BACKGROUND:Tuberculosis is still an important infectious disease today. The resent World Health Organization TB Fact Sheet statesthat it kills approximately 2 million people each year. WHO estimated that between the years 2002 and 2020 inclusive,approximately 1000 million people will be newly infected. According to the fact sheet over the same period, more than150 million people will become infected, and 36 million will be die due to tuberculosis, if control of the diseases is furthernot strengthened.1In 2009, there were registered 4218 tuberculosis new cases in Mongolia. Among them 1809 cases were smear positivepulmonary cases. Mongolia has the 7th highest tuberculosis case rate country in the WHO.WPR.2GOAL: To review “Reporting Form” of the new registered cases of tuberculosis in Mongolia (2007-2009).OBJECTIVES:1. Evaluation how correct fills out of the “Reporting Form”–s of new registered cases tuberculosis.2. Social and professionals status of tuberculosis cases in Mongolia.MATERIALS AND METHODS:We conducted a retrospective study of 10237 Reporting Form of new case of TB. Which are cases reported from 21aimags and 9 districts of Ulaanbaatar city to the Tuberculosis Department of NCCD, between 2007 and 2009.Retrospective analysis for the “line list of tempore office leave’s” among health care works in National Center forCommunicable DiseasesRESULTS:10237 (79%) out of 12802 new TB cases were correct fill out new cases Reporting Forms in 2007-2009In 2007-2009, there were 43.3 %( 4436) unemployed people, 9.7% (994) students, 8.8 %( 901) pupils, 7.0 %( 712)pensionaries of all registered cases. A total cases 18.5 percentage was students.Also 111 health care workers were developed TB throughout country and it is 1.1% of total cases. A total cases of Healthcare workers; 30.6% (34) nurses, 28 %( 31) doctors, 15.3 %( 17) house keepers, nurses are most affected TB fromhealth care workers. Doctor’s who are working in TB and the judicial department, surgeons, dentists, center to recoverthe alcoholic, soum and family practitioners are most affected compared other doctors.CONCLUSION:1. In 2007-2009, there were 43.3% unemployed people, 9.7% students, 8.8% pupils, 7.0% pensionaries, 1.1%health care workers of all registered cases.2. Excepting students TB rate is 18.5% and this rate increasing year by year. We need to more study and analysisof students TB cases and need to planning further intervention among students3. Among health care workers who are working in tuberculosis hospital more risk of get infected tuberculosis.Urgent needs to improve the infection control intervention in the TB hospital and clinics, branch offices, whichhave high risk of infection.

Since 1994 when Directly Observed Therapy Short Course (DOTS) was first introduced in TB control in Mongolia, the National TB Programme has made significant progress in detecting and curing TB. In 2007, we were able to detect 81% of all TB cases and cure 88%. However, we face many obstacles and challenges in dealing with drug-resistant tuberculosis including limited access to multi-drug resistant TB treatment, limited supply of second-line drugs, limited capacity of service providers, poor infection control in health facilities dealing with MDR-TB patients, limited financial resources. Since 2006 Mongolia has started to implement project on multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) management through support of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. In total, 888 cases of drug-resistant TB were detected in our country. Among them, 66.3% (589) were diagnosed with MDR-TB. Among 589 MDR-TB cases diagnosed between 2003-2009, 45.3% (267) are enrolled in treatment, 26.7% (157) died before enrollment into treatment, 19.7% (116) are on waiting list. If we do not improve supply of second-line drugs we will continue to face obstacles in provision of medical services to MDR-TB patients. Our data shows that although MDR-TB cases were diagnosed in 2006, the number of patients who would not be able to receive the treatment and would die by 2015 would increase up to 510 persons. In other words, although about 70 patients are diagnosed every year, they would not be able to receive treatment. Mobilization of 350 thousand US dollars every year and advocacy among decision makers in order to improve their commitment will contribute to fight against MDR-TB in our country.

Complete seizure control is the single most important determinant of good quality of life for patients with epilepsy and the chronic nature of the disorder requires that antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) be administered for many years, often for a lifetime. Therefore, long-term experience is of particular importance in evaluating the efficacy and safety of an AED. Valproic acid increases γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) synthesis and release and potentiates GABAergic transmission in specific brain regions and it also has also been found to reduce the release of the excitatory amino acid β-hydroxybutyric acid and to attenuate neuronal excitation mediated by activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptors. In addition to these effects, valproic acid exerts direct actions on excitable membranes, including blockade of voltage-dependent sodium channels. Valproate is generally regarded as a first-choice agent for most forms of idiopathic and symptomatic generalised epilepsies. Many of these syndromes are associated with multiple seizure types, including tonic-clonic, myoclonic and absence seizures, and prescription of a broad-spectrum drug such as valproate has clear advantages in this situation. The elimination half-life is in the order of 9 to 18 hours, but shorter values (5 to 12 hours) are observed in patients comedicated with enzymeinducing agents such as phenytoin, carbamazepine and barbiturates. The most commonly reported adverse effects of valproate include gastrointestinal disturbances, tremor and bodyweight gain. Other notable adverse effects include encephalopathy symptoms (at times associated with hyperammonaemia), platelet disorders, pancreatitis, liver toxicity and teratogenicity. According to the some study results, endocrine manifestations of reproductive system disorders, including polycystic ovary syndrome, may be more common in women treated with valproate than in those treated with other AEDs.

Bacground: DST by conventional methods takes several weeks, while early diagnosis of the disease and the rapid identification of resistant strains are essential for efficient treatment and control of the MDR strains. Rapid molecular testing of detecting MDR-TB is needed.Objective: The aim of this study was to assess performance of molecular line probe assay, Genotype16 MTBDRp/us, for rapid detection of RIF and INH resistance for M.Tuberculosis in Mongolia. The sensitivity and specificity of Genotype® MTBDRp/us to detect RIF and INH resistance-associated mutations in culture specimens and directly in smear-positive clinical specimens was examined and compared with conventional culture and drug susceptibility testing on solid medium.Material and Methods: The subjects of this study were 218 MDR-TB suspects aged 14-75 years from 8 districts in Ulaanbaatar city. The study was conducted from July 2009 to May 2010. The Genotype M. Tuberculosis drug resistance first line (MTBDR plus) assay (Hain Life-science, Nehren, Germany) was tested on directly on 41 sputum specimens and 109 clinical isolates.Results: The high correlation of the results from Genotype® MTBDRp/us and conventional drug susceptibility testing was obtained from this study. The results clearly show high performance of Genotype® MTBDRp/us with almost 100% accuracy for all the important indicators, such as sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of detection of RIF and INH resistance. Some minor discrepancies were obtained in comparison with DNA sequencing results.Our study found that among high proportion for detection of RIF resistance, S531L mutation (MUT3 band) occurred the most commonly, with 80.0% of all RIF-resistant strains (83.6% of MDR) having the mutation. Other mutation in the 530-533 regions was common, as detected by the lack of binding to the WT8 probe in the absence of S531L mutation.In this study we observed that mutations in the promoter region of inhA gene played a major role (67.6 % (63.9% of MDR strains and 90% of INH-mono-resistant strains) had a mutation in the inhA.Conclusion: The Genotype® MTBDRp/us assay was demonstrated as a rapid, reliable and highly accurate tool for early detection of MDR-TB through examining smear positive cases enabling early start of appropriate therapeutic and public health measures to control of the spread of drug resistant M.tuberculosis in the population.

Background: Natural protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis is based on cell-mediated immunity, which most importantly involves CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell subsets. Therefore, the evaluation of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell profi les are important to evaluate cell-mediated immunity. Immuno-regulating therapy is important in increase of T cell subsets. Objective: To determine some T-cell subsets in active pulmonary tuberculosis patients following immunoregulating treatment in intensive phase of antituberculosis treatment, so to evaluate the treatment effect. Method: This study was conducted in TB clinic of National Center for Communicable Diseases (NCCD) between Aug 2008 and Mar 2009. CD4+ and CD8+-T cells were evaluated in 50 active pulmonary tuberculosis (infi ltrative form) cases before antituberculosis treatment (25 cases with Salimon-Study group, 25 cases without SalimonControl group) Patients with chronic disease, pregnant and alcohol users are excluded. The T cell subsets count was performed by FACSCount fl ow cytometer at the Immunology Laboratory of the NCCD,Mongolia.The monoclonal antibodies to CD3, CD4 and CD8 (Becton Dickinson) were used for the analysis. Result: CD4 count was 605,1242,7 cells/microL, CD8 count-470,92235,7 cells/microL, CD3 count-1130,7425,6 cells/microL, CD4/CD8 ratio was-1,480,67. CD4, CD8, CD3 cells were signifi cantly lower (P=0.05) in active pulmonary TB patients than in healthy Mongolian. And these subsets were signifi cantly lower in older patients (>50 age).There was no statistical signifi cance in sex and other age groups (p>0, 05). There were statistical signifi cances such as CD4 count, CD4/CD8 ratio (CD4-733,95314,38 cells/micro, CD4/CD8 ratio-1.870,7 in treatment group, CD4-570,54213.07 cells/micro, CD4/CD8 ratio-1.260.45 in control group) between TB and control group at the end of intensive phase of antituberculosis treatment (=0,05, =0,001). However, there were not any signifi cance CD8 count and CD3 count between two groups (CD8-423,68174,28 cells/microL, CD3-1212,27453,98 cells/microL in treatment group, CD8-500,67203,74cells/microL, CD3 -1139,33 386,47 cells/ microL in control group) (=0,05). Conclusion: 1. T cell subsets were signifi cantly lower in active,new,smear positive, pulmonary TB patients than in healthy Mongolians (p=0.05). 2. The statistical signifi cance is observed in 50 years and older TB patients (p=0.05). 3. CD4, CD4/CD8 were signifi cantly higher in patients treated with immuno-regulating treatment than in patients of control group (=0,05, =0,001).

Purpose: The etiology of Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (LCPD) remains unknown until today. A few studies have suggested passive smoke inhalation may be a risk factor, although the association is not confirmed and a causal relationship has not been established. Most mothers who smoke during pregnancy may continue smoking after giving a birth, it would be difficult to determine to what extent passive smoke inhalation adds to the risk of LCPD in these children. The causes of Legg-Calve-Perthes disease are largely unknown, but this pediatric disease seems to result from interruption of the blood supply to the proximal femur and is considered a vascular disease. Because maternal smoking during pregnancy influences fetal development and is associated with cardiovascular diseases in offspring, we hypothesized that this exposure and passive Tabaco smoke exposure are risk factors for Legg-Calve-Perthes disease and also investigated other markers of impaired fetal development and early-life exposures. Methods: We prospectively recruited total 96 patients, among those 32 patients with LCPD as a case group and 64 patients attending the hospital for other orthopedic complaints as control group. Conditional logistic regression was used to assess the association between the exposures and risk of LCPD. Results: The main risk factors for LCPD were family background, indoor use of a wood stove, having a family member who smoked indoors (passive smoke) and smoke during pregnancy. Children from the middle socioeconomic group appeared to be at a greater risk of developing LCPD. Conclusions This study provides further evidence that environmental tobacco smoke is associated with an increased risk of LCPD. Family background and exposure to wood smoke also appears to be risk factors. Maternal smoking during pregnancy and other factors indicated by impaired fetal development may be associated with an increased risk of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. However, it remains unclear why there are profound differences in the incidence of the disease between regions when the prevalence of smoking is comparable and why bilateral involvement is infrequent, and it needs further study.

Background: Vitamins are nutrients essential for human health. They act as coenzymes that help trigger important chemical reactions necessary for energy production. Reference values for vitamins help physicians evaluate the health status of patients and make clinical decisions. The aim of this study was to determine the mean values and reference intervals for some water-soluble vitamins of Mongolian adults. Materials and Methods: Three hundred and forty healthy adults (170 males and 170 females) of 17 to 69 years of age were selected for the study based on CLSI C28-P3 criteria Defining, establishing & Verifying reference interval in the clinical laboratory; Proposed Guidelines. The study was approved by the Resolution No.76 of 2018 of the Medical Ethics Review Committee of the Ministry of Health. Informed consents were taken from the selected individuals. Morning blood samples of the participants were collected under aseptic conditions. Levels of vitamins B₆, B₉, B₁₂ and vitamin C were measured using a high performance liquid chromatography method. The lower- and upper reference limits were defined as the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles, respectively. The data were analyzed using SPSS and Excel programs. Results: The mean blood level of vitamin C was 11.88 mg/L (95% CI 10.47-13.29) for men and 9.62 mg/L (95% CI 8.11-11.13) for women. The calculated reference interval for males was 1.40-19.40 mg/L and 1.17-18.04 mg/L for females. The mean concentration of vitamin B₁₂ in the blood of males was 938.45 ng/L (95% CI 747.22-1129.68) and that of females was 864.03 ng/L (95% CI 603.81-1124.25). The reference interval for vitamin B₁₂ was 233.03-1597.00 ng/L in men and 132.45-1623.86 ng/L in women. The mean level of vitamin B₉ was 8.47 ng/mL (95% CI 5.64-11.30) for men and 6.91 ng/mL (95% CI 4.89-8.93) for women. The calculated reference interval for this vitamin in males was 1.04-24.74 ng/mL and that in females was 1.04-21.46 ng/mL. As for vitamin B₆, the mean concentration for men was 44.42 ng/mL (95% CI 37.01-51.83) and for women was 34.67 ng/mL (95% CI 29.97-39.39) with the reference intervals of 5.90-79.02 ng/mL for men and 5.27-61.72 ng/mL for women. Conclusion The reference values for vitamins B₆, B₉, B₁₂ and vitamin C of Mongolian adults do not differ significantly from those observed in other populations. The calculated reference intervals can be used in the practice of health laboratories.

Background: Minerals are important for the proper body functioning. They also play a role in preventing and fighting diseases. Reference values for minerals help physicians evaluate the mineral status of patients and make clinical decisions. The aim of this study was to determine the mean values and reference intervals for some minerals to be used for evaluation of the nutrition status of Mongolians. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and forty healthy adults (120 males and 120 females) of 17 to 70 years of age were selected for the study based on CLSI C28-P3 criteria Defining, establishing & Verifying reference interval in the clinical laboratory; Proposed Guidelines. The study was approved by the ethical committee of the Ministry of Health of Mongolia. Informed consents were taken from the selected individuals. Morning blood samples of the participants were collected under aseptic conditions. Levels of iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) were measured by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The lower and upper reference limits were defined as the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles, respectively. The data were analyzed using SPSS and Excel programs. Results: The mean level of blood iron was 30.50 µmol/L (95% CI 29.71-31.29) for men and 30.91 µmol/L (95% CI 30.03-31.79) for women. The calculated reference interval for males was 21.39-37.72 µmol/L and 19.87-39.67 µmol/L for females. The mean concentration of zinc in the blood of males was 11.00 µmol/L (95% CI 10.69-11.31) and that of females was 11.79 µmol/L (95% CI 11.39-12.19). The reference interval for blood zinc was 8.20-14.92 µmol/L in men and 8.52-16.67 µmol/L in women. The mean level of blood copper was 15.28 µmol/L (95% CI 14.64-15.89) for men and 18.08 µmol/L (95% CI 17.30-18.86) for women. The calculated reference interval for copper in males was 9.72-22.34 µmol/L and that in females was 11.18-27.27 µmol/L. Conclusion The reference values for zinc, copper and iron of Mongolian adults do not differ significantly from those observed in other countries. The calculated reference intervals can be used for evaluation of the nutrition status and making clinical decisions.

Background: Reference values are very important for the clinical decisions in laboratory diagnosis and clinical management of patients. Method: A total of 340 adults (apparently healthy individuals) between 18 to 70 years resident in the Ulaanbaatar city were randomly selected and enrolled in this survey. 340 adults made up of 170 males, 170 females were assessed by a clinician to be healthy. About 5 ml of blood was collected with EDTA test tube and analyzed using automated analyser to enumerate the hematological parameters (red blood cell, white blood cell, hemoglobin and haematocrit). Reference values were determined at 2.5^th and 97.5^th percentiles. Results: Reference values estabilished include: red blood cell 4.69-6.04×1012/L, white blood cell 3.98-9.11×109/L, haemoglobin 145-176 g/L, haematocrit 42.6-52.9% for males and red blood cell 4.10-5.20×1012/L, white blood cell 3.50-9.08×109/L, haemoglobin 121.8-148.2 g/L, haematocrit 36-44.7% for females. Conclusion We were determined mean and reference range of haematological parameters (red blood cell, white blood cell, haemoglobin, haemotocrit) which are important for assessing the nutritional status of adults according to the international standard methodology. The international reference range shows that white blood cells counts do not indicate gender and our data (р=0.0964 are statistically insignificant) also offers no significant difference was found between samples for male and female subjects.

Background: We set the average value and reference range of blood plasma proteins (total protein, albumin, transferrin, retinol binding protein, prealbumin) to be used to assess the nutritional status of Mongolian adult. According to step by step research methodology, 170 women, 170 men and a total of 340 people were surveyed using a combination of questionnaires and analytic methods. Methods: The total protein and albumin content of the collected samples was analyzed by colorimetric method using “Humalyzer 2000” semi automatic analyzer and prealbumin, transferring and retinol binding protein was analyzed by ELISA method of “ELX 880”. The lower limit of the reference value of the identified parameters was calculated to be 2.5 per centil and the upper limit was 97.5 per centil. Results: Determining average and reference range of proteins in the plasma of a total 340 participants, the average of total protein was 74.54(CI 95%; 72.67-76.38) g/l for men, and 73.59(CI 95%; 72.39-74.79) g/l for women, while the reference range was 55.26-95.79 g/l for men and 58.38-84.72 g/l for women. According to determined above, there is no statistically significant difference in gender (p>0.40). The average albumin level is 48.20(CI 95%; 47.04-49.36) g/l for men and 46.28(CI 95%; 45.32-47.24) g/l for women, while reference range is 37.14-60.01 g/l for men and 34.97-57.60 g/l for women. It means there is a statistically significant difference for the gender (p=0.012). The average prealbum level is 332.43(CI 95%; 311.28-353.58) mg/l for men, 381.67(CI 95%; 360.98-402.36) mg/l for women, while reference range is 171.3-485.0 mg/l for men and 215.5-535.0 mg/l for women. It means there is a statistically significant difference for the gender (p=0.0012). The average range of transferrin 4.01(CI 95%; 3.76-4.26) g/l for men and 4.43(CI 95%; 4.20-4.66) g/l for women while reference range is 2.20-6.92 g/l for men and 2.58-7.05 g/l for women, is a statistically significant difference for the gender (p=0.017). The average level of retinol binding protein is 1.73(CI 95%; 1.61-1.85) μmol/l for men and 2.01(CI 95%; 1.89-2.13) μmol/l for women, while reference range is 0.73-3.08 μmol/l for men and 0.73-3.08 μmol/l for women, is a statistically significant difference for the gender (p=0.0017). Conclusions For the first time we conducted a study to determine the average amount and reference range of proteins needed to assess the nutritional status of adults (total protein, albumin, prealbumin, transferring, retinol binding protein) according to international standard methods, which is relatively high compared to other researchers. According to the result of the study, it is not possible to directly follow the result of researchers from other countries and the reference range of blood proteins directly to Mongolians. The result of this study has become an important innovation in practice and treatment, as medical professionals have been able to use it in their diagnosis and treatment.