COVID-19 patients may present with myocarditis: A case report emphasizing the cardiac involvement of SARS-CoV-2.

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was declared to be pandemic on March 12, 2020, is the latest health concern worldwide. COVID-19 patients may develop cerebrovascular complications either during the course of COVID-19 or even as an initial presentation of the disease. Herein, a case of myocarditis in a COVID-19 patient without any respiratory signs and symptoms is presented.

An Overview of Celiac Disease in Childhood Type 1 Diabetes.

CONTEXT: Celiac disease (CD) is a common phenomenon in children with Type 1 diabetes (T1D). In the present review, we have discussed the pathogenesis, diagnostic biomarkers, risk factors, and prognosis of CD in the context of pediatric T1D. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Literature published in Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library were scrutinized up to the end of 2017. The keywords of celiac disease, Type 1 diabetes, children, and pediatric were used in different combinations. RESULTS: Immune cytotoxic reactions along with dampen immune regulatory functions contribute to CD in the context of pediatric T1D. Many children with simultaneous CD and T1D do not represent with the clinical signs of the enteropathy rendering a diagnostic challenge. The most common screening tests in these children are routine serological tests of CD, anti - endomysial, anti - transglutaminase, and anti - deamidated gliadin peptide antibodies. Typing for human leukocyte antigens of DQ - 2 and DQ - 8 may assist in the diagnosis of silent CD in children with T1D. The most significant shared non - HLA genetic loci of CD and T1D comprise CTLA - 4, TAGAP, IL - 18RAP, PTPN2, RGS1, SH2B3, CCR5. Interactions between these loci can be important in susceptibility to CD in T1D. Some new biomarkers have been suggested for diagnosis of CD including ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), soluble syndecan-1 (SSDC-1), regenerating gene Iα (REG-Iα), Neurotensin, and Zonulin, which can be useful for diagnosis and screening of CD in childhood T1D. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, active seropositive CD seems to be of clinical importance in T1D with significant impacts on the quality of life and predisposition to diabetes associated complications. It is important to detect CD in the context of T1D to prevent potential risks contributing to morbidities and mortalities associated with either CD or T1D.

Changes in serum level of trace elements in pulmonary tuberculosis patients during anti-tuberculosis treatment.

INTRODUCTIONS: Tuberculosis is spreading throughout the globe, while it is a crucial cause of death in developing countries. In this study, trace elements concentrations and their alterations were determined in TB patients during anti-tuberculosis treatment period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We have collected blood samples from a total of 180 TB patients with pulmonary Tuberculosis, and 180 healthy controls in Sistan, Iran. The serum iron, copper, lead, calcium, arsenic and selenium concentrations were detected at the beginning of anti-TB chemotherapy, at the end of 2nd, 4th and 6th month after treatment initiation. Data were then analyzed using SPSS version 20. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS: Although Ca, Pb, and As levels did not change during the treatment period, serum concentrations of Fe, Zn, Cu, and Se were diminished in TB patients significantly during treatment in comparison with controls (P < 0.001).We also found that there was a significant difference in the Cu/Se and Cu/Zn ratios in tuberculosis patients in comparison with healthy individuals (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Trace elements serum concentrations are affected by TB infection and anti-TB therapy. Their serum levels were strongly perturbed during infection as well as anti-TB treatment.

A survey on rectal bleeding in children, a report from Iran

Background/aim: Studies on the epidemiology of rectal bleeding in children are limited in Iran. Our aim was to assess etiologies of rectal bleeding in children in Iran. Materials and methods: We enrolled 730 children with rectal bleeding. All the patients underwent colonoscopy, and 457 were further evaluated with histopathology. Results: According to colonoscopy and histopathology, respectively, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (29.4%, 15.8%), nodular hyperplasia (NH) (24.9%, 10%), and juvenile polyposis (JP) (12.6%, 9.9%) were the most common causes of rectal bleeding. Other conditions were solitary rectal ulcer (5.3%), chronic colitis (4.6%), allergic colitis (3.3%), focal colitis (1.3%), and infectious colitis (1.1%). In colonoscopy, there were no significant differences in the distribution of pathologies regarding sex, while the youngest and oldest mean ages were found for patients with NH (4.6 ± 3.9 years, P < 0.0001) and those with normal appearance (8.1 ± 4.4 years, P < 0.0001) respectively. Based on histopathologic reports, the youngest patients were diagnosed with infectious colitis (4.6 ± 2.8 years), while patients with chronic colitis were the oldest (9.2 ± 4.6 years, P = 0.003). Conclusion: JP, NH, and IBD constituted the most common etiologies of rectal bleeding in our patients. It is recommended to perform a complete diagnostic approach to accurately assess rectal bleeding in children.

Role of essential trace elements in tuberculosis infection: A review article.

Malnutrition is one of the risk factors in tuberculosis (TB) infection. Mineral levels perturbation is seen in patients with TB. Moreover there are some strategies to starve pathogens of essential metals. Here we decided to conclude association between some essential elements and TB. Copper, calcium and iron are essential for hosts' immune system although calcium and iron are necessary for Mycobacterium tuberculosis vitality. Changing these elements alongside with anti-TB therapy is suggested for better treatment outcomes.

Essential and toxic metals in serum of individuals with active pulmonary tuberculosis in an endemic region.

Trace elements play an important role in tuberculosis infection because their deficiencies can be associated with impaired immunity. Blood samples were collected from a total of 320 active pulmonary tuberculosis patients and healthy individuals. The serum concentrations of Zinc, Iron, Copper, Calcium, lead, Arsenic and Selenium were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry. The levels of trace elements were measured after 2, 4 and 6 months of anti-TB treatment initiation in TB infected groups. Compared to the control group, the concentrations of Zinc, Selenium, and Iron were significantly lower (P < 0.001) in tuberculosis patients; however, that of Arsenic, Lead, and copper was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in the serum of patients. Cu/Zn and Cu/Se ratios were also significantly higher (P < 0.001) in TB patients compared to the control group. In addition, serum concentration calcium was similar in both TB patients and healthy controls. Our results indicated that trace elements concentrations in tuberculosis patients are related to each element role in immune system. Wherever the element is essential for the pathogenesis of bacteria, its concentration will remain low; and contrariwise, when the element is toxic for the bacteria, its level will be regulated up to provide a perfect condition for bacterial growth.

Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia with Delayed Presentation.

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is caused due to abnormal formation of the muscular parts of diaphragm. The incidence of CDH in common births ranges from 1/25000 to 1/30000. Pulmonary hypoplasia and pulmonary hypertension are factors that associate with the increase of mortality and morbidity due to CDH. We presented a 68-year-old Iranian woman with abdominal pain and tenderness in right upper quadrant who was diagnosed as having CDH. The disease was detected using chest X-ray and chest and abdomen sonography and confirmed with chest and abdomen CT scan with and without oral contrast. A defect was revealed in posterolateral right diaphragm with omentum and transverse colon herniated through it. Right posterolateral thoracotomy was performed to cure the disease. CT and CXR were the two useful methods in diagnosis of CDH in this patient, although CDH detection prior to surgery is too challenging because of rare cases and different types of CDH. In order to improve clinical cares in adult CDH patients, investigating more cases and long term follow-up are recommended.