Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a common cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The benefits and effects of renin–angiotensin system blocker drugs are obvious in decreasing albuminuria, but there is a need to find other drugs that can decrease albuminuria. The aim of our study is to evaluate the effect of short-term administration of curcumin on overt albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Materials and Methods: A randomized, double-blind clinical trial was performed on 46 patients with T2DM, overt albuminuria ≥300 mg/24 h, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥30 mL/min/1.73 m². After the random allocation of the patients, they were divided into two groups. In the curcumin group, the patients received 500 mg (one capsule) of curcumin with each meal (three times/day after meal) for 16 weeks. Other variables including blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr), fasting blood sugar (FBS), 2-h postprandial blood sugar (2-h pp BS), lipid profile, 24-h urine analysis for albuminuria, serum albumin, and hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) were checked at baseline and bimonthly too. Results: two groups at baseline were comparable in terms of basic characteristics (P < 0.05). Albuminuria decreased significantly from 900.42 ± 621.91 at the baseline to 539.68 ± 375.16 at the end of the study in the curcumin group (P_Time = 0.002); however, no statistically significant changes were observed in the placebo group (519.94 ± 214.33 at the baseline vs. 444.00 ± 219.10 at the end of the trial; P_Time = 0.43), and the decrease was significantly higher in the curcumin group than that of the placebo group (P_Intervention = 0.01). No significant differences were observed between the placebo and curcumin in terms of changes in serum BUN, Cr, FBS, 2-h pp BS, HbA1C, lipid profile, and albumin. Conclusion: Our study showed that curcumin as an active turmeric metabolite was an effective adjuvant therapy for ameliorating macroscopic proteinuria in type 2 diabetic patients. Its effect may appear after 2 months of therapy and even in patients with a mild decrease in GFR. Further studies with larger sample size and longer duration are recommended.

Background: Many causes can lead to childhood rickets. We aimed to investigate the biochemical symptoms of childhood rickets with systematic review and meta-analysis. Materials and Methods: Seven articles published from 1975 to 2018 were recruited. The literature search was performed in the Scientific Information Database, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Elsevier databases using related keywords. For meta-analysis, the results of the studies were pooled using the random-effects model. The heterogeneity between the studies was checked using Q test and I² index. Results: The total sample population consisted of 933 children with biochemical symptoms of rickets (133 participants per article). According to our findings, the mean serum levels of PO₄, Ca, and alkaline phosphatase in children with rickets were 4.18 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.75–4.61, I² = 98.3%,P <0.001), 9.23 (95% CI: 8.78–9.68, I² = 99.6%,P < 0.001), and 1.33 (95% CI: 1.23–1.44, I² = 95.6%,P < 0.001), respectively. Conclusion: Characterizing the biochemical symptoms of rickets in children can help to early diagnose and prevent the disease in children. Furthermore, educating parents about biochemical symptoms can lead to early diagnosis and successful treatment of rickets in children.

Recent experiments have shown that cells with different genetic mutations can give rise to cancer transformation, both in vitro and in vivo, supported by the crosstalk between cancer cells and stroma. The stroma and the complex set of involved cells make up the tumor microenvironment that supports the engraftment of metastatic cells. In fact, environmental factors support colorectal cancer arise by formation and maintenance of cancer stem cells (CSCs). In this review, we discuss interactions between CSCs and their microenvironment that can provide better therapeutic opportunities in the metastatic cancer.

Background: Noninvasive respiratory support techniques are widely used to treat respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in preterm infants, and the effectiveness of these methods should be compared. In the current study, nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP), nasal intermittent mandatory ventilation (NIMV), and heated humidified high-flow nasal cannula (HHHFNC) were compared. Materials and Methods: In the current bicenter clinical trial, 109 preterm infants with RDS not treated with surfactant were randomly assigned to three groups: NCPAP, NIMV, and HHHFNC. The initial outcomes including the failure of treatment within the first initial 72 h, and the duration of RDS treatment, and the secondary outcomes including the need for intubation, the need for surfactants, the duration of oxygen dependency, the incidence of pneumothorax, the patent ductus arteriosus, intraventricular hemorrhage, length of stay, and mortality were compared among the groups. Results: The frequency of HHHFNC treatment failure (54.3%) was significantly higher compared with those of NIMV (21.6%) (P < 0.001, hazard ratio [HR] = 9.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.59 – 32.07) and NCPAP (35.1%) (P = 0.004, HR = 21.25, 95% CI = 2.51–180.08). The median duration of RDS treatment was longer (40 h) in the HHHFNC group, although it was not significantly different from those of NIMV (31.16 h) and NCPAP (38.91 h). Conclusion: Based on the high prevalence of failure of HHHFNC treatment than the other two methods (NCPAP and NIMV), HHHFNC is not recommended as the initial treatment of RDS.

Background: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of glucose metabolism disorder and dyslipidemia in 14–18-year-old girls with different phenotype polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Materials and Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on 3200 high-school adolescents aged 14–18 years in Shiraz in 2010. Selected parameters of metabolic syndrome (fasting blood glucose, glucose tolerance test [GTT], insulin level, triglyceride (TG), cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein [HDL]), based on adult treatment panel ø definition criteria, were compared between the “PCOS” and control groups. Results: Results were compared at four main phenotypes. The level of serum TG was increased in the Phenotype B (P = 0.03) and Phenotype D (P = 0.01), compared to the control group. Cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels (P < 0.05) and GTT (P < 0.05) were increased, and HDL was decreased (was below 50) in all the four phenotypes and the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The risk of metabolic alterations of glucose metabolism disorder and dyslipidemia in PCOS adolescents was more than non-PCOS counterparts.

Background: Many patients on maintenance hemodialysis experience sleep disorders. This problem is related to depression, anxiety, hospitalizations, chronic medical conditions, decreased quality of life, and increasing mortality rate in patients on maintenance hemodialysis. The objective of this research is to determine the impact of massage therapy by hot stone on quality of sleep in patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Materials and Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial conducted on 60 patients on maintenance hemodialysis. They were assigned via random allocation process into two groups of study: intervention group (n = 30), or control group (n = 30). Patients in the experimental group received massage therapy by hot basalt stone for 12 séances. During the massage therapy, each of five basalt stones were placed at the sites of the fifth, fourth, third, second, and first chakra. Control group received their treatment as usual without any massage therapy. Using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the global score and its components were computed in both groups of study, two times (before the intervention and 1 month after the intervention). Results: Although there were not any baseline differences between the two groups of study for the mean of global PSQI score (P = 0.92) before the study, the mean of global PSQI score in the intervention group, after the intervention decreased to 5.7 ± 3.06, but in the control group sleep quality increased to 10.7 ± 3.6. The difference between the mean of global score of PSQI among two groups of study after the massage therapy was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Applying massage therapy by hot stone in hemodialysis patients may contribute in enhancing their quality of sleep.

Background: An excessive accumulation of the adipose tissue in women's organism is a frequent and important medical problem which should be monitored. The aim of this study was to explore correlations between the selected parameters of body composition assessed using DXA and anthropometric methods. Materials and Methods: The study group consisted of 50 women aged 51–85. Both adipose mass and fat-free mass were assessed with the DXA method, and the nutritional status of the participants was evaluated with the anthropometric methods. Results: The mean body mass index (BMI) value assessed with the DXA method amounted to 28.4 (±5.12). The Spearman's Rho correlation indicated the presence of a moderate association (0.27–0.50) between: (1) right arm lean and the circumference of the arm (P = 0.020), forearm (P = 0.011), and transverse cross-section of the arm (P = 0.020), (2) right leg fat and circumference of the thigh (P = 0.003), shin (P = 0.009), and also the musculature index of the lower extremity (P = 0.034), (3) visceral adipose tissue (VAT) mass and BMI (P = 0.050), Waist to HeightRatio (WtHR) (P = 0.031), (4) Android fat and WHtR (P = 0.044), and (5) gynoid fat and Škerlj index (P = 0.025). Conclusion: The selected parameters assessed with DXA were significantly correlated with the selected parameters assessed with anthropometric methods. WHtR anthropometric parameter is significantly correlated with DXA parameters: VAT mass, gynoid region % fat and android region % fat.