Molecular screening and single nucleotide polymorphism typing of molluscum contagiosum virus [MCV] from genital specimens, between 2012 and 2015

Background: The present study is the first comprehensive report of the Molluscum contagiosum virus [MCV] in Iran based on the molecular technique for differentiation and typing of the MCV1 and MCV2

Methods: Patients were diagnosed as having tumor-like genital warts less than 5 mm in diameter, and HIV seronegative samples were chosen for this cross-sectional study. TaqMan real-time PCR was used to identify MCV following clinical examination. Typing of the MCV-positive specimens was performed in the SNP A27451G region of MC021L gene

Results: Of 1470 samples, 114 [7.75%] samples were positive for the MCV. From MCV-positive samples, 71.05% sequences were found to be related to the MCV1 and 28.95% to the MCV2

Conclusion: This assay constitutes a reliable method for identification and typing of the MCV genomic variants that could be valuable for reviewing the pathogenesis, molecular epidemiology, and the natural history of MCV-related situations

prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and diabetes mellitus in an Iranian population

Background: type II diabetes mellitus [T2DM] and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD] are important causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of DM in the context of NAFLD

Methods: in this cross-sectional study, we studied 5052 participants, aged 18 years and older, of a baseline population-based cohort in northern Iran [N=6143]. The prevalence of DM was estimated in individuals with and without NAFLD. The association between NAFLD and T2DM was evaluated using logistic regression with the adjustment of confounding effects of age, sex, body mass index, lipid profiles, and fasting insulin

Results: in men, the prevalence [95% confidence interval] of T2DM was 5.34% [4.35%-6.34%] and 15.06% [13.12%-17.00%] in individuals without and with NAFLD, respectively [p <0.001]. In women without NAFLD, the prevalence was 8.27% [6.83%-9.71%] while in the presence of NAFLD, the prevalence was 27.21% [24.59%-29.83%], [p <0.001]. In univariate analysis, the chance of having T2DM was 3.700 [3.130-4.380] times more in patients with NAFLD compared with subjects without NAFLD [p<0.001]. This chance was reduced [Odds Ratio=1.976, 95% CI: 1.593-2.451, p <0.001] after removing the effects of other variables

Conclusion: the prevalence of T2DM is increased in the context of NAFLD. This condition may be considered as an independent predictor of T2DM

Association between nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase and de novo lipogenesis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Objective: Jh//s study explored the association between serum nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase [NAMPT] and hepatic de novo lipogenesis [DNL] in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD] and determined whether or not this association is sex dependent

Subjects and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 62 consecutive patients [32 males, 30 females] with NAFLD were recruited. Serum NAMPT [by ELI-SA], palmitic acid, and the DNL index of erythrocyte membranes as markers of hepatic DNL [by gas chromatography] were analyzed

The controlled attenuation parameter [CAP] and body impedance analyzer were used to assess hepatic and body fat respectively. Univariate and multiple linear regressions [to adjust for confounders] were used to analyze the association of serum NAMPT with palmitic acid, DNL index, CAP, and body fat

Results: The respective values of serum NAMPT [2.44 +/- 1.03 vs. 2.45 +/-1.13 ng/mL,p = 0.98], DNL index [3.11 [2.60-3.71 ] vs. 3.05 [2.40-3.59],p = 0.90], and pal-mitic acid [20.55% [15.34-24.04] vs. 22.64% [21.15-25.95], p = 0.07] were not significantly different between men and women, but those of CAP [326 [300-340] vs. 300 [261.25-329], p = 0.002] and body fat [37.71 +/- 3.80 vs. 26.60 +/- 5.70, p < 0.001] were significantly higher in women. In women, serum NAMPT had a significant negative association with the DNL index [p = -0.56, p = 0.01]. The DNL index also hada significant negative association with body fat [P = -0.46, p = 0.02]

In men, the only significant association was the positive association between serum NAMPT and CAP [p = 0.35, p = 0.035]

Conclusion: Higher serum NAMPT in women was associated with a lower hepatic DNL index, while in men it was associated with higher hepatic fat and had no association with the DNL index. Therefore, the serum NAMPT level interpretation for NAFLD prognosis is probably sex dependent

Prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and its predictors in north of Iran

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD] is one of the aspects of metabolic syndrome [MetS]. Due to the increase of MetS in Iran, this study was conducted to determine the prevalence of NAFLD, its potential predictors and their sex distribution in north of Iran, Amol. In 2008 this population based cross-sectional study included 5023 adult individuals who were randomly selected from Amol healthcare centers. Blood analysis and hepatic sonography was performed for each individual and Clinical histories were reviewed. MetS was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III. Chi-square test, univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze data. The prevalence of NAFLD and metabolic syndrome was 43.8% and 29.6% respectively. Both NAFLD and metabolic syndrome were significantly more prevalent in women. There was a stronger association between these two factors in women which may indicate MetS has a much more potency to result in NAFLD in women. The strongest predictors of NAFLD in men were waist circumference>102 cm, serum ALT >/= 40 [U/L] and the age group of 40-60 years. The strongest predictors of NAFLD in women were waist circumference >88 cm, the age groups of 40-60 and >60 years. The observed prevalence is alarming because almost 7out of 10 subjects with MetS had NAFLD. As high waist circumference was an important predictor of NAFLD in both sexes, health care policies to reduce the incidence of obesity in the country will have an important impact on the occurrence of NAFLD

Detection of rtN236T mutation associated with adefovir dipivoxil resistance in hepatitis B infected patients with YMDD mutations in Tehran

The risk of adefovir dipivoxil resistance emergence has increased in lamivudine-resistant hepatitis B infected patients. The mutations known as causing adefovir resistance, rtN236T and rtA181V/T, are detected within the D and B functional domain of the HBV polymerase, respectively. In this study, we intended to determine the pre-existing adefovir-resistance mutations in patients infected with LAM resistant mutants prior to starting adefovir therapy. The study included 30 patients with chronic hepatitis B with lamivudine resistance mutations in the YMDD motif that experienced viral breakthrough. After alignment of protein coding sequences, the rtN236T mutation was observed in two [6.6%] patients, while twenty-eight others had neither rtN236T, nor rtA181V/T mutation. All 30 patients were infected with genotype D of hepatitis B virus. The early detection ofLAM-resistance mutations may allow a timely chance of therapy to avoid hepatitis flare- up. This data suggests that monitoring of ADV-resistance mutations in ADV naive patients can be considered in selecting the appropriate anti-viral regimen

[Investigating the presence of different hepatitis C virus genotypes in serum, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and liver biopsy specimens of patients with hepatitis C virus infection]

Hepatitis C virus [HCV] is essentially considered as hepatotropic, but virus sequences have also been found in other important extrahepatic sites, including peripheral blood mononuclear cells [PBMCs]. This study was done to investigate the presence of mixed infection and the differences between hepatitis C virus genotypes in plasma, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and liver biopsy specimens in patients with hepatitis C virus infection. One hundred and fifty two patients with established chronic hepatitis C infection attending Firouzgar Hospital, affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences, from September 2008 to April 2010 were enrolled in the present study. After collecting plasma, peripheral blood mononuclear cell, and liver biopsy specimens, RNA was extracted from the samples and hepatitis C virus genotyping was performed using INNO-LiPATM HCV II kit. The hepatitis C virus genotyping was confirmed by sequencing the RT-nested PCR product of 5'-UTR fragments. The mean age of the participants was 31.2 +/- 16.9 years. Multiple hepatitis C virus genotypes were detected in 4 [2.6%] out of 152 plasma samples, 10 [6.6%] out of 152 peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples, and 9 [18.8%] out of 48 liver biopsy specimens. Hepatitis C virus genotypes were different in the plasma, PBMC, and liver biopsy specimens of 21 [13.8%] patients. The present study shows that a significant proportion of patients with chronic hepatitis C infection are infected by multiple hepatitis C virus genotypes which may not be detectable in their plasma specimens

Frequency of YMDD mutations in patients with chronic hepatitis B untreated with antiviral medicines

Investigators were suspicious of tyrosine-methionine-aspartate-aspartate [YMDD] mutations occurred only in patients who were treated by lamivudine. However, YMDD mutations of hepatitis B virus gene [HBV DNA] in patients with chronic hepatitis B [CHB] untreated with antiviral medicines was reported in some studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate YMDD mutations in Iranian Patients with chronic hepatitis B [CHB] untreated with antiviral medicines. In a cross sectional study, 151 adult patients with positive Hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] [78 asymptomatic hepatitis B virus carriers, 73 active chronic hepatitis B patients or cirrhosis patients] were evaluated for YMDD mutants. The patients who were treated with interferon and Lamivudine or Adfovier in one year prior to the study were excluded. YMDD mutations of HBV DNA were detected by PCR-RFLP [PCR Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism] in a single laboratory. The mean [ +/- SD] age of patients was 37 +/- 4 years. Eighty one [54%] cases were male and 70 [46%] were female. Eight cases [5.3%] out of 151 had YMDD mutations. The type of mutation in all of these patients was YSDD. There was no significant relationship between YMDD mutation and viral load and HDV Ab [p>0.05]. The mutant strains of the YMDD motif of HBV polymerase can be found in some patients without lamivudine treatment. However, in view of rather clinically insignificant YMDD mutation frequency, routine testing for YMDD mutations prior to antiviral therapy is not recommended in these patients

comparison between pegylated interferon alpha-2a and standard interferon in combination with ribavirin in treating patients with bleeding disorders and chronic hepatitis C

Patients with bleeding disorders are frequently infected with hepatitis C virus [HCV]. There are few reports on the effect of standard interferon in these patients and no published report on pegylated interferon. The aim of this study was to compare pegylated interferon alpha-2a and standard interferon alpha with ribavirin in patients with bleeding disorders and chronic HCV infection. Consecutive patients referring to a specialized clinic in Tehran were included in the study. The first 37 patients received pegylated interferon [PEGASYS, Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., Basel, Switzerland], 180 microg weekly and the next 38 patients received standard interferon, 3 million units 3 times a week. Both groups also received ribavirin 800 mg daily. Patients were treated for 48 weeks and were followed for 24 weeks. Liver biopsy was not performed due to the potential risks involved in patients with bleeding disorders. 34 patients in each group completed the study. The intention-to-treat sustained viral response was 34% and 62% in the standard interferon and pegylated interferon group, respectively [p=0.02]. Pegylated interferon alpha-2a and ribavirin is almost twice as effective as standard interferon and ribavirin in treating HCV infection in patients with bleeding disorders and is an acceptable treatment option even when histologic data is not available

comparison between Pegylated interferon alpha-2a and standard interferon in combination with ribavirin in treating patients with bleeding disorders and chronic hepatitis C

Patients with bleeding disorders are frequently infected with hepatitis C virus [HCV]. There are few reports on the effect of standard interferon in these patients and no published report on pegylated interferon. The aim of this study was to compare pegylated interferon alpha-2a and standard interferon alpha with ribavirin in patients with bleeding disorders and chronic HCV infection. Consecutive patients referring to a specialized clinic in Tehran were included in the study. The first 37 patients received pegylated interferon [PEGASYS, Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., Basel, Switzerland], 180 microg weekly and the next 38 patients received standard interferon, 3 million units 3 times a week. Both groups also received ribavirin 800 mg daily. Patients were treated for 48 weeks and were followed for 24 weeks. Liver biopsy was not performed due to the potential risks involved in patients with bleeding disorders. 34 patients in each group completed the study. The intention-to-treat sustained viral response was 34% and 62% in the standard interferon and pegylated interferon group, respectively [p=0.02]. Pegylated interferon alpha-2a and ribavirin is almost twice as effective as standard interferon and ribavirin in treating HCV infection in patients with bleeding disorders and is an acceptable treatment option even when histologic data is not available