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Background: Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is one of the most common bacterial infectious diseases which causes considerable morbidity and costly health problems. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), the most common pathogen causing UTI, is a highly heterogeneous group of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) which may carry a variety of virulence factors and belonging to different phylogenetic backgrounds. The current study aimed to investigate the frequency and association between various virulence factors (VFs) and phylogenetic groups of UPEC and commensal isolates.Methods: UPEC and commensal E. coli strains isolated from UTI and feces of healthy humans were compared for the presence of VFs and phylogenetic groups. Association between virulence genes was investigated and cluster analysis was employed.Results: According to the results, among a 30 virulence markers tested, the pathogenicity-associated island (PAI), papAH, papEF, fimH, fyuA, and traT genes prevalence were statistically significant in UPEC isolates. A strong association was found between the B2 and D phylogenetic groups and clinical isolates of UPEC; while, commensal isolates were mostly associated with phylogenetic group A. The aggregated VFs scores were more than twice higher in the UPEC isolates in comparison with the commensal isolates. Interestingly, the B2 group in both UPEC and commensal isolates had the highest VF scores. A strong positive association was found between several virulence genes. The clustering results demonstrated that UPEC or commensal E. coli isolates were highly heterogeneous due to different composition of their virulence gene pool and pathogenicity islands.Conclusion: Genetic structure and VFs of UPEC strains vary from region to region; therefore, to control the UTI, the epidemiological aspects and characterization of the UPEC isolates need to be investigated in different regions. Since UPEC isolates are generally originate from the commensal strains, it may be feasible to reduce the UTI burden by interfering the intestinal colonization, particularly in the highly pathogenic clonal lineages such as B2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Despite the fact that there is theoretical evidence about the association between unconscious defense mechanisms and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), experimental evidence in this regard is limited. The aim of the present study was to compare the defense mechanisms used by the patients with IBS and a control group, and to investigate the relationship between these mechanisms with the severity of the disease and patients' quality of life. METHODS Fourty-five patients with IBS (mean age of 37.1 years; 14 males) and 45 controls (mean age of 38.0 years; 13 males) were evaluated. IBS diagnosis was determined based on Rome III criteria and the predominant pattern of the disease was determined based on the patient's history (13 diarrheapredominant, 16 constipation-predominant, and 16 alternating IBS). Defense Style Questionnaire-40, IBS Severity Scale, and IBS-Quality of Life questionnaire were used. RESULTS The mean scores of projection, acting-out, somatization, autistic fantasy, passive-aggression, and reaction formation in the IBS group were significantly higher than the control group and the mean scores of humor and anticipation mechanisms were higher in the control group. There was no significant correlation between the score of defense mechanisms and the severity of IBS and the patients' quality of life. CONCLUSION The severity of immature defenses in the IBS group was significantly higher, whereas the severity of mature defenses was higher in the control group. These defenses were not correlated with the severity of IBS. Considering the limited sample size, these relationships need to be more investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Factor V G1691A (FV Leiden), FII GA20210, and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T mutations are the most common genetic risk factors for thromboembolism in the Western countries. However, there is rare data in Iran about cerebral venous and sinus thrombosis (CVST) patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of common genetic thrombophilic factors in CVST patients. Materials and Methods: Forty consequently CVST patients from two University Hospital in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences aged more than 15 years from January 2009 to January 2011 were recruited. In parallel, 51 healthy subjects with the same age and race from similar population selected as controls. FV Leiden, FII GA20210, MTHFR C677T, and FV Cambridge gene mutations by polymerase chain reaction technique were evaluated in case and control groups. Results: FV Leiden, FII GA20210, and FV Cambridge gene mutations had very low prevalence in both case (5%, 2%, 0%) and control (2.5%, 0%, 0%) and were not found any significant difference between groups. MTHFR C677T mutations was in 22 (55%) of patients in case group and 18 (35.5%) of control group (P = 0.09). Conclusion: This study showed that the prevalence of FV Leiden, FII GA20210, and FV Cambridge were low. Laboratory investigations of these mutations as a routine test for all patients with CVST may not be cost benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the methylation status of the breast cancer 1, early onset (BRCA1) promoter in ovarian cancer in Iranian patients. Methods: The BRCA1 promoter methylation status of tissue from 60 patients with Müllerian-type ovarian cancer and matched benign ovarian tissue from the same patients was evaluated using bisulfate-modified DNA in methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP CR) assays. Results: Analysis of BRCA1 promoter methylation status showed that 8 of 60 cases (13%) were methylated and 11 of 60 cases (18%) were unmethylated. Conclusion: Methylation of the BRCA1 promoter may be a risk factor or cause of ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]