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Background: We aimed to detect Toxoplasma gondii in ovine aborted fetuses and evaluate its genetic variations in the southwest of Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 100 aborted ovine fetuses collected from the different region of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, Iran, in lambing season during 2017 and 2018. DNA was extracted from the brain samples of all of the aborted fetuses and PCR amplified, targeting a 529 bp repetitive element gene of T. gondii. Moreover, to find out the heterogeneity of the positive samples, PCR-DNA amplification of the two main genetic markers, B1 and GRA6, of T. gondii were performed. Nucleotide sequencing and phylogenetic analysis were performed, using the BLAST program and MEGA-X software. Results: The 529 bp gene of T. gondii was detected in 2 out of 100 (2%) of the ovine aborted samples. The sequences analysis of GRA6 and B1 genes revealed that both isolates from the aborted fetuses of sheep belonged to type I of T. gondii. Intra divergence was more seen in GRA6 gene whereas less divergence was ob-served in B1 gene. Conclusion: Congenital infection with Type I of T. gondii during the neonatal period is associated with abortion in ovine. Evaluation of more aborted samples from broader geographical areas is needed to elucidate the molecular epidemiology and also the genotypes of T. gondii associated with abortion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a malignancy of lymphoid progenitors in bone marrow, peripheral blood, and extra medullar, which accounts for 1/4 of childhood cancers. Objectives: Regarding the uncertainties of the exact causes of the disease and the importance of identifying risk factors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, this study aimed at investigating the causes of pre- and post - natal birth in children with ALL. Methods: This case - control study was performed on 156 patients with ALL and 85 patients without ALL in a 4 - year period in Ali Asghar, Shahid Faghihi, and Shahid Motahari Hospitals in Shiraz, Iran between January 2013 and March 2017. The student's t and Chi - square tests were used. To evaluate relationships between various variables, Pearson's or Spearman's correlation analyses were used. The data were analyzed, using the SPSS 16 software. Results: Based on the findings of this study, the presence of Dawn's syndrome and familial history of leukemia and brain tumors were identified as risk factors for the incidence of ALL in children. There was no significant relationship with the history of abortion, radiation exposure, economic status, place of residence, birth rate, etc. Conclusions: The results indicate that among pre- and post - birth causes, the presence of Down syndrome and familial history of leukemia and brain tumors were as risk factors for the incidence of ALL in children. Due to the fact that therapeutic protocols are useful for the treatment of ALL in children, the results of this study and similar studies can be effective in preventing and managing the disease in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of the healthcare system, including prevention, treatment, rehabilitation of diseases and health education; access to essential therapies; allocation of finance & facilities to health issues, and governance of diseases, including COVID-19 and other diseases. Consequently, the burden of COVID-19 was not only attributable to the multiorgan involvement and detailed presentation of the disease but also to the inadequate management of other diseases resulting from the exclusive allocation of resources and medical personnel to the pandemic crisis. Over the mentioned period, one observed deficiency was the lack of public and official favor for conventional screening protocols. To this end, this study aims to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on colorectal cancer (CRC) screening protocols at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran, in an effort to identify individuals at risk for CRC and provide them with intensive screening and therapy., Methods: This is an observational study comparing the number of candidates for CRC screening referred to primary, secondary, and tertiary health-care centers under supervision of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU), Tehran, Iran in a 2-year interval before and after COVID-19 pandemics. Patients with intermediate- and high-risk criteria for colorectal cancer were included in the study and were screened by fecal immunochemical test. Patients with positive or indeterminate fecal test results were further evaluated with colonoscopy in research institute for gastroenterology and liver diseases where is a tertiary referral center for CRC screening. Finally, the decrease percentage of screening tests and endoscopic findings during the pandemic period compared to pre-pandemic period was calculated and interpreted., Results: A significant decrease in the number of performed fecal immunochemical tests (FITs), referred positive FITs, and referred patients with positive alarm signs to the Research Institute of Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases (RIGLD) center inevitably led to a considerable decrease in the number of endoscopic findings, including high-risk adenomas, sessile serrated polyps, and even early-stage colorectal cancers (CRCs)., Conclusion: The disruption of screening protocols caused by the COVID-19 pandemic appears to increase the number of patients with high-grade and end-stage CRCs referred in the near future., (© 2023. The Author(s).)