Coronary artery disease risk factors in an urban and peri-urban setting, Kerman, Southeastern Iran [KERCADR study]: methodology and preliminary report

This article was to present the sampling and measurements methods and the main preliminary findings of the KERCADR cohort study [first round] in an urban and peri-urban setting, Kerman, southeastern Iran2009-11. 5900 [3238 female] people aged between 15 to 75 years were recruited in the household survey by non-proportional to size one-stage cluster sampling. Trained internal specialists, general practitioners, clinical psychologists and dentists have assessed the study subjects by person-assisted questionnaires regarding different NCD risk factors including cigarette and opium smoking, physical activity, nutrition habits, anxiety, depression, obesity, hypertension and oral health. Blood samples were also collected for determining FBS, HbA1c, cholesterol and triglyceride. Weighted standardized prevalence estimates were calculated by STATA 10 survey analysis package. The participation rate was more than 95% in all subgroups. Cigarette smoking [18.4% vs. 1.2%], opium use [17.8% vs. 3.0%] and triglyceridemia [16.1% vs. 12.0%] were significantly higher among men than women. In contrast, women were presented with higher level of sever anxiety [29.1% vs. 16.7%], obesity [16.8% vs. 9.2%], low-physical activity [45.1% vs. 39.2%] and uncontrolled diabetes [60.2% vs. 31.0%]. More than 68% of all subjects have presented with moderate to severe gingival index scores. The first round of the KERCADR cohort with sufficient sample size and response rate provided precise estimates for the main clinical and para-clinical NCD risk factors. These evidences need to be translated into public health interventions and monitored in the next rounds of the cohort

[ effects of excess iodine on immune system; an in-vitro study]

While iodine is an essential element for the synthesis of thyroid hormones, epidemiological studies have showed that excessive iodine intake leads to autoimmune thyroid diseases, with an unknown mechanism. Previous studies have showed disturbance in the circulating cytokines could lead to autoimmune diseases. To determine the role of iodine in cytokine production and development of thyroid autoimmune diseases, whole blood was stimulated with NaI [10 mm] and I2 [0.5 mm]. After evaluation of laboratory results of 25 healthy females [aged 40-45 years], 10 subjects with matched results were selected. Ten ml of sterile heparinized peripheral blood was taken from each subject and immediately were divided into 6 groups [control, NaI stimulated, I2 stimulated and matching groups in presence of standard stimulators [LPS 1 micro g/ml and PHA 10 micro g/ml]. Three identical sets were setup to investigate cytokine production at 24, 48, and 72 hours. All samples were incubated in-cell culture incubator [95% O2 and 5% CO2] and after elapse of appropriate time, plasma was separated from each well and kept at-70°C till the time of cytokines [IL-4, IL-10, INF-g and TGF-beta 1] analysis NaI could significantly decrease the production of TGF-beta 1 at all time points [P<0.02], while it did not affect the level of other cytokines. On the other hand, I2 significantly decreased the level of IL-4 and IL-10 [P<0.01]. In the presence of LPS/PHA, NaI also reduced the production of IL-10 [P<0.02], while I2 decreased the level of IL-4 as well as IL-10 [P<0.01]. For the first time, the results of this study indicated that high levels of NaI and I2 may reduce the level of protective cytokines in circulation Finally, since neither thyroid hormones nor thyroid gland had role in this process, it may be concluded that thyroid autoimmunity is initiated from high consumption of iodine leading to the imbalance in cytokine production