early results of a new health care program implementation in HBV screening: an iranian experience

According to the reports of World Health Organization [WHO] and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the prevalence of chronic hepatitis B infection in Iran has decreased from 2-7% in 2001 to 1.3-0.8% in children aged 2-14 years. In 2010 the Institute of Medicine recommended more comprehensive screening by primary care physicians [PCPs] for evaluation, vaccination, and management of infected patients for further decrease in the prevalence of chronic HBV infection. Thus, with contribution of the Health Department, we developed a practical flowchart for PCPs to start active screening of hepatitis B virus [HBV] in all visited patients and refer the positive cases for further evaluation and management to Taleghani Hospital. With collaboration of Health Department of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, physicians of health centers were asked to screen all their patients for HBsAg. Positive cases were referred to Taleghani Hospital. They were first registered and educated about their disease, life style, and prevention methods. Their first degree families were screened for HBV infection too and were referred for vaccination if needed. According to the results of lab tests, appropriate management was done by a hepatologist. Since implementation of this program, we have encountered a significant rise in patient detection [even in high risk groups]. Many of them were not aware of their disease and most of those who were aware of their disease were not managed appro priately. Family screening and vaccination were inadequate and need more emphasis

Synthesis and evaluation of monoclonal antibody against Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface antigen 2

OBJECTIVE@#To assess the quality of expressed MSP-2 and also to confirm the immune response against different domains of these proteins.@*METHODS@#Mice were immunized with a schizont extract to stimulate the immune system to make antibodies against different antigens of the late stage parasite including production of antibodies against different domains of Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) MSP-2. B lymphocytes of immunized mice were extracted from the spleen and the fusion was performed using NS-1 myeloma cells and the hybridoma cells were assayed by ELISA either with a schizont extract or different domains of MSP-2 and/or by IFAT with whole schizont preparation. Fusion of NS-1 and spleen cells was performed. The positive hybrids were cloned and ELISA was applied against different dilutions. The positive clones were transferred to a small tissue culture flask and after developing they were assayed against schizont extract and the different MSP-2 domains. The positive clones were expanded to large (75 cm(2)) flask and cultured under the same conditions, checking them using both ELISA and IFAT and the positive cells were frozen as soon as possible.@*RESULTS@#A total number of 7 fusions including 26 plates (2 496 wells) were performed, of which 1 336 hybrids were produced and the overall efficiency (1 336/2496 × 100) was about 53%. ELISA was performed to detect the positive hybrids against crude schizont extract by which the highest frequency to crude schizont extract was found for the supernatant of the hybrids produced in fusion number 3 (66 out of 315 hybrids). The supernatant of both B5 and F1 hybridoma cells were more positive against domain 2 of the MSP-2 recombinant protein in Western blotting test. Western blotting results also showed that different domains of the MSP-2 recombinant protein and also the MSP-2 of the P. falciparum parasite were recognized by some of the positive clones and also immune sera.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Bringing together all the results of this study it has been confirmed that some clones have recognized both schizont extract and different domains of the MSP-2 recombinant protein and therefore confirming the quality of the MSP-2 domains.

[Association of the insulin gene polymorphism and colorectal cancer]

Some studies have determined that polymorphism in insulin gene are associated with increased insulin level and resistant to insulin and also cause to increase risk of colorectal cancer [CRC]. The goal of this study was to evaluate incidence of the insulin gene polymorphism [rs689] in an Iranian population and to investigate the role of this polymorphism in increased risk of CRC. Genotyping of the insulin gene were determined in a series of 110 colorectal cancer patients and 110 controls by using polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism genotyping assays [PCR-RFLP]. P value for genotype AT compared with AA, was 0.052 [OR=1.88, CI=0.99-3.5] and TT versus AA was 0.57 [OR=1.33 CI=0.48- 3.6]. The results showed that the insulin gene polymorphism [rs689] is not a predisposing factor to increased risk to CRC [P=0.14]. Incidence of mutant allele between patients and controls had no significant differences [OR=1.53 95% CI=0.98- 2.39, Pe=0.057]. These findings suggest that the insulin gene polymorphism [rs689] is not associated with increased risk of CRC