Serum thyroxin level during the first-trimester of pregnancy

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the requirement of serum thyroxin levels during the early stage of the first trimester of pregnancy. Methodology: Serum thyroxin levels of 120 apparently healthy women were evaluated in Gorgan in northern Iran during 2007-08 by the enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA). Results: According to the reference intervals of our standard kit, 48% of the pregnant women in this study had elevated thyroxin levels. Conclusion: The findings of this study can be misleading, because it was based on the laboratory standard kit, women normal range, as general. Pregnant women require higher levels of thyroxin and therefore, a specific normal range for the first trimester of pregnancy should be established in each particular region

Effects of occupational exposure in pesticide plant on workers' serum and erythrocyte cholinesterase activity

Objectives: The determination of cholinesterase activity has been commonly applied in the biomonitoring of exposure to organophosphates and carbamates and in the diagnosis of poisoning with anticholinesterase compounds. One of the groups who are at risk of pesticide intoxication are the workers engaged in the production of these chemicals. Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of pesticides on erythrocyte and serum cholinesterase activity in workers occupationally exposed to these chemicals. Methods: The subjects were 63 workers at a pesticide plant. Blood samples were collected before they were employed (phase I) and after 3 months of working in the plant (phase II). Cholinesterase level in erythrocytes (EChE) was determined using the modified Ellman method, and serum cholinesterase (SChE) by butyrylthiocholine substrate assay. Results: The mean EChE levels were 48±11 IU/g Hb in phase I and 37±17 IU/g Hb in phase II (paired t-test, mean = -29; 95% CI = -43-14), p < 0.001). The mean SChE level was 9569±2496 IU/l in phase I, and 7970±2067 IU/l in phase II (paired t-test, mean = 1599; 95% CI = 1140-2058, p < 0.001). There was a significant increase in ALT level (p < 0.001) and a decrease in serum albumin level (p < 0.001). Conclusion: In view of the significant decrease in EChE and SChE levels among pesticide workers, it seems that routine assessment of cholinesterase level in workers employed in such occupations and people handling pesticides should be made obligatory

Breakfast consumption amongst school children in northern Iran

Introduction: Eating breakfast has an important role for growing and educational support in students. The aims of this study were to evaluate whether skipping breakfast had any effect among primary school children in the north of Iran. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive study performed on 7426 students (3786=male and 3640=female) from 112 schools in urban and rural areas. The schools and students were chosen by cluster and stratify sampling. Data were collected by questioner for all samples through interview. Results: Skipping breakfast were significant among 9.3% of students (female= 9.9% and male=6.7%) and in Turkman ethnic group (6.0%) were significantly less (p=0.001) than other ethnic groups such as Fars (9.6%) and Sistani (9.4%). There were statistically significant differences between gender and type of school, separately (p=0.001). The most important reasons for missing breakfast were low appetite (70.1%), non-flavored foods (11.8%), inattention of mothers (5.2%) and others factors (13%). Conclusion: Our findings indicated that one child out of 11 children goes to school without taking breakfast. On the basis of children's statements, lack of appetite, and uninteresting food materials, were among the most important factors for skipping breakfast, respectively. Also, the higher educational level of parents, good economic condition and the father being unemployed were among the most important risk factors for skipping breakfast by school children, in this region

Efficacy of DOTS strategy in treatment of respiratory tuberculosis in Gorgan, Islamic Republic of Iran

We carried out a follow-up cohort study of 260 smear-positive patients (178 on directly observed treatment, short-course (DOTS); 82 on non-DOTS] over a 2-year period to evaluate the efficacy of the DOTS strategy in treatment of tuberculosis (TB). All the patients had had cough for > 3 weeks; 91.9% had fever, 60.8% of them with sputum; and 27.7% had a positive family history. The rate of treatment failure with DOTS was 9.0% at the end of the 2nd month and 1.7% at the beginning of the 5th month. In the control group these rates were 18.3% and 7.3% respectively. The DOTS strategy significantly increased the success rate of TB treatment (P < 0.05)

Maternal and neonatal serum magnesium concentrations in neural tube defects pregnancies in Gorgan (North of Iran) - A case control study

Objective: Neural tube defects (NTD) comprise a group of congenital malformations that include spinabifida, anencephaly and encephalocele. Previous studies have reported the embryotoxic and teratogenic effects of Magnesium deficiency in animal models. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine an association between Magnesium deficiency and neural tube defects in Northern Iran, which was reported to have a high prevalence of neural tube defects. Methods: This hospital based case control study was conducted on 13 mothers with newborns having neural tube defects and 35 healthy mothers as controls in Northern Iran during 2005-2006. Serum Magnesium was measured by spectrophotometery. Results: Serum Magnesium levels in mothers with NTD affected newborns and in mothers with healthy newborns were 1.5±0.6 and 1.32±0.3 micromol/litter, respectively. Overall, 46.2% mothers in the case group and 48.6 % mothers in the control group had Magnesium deficiency. Logistic regression analysis showed no association between the presence of NTD and Magnesium deficiency (OR =0.9, 95% Cl: 0.2-3.9, p=0.88). Serum Magnesium levels in newborns with NTD and healthy normal newborns were 1.4±0.6 micromol/litter and 1.3±0.4 micromol/litter, respectively. Overall, 30.8% newborns in the case group and 37.1 % newborns in the control group had Magnesium deficiency. Logistic regression analysis showed no association between the presence of NTD and Magnesium deficiency (OR =0.8, 95% Cl: 0.1-3.4 p=0.68). Conclusion: The present study did not find any association between the occurrence of NTD and Magnesium deficiency

Serum thyroid hormone level in women with nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy

The aim of this study was to establish the relationship between the serum Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) and thyroxin (T4) which reflect thyroid function assessment, with nausea and vomiting, among pregnant women in early pregnancy. In present study 60 pregnant women without nausea and vomiting compared with 60 pregnant women with nausea and vomiting during 2007-2008. Two groups of case and control were matched. Patients with nausea and vomiting did not have significant differences when compared with control subjects in TSH level, the data from this investigation indicated that, T4 level elevated among 34 subjects (56.6%) with nausea and vomiting compared to 20 subjects (33.3%) of women without nausea and vomiting. These data suggest that there is a role for elevated T4 in nausea and vomiting among pregnant women, in early pregnancy

The prevalence of the elevation serum alanine amino transaminase at gorgan in Northern Iran

The elevation of serum alanine aminotranferase levels is associated most commonly with some forms of liver diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of elevated serum alanine aminotransferase levels and the possible liver damages in this region. This was a clinical laboratory based study. The data was obtained from the Danesh Medical Diagnostic Laboratory at Gorgan in northern Iran. The aminotransferase activity was measured by the pyridoxal -5-phsphate reaction. Values over 31 and 41 U/L were considered as indicative of elevated enzyme activity in females and males respectively. The findings of this study indicated that 16% of our population in general and of those who were aged 18-40 years in particular, had a form of liver disorder due to elevated enzyme, with a higher incidence among the female subjects, which seemed to be slightly higher than that reported by other studies earlier. The incidence was slightly higher among females. It seemed that high proportions of people (16%) in this region had an elevated serum enzyme activity of alanine amino-tranferase and according to well-documented reports, it might probably be associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. A comprehensive study is recommended to elaborate carefully the state of liver diseases in this region of Iran

Maternal serum zinc deficiency in cases of neural tube defect in Gorgan, north Islamic Republic of Iran

Previous studies have shown a high rate of neural tube defects (NTD) in Gorgan, northern Islamic Republic of Iran. This case-control study during 2003-04 compared serum zinc levels and other variables in 23 mothers of neonates affected with NTD and 36 mothers with normal healthy neonates in Dezyani hospital in Gorgan. Mean serum zinc levels in the case and control groups were 13.43 μmol/L (SD 6.3) and 11.41 μmol/L (SD 6.3) respectively. Zinc deficiency was found in 13 (36.5%) of the cases and 7 (19.4%) of the controls. Logistic regression analysis showed an association between the presence of NTD and zinc deficiency (OR 5.06; 95% CI: 1.51-16.94)

Anti-influenza antibody level after vaccination in north of Iran

Objective:Influenza is a highly transmitted disease and about 10% of the world's population is affected by this disease annually. The aim of this research was to study the variation of serum antibody levels among subjects who had already been vaccinated against influenza. Methods And Materials:This descriptive-analytical study was carried out on 196 subjects who had influenza vaccination (influvac 2005/2006) and on 200 subjects who were matched with the vaccinated subjects by their ages in Gorgan which is located in the northeast of Iran. The subject's sera were prepared seven weeks after the influenza vaccination. Their serum antibody levels were determinated by the heamaglutination inhibition test. Results:The antibody titre in 81 subjects of the vaccinated group and in 175 subjects of the control group was less then 1/40. The mean antibody titre of the vaccinated subjects and the control group was 143.4±10.89 and 18.34±3.2, respectively. The difference was statistically significant (P value=0.000). Conclusion:The findings showed that the mean titre of the antibodies in the vaccinated and control groups was statistically different. This means that the influenza vaccine has good efficacy in our population

Study of zinc deficiency in pregnant women

Zinc is one of the elements necessary for growth and health in human. Some evidences indicate that the zinc deficiency is one of real difficulties for the public health in developed and developing countries. Since the pregnant women are more at risk by the zinc deficiency, and this can cause many problems, in this study we tried to find out the rate of zinc deficiency in pregnant women within the region. This research project was analytical-descriptive study which was done on the 400 pregnant women whom referred to Zahedan Ghods hospital. A questionnaire was set up for each case which contained the following items, mother age, pregnancy age, numbers of deliveries, education, and consumption of iron tablet during pregnancy. The serum zinc level in each mother in this project was determined by atomic absorption technique. Prevalence of zinc deficiency among the pregnant women was 49%. Statistical analysis indicated that zinc deficiency had correlation with mother age, term of pregnancy and iron consumption. But zinc deficiency showed no correlation with numbers of deliveries and education. © Iranian Journal of Public Health. All rights reserved