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Background: Green tea, which is the most common drink in the world, has antioxidant and detoxification properties. In this study, the protective effect of green tea extract on nephro-toxicity induced by acetaminophen was investigated. Materials and Methods: 32 male mice were randomly divided into 4 groups. Physiologic serum was administered to the control group for 30 days. Toxic (Acetaminophen) group received physiologic serum for 30 days and on day 30 in addition to physiologic serum, 500 mg/kg acetaminophen was administered orally. Green tea group, instead of water, was fed by 7g/l green tea extract for 30 days. Instead of water, the experiment green tea group was fed with green tea extract for 30 days and 500 mg/kg oral acetaminophen was administered on day 30. On day 31, blood samples were taken from jugular arteries for assaying BUN and Cr. The mice kidneys were cut off and placed in 10% formalin for histopathology assessments. Results: BUN and Cr reduced significantly in the experiment group in comparison with the toxic group. Also, in histopathology assessments, kidney necrosis reduced in experimental group. Conclusion: Green tea seems to have a protective role in acetaminophen induced nephro-toxicity.

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Background: Studies in different species indicate that a variety of different inhibitors may influence myometrium during pregnancy and withdrawal of one or more of them leads to the onset of labor pain. Hence, this study was done to investigate the association between parathyroid hormone-related peptide1-34 (PTH-rp1-34) and labor pain. Materials and Methods: This study was a case-control one. Plasma PTH-rp1-34, PTH, total calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, and alkaline phosphatase concentrations were quantified for 152 normal pregnant women at term (76 women at the onset of labor pain, as the case group and 76 women without labor pain, as the control group). The subjects had no pregnancy related complications. Results: The mean of plasma PTHrp concentrations in the group with labor pain (12.36±0.60 ng/ml) did not differ from that in the group without labor pain (13.57±0.63 ng/ml). The means of plasma PTHrp concentration amounts in the group with labor pain and the group without labor pain were 28.92±1.66 pg/ml and 31.88±1.64 pg/ml, respectively and there was no significant difference between the two groups. There were no significant difference in plasma calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and alkaline phosphatase concentrations in the two groups too. Conclusion: In this study, the endocrinal role of PTHrp and the onset of labor pain was not confirmed.

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Background: Spontaneous rupture of tendon is a rare disease that often occurs following an underlying disease or drug usage. However, the association of this condition with primary hyperparathyroidism has rarely been reported. Case: In a case-study, two cases of spontaneous tendon rupture associated with primary hyperparathyroidism are reviewed. The first one is a middle-aged woman that due to bilateral patellar tendon rupture is operated for secondary repair and augmentation of tendons. The second one is a middle-aged man with unilateral triceps brachii tendon rupture who has been operated for primary tendon repair. Conclusion: Since paramount force is needed for tendon rupture, in spontaneous tendon rupture cases, patient evaluation for detecting underlying diseases and drug usage is necessary. In cases that the history of an underlying disease is not indicated, evaluation of serum level concentrations of Ca, P, ALP, and PTH is recommended for contraindication of primary hyperparathyroidism.

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Background: Essential hypertension which affects 1 billion people worldwide is a multifactorial disorder and influenced by genetic and environmental factors. In human at about 14th week of pregnancy, sweat gland anlagen appear at uniform intervals along the apices of the epidermal ridges. Once the pores of sweat gland form on the ridge, they are fixed at that location. Considerable amount of researches have shown that pores do not disappear, move or spontaneously generate over time. The goal of the present study was to examine whether there is a relationship between the number of palmar sweat gland pores and hypertension condition. Methods: By applying a digital microscope, the number of palamr sweat gland pores were counted in a circle area (12.5 –16.8 mm2) of certain anatomical regions (a, b, c triradials and fingers) in 75 hypertensive and 55 normotensive females. The average age of all patients was 60 years and the average age of all controls was 49 years and all patients had a familial background of hypertension. Results: Statistical analysis of the data showed that the mean count of sweat gland's pores on fingers and b triradial in hypertensive group was significantly lower than normotensive subjects. Conclusion: In conclusion, the results obtained from the present study indicate that there is a meaningful relation between the numbers of fingertip sweat glands pores and hypertension. This finding can be used for the prognosis and early detection of hypertension in susceptible persons, particularly among those with a familial background.

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Background: One of the main complications associated with arteriovenous fistula in hemodialysis patients is the median nerve ischemic neuropathy in the wrist. This study was conducted to examine the effect of arteriovenous fistula on the development of carpal tunnel syndrome. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 37 hemodialysis patients at Shahid Mohammadi Hospital of Bandar Abbas in 2007-2008. All of the patients had either a distal or a proximal arteriovenous fistula in one hand. Nerve conduction velocity and median nerve distal sensory and motor latency were applied to the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome. The limb with fistula (the case) was compared to the one without it. Data were analyzed through independent t-test and Pearson product correlation. Results: Overall, 17 patients had proximal and the rest had distal fistulas. Fistulas aging more than one year were seen in 15 patients and 22 patients had fistulas less than one year old. Carpal tunnel syndrome had developed in 25 wrists with fistula (17 motor and 8 sensory cases) and 27 wrists without fistula. A significant difference was observed in the median nerve distal sensory latency between the wrists with fistula and those without it. There was not a significant difference between the variables. In addition, there was a significant difference between the age of the fistulas and the incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome. Conclusion: The rate of the development of carpal tunnel syndrome in wrists with or without fistula is the same. Also, the site of the fistula does not have any effects on the incidence of the median nerve ischemic neuropathy.

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Background: Hirsutism in women is identified as the increasing growth of terminal hair in areas of skin that are sensitive to androgen. The most common causes of hirsutism are PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and idiopathic hirsutism. The role of insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia as the most important pathogenesis mechanism of PCO is quite obvious, but there is not enough information on the role of insulin resistance in idiopathic hirsutism. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 16 to 40 year old women. Medical history and physical examination were completed for patients with PCOS and idiopathic hirsutism. Hormonal tests and sonography were run for both groups and insulin resistance was assessed using HOMA-IR formula. Data were analyzed using SPSS version. 17. Results: Mean of serum insulin levels in PCOS and idiopathic hirsutism groups were 16.04±1.4 and 7.32±6.85 µIu/ml, respectively (P<0.001). HOMA-IR values in PCOS and idiopathic hirsutism groups were 3.7± 3.36 and 1.67±1.75, respectively (P< 0.001). Mean of serum DHEA-S levels in PCOS and idiopathic hirsutism groups were 2.48±1 and 1.84±0.46 pg/ml, respectively (P< 0.001). These findings indicated a significant difference between the two groups. However, in terms of serum glucose, testosterone, androstendione, and follicular hormones levels, there were not any significant differences between the two groups. Conclusion: In both PCOS and idiopathic groups, there was a significant relationship between hirsutism and insulin resistance. This relationship, however, was more significant the PCOS group

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Background: Mother and newborn's health is one of the important indexes in health services of every country and one of its main assessment indexes is the number of normal deliveries in each country. Identifying the effective factors in labor helps the right selection of patients the process of delivery. The main goal of this study was to assess the association between fetal sex and unsuccessful labor process which result in cesarean section. Materials and Methods: This observational cross-sectional study was conducted on 1537 pregnant women admitted for delivery to Taleghani Hospital of Arak during 6 months. Data were catch through a check list consisting of obstetric history, physical examination, labor process, and lab tests coupled with interview and observation. The results were analyzed through Chi2, chance ration analysis, and t-test. Results: Of the 1537 pregnant women, 74% had normal delivery and 26% underwent cesarean section. Of all infants, 35.1% of those delivered by normal vaginal delivery and 13.4% of those delivered by cesarean section were male sex while 38.9% of the infants in the normal delivery group and 12.6% of those in the cesarean group were female. These results did not show any association between fetal sex and type of delivery. Overall, 36.5% of the deliveries done through cesarean section were due to dystosia (18.1% male and 18.4% female) (P=0.934). Also,14.3% of the newborns delivered through cesarean sction due to fetal distress were male and 10.8% of them were female (P=0.162) while 10.5% of newborns delivered through cesarean section due to meconium were male and 8.5% of them were male (P=0.359). Conclusion: It appears there is no association between fetal sex and labor disorders which result in cesarean section.

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Background: Different studies have shown that vitamin D may play a functional role in insulin secretion and sensitivity. This study evaluates the effect of vitamin D on insulin resistance. Materials and Methods: This clinical trial was done on 100 patients with type II diabetes mellitus that aged 30-70 years. The patients were randomly selected and different examinations were done on them. They received 50000 units of oral vitamin D daily for four weeks. Insulin resistance was measured before and after the intervention. Data analysis was done by paired t-test and Wilcoxon test using SPSS software version 17. Results: The participants consisted of 70 women and 30 men. Mean vitamin D was 43.03±19.28 ng/ml and 24% of the participants were vitamin D deficient based on the cut-off 25(OH) D <20 ng/ml. At the beginning and the end of the study, the mean levels for FPG, insulin, HOMA-IR were 138.48±36.74 and 131.02±39 mg/dl (P=0.05), 10.76±9.46 and 8.6±8.25 µIu/ml (P= 0.02), and 3.57±3.18 and 2.89±3.28 (P= 0.008), respectively. Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that vitamin D causes significant improvements in FPG, insulin, and insulin resistance, that was evaluated by HOMA-IR. It was also indicated that adding vitamin D supplements can improve glucose control in type II diabetes mellitus.

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Background: Launaea acanthodes is used as a common medicinal plant in central regions of Iran. To investigate the probable hypoglycemic activity of hydro-alcoholic extract of L. acanthodes as well as its effects on serum level of insulin and biochemical factors in normal and hyperglycemic rats, the present study was carried out. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study 24 male albino Wistar rats, weighting 250-300 g were randomly allocated into four groups (n=6) control, type 1 diabetic rats (STZ 55 mg/kg), type 1 diabetic rats treated by subcutaneous injection of 5 IU/kg insulin (STZ+insulin) and type 1 diabetic rats treated by injection (i.p) of 150 mg/kg hydro-alcoholic extract of L. Acanthodes (STZ+extract). The injection of insulin and extract were done every day from day 1 to day 21 of experiment. After that, all animals were kept up to day 30. Blood serum were collected and analyzed for the levels of glucose and biochemical factors (cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL and HDL) measurements, in the 15th and 30th day of experiment. Results: The results showed significant decrease (p<0.001) in glucose level and significant increase (p<0.05) in insulin level in STZ+extract group, when compared with other hyperglycemic groups in 30th day of experiment. Conclusion: These results indicate that the hydro- alcoholic extract of L.acanthodes could be effective in the treatment of diabetes. It can be concluded that extract administration somehow induce insulin secretion probably through stimulation of remaining β cells or their hyperplasia in Langerhans islets. This effect can also be referred to flavonoides constituent and antioxidant property of extract, too.

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Background: Biochemical studies have shown that iron produces reactive oxygen species via Haber-Weiss and Fenton reactions. The goal of this study is to examine the role of iron in oxidation of human hemoglobin and its structural changes in erythrocytes. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, blood samples from healthy subjects were incubated aerobically with the iron containing metal catalyzed oxidation (MCO) system in the presence of 0.036, 0.7, 0.14, 0.28, 0.57, 1.14, 2.28, 4.55, 9.09, and 18.18 micromole of iron. Structural changes in Hb were followed by spectrophotometric analysis from 300 to 650 nm. In addition, carbonyl assay was performed for estimation of protein oxidation in globin chains. Results: Based on the results, oxy-Hb decreased up to 68% in iron-treated erythrocytes. Decrease in the absorbance ratio (A577, A542 wavelength) indicated the conversion of oxy-Hb to met-Hb. Also, met-Hb concentration was 4.7 fold of hemichrome. After 24 hours of incubation, oxyHb concentration decreased up to 50% and metHb concentration increased up to 85%. Moreover, increase in iron concentration resulted in significant carbonyl formation in hemoglobin. Conclusion: These findings indicate that Hb oxidation instead of its oxygenation leads to anemia and hypoxia. The findings of this study may be directly applicable to oxidation states during hemolytic diseases and iron treatment.

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Background: Male involvement in maternal health is one of the policies promoted by international reproductive health bodies. To better understand male involvement issues in maternal health, this study was done to explore midwives’ experiences toward the promotion of male involvement in maternal health and barriers to such programs. Materials and Methods: In this qualitative study, sampling was conducted by means of focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews through a semi-constructed questionnaire. The experiences of all midwives at health centers were surveyed through 2 group interviews and the views of 8 midwives employed in Maternity Hospital of Sabzevar, Iran, were considered as well. Content analysis was applied to data analysis. Results: Results of this study can be divided into three categories: Arguments in favor of, obstacles to, and outcomes of male involvement in maternal health. Based on midwives’ experiences, the provision of couple-friendly health services would enhance the quality of care, better understanding of health information provided to pregnant women and easier acceptance of tasks like taking a sonogram. Midwives indicated some obstacles like manpower and work space deficiency and cultural barriers like husbands and midwives uneasiness while communicating and giving information. Disagreements between partners and higher likelihood of partner interventions in affairs were found to be possible negative outcomes of such programs. Conclusion: Midwives’ attitudes towards male involvement in maternal health were positive and indicate that the introduction of such programs would be accepted. However, attention should be paid to midwives’ concerns and cultural obstacles and they should be trained for such programs.

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Background: Mindfulness and emotion regulation have important effects on the variables related to mental health in chemical weapons victims. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction and emotion regulation training on the affect and mood in chemical weapons victims. Materials and Methods: This interventional study was conducted with two experimental groups and a control group including 47 male chemical weapons victims with high scores on the General Health Questionnaire in Sardasht city, Iran, randomly selected and then assigned to mindfulness training, emotion regulation training, and control groups. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) training was used with experimental group 1, emotion regulation (ER) training was implemented with experimental group 2, and the control group received no training. Data were gathered using the General Health Questionnaire, Positive and Negative Affect and Depression-Happiness scales. Analysis of variance with repeated measure was used for analyzing the data. Results: The results indicated that mindfulness-based stress reduction and emotion regulation training significantly increased positive affect and mood and decreased negative affect in chemical weapons victims. Conclusion: The results supported the effectiveness of mindfulness and emotion regulation training on affect and mood in chemical victims. Therefore, attention to the effectiveness of mindfulness and emotion regulation on variables related to mental health is important in chemical weapon victims.

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Background: The aim of this study is to assess antioxidative and pro-oxidative efficacy of ascorbate on serum albumin during iron-induced oxidative stress. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, albumin was placed in the oxidative system containing iron ions and different concentrations of ascorbate. To monitor albumin degradation, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was performed according to Laemmli procedure. Oxidative modification of albumin was demonstrated using a method for determination of carbonyl groups by 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine. Results: By applying the carbonyl assay, ascorbate showed a dual effect: initial pro-oxidative effect on albumin changed to an antioxidant one in a dose-dependent manner. Our findings showed prooxidant effects for ascorbate in low concentrations (0-100 µM) and antioxidant effects in higher concentrations (100-300 µM). Also, electrophoretic pattern of plasma proteins showed significant protein aggregations in the range of 35 to 45 kDa of MW and protein degradations in the range of 115 to 180 kDa. Conclusion: Ascorbate can produce reactive oxygen species and can also inhibit the production of these oxidants in the presence of iron ions as well. These findings may be directly applicable to oxidative states during the administration of ascorbate and may be important in preventing oxidative modifications of proteins in blood circulation and other biological fluids.

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Background: The most common reasons for discontinuation of Depot Medroxy Progesterone Acetate (DMPA) contraceptive method are irregular bleeding and increased body weight. To reduce these complications, the combined injectable contraceptive drug, cyclofem, is offered as an alternative while its effects on the reduction of these complications are not quite clear. Thus this study was done to compare the effects of cyclofem and DMPA on the pattern of bleeding, body weight, and blood pressure variations. Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 600 healthy women using DMPA and cyclofem) 300 people in each group (were selected through purposeful sampling and evaluated in 3 time intervals: 3, 6 and 9-12 months after primary injection. Data were collected by questionnaire and analyzed by Chi-square, ANOVA, and Mann-Whitney tests using SPSS software. Results: Spotting and amenorrhea were seen with higher incidence in DMPA users. There was a significant difference between DMPA and cyclofem users in spotting at the end of months 3, 6, and 9-12 after the first injection (p<0.05). Also, there was a significant difference between the two groups in amenorrhea during the three intervals (p<0.05). There was not a significant difference between the two groups in terms of weight variations (p>0.05), but there was a significant difference between the two groups in diastolic blood pressure (p<0.05). Conclusion: Considering the lower incidence of amenorrhea and spotting in cyclofem users, encouraging eligible clients to use the cyclofem contraceptive method is recommended. Also these users are recommended to carefully control their body weight and blood pressure.

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Background: Genu varum is a deformity marked by outward bowing of the leg which is accompanied with pain only in severe cases. Failure in timely diagnosis results in the loss of quality of life in future and high health care costs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate genu varum prevalence in male students aged 7-16 years and identify the cases in need of treatment. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, femoral intercondylar distance (ICD) of 3692 male students aged 7-16 years who were chosen randomly in Arak city was measured. ICD>0.5 cm was considered as genu varum and to determine whether cases need treatment, the MT-MF angle and WBL% were used. Results: The results indicated that the prevalence of genu varum was 2.53% in primary school, 6.98% in junior high school, and 16.33% in senior high school students. The findings showed a significant relationship between the prevalence of genu varum and age, BMI, and the history of lower limb trauma with or without fracture. Overall, 33% of the students required treatment. Conclusion: Considering the importance of having healthy knees, clinical examination and regular screening programs for identifying cases with mild genu varum is recommended. The importance of implementation of regular screening programs is confirmed by the increasing prevalence of diseases associated with age and the high percentage of patients requiring treatment.

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Background: Brucellosis is one of the most common zoonotic diseases in Iran. In most cases, the diagnosis of brucellosis is difficult not only because of its clinical similarity to many infectious and noninfectious diseases, but also because diagnostic methods often fail to detect organisms. PCR is a rapid and safe diagnostic method applied to the diagnosis of brucellosis. The purpose of this study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of PCR for diagnosis of human brucellosis by using serum samples. Materials and Methods: This study which was done to evaluate diagnostic tests included30 serum samples from patients with clinical presentation of brucellosis with positive Wright test and serum samples of30 healthy people with negative Wright test. These samples were examined by PCR. Results: PCR results were positive for 15 samples of the patients group in comparison with 4 samples from the 30 healthy subjects. The sensitivity and specificity of PCR were 50% and 86.6%, respectively. Conclusion: Although in some studies, the preferred sample for diagnosis of brucellosis was serum, in this study, PCR on serum samples did not indicate high sensitivity and specificity in diagnosis of brucellosis. Hence, using a combination of methods for diagnosis of human brucellosisis suggested.

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Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a health problem in many areas of Iran. Cutaneous leishmaniasisis reported mostly in the central county of Qom province, including Ghanavat and Qomrood villages. This study was done to identify parasite species in human and rodents in order to illustrate the epidemiologic picture of the disease and provide an appropriate control program in 2010 Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was done on microscopic smears of 45 human samples and rodents samples hunted around Ghanavat and Qomrood villages in the central county of Qom province in 2010.In total,15 human samples and one hunted rodent sample were positive. In this study,the DNA of the parasites were extracted from the slides and analyzed by Leishmania specific premiers using ITS1 PCR-amplification (Internal Transcribed Spacer1). PCR (PolymeraseChain Reaction) products were digested by Haelll enzyme. Results: Overall, 15 human samples and one rodent sample from Merioneslibycus species were evaluated by PCR-RFLP (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism). After electrophoresis, it was demonstrated that the parasite was Leishmaniamajor in both human and rodent species. Conclusion: PCR-RFLP technique is an effective method to determine Leishmania parasite species in Geimsa stained slides from human and rodent reservoirs. One of the advantages of this technique is that it is possible to recognize the pathogen species of Leishmania parasite without gene sequencing. Besides, PCR-RFLP technique is a method of quite high sensitivity and specificity which can identify parasite species in addition to the diagnosis of leishmaniasis within 24 hours.

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Background: Transient hip tenosynovitis is one of the common causes of pain and limping in children and includes 0.4% to 0.9% of admissions in emergency wards. The aim of this study is to evaluate this disease in terms of clinical presentations, age and sex distribution, and six-month recurrence. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 51 children with diagnosis of transient hip tenosynovitis were investigated. Inclusion criteria were physician's clinical suspicion of acute tenosynovitis according to clinical presentations, physical exam, and age range of 3 to 8 years. Results: Among the 51 children with tenosynovitis, 34 patients were male with age of 61.70±19.1 months and 17 patients were female with mean age of 48.35±20.49 months that presented a significant statistical difference (p=0.026). The most common complaint was hip pain and the most commonly involved joint was the hip. Also, most of the patients had the history of viral diseases. Conclusion: Transient hip tenosynovitis is more common in boys. The right hip is the most involved joint and the majority of patients have the history of recent viral diseases.

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Background: The presence of oxidant agents yields higher levels of free radical reaction products in erythrocyte membrane proteins and serum proteins. The aim of this study is to investigate the oxidative modifications of recombinant human coagulation factor VIII (rHFVIII) by spectrophotometric analysis. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, rHFVIII was incubated aerobically with vitamin C and ferro ions in metal catalyzed oxidation (MCO) system for 4 to 28 hr. Carbonyl assay was used as an index of protein oxidation. For this purpose, 2,4dinitrophenyl hydrazine (DNPH) was used. Reaction of this reagent with carbonyl groups produces dinitrophenylhydrazone derivatives that their concentration was estimated by spectrophotometry. Results: Carbonyl groups in rHFVIII changed in the presence of vitamin C and ferro ions. Dose-dependent effects of vitamin C showed a decrease in carbonyl groups of rHFVIII whileferro ions increased oxidation and carbonyl group formation in this protein. Conclusion: These findings indicate that changes in carbonyl groups in rHFVIII are related to the generation of reactive oxygen species. Also, antioxidant mechanisms are activated in a dose- and time-dependent manner.

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Background: Noticing the particular importance of timely detection of scoliosis due to its progression over the time and associated complications such as non-symmetric appearance, movement restrictions, and sometimes disturbance in cardiac or respiratory function, this screening study was designed to investigate the prevalence of scoliosis in pupils aged 9-16 in Arak.

Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 984 students aged 9-16 years in Arak, Iran, who were randomly selected by clustering method, were screened for scoliosis by Adams test and suspected pupils were examined by orthopedics and PA X-ray was applied for them. For diagnosis confirmation, the Cobb angle was calculated and angle>6 was considered as scoliosis.

Results: Based on the results, the prevalence of scoliosis was 1.52% and 1.21% in female students and 3.21% in male students. The Cobb angle of about 67% of the cases was less than 10 which indicated minor scoliosis.

Conclusion: The results of the present study necessitate school-based scoliosis screening so that early detection of the disease allows for implementation of a suitable treatment program which can prevent the development of the disease and the financial burden of surgery and its complications.