Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Microbiology 2008-3289 11 4 2019 09 17 267 279 Golnar Sadeghi Department of Medical Mycology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran Mina Ebrahimi-Rad Department of Biochemistry, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran Masoomeh Shams-Ghahfarokhi Department of Medical Mycology, School of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran Zahra Jahanshiri Department of Medical Mycology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran Esmat Mirabzadeh Ardakani Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran Ali Eslamifar Department of Clinical Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran Seyed Fazlollah Mousavi Department of Microbiology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran Mehdi Razzaghi-Abyaneh Department of Medical Mycology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran 2019 05 08 2019 08 07 Background and Objectives: Cutaneous candidiasis is a multipicture fungal infection caused by members of the genus Candida which is considered as a public health problem all over the world with urgency of effective treatment and control. This study was performed to analyze the clinical epidemiology and molecular aspects of cutaneous candidiasis in Tehran-Iran in relation to antifungal susceptibility and virulence factors of etiologic Candida species. Materials and Methods: Candida species were isolated from skin (27.3%) and nail scrapings (72.7%) of suspected patients and identified by ITS sequencing. Phylogeny of the isolates was evaluated using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and antifungal susceptibility and virulence factors of the isolates were determined in relation to clinical presentation. Results: Candida albicans was the most prevalent species (39.8%), followed by C. parapsilosis (32.9%), C. orthopsilosis (10.4%), C. tropicalis (7.9%), C. glabrata and C. guilliermondii, each (4.5%). Molecular typing of 35 C. albicans isolates by MLST revealed 28 novel sequence types with 11 singletons with 80.0% new diploid sequence types (DSTs). Majority of the isolates were susceptible to amphotericin B (91.5%), followed by posaconazole (90.3%), fluconazole (84.3%), itraconazole (74.1%), caspofungin (53.6%), and voriconazole (26.8%). Biofilm formation, yeast-to-hyphae transformation and phospholipase activity were reported species-dependent. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated clinical epidemiology of various Candida species from cutaneous candidiasis distributed in new molecular types with increasing importance of drug resistant of non-albicans Candida species. Our results showed that drug susceptibility and genetic variability of Candida species may be attributed to their clinical features and source of isolation. https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/view/2123 https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/download/2123/1177

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Microbiology 2008-3289 11 4 2019 09 17 280 287 Taiebeh Shakiba Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran Alireza Sadeghnia Department of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Imam Hossein Hospital, Isfahan, Iran Vajihe Karbasizade Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran 2019 03 09 2019 06 24 Background and Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of neonatal sepsis with a focus on antibiotic resistance and the frequency of the blaCTX-M-15 and blaOXA-48 genes in Gram-negative isolates. Materials and Methods: A total of 108 Umbilical Cord Blood (UCB) and 153 peripheral blood samples were cultured via BACTEC from May 2017 to June 2018. The bacterial isolates were identified using phenotypic and genotypic analyses. The antibiotic susceptibility profile of the isolates was determined by disk diffusion. PCR was used to determine the frequency of β-lactamase genes. Results: Among the 153 infants, 21 (13.7%) proved positive for sepsis. Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the most frequent isolates in the peripheral blood cultures. E. coli and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia were isolated from two UCB cultures. The highest resistance among the Gram-positive strains was to cefixime, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime and clindamycin. In the Gram-negative bacteria the highest rates of resistance were to ampicillin (91.7%). The frequency of blaOXA-48 and blaCTX-M-15 genes was 25% and 50%, respectively. Conclusion: The high antibiotic resistance among the isolates reveals the importance of monitoring antibiotic consumption and improving control standards in the health care system, especially in neonatal wards. https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/view/2060 https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/download/2060/1178

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Microbiology 2008-3289 11 4 2019 09 17 288 293 Atossa Ghasemnejad Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Monir Doudi Department of Microbiology, Falavarjan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran Nour Amirmozafari Department of Microbiology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2018 12 05 2019 05 25 Background and Objectives: Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates that produce K. pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) have become a grave concern for the treatment of infections. KPC-producing strains are not only able to hydrolyze carbapenems but are also resistant to a variety of β-lactam and non-β-lactam antibiotics. The present study evaluated the prevalence of blaKPC in K. pneumoniae infections and determined the antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates. Materials and Methods: The K. pneumoniae isolates were identified by biochemical tests and confirmed by genotyping. The modified Hodge test (MHT) was performed to detect carbapenemases, and antimicrobial susceptibility was determined for all isolates by the disc diffusion method. Also, for MHT-positive isolates, supposed to carbapenemases isolates, broth microdilution method was used to measure the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of meropenem and colistin. Results: The blaKPC genotypic evaluation revealed that only 5 of 96 isolates carried blaKPC genes. Antimicrobial pattern showed that isolates carrying blaKPC were resistant to cefepime, ticarcillin/tazobactam, and aztreonam discs. Also, results of broth microdilution method showed that KPC-producing K. pneumoniae was resistant to meropenem and colistin, according to the CLSI and EUCAST. Conclusion: In this study nearly half the isolates showed carbapenemase activity as shown by MHT results, but only few of them were carrying blaKPC. Thus blaKPC gene is not the main cause of resistance spread to carbapenems in Isfahan, Iran. https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/view/1976 https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/download/1976/1179

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Microbiology 2008-3289 11 4 2019 09 17 294 299 Kurniawan Kadafi Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Emergency and Intensive Care, Saiful Anwar General Hospital, University of Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia Satrio Wibowo Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Saiful Anwar General Hospital, University of Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia 2019 07 14 2019 09 17 Background and Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the systemic humoral immune responses, including IgE, IgA, IgG and IgM levels in Balb/c mice administered a probiotic, LPS derived from Escherichia coli (E. coli), and probiotic-LPS derived from E. coli. Materials and Methods: Thirty-two male Balb/c mice, 10-12 weeks of age with body weight ranging from 30-40 g were randomly divided into four experimental groups (n=8). The treatment regimens were as follows: Group 1, mice did not receive LPS or probiotic (control group); Group 2, mice received only LPS on the first day; Group 3, mice received probiotic for 7 days; Group 4, mice received LPS on the first day, and then continued, with probiotic for 7 days. The mice were observed for 8 days, and then, euthanized the next day (day 9). The serum was collected, and the levels of IgE, IgA, IgG and IgM were measured using ELISA. Results: The humoral immune response was higher in the presence of a probiotic compared to that in the control; IgE (9.02 ± 0.58 units/ml, p=0.000), IgA (3.26 ± 0.99 units/ml, p=0.316), IgG (7.29 ± 0.24 units/ml, p=0.000), and IgM (4.01 ± 2.98 units/ml, p=0.505). When administered with LPS E. coli along with probiotic, the humoral immune response was the highest; IgE (10.68 ± 1.63 units/ml, p=0.000), IgA (8.34 ± 1.47 units/ml, p=0.000), IgG (9.96 ± 0.98 units/ml, p=0.000), and IgM (4.31 ± 1.05 units/ml, p=0.319) compared to the control group. Conclusion: Probiotic-LPS derived from E. coli treatment induced a higher humoral immune response (highest IgE, IgA, IgG and IgM levels) compared to treatment with probiotic only. https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/view/2251 https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/download/2251/1180

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Microbiology 2008-3289 11 4 2019 09 17 300 304 Alpha Athiyyah Department of Child Health, Dr. Soetomo General Hospital, School of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia Nur Widjaja Department of Child Health, Dr. Soetomo General Hospital, School of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia Pramira Fitri Department of Child Health, Dr. Soetomo General Hospital, School of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia Ariani Setiowati Department of Child Health, Dr. Soetomo General Hospital, School of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia Andy Darma Department of Child Health, Dr. Soetomo General Hospital, School of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia Reza Ranuh Department of Child Health, Dr. Soetomo General Hospital, School of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia Subijanto Sudarmo Department of Child Health, Dr. Soetomo General Hospital, School of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia 2019 06 18 2019 07 26 Background and Objectives: Probiotics and prebiotics are known to regulate immune responses. A synbiotic is a product that combines probiotics and prebiotics in a single dosage form. In this study, we attempt to present the effects of a multispecies synbiotic on intestinal mucosa immune responses after exposure to Escherichia coli O55:B5 lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Materials and Methods: Totally 21 male Balb/c mice were randomly classified into two groups. The K-I group received LPS and a synbiotic, and the K-II group received LPS alone. The synbiotic was administered for 21 consecutive days, whereas LPS was administered once on the 15th day. Specifically, a synbiotic containing 1 × 109 colony forming units (CFUs) of the probiotic combination of Lactobacillus acidophilus PXN 35, L. casei subsp. casei PXN 37, L. rhamnosus PXN 54, L. bulgaricus PXN 39, Bifidobacterium breve PXN 25, B. infantis PXN 27 and Streptococcus thermophilus PXN 66 and the prebiotic fructo-oligosaccharide was administered through an orogastric tube. Immunohistochemistry was performed to measure immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels for humoral immune responses and CD4+ and CD8+ levels for cellular immune responses. Results: An independent-samples t-test revealed significant increases of the numbers of IgA- (p = 0.027) and CD4-expressing cells (p = 0.009) but not the number of CD8-expressing cells in the K-I group compared with those in the K-II group. Conclusion: The multispecies synbiotic had immunoregulatory effects on IgA and CD4 expression in LPS-exposed mice. https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/view/2217 https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/download/2217/1181

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Microbiology 2008-3289 11 4 2019 09 17 305 312 EN Amin Kawarizadeh Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Farshad Nojoomi Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mohammad Tabatabaei Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, ‎Iran Saeid Hosseinzadeh Department of Food Hygiene and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran Mina Farzaneh Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, ‎Iran 2018 07 13 2019 06 23 Background and Objectives: Human epithelial cells have been widely used to study the interaction between intestinal cells and pathogens, in vitro. In this study, the effect of probiotic bacteria Bacillus coagulans and its supernatant on the growth inhibition, cytotoxicity and induction of apoptosis caused by Salmonella Typhimurium and its adhesion to HT-29 cells were investigated. Materials and Methods: B. coagulans supernatant was used to obtain the minimum inhibitory concentration. To evaluate the cytotoxicity and percent of apoptotic cells, B. coagulans and its supernatant (2, 4, 6 and 8% concentrations) with S. Typhimurium was added to HT-29 cells. The MTT assay was used in order to evaluate the cytotoxicity. Percent of apoptotic cells was reported using a fluorescence staining method. Additionally, the adhesion of S. Typhimurium to HT-29 cells was investigated. The effect of B. coagulans on the level of adhesion was also studied. Results: The most inhibitory effect was shown at the concentration of 80000 µg/ml supernatant of B. coagulans (54.77% ± 1.43). The simultaneous culture of S. Typhimurium with B. coagulans had the lowest amount of cytotoxicity and induced apoptosis among the all co-culture groups of S. Typhimurium with B. coagulans or its supernatant. The determined cytotoxicity and induced apoptosis were 26.06 % ± 3.79 and 17.63 % ± 2.14 respectively. In the adhesion test, it was observed that B. coagulans can significantly prevent adhesion of S. Typhimurium to HT-29 cell. Conclusion: B. coagulans can reduce the adhesion, cytotoxicity and induction of apoptosis caused by S. Typhimurium in HT-29 cells in vitro. https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/view/1816 https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/download/1816/1182

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Microbiology 2008-3289 11 4 2019 09 17 313 319 Amir-Ahmad https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/view/591 https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/download/591/365

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Microbiology 2008-3289 5 3 2013 09 15 227 232 EN Seyed-Asghar Havaei Department of Pathobiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. Amir Azimian Department of Pathobiology and Anatomy, School of Medicine, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran. Hosein Fazeli Department of Pathobiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. Mahmood Naderi Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering Department, Stem Cell Technology Research Center, Tehran, Iran. Kiarash Ghazvini Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Siamak Mirab Samiee Food and Drug Laboratory Research Center, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, No. 408, Emam Khomeini Ave., Tehran, Iran. Masoud Soleimani Department of Hematology, School of Medical Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran. 2015 10 16 Background and Objectives: Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains are divided into Community Associated (CA-) and Hospital Associated (HA-) MRSA. These strains vary in antimicrobial resistance and pathogenicity. S. aureus is one of the most common microorganisms in ocular infections. This study was aimed to determine antimicrobial resistance patterns and genetic characteristics of MRSA strains isolated from ocular infections in Iran. Material and Methods: Out of 171 S. aureus strains isolated from various clinical samples during September-December 2011 at Mashhad Emam Reza Hospital, 3 were cultured from eye discharge samples. Antimicrobial resistance tests were performed with MIC and disk diffusion methods and also genetic evaluation was done with Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec (SCCmec), Accessory Gene Regulator (agr) and Staphylococcal Protein A (spa) typing, Multi Locus Sequence Typing (MLST) and determination of toxin gene profile. Results: All strains were MRSA and showed resistance to tetracycline, gentamicin and clindamycin too. Vancomycin, minocyclin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole were effective on all ocular isolates. All isolates belonged to SCCmec IV type. MRSA1 belonged to ST239, CC8, Spa type t7688 and agrIII and had tst1 and hla toxin genes. MRSA2 belonged to ST239, CC8, Spa type t037 and agrI and had the hla toxin gene. Finally, MRSA3 belonged to ST291, CC398, Spa type t304, and agrI and had pvl and hla toxin genes. Conclusion: phenotypic and genotypic evaluation of the isolated MRSA strains revealed that these strains belong to endemic Asian and livestock related clones that could reach from other body sites or environment to the eye of patients and developed ocular infection. https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/view/589 https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/download/589/363

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Microbiology 2008-3289 5 3 2013 09 15 233 238 EN Pantea Mohammadi Medical biology Research Center, University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran. Ramin Abiri Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran. Mansour Rezaei Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Health, University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran. Siavosh Salmanzadeh-Ahrabi Department of Microbiology, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran. 2015 10 16 Background and Objectives: Infectious diarrhoeal diseases are great problem throughout the world and are responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a major cause of gastroenteritis that may be complicated by hemorrhagic colitis (HC) or the hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is the main cause of acute renal failure in children. Food-borne outbreaks associated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli have been well documented worldwide.The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains in raw milk samples. Materials and Methods: Raw milk samples collected from various cow farms in Kermanshah, Iran during June – September 2009 were investigated for STEC using PCR targeting stx1 and stx2 and then eaeA.206 samples, 36 (17.47%) were contaminated with STEC. STEC isolates harbored 56.41% and 43.59% stx  and stx gene respectively. In antibiotic resistance test, all strains were sensitive to ceftazidime, cefepime, gentamicin, imipenem and ciprofloxacin. 23.08% of isolates were resistat to tetracycline, and 38.5% of them showed intermediate sensitvity to cephalothin. Conclusions: The high presence of STEC in raw milk confirms the important role of raw milk as putative vehicle of infection to human. Moreover, this study suggests that the development of antibiotic resistant STEC must be a major concern in Iran and more studies are needed to identify the prevalence of STEC in other food samples. https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/view/587 https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/download/587/361

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Microbiology 2008-3289 5 3 2013 09 15 239 243 EN Hamid Moradian Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Dental School, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Abdollah Bazargani Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Shiraz Medical School, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Azade Rafiee Student Research Committee, Dental School, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Ali Nazarialam Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Shiraz Medical School, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. 2015 10 16 Background and objectives: Dental caries is still remained as a major health problem. This problem has created a new interest to search for new antimicrobial agents from various sources including medicinal plants. Since limited data is available so far regarding the antibacterial effect of Coriandrum sativum seed and Dentol Drop against Streptococcus mutans, this study aims to assess this activity. Materials and Methods: This experimental study was conducted in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. In vitro comparison of antimicrobial activity of aqueous decoction of Coriandrum sativum seed and Dentol drop with chlorhexidine against Streptococcus mutans was evaluated using disk diffusion and broth microdilution assays. Positive and negative controls were considered. The data was statistically analyzed by applying Kruskal-Wallis and Tukey post-hoc test to compare the groups using SPSS software (version 17). Results: Dentol drop showed a remarkable antibacterial activity, in comparison with chlorhexidine, against S. mutans in the disk diffusion (p value = 0.005), and broth microdilution assays (p value = 0.0001). Based on the results of this study, Coriandrum sativum seed did not posses any antibacterial property. Conclusion: Coriandrum sativum seed showed no anti-Streptococcus mutans activity. Dentol drop exhibited a remarkable antibacterial activity against S. mutans when tested in vitro. Dentol drop can be further studied as a preventive measure for dental caries. https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/view/585 https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/download/585/359

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Microbiology 2008-3289 5 3 2013 09 15 244 251 EN Hamid Sedighian Rad Applied Microbiology Research Center, Baqiyatallah Medical Science University, Tehran. Seyed-Latif Mousavi Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran. Iraj Rasooli Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran. Jafar Amani Applied Microbiology Research Center, Baqiyatallah Medical Science University, Tehran. Moohamad-Reza Jalali-Nadooshan Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran. 2015 10 16 Background and Objective: Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 is an important enteric pathogen in human causing bloody or nonbloody diarrhea, which may be complicated by hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Cattle are an important reservoir of EHEC. This research aims at vaccination with a divalent chimer protein composed of EspA 120 and Intimin 282 and its preventive effect of EHEC O157 colonization in mice rectal epithelium. Materials and Methods: A divalent recombinant EspA-Intimin (EI) protein containing EspA 120 and Intimin 280 attached with a linker was amplified from a trivalent construct and cloned in pET-28a (+) vector. The immunization was conducted in mice after expression and purification of the recombinant EI (rEI). Results: Mice subcutaneously immunized with rEI, elicited significant rEI specific serum IgG antibodies and showed significantly decreased E.coli O157:H7 shedding compared to the control group. Conclusion: The chimeric recombinant protein induced strong humoral response as well as protection against oral challenges with live E.coli O157:H7. https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/view/583 https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/download/583/357

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Microbiology 2008-3289 5 3 2013 09 15 252 258 EN Javad Alizadeh Molecular Biology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Reza Ranjbar Molecular Biology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.