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Diagnosis of bacteremia in patients with suspected septicemia using polymerase chain reaction method
Get PDFBackground: Sepsis or blood stream infection is a clinical lethal syndrome with severe systemic inflammatory response to infection, if not treated quickly, is associated with dangerous consequences and high morbidity and mortality. The traditional and conventional method for identification of sepsis is blood culture method which is so time-consuming and long that it eliminates the possibility of rapid treatment. Although, new molecular methods, due to their high sensitivity, specificity, and speed, lead to the rapid and accurate and exact detection of bacterial sepsis within only a few hours. The aim of this study was diagnosis of bacteremia in patients with suspected sepsis using amplification of 23S rRNA gene by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in two clinical and analytical steps at Shahid Beheshti University Hospital in Kashan City, Iran, in twelve months from November 2016 to December 2017. The blood samples of two hundred and fifty-six patients with suspected sepsis admitted to Shahid Beheshti Hospital were studied by PCR method using specific primers of 23S rRNA gene of the bacteria. Results: The finding of molecular assays using PCR showed that of 256 blood samples that were collected from patients with clinical signs and symptoms of sepsis, 80 (30.2) diagnosed with bacteremia. Of these patients diagnosed with sepsis, 46 out of 80 (57.5) were male while 34 out of 80 (42.5) were female. The most PCR positive results were obtained among patients with diabetes and bedsore as underlying diseases (21.3). Statistical analysis showed that there was a significant correlation between results of molecular methods by PCR assays and history of antibiotic use. Conclusion: Overall, the results of the present study showed that the molecular methods such as polymerase chain reaction using universal 23S rRNA primers is an appropriated test for diagnosis of bacteremia in blood samples of patients with suspected sepsis. © 2020 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved
Exploring the Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Cognitive Functions and Mental Health Status in Subjects under Methadone Maintenance Treatment
Get PDFObjectives:Vitamin D deficiency may be linked to several mental complications including cognitive deficits, depression, and anxiety in patients under methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). This study was designed to explore the effect of vitamin D supplementation on cognitive functions and mental health parameters in subjects under MMT.Methods:This randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial was carried out among 64 patients under MMT. Participants were randomly allocated to receive either 50,000 IU vitamin D supplements (n=32) or placebo (n=32) every 2 weeks for 24 weeks. Cognitive functions and mental health parameters were taken at baseline and posttreatment to evaluate relevant variables.Results:After the 24-week intervention, compared with the placebo, serum 25(OH) vitamin D levels significantly increased in participants who received vitamin D supplements (β 14.50; 95 confidence interval CI, 13.17-15.83; P<0.001). In addition, compared with the placebo, subjects who received vitamin D had a significant reduction in Iowa Gambling Task (β-6.25; 95% CI,-8.60 to-3.90; P<0.001), and significant increases in Verbal Fluency Test (β 2.82; 95% CI, 0.78-4.86; P=0.007), Immediate Logic Memory (β 1. 32; 95% CI, 0.27-2.37; P=0.01), Reverse Digit Span (β 2.06; 95% CI, 1.18-2.94; P<0.001) and visual working memory (β 0.75; 95% CI, 0.33-1.16; P=0.001). Also, vitamin D supplementation significantly improved BDI (β-2.76; 95% CI,-3.97 to-1.55; P<0.001) compared with the placebo. When we applied Bonferroni correction, LM-Immediate (P=0.07) became nonsignificant, and other mental health parameters did not alter.Conclusions:Overall, taking 50,000 IU vitamin D supplements every 2 weeks for 24 weeks by patients under MMT had beneficial effects on cognitive functions and some mental health parameters. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings. Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved
Effects of Nigella sativa on glycemic control, lipid profiles, and biomarkers of inflammatory and oxidative stress: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials
No full textThe aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effects of Nigella sativa (N. sativa) on glycemic control, lipid profiles, and biomarkers of inflammatory and oxidative stress. Two independent authors systematically examined online databases consisting of, EMBASE, Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science from inception until October 30, 2019. Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tool was applied to assess the methodological quality of the studied trials. The heterogeneity among the included studies were assessed using the Cochrane's Q test and I-square (I2) statistic. Data were pooled using a random-effects model and weighted mean difference (WMD) was considered as the overall effect size. A total of 50 trials were included in this meta-analysis. We found a significant reduction in total cholesterol (WMD: �16.80; 95 CI: �21.04, �12.55), triglycerides (WMD: �15.73; 95 CI: �20.77, �10.69), LDL-cholesterol (WMD: �18.45; 95 CI: �22.44, �14.94) and VLDL-cholesterol (WMD: �3.72; 95 CI: �7.27, �0.18) following supplementation with N. sativa. In addition, there was significant reductive effect observed with N. sativa on fasting glucose (WMD: �15.18; 95 CI: �19.82, �10.55) and HbA1C levels (WMD: �0.45; 95 CI: �0.66, �0.23). Effects of N. sativa on CRP (WMD: �3.61; 95 CI: �9.23, 2.01), TNF-α (WMD: �1.18; 95 CI: �3.23, 0.86), TAC (WMD: 0.31; 95 CI: 0.00, 0.63), and MDA levels (WMD: �0.95; 95 CI: �2.18, 0.27) were insignificant. This meta-analysis demonstrated the beneficial effects of N. sativa on fasting glucose, HbA1c, triglycerides, total-, VLDL-, LDL-cholesterol levels. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
The effect of nutraceuticals on multiple signaling pathways in cardiac fibrosis injury and repair
Get PDFCardiac fibrosis is one of the most common pathological conditions caused by different heart diseases, including myocardial infarction and diabetic cardiomyopathy. Cardiovascular disease is one of the major causes of mortality worldwide. Cardiac fibrosis is caused by different processes, including inflammatory reactions and oxidative stress. The process of fibrosis begins by changing the balance between production and destruction of extracellular matrix components and stimulating the proliferation and differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts. Many studies have focused on finding drugs with less adverse effects for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Some studies show that nutraceuticals are effective in preventing and treating diseases, including cardiovascular disease, and that they can reduce the risk. However, big clinical studies to prove the therapeutic properties of all these substances and their adverse effects are lacking so far. Therefore, in this review, we tried to summarize the knowledge on pathways and mechanisms of several nutraceuticals which have shown their usefulness in the prevention of cardiac fibrosis. © 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature
The concentration and risk assessment of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in unrefined salt: a case study of Aran and Bidgol Lake, Iran
No full textSediment salt or unrefined salt is among the widely used ingredients in a variety of eastern food products while the contamination of this product with properties potentially toxic elements (PTEs) due to their bio-bioaccumulation and persistence can endanger the health of consumers. In this regard, in the current investigation, 62 samples of salt sediment were collected from Aran and Bidgol Lake and the concentration of As, Cd, Ni, and Pb were measured by the aid of an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Also, the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks for the adults and children consumers were estimated by the aid of the Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) method. According to findings, the rank order of PTEs based of their concentration was As (0.41 mg/kg) > Ni (0.22 mg/kg) > Cd (0.17 mg/kg) > Pb (0.15 mg/kg), while the rank order of PTEs according to target hazard quotient (THQ) for the adult�s consumers were calculated as As (0.285) > Cd (0.030) > Pb (0.017) > Ni (0.007) and for children was As (1.471) > Cd (0.170) > Pb (0.072) > Ni (0.035). Also, the cancer risk (CR) due to As in the adults and children was measured as 1.27E-4 and 6.19E-4, respectively. The non-carcinogenic health risk demonstrated that all consumers (adults and children) are at the safe range (TTHQ < 1); however, consumers are at cancer risk due to ingestion of As via salt consumption (CR > 10�4). Therefore, the continuous and careful monitoring for control entrance sources of As into salt sediment of Aran and Bidgol lake is essential. © 2020, © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
A systematic review and meta-analysis of urinary tract infection, frequency of IS elements and MDR isolates retrieved from adult patients
No full textUrinary Tract Infection (UTI) is one of the most common and problematic infections that infecting the urinary system. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of urinary tract infection (UTI), is elements and MDR isolates in Escherichia coli isolated from adult patients. We searched through International databases such as Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science (ISI), and Google scholar from 2010-15th march 2020 for original studies covering the prevalence of class 1 integron and antibiotic resistance pattern. Search strings conducted using the following MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) and text keywords: �uropathogenic Escherichia coli�, �uropathogenic E. coli�, �multidrug resistant�, �MDR�, �urinary tract infections�, �UTI�, �prevalence�, �Integron�, �Inti1�, �correlation�, �prevalence�, and �Iran�. Finally, Data analyzed using CMA software. The pooled prevalence of class 1 integrons was 62 (95 Cl 45.5�76.1), and heterogeneity indices of the included articles were as Q2 = 205.3, I2 = 96.1, t = 1.1, and p = 0.27. The combined prevalence rate of MDR isolates of uropathogenic E. coli isolated from UTI was reported by 81.1. The combined prevalence of UTI in women and men was 65.5, and 30.7, respectively. All the studies included in this review article showed a significant relationship between the presence of class 1 integrons and antibiotic resistance. Our findings showed a high combined prevalence of class 1 integrons, and MDR isolates. Also, all studies included in the present review reported the correlation between class1 integrons with MDR phenotype and antibiotic resistance. Therefore, suitable surveillance and control measures are needed to prevent further dissemination of integron carrying strains. © 2020 Elsevier Inc
CdTe quantum dots prepared using herbal species and microorganisms and their anti-cancer, drug delivery and antibacterial applications; a review
No full textOne of the developing areas of nanotechnology is the production and application of nanoscale materials, with large surface/volume ratios, which provides them with the specific properties. Cadmium telluride (CdTe) is a typical nanomaterial, which has been the subject of various studies due to its large bandwidth and excitation binding energy, which make it suitable for various purposes like anti-inflammatory, wound healing, antioxidant, antifungal and antibacterial applications. The large quantities of toxic chemicals and harsh conditions required for preparing CdTe, led to great interest in developing green methods for its synthesis. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the research on the green biological synthesis of CdTe. It is also important to consider the increasing interest in the area of production of CdTe QDs (Quantum dots) for drug delivery, bioimaging and anti-cancer applications. One green approach for producing CdTe nanocrystals is the application of metabolic activity of living organisms. Intra and extra-cellular biosynthesis can occur through a biomimetic approach based on feeding organisms with cadmium and telluride precursors. Yet there are huge gaps in our knowledge on the toxic effects of nano-scale CdTe particles on single organisms and the mechanism there of and to guarantee the safe application of CdTe, further work needs to be done on assessing the long-term effects of nano-sized CdTe particles at low quantities. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l
CXCL-10: a new candidate for melanoma therapy?
Get PDFBackground: Melanoma is a malignancy that stems from melanocytes and is defined as the most dangerous skin malignancy in terms of metastasis and mortality rates. CXC motif chemokine 10 (CXCL10), also known as interferon gamma-induced protein-10 (IP-10), is a small cytokine-like protein secreted by a wide variety of cell types. CXCL10 is a ligand of the CXC chemokine receptor-3 (CXCR3) and is predominantly expressed by T helper cells (Th cells), cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), dendritic cells, macrophages, natural killer cells (NKs), as well as some epithelial and cancer cells. Similar to other chemokines, CXCL10 plays a role in immunomodulation, inflammation, hematopoiesis, chemotaxis and leukocyte trafficking. Conclusions: Recent studies indicate that the CXCL10/CXCR3 axis may act as a double-edged sword in terms of pro- and anti-cancer activities in a variety of tissues and cells, especially in melanoma cells and their microenvironments. Most of these activities arise from the CXCR3 splice variants CXCR3-A, CXCR3-B and CXCR3-Alt. In this review, we discuss the pro- and anti-cancer properties of CXCL10 in various types of tissues and cells, particularly melanoma cells, including its potential as a therapeutic target. © 2020, International Society for Cellular Oncology
HSP70/IL-2 treated NK cells effectively cross the blood brain barrier and target tumor cells in a rat model of induced glioblastoma multiforme (GBM)
Get PDFNatural killer (NK) cell therapy is one of the most promising treatments for Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM). However, this emerging technology is limited by the availability of sufficient numbers of fully functional cells. Here, we investigated the efficacy of NK cells that were expanded and treated by interleukin-2 (IL-2) and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), both in vitro and in vivo. Proliferation and cytotoxicity assays were used to assess the functionality of NK cells in vitro, after which treated and naïve NK cells were administrated intracranially and systemically to compare the potential antitumor activities in our in vivo rat GBM models. In vitro assays provided strong evidence of NK cell efficacy against C6 tumor cells. In vivo tracking of NK cells showed efficient homing around and within the tumor site. Furthermore, significant amelioration of the tumor in rats treated with HSP70/Il-2-treated NK cells as compared to those subjected to nontreated NK cells, as confirmed by MRI, proved the efficacy of adoptive NK cell therapy. Moreover, results obtained with systemic injection confirmed migration of activated NK cells over the blood brain barrier and subsequent targeting of GBM tumor cells. Our data suggest that administration of HSP70/Il-2-treated NK cells may be a promising therapeutic approach to be considered in the treatment of GBM. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland
Effects of spirituality training on the moral sensitivity of nursing students: A clinical randomized controlled trial
No full textTraining nurses on spiritual principles and values helps to stimulate moral imagery and a deep understanding of moral problems in them. However, spirituality issue was not included in ethical educational content. There was still no interventional study on the effect of spirituality education on ethical sensitivity. This study was conducted to determine the effect of spirituality training on moral sensitivity of nursing students. A randomized controlled trial design was used. Data were collected by a moral sensitivity questionnaire and analyzed using Chi-square, Fisher, independent and paired t-test in SPSS 13v. This research was performed on 60 nursing students of Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2018. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups. The intervention group was under the spirituality group training in seven 60 min sessions. The control group was traditionally trained. Baseline characteristics were similar in the two groups. The differences between the two groups were statistically significant in the moral sensitivity score (p < 0.0001). A significant difference was observed between the mean of moral sensitivity score of the intervention group, before and after the training (p < 0.001), while no significant change was observed in the control group, before and after the study (p = 0.93). The spirituality education increased the moral sensitivity of nursing students. That provides a new perspective on the role and effect of spirituality education on the ethical sensitivity of nursing students. © The Author(s) 2020