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Fungal vaccines, mechanism of actions and immunology: A comprehensive review
Get PDFFungal infections include a wide range of opportunistic and invasive diseases. Two of four major fatal diseases in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are related to the fungal infections, cryptococcosis, and pneumocystosis. Disseminated candidiasis and different clinical forms of aspergillosis annually impose expensive medical costs to governments and hospitalized patients and ultimately lead to high mortality rates. Therefore, urgent implementations are necessary to prevent the expansion of these diseases. Designing an effective vaccine is one of the most important approaches in this field. So far, numerous efforts have been carried out in developing an effective vaccine against fungal infections. Some of these challenges engaged in different stages of clinical trials but none of them could be approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Here, in addition to have a comprehensive overview on the data from studied vaccine programs, we will discuss the immunology response against fungal infections. Moreover, it will be attempted to clarify the underlying immune mechanisms of vaccines targeting different fungal infections that are crucial for designing an effective vaccination strategy. © 2018 Elsevier Masson SA
Anticonvulsant effects of thiamine on pentylenetetrazole-induced seizure in mice
No full textObjectives: Thiamine serves as a cofactor for several enzymes involved in brain function and neurotransmitters biosynthesis. Thiamine-dependent enzymes are important for oxidant stress defenses. Several studies have reported that thiamine deficiency in the central nervous system reduces seizure threshold. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of acute and chronic administration of thiamine alone and in combination with sub-effective dose of diazepam on pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced tonic�clonic seizures in mice. Methods: Animals were randomly divided into control and experimental groups. In experimental groups, thiamine (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg i.p.) was administered acutely or chronically (once a day, for 14 days). Slow intravenous infusion of PTZ (5 mg/ml) by infusion pump with a constant rate (0.3 ml/min) was used to induce clonic and tonic seizures. Results: Acute injection of thiamine (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg i.p.) did not increase seizure threshold significantly, but chronic treatment with thiamine (200 mg/kg i.p.) increases the clonic and tonic seizure threshold. Moreover, the combination of sub-effective dose of thiamine (100 mg/kg) and diazepam (0.1 mg/kg) significantly increased seizure threshold and enhanced the anticonvulsant effect of diazepam at ineffective dose (0.1 mg/kg). Discussion: Our results suggest that thiamine can be considered as a potential add-on treatment in deficient and non-deficient thiamine epileptic patients. Co-administration of this vitamin with classic antiepileptics to decrease the required doses of regular drugs may be recommended. Nevertheless, more well-designed studies may be executed to provide further accurate information. © 2017, © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
Overlay removable partial dentures for a 10-year old child with oligodontia and posterior open bite occlusion: A clinical report
No full textThe most common congenital and developmental anomaly in teeth is the missing of one or more of them. Congenitally missing teeth (CMT) or teeth agenesis mentions failure of tooth formation due to disturbances during the early stages of tooth germ development. There are several definitive treatment options for these patients including fixed, removable or implant-supported prostheses. Economic limitations and age of treatment prevent us from choosing the most desirable treatment. This clinical report describes a noninvasive approach for full mouth reconstruction of a child with multiple missing teeth besides posterior open bite occlusion. © 2019, Kerman University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved
Neurofilament Light Chain as a Biomarker, and Correlation with Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Diagnosis of CNS-Related Disorders
Get PDFThe search for diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for neurodegenerative conditions is of high importance, since these disorders may present difficulties in differential diagnosis. Biomarkers with high sensitivity and specificity are required. Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a unique biomarker related to axonal damage and neural cell death, which is elevated in a number of neurological disorders, and can be detected in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), as well as blood, serum, or plasma samples. Although the NfL concentration in CSF is higher than that in blood, blood measurement may be easier in practice due to its lesser invasiveness, reproducibility, and convenience. Many studies have investigated NfL in both CSF and serum/plasma as a potential biomarker of neurodegenerative disorders. Neuroimaging biomarkers can also potentially improve detection of CNS-related disorders at an early stage. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) are sensitive techniques to visualize neuroaxonal loss. Therefore, investigating the combination of NfL levels with indices extracted from MRI and DTI scans could potentially improve diagnosis of CNS-related disorders. This review summarizes the evidence for NfL being a reliable biomarker in the early detection and disease management in several CNS-related disorders. Moreover, we highlight the correlation between MRI and NfL and ask whether they can be combined. © 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature
Retraction Note: Effect of L-citrulline supplementation on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (Journal of Human Hypertension, (2019), 33, 1, (10-21), 10.1038/s41371-018-0108-4)
No full textThe authors have retracted this article 1 because there are fundamental errors in the data presented that undermine the conclusions drawn. Standard error was used instead of the standard deviation from two trials included in the meta-analysis. This has seriously affected the overall effect. There have also been other inconsistencies noted in the values used in the calculations from the original studies. © 2019, Springer Nature Limited
Could circRNA be a new biomarker for pre-eclampsia?
Get PDFPre-eclampsia is a devastating complication of pregnancy which is characterized by hypertension and proteinuria in pregnant women. Pre-eclampsia is important as it is the leading cause of death. Moreover, untreated pre-eclampsia might lead to other lethal complications, for both fetus and mother. Pre-eclampsia can also affect the quality of life in affected women. Despite a large number of risk factors for pre-eclampsia, these risk factors are able to detect just 30 of women who are susceptible to pre-eclampsia. Heterogeneous manifestations of pre-eclampsia necessitate the discovery of potential biomarkers required for its early detection. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a type of RNA which are more abundant, specific, and highly organized compared with other types of RNA. Accordingly, circRNAs have been suggested as one of the potential biomarkers for different diseases. Recently, researchers have shown interest in the effects of circRNAs in pre-eclampsia, although the current evidence is limited. The majority of obstetricians are probably not aware of circRNAs as a useful biomarker. Here, we aimed to summarize recent supporting evidence and assess the mechanisms by which circRNAs are involved in pre-eclampsia. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc
Probiotic treatment improves the impaired spatial cognitive performance and restores synaptic plasticity in an animal model of Alzheimer's disease
Get PDFStudies demonstrate that damage to gut microbiota is associated with some brain disorders including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Accordingly, supporting gut microbiota has been considered as a possible strategy for AD treatment. We evaluated behavioral and electrophysiological aspects of the brain function in an animal model of AD made by intracerebroventricular injection of β-amyloid. Two groups of control rats recieved either water as vehicle (Con) or probitics (Pro + Con). Also two groups of Alzheimeric animals were treated by either vehicle (Alz) or probiotics (Pro + Alz). Sham group was only subjected to surgical procedure and received the vehicle. Spatial learning and memory was assessed in Morris water maze. Also, basic synaptic transmission and long-term potentiation (LTP) were assessed by recording field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) in hippocampus. Change in anti-oxidant/oxidant factors was assessed via measuring plasma level of total anti-oxidant capacity (TAC) and malondealdehyde (MDA). Brain staining was done to confirm β-amyloid accumulation. Fecal bacteria quantification was accomplished to find how probiotic supplement affected gut microbiota. We found that while the Alz animals displayed a weak spatial performance, probiotic treatment improved the maze navigation in the Pro + Alz rats. Whereas basic synaptic transmission remained unchanged in the Alz rats, LTP was suppressed in this group. Probiotic treatment significantly restored LTP in the Pro + Alz group and further enhanced it in the Pro + Con rats. The intervention also showed a favorable effect on balance of the anti-oxidant/oxidant biomarkers in the Pro + Alz rats. This study provides the first proof on positive effect of probiotics on synaptic plasticity in an animal model of AD. © 2019 Elsevier B.V
Frequency of class 1, 2 and 3 integrons in clinical Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates; a systematic review and meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies
No full textIntegrons are genetic elements containing gene cassettes transportable to other mobile genetic structures including plasmids in genome of bacteria. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Integrons and correlation with antibiotic resistance in K. pneumoniae isolated from clinical samples of Iranian patients. The Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) of �Integrons�, �Int1�, �Int2�, �Int3�, �prevalence�, �antibiotic resistance�, �Klebsiella pneumoniae�, and �Iran, with the aid of Boolean operators (�AND� or �OR�) were used alone or in combinations to perform search process. We searched international databases (Cochrane Library, Scopus, MEDLINE, and ISI Web of Science) and search engines (PubMed, and Google Scholar). The search was limited to the literatures published in English from 1 January 2010 to 31 July 2019. Statistical analyses were performed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software (Version 3.3.070). The prevalence was presented by a 95 confidence interval (CI). Also, the P value <0.05 was considered as the statistical significance threshold. Heterogeneity between studies was evaluated by Cochran's Q-test, and I-squared (I2) test. Thirteen high quality articles were included into the present review. Among them, five studies showed the correlation between Integrons and antibiotic resistance. The combined prevalence of Int1 was reported 52.4 (95 CI: 35.1�69.2). The pooled prevalence of Int2 was reported 8.8 (95 CI: 4.4�16.7). The combined prevalence of Int3 was reported 0. The pooled prevalence of MDR K. pneumonia isolates was obtained as 90.2 (95 CI: 72.8�6.9). Our study showed a high prevalence of class 1 integrons, and also, the correlation between presence of integrons and antibiotic resistance. © 2019 Elsevier Inc
LL-37: Review of antimicrobial profile against sensitive and antibiotic-resistant human bacterial pathogens
No full textBackground: By the development of drug-resistant bacterial infections, the world is rapidly heading toward the post-antibiotic era. Antimicrobial peptides are highly potential to be used as a promising alternative to antibiotics. One of the most widely known members of this group is a cationic peptide with an alpha-helical structure, called LL-37, naturally produced by many human cells. The aim of this study was the quantitative determination of the antimicrobial profile of LL-37 against human pathogens. Methods: All articles in which the antimicrobial activity of LL-37 was evaluated quantitatively were selected and assessed using the Google Scholar search engine and three databases of Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed. Results: LL-37 was able to combat a wide range of resistant and sensitive bacterial pathogens which classified into three groups. 1. Gram-positive: at least one of the species in the genus of Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Clostridium, Listeria, Nocardia, Bacillus, Aggregatibacter, Peptostreptococcus, Capnocytophaga, and Actinomyces. 2. Gram-negative: at least one of the species in the genus of Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Escherichia, Salmonella, Klebsiella, Yersinia, Vibrio, Neisseria, Moraxella, Haemophilus, Porphyromonas, Helicobacter, Campylobacter, Fusobacterium, Prevotella, Eikenella, Tanerella, Burkholderia, and Stenotrophomonas. 3. Other bacterial pathogens (non-detectable or poor results of gram-staining): at least one of the species in the genus Leptospira, Borrelia, Treponema, Mycoplasma, Ureaplasma, and Mycobacterium. Conclusion: Due to the broad-spectrum activity, ability to combat drug-resistant bacterial pathogens, and having a human source, LL-37 could be an appropriate candidate for research, development, and production of novel antimicrobial drugs based on antimicrobial peptides. © 2019 Elsevier Inc
The relationship between user interface problems of an admission, discharge and transfer module and usability features: A usability testing method
Get PDFBackground: The admission, discharge and transfer (ADT) module is used in the hospital information system (HIS) for the purposes of managing appointments, patient admission, daily control of hospital beds, planning surgery procedures, keeping up-to-date on patient discharges, and registering patient transfers within or outside the hospital. The present study aimed to evaluate the usability of ADT module of a HIS through usability testing and assess the relationship between the number of user interface problems and usability features (i.e. effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction). Methods: This descriptive analytical study was conducted in Shahid Beheshti hospital in Kashan, Iran, in 2017. The participating users were eight students in their last semester of a Bachelor of Health Information Technology Sciences degree. First, the users were introduced to the module functions in a two-hour session; ten days later, the users were asked to perform scenarios designed based on seven tasks and take notes of the problems encountered in performing each task after it was over. Effectiveness was measured based on the rate of completing the tasks, efficiency based on the time taken to perform each task, and satisfaction based on the users' answers to a satisfaction questionnaire. The relationship between these three usability features and the number of problems noted was assessed using Spearman's test in SPSS version 16. Results: Thirteen unique usability problems were identified from the perspective of the users. Effectiveness was rated as 58.9, efficiency as 53.3, and mean user satisfaction as 53.4 ± 10.6. The number of problems in each task had significant relationships to the effectiveness (P = 0.009) and efficiency (P = 0.016) scores. User satisfaction also had a significant relationship with the effectiveness (P = 0.043) but not with the efficiency (P = 0.230) scores. Conclusions: In the view of the potential users, a HIS, used in more than 200 hospitals in a developing country, has several usability problems in its ADT module and its effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction were not acceptable. The number of usability problems in the HIS user interface affected the effectiveness, efficiency and user satisfaction of the system. © 2019 The Author(s)