[Review on the laboratory diagnosis of Q-fever]

Coxiella burnetii is the etiologic agent of a zoonotic disease which named Q-fever in humans and coxiellosis in animals. This bacterium can survive in the environment out of the specific host. Accordingly, it categorized by the CDC in bioterrorism agents 'category B. Consequently, rapid detection of the bacterium administrates the treatment of disease. A review study on the different researches on laboratory diagnosis field in the world and Iran scientific databases was conducted. This paper includes biological safety, cultivation and detection assays. Detection of Coxiella burnetii can be done by classical methods [isolation, cultivation in the appropriate cell line such as P388D1, J774, and L929], serologic tests [immunofluorescence, micro immunofluorescence, complement fixation test and ELISA] and molecular biology methods [PCR, Nested PCR and Real Time PCR]. While have existed kinds of detection methods for this agent, costly, need to specific laboratory and time consuming are the limitation of the mentioned techniques. Molecular methods due to accuracy and high rapidity in detection can be effective

[Expression of multiple cancer/ testis genes in 32 breast cancer tumor samples]

Cancer/testis genes [CT-genes] are a family gene which only express in normal testis tissue; some of them are randomly expressed in some types of cancers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of expression of CT-genes in the patients with breast cancer. Thirty two breast cancer tissue samples were prepared. Expression of NY-ESO-1 1a, NY-ESO-1 1b, SCP1, SSX-2 and MAGE-3 genes, as well as GAPDH [internal control], were studied by multiplex RT-PCR method. Three [9%] of 32 tumor samples expressed mRNA of NY-ESO-1 1a, while six [19%] of 32 tumor samples expressed mRNA of NY-ESO-1 1b. Seven [22%] and two [6%] of 32 tumor samples expressed mRNA of SCP1 and mRNA of MAGE3, respectively. Overall, Thirteen [41%] samples expressed one of the studied genes. NY-ESO-1 and SCP1 genes had the highest frequency of expression of mRNA. It is suggested that more number of breast cancer tumor samples should be examined to evaluate expression of CT-genes. SCP1 and NY-ESO-1 proteins may promote future breast cancer immunotherapy

Variation of ATM gene expression in peripheral blood cells of sporadic breast carcinomas in Iranian patients

The ataxia telangiectasia mutated gene [ATM], candidate for breast cancer susceptibility gene, encode a 350-kDa protein belongs to the core components of DNA-damage response machinery. Female AT carriers have at least 5-fold increase risk for breast cancer. Reduction in ATM expression is shown in multiple studies in breast tissues. We aimed to perform a research to measure the ATM mRNA expression in peripheral blood cells in breast cancer patients. Peripheral blood sample from 40 newly diagnosed, histologically confirmed female breast cancer patients was collected before surgery. Total RNA was isolated from blood cells using the RNX-Plus solution and reverse transcribed into cDNA. Real-time PCR was performed using the 2-delta delta CT method to calculate relative changes in gene expression by REST software. The Relative Quantitation [RQ] mean was 1.27 with the min. and max. equal to 0.20 and 3.34, respectively. Calculation of patient frequencies in different groups revealed that 17.5% had reduced expression lower than two fold decreases and 15% high expression more than two fold increases, but according to REST software there was no up-regulation or down-regulation compared to normal females. The findings of multiple studies consistent with this study indicate that the ATM gene may play an important role in breast cancer development and progression, and ATM expression is down-regulated in breast cancer tissues. Although, some of the results do not support a suppressor role for ATM in the development of sporadic breast cancer, 17.5% of our patients had under expression of ATM mRNA less than two fold relative to control