ABSTRACT
Background: Management of multiple sclerosis [MS] is based on the usage of immunosuppressive and immune-modulating medications. Cytokines play an important role in the pathogenesis of MS
Objective: To evaluate the effects of rapamycin on the concentrations of Th1/Th2/Th17 serum cytokines in patients with MS
Methods: Six patients with relapsing remitting MS as a case group and 6 healthy individuals as a control group were enrolled. The patients have been receiving 2 mg rapamycin daily for 6 months. The individuals in control group received nothing during 6 months of the experiment. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay [Simultaneous Multi-Analyte ELISA] technique was used for determination of serum concentrations of IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, IL-17, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, G-CSF and TGF-beta before and after therapy with rapamycin
Results: The mean absorbance of 10 out of the 12 studied cytokines showed reduction after the therapy with rapamycin including IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, IL-17, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha. The only statistically significant reduction was observed in the absorbance of IFN-gamma [p=0.028]. Two cytokines illustrated increase in the patients sera after the therapy, including G-CSF and TGF-beta, but only increase in TGF-beta was statistically significant [p=0.046]. None of the studied cytokines in the control group varied significantly after 6 months
Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, rapamycin has some immunosuppressive effects, such as decreasing IFN-gamma, which can improve the quality of life of the patients with multiple sclerosis. Also the increased level of TGF-beta may also have benefits on the disease, which needs further clinical studies
ABSTRACT
Acinetobacter baumannii is gram- negative opportunistic coccobacilli, the most important agent in nosocomial infections with high mortality rate. Multidrug resistance in strains isolated from nosocomial infections, making it difficult to treat and sometimes impossible. The aim of the present study was to investigate antibiotic resistance in A. baumannii isolates from Iranian patients in Hamadan, west of Iran. In this cross sectional study 100 A. baumannii isolated from trachea, blood, urine, sputum and wound samples of patients bedridden in Intensive care unit [ICU] wards of three educational hospitals during June 2011 to October 2012 was included. Isolates confirmed at species level using biochemical tests and tracing bla[OXA-51] gene using Polymerase chain reaction [PCR] and preserved frozen at -70 °C until examination. Their susceptibility to 17 antibiotics was performed using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Determination of minimum inhibitory concentration and Metallo-beta-lactamase production was carried out using E-test method. Resistance rate of isolates were 94%, 85%, 84%, 97%, 95% and 98% against meropenem, imipenem, amikacin, ciprofloxacin, piperacillin/tazobactam and cefotaxime, respectively. No resistant isolate was observed against tigecycline and also no sensitive isolate seen against aztreonam and cefotaxime. Results of E-test illustrated that 99% of all isolates were Metallo-beta-lactamase [MbetaL] producing, which were resistance to imipenem; also 85% of them were resistance to meropenem. MIC50 and MIC90 of the isolates were >/= 256 and >/= 32 micro/ml for imipenem and meropenem, respectively. The antibiotic resistance against most of the antibiotics, especially carbapenems is very high in Hamadan region. In addition colistin sulfate and tigecycline were most effective antibiotics and to be used in A. baumannii infections
ABSTRACT
Cryptosporidium is a protozoan parasite causes cryptosporidial diarrhea, which is typically a short-lasting benign infection, but can become severe and non-resolving in immunocompromised individuals. The aim of the present study was to determinate the prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in livestock and humans that were in contact with livestock in Hamadan district, Iran. In this cross sectional study a total of 660 fecal specimens were collected; 228, 195 and 237 from humans, whom raising livestock, their calves and lambs/goats, respectively in spring 2012. Samples were concentrated by formalin-ether concentration technique and examined using cold modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining method. Two [0.87%] out of 228, 25 [12.8%] out of 195 and 6 [2.5%] out of 237 fecal samples of humans, calves and lambs/goats were positive for Cryptosporidium oocysts, respectively. There was no significant relationship between the infection to Cryptosporidium and demographic variables of humans. However, Cryptosporidium infection rate was higher in diarrheic calves [OR=3.81; 95% CI: 1.30, 11.21; P=0.010]. Despite studies conducted in some regions of Iran that resulted in a relatively high rate of infection in humans in contact with livestock, our results showed low prevalence and low carrier status in the asymptomatic persons in Hamadan region. Because the infection in calves and lambs/goats was relatively high, these animals could be probable reservoir of infection for humans in this area
Subject(s)
Animals , Livestock/parasitology , Animals, Domestic/parasitology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Parasite Egg Count , Feces/parasitologyABSTRACT
Toxoplasma gondii is a worldwide obligate intercellular parasite. Felids are its definitive host and warm-blooded animals including humans are its intermediate host. The aim of this seroepidemiological study was to investigate the frequency of human infection using ELISA method and related risk factors in Tabriz City, northwestern Iran. In this cross sectional study, 171 blood samples were collected randomly from clients referred to Alinasab Hospital diagnostic laboratory, Tabriz, Iran in 2008. Simultaneously data about risk factors such as having soil related jobs [for example: building construction workers and farm-ers], cat contact, eating raw vegetables at restaurants, the method of washing vegetables, eating undercooked game meat and the quantity of red meat consumption [undercooked] were collected by questionnaires. Anti-Toxoplasma IgG titers were determined in samples using ELISA method. Data were analyzed by Chi-square, One Way ANOVA and t-test using SPSS v.16 Software. Sixty [35.1%] out of 171 serum samples were anti-Toxoplasma IgG positive. There was statistically significant difference about seropositivity between soil related jobs and others [P=0.007, OR=2.43; 95% CI: 1.27, 4.66]. In addition there was significant relationship between seropositivity and eating vegetables at restaurants [P=0.039, OR=1.94; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.68]. No significant statistical differences were observed about seropositivity considering the other mentioned risk factors. The prevalence rate of Toxoplasma chronic infection was relatively high in the studied people. However, having soil related jobs and eating vegetables at restaurants increases the probability of acquiring the infection.