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The shift of hbf to hba under influence of ska2 gene; a possible link between cortisol and hematopoietic maturation in term and preterm newborns
No full textBackground: We hypothesized that the SKA2 gene can convert hemoglobin F to A leading to the maturity of the hematopoietic system by glucocorticoid hormone; so, the present study aimed to investigate the health outcome of newborns by using the effect of SKA2 gene on hematopoietic matu-ration. Methods: At first, 142 samples were divided into term and preterm. After sampling from the umbilical cord blood, the expression of SKA2 genes and HbA and F were evaluated by quantitative RT-PCR. The blood gases were measured by Campact 3 device. Finally, the cortisol level was measured by ELISA method and HbA and F levels were investigated by capillary electrophoresis. Results: The blood gases and Apgar scores were more favorable in term newborns (P <0.001). Levels of protein/expression of HbF in newborns with Apgar score greater than 7 was lower than that of the newborns with Apgar score below 7 (P <0.001). Cortisol and HbA levels were considerably higher in term newborns compared to the preterm ones (P <0.001). In the preterm and term groups, SKA2 gene expression had a positive and significant relationship with cortisol and HbA levels as well as a nega-tive relationship with the HbF level. In the preterm group, a positive and significant relationship was observed between the expression of SKA2 and HbF genes. Conclusion: The results revealed that the SKA2 gene affected hematopoietic maturation in preterm and term newborns and the health outcome of newborns improved by increasing HbA level. © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers
First report of Lophomonas spp. in German cockroaches (Blattella germanica) trapped in hospitals, northern Iran
No full textCockroaches are considered to be important reservoirs for protozoan and helminth parasites,particularly an emerging Lophomonas spp., protozoan parasite. German cockroaches, Blattella germanica (B. germanica), are domestic pest distributed worldwide. However, little information is available regarding the burden of Lophomonas spp. infestation among domestic cockroach population worldwide. The present study investigated parasitic agents, emphasizing Lophomonas spp. infestation among B. germanica in northern Iran. During spring and summer 2018, a total of 496 adults B. germanica (265 males and 231 females) were trapped by hand and glass traps from the teaching hospitals in Mazandaran, Sari, northern Iran. All cockroaches were identified using taxonomic keys. Each cockroaches was anesthetized with chloroform and the alimentary tract removed. Each section was smeared onto a glass slide. All the smears were examined under light microscopy to determine the presence of the parasites. Ten genera of parasites were identified from the trapped B. germanica; overall, 233 (47) were found to be positive for helminths (n = 135) and protozoa (n = 98). The helminths included Aspiculuris tetraptera egg (67/233, 28.7), Oxiuros sp. (39/233; 16.7), Dentostomella translucida (17/233; 7.3), and nematodes Ova (12/233; 5.2). The protozoan parasites identified Gregarina sp. (61/233; 26.2), Entamoeba sp. (19/233; 8.2), Blastocystis sp. (5/233; 2.1), Lophomonas (4/233; 1.7), Nyctotherus sp. (4/233; 1.7), unclassified flagella (5/233; 2.1). Lophomonas spp. was detected within the gut of B. germanica, for the first time, in Iran. It has previously been identified in the gut of cockroaches a long time ago, however, this is the first attempt to detect Lophomonas in cockroaches housing in hospitals. Thereby, it possibly presenting pose a serious respiratory infection risk for patients and health care personnel. © 2021, Indian Society for Parasitology
Advanced sequence optimization for the high efficient yield of human group A rotavirus VP6 recombinant protein in Escherichia coli and its use as immunogen
No full textRotavirus is the important etiological agents of infectious diarrhea among children under 5 years old. Rotaviruses are divided into 10 serogroups (A�J) and each group is based on genetic properties of major structural protein VP6. We designed a novel VP6 sequence optimization to increase the expression level of this protein. Numerous factors such as codon adaptation index, codon pair bias, and guanine-cytosine content were adapted based on Escherichiacoli codon usage. In addition, the ribosome binding site (RBS) of pET-15b was redesigned by the RBS calculator and the secondary structure of VP6 messenger RNA was optimized in the whole length of the coding sequence. Various factors including isopropyl beta- d-thiogalactoside (IPTG) concentration, temperature, and induction time were analyzed for the optimization of the best expression in E. coli by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and western blotting. The recombinant VP6 (rVP6) protein was purified by the Ni-sepharose and then the hyperimmune sera were generated against rVP6 in rabbits. Among three different temperatures, IPTG concentrations, and postinductions, the level of rVP6 was higher at 37°C, 1 mM of IPTG, and 8 h, respectively. Also, the high expression level of rVP6 was obtained in the insoluble aggregate form (43.8 g/L). After purification, the yield of rVP6 was 10.83 g/L. The rVP6 specific antiserum was confirmed by both immunofluorescent and western blotting. The versatile sequence optimization was the reason to produce a high level of rVP6 compared to other reports and can potentially apply to produce cheaper commercial kits to diagnose serological tests and new rotavirus vaccines. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LL
Utility of Urine Interleukines in Children with Vesicoureteral Reflux and Renal Parenchymal Damage
No full textPurpose: Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is the most common risk factor of urinary tract infection in children. Currently, diagnosis of VUR depends on invasive imaging studies, with a high radiologic burden. Therefore, different biomarkers have been introduced for the evaluation of these patients. The objective of this study was to identify alteration of urinary interleukins (ILs) excretion in children with primary VUR and renal parenchymal damage, for further clinical application. Materials and methods: Urinary concentrations of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 were evaluated in 34 children with VUR (cases) and 36 without VUR (control), during 2018-2019. Urinary concentrations of IL-1, IL-1, IL-6 and IL-8 were measured, using polyclonal antibody ELISA kit, and standardized to urine creatinine (Cr). Patients with infectious or inflammatory disorders, urolithiasis, immune deficiency, acute or chronic kidney disease, and secondary VUR were excluded from the study. Results: Mean age of cases (36.00 ± 27.66) had no significant difference with the control (32.86±29.31) group (p=0.44). The majority of patients had moderate VUR (58.8), followed by severe (35.3) and mild (5.9) grades. Urinary concentration of all ILs/Cr were significantly higher in patients with VUR, compared with those without VUR. There was no significant correlation between urine ILs/Cr with age, gender, serum electrolytes, urine specific gravity, renal ultrasound, laterality or severity of VUR, and DMSA renal scan. All urine ILs/Cr had acceptable sensitivity and accuracy for workup of children with primary VUR. Conclusion: Urine IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8/Cr were sensitive and accurate additionary screening biomarkers in children with primary VUR. © 2021. All Rights Reserved
Risk factors, endoscopic findings, and treatments in upper gastrointestinal bezoars: Multi-center experience in Iran
No full textAim: The current study aimed to investigate the risk factors, endoscopic findings, and treatments of upper gastrointestinal bezoars. Background: Bezoars are compact masses formed by the accumulation of dietary fiber, undigested food, hair, or medications. The majority of bezoars are asymptomatic, but they may cause serious symptoms or even life-threatening events such as bleeding, obstruction, or perforation Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in three gastroenterology clinics between January 2016 and December 2019. Bezoars were detected in 109 of 15,830 endoscopy records (0.68). Results A total of 103 patients (52.4 male) were enrolled in this study. Mean patient age was 60.5±11.3 years. The most frequent risk factors were history of gastric surgery (25.2), diabetes mellitus (21.3), hypothyroidism (15.5), trichophagia (5.8), and anxiety disorders (2.9), respectively. The most common endoscopic findings were peptic ulcers (34.9), erosive gastritis/duodenitis (12.6), and reflux esophagitis (10.6). While bezoars were most commonly observed in the stomach (84.4), the majority of them were phytobezoars (92.2). The mean number of endoscopic interventions for each patient was 1.5 (range, 1-4). Endoscopy was successful in removing bezoars in 85.4. Conclusion: The synergistic effect of multiple factors for a long time, such as gastrointestinal surgery, diabetes mellitus or psychiatric disorders, may lead to bezoar formation. These risk factors should be avoided or treated in order to prevent bezoar formation and subsequent life-threatening complications. © 2021 RIGLD, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases
The concentration, characteristics, and probabilistic health risk assessment of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in street dust: a case study of Kashan, Iran
No full textExposure to potentially toxic elements (PTEs) via dust inhalation can endanger human health. In this regard, the dust samples from the streets of Kashan, Iran were collected to investigate the concentration of some PTEs such as Fe, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, Ni, and Cd by the aid of an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) while distribution and geoaccumulation analysis also were carried out. Also, the related health risk due to different exposure pathways of PTEs for the inhabitants of this city was assessed. The mean concentration of PTEs in the street dust was summarized as Fe (1.66 � 104 mg/kg)>Zn (2.37 � 102 mg/kg)>Cu (4.56 � 101 mg/kg)>Pb (4.52 � 101 mg/kg)>Cr (3.71 � 101 mg/kg)>Ni (1.36 � 101 mg/kg)>Cd (4.30 � 10�1 mg/kg). The rank order of PTEs based on mean geoaccumulation index (GAI) (I geo) was Pb (2.77)>Zn (1.92)>Cu (1.06)>Fe (�0.64)>Cd (�0.90)>Cr (�0.97)>Ni (�1.15). Also, the rank order of target hazard quotient (THQ) for both adults and children was Fe > Pb > Cr > Zn > Cu > Ni > Cd, while the cancer risk (CR) for both adults and children was Cr > Ni > Cd. The total target hazard quotient (TTHQ) was measured as less than 1.0; therefore, residents of Kashan are not at considerable non-carcinogenic risk. Also, CR of Ni, Cd, and Cr exceeded the threshold value of 10�6; therefore, residents of Kashan are at considerable carcinogenic risk due to street dust in Kashan city. As a conclusion, approaching some controlling plans to decrease in emission of PTEs to ambient air is necessary. © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
Frequency of blaIMP, blaNDM, blaKPC, and blaVIM carbapenemase-encoding genes among gram-negative bacteria isolates from hospitalized patients in Baghdad City, Iraq
No full textCarbapenemase-encoding genes have been spreading among gram-negative bacteria, which is considered the most important threats to human health. Metallo p-lactamases including IMP, VIM, and NDM are the most predominant types, which confer resistance to Carbapenem group. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of blaNDM, blaKPC, blaVIM, and blaIMP genes across gram-negative bacteria isolated from different clinical specimens in Medical City Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq. Fifty-two isolates were identified phenotypically using conventional biochemical tests. Vitek 2 identification system was used for confirmation of the identification. The antimicrobial sensitivity for the isolates was performed using Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. The carbapenemase-encoding genes (blaIMP, blaVIM, blaNDM, and blaKPC) were screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)- based technique. The results showed that, from a total of 52 isolates isolated from hospital in Baghdad city, 13 (25) were Acinetobacter baumannii and 39 (75) were Enterobacteriaceae (10 of Serratia spp, 17 of E. coli, and 12 of Enterobacter cloacae). According to antibiotic susceptibility results, 96 of isolates were resistance to ceftriaxone, 92.3 to ciprofloxacin, and 90.4 to cefotaxime by phenotypic testing. Within the isolates, blaVIM gene was the most prevalent gene, which was detected in 48.1 of the isolates, followed by blaIMP gene in 19.2, blaNDM gene in 9.6, and blaKPC gene in 5.7. This study reveals that the dissemination rate of carbapenemase-encoding genes was not as reported to be high among isolates. The results showed higher frequency to the blaVIM gene than other encoding genes for carbapenemase-encoding genes. These results suggest a periodic screening and follow-up program to detect antibiotic resistant genes, and also the need to develop appropriate management for antimicrobial resistance. © 2021. All Rights Reserved
A Phase IV Study of the Safety and Efficacy of CinnoPar®in Iranian Patients with Osteoporosis
No full textThe safety of teriparatide has been studied in various phase III and phase IV trials. However, a postmarketing study of the biosimilar of teriparatide, CinnoPar®, has not been conducted on Iranian patients. This was a phase IV study conducted on osteoporotic patients who received an Iranian teriparatide biosimilar with a dose of 20 μg daily. The primary outcome of this study was to monitor for adverse events (AEs). Effectiveness as the secondary outcome was measured using the EQ-5D quality-of-life questionnaire and back pain Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score. Among 193 analyzed patients between September 2015 and March 2019, the most common AEs were hypercalcemia (4), nausea, and pain (3). No deaths, serious AEs, or other significant AEs occurred in this study. The mean EQ-5D scores decreased after the course of the treatment from 2.3 ± 0.66 at the baseline to 2 ± 0.66. The mean back pain VAS scores also decreased from 4.9 ± 3.6 at baseline to 1.8 ± 2.1 at the end of the study. Both changes were statistically significant (p<0.001). Consistent with the findings of previous studies and the drug monograph, no new safety concern was observed with this biosimilar teriparatide, and the drug was effective based on the VAS score and EQ-5D in osteoporotic patients. © 2021 Ahmadreza Jamshidi et al
Witt�s appraisal as a predictor for anb angle in patients with class iii malocclusion: A cross-sectional study
No full textIntroduction: ANB angle and Witt�s appraisal are the most common cephalometric indices for evaluation of antero-posterior jaw discrepancies. In the current study, we have investigated Witt�s appraisal as a predictor for ANB angle in patients with class III malocclusion. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted during 2017-2020 on 110 lateral cephalometric radiographs of 11-14-year-old individuals with class III malocclusion. The measures of central tendency as well as the measures of dispersion were calculated. The ANB and Witt�s indices and the correlation between them were measured. Results: There was a linear relationship between ANB angle and Witt�s appraisal, which was statistically significant in all samples separated by gender. There was also a direct and significant relationship in all age groups. Only in the 11-year-old age group the desired relationship was not significant. Also, the means of ANB and Witt�s indices were higher in females than in males, and the difference in ANB index was not statistically significant while in Witt�s analysis, it was significant. Linear, quadratic and cubic regression models were fitted well to the data. The coefficients of determination of the three models were close and statistically significant, but understanding the linear model was easier. Conclusions: The results showed that there is a significant correlation between Witt�s analysis and ANB angle in patients with class III malocclusion and by using linear, quadratic and cubic regression models, ANB index can be calculated based on Witt�s index. Key message: The mean values of ANB and Witt�s indices were higher in females than males. There is a significant correlation between Witt�s and ANB indices in patients with class III malocclusion and ANB angle can be simply calculated based on Witt�s analysis using linear, quadratic and cubic regression models. © 2021 Nova Science Publishers, Inc