A Young Man With Primary Pulmonary Myxoma.

Primary pulmonary myxoma is a rare tumor and is usually diagnosed incidentally in clinically asymptomatic patients as a well-defined lung mass without metastasizing. It should also be considered that diagnostic methods such as bronchoscopy or transthoracic aspiration may be nondiagnostic. Thus, tumor resection is essential for diagnosis and treatment.

Galactomannan detection in sputum samples of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A promising marker for diagnosis of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis?

Background And Purpose: Diagnosing chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is challenging due to nonspecific symptoms, variable radiological findings, and limited mycological evidences. While galactomannan (GM) testing has been validated in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA), its usefulness in sputum samples for CPA remains unclear. This study aimed to determine an appropriate GM cut-off level in sputum samples and its performance in diagnosis of CPA.

Effects of oral montelukast on pulmonary function and clinical symptoms in acute asthma exacerbations: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Introduction: Montelukast is a leukotriene receptor antagonist that helps treat chronic asthma and allergic rhinitis by reducing inflammation and bronchoconstriction. However, oral montelukast's effectiveness in managing acute asthma attacks has yet to be completely identified.

Methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigated the efficacy of oral montelukast in acute exacerbations of asthma.

Geospatial Analysis and Molecular Epidemiologic Study of Emerging Pulmonary Lophomoniasis in Iran: A National Registry-Based Study.

Introduction: Bronchopulmonary lophomoniasis (BPL) is a protozoan pulmonary disease that has been reported sporadically, but its incidence has been increasing. However, the epidemiology and risk factors of the disease have not been clearly identified. The current study aims to identify BPL cases molecularly and assess the demographic and some environmental factors for the first time on the prevalence of BPL as a national registry-based study in Iran.

Evaluation of Clinical, Laboratory, and Radiologic Findings of Pulmonary and Extrapulmonary Involvement in Sarcoidosis.

Background: Sarcoidosis is a systemic disease with unknown etiology that is characterized by the presence of granuloma in various organs with diverse pulmonary and extrapulmonary manifestations. Regarding differences in the presentation of sarcoidosis in different geographical areas, the present study aimed to determine clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings of patients with sarcoidosis in the north of Iran.

Materials And Methods: In a cross-sectional study, patients with sarcoidosis were enrolled, and demographic data in addition to disease manifestations including clinical, laboratory, and imaging findings were recorded.

Evaluation of Antiphospholipid Antibodies in COVID-19 Patients with Coagulopathy.

Background: Due to the importance of recent published studies regarding the thrombotic events in COVID-19 patients, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the frequency of antiphospholipid antibodies in COVID-19 patients with coagulopathy.

Materials And Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted on COVID-19 patients with coagulopathy admitted to Imam Khomeini Hospital in Sari, Iran, between June and September in 2020. Later on, the levels of anti-phospholipid antibodies (aPL-ab) and biochemical factors were measured.

Fiberoptic Bronchoscopic Findings in Patients Suffering from Emerging Pulmonary Lophomoniasis: A First Registry-Based Clinical Study.

Background: is an emerging protozoan agent that mainly infects the lower respiratory system, causing pulmonary lophomoniasis. The bronchoscopic findings in patients with pulmonary lophomoniasis have not been investigated yet. Accordingly, we assess the bronchoscopic findings of lophomoniasis in patients suffering from pulmonary lophomoniasis through a registry-based clinical study.

First Co-morbidity of Lophomonas blattarum and COVID-19 Infections: Confirmed Using Molecular Approach.

Introduction: Lophomoniasis is caused by Lophomonas spp., a new emerging protozoan, which commonly affects the human lower respiratory tract. The Lophomonas parasite mostly lives commensally in the hindgut of cockroaches.

Alkaline phosphatase and score of HRCT as indicators for predicting the severity of COVID-19.

Background: The clinical symptoms, blood laboratory data, O2 saturation and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings are critical factors in diagnosis of COVID-19 infection.

Methods: In this study, 105 hospitalized patients suspected of having COVID-19 were evaluated. Finally, the laboratory and HRCT and related factors data of 83 confirmed cases by HRCT and RT-PCR were analyzed.

Cytokine profiling in Iranian patients with COVID-19; association with clinical severity.

Background: SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is recognized for the first time in Wuhan, China. The cytokine storm is a known factor causing major clinical symptoms leading to death in COVID-19 patients.

Objective: To investigate and compare the serum levels of different cytokines in COVID-19 patients with different clinical severity.

Apoptosis and immunophenotyping of peripheral blood lymphocytes in Iranian COVID-19 patients: Clinical and laboratory characteristics.

A novel member of human coronavirus, named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been recently recognized in China and rapidly spread worldwide. Studies showed the decreasing of peripheral blood lymphocytes in a majority of patients. In this study, we have reported the clinical features, laboratory characteristics, the frequency of peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations, and their apoptosis pattern in Iranian coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) patients.

A Bibliometric Analysis of Global Research on Lophomonas Spp. in Scopus (1933-2019).

Background: This study was designed to analyze the global research on Lophomonas spp. using bibliometric techniques.

Methods: A bibliometric research was carried out using the Scopus database.

The Ability of Polyuria in Prediction of Weaning Outcome in Critically Ill Mechanically Ventilated Patients.

Background: Fluid balance and oliguria influence outcome in critically ill patients. Although, osmotic dieresis with hypernatraemia is a predictor of mortality in critically ill patients, the purpose of this study was to demonstrate the effect of polyuria as an independent predictor on weaning outcome in mechanically ventilated patients.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective, single center, cohort study was carried out at Imam Teaching Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on 263 adult mechanically ventilated patients.

First Molecular Diagnosis of Lophomoniasis: the End of a Controversial Story.

Introduction: We report a case of lophomoniasis in an immunocompetent patient with acute paranasal sinusitis from the north of Iran whose disease was diagnosed by both microscopic and molecular methods.

Case Presentation: The patient, a 40-year-old woman, suffered from upper respiratory infection, was referred to the Iranian National Registry Center for Lophomoniasis (INRCL) at the Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran, for diagnosis. A direct wet mount of nasal discharge revealed the flagellate protozoa morphologically identified Lophomonas blattarum.

Comparison of the Diagnostic and Therapeutic Efficacies of Portable Recruited Chest Radiography with Conventional Portable Radiography in Mechanically Ventilated Patients.

Background: In mechanically ventilated patients, portable chest radiography (CXR) can provide important information for selecting the optimal therapeutic approach. This study aimed to determine the diagnostic and therapeutic efficacies of portable recruited chest radiography with maximum inspiratory volume and pause in comparison with conventional portable radiography.

Materials And Methods: This diagnostic accuracy study was conducted on 75 mechanically ventilated patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Sari, Iran, during 2013-2015.

Elevated Expression of Tim-3 and PD-1 Immune Checkpoint Receptors on T-CD4+ Lymphocytes of Patients with Asthma.

Asthma is a chronic disorder of the airways characterized by reversible airflow obstruction, inflammation and bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Different immune cells and molecules have been attributed to involve in pathogenesis of asthma. In the current case-control study, the expression of T cell Ig and mucin domain-containing molecule-3 (Tim-3) and programmed death-1 (PD-1) was studied on CD4+ T cells of patients with asthma and normal controls.

Impact of Comorbid Ischemic Heart Disease on Short-Term Outcomes of Patients Hospitalized for Acute Exacerbations of COPD.

Background: Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in patients with COPD. The contribution of IHD to acute outcomes in patients with acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) is not known in detail. The present study assessed the effect of comorbid IHD on length of stay (LOS), risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and death as indicators of the short-term outcomes for patients hospitalized for AECOPD.

Role of C-reactive Protein and Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha in Differentiating between Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia and Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome without Infectious Etiology.

Background: Differential diagnosis of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) with or without infectious cause is critically important in terms of initiating antimicrobial agents in case of infectious etiology such as ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic and prognostic roles of C-reactive protein (CRP) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in differentiating between ventilator-associated pneumonia and SIRS without infectious etiology.

Materials And Methods: In this prospective observational study, 91 adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients were enrolled.

A 50-year-old man with progressive dyspnea.

Dental foreign body aspiration is a known complication in patients with maxillofacial trauma. Although diagnosis may be delayed, especially in elderly people with radiolucent dental appliances, clinician must be aware of dental tracheobronchial aspiration to minimize potentially serious consequences. We present a 50-year-old man with three months history of progressive dyspnea due to foreign body aspiration occluding distal trachea.

Determination of trace elements in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major liver disease worldwide and its clinical manifestations are linked to immune response. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between selenium, copper, and zinc in comparison with transaminase level in chronic HBV patients. Serum samples of the HBV infected patients were obtained from Tooba medical center, Sari, Iran.