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Global spread and emergence of the extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains of P. aeruginosa have become a concern, thus, searching for new alternative treatment approaches are required. This study was aimed to isolate and characterize a novel lytic phage against P. aeruginosa. Seventy XDR isolates of P. aeruginosa were collected from May to September 2018. Wastewater samples were used for isolation of lytic phage against XDR P. aeruginosa isolates. Host range, thermal and pH stability, adsorption rate, latent period, burst size and morphology of phage were determined following the standard protocols. Morphological characteristics of the phage revealed that it belonged to Podoviridae family and it was named vB-PaeP-007. Although the phage had a narrow host range, 47 out of 70 XDR isolates were susceptible to it. The adsorption rate, latent period and burst size of vB-PaeP-007 were approximately 89.80% in 8 min, 10 min and 93 phages per cell, respectively. Its lysis activity remained at a wide range of pH (4 up to 12) and temperature (- 20.00 up to 70.00 ˚C). Regarding the physiological features and host range of the vB-PaeP-007 phage, it could be a promising candidate for phage therapy and bio-controlling of infections from XDR isolates of P. aeruginosa in human and livestock storage centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women. Cytokines regulate the intensity and continuity of immune response by balancing cell-mediated immunity and humoral responses. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between two polymorphisms of the interleukin-16 (IL-16) gene and risk of breast cancer. Methods: Blood samples were collected from 80 breast cancer patients and 80 healthy individuals. Polymorphisms rs11556218 T/G and rs4072111 C/T were investigated by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP-PCR). Then, genotype and allele frequency distributions were evaluated in each group using the SPSS software (version 24). Results: The frequency of genotype rs11556218 differed significantly between the patients and controls (P=0.007). The TG genotype (odds ratio [OR]= 2.471, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 1.229-4.965, P= 0.001) and total TG+GG genotypes (OR= 3.095, 95% CI: 1.624-5.899, P= 0.001) had a significant relationship with increased risk for breast cancer. The allele and genotype frequencies of rs4072111 C/T polymorphism did not differ significantly between the patients and controls. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the rs11556218 T/G polymorphism of the IL16 gene may be associated with susceptibility to breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen resistant to various antibiotics. The aim of the present study was to study resistant patterns in clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa, classify them into pandrug resistance (PDR), extensive drug resistance (XDR) and multidrug resistance (MDR) groups, and identify extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-positive isolates using the phenotypic and genotypic methods. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 161 P. aeruginosa isolates collected from the city of Isfahan, Iran. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed using 11 antimicrobial agents. ESBL-positive strains were identified using the phenotypic and genotypic methods. Results: The highest level of antibiotic resistance was observed against ceftazidime (77.64%). None of the isolates was resistant to polymyxin B. In the phenotypic method, 64 isolates (39.75%) were found as ESLB-positive, whereas 132 isolates (81.98%) were ESBL-positive in the genotypic method. The number of ESBLpositive isolates in the genotypic method was significantly higher than in the phenotypic method. The frequency of XDR and MDR isolates was 50.93% and 27.32%, respectively. None of the isolates was PDR. The frequency of the blaTEM gene was significantly higher than other genes (P<0.0001). Conclusion: It was revealed that the genotypic method was much more accurate in identifying ESBL-positive strains than the phenotypic method. Therefore, use of the molecular method may increase the chance of successful treatment with antibiotics of the β-lactam family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate presence of different subtypes and genetic variations of JC virus in different geographical areas is a useful tool for reconstructing of the genetic information and understanding of the evolution of the virus and also in tracing of the last and present history of human immigration. Materials and methods: This study aimed to investigate the reactivation of different genotypes of JC virus in kidney and its excretion in the urine of the 50 pregnant and 50 non-pregnant women. Phenol-chloroform method was used to extract DNA. Oligo 7 and MEGA 7 software were used for designing nested PCR specific primers based on vp1 capsid gene, and construction of phylogenetic tree, respectively. Fisher's exact test was used for statistical analyses. Results: All of the positive samples were sequenced and according to them, genotypes 1 and 3 of the virus were detected for the first time in pregnant and non-pregnant women in Asia. The frequency of genotypes 1 and 3 were 14.28% and 85.71% respectively. Conclusion: For the first time genotype 3 was reported as the frequent genotype in pregnant women in Asia. Confirming these needs more studies particularly with a higher number of cases and full genome sequencing of isolated JCVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Escherichia coli is one of the most common causes of hospital-acquired infections. Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli strains are resistant to third-generation cephalosporins. The three main genes involved in ESBL production are TEM, SHV and CTX-M. Detection of ESBL-producing E. coli is of importance for infection control, reduction of excessive antibiotic use and epidemiological surveillance. This study aimed to detect ESBL-producing E. coli strains isolated from wound infections using phenotypic and molecular methods. Methods: During 2013- early 2015, 86 strains were collected from three hospitals in Isfahan, Iran. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was done using ceftazidime and ceftazidime + clavulanic acid discs. Polymerase chain reaction was used for the detection of the three resistance genes. Results: The resistance genes SHV, CTX-M and TEM were detected in 49 isolates (56.9%). In addition, 39 isolates (45%) were ESBL-producing strains. According to the results, 5 (5.8%), 14 (16.2%), 19 (22%) and 11 (12.7%) isolates contained the SHV, CTX-M, TEM and CTX-M + TEM genes, respectively. The frequency of CTX and TEM were significantly higher than that of SHV gene (P <0.05). Most of the isolated bacteria were resistant to cefazolin and sensitive to nitrofurantoin. Conclusions: There is a difference between the frequency of ESBL-positive isolates reported in the phenotypic and genotypic methods, which could be due to the lower sensitivity of the phenotypic method and impact of environmental factors on the emergence of antibiotic resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Herpes simplex encephalitis is a life-threatening consequence of the central nervous system (CNS) infection with Herpes simplex virus (HSV). Although it is a rare disease, mortality rates reach 70% in the absence of therapy and only a minority of individuals can return to normal function. The aim of this study was to determine possible correlation between HSV infection and the incidence of encephalitis in patients with neurological signs. Methods: Overall, 152 CSF samples were tested from patients with neurological signs referred to Mahdieh Clinical Laboratory in Isfahan from 2010 to 2013. After cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collection, DNA was extracted and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed for HSV detection. Results: Of 152 patients tested, 50 were diagnosed with encephalitis. HSV DNA was present in the CSF of 13 patients with encephalitis. HSV was significantly higher (p< 0.05) in patients with encephalitis, which shows the significance of infection as an etiological factor of this disease. About 60% of the encephalitis cases were in age range of 1-24 months. Conclusion: According to the findings of the present study, Cesarean section is recommended for HSV-positive mothers. A routine real-time PCR test is suggested for HSV detection in patients with encephalitis to avoid unnecessary antiviral treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three major hepatitis B virus (HBV) antigens include HBcAg, HBeAg and HBsAg. HBeAg is the extracellular form of HBcAg, and is seen almost exclusively in people who have circulating serum HBV DNA. Presence of HBsAg in serum indicates that the individual has contracted HBV infection. Chronic hepatitis HBeAg-negative/anti-HBe–positive is known as an important form of chronic hepatitis B in the Mediterranean region. In this report, we used Real-Time PCR and ELISA for detection of HBV and HBeAg/HbsAg, respectively. In our investigation on 4243 HBV cases referred to the Mahdieh Clinical Laboratory between 2008 and 2016, we found a 53-year-old man with clinical symptoms of hepatitis and abnormal molecular and serological features. Despite the presence of clinical symptoms and high viral load (128 × 105 iu/ml), the patient was HBsAg-positive and HBeAg-negative. Identifying this type of HBV could indicate spread of this type of hepatitis in Isfahan, Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common autoimmune disease characterized by multifocal areas of inflammatory demyelination within the central nervous system. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) has a complex pathobiology and in most cases is simply asymptomatic. There is some recent controversy over the role of CMV in the pathology of MS. The aim of this study was to evaluate active CMV infection and its effect on the humoral immunity in patients with MS. Serum, plasma, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), saliva and urine collected from MS patients (n=78) and healthy subjects (n=123) were screened for the presence of anti-CMV antibodies and CMV-DNA by nephelometric and PCR methods. Concentrations of total antibodies in MS subtypes were measured using both nephelometric and enzyme linked fluorescent assay (ELFA) techniques. The results extend the observation of an increased frequency of CMV-DNA in patients, in contrast with controls (p<0.001). Furthermore, systemic CMV infections were found in 25.5% of patients and only 3.2% of controls (p<0.001). There was significant difference in the titers of anti-CMV IgG and total IgE in patient and controls (P<0.001). These results support the hypothesis that CMV may contribute to MS thought to establish systemic infection process and induce immune response.