2023 Impact Factor: 1.3
2023 CiteScore: 2.4
pISSN: 2008-3289
eISSN: 2008-4447
Chairman and Editor-in-Chief:
Mohammad Mehdi Feizabadi
This journal is a member of, and subscribes to the principles of, the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Vol 1 No 1 (2009)
Articles
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No Abstract
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Crimean- Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is a viral zoonotic tick-born disease with a mortality rate of up to 50% in humans. After a short incubation period, the disease is characterized by sudden fever, chills, severe headache, dizziness, back, and abdominal pain. Additional symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, neuropsychiatric, and cardiovascular changes. In severe cases, hemorrhagic manifestations, ranging from petechiae to large areas of ecchymosis develop. The CCHF Virus (CCHFV) is from the genus Nairovirus and family Bunyaviridae. CCHFV is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected tick and by direct contact with blood or tissue from infected humans and livestock. In addition to zoonotic transmission, CCHFV can be spread from person to person and is one of the rare hemorrhagic fever viruses able to cause nosocomial outbreaks in hospitals. CCHF is a public health problem in many regions of the world e.g Eastern Europe, Asia, Middle East, and Africa. The history of CCHF in Iran shows that the disease has been detected in Iran since 1970. From 1970 to 1978 some scientists worked on serology and epidemiology of this disease in humans and livestock in Iran. Since 1999 , establishment of a surveillance and laboratory detection system on viral hemorrhagic fevers particularly on CCHF has had benefits. One of which is the fact that a mortality rate approaching 20% in the year 2000 remarkably dropped to 6% in the year 2007.
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Background and Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the significance of multiple-mutations in the katG gene, predominant nucleotide changes and its correlation with high level of resistance to isoniazid in Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates that were randomly collected from sputa of 42 patients with primary and secondary active pulmonary tuberculosis from different geographic regions of Belarus.
Materials and Methods: Drug susceptibility testing was determined using the CDC standard conventional proportional method. DNA extraction, katG amplification, and DNA sequencing analysis were performed.
Results: Thirty four (80%) isolates were found to have multiple-mutations (composed of 2-5 mutations) in the katG. Increased number of predominant mutations and nucleotide changes were demonstrated in codons 315 (AGC→ACC) , 316 (GGC→AGC) , 309 (GGT→GTT) with a higher frequency among patients bearing secondary tuberculosis infection with elevated levels of resistance to isoniazid (MIC μg/ml ≥ 5-10) . Furthermore it was demonstrated that the combination of mutations with their predominant nucleotide changes were also observed in codons 315, 316, and 309 indicating higher frequencies of mutations among patients with secondary infection respectively.
Conclusion: In this study 62% (n=21) of multi-mutated isolates found to have combination of mutations with predominant nucleotide changes in codons 315 (AGC→ACC) , 316 (GGC→GTT) , 309 (GGT→GGT) , and also demonstrated to be more frequent in isolates of patients with secondary infections, bearing higher level of resistance to isoniazid (≥ 5 -10μg/ml). -
Background and objectives: Helicobacter pylori causes chronic gastritis, peptic ulceration, and is a risk factor for gastric cancer. More than half of the world`s population is infected with this pathogen, however the disease outcome varies. Among the virulence factors of H. pylori, specific adhesions to gastric epithelium may be an important step in the induction of active inflammation. H. pylori displays considerable genetic diversity attributed to genetic drift during long-term colonization. Heterogeneity of clinical-isolates has considerably impacted in understanding the role of each factor in infection outcome. However, genetic change may be more limited in the stomach of children in the short period after infection. This work evaluates differences in adherence potential of strains isolated from children with various chronic- inflammation status.
Materials and Methods: A total of 157 children admitted to Medical Center of Tehran for upper gastrointestinal problems underwent endoscopy for H. pylori infection. Histological examination of their biopsies was performed after H& E and Giemsa staining. Gastritis and inflammation were graded according to the updated Sydney system. 70 culture-positive children, 20 were selected according to their histopathological status. Adherence of their H. pylori isolates to HEp- 2 cells was evaluated by viable count of bacteria associated with host cells in an optimized procedure developed in this study.
Results: Correlation was seen between inflammation severity score and efficiency of adhesion to HEp-2 cells. This correlation was not observed in the KB cell line as an epithelial cell-model.
Conclusion: Specific interaction of H. pylori with host gastric epithelium may be associated with disease outcome -
Background and objectives: Chlamydiae are obligate intracellular bacterial pathogens that share a unique developmental cycle. The cycle alternates between infectious extracellular elementary bodies (EBs) and metabolically active reticulate bodies (RBs), which multiply within intracellular vacuoles known as inclusions. Recent evidence has demonstrated that C. pneumoniae is present and persistent at active sites of infection and thus contributes to coronary artery and respiratory diseases, the leading causes of death in the developed world. To understand the process of Chlamydia infection, it is important to investigate the morphology of both normal and infected Hep-2 cells.
Materials and Methods: Hep-2 cell lines (ATCC CCL23 ) were obtained from the Virology Laboratory, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Cells were grown on cover-slip in shell vial at 37oC in 5% CO2 humidified atmosphere. Later C. pneumoniae were inoculated in the cell lines. The infected cells were scanned using transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
Results: TEM showed round shaped cells with a smooth surface. Some holdings were observed on the edges which are believed to be due to the fluidity of the cytoplasm membrane. The TEM micrograph revealed smooth membrane and typical eukaryotic undisturbed organelles. The morphology of C. pneumoniae, the reticulate bodies (RBs), the elementary bodies (EBs), and their diameter with loug axis were determined.
Conclusion: Despite the presence of inclusion bodies within the cytoplasm of the majority of the infected cells, an alternating period of host cell destruction and host cell proliferation was observed. We termed this phenomenon as unsuccessful infection (USI). -
Background and objective: Shahr-e-Ray , Islamshahr and South Tehran were selected for this investigation. The main reason for the selection of these sites was based on the population density. The main objective of this investigation was to assess the sources and distribution of Salmonella serovars from barbecued meat, ground beef burgers and their antimicrobial resistance.
Materials and Methods: In a one year period, a total of 390 samples of food, consisting of 195 samples of raw barbecuing meat and ground beef burgers and 195 samples of cooked ones were examined for the presence of Salmonella contamination.
Results: From a total of 195 raw samples, (n=33 ,16.9%) were Salmonella positive. Most detections of Salmonella occurred in Shahr-e- Ray (n=15, 45.5%) and then in South Tehran (n=10, 30.3%) and Islamshahr (n=8, 24.2%). The highest rates of detection of Salmonella occurred in Summer (n=17,51.5%). In serological evaluations of Salmonella, thompson serovar had the highest prevalence in barbecuing meat and ground beef burger samples (n=18,54.5%). Salmonella serovars were: (n=31, 93.9%), (n=30 ,90.9 %) and (n=30, 90.9 %) resistant to ampicillin, amoxicillin and nalidixic acid respectively.
Conclusion: The results show that there is no reason for concern in consuming cooked barbecuing meat and ground beef burgers. In case of raw samples, microbes could originate from the vendors. Vendors have to be educated on hygienic practices which could help to reduce risks of food- borne infection. These data indicate that food handlers may contribute to contamination and that there are some handling practices that require more attention. -
Background and Objectives: Sub inhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) of antibiotics, although unable to kill bacteria, can modify their physiologic and biochemical integrity and may to some extent interfere with some bacterial functions.
Materials and Methods: In this study the effect of penicillin, vancomycin, and ceftazidime were evaluated on two pathogenic and commonly encountered bacterial species in clinical practice. The test bacterial strains included Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 2783. In this study, coagulase and DNase activity, mannitol fermentation and morphologic change of S. aureus and oxidase activity, pigment production and morphologic change of P. aeruginosa were evaluated.
Results: Except for some changes in the morphology being apparent as enlarged and undivided cocci in 1/2 to 1/8 sub MIC of all above-mentioned antibiotics, S. aureus showed no change in any of its properties, like coagulase and DNase production and mannitol fermentation. In P.aeuginosa, except for some morphologic changes, i.e. elongation and filamentation, in 1/2 to 1/8 dilution of ceftazidime, no further changes were observed.
Conclusion: Exposure of bacteria to sub MICs of antibiotic can produce some detectable morphologic changes without any alteration in other biochemical properties. -
Background and Objectives: β-lactamase production is the predominant mechanism for resistance to β-lactams in Enterobacteriaceae. The producing isolates are often multidrug resistant and are major hosts for extended spectrum β-lactamases. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing isolates of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae and their antibiotic resistance patterns in Semnan, Iran.
Materials and Methods: 275 Escherichia coli and 107 K. pneumoniae isolates from clinical specimens were investigated. Combined disk test was used as a screening test for ESBL production. Disk diffusion test was performed for antibiotic susceptibility testing.
Results: The greatest resistance was observed against ampicillin (96.3%) and the least resistance was against ceftazidime (16.5%). Using combined disks as phenotypic confirmatory test, ESBL were detected among 69 (18.1%) of all isolates. Frequency of ESBL production was 17.45% and 19.6% for E. coli and K. pneumoniae respectively.
Conclusion: High levels of resistance and ESBL production found in the E. coli and K. pneumoniae in this study make the choice of empirical antibiotic regimens difficult. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and ESBL production monitoring are recommended in patients -
A six month old male hamster living in a colony of Hamster in the animal house of Urmia University, Urmia, Iran, was found with restlessness and circling signs. The clinical examination revealed symptoms and signs of encephalitis. Therefore microbiological and histopathologic studies were conducted after euthanizing the animal. Finally, the results of laboratory tests demonstrated Listeria monocytogenes infection in the Hamster.
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