Protein C is a vitamin K dependent glycoprotein. Protein C deficiency is a rare genetic disorder and its major sites of involvement are skin, eyes, lungs, central nervous system, and kidneys. This article presents a case of neonatal protein C deficiency with severe purpura fulminans and bilateral cataracts. He was initially treated with fresh-frozen plasma and then followed by warfarin. All necrotic skin lesions improved with treatment. He was the first child of his parents who were asymptomatic for protein C deficiency. We also reviewed literatures about coexistence of cataracts and protein C deficiency.

  Background & Objectives: Expansion of microbial drug resistance, have indicated to introduce new source of drugs with antimicrobial properties such as antimicrobial secondary metabolites which produced of Cyanobacteria spp. Antimicrobial activity of Cyanobacteria spp. of Urmia Lake catchment area was not already reported, therefore in this research, antibacterial and antifungal properties of cyanobacteria varieties isolated from this ecosystem and identification of the potent strains were investigated.

  Method: Different environmental samples screened for isolation of cyanobacterial strains. Cyanobacterial extracts were prepared by using different solvents. The effect of these extracts was evaluated by disc diffusion method and by measuring minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) against some gram positive and gram negative bacteria and fungi. Cyanobacteria spp. with the high antimicrobial activity was identified according to Microscopic and macroscopic characters and 16SrRNA sequences.

  Results: In this research, 54 cyanobacterial strains were isolated that six strains with significant antimicrobial activity identified as Gloeocapsa sp., Anabaena sp., Nodularia sp., Synechococcus sp., Leptolyngbya sp. and Chroococcus disperses. the highest antimicrobial activity achieved by the chloroform extract on gram positive bacteria and fungi. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) levels for the cyanobacterial strains were ranged 20 to 80 µg/ml and Leptolyngbya sp. showed the highest effects on Candida krusei with MIC level 20 µg/ml.

  Conclusion: According to the results, cyanobacteria can be a source of production new antimicrobial compounds.the results showed that the filamentous cyanobacteria Anabaena sp., Nodularia sp., and Leptolyngbya sp. produce active compounds against gram positive bacteria and yeasts.

  Background & Objectives: Diarrhea is one the important causes of mortality among children in developing countries. The effect of zinc supplementation in reduction the rate of diarrhea is controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of zinc supplementation on the severity and duration of diarrhea in children less than 5 years old hospitalized in Ali-Asghar hospital in Ardabil, 2005.

  Methods: This study was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial including 228 children with acute diarrhea. The subjects randomly assigned into two placebo and experimental groups (114 patients in each group). The placebo group received glucose (5%), while the experimental group received 20 mg/day Zn sulfate. The severity and duration of diarrhea were assessed during the study. Data were analyzed using Chi-square, Pearson correlation coefficient tests and Students t-test by SPSS software.

  Results: Our findings showed that most of the patients in both groups were male (age range 1-12 months, weight range 3-11 kg, weight percentile 3-50). These children had breast feeding and complete vaccination. They were the first baby in their family and the majority of them were from urban area (Ardabil city). The severity of diarrhea in zinc supplemented children (74.6%) was less than placebo group (89.5 % ) (p=0.037). There was no significant difference between two groups in the duration of diarrhea (p=0.737). There also was no relationship between the severity of diarrhea and weight percentile (p= 0.085).

  Conclusion: Our data indicate that zinc supplementation reduces the severity of acute diarrhea and could be advised in children with acute diarrhea.

  Background & Objectives : Several studies have been conducted to explore anti-HIV drugs. Discovery and study of novel anti-HIV-1 compounds need live viruses and has serious biosafety concerns. In this research we reported a novel and safe system for assaying the cytopathic effects of HIV by using single cycle replicable (SCR) HIV-1 virions.

  Methods: To produce the SCR HIV-1 virions, pMD2G, pmzNL4-3 and pSPAX2 plasmids were co-transfected into HEK293T cells. Different amount of SCR virions were used to infect target cells (MT-2). Within the infected cells, the number of formed syncytia was counted under the light microscopy. The lethal effects of the SCR HIV virions were measured using XTT proliferation assay.

  Results: Formation of syncytia among SCR HIV infected cells was detectable 24 hours after infection. Highest amount of syncytia was seen 72 hours after infection. Increase in the amount of virions caused increasing of syncytia and the cytopathic effects of SCR HIV-1. Infection with more than 1600ng P24 SCR HIV decreased the syncytium formation and viability of all cells. The calculated IC50 (50 percent inhibitory capacity) for nevirapine and BMS806 using this method was 50nM and 30nM, respectively.

  Conclusion: SCR HIV-1 virions are replicable only for one cycle. Using these virions can improve the safety of HIV researches. Herein, we optimized the assaying of HIV induced cytopathic effects by using SCR HIV-1 (NL4-3) virions. The accuracy of this method was accepted by quantifying the anti-HIV-1 effects of nevirapine and BMS806 by (SCR) HIV-1 virions.

  Background & Objectives: Following to estrogen depletion in postmenopausal womens, its cardioprotective effect decreases. Stroke usually occurs in women during the menopause years. Estrogen hormone therapy is still controversial. Epidemiological data suggest that phytoestrogens have a preventive effect on various estrogen-related diseases/symptoms such as menopausal symptoms, cardiovascular diseases. Some studies suggest that genistein as an important component of soy have cardioprotection effects but its role on inflammation and cardiomyocte injury remained to be elucidated. So, this study was goaled to investigate the cardioprotective effect of methanolic soy extract on heart tissue injures.

  Method: In this study 40 female rats were randomly allocated into 4 groups: 1) Control (intact animals), 2) sham surgery (without ovarictomy), 3) ovariectomized (ovx), and 4) treatment (ovx and soy gavage) group that received 60mg/kg per day soy extract in drinking water for 28days (4 weeks). At the end of experiments, the rat heart tissue was processed histologically and the sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin to examine under light microscope. Statistical analysis was performed using the wilcoxon test.

  Results: The results showed that ovariectomy significantly increased inflammation and cardiomyocte injury and soy extract significantly promoted heart tissue recovery (p<0.05).

  Conclosions: This study indicated that oral administration of soy extract has a positive effect on attenuation of inflammation and myocyte injury in ovariectomized rat.

  Background & Objectives: In endemic area, chemically fighting with carrier of kala azar disease is one of the main ways for reducing disease, and ficam is one of the toxins that is appropriate to eliminate mosquitoes and is from health poison among the pesticides. Therefore, by considering the lasting in nature, using ficam can greatly destroy disease-carrying mosquitoes.

  Methods: In this cross - sectional study the rate of effect ficam on different vectors species were examined in Meshkinshahr city. First two infected villages, as cases and controls, and 10 households from each village selected and 1000 m² from the case village was spraying with ficam than 0.3 g /m². Then, using sticky traps set in the distances were attempted to identify species and Fon (per 2 villages).

  Results: In the rate of 524 sand fly predating in this study included 70.5% Phlebotomus Kandelakii, 5% F. Papatasi, 7.5% F. Major, 7.5% F. Balcanicus, 9.5% F. longidoctus. In the case village was spraying and , respectively, 3-15 - 30 - 45-60 -75 and 90 days after spraying at about 79.5% - 69.5% - 83% - 90% - 93% - 100% and 100 % sand fly vanished.

  Conclusion: According to this study can be said that ficam poison with the survival of three months in nature and with average of lethality coverage of appropriate terms of season to prevent from disease Kla-azar and eliminate sand flies and as a poison, appropriate of health before starts up the season of carriers activity. And ficam poison can be used in the whole of region and country.

  Background & Objectives : Bacterial vaginosis is a condition which is determined by changes in microbial ecosystem of vagina and is considered as a preventable risk factor for preterm delivery. This study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of bacterial vaginosis screening program in routine prenatal care and its effect on decreasing preterm labor.

  Methods: This clinical trial study was conducted on 474 pregnant women at gestational stage between 2007 and 2008. The participants were randomly divided into 2 groups: intervention group and control group. Screening was performed in intervention group with Amsel's criteria (3 of 4 needed for diagnosis). Positive cases were given clindamycin cream (2%) for one week. The outcome of the delivery was assessed in both groups afterward. Data were analyzed by SPSS11 software using descriptive statistics.

  Results: There was no significant difference between two groups regarding pregnancy rank, wanted and unwanted pregnancy, insufficient weight gain, mother vaccination and complication of pregnancy. Bacterial vaginosis was observed in 17 out of 216 (8%) in the intervention group and then treated. Prevalence of preterm delivery in the intervention and control groups were 3 (1.4%) and 12 (4.7%), respectively. The relative risk was protective (RR: 0.3, DR: 0.033, NNT: 30).

  Conclusion: Screening and treatment of bacterial vaginosis in pregnant women could significantly decrease the rate of preterm delivery.

  Background & Objectives: Uncontrolled postoperative pain can cause many adverse effects such as tachycardia, hypertension, myocardial ischemia, decreased alveolar ventilation and poor wound healing. In this study we evaluated the preoperative administration of pregabalin in relieving postoperative pain after lower limb orthopedic surgery and reducing the need for opioids and their possible side effects.

  Methods: This study is a randomized, double-blind clinical trial. It was performed on 60 patients under lower limb surgery in Fatemi Hospital. Patients were randomly allocated to two groups, one group has received a 150 mg pregabalin capsule 2 hours before surgery and the other group has received placebo as a control. In both groups at 2, 6, 12 and 24 hours after surgery, the patients were evaluated and the pain score by a visual analogue scale (VAS), the score of sedation by Ramsay sedation scale and the incidence of nausea and vomiting were recorded in the checklists. Then, the data were analyzed by SPSS v16. P <0.05 was considered significant.

  Results: In this study 51.7% of patients were male and 48.3% were female. The age averages of these patients in both group were similar (p=0.578). Visual analog pain scores at 2 h after surgery reduced in pregabalin group (p<0.0001). Similar reduction was observed in other studied hours (p<0.0001) too. In the pregabalin group nausea and vomiting scores at all hours, sedation levels at 2 h and 6 h postoperation, and pethidine consumption in all hours have significantly been reduced (p<0.05).

  Conclusion: Preoperative administration of pregabalin is an effective method for reducing postoperative pain for patients, and with reduction in pethidine consumption, it can decrease problems of opioid usage.

  Background & Objective s: Poisoning is one of the most common causes that referred to the Emergence and one of the most important Medicine immediacy. Correct and immediate diagnosis and accommodative treatment can be life saving. Knowing the overall pattern of poisoning in any geographical area would help to better manage and treat the victims.

  Methods : In a cross sectional descriptive study, the required information was collected from the records of patients showing drugs and chemical poisoning who referred to Imam Khomeini hospital Collected data was statistically analyzed using SPSS software.

  Results : Out of 2852 case of poisoning, 106 people passed away due to severe complication. Of these 56.8% were men and 43.2% were women. The majority of cases (76.8%) were from urban areas. Suicide was the main cause of poisoning (66.53%). Accidental poisoning was recorded for 5.01% of cases. In 28.45% of cases, the cause of poisoning was not identified. The age group 21-30 years made the highest number of cases (52.3%). Tramadol, Benzodiazepines and Aceteminophen were the most poisons used respectively. Benzodiazeine was the most taken drug is in suicide (19.97%).

  Conclusion : Results showed that poisoning with Tramadol and Benzodiazepines is high in Ardabil Province. Opioids, Aluminum Phosphide and Organophosphores are the main causative of death in poisoned victims in the province of Ardabil.

  Background & Objectives: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is one of the most common complications of anesthesia and without prophylactic intervention occurs in about one-third of patients under general anesthesia. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of ondansetron and metoclopramide in reducing PONV after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

  Methods : In this study, 90 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomly allocated into three equal groups (n=30) and in the first group 10 mg metoclopramide, in the second group 4 mg ondansetron and for placebo group 2 cc normal saline preoperatively were injected. Anesthesia complications in recovery and nausea and vomiting in recovery and 6 hours and 24 hours after surgery were evaluated. Data were analyzed by SPSS software with chi-square test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). P<0.05 was considered significant.

  Results: The incidence of nausea in placebo group was 66.7 %, in metoclopramide group was 43.3 % and in ondansetron group was 33.3 %. The difference only between placebo and ondansetron groups was significant (p=0.019). The incidence of vomiting in placebo group was 56.7%, in metoclopramide group was 20% and in ondansetron group was 26.7% and there was significant difference between placebo and ondansetron groups (p=0.035) and between placebo and metoclopramide groups (p=0.007), whereas there was not any significant difference between intervention groups (p=0.12). Also anti-emetic drug administration in ondansetron group (40%) in comparison with metoclopramide (63.3%) and placebo (66.7%) was lower, but this difference was not statistically significant (p= 0.07).

  Conclusion: For prevention of vomiting after laparoscopic cholecystectomy, both metoclopramide and ondansetron are effective. In comparing these two drugs, in preventing of nausea ondansetron is more effective than metoclopramide, whereas there was not any significant difference between two drugs in preventing of vomiting.

  Background & Objectives: Giardia duodenalis is the most common intestinal parasite with cosmopolitan distribution. This parasite has been found in the intestine of humans and other mammalian hosts including cats, dogs, cattle, sheep, deer, pigs and muskrats. It is postulated that animals maybe reservoir for human infection and viceversa. In present study, the possible genetic similarity between cat and humans Giardia and its probable zoonosis were investigated.

  Methods: Direct examination and formalin-ether concentration techniques were performed on stray and semi stray cat fecal specimens. Gradient sucrose method was applied for collection and purification of cysts and DNA extraction was performed by phenol-chloroform and CTAB (Cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromid ( methods. DNA of cysts could hardly be extracted after repeated freezing and thawing. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed for DNA amplification. In this study triosephosphate isomerase (tpi) gene was selected as a molecular marker. Two sets of primers (PM 290 and PM 924) were considered. Two restriction enzymes RsaI and AvaI were also used to determine restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) for PCR fragments amplified by both primer sets.

  Results: Ten samples were positive for Giardia cysts which were examined for molecular investigation. Four cat isolates were amplified by PM 290. PCR-RFLP patterns were found to be similar to human isolates AC≠AF 069556 (subgroup of AC≠U 57897) with possibility of cross-transmission.

  Conclusion: Therefore the similarity of genomic characters of isolates of cat and human Giardia implies possibility of zoonosis and transmission of these protozoa from cat to human and vice versa.

  Background & Objectives : Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic Gram-negative pathogen with increasing relevance in a variety of hospital-acquired infections especially among intensive care unit patients. A. baumannii is mostly a cause of septicemia, pneumonia and urinary tract infection following hospitalization of patients. In this study antibiotic susceptibility pattern of A.baumannii isolates and molecular typing among isolates resistant by REP-PCR were determined.

  Methods : During study, the A. baumannii, were isolated from hospitals in Tehran. The isolates were identified using standard biochemical tests and antibiotic susceptibility was determined by the disk diffusion method. Extraction of DNA and molecular typing of isolates performed using CTAB method and REP-PCR, respectively.

  Results : In this study 75 A. baumannii isolates separated from patients with an average age of 51 ± 18.45 years . The highest resistance rate was against azteronam (97%), ceftazidim (93%), cefepime (93%), piperacillin-tazobactam (93%), ciprofloxacin (93%) and ticarcillin (93%) while the lowest resistance rate was against tigecycline (n= 51, 68%), followed by tobramycin (n=24, 32%), ampicillin-sulbactam (n=21, 28%), amikacin (n=16, 21%), and carbapenems (n=11, 15%). The REP-PCR in resistant of A. baumannii isolates showed that the genotypes of A, B and C are the predominant genotypes in the resistant antibiotics.

  Conclusion: This study showed a high percentage of resistance to antimicrobial agents among genotypes A, B, and C of the A. baumannii isolates therefore strategies to control the spread of A. baumannii isolates must be designed and evaluated.

  Background & Objectives : Poisoning is a common cause of hospital emergency visits in many countries. Incidence of poisoning is different based on cultural and economic characteristics. The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of poisoning in pediatrics.

  Methods: This cross sectional study was performed on 336 patients under 13 years of age referring to Bu-Ali hospital during five years (2007-2011). Variables such as age, sex, residency place, hospitalized duration, cause of the poisoning, clinical signs, treatment and outcome were obtained by a checklist. Collected data analyzed by statistical methods in SPSS v16.

  Results : Among the subjects, 197 patients (58.6%) were male. The average age of the children was 4.1 years and the most common age range was 1 to 4 years with (210 patients, 62.5%). The mean duration of hospitalization of children was 1.7 day (SD= 0.2), 77.7 % of the children were living in the city and the summer was accounted as a common season in which the patients referred to the hospital (32.7 %). The most used materials were drugs with 60.71% and in 86.6% of patients the cause of poisoning was accidental.

  Conclusion : Results showed that the most common cause of poisoning among children are drugs and methadone was the most commonly abused substance. It requires that parents should be trained about keeping their children away from drugs somewhere.

  Background & Objectives : Visceral leishmaniasis is an important endemic disease in Iran and Meshkin shahr County is the most important foci of visceral leishmaniasis in Iran. The aim of this study is the survey of recent changes in epidemiological patterns of visceral leishmaniasis in Meshkin Shar area during 12 years.

  Methods : This is a descriptive retrospective study. Records of 193 cases with confirmed kala-azar disease were reviewed in the period of 2001-2012. Data collected from files and were analyzed using descriptive statistics and SPSS v.15.

  Results : From 193 patients with confirmed kala-azar disease, 85% were resident in rural and 15% in urban areas. Among of these patients, 43% were female and 57% male. About 66% of patients were under 2 years old, 23% in age group between 2-5 years and 11% above five years. Among four parts of Meshkin Shahr County, in the first five years of the study, the most cases of the disease were from the central part, but in second six years the most cases were from the west part of this county and in latest year (2012) it has been coverted .

  Conclusions : Incidence of kala-azar was decreased during last 12 years. Because of high infection rate in dogs and considering important role of these reservoirs in conserving and distribution of disease, stopped health activities in any parts of area can increase the incidence of disease.

  Background & Objectives: Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by derangement in protein, fat and carbohydrate metabolism. Most of hypoglycemic agent used in medicine for diabetes treatment are reported to have side effects for long run. On the other hand, increase in oxidative stress is effective in the genesis of diabetes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the effect of alcoholic extract of Euphorbia cyparissias on serum glucose and antioxidant enzymes level in diabetic male rats.

  Methods : In this study, 40 adult male Wistar rats weighting 250±20 grams divided into four groups randomly: control, diabetic animals, treatment 1 and treatment 2 which received 500 and 250 mg/kg of E.cyparissias extract for 21 days by gastric gavage, respectively. At the end of the treatment, level of antioxidant enzymes including TAC, MDA, SOD and GPX and also blood glucose were determined in animal's serum.

  Results : The blood glucose levels were significantly lowered in the group of treatment 1 compared to diabetic group (p<0.05). Results showed that MDA level of serum was increased significantly in diabetic group in comparison with control group (p<0.05). Furthermore, the TAC, SOD and GPX level were increased significantly in the group of treatment 1 compared to diabetic group (p<0.05).

  Conclusion : This study showed that oral administration of E.cyparissias extract has antidiabetic and antioxidant activity in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.

  Background & objectives: Trichophyton rubrum is one of the most common pathogeniccause of dermatophytosis. One of the drugs which have been prescribed widely for fungal infections is terbinafine which belongs to allylamines group of antifungal agents. Recently molecular typing methods have been developed for answering the epidemiological questions and disease recurrence problems. Current study has been conducted on 22 isolates of Trichophyton rubrum obtained from patients randomly. Our aim was the investigation of correlation between genetic pattern and sensitivity to Terbinafine in clinical isolates of Trichophyton rubrum.

  Methods: Firstly the genus and species of isolated fungi from patients have been confirmed by macroscopic and microscopic methods, then, the resistance and sensitivity of isolates against drug have been determined using culture medium containing defined amount of drug. In next step fungal DNA has been extracted by RAPD-PCR (random amplified polymorphic DNA) with random sequences of 3 primers.

  Results: Each primer produced different amplified pattern, and using each 3 primers differences have been observed in genetic pattern of resistant and sensitive samples using each 3 primers, but there was no bond with 100% specificity.

  Conclusion: The 12 sensitive isolates which didn’t grow in 0.1 mg concentration of drug, also had limited growth at the low concentration of drug. Ten resistant isolates which grew in 0.1mg/ml of drug, in lower concentration of drug were resisted. RAPD analysis for molecular typing of Trichophyton rubrum seems to be completely suitable.