Search

Objectives: The most common uropathogenic Gram negative bacteria are Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The purpose of this study was to determine the three most frequent bacterial agents causing Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) in patients who referred to Central Laboratory of Dr. Shariati Hospital, during 2 years (January 2006- December 2007). Materials and methods: The registered data were checked and collected by the questionnaires as a retrospective epidemiological survey. Then, the Chi Square tests were performed by SPSS software. Outcomes: The results of the present survey revealed that, the first two bacterial agents in different seasons were similar through the surveillance while the third one was variable. The first two frequent bacteria were respectively, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Conclusion: The gram negative bacteria of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the most common uropathogenic bacteria causing UTI. According to the statistical calculations, there was significant association between UTI caused by Escherichia coli and female gender (p<0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herpes simplex viruses (HSVs) are important viral infections which may cause different infections in human hosts. There are two types of HSVs including HSV-1 and HSV-2. In most cases HSV infections are asymptomatic, which is life threatening for pregnant women and their newborns. For this reason we have an eye on HSV, epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of HSV infections in pregnant women. This review has been made by searching several reviews and original articles in different search engines and databases within Internet. The results show that HSV infections are one of the most encountered sexual transmitted diseases. The rate of prevalence and incidence of HSV infections is high in developing countries. Multisexual partnership and unsecured sexual intercourse increase the risk of infections. In conclusion, healthy sexual relationship reduces the possibility of the HSV infections among pregnant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Respiratory Tract Infections (RTIs) involve complicated microbial diseases which rank among first four deathful diseases around the globe. Classical and traditional microbiologic and serologic assays are not useful for an accurate and definite diagnosis and treatment. The nucleic acid based and molecular technologies are capable to provide us an effective diagnostic tool for a definite treatment. Among a vast range of molecular diagnostic tools microarray is an invaluable technique with rapid, accurate, sensitive, specific and cost effective properties. For this reason, this review has paid an especial attention to application of microarray for diagnosing RTIs. This article has been prepared via searching different types of articles regarding to the topic throughout the Internet. Google Scholar and PubMed were used for the most. Simultaneously, the experiences of the authors were helpful for riting this review literature. The results from different surveys confirm the application of microarray technology as an accurate, rapid, sensitive, specific, and cost effective technology to have an accurate and definite diagnosis and treatment in association with RTIs. We conclude that microarray technology is an appropriate m ultiparametric diagnostic technique which may be used in large scale clinical applications to decrease the rate of mortality among patients with RTIs worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmacotherapy is a routine methodology for treating infectious diseases. But in recent decade, the escalation of antibacterial resistance in pathogenic bacteria has led to significant ineffective and indefinite treatment. The global wave of problems followed by multidrug resistant bacteria includes a considerable increase in morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs among patients with nosocomial infections. Some of pathogenic antibacterial resistant strains are detected as false antibacterial susceptible strains via routine clinical diagnostics. According to myriad diversity among multidrug resistant bacteria, the use of advanced and molecular diagnostic tools is a must for obtaining an accurate and rapid result. In this article we are trying to discuss about the importance of multidrug resistant bacteria from different aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today reliability, rapidity and accuracy in clinical diagnostics are the first choices. Combination of molecular techniques and Bioinformatics have upgraded diagnostic methods and treating managements. Among advanced clinical technologies, microarrays are effective diagnostics in medicine. Medical microbiology is consisted of medical bacteriology, medical mycology, and medical virology; clinical diagnostics of infectious and non-infectious diseases, gene expression profiling, genetic disorders, detection of pathogenic microbial agents and treatment are different pieces of medicine puzzles. The applications of microarrays in medicine are in progress. The most important problem for public use of microarrays is their expensive costs. Covering the costs of microarray technologies will change them into a gold standard method for diagnosing and treatment in public medical centers, laboratories and hospitals around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute otitis media is the most common multifactorial pediatric infectious disease which annually may lead to an extended consumption of antibiotic worldwide. Acute otitis media is known as a bacterial-viral co-infection pediatric disease which is detectable through a trimeric clinical criterion of acute symptoms, middle ear inflammation and middle ear effusion. There is no gold standard diagnostic approach for acute otitis media yet. Many efforts have been made for producing effective influenza and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines to prevent the increase of acute otitis media among infants, young children and children. Accurate diagnostic methods, vaccination, breastfeeding, standard lifestyle, proper socioeconomic condition, and prompt antibiotic therapy are all the basic principles for a successful handling of acute otitis media management. Until yet, antibiotic therapy via amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavu-lanate is the most acceptable method for managing and treating pediatric patients with AOM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Candida albicans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen which causes urinary tract candidiasis in humans. In this research, we tried to find out the frequency of the Urinary Tract Infections associated with Candida albicans in patients who referred to Central Laboratory of Dr. Shariati Hospital, during 2 years (April 2006- April 2008). Materials and Methods: According to the archived recorded data, the questionnaires were filled out. At the end of this retrospective research, the statistical tests of Chi Square were operated through SPSS software version 15. Outcomes: The results showed that, the Urinary Tract Infections associated with Candida albicans included 6.8% of patients. The remaining 93.2% of Urinary Tract Infections had related to bacterial pathogens. Conclusions: The statistical analyses confirmed the significant association between Urinary Tract Infections caused by Candida albicans and female gender (P<0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Objective: Despite the vaccination with the BCG vaccine, tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the major health problems in the world. The aim of this study was to evaluate our newly designed vaccine using IL-22 as an adjuvant in comparison with the common BCG vaccine., Methods: The gene constructs were cloned into the expression vector of pET28a and then into the recombinant vector of PET28a - HSPX, and PPE44 was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). Finally, the immunogenicity of recombinant proteins with and without BCG and IL-22 in BALB/c mice was investigated., Results: The key cytokines INF-γ and TNF-α were elevated more greatly in BCG immunized group than in PHF immunized group. Immunization with PHF showed a significant increase in IL-4 levels versus the BCG group. Adding IL-22 to the vaccine formulations indicated a tiny increase in IL-4 levels compared to their related vaccine groups.Specific total IgG1 in the experimental groups showed an increase in comparison with control groups, but in the vaccinated groups, no significant differences were observed, and the presence of IL-22 in the vaccine formulations indicated a slight decrease compared with the related mere vaccine groups. Results of specific total IgG2a in the experimental groups revealed that only in the PHF group formulated with IL-22 a significant increase occurs compared with all other experimental groups., Conclusion: It seems that BCG, as the only licensed vaccine for TB infection, could be more potent than a recombinant vaccine in the induction of cellular and humoral immune responses., Competing Interests: The authors declared no conflict of interest.

Introduction: Hepatitis B and C viruses are one of the leading causes of health problems in the world and early diagnosis and treatment of them are very important. Thereby, this study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of usable diagnostic tests for the detection of hepatitis B and C viruses in the clinical setting and to compare them with each other., Materials and Methods: In this review article, we have searched major online databases, including PubMed and EMBASE. 42 retrieved articles were published between January 2000 and January 2020, which are summarized in this review., Results: Immunoassay approaches are general techniques for the identification of pathogenic agents, among which ELISA is the gold standard for the detection of HBsAg. While serological techniques are not conclusive, molecular assays are really important because of the high sensitivity to detect chronic hepatitis B without HBeAg, in which viral loads are very low. Biosensors have more elevated selectivity and sensitivity and faster responses compared to other methods., Conclusion: This study suggests that all of the molecular, serological, and biotechnological assays have advantages and disadvantages for diagnosing hepatitis B and C viruses which are dependent on the condition, so we should choose one of them in regards to the time, cost, and laboratory equipment along with the clinical symptoms., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Introduction: Urinary tract infections are predominant diseases which may be caused by different pathogenic microorganisms, particularly Escherichia coli (E.coli). DNA microarray technology is an accurate, rapid, sensitive, and specific diagnostic tool which may lead to definite diagnosis and treatment of several infectious diseases. DNA microarray is a multi-process method in which probe designing plays an important. Therefore, the authors of the present study have tried to design a range of effective and proper long oligo microarray probes for detection and identification of different strains of pathogenic E.coli and in particular, uropathogenic E.coli (UPEC)., Material and Methods: E.coli O26 H11 11368 uid41021 was selected as the standard strain for probe designing. This strain encompasses the largest nucleotide sequence and the most number of genes among other pathogenic strains of E.coli. For performing this in silico survey, NCBI database, GReview Server, PanSeq Server, Oligoanalyzer tool, and AlleleID 7.7 were used to design accurate, appropriate, effective, and flexible long oligo microarray probes. Moreover, the genome of E.coli and its closely related microorganisms were compared., Results: In this study, 15 long oligo microarray probes were designed for detecting and identifying different strains of E.coli such as UPEC. These probes possessed the best physico-chemical characteristics. The functional and structural properties of the designed probes were recognized by practical tools and softwares., Conclusions: The use of reliable advanced technologies and methodologies for probe designing guarentees the high quality of microarray probes and makes DNA microarray technology more flexible and an effective diagnostic technique.

Introduction: Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) are caused by different types of microbial agents such as uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) and Candida albicans. The presence of strong physical barriers may prevent the breach of pathogens into the urinary tract. However, sometimes the pathogenic microorganisms may pass through the barriers and stimulate the innate and adaptive responses. Among a variety of innate immune responses, Toll-Like Receptors (TLRs) are one of the most unique and interesting molecules regarding UTIs. Thus, the authors have focused their attention on the role of TLRs in urinary tract defense against pathogenic microbial agents such as UPEC and C.albicans through this literature review., Material and Methods: Several papers regarding UTIs and TLRs including original and review articles were searched by PubMed and Google Scholar. They were studied and the most important aspects in association with the role of TLRs in UTIs were extracted. Additionally, this paper was prepared using the experience of the authors., Results: The TLRs 2, 4 and 5 are the most functional molecules that contribute to urinary tract defense system and UTIs. It is incredible that TLRs are able to detect and recognize different parts of microbial components relating to the same pathogen. Besides, the flexibility of the TLR molecules may lead to identification of different types of microorganisms with different signaling pathways., Conclusions: Our knowledge associated with TLRs and their activities against microbial causative agents of UTIs may help us to prevent, control and treat UTIs at a higher quality level., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Introduction: The pathotypes of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) cause different types of urinary tract infections (UTIs). The presence of a wide range of virulence genes in UPEC enables us to design appropriate DNA microarray probes. These probes, which are used in DNA microarray technology, provide us with an accurate and rapid diagnosis and definitive treatment in association with UTIs caused by UPEC pathotypes. The main goal of this article is to introduce the UPEC virulence genes as invaluable approaches for designing DNA microarray probes., Material and Methods: Main search engines such as Google Scholar and databases like NCBI were searched to find and study several original pieces of literature, review articles, and DNA gene sequences. In parallel with in silico studies, the experiences of the authors were helpful for selecting appropriate sources and writing this review article., Results: There is a significant variety of virulence genes among UPEC strains. The DNA sequences of virulence genes are fabulous patterns for designing microarray probes. The location of virulence genes and their sequence lengths influence the quality of probes., Conclusions: The use of selected virulence genes for designing microarray probes gives us a wide range of choices from which the best probe candidates can be chosen. DNA microarray technology provides us with an accurate, rapid, cost-effective, sensitive, and specific molecular diagnostic method which is facilitated by designing microarray probes. Via these tools, we are able to have an accurate diagnosis and a definitive treatment regarding UTIs caused by UPEC pathotypes.

Objectives: The pathogenic disturbance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is known as a rare but invasive nosocomial fungal infection. This survey is focused on the evaluation of apoptosis-triggering effects of UVB-irradiation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae., Materials and Methods: The well-growth colonies of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) were irradiated within an interval of 10 minutes by UVB-light (302 nm). Subsequently, the harvested DNA molecules of control and UV-exposed yeast colonies were run through the 1% agarose gel electrophoresis comprising the luminescent dye of ethidium bromide., Outcomes: No unusual patterns including DNA laddering bands or smears were detected., Conclusions: The applied procedure for UV exposure was not effective for inducing apoptosis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. So, it needs another UV-radiation protocol for inducing apoptosis phenomenon in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Objectives: Staphylococcus aureus is a gram positive bacterium. In recent years, the incidence of Staphylococcus aureus skin and soft tissue infections has been steadily increased around the world. Nowaday, the phototherapy is a suitable alternative as a cheap and effective treatment and in some cases can be used in parallel with chemotherapy. That is why, in this survey, we tried to detect the eventual apoptosis feature in UVB-irradiated colonies of Staphylococcus aureus., Materials and Methods: The bacterial sample was harvested from the microbial collection center of Islamic Azad University, Shahr-e-Qods branch, Microbiology laboratory. The colonies of Staphylococcus aureus were radiated by UVB beam and then, the DNA molecules belonging to control and irradiated colonies were extracted by DNP kit. Next after DNA extraction, the DNA molecules mixed in loading dye were run in 1% agarose gel electrophoresis. Following the electrophoresis, the UV transilluminator was used to observe the orange luminescent DNA bands formed in agarose gel., Outcomes: As it was indicated by experimental practices in the present investigation, no abnormalities, neither DNA laddering bands (apoptosis) nor smears (necrosis), were detected., Conclusions: According to the results showing the lack of DNA denaturation after UVB light exposure, a hypothesis could be advanced on the role of the Heat shock proteins and in particular, HSP70 which would act as an anti-apoptotic mechanism inhibiting the induction of apoptosis in UVB light-exposed colonies of Staphylococcus aureus.

Background: Candida albicans is known as part of human's skin normal flora; but simultaneously, is the most common opportunistic fungal pathogen of human which can cause a variety of infections including cutaneous candidiasis. Because of the importance of superficial infections like cutaneous candidiasis, we tried to use Ultraviolet B light as a method of phototherapy for inducing apoptosis in irradiated colonies of Candida albicans., Materials and Methods: The Ultraviolet B with the wavelength of 302 nanometer was used for irradiating the colonies of Candida albicans. For detecting the eventual apoptotic reactions, the DNA of irradiated colonies as well as control colonies were extracted and then were run in 1% agarose gel electrophoresis containing ethidium bromide to observe luminescent DNA bands., Results: Despite irradiating of Ultraviolet B to yeast cells, no abnormalities including DNA laddering bands or smears were detected in bands formed by total genomic DNA., Discussion: The applied irradiation protocol in this investigation was not successful to induce apoptotic reactions in Ultraviolet-exposed colonies. Maybe, Heat shock proteins as the important part of fungal protein pool, inhibit the inducing pathway of apoptosis in irradiated colonies of Candida albicans.

Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important bacterial pathogen which causes different infectious diseases such as wound and skin lesion infections. The main goal of this study was to induce eventual apoptotic reactions in ultraviolet-exposed colonies of Pseudomonas aeruginosa., Materials and Methods: The colonies of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were irradiated by UVB light; then, the DNA molecules of control and UVB-exposed colonies were extracted. Eventually, the extracted DNA molecules mixed in loading dye were run in 1% agarose gel containing ethidium bromide., Results: No unusual pattern like DNA laddering bands or smear, were detected upon the 1% agarose gel., Discussion: Through the applied protocol in this survey, the UVB radiation is not able to trigger apoptosis pathway in UV light exposed colonies of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It seems that the cytoprotective property of Heat shock proteins inhibit the inducing effect of UVB light in irradiated colonies of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Objectives: Bacillus anthracis as the bacterial agent of anthrax, is spread in different geographical zones around the world.The purpose of this survey was to observe eventual apoptotic reactions in total genomic DNA of UVB irradiated colonies of Bacillus anthracis., Materials and Methods: The colonies of Bacillus anthracis were exposed to UVB ray for 10 minutes; then, the DNA molecules of control and irradiated colonies were extracted. Finally, the DNA samples mixed in loading dye, were run in 1% agarose gel containing fluorescent dye of ethidium bromide to produce visible DNA bands., Outcomes: Neither smear nor DNA laddering band were detected upon the agarose gel., Conclusions: According to the present protocol, the UVB ray can not induce apoptosis feature in colonies of Bacillus anthracis. It seems that the recovery and protection systems in Bacillus anthracis can resist against eventual UVB disorders.