Prevalence of chlamydia trachomatis and mycoplasma genitalium in patients with benign and malignant ovarian cancer by nested PCR method

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis [C. trachomatis] and Mycoplasma genitalium [M. genitalium] are considered factors in cervical and ovarian cancer and are associated with flaky cell carcinoma of the cervix. The role of steady infection, leading to chronic inflammation, in the of ovarian cancer has received very little consideration, although a background of pelvic inflammatory disease [PID] is in a case-control study associate to higher risk for ovarian cancer. C. trachomatis, the most common and important cause of PID in the developed world is the genital and cervical infectious agent. The aim of this study was prevalence of C. trachomatis and M. genitalium in patients with ovarian cancer who referred to Imam Hossein Hospital of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study that was conducted from January 2014 to April 2015, 124 samples were studied which obtained from patients with ovarian cancer who referred to medical centers of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. After obtaining samples from ovarian cancer tissue by the pathologist, for extraction DNA, samples were transferred to the laboratory of university. To confirm the presence of C. trachomatis in samples of ovarian cancer, specific primers for the Major Outer Membrane Protein [MOMP] genes of C. trachomais, were designed and used Nested PCR method for detection of M. genitalium. Sequencing was performed on the PCR and Nested PCR product to confirm the presence of C. trachomatis and M. genitalium

Results: Out of 124 samples of ovarian cancer, 62 [50%] samples were malignant cancer and 62 [50%] were benign cancer as control group. From 65 malignant samples 14 [22.5%] were Chlamydia trachomatis positive. None of the tissue samples of benign cancer of ovary were positive for C. trachomatis. Notably, none of the 124 ovarian samples were positive in the M. genitalium standard PCR assay

Conclusion: The results suggest that the spread of C. trachomatis in the female with ovarian cancer may be common. This finding reflects a possible role of C. trachomatis in the carcinogenesis of ovarian tumors. C. trachomatis infection may play a relative role in the pathogenesis of ovarian carcinomas or it could facilitate its progression

Project monitoring and evaluation: an enhancing method for health research system management

Planning, organizing, staffing, leading and monitoring are the basic functional component of management. In present article, we aim to define the project monitoring and evaluation in health research system [HRS] considering its success and challenges based on our national experience. In this study based on the information of annual Medical Science Universities evaluation during the last decade the HRS indicators have been scored in three axes based on HRS functions: Stewardship, capacity building and knowledge production. In this article, we will focus on the results of HRS evaluation from 2002 to 2010, also on its success and challenges. In an overall view, the main results are the experiences of the designing and implantation of such process after pre-project preparation, all parts followed under the whole supervision of the aims of the HRS evaluation. Project management light the way of practical application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques for better HRS evaluation and management. We concluded that; although monitoring and evaluation as an essential part of HRS Management light the improvement ahead way but we still need to advantage of the new project management advances

Needs assessment in health research projects: a new approach to project management in Iran

The science and technology health plan has defined the outline of health research to the national vision of Iran by 2025. The aim of this study was to focus on the process of needs assessment of health research projects also health research priority setting in Iran. The project management life cycle has four phases: Initiation, Planning, Execution and Closure. Based on abovementioned points we conducted the study. Focusing on the needs assessment led to systematic implementation of needs assessment of health project in all of the medical sciences universities. Parallel with this achieved strategies health research priority setting was followed through specific process from empowerment to implementation. We should adopt with more systematic progressive methods of health project managements for both our national convenience as well as our international health research programs

in vitro assessment of antimicrobial and cytotoxic effects of nanosilver

The antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles has been investigated in medical fields in recent years, but there are few studies regarding its effect on oral microorganisms. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial and toxicity properties of nanosilver against two dental plaque microorganisms and Human Gin-gival Fibroblast [HGF] cell line. Antibacterial effects of nanosilver colloidal solution were determined by minimal inhibitory concentration [MIC] and minimal bactericidal concentration [MBC] using microdilution method. Standard strains of Streptococcus sanguis and Actinomyces viscosus were used. For toxicity assessment, MTT and LDH tests were performed under controlled conditions. Different concentrations of nanosilver were prepared and their toxic effects on HGF were determined after 24, 48 and 72 hours. The MIC of nanosilver solution for S. sanguis and A. viscosus were 16 and 4 microg/ml, respectively. The MBC of nanosilver was 64 microg/ml for S. sanguis and 16 microg/ml for A. viscosus. MTT results showed that after 24 hours the concentrations of > 0.5 microg/ml of nanosilver solution affected cell viability when compared with control group. After 48 and 72 hours only the concentration of > 5 microg/ml showed significant effect on cultured cell viability. LDH release test demonstrated toxic effect only after 48, 72 hours by 20 and 50 microg/ml of nanosilver. The results demonstrated that beside its antibacterial activity against S. sanguis and A. viscosus, nanosilver mediated a concentration and time dependent cytotoxicity on HGF

Health research system evaluation in I.R. of Iran

Several systems have been proposed to rank academic institutions worldwide. We aimed to introduce a new method of Health Research System [HRS] evaluation in Iran. In this cross-sectional study, a specific questionnaire has been used to assess stewardship, capacity building, and knowledge production through annual evaluations of HRS in Iran. This article has explored the results of the 5-year evaluation [2003 - 2008] and aims to introduce this method to other developing countries. According to our study, in the stewardship axes, all medical science universities designed strategic plans by 2008 and 70% of the approved projects were based on priorities. In the domain of capacity building, the trend in the number of arranged workshops and held congresses is ascending. In the domain of knowledge production, the number of Iranian biomedical research articles increased from 2996 in 2003 to 8816 in 2008.The proportion of ISI Web of Science/Pub Med indexed articles per academic members also increased from 0.09 to 0.33. We conclude that HRS evaluation in Iran has supported knowledge production and has strengthened evidence-based policy making. The adapted ranking system for evaluation of medical research activities is an effective strategy for HRS promotion

Characterization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated from burned patients hospitalized in a major burn center in Tehran, Iran

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important life-threatening nosocomial pathogen and plays a prominent role in serious infections in burned patients. The current study was undertaken to characterize P. aeruginosa strains isolated from burned patients in Tehran, Iran. The study was conducted in a major burn center in Tehran, Iran in 2007. A total of seventy specimens obtained from different clinical origin with positive culture results for P. aeruginosa were included in the study. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed according to the standard CLSI guideline. The relationship between the strains was also determined using antimicrobial drug resistance pattern analysis and plasmid profiling. All strains were multi drug resistant. The percentage of resistance to tested antibiotics was: imipenem 97.5%, amikacin 90%, piperacillin 87.5%, ceftizoxime 72.7%, gentamicin 67.5%, ciprofloxacin 65%, ceftriaxone 60%, and ceftazidime 57.5%. Thirteen resistant phenotypes were recognized, R3 [TET, IPM, AMK, CIP, PIP, GM, CAZ, CRO, CT] was the predominant resistance pattern seen in 27.5% of isolates. Results obtained from Etest showed that 100% of P. aeruginosa strains were resistant to cefoxitin, 97% to cefotetan, 93% to ticarcillin, 89% to ticarcillin/clav, 76% to gentamicin and imipenem, 63% to piperacillin, 49% to tetracycline, and 20% to meropenem. Nine different plasmid profiles were observed among the strains. The current study showed an increase rate of resistance for some antibiotics tested among P. aeruginosa strains isolated from burned patients in Tehran. A combination of antibiotic susceptibility testing and profile plasmid analysis, which are relatively cheap and available methods, showed to be useful to characterize the clinical strains of P. aeruginosa isolated from burned patients in Iran

[ prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases and CTX-M-1 producing escherichia coli in urine samples collected at Tabriz city hospitals]

Numerous use of Beta Lactame in treatment of bacterial infections resulted in increments of drug resistance of such bacteria. One of difficulties in treatment of hospital infections is Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase [ESBL] among isolated clinical strains of E.coli. Since some of ESBL strains shows double reaction in drug sensitivity test at in vitro and in vivo condition, therefore it makes difficulties in selection of right treatment. In the last years, CTX-M enzymes have become the most prevalent ESBLs in worldwide. The prevalence of ESBL types largely remains unknown in many parts of the Iran. This study was made to find the prevalence of ESBLproducing E.coli and molecular detection of CTX-M-1 in Tabriz. In the present study, 400 urine samples collected between November 2009 and April 2010, from Tabriz Hospitals were studied. Out of the 400 samples, 188 E.coli isolates were detected by standard biochemical tests. Susceptibility to antimicrobial agents was tested to 10 antibiotics by the disk agar diffusion [DAD] method. ESBL production was screened by phenotypic test that included both separate and combined disk agar diffusion techniques. The screened isolates were investigated by PCR assay to detect CTX-M-1 gene. From the total 188 E.coli isolates, 82 [43.6%] were shown to produce ESBLs by phenotypic test. During the PCR method on the 82 isolates, 69 [84.1%] were confirmed as CTX-M-1 producing group. The present study showed that CTX-M-producing isolates were increasing among E.coli strains and indicated the need for adequate susceptibility tests in laboratories for choosing the appropriate antibiotics for treatment

Characterization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in burn patients using PCR- restriction fragment length polymorphism and random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis

One of the major opportunistic pathogens in patients with burn injuries is Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which causes severe infections in burned patients. The objective of the study was to examine the molecular epidemiology of P. aeruginosa colonization in the burn unit of Shahid Motahari Hospital in Tehran, Iran. Restriction fragment length polymorphism [RFLP] and random amplified polymorphic DNA [RAPD] analysis were employed to study 127 clinical and two environmental P. aeruginosa isolates collected from January to June 2008. In RFLP, the PCR products of 16S rRNA gene were digested with restriction enzyme Alu I, Hae III, and Rsa I, and the fragments generated were analyzed by agarose electrophoresis. Molecular typing by RFLP did show no discriminatory power for P. aeruginosa isolates, but RAPD-PCR revealed eight different genotypes; RAPD 1 to RAPD8 in clinical and environmental isolates. RAPD1 was the major genotype in clinical [n=64, 50.4%] and environmental isolates [n=l, 50%]. The findings suggest that RAPD might have a superior typeabil-ity and discriminatory power over RFLP to study P. aeruginusa. Moreover, they highlight the need for further attention to the control of infection sources in Burn Units to prevent the transmission of the bacterium

Screening of membrane active antimicrobial metabolites produced by soil actinomycetes using membrane models

The focus of this study was antimicrobial membrane-activity of actinomycetes isolated from some soils of Iran. In this work, soil samples were collected from desert and farming zones of Northern and Central Iran. A total number of 45 actinomycetes were isolated from the soil samples. In the primary screening performed to evaluate antimicrobial activity, isolated microorganisms were analyzed in terms of their general inhibition effects to indicator strains E. coli, C. albicans, and S. cervisae. It has been found that 12 actinomycetes were effective against test microorganisms. In the secondary screening to determine membrane-active metabolites producing microorganisms, isolates having an inhibitory effect against test microorganisms, were analyzed for membrane activity using a Rapid Chromatic Detection method. Based on color changes that are easily identified by the naked eye and recorded by UV-vis spectrophotometery, two actinomycetes had membrane-activity effect and were stored for the sake of further study and identification

Difference in epidemiology and antibiotic susceptibility of methicillin resistant and methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus isolates

Antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus especially methicillin resistant S. aureus [MRSA] continues to be a problem for clinicians worldwide. Although difference in epidemiology and antibiotic susceptibility of methicillin resistant S. aureus [MRSA] and methicillin susceptible S. aureus [MSSA] isolates has been proposed by investigators, few data have been reported to now. Disk diffusion method was used for determination of in vitro susceptibility of S. aureus isolates to 15 antibiotics. Susceptibility pattern of 192 non-duplicates S. aureus isolated from clinical specimens in four university hospitals in Tehran, from November 2007 to August 2008, were compared. In addition, distribution of MRSA and MSSA isolates were investigated in different specimens, on various wards, and in different age groups. MRSA isolates were constituted 49% of all isolates. While only 1.7% of the MSSA isolates were multidrug resistant, all of MRSA were shown resistance to at least five antibiotics. Majority of isolates from patients >/= 65 years old were MRSA and prevalence of methicillin resistance was highest among S. aureus isolated from respiratory specimens. Also, MRSA appeared to be more prevalent in intensive care units and operation wards than in other departments. This study has shown a relationship between methicillin resistance and resistance to other antibiotics in S. aureus isolates. Also, considerable differences were observed in epidemiology of MRSA and MSSA isolates