effects of maternal passive smoking on maternal milk lipid

Passive smoking was long overlooked by those in the medical and legal professions as being harmful to one's health, but in recent years the negative effect of passive smoking has come to the fore in the media and laws have been changed so that less people are obliged to unwillingly suffer from passive smoking, particularly in the workplace and in indoor settings. To study the effects of environmental tobacco smoking exposure during the breast-feeding period on maternal milk lipids. This cohort study was conducted on 45 mothers environmental tobacco smoking exposure and 40 non-exposed post-partum mothers referred to the Shahid Ayat health center, Tehran, Iran. Socioeconomic conditions and the demographic characteristics of exposed and non-exposed groups were recorded. Milk samples were collected twice- at baseline [5-7 days after delivery] and four months after delivery. The samples were reserved at -20°C until assay. Milk lipids including cholesterol, triglyceride [TG], high density lipoprotein [HDL] and low density lipoprotein [LDL] were evaluated. Dietary intake assessment was performed by means of the 24-hour dietary recall questionnaire both times. Maternal occupation status and education levels were significantly different between the two groups. Lipids profiles of milk were significantly higher 5-7 days after delivery in the non-exposed group and four months after delivery. Dietary intake was not significantly different between the two groups. Maternal environmental tobacco smoking exposure affects milk lipids which are essential for infant growth

Lead concentration in breast milk of lactating women who were living in Tehran, Iran

It is obvious that lead intake is of concern not for its beneficial/essential effects on metabolism, but rather for its toxic actions, which can be especially damaging to children. The objective of this study was to analyze the concentration of lead in milk of mothers during prolonged lactation. Milk samples from 43 mothers were collected at 2 months postpartum. Lead was analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The value of lead in human milk was 23.66 +/- 22.43 micro g/l. Lead concentration in human milk of mothers was higher than other countries and no significant relationship was found between levels of human milk lead and mother's education, age, parity, height and weight. The concentrations of lead in the milk samples were high, which makes a major public health hazard for the inhabitants, especially neonatal and children, of the industrial locations

Is there any association between passive smoking and esophagitis in pediatrics?

Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke [ETS] is one of the major factors of predisposing children to develop several hazardous health problems. We decided to investigate the association between nicotinine, one of the nicotine metabolites and esophagitis in children with gastroesophageal reflux disease [GERD]. In a case control study 46 children suffering from esophagitis referred to endoscopy ward were recruited. The control group consisted of 45 healthy children. Urine samples were collected and urinary cotinine level [UCL] measured. The mean age of esophagitis and control groups were 5.11 +/- 2.93 and 6.72 +/- 2.8 respectively. Sixty children were passive smokers; 31 of them had non-smoker parents. In control group, 32 [71.1%] children and in esophagitis group 29 [63%] children had non-smoker parents. The mean value of UCL in patients suffering from esophagitis was significantly higher than those in normal group [P=0.04, 24.98 +/- 6.4 ng/ml vs. 15.16 +/- 3.9 ng/ml]. Considering 50ng/ml as a cutoff point for UCL, it was significantly higher in passive smoker group than in non smoker group [P=0.02]. The mean cotinine level differed significantly in esophagitis and control group. Our results indicate the increased risk of developing esophagitis in children with ETS exposure

[Rate and causes of post-analytical errors in clinical laboratory of children's medical center]

Laboratory tests are used to diagnose diseases, monitor its progress and response to treatment. So the goal of the laboratory medicine is reporting accurate and on time test results. The aim of this study was to evaluate rate and causes of post-analytical errors in the Clinical Laboratory of Children's Medical Center. We especially focused on 1] delay in reporting test results and 2] inaccuracy of test results. This descriptive study was conducted in Children's Medical Center in 2008. Any complaint related to accurate reporting and on time test results from inpatients and outpatients, physicians and wards during 3 months period were registered. The reasons were investigated then recorded in pre-designed forms; data were analyzed with SPSS version 15, Chi square and Fischer's tests. A total of 375 of 425 complaints were related to delay in reporting test results. We also recorded 50 cases of erroneous result complaints. Also 72% of delayed reports and 34% of complaints of unaccepted results were caused in post-analytical phase [i.e. after test was performed]. "Failure to input the results in computer" was the main reason [37%]. "Lost results "[25%] and transcription error [22.6%], "absence of laboratory request form" [9.8%] and "wrong method of filing" [4.2%] were the other observed causes. Microbiology, hematology and clinical chemistry were departments with the highest rate of complaints; whereas urine culture, CBC and biochemistry tests were the most frequent problematic tests. The rate of complaints was 1:108 patients or 1:541 tests, and 4.8% of results were not reported in timely manner. Our findings revealed that the source of most of the errors related to reporting test results were in post-analytical phases. Therefore along with continuing the educational programme, and improvement of automation, it seems necessary to add periodic evaluation and investigation of errors to benchmarks programmes, especially in reporting test result processes, in order to provide error free service to physician and their patients. Cooperation with the clinicians and the other personnel outside the laboratory is also important for error reduction

[Evaluation of protective effects of postconditioning on ischemia/reperfusion-induced acute kidney injury]

In recent years, the role of reactive oxygen species [ROS] in ischemia-reperfusion injury [IRI] is established and different methods including ischemic preconditioning and postconditioning [POC] are introduced to reduce the damage. One of the possible protective mechanisms of POC is a reduction in ROS formation. According to the significance and prevalence of renal IRI, in the present study, the protective effect of POC on the reduction of IR-induced renal injury was evaluated. After right nephrectomy, male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into three groups [n= 6]. In IR group, with the use of bulldog clamp 45 min of left renal artery was induced followed by 24 hours of reperfusion. In sham group, all of the above surgical procedures were applied except that IR was not induced. In POC group, after induction of 45 min ischemia, 4 cycles of 10 seconds of intermittent ischemia and reperfusion were applied before restoring of blood to the kidney. At the end of the experiments, serum and renal tissue samples were collected for renal functional monitoring and oxidative stress evaluation. POC prevented the IR-induced increase in blood urea Nitrogen and serum creatinine and improved the kidney oxidative status demonstrated by a decrease in malondialdehyde level and an increase in superoxide dismutase. POC has a protective role on renal function by a reduction in IR-induced oxidative stress

Total antioxidant status in patients with major beta-thalassemia

Beta-thalassemia major is an autosomal recessive disease causing severe and hemolytic anemia, which begins about 2-6 months after birth. Iron overload, which arises from recurrent transfusion and ineffective erythropoiesis, can enhance oxidative stress in thalassemic patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum total antioxidant capacity of patients with beta-Thalassemia major. Sixty six Iranian patients with beta-thalassemia major and 66 age-gender matched controls were evaluated for serum total antioxidant status [TAS], uric acid [UA], bilirubin and albumin. In addition, serum ferritin and transaminases were recorded in these subjects. Significant increases of TAS, UA, and bilirubin were observed in the patient group, compared with the control group [P<0.01]. Mean TAS and bilirubin in male patients was higher than in females [P=0.005 and P=0.008, respectively]. There was also direct correlation between TAS and albumin [P<0.001], bilirubin [P<0.001] and UA [P=0.002]. Endogenous antioxidants such as ferritin, UA and bilirubin can result in increased level of TAS in the patients with Beta-thalassemia major. Compensatory excess of TAS to oxidative stress could also be the reason for difference between our findings and previous studies

[Selenium and glutathione peroxidase deficiency in epileptic children]

To cease the increasing damage to the brain neurons following epileptic seizures, natural anti-oxidative systems play the main role. One of the most important detoxifying systems is composed of the trace element selenium and its dependent detoxifying enzyme, glutathione peroxidase. The object of this study was to evaluate serum selenium and red blood cell glutathione peroxidase activity in pediatric epileptics and compare it with that of healthy children. Patients suffering from various types of epilepsy were studied during a 15-month period. Control group consisted of healthy children with no history of any neurologic disease. Serum selenium level and RBC Glutathione peroxidase activity was evaluated and the results compared. Fifty three epileptic patients with a mean age of 5.5 years and 57 healthy children with a mean age of 5.6 years were enrolled in this study. Statistically significant differences in the mean values for serum selenium level [72.9 vs. 86.0 ng/ml, P=0.017] and also RBC glutathione peroxidase activity [440.6 vs. 801.0 nmol/min/ml, P=0.000] between the two groups were observed. On the other hand, after analyzing the study results, trying to introduce a value for GPx activity, which could be accepted as a reliable indicator for serum selenium deficiency in patients, was not successful. Findings of the present study strongly support the proposed crucial role for the trace element selenium and deficiency of its dependent enzyme, glutathione peroxidase, in epilepsy pathogenesis