Background & Objectives: Preeclampsia is still one of the leading causes of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Despite active researches over the past many years, the etiology of this disorder in human pregnancy is an enigma. Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia. Essential nutrients such as vitamin C can scavenge free radicals inducing cellular damage. The present study was designed to investigate the plasma levels of vitamin C in patients with preeclampsia (case) and normotensive pregnant women (control).

  Methods: In this case-control study vitamin C as an antioxidant was estimated and compared spectrophotometrically in 40 preeclamptic and 80 normotensive pregnant women referring to Alavi Hospital of Ardabil province, Iran. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

  Results: The plasma levels of vitamin C were significantly lower in patients with preeclampsia (0.147 ± 0.030 mg/dl) compared to controls who were normotensive pregnants (0.347 ± 0.119 mg/dl).

  Conclusion: Attempts at prevent preeclamsia are justified but since no reliable screening test has been offered as yet for women at risk, assessment of plasma level of vitamin C in patients prone to preeclampsia is strongly suggested.

  Background & Objective: Determining the level of lesion in lumber disc disease might be difficult, especially when there is a transitional vertebrae. MRI is one the methods widely used in presurgery however, presence of sacralization or lumbarization may lead to a incorrect diagnosis. This study aimed at evaluating the agreement degree between the results of MRI and surgery with the post-operative radiographic findings in patients with lumber disc herniation.

 Methods:�Thirty patients with lumber disc herniation were evaluated in a diagnostic value study during a 15-month period of time. Presurgery MRI results, as well as the findings during operation regarding the level of herniated lumbar disc were compared with the radiographic findings, numbering the vertebra below the C2 after surgery. The radiologic assessment of involved segment was considered as the gold standard method. Transitional vertebrae were determined on the basis of radiologic findings.

 Results:�There were thirty patients with lumber disc herniation, 16 males and 14 females, with the mean age of 40.83±12.57 years in the study. There was a high and significant degree of compatibility agreement between the results of MRI and findings during surgery with the radiologic data (kappa=0.719, p<0.001 kappa=0.859, p<0.001). The results of MRI and surgery were incorrect in 4 and 2 cases, respectively. All these cases had a transitional vertebra in lumbosacral segment (totally 6 patients with transitional vertebra) i.e. MRI and surgery were able to detect the right level of herniation in 33.3% and 66.7% of patients with either sacralization or lumbarization, respectively. The sensitivity of MRI and surgery was 87% and 93%, respectively.

 Conclusion:�Our results showed that MRI and surgery can reveal the right level of LDH in majority of patients however, when there is a transitional vertebra, this ability may significantly be decreased.

  Background: Psychosis is a psychiatric disorder in which reality testing and interpersonal relationships in several important functional areas are impaired. Some biochemical disturbances occur during psychotic period. Due to the vital role of serum potassium level on psychotic patients and its effect on cardiovascular system, this study was conducted to investigate serum potassium changes.

  Materials and Methods: A prospective non- Randomized pre/post test study (Quasi-experimental) was conducted on 103 prepared samples obtained from 103 patients hospitalized in Imam Hossein and Taleghani Hospital during 2005-2006 in Tehran. All subjects were initially interviewed in the first day then considering inclusion / exclusion criteria, blood samples were drawn and Brief psychiatric Rating scales (BPRS) were completed by the researcher. The same process was repeated in the day before release. Data were analyzed through Spearman- multiple regression, Paired test, chi-square and Kolmogorov- Smirnov tests.

  Results: BPRS were significantly different in the first and last days of hospitalization (P<0.019) Serum Potassium levels of the first and last days were meaningfully different (P<0.005) there was a negative correlation between the severity of psychosis in the first day and serum potassium level.

  Backgroud & Objective : Inducing of safe airway and rapid , is very important in the anesthesia of emergency patients and it reduces many complications because of delay in the endotrachal intubation .In this group of patients, administration of succinylcholin is a choice. But, this drug has serious complication, that is sudden increase of serum potassium level , and could cause cardiac arrest .So ,it is suggested, use of non blocker dose of non depolarizant neuromuscular blocker (defasciculation), for reducing this response . So , the aim of this study , was to determine the effect of pretreatment atracurium on serum potassium level associated with administration of succinylcholine .

  Methods: This study was performed clinical trial on 82 elective patients aged between 15 -70 years whit ASAI-II (American society of anesthesiology of physical status class)who where scheduled undergo operate general surgery. Premedication drugs are used to all patients , according to weight. and first blood sample was taken, considered as control group. then pretreatment atracurium injection (50mcg/kg) and after three minutes, was performed induction with thiopental sodium (5mg/kg) and succinylcholine (1.5 mg/kg ), and after 5 minutes , second blood sample was taken, test group . blood samples, were poured in the espicial tube of serum potassium and immediately , serums were separated . Then , potasiom level of serums were measured with micro light . The datas analyzed with statistical program ( spss) and then , were compared .

  Results: According to the obtained results , the mean of serum potassium level after administration of succinylcholine associated with defasciculation atracurium and before the administration of pretreatment atracurium (base level) was not different . It was not seen , a statistically significant difference between two groups, with attention to paired- t-test(p=0.936) and wilcoxon signed ranks test (p=0.594).

  Conclusion: Regarding the results of this study , administration of pretreatment atracurium is not effective in prevention of hyperkalemia induced by succinylcholin with attention base level.

  Background & Objectives : Excessive amounts of nitrate and nitrite in food causes to increasing the risk of gut and intestinal cancer in adults and met-hemoglobinemia disease in infants. Human body intake about 80% of nitrate from fruits and vegetables. This research carried out with the aim of determining the nitrate concentration of fruits and vegetables consumed by Ardabil citizens and to compare with acceptable levels.

  Methods : Samples of fruits and vegetables were collected from 10 markets around Ardabil city in September and October of 2009. The samples were washed two times with tap and distilled water, dried at 55 ºC and their moisture content were measured. Samples were ground with regular and ball mills and 0.025 molar aluminum sulfate solution was used to extraction. Nitrate concentration of extracts was measured with anion selective apparatus with nitrate electrode. To investigate the possibility of nitrate intake reduction by peeling, the skin and meat of some fruits and vegetables samples were measured, separately. SPSS software was used for determining of mean and standard deviation of sample's nitrate concentration. Duncan multiple range test was used for grouping of fruits and vegetables in the respect of their nitrate concentration.

  Results : The concentration of nitrate in leafy vegetables was higher than those of root and glandy vegetables. Fruits had lower nitrate concentration than vegetables. The highest nitrate concentrations were observed in spring onion, purple headed cabbage, and spinach with the amounts of 1555.8, 1394.8, and 1021 mg/kg of wet weight and lowest belonged to red and golden apples with the amounts of 29.7 and 29.9 mg/kg, respectively. Most of fruits and vegetables samples had lower nitrate than acceptable levels.

  Conclusion: With regards to high consumption rate of some fruits and vegetables and great variation of nitrate concentration, additional investigation and permanent control of their nitrate concentration is necessary.

  Background & Objectives : Breast cancer is among the most frequent disorders among the world. BRCA1 gene was known as a tumor suppressor gene which its loss could be resulted in various destructions in genome. Therefore, changes occurred in its expression level could lead to increasing the effects of oncogene activity on breast cells.

  Methods : RT-PCR and Q-RT-PCR were used for detecting BRCA1 expression status among 27 primary affected breast cancer patients. The association between its expression status and histopathologic data had been evaluated by statistical assays.

  Results: Eighty-five percent of patients showed BRCA1 expression and this expression as well as its quantity had significant associations with tumor grade. It was found that tumors with low levels of BRCA1 expression tend to have higher grades.

  Conclusion : BRCA1 has an important role in suppressing breast tumorogenesis. Corresponding to some of the previous reports, our findings revealed the role of decreasing in BRCA1 expression level as one of the factors which allows tumors to progress.