Prevalence of hepatitis C virus genotypes in Mashhad, Northeast Iran

Hepatitis C is a disease with significant global impact. The distribution of hepatitis C virus [HCV] genotypes in Mashhad [the Northeast and the biggest city after the capital of Iran] is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of HCV genotypes among HCV seropositive patients, and to study the relationship between types, virologic and demographic features of patients in Mashhad. Three hundred and eighty-two clinical specimens obtained from HCV-infected patients referred to Ghaem Hospital in Mashhad during a period of 2009 to 2010 were selected. HCV genotype was determined by Nested PCR amplification of HCV core gene using genotype specific primers. Totally, 299 patients were male [79.9%]. The most common HCV genotype was genotype 3a, with 150 [40%] of subjects. Genotype 1a was the other frequent genotype, with 147[39.2%] subjects. Frequency of genotypes for 1b, 5 and 2 was 41[10.9%], 13[3.4%] and 9[2.4%], respectively. Mix genotype including 1a+1b in 4 [1.04%], 1a+3a in 3 [0.8%] was found in 7 patients. Four percent out of these samples had an undetermined genotype. Among the hemophilia patient, there were 13[48.1%] genotypes as 1a, 3[11.1%] 1b and 10[37%] 3a, respectively. The dominant HCV genotype among patients living in Mashhad was 3a. This study gives added evidence of the predominant HCV genotypes in Iran

Evaluation of Glu 298 Asp polymorphism of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene and its relationship with coronary artery disease and type II diabetes mellitus with/without CAD in Kermanshah

There are some reports indicating that the Glu298Asp polymorphism of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase [eNOS] gene is associated with coronary artery disease [CAD]. The aims of the present study were to evaluate possible association between the endothelial nitric oxide synthase [eNOS] gene polymorphism of Glu298Asp [G894T] and occurrence of CAD and diabetes in type II diabetic patients with and without CAD. In this case-control study, the polymorphism of eNOS Glu298Asp was detected using PCR-RFLP method in 203 diabetic patients with/without CAD, 105 CAD patients and 92 healthy subjects according to angiographic evidence. All studied individuals were from Kermanshah, a city in western Iran. The frequencies of three eNOS genotypes of GG, GT and TT were not significantly different in diabetic patients with CAD [53.9%, 40.2% and 5.9%, respectively] compared to those without CAD [59.4%, 35.6% and 5%, respectively, P= 0.730]. But the frequencies of these genotypes in diabetic patients with CAD were significantly different compared to those of control subjects [72.8%, 26.1% and 1.1%, respectively, P=0.013]. Although the frequencies of these genotypes in diabetic patients without CAD were not significantly different compared with those of control subjects [P=0.08], the mutant allele in diabetic patients was seen more. .The eNOS 298Asp mutation is common in diabetic patients with CAD and also in CAD patients from Kermanshah. This might be associated with occurrence of CAD in patients with or without diabetes

Relationship between total and lipid-bound serum sialic acid and some tumor markers

Increased levels of total and lipid-associated sialic acid [TSA and LASA] have been reported in the sera of patients with benign or malignant tumors and also could be regarded as newly important clinical criteria for the diagnosis of cancer. This study has investigated the differences of TSA and LASA contents between cancer patients and healthy individuals and evaluated their correlations between TSA and LASA with some tumor markers in different types of cancer. 35 patients with histopathologically confirmed cancers and 32 healthy individuals participated in the study. Tumor markers in serum including CEA, CA15-3, CA19-9 and CA-125 were measured using ELISA. TSA and LASA were quantified using spectrophotometric methods of Erlich and Katopodis respectively and non-parametric tests were used for statistical analysis. The median [range] obtained for TSA in healthy and cancer patients were 83.6 [59.0-106.2] and 119.5 [84.7-205.8] mg/dl respectively and the difference was statistically significant [P<0.001]. The corresponding values for LASA content of serum in healthy and cancer patients were 16.9 [13.3-20.7], and 31.0 [15.0-50.3] mg/dl. Statistical analysis showed significant differences in LASA content between these two groups [P<0.001]. A positive correlation coefficient was obtained between TSA, LASA and different tumor markers. The significant correlation between TSA, LASA and different tumor markers in cancer patients indicated that they could be used as diagnostic criteria. However, due to their lack of specificity, they may support the presence of tumor markers in different malignancies and be helpful in relation to therapy and monitoring of patients