فصلنامه آزمایشگاه و تشخیص
پیاپی 25 (پاییز 1393)

Oxidative interactions such as the formation of oxygen, peroxy radicals and LDL-cholesterol oxidation are involved in the development of atherosclerosis process. This study aims to examine the relationship between serum bilirubin levels and the incidence of coronary artery disease. Eighty-five patients and ninety-two healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. Total and direct bilirubin levels were measured using diazo method. Besides, triglycerides and total cholesterol were determined by enzymatic method, HDL-Cholesterol by polyanionic method, and LDL-Cholesterol by direct method. For statistical analysis of data, SPSS 17 was applied. For qualitative variables, Chi-square and for quantitative variables, tstudent tests were used. The significance level was set at P=0.05. Direct, indirect and total bilirubin levels were 0.213, 0.375, 0.588 mg/dl for control group and 0.228, 0.365, 0.593 mg/dl for patient group, respectively. No significant difference was observed between the mean values for direct, indirect and total bilirubin in the two groups. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between triglycerides and total cholesterol level figures in the two groups. However, there was a significant difference between HDL-Cholesterol levels (P=0.001), smoking (P=0.031), family history (P=0.006), and mean blood pressure (P<0.001) of the two groups. The results of this study indicate that measurement of bilirubin as a marker for predicting coronary artery disease may be important. In the end, it should be mentioned that the findings of this study are consistent with some previous studies, but incompatible with others in this area.

Diabetes is defined as a disease with high blood sugar. The problem is that physicians are failing to determine how low blood glucose needs to be to protect patients against harmful diabetic complications. In a series of published studies the definition of what constitutes diabetes, (or said differently, a person with high blood sugar) is about to be turned upside down. That means it is not just elevated fasting blood glucose that creates diabetic complications. Excess post-meal hyperglycemia have turned into a silent diabetes plague, this mandating new steps be taken to protect against what maybe the leading cause of premature death.

Alpha thalassemia is the most common genetic disorder around the world. Gene deletion is the cause of more than 80 percent of alpha thalassemia cases. Deletion may occur in one, two, three or four alpha gene that lead to silent carrier, minor alpha thalassemia, hemoglobin H disease and hydrops fetalis respectively. Diagnosis of alpha thalassemia syndromes is based on detection of bart’s hemoglobin in peripheral or cord blood samples of neonatal using electrophoresis method. Bart’s hemoglobin disappears 3 to 6 months after birth and makes difficult the diagnosis of alpha thalassemia in adult by routine laboratory tests and only molecular methods can be applicable. However, molecular techniques could not be useful as a screening test because of complexity and expensiveness. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce a rapid, reliable and cost effective test for alpha thalassemia screening, especially premarital screening of alpha thalassemia and differentiation between alpha and beta thalassemia minor. Recently, detection of low levels of bart’s hemoglobin and zeta globin chain in blood hemolysate by using ELISA as a more sensitive method than conventional electrophoresis method and rapid immunochromatography strip test are offered as suitable screening tests.

The dematiaceous or phaeoid moulds are a heterogeneous group of organisms which include hyphomycetes, coelomycetes, and ascomycetes. Given the large volume of dark etiologic agents, only selected genera/species are included here. These fungi share dark pigmentation resulting from the presence of dihydroxynaphthalene melanin in the cell walls. When invading tissue, dark hyphae may be difficult to visualize with the hematoxylin­eosin stain, but the melanin­specific Masson–Fontana stain facilitates recognition. In culture, melanin imparts colonial pigmentation ranging from buff to pale brown in some species, but predominantly olivaceous to brown to black. While a few of these black moulds may display a mucoid or yeast­like phase, at least initially, most appear filamentous in culture. The number of black moulds reported as etiologic agents continues to escalate with the growing population of immune compromised individuals. When recovered from patient samples, dematiaceous fungi must be evaluated for their clinical significance based upon compatible histopathology as they are common, ubiquitous organisms known to colonize host sites. The correct identification of the myriad etiologic agents by the laboratory is critical for appropriate patient management. We have therefore arranged this manuscript in two sections corresponding to these aims. The first section will provide an outline approach to the identification of selected dematiaceous fungi, followed by a brief description of the salient features for each genus or species including (1) colony growth characteristics and macroscopic morphology, (2) microscopic morphology, and/or (3) biochemical tests. Detailed descriptions of etiologic agents may be found in other recent works. Organisms have been grouped on the basis of their anamorphic (asexual = mitosporic) or teleomorphic (sexual = meiosporic) reproductive propagules, although these groupings do not necessarily reflect phylogenetic relationships. Categories of black moulds include the hyphomycetes (that bear their conidia free), the coelomycetes (that bear their conidia within enclosed or semi­enclosed conidiomata, such as pycnidia or acervuli, respectively), and the ascomycetes (that bear their ascoconidia within a variety of ascomata, such as cleistothecia, perithecia, gymnothecia and other intermediate forms). Organisms known to cause only eumycotic mycetoma are considered separately at the end of the first section. The second section contains a discussion of the epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment issues for each of the clinical syndromes caused by dematiaceous fungi: chromoblastomycosis, eumycotic mycetoma, and the various manifestations of phaeohyphomycosis.

In the last decades, research projects are performed in related with effects of electromagnetic fields on cellular stress, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals. Therefore, researchers are concerned the biological effects of EMF, 50-60 Hz in biological systems. The aim of this study is evaluate the effects of 50Hz electromagnetic fields on parameters of oxidative stress in pregnant rats. In treatment group pregnant Wistar rats were exposed to 3mT, EMF for 21 days, 4 hours per day, pregnant rats under same condition of treatment group, but off the field as a Sham group intended and pregnant rats were used as control in the room. After delivery the blood and serum sample of rats for biochemical analyze of MDA, TAC and GPX provided. Biochemical analysis showed that MDA and TAC level were significantly increased in the treated group in comparing with the controls, but no found significant differences between sham and control groups. Also no significant differences in GPX levels were observed between all groups. The data were analysis with SPSS v.19 software by using T-test and P<0.05 is considered as significant. The results suggest that electromagnetic field induced oxidative stress by enhancing LPO and TAC witch acts as a free radical scavenger.

Recurrent miscarriage in general is defined as two or more loss of pregnancies either sequential or separated before 24 weeks of gestation. In this article the causes that seem to involve in recurrent miscarriage were investigated, and advices for necessary assessment and examinations were proposed. These advices were given in order to help genetic counselors and gynecologists as well as those involved in the care of pregnant women. It is necessary to note that this advices should not be considered as the sole protocol, and always professional experiences of clinicians taken in every case is more preferred.