Advanced Biomedical Research最新文献

Background: Candidiasis is one of the prevalent fungal infections caused by the genus Candida. The clinical manifestation ranges from mucocutaneous colonization to disseminated and fatal infections such as candidemia. Diabetes mellitus is one of the significant predisposing factors for this fungal infection. Candida spp. may release many exoenzymes such as phospholipase to debilitate the immune system and facilitate adherence and invasion of the fungus to the host cells. The aim of the present study is evaluation of phospholipase activity of Candida species isolated from candidemia and gastroesophageal candidiasis (GEC) among diabetic patients.

Materials and methods: Eighty-three Candida isolates were evaluated for enzyme activity by phenotypic (the precipitation zone around the colonies) and molecular methods (detection of phospholipase genes using duplex polymerase chain reaction with specific primers).

Results: Eight out of eighty-three clinical isolates (9.6%) were negative for phospholipase production. All phospholipase producers among candidemia and GEC isolates were categorized in high production group.

Conclusions: Our findings revealed no differences in phospholipase activity among isolates obtained from different body sites (blood, oesophagus and stomach); however, non-albicans Candida species had less phospholipase activity.

Background: Due to the high prevalence of addiction in society and the need to its attention, various methods are used for addiction withdrawal. The side effects of some methods restrict their use and increase the risk of recurrence. One of the Iranian useful methods is consumption of opium tincture (OT) that may cause brain structure and memory defects. Hence, this study aimed the effects of different doses of OT on memory and hippocampal neurons with the use of an antioxidant such as various concentrations chicory.

Materials and methods: In the present study, 70 Wistar rats were randomly divided into 10 groups and the effect of various doses of chicory extract and OT were assessed on memory by the passive avoidance test. The neurons and astrocyte cells numbers in dentate gyrus were investigated, using histological examination.

Results: In passive avoidance test, the total time in dark compartment was significantly more in groups with 100 and 75 μl OT compared with control and normal saline groups (P < 0.001). Traffic number results showed that there was a significant difference between T100 and control groups (P > 0.05). Moreover, initial latency time was significantly shorter in groups with 75 and 100 μl of OT compared with control and normal saline groups (P < 0.05). However, the presence 250 mg/kg of chicory increases granular layer thickness of dentate gyrus and number of neurons.

Conclusion: The use of 250 mg/kg of chicory extract may be promising strategy for inducing neurogenesis and this dose could prevent neural damage.

Background: This study aims to evaluate the risk of hypothyroidism (HT) after radiotherapy (RT) of breast and supraclavicular in patients with breast cancer (BC).

Materials and methods: In a historical cohort study, the records of all patients with BC who had been referred to the Mahdieh radiotherapy Center of Hamadan from 2017 to 2019 were reviewed. Demographic characteristics, clinical information, previous and current used treatment methods (surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy), number of RT sessions and doses, and HT (TSH >5 mIU/L) were extracted from the patient's documents. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 16.

Results: Out of 304 patients referred to the Center, 266 patients were investigated. The mean TSH was 6.3 ± 7.9 ml/L (1.5 to 65.4). Approximately half of the patients were in Stage 2 of the disease. 37 (16.4%) patients were diagnosed with HT, of which 8.8% were clinical, and 7.5% were subclinical. The mean total dose of HT patients (5621.62 ± 491.67) was significantly higher than other patients (5304.76 ± 937.98). 21 patients (56.8%) in Stage 3 and 4 and 16 (43.2%) patients in Stages 1 and 2 had HT (P = 0.006). Spearman correlation coefficient showed that there was a significant relationship between total dose and TSH hormone (r = 0.624), the number of RT sessions with TSH hormone (r = 0.237), and total dose with T4 hormone (r = -0.232).

Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that the risk of HT increases significantly in patients with BC who undergo RT of breast and supraclavicular. Patients with higher stage, more radiation, and more RT sessions are at higher risk of HT.

Background: Prophylaxis could be an established strategy to potentially prevent and control infectious diseases and should be considered in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine as a prophylaxis treatment strategy in the reduction of the risk of COVID-19 among health professionals.

Materials and methods: The health professionals were randomly assigned (1:1) to the control group without receiving any hydroxychloroquine as prophylaxis and the hydroxychloroquine group receiving a weekly hydroxychloroquine dose of 400 mg up to 12 weeks.

Results: A total of 146 health professionals were randomly enrolled in this study between August 11 and November 11 in 2020. Among the screened health professionals, 21 (14.6%) were infected with COVID-19 during the 12 weeks, and 14 (66.6%) out of the 21 health professionals were in the control group. Most participants with COVID-19 had mild symptoms (62%). In addition, 9.5% (n = 2) of the participants suffered from moderate disease and 28.5% were diagnosed with severe symptoms. In the hydroxychloroquine group, 5 (7.1%) and 2 (2.8%) participants were reported with mild and moderate symptoms of COVID-19, respectively, and 2 participants had moderate, 8 (10.9%) participants had mild symptoms, and 6 (8.2%) participants had severe symptoms in the control group, within 3 months. Severe symptoms of COVID-19 were not observed in the hydroxychloroquine group.

Conclusion: This study addressed the effect and benefit of hydroxychloroquine administration for the prevention of COVID-19 among health professionals. The improved perception of prophylaxis might highlight its important role in future COVID-19 outbreaks to prevent hospital transmission, which is a major route of spread.

Background: Among various parameters used to predict the outcome of malignancy, nerve invasion has been widely considered as a sign of aggressive behavior in oral cancers. According to the importance of neural invasion in predicting the outcome of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), this study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of neural and vascular invasion in OSCC.

Materials and methods: In this descriptive, analytical, and cross-sectional study, paraffin-embedded tissues of 62 OSCC in the health center of surgery and pathology were evaluated (2013-2015). Patients' archives were evaluated and recorded in terms of their age and gender. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) slides were then examined by two oral pathologists and scrutinized for the presence of nerve involvement, tumor differentiation, vascular and lymph node invasion, and depth of invasion. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23, t-test, and one-way ANOVA (P < 0.05).

Results: Of 62 tumors, 12 patients showed only nerve invasion, 17 cases had only vascular invasion, and seven patients had both neural and vascular invasion, simultaneously, known as a neurovascular invasion. Furthermore, there was no vascular and neural invasion in 26 cases. There was a statistically significant correlation between vascular and neural invasion and the tumor site (P = 0.045). The highest frequency of neural invasion, as well as vascular invasion, was related to tongue tumors.

Conclusion: The relation between neural and vascular invasion in OSCC with tumor's location was statistically significant. Lip and tongue carcinoma had shown more neurovascular invasion without relation to gender, age, and cell differentiation.

Background: Various studies have conducted to report the mortality rates and its risk factors in pediatric intensive care unit. This study aimed to determine the mortality prevalence and risk factors in PICU of Imam Hossein Children's Hospital in Isfahan, which is the main referral pediatric hospital in the center of Iran.

Materials and methods: This study was performed on 311 patients during a period of 9 months. The questionnaire which included age, gender, length of stay in the PICU and hospital, mortality, history of resuscitation in other wards and readmission, the causes and sources of hospitalization, pediatric risk of mortality (PRISM)-III score, respiratory supports, morbidities like nosocomial infections, acute kidney injury (AKI), multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) confirmed by pediatric sequential organ failure assessment score (P-SOFA) and glycemic disorders was filled out.

Results: One hundred and seventy-seven (56.9%) were males and 103 (33%) were belonged to the age group of 12-59 months. The most prevalent causes of hospitalization were status epilepticus (12.9%) and pneumonia (11.2%). Mortality rate was 12.2%. The significant factors associated with mortality were readmission and history of resuscitation. PRISM-III index showed a significant difference between nonsurvivors and survivors (7.05 ± 6.36 vs. 3.36 ± 4.34, P = 0.001). Complications like AKI, hypoglycemia, MODS and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), length of mechanical ventilation significantly correlated with mortality.

Conclusions: Mortality rate was less than that of other developing countries (12.2%) and this was associated with some risk factors included readmission, history of resuscitation, PRISM-III Index; complications like AKI, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), DIC, mechanical ventilation duration, MODS, hypoglycemia, and P-SOFA index.

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common forms of chronic liver disease that affects about 25% of the general population. No definitive treatment for NAFLD has been identified yet. The aim was to determine the effect of atorvastatin (ATO) and flaxseed on related indicators of NAFLD-induced fat/fructose-enriched diet (FFD).

Materials and methods: Forty male Wistar rats were divided into five groups. NAFLD groups received FFD and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) to induce NAFLD. After intervention with ATO (10 mg/kg/day) and/or flaxseed (7.5 g/kg/day), liver enzymes and lipid profiles in serum were determined at eight week of interventions.

Results: Triglycerides (TG) and cholesterol (CHO) in FFD + ATO, FFD + flaxseed, and FFD + ATO + flaxseed had a significant decrease and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level and LDL/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio showed a significant increase in the FFD + flaxseed compared to the FFD. The levels of aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) were significantly reduced in the FFD + ATO, FFD + flaxseed, and the FFD + ATO + flaxseed. In addition, Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels were significantly different between normal and FFD. Fasting blood sugar (FBS) levels were significantly different in the FFD + flaxseed and the FFD + ATO + flaxseed compared to the FFD.

Conclusion: ATO therapy along with flaxseed controls NAFLD-related indices and FBS. Therefore, it can be stated with caution that ATO and flaxseed can be used to improve lipid profile and reduce the complications of NAFLD.

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) are two major types of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are expressed in the innate immune system compartments, in charge of identifying a wide range of microorganisms. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the expression of TLR-2, -7, and -8 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of UC patients as a novel non-invasive primary inflammation sensor for monitoring the clinical course of UC candidates.

Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, total RNA was extracted from the PBMC of 42 UC patients along with 20 healthy donors. The mRNA levels of TLR-2, -7, and -8 were assessed using the quantitative real-time polymerase chain (qRT-PCR) reaction.

Results: The present research study demonstrated no significant changes in TLR-2 mRNA expression in UC patients in comparison with the control group (P = 0.1264), whereas significant elevation (P = 0.0008) was distinguished in the TLR-7 expression of UC participants specifically during the remission course compared with healthy donors and flareup patients (P = 0.0004 and P = 0.0063, respectively). The last selected TLR, TLR-8 was not shown remarkable changes either between UC patients and the control group or between clinical courses of the disease.

Conclusion: Here, among three nominated TLRs for predicting UC patients, TLR-7 was potentially selected according to the significant difference in mRNA expression in flareup UC patients and control donors. TLR-7 could be used as a novel non-invasive biomarker for monitoring UC patients in the active course of the disease.

Background: Several countries, including Iran, have been affected by the novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic since December 2019. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive report on COVID-19 patients in Shiraz, Southern Iran.

Materials and methods: This study was performed on 311 hospitalized patients with COVID-19. The data on demographic, clinical, and paraclinical features were analyzed.

Results: The median age of the patients was 58 years, with 42.1% of the patients being above 60 years of age. Upon admission, fever was detected in 28.2% of critically ill patients. At least one underlying disease or risk factor was also present in 75.6% of the patients. Shortness of breath was the most common clinical symptom (66.2%), dry cough (53.7%), and muscle pain (40.5%) was the second and third. Sneezing (0.3%), rhinorrhea (0.7%), and sore throat (3.09%) were observed only in non-critically ill patients. In addition, 26.9% of all patients had lymphocytopenia, 25.8% had raised C-reactive protein, and 79.9% had abnormal creatinine levels. Finally, death occurred in 39 patients (12.5%).

Conclusions: Noncritically ill patients were younger than critically ill patients. The most common risk factors for getting critically ill were surgery, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic heart disease, asthma, and chronic renal disease.

Background: Opportunistic fungi are a constantly evolving group of pathogens that become active when the immune system is compromised, begin to multiply, and soon overwhelm the weakened immune system. This study was performed to evaluate the number of opportunistic fungi in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples of patients with pulmonary diseases.

Materials and methods: After receiving patients' consent and demographic forms, a total of 120 BAL samples were taken by a pulmonary physician. The etiologic agents were identified by standard morphological and molecular methods. Yeast cells were counted on culture media, and direct smears were precisely examined for the presence of yeasts elements, Pneumocystis, and filamentous fungi.

Results: In this study, 29 (24.1%) patients showed positive direct smears for yeast elements in their BAL samples. The mean colony count of yeasts was 42,000 (CFU/mL) on culture media. Six (5%) species of filamentous fungi, including three (2.5%) isolates of Penicillium species (P. variabile, P. glabrum, and P. thomii), two (1.67%) Aspergillus species (A. flavus and A. fumigatus), 1 case (0.83%) Pseudallescheria boydii were detected. Seven cases (5.83%) of Pneumocystis cysts were observed in the direct smears stained with Giemsa. Identification of all fungi confirmed by molecular or sequencing methods.

Conclusions: Due to the presence of a large number of fungi in the BAL samples and possible physical interference with the selected drugs for treatment, we draw the attention of pulmonologists to this important issue. Rapid diagnosis of fungal infections is essential to optimize treatments and outcomes.