Tehran University Medical Journal

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Background: Definite diagnosis and treatment of Cushing's syndrome is still a dilemma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of diagnostic tests and follow-up of patients with Cushing's syndrome.
Methods: Two hundred and fifty three consecutive cases with Cushing's syndrome during 1370-78 were studied. The screening tests were performed in all patients. High dose dexamethasone suppression test (HDDST) and ACTH measurement were carried out. MRI/CT Scan were performed and compared with laboratory data and pathologic specimens as a gold standard test.
Results: The age range was 32±11 yrs. The most frequent symptoms were weakness hypertension, typical striae, and depression .The frequency of hypertension in ACTH-dependent case were 77% vs. 36% in adrenal tumors (P< 0.001). HDDST was positive in 99% of micro and 71% of macroadenomas. Adrenal tumors showed 3.6% suppression but none in ectopic cases. HDDST had a sensitivity of 98%, specificity of 97% and accuracy equals to 98%. The frequency of different etiologies was as following: Cushing's disease in 64.8%, adrenal tumors in 32.8% and ectopic ACTH in 2.4% of patients. Trans-sphenoidal surgery (TSS) was performed in 120 patients .The patients were followed for 53±25 months whose remission periods were 46.7±23.8 months (range 4-114 months). Survival analysis showed 93% remission rate in 12mo, 82% in 2yr and only 33% after 5yr.This recurrence didn't have any platue level.
Conclusion: In our study, hypertension was more prevalent in ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome. HDDST had acceptable sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. Lifelong follow up of pituitary adenomas is inevitable in the case of progressive and gradual nature of recurrence in these tumors.

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Background: Staphylococcal superantigens (SAg&aposs) may have some role in otitis media with effusion (OME). The aim of this study was the search of staphylococcal SAg&aposs in middle ear effusion of children with OME. 
Methods: This cross sectional-analytic study was done in ENT & pediatric wards upon 64 children with otitis media with effusion (OME) between 1-15 years, (mean age=7.42+4 years) of Rasoul Akram University Hospital, Tehran, Iran in 2009-2011. Fifty six percent (36) of cases were male, 43.8% (28) were female. Staphylococcal SAg&aposs Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin-1 (TSST-1), Staphylococcal enterotoxin A, B, C, D (Enzyme immune assay, AB Cam, USA) were detected in middle ear effusion samples after conventional culture.
Results: None type of SAg&aposs found in 39% of OME cases, enterotoxin B found in: 22% enterotoxin A: 17%, enterotoxin C: 15.6%, enterotoxin D: 12.5%, Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin-1 (TSST-1): 7.8% Mean age of cases with positive TSST-1, enterotoxin A, B, C, and D was: 1, 5, 8.6, 9.6 and 9.6 years respectively. Positive TSST had no agreement with positive enterotoxin A and C but had weak agreement with type B and D. Mean age of cases with positive TSST was one years which had significant difference with (7.9 years) in cases with negative TSST test (P<0.0001).
Conclusion: At least one or more type of staphylococcal toxins had found in middle ear effusion of 70% of OME cases with negative culture for Staphylococcus aureus. Even in culture negative cases, staphylococcal toxins might have some immunologic role in middle ear effusion forming. Finding the SAg&aposs (at least one type) are important for treatment of immunosuppressive or corticosteroid in cases with resistant OME.

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Background: Toxic shock syndrome (TSS), a dangerous consequence of Toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) caused by Staphylococcus aureus. The early detection for infections of Staphylococcus aureus in burned children is very important, also the pre-vention for consequences of TSST-1. Fever is one of the most noticeable sign in burned children. On the other hand, fever is one of the important consequences of TSST-1 pro-duction. Methods: This study aimed to assess the toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 level in the wound’s specimens of two groups febrile and afebrile in the hospitalized burned chil-dren in Motahari hospital Tehran, Iran in the year 2013. In this case-control study, 90 children who admitted to the burn unit, divided in two groups of 45 patients: febrile (cases group) and afebrile (control group). All of burned children under went wound biopsy, and then all of wound’s specimens were tested by PCR for specific primer of toxin producing genome. Finally all of data collected and statistically analyzed. This data include group febrile and afebrile, demographic characteristics, percentage of burned surface severity and result of PCR. Results: The positive result for PCR test, production of TSST-1 in febrile burned chil-dren (cases group) was 37.7% and in afebrile burned children (control group) was 11.1% that this different was statistically significant (P=0.003). The mean and stan-dard deviation for percentage of burned surface (severity) in samples with positive re-sult for PCR test was 30.9±16.93 and in samples with negative result for PCR test was 20.09±11.02 that this different was statistically significant (P=0.01). There was no dif-ference between positive PCR result and negative PCR result of age and sex. Conclusion: Direct association was approved between the production of TSST-1 and the occurrence of fever in burned children. Increased surface severity of burns also re-lated to the production of TSST-1. Further research is recommended.

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Background: Staphylococcus aureus is one the most common pathogens causing community-acquired infections and a major concern for public health, and the other hands antibiotic resistance is also of great concern for public health authorities also Staphylococcus aureus produce a lot of virulence factors such as variety of exoproteins included toxic shock syndrome and exfoliative toxin which causes colonization and different infections in their host. The aims of current study were to evaluate the prevalence of Toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) and ETs genes in isolated S. aureus strains using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 100 methicillin-resistant staphylococcal aureus (MRSA) and 100 methicillin-sensitive staphylococcal aureus (MSSA) isolated from clinical specimens of inpatients, outpatients hospitals and nasal carriers in Hamadan University from October 2013 to August 2014. Identified species by biochemical methods were confirmed by the PCR method. Antibiotic resistance was performance by disk diffusion and the presence of TSST-1 and ETs genes was investigated using PCR. Results: Of the 100 isolates MRSA examined, the most frequent resistance was observed to ciprofloxacin (95%), followed by tetracycline (91%), erythromycin (92%), Gentamicin (90%), Rifampin (85%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (85%), clindamycin (80%) and cefoxitin (100%). Of the 100 isolates MSSA examined, the most frequent resistance was observed to erythromycin (68%), ciprofloxacin (66%), followed by tetracycline (52%), gentamicin (25%), clindamycin (46%), rifampin (45%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (66%) and cefoxitin (0%). Prevalence of TSST-1 and ETs genes were determined 13% (n=26) isolates, totally. Also the prevalence of TSST-1 was 11% (n=22) and ETs genes was 2% (n=4) isolates and none of the investigated isolates carried eta gene. Conclusion: The increasingly prevalence of MRSA and emerging its antibiotic resistance in clinical isolates can be considered a serious problem for public health. Detection of the high rate prevalence of TSST genes in current study is considered as a serious problem and existing and circle of these strains in according to colonization in community especially old people and immunocompromised patients is very serious.