Dear Editor, ERYTHROCYTE sedimentation rate (ESR) is a useful basic clinical pathology laboratory investigation. It can be helpful in diagnosis and follow-up of several diseases. At present, a new automated method with proven reliability is available for ESR test (1). Here, the authors report on observation on a laboratory experiment to test the effect of zinc nanoparticles on ESR results. The total of 100 blood samples was used in the experiment. Each sample was divided into two parts. One part was directly measured for ESR and the other part was added by 1 droplet of zinc nanoparticles solution then exposed to ESR measurement.

One of the most important but infrequent complications of discectomy is discitis. On the other hand, major surgical operations usually induce a transient increase in ERYTHROCYTE sedimentation rate (ESR). So in order to use ESR as a screening tool in diagnosis of deep infection after discectomy such as discitis, we must measure it in patients after discectomy but without any complication. This is a prospective study on 50 patients after discectomy. Inclusion and exclusion criteria consists of: 1- Patients must have preoperative ESR within normal range, 2- No clinical or laboratory sign of systemic illness preop., 3- No fever or other signs of infections must be found in patients postoperatively.We measured ESR before operation and in days 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 after operation. After discectomy in most patients ESR rose rapidly and reached its maximum by the third day after operation. As a whole, greater values of ESR were seen in patients whose operation involved more disc spaces. In most patients with one disc ESR reached its normal range 2 weeks after operation, but in patients whose operations involved more disc spaces, ESR reached its normal range by the fifth weeks. If after 2 weeks ESR does n't reach its normal range, in patients whose discectomy involves only one level or after 5 weeks in patients whose discectomy involves more than on level, we must suspect discitis if other signs of infection do exist. If the diagnosis of discitis is delayed, serious complications may occur.

Background & Objective: Two enzymes have the ability to hydrolyze acetylcholine. One is acetyl cholinesterase, which is called true cholinesterase, it is found in ERYTHROCYTEs. The other cholinesterase is pseudo cholinesterase, it is found in serum. Some chemical components of organophosphates group and carbamates affected cholinesterase activity. Determination of cholinesterase has application in diagnosis of liver disease, liver damage by insecticide and assessment of fatty liver. Pesticide factory workers are one group of peoples which are exposed of poisoning by pesticide.Materials & Methods: This research in 2005 performed in pesticide producers. In two stages (3 month interval) from 58 of personal blood was drown.Results: Mean of ERYTHROCYTE cholinesterase in first stage was 48.5±11.2 IU/gHb and second stage was 37.9±17.3 IU/gHb. Decrease of ERYTHROCYTE cholinesterase was significant differences (paired t test, P<0.05). Increase of serum AST was not statistically significant. Increase of serum ALT and Albumin was significant differences (paired t test, p<0.05). In 15 individual (25.9 %) cholinesterase decrease more than 35% and in 16 workers (27.6 %) ERYTHROCYTE cholinesterase decrease between 26-35%.Conclusion: Since in more than 26% of personnel cholinesterase decreased over than 35%, routine assessment of cholinesterase in similar factory, is recommended.

History and Objectives: Lead poisoning is a major public hazaed. Determination of lead in blood is expensive and time-consuming in recent leads poisoning exposures. Materials and Methods: We studied the relation between the concentration of lead in blood and ERYTHROCYTE protoporphyrin in blood in the 857 subjects. Blood lead concentration was measured by atomic absorption spectrometry. Cutoff points were 0.68 micromol/L. ERYTHROCYTE protoporphyrin was determined by spectroflurometric procedure, cutoff point was 0.53 micromol/L. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, the positive predictive value, the negative predictive value and correlation for ERYTHROCYTE protoporphyrin and atomic absorption method. Results: Sensitivity, specificity, the positive predictive value and the negative predictive value for ERYTHROCYTE protoporphyrin method and atomic absorption method were 98%, 97%, 97%, 98% and 74%, 68%, 69% and 72% respectively. Conclusions: The present study describes application of a simple, sensitive and economical detection method of lead poisoning. The data indicate that the ERYTHROCYTE protoporphyrin value obtained by this method could be used as a screening test for lead poisoning.      

Research has shown that exposure to lead may have adverse effects at different blood lead concentrations. Lead inhibits at least two enzymes that are essential for the formation of heme, and because of the interaction of lead with these enzymes, no iron is inserted into protoporphyrin. Therefore the concentration of protoporphyrin increases in ERYTHROCYTEs. The concentration of lead was measured by atomic absorption at 217.0 nm. The ERYTHROCYTE protoporphyrin was determined following extraction into 90% ethanol. The concentration of protoporphyrin in the blood of the lead exposed rat group was increased compared to that in the control group [12.46+/- 0.57 (mean +/- S.D., n= 72) vs. 3.89 +/- 0.42, n=68, mmol/L, p<0.05]. The assay had excellent precision for both control and lead exposed groups (intra-assay and interassay coefficient of variation<5%). The method was linear from 0.0 to 12.46 mmol/L of ERYTHROCYTE protoporphyrin. A good relationship was obtained between ERYTHROCYTE protoporphyrin value and blood lead concentration. The results suggest that the ERYTHROCYTE protoporphyrin value obtained by this method could be used as a screening test for lead poisoning.