ABSTRACT
        Background and Objectives: Osteoarthritis (OS) is the most common type of arthritis and joint disease, especially in women. Proinflammatory cytokines, biochemical factors, specially matrix metalloproteinases, and reactive oxygen species play important roles in joint destruction in this disease. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate level of inflammatory factors and its relationship with clinical symptoms of OS in female patients.
         Methods: The study was performed on female patients with knee OS, referring to healthcare centers of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. After measuring the weight and height of patients, clinical symptoms such as severity of pain and physical performance were evaluated using the Knee Injury and Osteopaedic Outcome Score questionnaire. Serum levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, and hs-CRP in fasting blood samples were measured using ELISA kits and immunoturbidimetric assays.
         Results: There was a significant association between level of IL-1β and score of pain. There was no significant relationship between the clinical symptoms and level of other inflammatory factors. 
         Conclusion:  The results of the present study showed that the increase in inflammatory factors is correlated with severity of pain in OS patients. 
        Keywords: Osteoarthritis Knee, Female, Inflammatory Markers.

ABSTRACT
          Background and objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of six months of aerobic exercise on lipid profile, inflammatory markers, and risk factors of cardiovascular disease in middle-aged obese women.
          Methods: Fifteen obese woman (age range: 35 to 45 years) with BMI of ≥30 Kg/m² were enrolled via purposeful and convenience sampling. The participants were randomly divided into training (n=10) and control (n=5) groups.  Blood samples (7 ml) were taken from all participants before the first training session and after the last training session. The women performed 60 minutes of aerobic exercise at 55-65% of heart rate reserve, three sessions a week, for six months. Data was analyzed using independent and paired t-tests and Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon tests at significance of 0.05.
          Results: After the six-month aerobic exercise, C-reactive protein, low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein/total cholesterol decreased significantly. The exercise intervention also caused a significant increase in the concentrations of high-density lipoprotein and apolipoprotein A.
          Conclusion: Aerobic exercise can reduce the level of inflammatory markers associated with risk of cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis.
          Keywords: Lipid profile, Inflammatory markers, Obese women, Apolipoprotein, Aerobic exercise.