Evaluation of cross immunity and histopathological findings in experimentally infected BALB/c mice with neospora caninum and besnoitia caprae

Caprine besnoitiosis is an economically important disease of goats. Neospora caninum, another coccidian parasite of worldwide distribution, infects several animal species and is a major cause of abortion in cattle. Combined infections of N. caninum and Besnoitia caprae can occur in geographical areas endemic for both species of parasite in goats. This experiment was conducted to investigate the possible cross-immunity between these two infections in experimentally infected BALB/c mice. Forty BALB/c mice were divided into four equal groups. The mice of Groups 1 and 4 were inoculated with 1x10[6] live virulent tachyzoites of N. caninum [NC-1], while animals of Groups 2 and 3 were inoculated with sterile tissue culture medium. Each mouse in Groups 1 and 2 was challenged 28 days later with 1 xl0[6] live virulent bradyzoites of-B. Caprae [BC-1]. Following the challenge, the mice in Groups 1 and 2 showed 100% morbidity and 100% mortality within 9 days post infection, while all the animals of Groups 3 and 4 remained alive. The dead animals were necropsied. The survivors [mice in Group 3 and 4] were euthanized 9 days after inoculation and the gross and histopathological lesions in different organs were investigated. Immunization and challenge experiments with lethal dose of B. caprae in the highly susceptible BALB/c mice showed no cross-protection between N. caninum and B. caprae

[Association between life style and hypertension in rural population of Gorgan]

Introduction: Lifestyle refers to peoples' behavior and pattern that has affected their health. This aim of this study was to determine the association between lifestyle and hypertension in rural population in Gorgan

Material and methods: In this case-control study, 200 hypertensive subjects and 200 controls in Gorgan rural population were selected via two stage sampling method. Data was collected using a questionnaire consists of demographic questions [20 questions] and health promotion lifestyle profile questions [52 questions]. Lifestyle profile questions, contains total life style score and six dimensional physical activities of stress management, interpersonal communication skill, health responsibility, nutrition and spiritual growth. The content validity and reliability [Cronbach's alpha: 87%] of questionnaire was approved. Data were analyzed using Chi Square, T tests and Logistic regression in SPSS version 16. A P-value less than 0.05 were considered as statistically significant

Findings: The mean onset of hypertension was 53.2. Twelve percent of cases and 20.5% of controls were smokers. Also, 57% of cases and 51% of controls had family history of hypertension, 63% of cases and 61.1% controls had BMI of 25 that is higher than normal. In addition, Logistic regression test showed that the association between hypertension and total lifestyle score, physical activity, spiritual growth, interpersonal communication skill, stress management was statistically significant [P-value <0.05]. The results of T-Test showed that the association between health responsibility, physical activity, nutrition, spiritual growth, interpersonal communication skill, stress management in case and control group was statistically significant [P-value <0.05]

Conclusion: The results showed that unhealthy behaviors particularly in nutrition, stress and physical activity has a relationship with hypertension; therefore it is necessary to implement educational programs for people in order to have a healthy life style and healthy behaviors

[Using asymmetric mixed bivariate modeling for comparing diabetic macular edema treatments according to visual acuity and central macular thickness outcomes]

One of the major causes of visual acuity loss in diabetic patients is diabetic macular edema [DME]. Best-corrected visual acuity and central macular thickness changes are considered as two main outcomes in diabetic macular patients. The goal of this study was to compare the effect of intravitreal bevacizumab injection alone or combined with triamcinolone versus macular photocoagulation as primary treatment for diabetic macular edema according to the clinical trial data sets. A new method was proposed to determine the best treatment for DME; i.e. intravitreal bevacizumab injection alone or combined with triamcinolone versus macular photocoagulation using asymmetric mixed modeling based on the recorded data in 97 diabetic patients. Effect of these treatments was investigated according to simultaneous investigation of visual acuity and central macular thickness as two major outcomes without omitting any outlier. The results of bivariate asymmetric mixed model revealed that intravitreal bevacizumab injection alone or combined with Triamcinolone treatments had more therapeutic effect than the macular photocoagulation in terms of increasing visual acuity and decreasing central macular thickness in patients with DME. Using asymmetric bivariate mixed model, there was a significant difference among the treatment modalities, duration of diabetes and gender in terms of visual acuity and central macular thickness

Association between ABO blood groups and cardiovascular risk factors in general population of Golestan province, Iran

Cardiovascular disease [CVD] is a common cause of morbidity and mortality. The relationship between ABO blood groups and main risk factors of CVD is unknown. So this study was designed to investigate whether there is an association between ABO blood groups and cardiovascular risk factors in healthy population. In this cross-sectional study, risk factors screening for CVD on 2920 healthy individuals of Golestan province in 2005 were estimated by a questionnaire that aimed to extract information about age, sex, physical activity, smoking, blood group type, weight, height, blood pressure and family history of CVD. Data were analyzed with SPSS 13 and by using Chi Square and ANOVA tests. Out of the total number of 2920, 57.4% were male, 70% inactive, 14% smoker, 25% hypertensive, 23% obese, and 21% had family history of CVD with the mean age of 41.52 +/- 12.317. Blood groups O [32.9%], A [30.1%], B [23.3%] and AB [13.7%] were the most frequent ones, respectively. Amongst cardiac risk factors, it was only the frequency of family history of CVD that varies across different blood groups, and individuals with A blood group reported to have a more frequent family history of CVD as compared with other blood groups. These findings illustrate amongst cardiovascular risk factors only family history of CVD as having a significant correlation with ABO

ABO blood groups distribution and cardiovascular major risk factors in healthy population

This study was designed to investigate whether there was an association between ABO blood groups and cardiovascular risk factors in healthy population. In this cross-sectional study, risk factors screening for cardiovascular disease [CVD] on 5000 healthy persons of Golestan Province, northern Iran, in 2005 was estimated by a questionnaire that included age, sex, physical activity, smoking status, blood group type [if they had blood laboratory tests], weight, height, blood pressure and family history of coronary artery disease [CAD]. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 11.5 and by using Chi Square and ANOVA tests. A p-value less than 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Amongst 5000 subjects, 2920 had blood laboratory tests and their types of blood group were known. Of the total of 2920, 57.4% were male, 70% were inactive, 14% were smoker, 25% were hypertensive, 23% obese, 21% had family history of CAD and mean age was 41.52 +/- 12.317. Blood group O[32.9%], A[30.1%], B[23.3%] and AB [13.7%], respectively had most frequency. Amongst cardiac risk factors, only frequency of family history of CAD in individual with different blood groups was different [P<0.01] and individual with A blood group reported more family history of CVD versus other blood groups. Amongst cardiovascular risk factors, only family history of CAD had significant relation with ABO

study on correlation among parasitem rate and hematological parameters in bovine anaplasmosis

The aim of the present study is determination of probable correlation between parasitemia rate and hemolysis in cattle infected with Anaplasma marginale. Two groups including 10 uninfected cattle and 20 infected cattle were selected. Based on parasitemia rates, the infected animals were divided into 3 subgroups [< 10%, 10-20% and 20-30%]. PCV, Hb, RBC count, MCV, MCH, MCHC, MCF, LDH, SOD and serum haptoglobin were measured in all animals. The results showed significant difference [p < 0.05] between hematological factors of infected and uninfected animals except for haptoglobin. Negative correlations [p < 0. 05] were observed among parasitemia, RBC count, Hb and PCV. Positive correlations [p < 0. 05] were observed among parasitemia rate, MCF and LDH. SOD activity had negative correlation with parasitemia rate in cattle with parasitemia, being lower than 10%, but no significant correlation [p > 0. 05] was observed between SOD activity and parasitemia rate in cattle with 10-20 and 20-30% parasitemia rate. There was no significant correlation between parasitemia rate and serum haptoglobin. In addition to autoimmune mechanisms in anemia, there is lower activity of SOD and higher RBC fragility only in cattle with parasitemia rate being lower than 10% and not for cattle with higher parasitemia rate. The exact mechanisms of anemia in bovine anaplasmosis are unclear and further investigations are needed to clarify this point