Zinc status in Cardiovascular patients in the north of Islamic Republic of Iran

Studies have demonstrated that zinc plays an important role in development of cardiovascular diseases in Western populations. But there is little data for other racial groups. This study was aimed to investigate the association between serum zinc and coronary artery disease [CAD] in Iranian subjects.This study was conducted on 81 subjects, which referred to Heshmat Hospital of Guilan province, Iran, for routine coronary angiography from June to August 2011. Subjects were assigned into 2 groups; 41 CAD patients. case and 40 healthy subjects in control group. Data about smoking habit,physical activity, dietary intake and anthropometric indices were collected by questionnaire. Serum zinc was measured by atomic spectroscopy. The serum zinc concentrations were significantly lower in case group than control [p<0.05]. The mean serum zinc concentration in the case and control group was 73.50 +/- 1.61microg/dl and 78.47 +/- 1.66 micro g/dl, respectively. subjects that lives in rural area had 7.11-fold higher CAD risk in compare to subjects lives in urban after adjustment for confounder factors, they also had lower zinc concentration than urban [p<0.05]. in our study With increasing in serum zinc concentration CAD risk decrease 0.94-fold.Zinc concentration had significant correlation with age [r= -0.23 p<0.05], weight [r=0.26 p<0.05] and Place for living [r=- 0.22 p= 0.04].There were no significant correlation between the dietary intake, Waist circumference ,smoking and serum zinc concentration in our study. Serum zinc concentration was significantly lower in the north of Islamic Republic of Iran patients with abnormal versus those with a normal angiogram. It seems Serum zinc concentration correlate with some risk factors for coronary artery disease

Evaluation of serum lead levels in children with constipation and normal controls in Northern Iran

Constipation is a major debilitating problem in children. We aimed to assess the serum lead levels of 2-13 year-old children complaining from constipation who referred to our center in Guilan province, Northern Iran. This cross-sectional study was done on ninety 2-13 year-old children referring to 17[th] Shahrivar Hospital, complaining from constipation [case group] and 90 healthy children The demographic data as well as the children's serum lead levels were evaluated and recorded. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. Chi-square test was used as applicable. Lead poisoning was significantly more frequent in the case group [37.8%] compared with the control group [8.9%]. The frequency of lead poisoning in the case group compared with the control group, was significantly higher in children <7 years old [40.2% vs. 10%], boys [40.9% vs. 9.3%], girls [34.8% vs 8.3%], residents of old houses [43.1% vs. 9.7%], residents of new houses [28.1% vs. 8.5%], residents of low-traffic areas [26.8% vs. 5.3%], urban residents [40.5% vs. 9.9%], children whose fathers had low risk [33.3% vs. 10.9%] and high risk jobs [40.7% vs. 3.8%]. The frequency of lead poisoning was higher in children suffering from constipation .No significant difference was found between the two groups with respect to their sex, age, father's job, and living in urban or rural areas

Evaluation of a PCR assay to detect Enterococcus faecalis in blood and determine glycopeptides resistance genes: van A and van B

Bacteremia due to Enterococcus faecalis is usually caused by strains resistant to most antibiotics. Effective management of the disease is dependent on rapid detection and characterization of the bacteria, and determination its sensitivity pattern to antimicrobial drugs. The aim of this study was to investigate a more rapid and reliable assay for simultaneous diagnosis of enterococcal bacteremia and its sensitivity pattern to antimicrobial drugs. Several bacterial suspensions with different content of two standard strains of Enterococcus faecalis resistant to vancomycin were used for inoculation to defibrinated sheep blood samples. PCR and routine assay was performed on all blood samples with different bacterial content. Routine assay and PCR for all inoculated blood samples with >/= 5 cfu/ml was positive. Mean time for PCR and routine assays was 10 hours and 5 days, respectively. PCR is a more rapid and sensitive assay for simultaneous detection and characterization for Enterococcus faecalis, and determination of its sensitivity pattern to vancomycin

[Seroprevalence of Chlamydia pneumonia in patients with myocardial infarction]

Several predisposing and risk factors are introduced as main causes of coronary atherosclerosis which is the main cause of myocardial infarction [MI]. In recent years, chronic and persistent infections are considered as such factors. This study is basically on determination of seropositivity to Chlamydia pneumonia to reveal the role of acute and chronic infections due to these bacteria as a risk factor for MI. 273 serum samples from MI patients and 109 samples from control group were examined by using commercial quantitative ELISA kits to measure specific anti Chlamydia pneumonia antibodies [IgM and IgG]. Two groups were matched for age and sex. IgM titers [ELISA] were negative in all patients and control cases, indicating lack of acute Chlamydial infection, but IgG titers were positive in 273 patients [94.4%], [mean average titer: 108 RU/ml] and in 109 control cases [84.4%] [mean average of titer: 61.9 RU/ml]. We found no significant relationship between seropositivity to Chlamydia pneumonia antibodies [lgG] with MI [P=0. 104]. In this study, no significant relationship was observed between serpositivity to Chlamydia pneumonia and subsequent incidence of MI. It seems that a large scale serological study with a diagnostic molecular methods for detection of genome in biopsy tissue of atherosclerotic coronary artery will be more helpful to reveal the expected relationship