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Background: The hypothesis that non-secretor status of individuals makes them more susceptible to certain bacterial infections and they might be at a greater risk of metabolic syndromes and autoimmune diseases motivated us to evaluate the relationship between secretor status and risk factors for duodenal ulcer in the present study.

Materials and Methods: This case-control study was done on 120 patients with duodenal ulcer, gastric ulcer, and gastric cancer undergoing endoscopy, and a control group including 120 healthy individuals. Secretor status was determined by saliva and the association of some risk factors with the prevalence of disease was determined by a questionnaire. The results were analyzed by SPSS software version 16.

Results: Overall, 27.5% of the patients were non-secretor and 72.5% were secretor, whereas 20.8 % of the controls were non-secretor and 79.2% were secretor. There was not a significant relationship between secretor status and the incidence of gastrointestinal diseases. However, some risk factors, such as gender, smoking, and physical activity, were significantly associated with gastric disease.

Conclusion: The statistical analysis showed that there was not a significant association between secretor status and prevalence of gastric disease. According to the results, gastrointestinal diseases are more common in men than women and in smokers more than nonsmokers. Furthermore, physical activities reduce the incidence of this disease.

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Background: Today, global concerns about water pollution with chemicals and its adverse impact on health have increased. This study aims to evaluate the physical and chemical quality of water treated through domestic water treatment systems.

Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, water samples were collected from 60 domestic water treatment systems and parameters, such as turbidity, total dissolved and suspended solid, total hardness and calcium, magnesium hardness, alkalinity, total alkalinity, carbonate, bicarbonate, nitrate, sulfate, nitrite and fluoride, EC, pH, and free chlorine residuals, were examined.

Results: The results indicate that the average concentration of chemical parameters in treated water were: chloride=0.1mg/L, nitrate=0.006mg/l, sulfate=5 mg/l, Nitrate=15mg/L, bicarbonate=49 mg/L, calcium hardness=18 mg/L, and fluoride=0 mg/l.

Conclusion: The overall results of this study indicated that the use of municipal water treatment reduced Cl2, sulfate, and bicarbonate concentrations than the optimal levels in urban areas water. However, nitrite concentration was significantly higher in the output of these systems than distribution systems, which is a source of concern.

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Abstract

Background: Diabetes mellitus was induced, when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin (diabetes type 1) or is unable to use insulin properly (diabetes type 2). In this study, we compare serum nesfatin-1 level in type 1 and 2 diabetic male rats.

Materials and Methods: 18 male Wistar rats were divided randomly into 3 groups: control, diabetes type 1, and diabetes type2. Diabetes type 1 was induced by a single injection of STZ (55 mg/kg) and diabetes type 2 was induced by STZ (60 mg/kg) and NA (110 mg/kg). Weight, FBG (fasting blood glucose), insulin, nesfatin-1were measured in all groups after 6 weeks.

Results: Nesfatin-1 levels were increased in diabetic rats compared to the control. Its level in serum was significantly higher in type 2 compared to type 1 diabetic rats. Serum insulin and body weight were reduced significantly in diabetic rats compared to control. Body weight was lower significantly in type 1 than type 2 diabetic rats. FBG was increased significantly in diabetic rats compared to control and it was higher in type 2 compered to type 1 diabetic rats significantly.

Conclusion: The results indicated that nesfatin-1 level in serum of type 2 diabetic rats was higher than type 1, probably because of higher weight and less destruction of beta cells in type 2 diabetic rats.

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Introduction: Fetuin-A is a secreted protein from the liver, which plays a role in microvascular disorders of diabetes through insulin resistance and inflammation. The aim of this study is to investigate the amount of fetuin-A in diabetic patients without and with microvascular disorders.
Methods: 90 people in 4 groups, diabetic control, nephropathy, retinopathy and retinopathy-nephropathy participated in this research. Data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and Pearson correlation tests. Measurement of parameters including VEGF, interleukin 8 (IL-8), insulin, interleukin 6 (IL- 6) and Fatuin-A was done by ELISA method. The concentration of C-reactive protein (CRP) was measured by nephrometric method.
Ethical considerations: This study was conducted after the approval of the protocol in the research ethics committee and receiving the ethical code number IR.ARAKMU.REC.1400.250 and according to the Declaration of Helsinki.
Results: The obtained results showed that the correlation between fetuin-A and VEGF in the control group was not significant (p=0.234), in the nephropathy group it was significant (p<0.01), in the retinopathy group it was significant (p<0.01) and in the retinopathy group - Nephropathy was significant (p=0.032). Also, the correlation between fetuin-A and interleukin-6 in the nephropathy group is not significant (p=0.285), in the retinopathy group is not significant (p<.075), in the retinopathy group is not significant (p<0.059) and in the retinopathy-nephropathy group. It was insignificant (p=0.113). The correlation between fetuin-A interleukin 8 in the control group is not significant (p=0.592), in the nephropathy group (p=0.592), in the retinopathy group (p=0.314) and in the retinopathy-nephropathy group (p= 0.362). The correlation between Fetuin-A and the homeostatic model of insulin resistance was significant in all groups (p<0.01). Fetuin-A and VEGF levels in the three groups of nephropathy and retinopathy increased significantly compared to the control group. The amount of interleukin 6, interleukin 8 and homeostatic model of insulin resistance in nephropathy, retinopathy and retinopathy-nephropathy groups has increased significantly compared to the control group.
Conclusions: Because fetuin-A is directly related to insulin resistance and VEGF production, its control can have an effect in preventing and controlling the development of microvascular disorders, especially in the early stages of diabetes. Although the results showed that fetuin-A level has no significant relationship with inflammatory factors such as interleukin 6 and interleukin 8, especially in the retinopathy-nephropathy group, but a significant increase of interleukin 6, interleukin 8 and CRP in patients with microvascular disorders to the diabetic control group, it shows the importance of inflammation in the development and progression of microvascular disorders and the importance of its control in diabetic patients.