Amitis Ramezani; Ali Eslamifar; Latif Gachkar; Zahra Pournasiri; Mohammad Banifazl; Arezoo Aghakhani; Mohammad Rabbani; Mohammad Amin Faghih; Ali Akbar Velayati
Volume 3, Issue 4 , September 2008, , Pages 186-190
Abstract
ABSTRACT Background and Objective: There have been concerns over possible association between mercury and neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants. In this study we aimed to determine whether blood levels of mercury are above safe values in Iranian infants or not. Materials and Methods: A ...
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ABSTRACT Background and Objective: There have been concerns over possible association between mercury and neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants. In this study we aimed to determine whether blood levels of mercury are above safe values in Iranian infants or not. Materials and Methods: A total of 85 infants (0, 2, 4 and 6 months old) were enrolled in this study. All of them received vaccines according to Iranian immunization schedules. We measured total mercury in all blood samples by cold vapor atomic absorption. Results: The mean concentration of blood mercury in our subjects were as follows: newborns as 33.95 ± 11.86 nmol/l (with a range of 23.93-52.84), 2 months as 32.94 ± 11.76 nmol/l (with a range of 23.92-52.84), 4 months as 30.44 ± 10.44 nmol/l (with a range of 23.92-50.85) and 6 months as 37.93 ± 12.97 nmol/l (with a range of 21.43-52.34). There was not any significant difference for the mean concentration of blood mercury in those age groups. The lowest level of blood mercury detected was 21.43 nmol/l and the highest level was 52.84 nmol/l. Conclusion: The finding of this study showed that approximately 33% of the infants had blood mercury levels above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommended reference dose of 5.8 μg/l (29 nmol/l). Therefore, it is needed to reduce exposure of infants to mercury from all sources including thimerosal containing vaccines (TCVs) in Iran.
Amitis Ramezani; Arezoo Aghakhani; Mohammad Reza Sharif; Mohammad Banifazl; Ali Eslamifar; Ali Akbar Velayati
Volume 3, Issue 3 , June 2008, , Pages 125-128
Abstract
Background and Objective: Anemia is a common manifestation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, occurring in approximately 30% of patients with asymptomatic infection and in as many as 75% to 80% of those with AIDS. Anemia has been associated with decreased quality of life and decreased ...
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Background and Objective: Anemia is a common manifestation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, occurring in approximately 30% of patients with asymptomatic infection and in as many as 75% to 80% of those with AIDS. Anemia has been associated with decreased quality of life and decreased survival. In this study we aimed to determine the prevalence and related factors of anemia in HIV-infected patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 143 HIV positive patients who referred to behavioral disease consulting center in Tehran were screened for anemia. Mild to moderate anemia was defined as hemoglobin (Hb) 8-14g/dl for men and 8-12g/dl for women; severe anemia was defined as Hb less than 8g/dl for both males and females. sociodemographic data were collected using a questionnaire. In all patients, CD4 lymphocytes counting were done by flowcytometry. Results: It was found out that 143 HIV positive patients with a mean age of 37.1+ 2 years were enrolled in our study. The mean Hb level was 13.5 ± 2.1 g/dl. Mild anemia occurred in 46% of subjects while severe anemia was not observed. There was not any significant difference between patients with and without anemia regarding age, gender, stage of the infection, CD4 cells count and concurrent anti-retroviral therapy. We also found significant difference between anemia and risk behaviors for HIV acquisition. Conclusion: Our results showed that mild to moderate anemia was frequent in HIV positive patients but severe anemia was not prevalent in this study population.