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Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that causes toxoplasmosis in humans and warm-blooded animals. In this study, we explored the risk factors and seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection among cancer patients and patients with blood cell disorders in Iran. We collected serum samples from each participant include 600 clinically healthy individuals, 127 patients with different types of cancer, 294 patients with red blood cell disorders, and 101 patients with white blood cell disorders and tested for anti-Toxoplasma antibodies (IgG and IgM) using an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay kits and analyzed the results statistically.Out of the 1122 participants ,seroprevalence of Toxoplasmosis among all patients with different disorders , patients with white blood cell disorders, patients with red blood cell disorders and patients with different types of cancer 9.97% , 17.82%, 11.57% and 7.09% were reported respectiveiy.Awareness campaign to educate blood cell disorders patients regarding contact with pets is salient to the reduction of the Toxoplasma burden. In addition, it is pertinent to screen patients with cancers to rule out Toxoplasma infections.

Abstract: The novel coronavirus SARS-coV-2, which emerged in Wuhan in November 2019, has increasingly spread, causing a global pandemic that infected more than 444 million people, resulting in severe social and economic ramifications, and claimed more than 6,010,000 lives by March 5, 2022. The pandemic attracted global attention with consequential multiple economic, social, and clinical studies. Among causes of poor clinical outcomes of the disease are therapeutic challenges, leading to spirals of studies in search of better therapeutic alternatives. Despite the worsening circumstances of the pandemic, no drug has yet shown remarkable efficacy in the clinical management of COVID-19 patients in large-scale trials. Many potential therapeutic strategies, including the use of nucleotide analogs, chloroquine phosphate, arbidol, protease inhibitors (lopinavir/ritonavir), plasma, monoclonal antibodies, plastic antibodies based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), nanomaterials, vaccine, and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), have emerged with various degrees of successes. Remdesivir and dexamethasone have now been licensed based on the results of randomized controlled trials. Baricitinib, the Janus kinase (JAK) 1/2 inhibitor, is also an attractive candidate due to its properties as a potent anti-inflammatory agent and its hypothesized offtarget antiviral effects against SARS-CoV-2. Besides, human plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients is theoretically expected to be safe and effective for both therapy and post-exposure prophylaxis. In light of the literature, the correlation between the reduction of C5aR1/C5aR2 and the IL6-IL6R axis, using the available anti-IL6R mAb would be crucial. Moreover, MSCs are a potential therapeutic choice for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. The coronavirus spike (S) protein that mediates the process of the infection via binding of host cells to the virus receptor is an essential focus for vaccine development. Importantly, with the number of patients increasing daily, there is an urgent need for effective therapeutic intervention. In this review, we expatiated on several strategies deployed for the treatment of COVID-19 infection.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a subclass of small regulatory RNAs that present from ancient unicellular protozoans to parasitic helminths and parasitic arthropods. MiRNAs' mode of action has attracted wide attention as a result of their unique functional importance. MiRNAs play a role in diverse physiological and pathological processes ranging from organ development, immune function to apoptosis and cancer at the post-transcription gene expression. Thus, miRNAs are known to be targets for clinical treatment and therapy. The discovery of the high stability of circulating miRNA in various types of host body fluids, such as whole blood, serum, plasma, saliva, and urine has increased great interest among researchers in the potential of circulating miRNA as a prognosis/diagnosis of infectious. Some circulating miRNAs biomarkers advanced to clinical applications related to human diseases. However, this idea starts to come only in the fields of infectious disease. The goal of this review is to enhance the current understanding of these molecules and their applicability in the field of medicine. A detailed review of the available literature consulting tools performed in online repositories such as NCBI, PubMed, Medline, ScienceDirect, and UpToDate. This review summarizes an overview of preclinical studies using circulating miRNAs biomarkers against infectious diseases affecting humans. The use of miRNA as a safe and potential tool is encouraging news, considering that until now, guidelines for the use of miRNA in clinical practice are still lacking.

Hydatid cyst, the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus, and Cysticercus tenuicollis, the larval stage of Taenia hydatigena, are prevalent in domestic, livestock, and wild ruminants. The main goal of this research was to identify the isolates of E. granulosus and C. tenuicollis by partial sequencing with PCR amplification of the cytochrome C oxidase 1 (COX1) gene. During a routine veterinary inspection at a Chabahar city slaughterhouse, two samples of hydatid cysts from sheep's liver and cattle's lung and two samples of C. tenuicollis from sheep's liver were collected. After DNA extraction, the fragment of the COX1 gene was amplified by the PCR method. Sample sequences were modified and synchronized by Chromas and CLC genomic workbench 11 software. Sequence analysis was carried out by BLAST algorithms and GenBank databases. Phylogenetic trees were performed using MEGA 7 software and the neighbor-joining and maximum likelihood method for T. hydatigena and E. granulousus. The result indicated that the main genotype of parasites and the amplified fragment size were G1 and approximately 455 bp, respectively. The analysis of phylogenetic trees based on nucleic acid for four samples showed that there was a common ancestor. However, the shift in nucleotides in the two isolates in E. granulosus and the two isolates of T. hydatigena were non-synonymous type and synonymous type, respectively. The present study showed that the dominant genotype in all isolates was G1 and this report was similar to other studies in Iran and the world. Also, the partial COX1 gene sequence was matched with T. hydatigena.

Introduction. Toxocariasis is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by migrating nematode worms, Toxocara species larvae, within tissues. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNA molecules that regulate gene expression at a post-transcriptional level. Hypothesis/Gap Statement. miRNA-based diagnostic biomarkers for toxocariasis are emerging, but there is limited information about the role of many miRNAs and a more detailed diagnostic evaluation of miRNA expression patterns is needed to understand their immunobiological function. Aim. We investigated the expression levels of circulating miRNA 21 and miRNA 103a as potential biomarkers for the prediction and diagnosis of toxocariasis in Wistar rats infected with Toxocara canis. Methodology. Thirty Wistar rats were inoculated orally with 2500 T. canis embryonated eggs via gavage. Serum samples were collected from infected animals and were tested against T. canis antigens for 60 days post-infection. The plasma samples were isolated for quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assays and qPCR was used to assess transcription levels of miRNA 21 and miRNA 103a. Results. The prevalence of anti-Toxocara IgG was detected in 7/30 (23.3 %) infected rats. Molecular analysis of miRNAs 21 and 103a showed that expression levels of miRNAs in both groups of Toxocara-positive and negative samples were the same without significant association. The ratio of housekeeping gene expression (U6) to gene expression of miRNAs 21 and 103a indicated the rate of change (1/1.38 ≈ 0.75 and 1/0.751 ≈ 1.3, respectively). Conclusion. Our study revealed that miRNAs 21 and 103a might play fundamental roles as biomarkers and diagnostic tools for toxocariasis. However, the changes in expression of these miRNAs were not adequate to be used as biomarkers in diagnosis.

In modern medicine, natural products have aided humans against their battles with cancer. Among these products, microorganisms, medicinal herbs and marine organisms are considered to be of great benefit. In recent decades, more than 30 fungal immunity proteins have been identified and proved to be extractable from a wide range of fungi, including mushrooms. Although chemotherapy is used to overcome cancer cells, the side effects of this method are of great concern in clinical practice. Fungal products and their derivatives constitute more than 50% of the clinical drugs currently being used globally. Approximately 60% of the clinically approved drugs for cancer treatment have natural roots. Anti-tumor immunotherapy is prospective with a rapidly growing market worldwide due to its high efficiency, immunity, and profit. Polysaccharide extracts from natural sources are being used in clinical and therapeutic trials on cancer patients. This review aims to present the latest findings in cancer treatment through isolated and extraction of fungal derivatives and other natural biomaterials.

Background and objectives Toxocariasis is one of the most important pathogens transmitted to humans through the soil. Temperature 12–37 °C provides the best conditions for infecting eggs to be transmitted to humans, dogs, and other hosts. This study is preliminary in order to detect Toxocara eggs in public park soils and to study the correlation between seasons and climate variation with contamination rate. Methodology A total of 1132 soil samples were collected over the course of the year, from 11 major parks. A centrifugal-floatation technique with the utilization of saturated sodium nitrate solution was used to examine the soil samples to recover Toxocara spp eggs. Results Out of 1132 samples collected from public park soils, 129 (11.39%) samples were positive for Toxocara spp eggs, Laleh Park in south part showed the highest contamination rate. Contamination rate varied according to the site of parks, location with the highest rate in the south followed by center and the prevalence of eggs is high in spring and autumn without significant association. The prevalence of Toxocara spp eggs in soil associated significantly with Average temperature and rainfall (P = 0.04, 0.001 respectively). Conclusion According to our study findings, soils of the public parks in Tehran showed as one of the main sites for contamination with Toxocara spp eggs. The prevalence of soil contamination varied according to a climate of different seasons, spring and autumn climate such as temperature and rainfall rate were considered as optimal condition for eggs development and to survive.

Background Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common protozoan diseases in both developing and developed countries. Human infection occurred by incidental ingestion of oocyst-contaminated food, water, soil or tissue of raw meat. Studies of infection in Iranian children are infrequent. In this study, we investigated seroprevalence, and risk factors of toxoplasmosis among children under 15 years old in Sistan and Baluchistan province, Southeastern Iran. Materials and methods 869 sera samples were investigated for the detection of Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibodies by ELISA. Moreover, the participant's data were collected to study their association with infection. Data analysis for this study was performed using the SPSS software version 20. Results T. gondii IgG antibodies were detected in 16.2% (141/869) of children in this study. Regarding the sociodemographic variables, age, male gender, contact with animal pets and white blood cells (WBC) count were significantly associated with toxoplasmosis (P Conclusion Our study showed relatively high seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis among children in Sistan and Baluchistan province. Our data considered a vital tool for healthcare authorities. Further investigations are needed in different part of Iran especially among high-risk groups of toxoplasmosis.

Toxocariasis is one of the neglected zoonosis with considerable public health importance around the world. The current study aimed to elucidate the overall prevalence of Toxocara infection in human and definitive hosts and also the contamination of soil and raw vegetables with the ova of these parasites, in Iran, using systematic review and meta-analysis. Six English and Persian databases were explored from 2000 to 2017 using the terms toxocariasis, Toxocara spp., visceral larva migrans, Iran, epidemiology, and prevalence. This meta-analysis conducted using STATA, and for all statistical tests, a p value less than 0.05 was considered significant. The random-effects model was used to the report of the pooled prevalence with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The pooled prevalence of toxocariasis in human was calculated as 11% (95% CI 8–13%). In terms of definitive hosts, the pooled prevalence of Toxocara infection in dogs and cats were calculated as 17% (95% CI 14–20%) and 37% (95% CI 26–48%), respectively. Also, the pooled prevalence of Toxocara spp. eggs in the soil and raw vegetable samples were calculated as 18% (95% CI 13–23%) and 2% (95% CI 1–3%), respectively. The results of current study demonstrate that toxocariasis should be taken more seriously by health authorities. Implementing an appropriate control program is necessary to reduce the incidence of this disease in Iran.

The novel coronavirus, SARS-coV-2, which emerged in Wuhan in November 2019, has increasingly spread worldwide. More than 272 million cases of infection have been identified. COVID-19 has affected 223 countries and territories across the world. The principal target of the SARS-CoV-2 infection is the lower respiratory tract. Series of moderate to non-specific severe clinical signs and symptoms appear two to fourteen days after exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in patients with COVID-19 disease, including cough, breath deficiency, and at least two of these symptoms: headache, fever, chills, repeated rigor, myalgia, oropharyngitis, anosmia, and ageusia. No therapeutic agents have been validated to have substantial efficacy in the clinical care of COVID-19 patients in large-scale trials, despite worsening infected rates of COVID-19. Early clinical evidence from many sources suggests that treatment with famotidine may decrease COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality. The mechanism by which famotidine could improve the outcomes of COVID-19 is currently unknown. A more recent postulated mechanism is that the effect of famotidine is mediated by histamine-2 receptor antagonism or inverse agonism, inferring that the SARS-CoV-2, resulting in COVID-19 infection, at least partially leads to the abnormal release of histamine and perhaps dysfunction of mast cells.

Toxoplasmosis, toxocariasis, and hydatidosis are parasite diseases with a very human-like pathway of infection. worldwide including Iran, there are infected people with these infections. Between 2013 and 2018, serum samples were collected from 124 patients with hydatidosis and 124 serums from hydatidiosis free. Samples were examined for the presence of toxocariasis by detecting IgG antibodies, using the ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) IBL kit and for the presence of IgG antibodies for toxoplasmosis, using the ELISA test. Risk factors such as contact with animal pets; cats and dogs, rural or urban living, age, sex, and Presence of rheumatoid factor (RF) in serum were investigated during the study. The presence of RF was examined using an agglutination test in all confirmed cases of hydatidosis, toxocariasis, and toxoplasmosis. Of the 124 positive cases of hydatidosis, 30 (24.2%), 51 (41.1%) and 15 (12.09%) had toxoplasmosis, toxocariasis and simultaneous infection (toxoplasmosis and toxocariasis), respectively. In people with toxocariasis, rheumatoid factor was reported more frequently than in other cases. The relationship between the prevalence of rheumatoid factor in serum in people with toxocariasis was significant (41.18%). Interaction with dogs and cats and area of residence were identified as risk factors for toxocariasis (P value > 0.005). Although hydatidosis and toxocariasis are Less common infections compare with toxoplasmosis, they are considered a threat to public health in some parts of the world, including Iran. Some factors, such as habitat and interaction with animal pets (dogs and cats), play a more significant role in toxocariasis compared to toxoplasmosis in people with hydatidosis.

Background: Cryptosporidium species are coccidian parasites that cause gastrointestinal disorders in humans and other animals worldwide. Objective: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the rate of contamination with Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts in soils collected from public parks, primary schools, green areas, kindergartens, suburban areas, streets, residential complexes, backyards and a passenger terminal in Yazd, central Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2014 to February 2015, and the samples were collected from 9 different study sites and 56 regions. Soil samples were investigated by flotation technique and modified Ziehl–Neelsen staining for Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts. Finally, the slides were examined with a light microscope. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 20.0 and chi-square statistical test. Results: Of a total of 220 soil samples, 47 (21.36%) were found to contain Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts. Statistical analysis showed that there was no significant difference between the contamination rate and different study sites in Yazd, central Iran (P>0.05). The highest contamination rate was observed in public parks (38.3%) and the lowest in passenger terminal, kindergartens and streets (4.25%) (P=0.934). Conclusion: The results of the present study show that the contamination of soil with Cryptosporidium spp. can be considered a serious problem in Yazd, central Iran. It should be considered particularly in public parks.

Background and Purpose: Didymella pedeiae is a dematiaceous fungus that belongs to the Coelomycetes class. While species within this class are known to cause human infection, D. pedeiae had previously only been known as phytopathogens and had never been isolated from a human sample. Case report: A 51-year-old Iranian female patient with ovarian cancer was admitted with unilateral lesions in paranasal sinuses and a five-month history of nasal obstruction,headache, postnasal drainage, swelling on the left side of the face, and orbital pain.Paranasal sinus computerized tomography scan revealed a soft tissue mass that filled the left nasal cavity, ethmoid, sphenoid, and frontal sinuses with more involvement in the maxillary and ethmoid sinuses. Antifungal treatment was simultaneously initiated with itraconazole+prednisolone 15 mg/day, and levofloxacin. Due to poor clinical response,IV voriconazole and amphotericin B were added to the treatment as well. The patient recovered completely after 10 weeks of therapy. Conclusion: Here, we report the first case of human D. pedeiae infection in a patientwith ovarian cancer.

Background: Toxocariasis is one of the most neglected zoonotic diseases, predominantly caused by Toxocara canis. We aimed to evaluate the expression of microRNAs 21 and 103a in seropositive individuals for human toxocariasis as diagnostic biomarkers. Methods: This study was conducted on 324 individuals for ELISA test on toxocariasis in Tehran and Karaj, Iran 2019. Then positive samples for anti-Toxocara IgG were obtained to quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assays to investigate the transcriptional profiles of miRNAs predicted to be involved in developmental and reproductive processes. qPCR was employed to assess levels of transcription for miRNAs of 103a and 21 in plasma samples. Results: After the experiments, the results were evaluated by REST software, Livak formula and quantitative t-test. The analyzes performed on human samples showed that in the case group compared to the control group, only in Tc-miR-21 gene, a 0.3-fold increase in expression was obtained with REST software (Fold change ≤ 1.5, P>0.05), which was statistically significant by t-test (P

Toxocara is one of the most prevalent nematodes in Iran, which infect humans as an intermediate host. Infection complications result from the larva migration. Human toxocariasis prevalence was various in Iran according to the area of study and population. This study was designed to evaluate the seropositivity of Toxocara IgG in patients with blood disorders and cancer patients in southwest Iran. Moreover, the study of the associated risk factors for this infection. A total of 1122 serum samples, from February 8, 2019 to August 21, 2019, including 600 healthy individuals and 522 individuals with cancer and blood disorders patients were collected. Serum samples were collected for detection of Toxocara IgG by using ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) kit. Sociodemographic data of all participants were collected and examined to determine their association with the infection. Out of 101 individuals with white blood cell disorders (5.94%), red blood cell disorders (7.48%) and cancer patients (11.06%) were seropositive for Toxocara IgG antibodies. The infection rate among all study population revealed that (10.76%) were positive for Toxocara IgG. This study showed the fundamental role of contact with pets and infection in groups with blood cell disorders (P-value ≤ 0.05%); while in cancer patients the association wasn’t significant. Other factors such as age, location of residence, and sex showed that the association with this infection wasn't significant.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is attributable to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been causing a worldwide health issue. Airways colonization by Candida spp. is prevalent among patients on automatic ventilation in intensive care units (ICUs). This research aimed to ascertain the risk factors and roles of Candida spp. respiratory tract colonization, and Candida lung infection during the progression of COVID-19 pneumonia in critically ill patients. In total, Candida spp. were recovered in 69 from 100 immunosuppressed patients with COVID-19. Bronchoscopy was used to collect the Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens. For the identification of Candida spp. PCR sequencing was done using the ITS1 and ITS4 primers. The amplification of the HWP1 gene was conducted to identify the Candida albicans complex. The antifungal activities of fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, amphotericin B and caspofungin against Candida spp. were evaluated using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute M60. In 63.77% of the patients, Candida respiratory colonization at D0 and D14 had no impact on the severity of COVID-19. In comparison to C. albicans strains, Candida respiratory disorder with C. glabrata had influenced the severity of COVID-19 for critically ill patients following adjustment for the risk factors of COVID-19 (P 0.05). Amphotericin B and caspofungin showed superior activity against all Candida spp. All antifungal agents showed 100% sensitivity against the two C. africana strains. Our observation on patients who used automatic ventilation, respiratory colonization by Candida spp. was not seen to influence the infection or death caused by COVID-19. Amphotericin B and caspofungin showed superior activity against all Candida spp. and were recommended for the treatment regime of pulmonary candidiasis associated with COVID-19 infection. Although "Candida pneumonia" is rarely being reported in critically ill patients, Candida airway colonization mainly by Candida albicans is common especially among patients with diabetes, malignancies, and kidney disorders.

Hydatid cyst, the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus, and Cysticercus tenuicollis, the larval stage of Taenia hydatigena, are prevalent in domestic, livestock, and wild ruminants. The main goal of this research was to identify the isolates of E. granulosus and C. tenuicollis by partial sequencing with PCR amplification of the cytochrome C oxidase 1 (COX1) gene. During a routine veterinary inspection at a Chabahar city slaughterhouse, two samples of hydatid cysts from sheep's liver and cattle's lung and two samples of C. tenuicollis from sheep's liver were collected. After DNA extraction, the fragment of the COX1 gene was amplified by the PCR method. Sample sequences were modified and synchronized by Chromas and CLC genomic workbench 11 software. Sequence analysis was carried out by BLAST algorithms and GenBank databases. Phylogenetic trees were performed using MEGA 7 software and the neighbor-joining and maximum likelihood method for T. hydatigena and E. granulousus. The result indicated that the main genotype of parasites and the amplified fragment size were G1 and approximately 455 bp, respectively. The analysis of phylogenetic trees based on nucleic acid for four samples showed that there was a common ancestor. However, the shift in nucleotides in the two isolates in E. granulosus and the two isolates of T. hydatigena were non-synonymous type and synonymous type, respectively. The present study showed that the dominant genotype in all isolates was G1 and this report was similar to other studies in Iran and the world. Also, the partial COX1 gene sequence was matched with T. hydatigena.

Introduction malaria is highly endemic in the south-east of Iran and, the prompt assessment of the malaria cases is dependent on sensitive and specific identification of malaria. The aim of this study is to compare light microscopy (LM) and rapid diagnostic test (PfHRP-2/pLDH RDT) with Nested-PCR in the Malaria detection. Method In this cross-sectional study, all of the suspected malaria individuals, who were referred to Razi Hospital in Saravan, Sistan and Baluchistan were evaluated. Demographic, microscopic, RDT and Nested-PCR data were collected. Nested-PCR as a reference method was compared to other methods. Finally, all the results were analyzed by SPSS software version 20. Results The sensitivity (Sn), specificity (Sp), positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and Kc were reported by LM to be 55.3%, 100%, 100%, 94.3% and 0.671 respectively. Furthermore, the RDT method showed results of 55.3%, 99.6%, 95.4%, 94.3%, and 0.602, respectively. Sn, Sp, PPV, NPV and Kc were reported by LM for p. vivax to be 55.7%, 100%, 100%, 96.2%, and 0.714, respectively. Using the same method for plasmodium falciparum, results were reported to be 25%, 100%, 100%, 97.9%, and 0.393, respectively. Also, the Sn, Sp, PPV, NPV, and Kc by RDT were reported to be 57.7%, 99.6%, 93.7%, 96.2% and 0.695 for p. vivax, respectively. These values for p. falciparum were reported to be 25%, 99.6%, 66.7%, 97.9% and 0.354, respectively. Conclusion LM and RDT methods have been sensitive and specific in detecting malaria and identifying Vivax species compared to Nested- PCR. By contrast, there was little agreement for P. falciparum using these two methods compared to the nested method.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiology, clinical presentation and types of treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in the province of Ilam (Western Iran) in 5 years (from May 2013 to January 2018). This cross-sectional study involved patients diagnosed with CL who were referred to Mehran City Health center. All patients were diagnosed by clinical and parasitological (Giemsa staining of lesion to observe the parasite) methods. Moreover, a structured questionnaire on demographic data including age, sex, occupation, number and site of the lesions, treatment regimen was administered to each case. In total, 2001 positive CL cases were observed in this study. The highest prevalence of CL was reported in the autumn season and mainly among male subjects residing in urban communities. The prevalence of CL varied with the age group: higher in the age group of 1–10 years than other groups. Besides, hands and faces were the most affected regions of the body. Most of the cases (47.35%) were managed by topical treatment (glucantime) and cryotherapy followed by systemic treatment (pentavalent antimony) 26.85%. The prevalence of disease varied with age, increasing the prevalence rate in children due to their habitats, the highest prevalence in autumn due to climatic conditions. These findings help to better discuss the prevention and treatment of infections.

Background and Aims: Trichomonas vaginalis is a flagellated protozoa that is associated with vaginitis, cervicitis, urethritis and other vaginal disorders. Current study aimed to evaluate the anti-Trichomonas activity of Medicago sativa and Satureja hortensis, in vitro.Materials and Methods: Ethanolic extract of Medicago sativa and Satureja hortensis were obtained by rotary evaporator. anti-Trichomonas vaginalis activities of the extracts in different concentrations were evaluated after 24, 48 and 72 hr of incubation of the cultured media.Results and Conclusions: The data showed a significant difference between concentration and time regarding the Satureja hortensis and Medicago sativa extracts compared to the negative control (p

AIM In spite of the importance of toxoplasmosis and toxocariasis among the high-risk groups, such as pregnant women, the infections are categorized as a neglected tropical disease by the World Health Organization. Toxoplasma gondii and Toxocara spp. infections can cause systemic and ocular diseases in infants during pregnancy. In this study, we investigated seroprevalence and risk factors of toxoplasmosis, toxocariasis and their co-infection in pregnant women and non-pregnant women referred to the healthcare facilities of Ilam province, west of Iran. METHODS A total of 378 sera samples (189 pregnant women and 189 non-pregnant women) was investigated for the presence of IgG antibodies against T. gondii and Toxocara spp. by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The samples of all pregnant women with abortion (56 cases) were also evaluated for IgM anti-toxoplasmosis antibody by ELISA method. Moreover, associated factors were obtained from the participant's questionnaires. Data analysis for this study was performed using the spss software version 20. RESULTS Seroprevalence of T. gondii, Toxocara spp., and their co-infection in pregnant women was 39.7%, 21.2% and 9.5%, respectively. Regarding the risk factors, the contact with a cat (P = 0.04) and dog (P = 0.00) were significantly associated with T. gondii and Toxocara spp., respectively. CONCLUSION This study highlighted the importance of serological diagnosis before pregnancy. Moreover, we believe that more epidemiological studies are needed for a better understanding of overlaps between T. gondii and Toxocara spp. in pregnant women.

The incidence of invasive fungal infections (IFI) caused by unusual pathogens is on the rise, partly driven by the increased population of immunocompromised patients. The emerging multidrug-resistant yeast pathogen Candida auris (auris means ear in Latin) has been a source of concern as an agent of healthcare-associated infections. Some strains of Candida auris isolates are multi-resistant to the main classes of conventional antifungal drugs, and their identification using standard laboratory protocols has been proved difficult. Many of these strains have been misidentified to be other yeasts such as Rhodotorula glutinis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Candida haemulonii. In fact, specialized laboratory procedures are required for their proper identification such as molecular techniques based on sequencing the D1-D2 region of the 28 s rDNA or matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF). Misidentification might result in inappropriate treatment. Furthermore, C. auris has the tendency to cause outbreaks in healthcare settings as has already been reported from several countries worldwide. Finally, it is important to emphasize that C. auris is emerging as an important nosocomial pathogen in many parts of the world, which highlights the need for developing rapid and reproducible methods for its identification and typing.

CSP surface protein is expressed by spores of different Plasmodium species. Plasmodium vivax CSP protein contains three domains. The first domain is the area before the central repeat areas or the pre-repeat area or area I. The second domain number of the region after the central repetition sequence or post-repeat region or region II and the third domain of the central replication region, which contains 14 to 19 replication sequences of 9 amino acids which includes three different types of VK210-VK247-vivax-like. Central replication regions in type VK210 include the GDRA [D/A/P] GQPA amino acid sequence and in type VK247 have the ANGA [G(N/D)]/[DD] QPG amino acid sequence. In all 3 types, the region before the repetition regions contains the amino acid sequence of KLKQPA (domain I). The region after the central repetition regions (domain II) contains the amino acid sequence. GGNAGG is EWTPCSVTCGVGVRVRRRVNAA. These areas are the epitopes of B and T cells and are candidates for vaccines.

T. gondii is one of the dangerous parasitic agents in immunocompromised patients (hemodialysis, diabetes, cancer, AIDS). Therefore, due to the severe and fatal complications of toxoplasmosis in these individuals, it is necessary to calculate of parasite load in patients. This study aimed to investigate the frequency and Parasite load of T. gondii in hemodialysis patients based on RE gene by Real-time PCR in Iran. For the purpose of the study, 212 whole blood samples, including 106 hemodialysis patients (HD) and 106 healthy groups (HG), were collected. The procedure was performed in 2 steps. Step 1: Obtaining a standard curve and Step 2: Determining the parasitic load and prevalence of T. gondii (gene RE) in the study groups by Real-time PCR. Statistical evaluations were performed with SPSS (ver. 20.0, Chicago, IL, USA). Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used for categorical data. A P-value

Toxocara spp. cause one of the most widespread soil-transmitted helminthic infections worldwide. In both developed and developing countries, soil contamination with Toxocara eggs is considered as a major threat to public health. A total of 515 soil samples from 89 sampling sites were collected from different locations of public health such as Wastelands and Streets, public parks, and marginal areas. The soil samples were examined for Toxocara eggs using a centrifugal-floatation technique utilizing a saturated sodium nitrate solution. centralization of positive soil samples in the province was studied by Spatial Statistics Techniques such as Average Nearest Neighbors and Spatial Autocorrelation and Kernel Density Function Toxocara spp. eggs were found in 94 (18.25 %) out of 515 samples collected from the studied areas. According to the results obtained, marginal areas are often contaminated with eggs of Toxocara. Consequently, preventive measures including health education should be implemented to reduce the potential risk of this parasitic infection.

Recently, the prevalence of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) is rising. The global mortality rate of IFIs is 10-49%. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, the causative agents, and the risk factors associated with the invasive fungal infections in a tertiary health center to provide valid decision-grounds for healthcare professionals to effectively prevent, control, and treat fungal infections. The current study was conducted on 1477 patients suspected to have systemic fungal infections from different units of the hospital. After screening using routine mycological examination, the patients were confirmed with complementary mycological and molecular methods. Patients were included based on the confirmed diagnosis of IFI and excluded based on lack of a microbiologically and histologically proven diagnosis of IFI. Of the 1477 patients recruited in this study, confirmed cases of fungal infection were 490 (169 proven; 321 cases probable). Among the fungi recovered, Candida species had the highest frequency 337 (68.8%) followed by Aspergillus species 108 (22.1%), Zygomycetes species 21 (4.3%), non-Candida yeast 9 (1.8%). Others were black fungi 5 (1%), mycetoma agents 5 (1%), Fusarium 4 (0.8%), and Trichoderma (0.2%). Hematologic malignancies and diabetes mellitus were the most common underlying diseases among IFI-confirmed patients. This study observed an increased frequency of invasive candidiasis with non-albicans Candida and other invasive saprophytic fungal infections. The increased rate of invasive candidiasis with non-albicans agents highlights a new perspective in the epidemiology and treatment of invasive fungal infections.

Packaging is one of the most important issues regarding food safety. Nanoscale technology can be used to improve the quality of packaging components, thereby ensuring food safety. The poor biodegradability and the environmental impact of discarded plastics have prompted scientists to develop newer plastic makes with higher environmental degradability, particularly in the field of food packaging. The mechanical properties of the newly prepared nanocomposites films are of prime importance the packaging applications. These films can be evaluated for the tensile strength and modulus of elasticity, yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and toughness. In a watery mixture of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) seed extract and AgNO3 solution, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were biosynthesized. Starch was used to synthesize starch nanoparticles (StNPs) in an aqueous sulfuric acid solution (3.2 M) as an abundant, inexpensive and biodegradable polysaccharide. The characterization of nanoparticles was based on FTIR, UV spectroscopy, FESEM, X-ray diffraction, and EDS. The AgNPs and StNPs had particle sizes of 19–54 nm and 43–191 nm, respectively, under the microscope. In thermoplastic maize starch films, AgNPs and StNPs were then used as reinforcements to improve the mechanical properties of the films. After nanoparticles were incorporated, the tensile strength and extensible properties of the films were increased. Incorporation of StNPs and AgNPs into maize starch films provided nanocomposites with suitable mechanical properties. The results of this study have been shown to increase their mechanical properties and physical resistance by simultaneously adding nanocomposites with specific ratios to films.

Background: Toxoplasma gondii, the etiologic agent of toxoplasmosis, is the most prevalent protozoan parasite in the world. Objectives: Due to high prevalence of toxoplasmosis as well zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis with Leishmania major origin in Isfahan, the main objective of this study was to determine, whether there is any correlation between these two protozoan infections and the intensity of the high prevalence of co-infection. Methods: All the case and control samples (80 individuals), collected from suspected patients that had referred for a skin test to the Isfahan dermatology and Leishmaniasis research center from August to November 2014, were investigated. About 2 mL of venipuncture blood was taken from each case and control group member, and serum was separated and stored at -20°C until the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of anti-Toxoplasma gondii specific IgM and IgG antibodies. Results: Overall, 27 (33.8%) candidates in the control group and 33 (41.3%) patients with Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) were positive for Toxo-IgG. All samples were found to be Toxo-IgM negative. The prevalence difference of Toxoplasma infection in healthy controls and CL patients was not significant. Conclusions: The results of the present study showed that the prevalence difference of Toxoplasma infection in healthy controls and CL patients was not significant. This means, there was no relationship between infection with CL and toxoplasmosis, thus infection with Toxoplasma gondii wasn't a risk factor for infection with Leishmaniasis; Toxoplasma gondii didn't show a preventive or inhibitory role against Leishmania infection.

Background: Toxocariasis is one of the most neglected zoonotic diseases, predominantly caused by Toxocara canis. We aimed to evaluate the expression of microRNAs 21 and 103a in seropositive individuals for human toxocariasis as diagnostic biomarkers. Methods: This study was conducted on 324 individuals for ELISA test on toxocariasis in Tehran and Karaj, Iran 2019. Then positive samples for anti-Toxocara IgG were obtained to quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assays to investigate the transcriptional profiles of miRNAs predicted to be involved in developmental and reproductive processes. qPCR was employed to assess levels of transcription for miRNAs of 103a and 21 in plasma samples. Results: After the experiments, the results were evaluated by REST software, Livak formula and quantitative t-test. The analyzes performed on human samples showed that in the case group compared to the control group, only in Tc-miR-21 gene, a 0.3-fold increase in expression was obtained with REST software (Fold change ≤ 1.5, P>0.05), which was statistically significant by t-test (P