[Epidemiologic study of virus genotypes in chronic hepatitis C]

Hepatitis C is an emerging infection in Iran especially due to unsafe sharing between IVDUs. HCV genotype has an important rolexCn clinical decision - making and drug therapy protocols. Up to now data is restricted and controversial in Iranian patients especialy in Mashhad. This descriptive study was done in the hospitals belonging to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences during the years 1382 - 83. We included 63 patients that hepatitis C was confirmed in them by routine HCV RNA PCR method. The test was done in a single lab all by one person by primer-specific method. Genotype of the virus was analyzed against risk factors in patients. Personal and laboratory data collected in a questionare were analyzed by qualitive statistics. Relative frequency of different genotypes and subtypes were: 3 [52.3%], 1[30.1%], 2[15.9%] and mixed [1.6%]. The relative frequency of genotypes was significantly different in hemophilic patients from others [80% from genotype 1]. Relative frequency of Genotype 3 in thalasemics, hemodialysis patients, IVDUs and Blood donors was 66.7%, 66.6%, 55. 44% and 46.18% respectively. According to genotyping results about 2/3 of patients are categorized in 'easy - to - treat' group, but no discriminative factor could be estimated to differentiate this group of patients that need shorter courses of therapy with lower doses. So genotyping is still necessary for clinical decision making

Pulmonary nocardiosis in an immunocompetent patient

Nocardiosis is an uncommon bacterial infection caused by aerobic actinomycetes in the genus Nocardia. This pathogen generally causes opportunistic infection in immunocompromised hosts although infection has also been reported in immunocompetent patients. In this manuscript, we report a case of pulmonary nocardiosis without evident signs of an immunocompromising illness. A 14-years-old girl was admitted with fever, productive cough, weight loss, anorexia and occasionally bloody sputum since 2 months before. Nocardia was detected in the smear and culture of sputum. A sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim combination 'was administered, and the clinical findings improved. It is suggested that pulmonary nocardiosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of chronic pulmonary symptoms even in non immunocompromised patients