevention or management of infections and sepsis is not revealed through clinical investigations.