Elham Kazemirad - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Elham Kazemirad

PLoS neglected tropical diseases, Mar 25, 2024

Background Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a corneal sight-threatening infection caused by the fre... more Background Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a corneal sight-threatening infection caused by the free-living amoebae of the genus Acanthamoeba. Early and appropriate treatment significantly impacts visual outcomes. Mucoadhesive polymers such as chitosan are a potential strategy to prolong the residence time and bioavailability of the encapsulated drugs in the cornea. Regarding the recent administration of miltefosine (MF) for treating resistant AK, in the present study, we synthesized miltefosine-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (MF-CS-NPs) and evaluated them against Acanthamoeba. Methodology/Principal findings Chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) were prepared using the ionic gelation method with negatively charged tripolyphosphate (TPP). The zeta-potential (ZP) and the particle size of MF-CS-NPs were 21.8±3.2 mV and 46.61±18.16 nm, respectively. The release profile of MF-CS-NPs indicated linearity with sustained drug release. The cytotoxicity of MF-CS-NPs on the Vero cell line was 2.67 and 1.64 times lower than free MF at 24 and 48 hours. This formulation exhibited no hemolytic activity in vitro and ocular irritation in rabbit eyes. The IC 50 of MF-CS-NPs showed a significant reduction by 2.06 and 1.69-fold in trophozoites at 24 and 48 hours compared to free MF. Also, the MF-CS-NPs IC 50 in the cysts form was slightly decreased by 1.26 and 1.21-fold at 24 and 48 hours compared to free MF. Conclusions The MF-CS-NPs were more effective against the trophozoites and cysts than free MF. The nano-chitosan formulation was more effective on trophozoites than the cysts form. MF-CS-NPs reduced toxicity and improved the amoebicidal effect of MF. Nano-chitosan could be PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES

PloS one, Mar 13, 2024

Leishmaniasis refers to a disease with a wide range of manifestations; and there are three main f... more Leishmaniasis refers to a disease with a wide range of manifestations; and there are three main forms of disease, cutaneous, mucocutaneous, and visceral. Leishmaniasis is one of the diseases with a protozoan agent which is vector-borne. Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is the most severe form that can be fiercely life-threatening if left untreated. VL can be caused by members of Leishmania donovani complex, in Iran, Leishmania infantum is considered the primary causative agent of VL, resulting in a zoonotic form of VL. The two main goals of our work, which followed our prior sero-epidemiological and entomological survey, were to characterize and conduct a phylogenetic analysis of the Leishmania species that infect people, dogs, and sandflies. The samples were collected throughout 2017, from January to December, so blood samples were collected from humans and dogs, while sandfly samples were collected with sticky traps. DNA extracted from all seropositive samples of humans and dogs, 10% of sero-negative human samples, and all collected sandflies were subjected to kDNA-nested-PCR for tracing parasites. A total of 30 samples, including 20 human samples, 8 dog samples, and 2 sandfly samples, were found positive for the kDNA gene of L. infantum. Sequences were evaluated to study the genetic diversity among the six discovered L. infantum. Based on kDNA, the phylogenetic study of L. infantum demonstrated a high level of genetic variety and a relationship between the host, the parasite's geographic origin, and its genetic diversity.

Acta tropica, Mar 1, 2024

Parasite Epidemiology and Control, Aug 1, 2020

Free-living amoeba (FLA) such as Acanthamoeba, Naegleria, Balamuthia, and Vermamoeba have been id... more Free-living amoeba (FLA) such as Acanthamoeba, Naegleria, Balamuthia, and Vermamoeba have been identified from both natural and human-made environments such as Hot springs and spa. Naegleria fowleri causes Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), while Acanthamoeba and Balamuthia cause chronic granulomatous encephalitis. Acanthamoeba also can cause cutaneous lesions and Amoebic Keratitis (AK) that is associated with contact lens use or corneal trauma. FLA are known to serve as host of and vehicles for diverse intracellular organisms. This study aimed was to identify the presence of FLA in the hot springs and beaches of the Caspian Sea in Ramsar tourist town located in the northern part of Iran. Water samples were collected in sterile bottles and were transferred to the laboratory. One litre of each sample passed through the nitrocellulose membrane filter. Each filter insert was then placed in non-nutrient agar plates already seeded with lawn culture of Escherichia coli. Positive samples were analyzed by morphological keys and Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using 18S rDNA gene and ITS region to identify amoeba isolates. A total of 81 water sampled were tasted. After identified using the morphological key and PCR assay, 54 (66.6%) of the samples were positive for FLA. Ten of the samples were identified as Acanthamoeba (belong to T3, T4, and T5 genotypes), three as Vermamoeba vermiformis, four as Naegleria (3 N.australiensis and 1 N.grubery). Only one sample was positive Vahlkampfia. The presence of thermotolerant FLA in the Hot springs and beaches of the Caspian Sea as places for recreational purposes or wellness may be a potential health risk.

Journal of arthropod-borne diseases, Aug 8, 2018

Background: Leishmaniasis is a major medical health problem and distributes in nearly half of 31 ... more Background: Leishmaniasis is a major medical health problem and distributes in nearly half of 31 provinces of Iran. We aimed to identify cutaneous and visceral Leishmania spp. isolated from infected humans and domestic dogs in various regions of Iran, 2010-2013. Methods: DNA was extracted from 108 lesion exudate samples of suspected patients to cutaneous leishmaniasis and nine liver and spleen aspirates of infected dogs cultured in RPMI-1640 and amplified using partial sequence of ITS1 gene. The PCR amplicons were digested using HaeIII endonuclease enzyme and used in restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay. Then, 48 amplicons representing various hosts were sequenced and compared to sequences from GenBank databases using BLAST. Results: PCR-RFLP analysis showed that 60 and 48 CL patients were infected by Leishmania tropica and L. major, respectively. From nine canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) isolates, eight isolates were identified as L. infantum and one as L. tropica. The greatest similarity of 95.7% in ITS1 region was seen between L. infantum and L. major. Furthermore, the lowest similarity with 65.7% was seen between L. tropica and L. major. Intra-species comparison of ITS1 region in L. infantum, L. major and L. tropica isolates were showed 100%, 98.2% and 72.4 % similarities, respectively. Conclusion: PCR-RFLP based on ITS1 region is an appropriate method to distinguish three Leishmania spp. of L. major, L. tropica, and L. infantum. In intra-species comparison of ITS1 region, genotypic variations showed that L. tropica isolates were more heterogeneous than L. major and L. infantum isolates.

PLOS ONE, Feb 9, 2023

Acute appendicitis represents one of the most common causes of emergency abdominal surgery worldw... more Acute appendicitis represents one of the most common causes of emergency abdominal surgery worldwide. Meanwhile, Enterobius vermicularis has been suggested as one of the probable causes of appendicitis. In this study, the morphological characteristics of the remnant pinworms and pathologic changes were explored in old-archived FFPE tissues of appendectomies. Moreover, we provide the first molecular identification, genetic, and haplotype variation of this nematode from the old-archived FFPE tissue section of appendectomy using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene. Seventeen FFPE appendectomies with E. vermicularis infection, stored over 12-22 years, were collected from two different geographical areas of Iran. In the histopathological examination, tissue changes were observed in thirteen cases (76.4%) and inflammation in four blocks (23.5%). After DNA extraction, the cox1 gene was amplified in twelve (70.6%) cases using the nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Phylogenetic analysis and a median-joining network of 78 available cox1 sequences of E. vermicularis revealed 59 haplotypes. We identified five haplotypes that fell into type B. All Haplotypes are novel except for two haplotypes, Hap32 and Hap37, identical to E. vermicularis sequences from Iran, Greece, and Germany. The ranges of diversity distance and haplotype diversity within the isolates were 0-1.9% and HD:0.643-0.667, subsequently. Overall, the absence of inflammation or even tissue changes in some sections can suggest the possible non-inflammatory role of E. vermicularis in appendicitis. Although FFPE material suffers from PCR inhibition, we could successfully use nested PCR to characterize E. vermicularis in old-archived appendectomy blocks and suggest this method as a complementary diagnosis technique in pathology. While the predominant type was B in the Middle East and Europe, further studies on a larger sample size

Iranian Journal of Parasitology, Jun 25, 2018

Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is one of the world health problems. Leishmania major is... more Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is one of the world health problems. Leishmania major is the etiological agent of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL). Promastigote and amastigote are two morphological forms of Leishmania parasites that express different proteins and p27 is an important gene encoding cytochrome c oxidase (COX) component. P27 gene expresses a 27 kDa protein that essential in ATP synthesis. This study aimed to compare p27 gene expression in promastigote and amastigote forms in Iranian strain of L. major (MRHO/IR/75/ER). Methods: This study was conducted in 2015. Clinical isolates of CL patients from north, center, west and south parts of Iran were collected and identified by PCR-RFLP. After RNA extraction of promastigotes and amastigotes and cDNA synthesis, the expression level of p27 gene was compared by real-time RT-PCR. Results: By comparison of expression level between amastigote and promastigote forms of Iranian strain of L. major, up-regulation of p27 gene (2.73 fold) was observed in amastigotes. Moreover, there was no significant difference in p27 gene expression between L. major isolates. Conclusion: p27 gene and protein can be considered as a target in recombinant vaccine production and treatment process.

Acta Parasitologica, Sep 24, 2020

Fascioliasis is an important neglected tropical disease that causes severe injury to the bile duc... more Fascioliasis is an important neglected tropical disease that causes severe injury to the bile ducts and liver. Therefore, a rapid and accurate method for detection of Fasciola hepatica infection plays a vital role in early treatment. Currently, the diagnosis of fascioliasis is mainly conducted via serological tests using the excretory/secretory (E/S) products, which might cross-react with antigens from other helminth parasitic diseases. Hence, the development of serodiagnosis test using recombinant antigens may contribute to differentiate fascioliasis from other helminth infections. In the past 20 years, many attempts have been made to exert different F. hepatica recombinant antigens to obtain a well-established standard assay with high accuracy. In this review, we address recent studies that refer to the development of serodiagnosis tests for diagnosis of human fascioliasis based on the candidate recombinant antigens produced by different approaches. Meanwhile, in the present review, some main factors have been highlighted to improve the accuracy of diagnostic tests such as the effect of refolding methods to recover antigens’ tertiary structure as well as applying a mixture of recombinant antigens with the highest sensitivity and specificity to improve the accuracy of diagnostic tests.

PLOS ONE, Oct 3, 2018

Diagnosis of fascioliasis with high sensitivity and specificity antigens play a vital role in the... more Diagnosis of fascioliasis with high sensitivity and specificity antigens play a vital role in the management of the disease. Majority of commercial serological tests use F. hepatica native antigens and indicate wide diversities in test accuracy. Nowadays, recombinant antigens have been introduced as diagnostic reagents offer better test standardization. A combination of highly pure recombinant antigens associated with correct folding will leads to improve specificity and sensitivity of ELISA for diagnosis of Fascioliasis. In this article, Fasciola hepatica saposin-like protein 2 (SAP-2), ferritin protein (Ftn-1) and leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) recombinant antigens were considered as tools for the detection of F. hepatica immunoglobulin G antibodies in persons with chronic human fasciolasis. The recombinant antigens were obtained as fusion proteins, expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC). The refolding processes of denatured recombinant proteins were performed using dialysis method in the presence of chemical additives, and reduced/oxidized glutathione (in vitro). The immunoreactivity of the recombinant antigens was assessed individually and in a combination compared with excretory/ secretory antigen (E/S) in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. The experiments were optimized using 213 serum samples from humans, including patients with chronic fascioliasis, patients with other parasitic diseases, and healthy subjects. The results indicated 95% sensitivity and 98% specificity for rtFhSAP-2, 96% sensitivity and 91% specificity for E/S, 80% and 83.3% for rtFhFtn-1, 84% and 88% for FhLAP, and also, 96% and 95% for combination of recombinant antigens, respectively. In conclusion, the results of this investigation showed that rtFhSAP-2 with the highest specificity and acceptable sensitivity has a considerable superiority compared to mentioned antigens and even in combination with these antigens in serodiagnosis of human fascioliasis.

DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Jan 27, 2016

Background: The mechanisms of virulence and species differences of Leishmania parasites are under... more Background: The mechanisms of virulence and species differences of Leishmania parasites are under the influence of gene expression regulations at posttranscriptional stages. In Iran, L. major and L. tropica are known as principal agents of cutaneous leishmaniasis, while L. infantum causes visceral leishmaniasis. Methods: As a preliminary study, we compared the proteome mapping of the above three Iranian isolates of Leishmania species through the 2-dimension electrophoresis (2-DE), and identified the prominent proteins by Liquid Chromatography (LC) mass spectrometry. Results: We reproducibly detected about 700 protein spots in each species by using the Melanie software. Totally, 264 proteins exhibited significant changes among 3 species. Forty nine protein spots identified in both L. tropica and L. major were similar in position in the gel, whereas only 35 of L. major proteins and 10 of L. tropica proteins were matched with those of L. infantum. Having identified 24 proteins in the three species, we sought to provide possible explanations for their differential expression patterns and discuss their relevance to cell biology. Conclusion: The comparison of proteome profiling pattern of the 3 species identified limit up and limit down regulated or absent /present proteins. In addition, the LC-MS data analysis showed that most of the protein spots with differential abundance in the 3 species are involved in cell motility and cytoskeleton, cell signaling and vesicular trafficking, intracellular survival / proteolysis, oxidative stress defense, protein synthesis, protein ubiquitination / proteolysis, and stress related proteins. Differentially proteins distributed among the species maybe implicated in host pathogenecity interactions and parasite tropism to cutaneous or visceral tissue macrophages.

PubMed, Dec 2, 2015

Background: Viscerotropic leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania tropica poses a significant problem ... more Background: Viscerotropic leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania tropica poses a significant problem in the diagnosis and treatment management. Since differential gene expression is more important in outcome of the infection, we employed proteomic approach to identify potential proteins involved in visceralization of L. tropica. Methods: The proteomes profiling of L. tropica isolated from cutaneous and visceral tissues of one host were compared by 2-DE/MS proteomics study. Moreover, the transcript level of some identified proteins was confirmed using real-time RT-PCR. Results: Of the 700 protein spots that were detected reproducibly on each gel, 135 were found to be differentially expressed (P≤ 0.05). Most of responsive proteins in visceral isolate changed in less abundant compared to cutaneous isolate. Among differentially expressed proteins, 56 proteins were confidently identified and classified according to the biological process. The largest groups consist of proteins involved in carbohydrate metabolism and protein synthesis. Most of the identified proteins, which implicated in energy metabolism, cell signaling and virulence were down-regulated, whereas some proteins that have a role in protein folding, antioxidant defense and proteolysis were up-regulated in visceral form. Moreover, the transcript level of some identified proteins such as co-chaperon was confirmed using real-time RT-PCR. Conclusion: L. tropica probably uses different mechanisms for survival and multiplication in viscera to establish viscerotropic leishmaniasis. The current study provides some clues into the mechanisms underlying the dissemination of L. tropica .

Infection, Genetics and Evolution, Aug 1, 2014

The identity of Iranian Leishmania species has been resolved to some extent by some genetic marke... more The identity of Iranian Leishmania species has been resolved to some extent by some genetic markers. In this study, based on N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate transferase (nagt) gene, we further elucidated the identity and phylogeny of the prevalent species in this country. DNAs of 121 isolates belonging to cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) patients, canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) cases, and Rhombomys opimus rodents were amplified by targeting a partial sequence of nagt gene. All the amplicons were analyzed with restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) using Acc1 enzyme, and 49 amplicons representing different reservoir hosts were sequenced and aligned with similar sequences from GenBank database. The RFLP analysis revealed that 41 CL patients were infected Leishmania tropica and 36 with Leishmania major. Among 10 CVL isolates, 6 were identified as Leishmania infantum and 4 as L. tropica. Amongst 34 rodents' isolates, 11 and 23 isolates exhibited patterns similar to those of L. major, and L. tropica/Leishmania turanica, respectively. The sequencing results from all CL patients, CVL cases, and 4 reservoir rodents were in agreement with RFLP analysis and showed 99-100% homologies with the registered species of L. major, L. tropica, and L. infantum from Turkey, Tunisia, Iraq and Israel. Of the 7 rodent isolates exhibiting RFLP patterns similar to L. tropica/L. turanica, 3 exhibited the highest homologies (99-100%) with L. turanica and 4 with Leishmania gerbilli. The 49 nagt DNA sequences were grouped into five clusters representing L. major, L. tropica, L. infantum, L. turanica and L. gerbilli species, encompassing 19 haplotypes. No correlation was observed between intraspecies divergence and geographic distribution of haplotypes. The L. tropica haplotypes exhibited more homologies with those of L. infantum than L. major (97.2% vs. 96.9%), a probable indication to the potential ability of L. tropica to visceralize. Characterization of Iranian Leishmania isolates using nagt gene allowed unambiguous identification of five prevalent species with a high-resolution phylogeny.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Aug 24, 2020

Risk of mother-to-child transmission of Toxoplasma gondii during pregnancy is much greater in wom... more Risk of mother-to-child transmission of Toxoplasma gondii during pregnancy is much greater in women who are exposed to primary T. gondii infection (toxoplasmosis) after conception compared to those who were exposed to the infection before conception. Therefore, laboratory tests that help classify recent primary toxoplasmosis are important tools for the management of pregnant women suspected to have T. gondii exposure. Detection of Toxoplasma IgM (Toxo IgM) is a sensitive indicator of primary toxoplasmosis, but the indicator specificity is low because sometimes natural IgM antibodies react with Toxoplasma antigens in the absence of the infection.

Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine, 2019

Objective: To clarify the epidemiological aspects of visceral leishmaniasis in Kaleybar and Khoda... more Objective: To clarify the epidemiological aspects of visceral leishmaniasis in Kaleybar and Khoda-Afarin districts, north-west of Iran. Methods: A total of 1 420 human (children under 12 years) samples, 101 domestic dogs samples (Canis familiaris), and 577 female sand fly samples were collected. Sera of human and dogs were tested using the direct agglutination test, and sand flies were identified at species level using the microscopic method. Furthermore, a structured questionnaire was applied to evaluate the correlation between the potential risk factors and the related clinical signs/ symptoms with the human and dogs’ seropositivity. Results: Totally, 2.18% of human samples were positive at titers≥: 800; among them, 13 cases (41.94%) were above 1:3 200, and clinical symptoms were observed in all of them except for an 11-year old girl. Anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies were found at titers ≥1: 320 in 9.90% of dogs’ samples, half of them had at least one sign of canine visceral leishmaniasis. Moreover, 10 Phlebotomus species were identified in the study areas, and Phlebotomus (Larroussius) major group was the predominant species. There are significant correlations between the presence of anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies and the fever (P<0.001), anemia (P=0.001) and weight loss (P=0.016) in children. On the other hand, significant correlations were revealed between the Leishmania infection and the shelter (P=0.039), cutaneous lesion (P=0.005), lymphadenopathy (P=0.001) and weight loss (P<0.001) in the infected dogs. Conclusions: Visceral Leishmania infection is prevalent in rural areas of Kaleybar and Khoda- Afar districts located in East-Azerbaijan province, therefore active detection and treatment of visceral leishmaniasis cases should not be neglected.

Research Square (Research Square), Jun 29, 2021

Noise can change the pattern of gene expression inducing sensorineural hearing impairment. There ... more Noise can change the pattern of gene expression inducing sensorineural hearing impairment. There is no investigation on effects of noise frequency on the expression of GJB2 and SLC26A4 genes involved in congenital hearing impairment in cochlear tissue. This study investigated impacts of white and purple noise on gene expression and pathologic changes of cochlear tissue. In this study, 32 adult male Westar rats were selected and divided into experimental groups WN (animals exposed to white noise with a frequency range of 100-20000 Hz), PN (animals exposed to purple noise with a frequency range of 4-20 kHz) and control groups. All experimental groups were exposed to a sound pressure level of 118-120 dB for 8 hours per day. Cochlear tissue sampling was performed for tissue pathology studies, also RNA was extracted at 1 hour & 1 week after cessation of noise exposure. The results showed that Both white and purple noises caused permanent damage to the cortical, estrosilica systems of hair cells and ganglion of the hearing nerve. GJB2 and SLC26A4 were downregulated in both groups exposed with white and purple noise. However, differences are notably more signi cant in 1 weak post-exposure than 1 hour. Our Findings suggest GJB2 and SLC26A4 can be considered as biomarkers of response to noise frequency which is associated with the pathological response of cochlear tissue, leading to sensorineural hearing impairment. It would be suggested the demand for a more conventional approach to assessment of noise-induced hearing loss and subsequently the practice of hearing protection programs.

DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), May 1, 2008

... 56 different standard species of Leishmania were se-quenced at Kawsar Biotechnology Center, T... more ... 56 different standard species of Leishmania were se-quenced at Kawsar Biotechnology Center, Te-hran, Iran ... MR Yaghoobi-Ershadi, Mr AA Akhavan, Mr MR Abaei, Mr Z Zarei, Mrs B Ak-houndi, Mrs S Charehdar, Dr E Zibafar, Miss F Mesgarian, Mrs Z Talaei, Mr MH Falaki, Mrs ...

Iranian Journal of Clinical Infectious Diseases, Jul 10, 2021

Background: Dezful and its suburbs, as the second city in Khuzestan Province, southwest of Iran, ... more Background: Dezful and its suburbs, as the second city in Khuzestan Province, southwest of Iran, has been an endemic area of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) with a low incidence rate since the last decades. However, the disease incidence has rapidly increased, and now is considered as a re-emerging parasitic disease in the area. Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify the most prevalent CL species in Dezful Region. Methods: A total of 196 microscopically confirmed slides from CL patients referred to Dezful Health Center were randomly collected in the period of 2015-2016. After DNA extraction from microscopically positive slides, polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was carried out on 61 eligible specimens using ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) gene. The HaeIII restriction enzyme was used for the identification of species. Results: Samples were randomly collected from 196 acute CL cases, including 110 (56.2%) males and 86 (43.8%) females. Most infections were seen in the age range of 2-7 years (65/196, 33.1%). Totally, 60.1% of the cases had only one lesion, and half of the lesions appeared on hands. Furthermore, 162 (82.7%) cases were referred to Dezful Health Center in the cold seasons (autumn and winter). Results of PCR-RFLP on 61 eligible isolates showed that 60 (98.4%) isolates were Leishmania major, and only 1 (1.6%) isolate was Leishmania tropica. Conclusions: Our findings indicated that L. major is the main agent of re-emerged CL in Dezful and its suburbs, and the disease is a zoonosis.

DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Jan 27, 2016

The number of malaria cases is declining worldwide; however, it remains as a serious health probl... more The number of malaria cases is declining worldwide; however, it remains as a serious health problem. Diagnosing unusual cases is the most important issue to manage the problem. This study designed to describe the number of falciparum and vivax malaria infected patients referred to Malaria Reference Laboratory in Tehran University of Medical Science from 2000 to 2012. A retrospective study was conducted based on the collected questionnaires from each patient referred to the laboratory. Diagnosing results and demographic information for positive cases were analyzed using SPSS software. Problematic cases were evaluated for any difficulties in diagnosis or in clinical signs. Scanning and molecular methods were performed whenever there was an atypical case referred to the laboratory. Some of the samples had various difficulties for diagnosing such as presence of fussed gametocytes and schizonts of Plasmodium falciparum in peripheral blood and CCHF like hemoragic disorders. Plasmodium vivax caused a large proportion of the cases (76.1%) in contrast with P. falciparum that included smaller proportion (22.8%) and the rest (1.1) belonged to mixed infection. Most of the positive cases (69.6%) were belonged to Afghani people. Men (94.6%) showed more infection than women (5.4%), moreover the most infection (44.5%) was seen at a range of 21-30 yr. In the case of existing atypical issues to diagnose, it is needed to perform more precise microscopical examination beyond the current standard conditions. Sometimes molecular method is required to verify the exact agent of the disease.

Molecular Biology Reports

Noise can change the pattern of gene expression inducing sensorineural hearing impairment. There ... more Noise can change the pattern of gene expression inducing sensorineural hearing impairment. There is no investigation on effects of noise frequency on the expression of GJB2 and SLC26A4 genes involved in congenital hearing impairment in cochlear tissue. This study investigated impacts of white and purple noise on gene expression and pathologic changes of cochlear tissue. In this study, 32 adult male Westar rats were selected and divided into experimental groups WN (animals exposed to white noise with a frequency range of 100-20000 Hz), PN (animals exposed to purple noise with a frequency range of 4-20 kHz) and control groups. All experimental groups were exposed to a sound pressure level of 118-120 dB for 8 hours per day. Cochlear tissue sampling was performed for tissue pathology studies, also RNA was extracted at 1 hour & 1 week after cessation of noise exposure. The results showed that Both white and purple noises caused permanent damage to the cortical, estrosilica systems of hair cells and ganglion of the hearing nerve. GJB2 and SLC26A4 were downregulated in both groups exposed with white and purple noise. However, differences are notably more signi cant in 1 weak post-exposure than 1 hour. Our Findings suggest GJB2 and SLC26A4 can be considered as biomarkers of response to noise frequency which is associated with the pathological response of cochlear tissue, leading to sensorineural hearing impairment. It would be suggested the demand for a more conventional approach to assessment of noise-induced hearing loss and subsequently the practice of hearing protection programs.

PLoS neglected tropical diseases, Mar 25, 2024

Background Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a corneal sight-threatening infection caused by the fre... more Background Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a corneal sight-threatening infection caused by the free-living amoebae of the genus Acanthamoeba. Early and appropriate treatment significantly impacts visual outcomes. Mucoadhesive polymers such as chitosan are a potential strategy to prolong the residence time and bioavailability of the encapsulated drugs in the cornea. Regarding the recent administration of miltefosine (MF) for treating resistant AK, in the present study, we synthesized miltefosine-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (MF-CS-NPs) and evaluated them against Acanthamoeba. Methodology/Principal findings Chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) were prepared using the ionic gelation method with negatively charged tripolyphosphate (TPP). The zeta-potential (ZP) and the particle size of MF-CS-NPs were 21.8±3.2 mV and 46.61±18.16 nm, respectively. The release profile of MF-CS-NPs indicated linearity with sustained drug release. The cytotoxicity of MF-CS-NPs on the Vero cell line was 2.67 and 1.64 times lower than free MF at 24 and 48 hours. This formulation exhibited no hemolytic activity in vitro and ocular irritation in rabbit eyes. The IC 50 of MF-CS-NPs showed a significant reduction by 2.06 and 1.69-fold in trophozoites at 24 and 48 hours compared to free MF. Also, the MF-CS-NPs IC 50 in the cysts form was slightly decreased by 1.26 and 1.21-fold at 24 and 48 hours compared to free MF. Conclusions The MF-CS-NPs were more effective against the trophozoites and cysts than free MF. The nano-chitosan formulation was more effective on trophozoites than the cysts form. MF-CS-NPs reduced toxicity and improved the amoebicidal effect of MF. Nano-chitosan could be PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES

PloS one, Mar 13, 2024

Leishmaniasis refers to a disease with a wide range of manifestations; and there are three main f... more Leishmaniasis refers to a disease with a wide range of manifestations; and there are three main forms of disease, cutaneous, mucocutaneous, and visceral. Leishmaniasis is one of the diseases with a protozoan agent which is vector-borne. Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is the most severe form that can be fiercely life-threatening if left untreated. VL can be caused by members of Leishmania donovani complex, in Iran, Leishmania infantum is considered the primary causative agent of VL, resulting in a zoonotic form of VL. The two main goals of our work, which followed our prior sero-epidemiological and entomological survey, were to characterize and conduct a phylogenetic analysis of the Leishmania species that infect people, dogs, and sandflies. The samples were collected throughout 2017, from January to December, so blood samples were collected from humans and dogs, while sandfly samples were collected with sticky traps. DNA extracted from all seropositive samples of humans and dogs, 10% of sero-negative human samples, and all collected sandflies were subjected to kDNA-nested-PCR for tracing parasites. A total of 30 samples, including 20 human samples, 8 dog samples, and 2 sandfly samples, were found positive for the kDNA gene of L. infantum. Sequences were evaluated to study the genetic diversity among the six discovered L. infantum. Based on kDNA, the phylogenetic study of L. infantum demonstrated a high level of genetic variety and a relationship between the host, the parasite's geographic origin, and its genetic diversity.

Acta tropica, Mar 1, 2024

Parasite Epidemiology and Control, Aug 1, 2020

Free-living amoeba (FLA) such as Acanthamoeba, Naegleria, Balamuthia, and Vermamoeba have been id... more Free-living amoeba (FLA) such as Acanthamoeba, Naegleria, Balamuthia, and Vermamoeba have been identified from both natural and human-made environments such as Hot springs and spa. Naegleria fowleri causes Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), while Acanthamoeba and Balamuthia cause chronic granulomatous encephalitis. Acanthamoeba also can cause cutaneous lesions and Amoebic Keratitis (AK) that is associated with contact lens use or corneal trauma. FLA are known to serve as host of and vehicles for diverse intracellular organisms. This study aimed was to identify the presence of FLA in the hot springs and beaches of the Caspian Sea in Ramsar tourist town located in the northern part of Iran. Water samples were collected in sterile bottles and were transferred to the laboratory. One litre of each sample passed through the nitrocellulose membrane filter. Each filter insert was then placed in non-nutrient agar plates already seeded with lawn culture of Escherichia coli. Positive samples were analyzed by morphological keys and Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using 18S rDNA gene and ITS region to identify amoeba isolates. A total of 81 water sampled were tasted. After identified using the morphological key and PCR assay, 54 (66.6%) of the samples were positive for FLA. Ten of the samples were identified as Acanthamoeba (belong to T3, T4, and T5 genotypes), three as Vermamoeba vermiformis, four as Naegleria (3 N.australiensis and 1 N.grubery). Only one sample was positive Vahlkampfia. The presence of thermotolerant FLA in the Hot springs and beaches of the Caspian Sea as places for recreational purposes or wellness may be a potential health risk.

Journal of arthropod-borne diseases, Aug 8, 2018

Background: Leishmaniasis is a major medical health problem and distributes in nearly half of 31 ... more Background: Leishmaniasis is a major medical health problem and distributes in nearly half of 31 provinces of Iran. We aimed to identify cutaneous and visceral Leishmania spp. isolated from infected humans and domestic dogs in various regions of Iran, 2010-2013. Methods: DNA was extracted from 108 lesion exudate samples of suspected patients to cutaneous leishmaniasis and nine liver and spleen aspirates of infected dogs cultured in RPMI-1640 and amplified using partial sequence of ITS1 gene. The PCR amplicons were digested using HaeIII endonuclease enzyme and used in restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay. Then, 48 amplicons representing various hosts were sequenced and compared to sequences from GenBank databases using BLAST. Results: PCR-RFLP analysis showed that 60 and 48 CL patients were infected by Leishmania tropica and L. major, respectively. From nine canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) isolates, eight isolates were identified as L. infantum and one as L. tropica. The greatest similarity of 95.7% in ITS1 region was seen between L. infantum and L. major. Furthermore, the lowest similarity with 65.7% was seen between L. tropica and L. major. Intra-species comparison of ITS1 region in L. infantum, L. major and L. tropica isolates were showed 100%, 98.2% and 72.4 % similarities, respectively. Conclusion: PCR-RFLP based on ITS1 region is an appropriate method to distinguish three Leishmania spp. of L. major, L. tropica, and L. infantum. In intra-species comparison of ITS1 region, genotypic variations showed that L. tropica isolates were more heterogeneous than L. major and L. infantum isolates.

PLOS ONE, Feb 9, 2023

Acute appendicitis represents one of the most common causes of emergency abdominal surgery worldw... more Acute appendicitis represents one of the most common causes of emergency abdominal surgery worldwide. Meanwhile, Enterobius vermicularis has been suggested as one of the probable causes of appendicitis. In this study, the morphological characteristics of the remnant pinworms and pathologic changes were explored in old-archived FFPE tissues of appendectomies. Moreover, we provide the first molecular identification, genetic, and haplotype variation of this nematode from the old-archived FFPE tissue section of appendectomy using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene. Seventeen FFPE appendectomies with E. vermicularis infection, stored over 12-22 years, were collected from two different geographical areas of Iran. In the histopathological examination, tissue changes were observed in thirteen cases (76.4%) and inflammation in four blocks (23.5%). After DNA extraction, the cox1 gene was amplified in twelve (70.6%) cases using the nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Phylogenetic analysis and a median-joining network of 78 available cox1 sequences of E. vermicularis revealed 59 haplotypes. We identified five haplotypes that fell into type B. All Haplotypes are novel except for two haplotypes, Hap32 and Hap37, identical to E. vermicularis sequences from Iran, Greece, and Germany. The ranges of diversity distance and haplotype diversity within the isolates were 0-1.9% and HD:0.643-0.667, subsequently. Overall, the absence of inflammation or even tissue changes in some sections can suggest the possible non-inflammatory role of E. vermicularis in appendicitis. Although FFPE material suffers from PCR inhibition, we could successfully use nested PCR to characterize E. vermicularis in old-archived appendectomy blocks and suggest this method as a complementary diagnosis technique in pathology. While the predominant type was B in the Middle East and Europe, further studies on a larger sample size

Iranian Journal of Parasitology, Jun 25, 2018

Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is one of the world health problems. Leishmania major is... more Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is one of the world health problems. Leishmania major is the etiological agent of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL). Promastigote and amastigote are two morphological forms of Leishmania parasites that express different proteins and p27 is an important gene encoding cytochrome c oxidase (COX) component. P27 gene expresses a 27 kDa protein that essential in ATP synthesis. This study aimed to compare p27 gene expression in promastigote and amastigote forms in Iranian strain of L. major (MRHO/IR/75/ER). Methods: This study was conducted in 2015. Clinical isolates of CL patients from north, center, west and south parts of Iran were collected and identified by PCR-RFLP. After RNA extraction of promastigotes and amastigotes and cDNA synthesis, the expression level of p27 gene was compared by real-time RT-PCR. Results: By comparison of expression level between amastigote and promastigote forms of Iranian strain of L. major, up-regulation of p27 gene (2.73 fold) was observed in amastigotes. Moreover, there was no significant difference in p27 gene expression between L. major isolates. Conclusion: p27 gene and protein can be considered as a target in recombinant vaccine production and treatment process.

Acta Parasitologica, Sep 24, 2020

Fascioliasis is an important neglected tropical disease that causes severe injury to the bile duc... more Fascioliasis is an important neglected tropical disease that causes severe injury to the bile ducts and liver. Therefore, a rapid and accurate method for detection of Fasciola hepatica infection plays a vital role in early treatment. Currently, the diagnosis of fascioliasis is mainly conducted via serological tests using the excretory/secretory (E/S) products, which might cross-react with antigens from other helminth parasitic diseases. Hence, the development of serodiagnosis test using recombinant antigens may contribute to differentiate fascioliasis from other helminth infections. In the past 20 years, many attempts have been made to exert different F. hepatica recombinant antigens to obtain a well-established standard assay with high accuracy. In this review, we address recent studies that refer to the development of serodiagnosis tests for diagnosis of human fascioliasis based on the candidate recombinant antigens produced by different approaches. Meanwhile, in the present review, some main factors have been highlighted to improve the accuracy of diagnostic tests such as the effect of refolding methods to recover antigens’ tertiary structure as well as applying a mixture of recombinant antigens with the highest sensitivity and specificity to improve the accuracy of diagnostic tests.

PLOS ONE, Oct 3, 2018

Diagnosis of fascioliasis with high sensitivity and specificity antigens play a vital role in the... more Diagnosis of fascioliasis with high sensitivity and specificity antigens play a vital role in the management of the disease. Majority of commercial serological tests use F. hepatica native antigens and indicate wide diversities in test accuracy. Nowadays, recombinant antigens have been introduced as diagnostic reagents offer better test standardization. A combination of highly pure recombinant antigens associated with correct folding will leads to improve specificity and sensitivity of ELISA for diagnosis of Fascioliasis. In this article, Fasciola hepatica saposin-like protein 2 (SAP-2), ferritin protein (Ftn-1) and leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) recombinant antigens were considered as tools for the detection of F. hepatica immunoglobulin G antibodies in persons with chronic human fasciolasis. The recombinant antigens were obtained as fusion proteins, expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC). The refolding processes of denatured recombinant proteins were performed using dialysis method in the presence of chemical additives, and reduced/oxidized glutathione (in vitro). The immunoreactivity of the recombinant antigens was assessed individually and in a combination compared with excretory/ secretory antigen (E/S) in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. The experiments were optimized using 213 serum samples from humans, including patients with chronic fascioliasis, patients with other parasitic diseases, and healthy subjects. The results indicated 95% sensitivity and 98% specificity for rtFhSAP-2, 96% sensitivity and 91% specificity for E/S, 80% and 83.3% for rtFhFtn-1, 84% and 88% for FhLAP, and also, 96% and 95% for combination of recombinant antigens, respectively. In conclusion, the results of this investigation showed that rtFhSAP-2 with the highest specificity and acceptable sensitivity has a considerable superiority compared to mentioned antigens and even in combination with these antigens in serodiagnosis of human fascioliasis.

DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Jan 27, 2016

Background: The mechanisms of virulence and species differences of Leishmania parasites are under... more Background: The mechanisms of virulence and species differences of Leishmania parasites are under the influence of gene expression regulations at posttranscriptional stages. In Iran, L. major and L. tropica are known as principal agents of cutaneous leishmaniasis, while L. infantum causes visceral leishmaniasis. Methods: As a preliminary study, we compared the proteome mapping of the above three Iranian isolates of Leishmania species through the 2-dimension electrophoresis (2-DE), and identified the prominent proteins by Liquid Chromatography (LC) mass spectrometry. Results: We reproducibly detected about 700 protein spots in each species by using the Melanie software. Totally, 264 proteins exhibited significant changes among 3 species. Forty nine protein spots identified in both L. tropica and L. major were similar in position in the gel, whereas only 35 of L. major proteins and 10 of L. tropica proteins were matched with those of L. infantum. Having identified 24 proteins in the three species, we sought to provide possible explanations for their differential expression patterns and discuss their relevance to cell biology. Conclusion: The comparison of proteome profiling pattern of the 3 species identified limit up and limit down regulated or absent /present proteins. In addition, the LC-MS data analysis showed that most of the protein spots with differential abundance in the 3 species are involved in cell motility and cytoskeleton, cell signaling and vesicular trafficking, intracellular survival / proteolysis, oxidative stress defense, protein synthesis, protein ubiquitination / proteolysis, and stress related proteins. Differentially proteins distributed among the species maybe implicated in host pathogenecity interactions and parasite tropism to cutaneous or visceral tissue macrophages.

PubMed, Dec 2, 2015

Background: Viscerotropic leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania tropica poses a significant problem ... more Background: Viscerotropic leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania tropica poses a significant problem in the diagnosis and treatment management. Since differential gene expression is more important in outcome of the infection, we employed proteomic approach to identify potential proteins involved in visceralization of L. tropica. Methods: The proteomes profiling of L. tropica isolated from cutaneous and visceral tissues of one host were compared by 2-DE/MS proteomics study. Moreover, the transcript level of some identified proteins was confirmed using real-time RT-PCR. Results: Of the 700 protein spots that were detected reproducibly on each gel, 135 were found to be differentially expressed (P≤ 0.05). Most of responsive proteins in visceral isolate changed in less abundant compared to cutaneous isolate. Among differentially expressed proteins, 56 proteins were confidently identified and classified according to the biological process. The largest groups consist of proteins involved in carbohydrate metabolism and protein synthesis. Most of the identified proteins, which implicated in energy metabolism, cell signaling and virulence were down-regulated, whereas some proteins that have a role in protein folding, antioxidant defense and proteolysis were up-regulated in visceral form. Moreover, the transcript level of some identified proteins such as co-chaperon was confirmed using real-time RT-PCR. Conclusion: L. tropica probably uses different mechanisms for survival and multiplication in viscera to establish viscerotropic leishmaniasis. The current study provides some clues into the mechanisms underlying the dissemination of L. tropica .

Infection, Genetics and Evolution, Aug 1, 2014

The identity of Iranian Leishmania species has been resolved to some extent by some genetic marke... more The identity of Iranian Leishmania species has been resolved to some extent by some genetic markers. In this study, based on N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate transferase (nagt) gene, we further elucidated the identity and phylogeny of the prevalent species in this country. DNAs of 121 isolates belonging to cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) patients, canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) cases, and Rhombomys opimus rodents were amplified by targeting a partial sequence of nagt gene. All the amplicons were analyzed with restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) using Acc1 enzyme, and 49 amplicons representing different reservoir hosts were sequenced and aligned with similar sequences from GenBank database. The RFLP analysis revealed that 41 CL patients were infected Leishmania tropica and 36 with Leishmania major. Among 10 CVL isolates, 6 were identified as Leishmania infantum and 4 as L. tropica. Amongst 34 rodents&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; isolates, 11 and 23 isolates exhibited patterns similar to those of L. major, and L. tropica/Leishmania turanica, respectively. The sequencing results from all CL patients, CVL cases, and 4 reservoir rodents were in agreement with RFLP analysis and showed 99-100% homologies with the registered species of L. major, L. tropica, and L. infantum from Turkey, Tunisia, Iraq and Israel. Of the 7 rodent isolates exhibiting RFLP patterns similar to L. tropica/L. turanica, 3 exhibited the highest homologies (99-100%) with L. turanica and 4 with Leishmania gerbilli. The 49 nagt DNA sequences were grouped into five clusters representing L. major, L. tropica, L. infantum, L. turanica and L. gerbilli species, encompassing 19 haplotypes. No correlation was observed between intraspecies divergence and geographic distribution of haplotypes. The L. tropica haplotypes exhibited more homologies with those of L. infantum than L. major (97.2% vs. 96.9%), a probable indication to the potential ability of L. tropica to visceralize. Characterization of Iranian Leishmania isolates using nagt gene allowed unambiguous identification of five prevalent species with a high-resolution phylogeny.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Aug 24, 2020

Risk of mother-to-child transmission of Toxoplasma gondii during pregnancy is much greater in wom... more Risk of mother-to-child transmission of Toxoplasma gondii during pregnancy is much greater in women who are exposed to primary T. gondii infection (toxoplasmosis) after conception compared to those who were exposed to the infection before conception. Therefore, laboratory tests that help classify recent primary toxoplasmosis are important tools for the management of pregnant women suspected to have T. gondii exposure. Detection of Toxoplasma IgM (Toxo IgM) is a sensitive indicator of primary toxoplasmosis, but the indicator specificity is low because sometimes natural IgM antibodies react with Toxoplasma antigens in the absence of the infection.

Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine, 2019

Objective: To clarify the epidemiological aspects of visceral leishmaniasis in Kaleybar and Khoda... more Objective: To clarify the epidemiological aspects of visceral leishmaniasis in Kaleybar and Khoda-Afarin districts, north-west of Iran. Methods: A total of 1 420 human (children under 12 years) samples, 101 domestic dogs samples (Canis familiaris), and 577 female sand fly samples were collected. Sera of human and dogs were tested using the direct agglutination test, and sand flies were identified at species level using the microscopic method. Furthermore, a structured questionnaire was applied to evaluate the correlation between the potential risk factors and the related clinical signs/ symptoms with the human and dogs’ seropositivity. Results: Totally, 2.18% of human samples were positive at titers≥: 800; among them, 13 cases (41.94%) were above 1:3 200, and clinical symptoms were observed in all of them except for an 11-year old girl. Anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies were found at titers ≥1: 320 in 9.90% of dogs’ samples, half of them had at least one sign of canine visceral leishmaniasis. Moreover, 10 Phlebotomus species were identified in the study areas, and Phlebotomus (Larroussius) major group was the predominant species. There are significant correlations between the presence of anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies and the fever (P<0.001), anemia (P=0.001) and weight loss (P=0.016) in children. On the other hand, significant correlations were revealed between the Leishmania infection and the shelter (P=0.039), cutaneous lesion (P=0.005), lymphadenopathy (P=0.001) and weight loss (P<0.001) in the infected dogs. Conclusions: Visceral Leishmania infection is prevalent in rural areas of Kaleybar and Khoda- Afar districts located in East-Azerbaijan province, therefore active detection and treatment of visceral leishmaniasis cases should not be neglected.

Research Square (Research Square), Jun 29, 2021

Noise can change the pattern of gene expression inducing sensorineural hearing impairment. There ... more Noise can change the pattern of gene expression inducing sensorineural hearing impairment. There is no investigation on effects of noise frequency on the expression of GJB2 and SLC26A4 genes involved in congenital hearing impairment in cochlear tissue. This study investigated impacts of white and purple noise on gene expression and pathologic changes of cochlear tissue. In this study, 32 adult male Westar rats were selected and divided into experimental groups WN (animals exposed to white noise with a frequency range of 100-20000 Hz), PN (animals exposed to purple noise with a frequency range of 4-20 kHz) and control groups. All experimental groups were exposed to a sound pressure level of 118-120 dB for 8 hours per day. Cochlear tissue sampling was performed for tissue pathology studies, also RNA was extracted at 1 hour & 1 week after cessation of noise exposure. The results showed that Both white and purple noises caused permanent damage to the cortical, estrosilica systems of hair cells and ganglion of the hearing nerve. GJB2 and SLC26A4 were downregulated in both groups exposed with white and purple noise. However, differences are notably more signi cant in 1 weak post-exposure than 1 hour. Our Findings suggest GJB2 and SLC26A4 can be considered as biomarkers of response to noise frequency which is associated with the pathological response of cochlear tissue, leading to sensorineural hearing impairment. It would be suggested the demand for a more conventional approach to assessment of noise-induced hearing loss and subsequently the practice of hearing protection programs.

DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), May 1, 2008

... 56 different standard species of Leishmania were se-quenced at Kawsar Biotechnology Center, T... more ... 56 different standard species of Leishmania were se-quenced at Kawsar Biotechnology Center, Te-hran, Iran ... MR Yaghoobi-Ershadi, Mr AA Akhavan, Mr MR Abaei, Mr Z Zarei, Mrs B Ak-houndi, Mrs S Charehdar, Dr E Zibafar, Miss F Mesgarian, Mrs Z Talaei, Mr MH Falaki, Mrs ...

Iranian Journal of Clinical Infectious Diseases, Jul 10, 2021

Background: Dezful and its suburbs, as the second city in Khuzestan Province, southwest of Iran, ... more Background: Dezful and its suburbs, as the second city in Khuzestan Province, southwest of Iran, has been an endemic area of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) with a low incidence rate since the last decades. However, the disease incidence has rapidly increased, and now is considered as a re-emerging parasitic disease in the area. Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify the most prevalent CL species in Dezful Region. Methods: A total of 196 microscopically confirmed slides from CL patients referred to Dezful Health Center were randomly collected in the period of 2015-2016. After DNA extraction from microscopically positive slides, polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was carried out on 61 eligible specimens using ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) gene. The HaeIII restriction enzyme was used for the identification of species. Results: Samples were randomly collected from 196 acute CL cases, including 110 (56.2%) males and 86 (43.8%) females. Most infections were seen in the age range of 2-7 years (65/196, 33.1%). Totally, 60.1% of the cases had only one lesion, and half of the lesions appeared on hands. Furthermore, 162 (82.7%) cases were referred to Dezful Health Center in the cold seasons (autumn and winter). Results of PCR-RFLP on 61 eligible isolates showed that 60 (98.4%) isolates were Leishmania major, and only 1 (1.6%) isolate was Leishmania tropica. Conclusions: Our findings indicated that L. major is the main agent of re-emerged CL in Dezful and its suburbs, and the disease is a zoonosis.

DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Jan 27, 2016

The number of malaria cases is declining worldwide; however, it remains as a serious health probl... more The number of malaria cases is declining worldwide; however, it remains as a serious health problem. Diagnosing unusual cases is the most important issue to manage the problem. This study designed to describe the number of falciparum and vivax malaria infected patients referred to Malaria Reference Laboratory in Tehran University of Medical Science from 2000 to 2012. A retrospective study was conducted based on the collected questionnaires from each patient referred to the laboratory. Diagnosing results and demographic information for positive cases were analyzed using SPSS software. Problematic cases were evaluated for any difficulties in diagnosis or in clinical signs. Scanning and molecular methods were performed whenever there was an atypical case referred to the laboratory. Some of the samples had various difficulties for diagnosing such as presence of fussed gametocytes and schizonts of Plasmodium falciparum in peripheral blood and CCHF like hemoragic disorders. Plasmodium vivax caused a large proportion of the cases (76.1%) in contrast with P. falciparum that included smaller proportion (22.8%) and the rest (1.1) belonged to mixed infection. Most of the positive cases (69.6%) were belonged to Afghani people. Men (94.6%) showed more infection than women (5.4%), moreover the most infection (44.5%) was seen at a range of 21-30 yr. In the case of existing atypical issues to diagnose, it is needed to perform more precise microscopical examination beyond the current standard conditions. Sometimes molecular method is required to verify the exact agent of the disease.

Molecular Biology Reports

Noise can change the pattern of gene expression inducing sensorineural hearing impairment. There ... more Noise can change the pattern of gene expression inducing sensorineural hearing impairment. There is no investigation on effects of noise frequency on the expression of GJB2 and SLC26A4 genes involved in congenital hearing impairment in cochlear tissue. This study investigated impacts of white and purple noise on gene expression and pathologic changes of cochlear tissue. In this study, 32 adult male Westar rats were selected and divided into experimental groups WN (animals exposed to white noise with a frequency range of 100-20000 Hz), PN (animals exposed to purple noise with a frequency range of 4-20 kHz) and control groups. All experimental groups were exposed to a sound pressure level of 118-120 dB for 8 hours per day. Cochlear tissue sampling was performed for tissue pathology studies, also RNA was extracted at 1 hour & 1 week after cessation of noise exposure. The results showed that Both white and purple noises caused permanent damage to the cortical, estrosilica systems of hair cells and ganglion of the hearing nerve. GJB2 and SLC26A4 were downregulated in both groups exposed with white and purple noise. However, differences are notably more signi cant in 1 weak post-exposure than 1 hour. Our Findings suggest GJB2 and SLC26A4 can be considered as biomarkers of response to noise frequency which is associated with the pathological response of cochlear tissue, leading to sensorineural hearing impairment. It would be suggested the demand for a more conventional approach to assessment of noise-induced hearing loss and subsequently the practice of hearing protection programs.