Comparison study on the effect of prenatal administration of high dose and low dose folic acid

To evaluate the effect of high dose and low dose folic acid on the levels of hemocysteine Hcy concentration during the first trimester of pregnancy and at delivery, and to examine the association of Hcy serum levels and preeclampsia. In a single blinded randomized clinical trial, which was conducted in Tabriz, Iran, from 2005-2008, 246 nulliparous pregnant women in 2 similar groups, received folic acid daily from early pregnancy until delivery 5 mg/day in group one and 0.5 mg/ day in group 2. The incidence of hypertension and laboratory changes in the levels of serum Hcy, lactate dehydrogenase, and uric acid in addition to the levels of urine creatinine and protein were compared between the groups. There was no presence of any type of hypertension in each group. The systolic blood pressures BP mm Hg at the first trimester were 114.01 +/- 8.78 for group one, 114.16 +/- 9.05 for group 2, and at delivery, 117.24 +/- 6.91 for group one, and 117.23 +/- 11.48 for group 2 p = 0.32. The diastolic BP at the first trimester were 74.90 +/- 7.45 for group one, 73.30 +/- 8.90 for group 2, and at delivery 76.46 +/- 5.58 for group one, and 76.69 +/- 8.62 for group 2 p = 0.42. Although the level of Hcy umol/L decreased significantly at the delivery time in group one 11.81 +/- 3.85 decreased to 6.44 +/- 1.88, and 2 9.08 +/- 3.24, decreased to 7.44 +/- 2.99, this decrement was more significant in the first group p < 0.001. The results show that folic acid supplement throughout pregnancy, irrespective of the dosage, could eliminate hypertensive disorders, and decreases serum level of Hcy, although it is reduced more significant in the first group

Preliminary report on gastric brush cytology as a screening procedure for gastric cancer

Carcinoma of the oesophagus and stomach in the United Arab Emirates are common diseases and most of the cases who present are late stages with very poor five-year survival rates 216 patients with symptoms referable to the upper GIT were visualised endoscopically; gastroscopic brush smears and biopsies were collected and results of 202 paired histologic and cytologic study were correlated. Cytologic examination increased the detectability of gastric dysplasia from 2% by biopsy alone to 4% by combined biopsy and cytology, and intestinal metaplasia from 5% to 8.4%. The overall cytologic accuracy for diagnosis of malignancy was 80%. Cytologic typing accuracy for malignant cases was 100%. The value of gastric cytology to increase detectability of premalignant changes is emphasized