ABSTRACT
Urinary tract infection [UTI] is one of the most common infections in the world. The majority of UTIs are caused by Uropathogenic Escherichia coli [UPEC] strains. FimH and FliC are the most important virulence factors of UPEC. To date, any ideal vaccine against UTI has not been approved for human use and we need to test new targets to develop an ideal vaccine against UTI. In this study, we constructed fusion fimH/fliC of UPEC as a novel vaccine candidate against UTI. PCR amplification of fimH and fliC genes of the UPEC isolates was performed by specific primers designed for this purpose. Construction of fimH/fliC hybrid gene was performed by overlap PCR. The fimH, fliC and fimH/fliC were cloned in pET28a vector. The confirmation of expression of the proteins was done by SDS-PAGE and Western blot. The fliC and fimH genes were amplified in all of the UPEC isolates tested. The fimH showed significant homology with the sequences in GenBank. We generated a fusion consisting of the fimH linked to the N-terminal end of fliC. Sequencing of the fusion fimH/fliC showed that fusion was constructed correctly. SDS-PAGE and western blot confirmed the expression of the proteins in optimized condition. Urinary tract infection is a huge burden on healthcare system in many countries. UPEC is isolated in around 80% of UTI cases. Antibiotic therapy resulted in the emergence of antibiotic resistance in UPEC strains. This is the major cause for an increasing requirement for a vaccine to prevent UTI. This work describes for the first time the construction of a novel fusion protein from Iranian UPEC isolates. Further immunological studies are required for evaluation of this protein as a novel and safe vaccine candidate against UTI caused by UPEC.
ABSTRACT
Individuals with a positive family history of colorectal cancer have an increased risk of developing this type of cancer. The number of affected relatives and the age at diagnosis are two factors that increase the risk of colorectal cancer. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of a positive family history of colorectal cancer in a random sample among the Iranian general population. Five thousand five hundred [5500] subjects' aged>/-20 years were randomly selected by cluster sampling and invited to participate in an interview about the occurrence of colorectal cancer in their first- or second-degree relatives. Of all the responders, 162 [2.9%] subjects reported a positive family history of colorectal cancer; 71 [1.24%] reported having one first-degree relative with colorectal cancer diagnosed before the age of 50; or reported two or more first-degree relatives with colorectal cancer. In addition, 83 [1.51%] and 14 [0.25%] subjects reported having one and two or more second-degree relatives with colorectal cancer respectively. The prevalence of a positive family history of colorectal cancer in Iran is lower than the United States and European countries. Identifying high-risk population for colorectal cancer and encouraging them to participate in surveillance protocols is the first step in targeting preventive measures