Genotyping of Helicobacter pylori strains isolated from patients with NUD, DU, GU and GC by RAPD-PCR

Helicobacter pylori is a genetically diverse gastric pathogen that chronically infects billions of people worldwide, typically beginning in infancy and lasting for decades. It is a major cause of peptic ulcers and it is an early risk factor for gastric cancer which is the most frequently lethal malignancy globally. This project was designed to genotype H. pylori isolates isolated from patients with NUD, DU, GU and GC by the polymerase chain reaction [PCR]-based on Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA [RAPD] fingerprinting technique. Eighty patients admitted to the gastroenterology unit at Sharyati hospital in Iran were included in this study. Gastric biopsy specimens were inoculated onto selective medium then were cultured for 3 to 5 days at 37 °C under microaerobic conditions. Genomic DNA was extracted using a commercially available Qiagen kit. RAPD-PCR was used to genotype isolates. Six different RAPD patterns [A-F] were seen in more than one isolate which were as follow; pattern A: 9 [16.98%], B: 6 [11.33%], C: 5 [9.43%], D: 3 [5.66%], E: 2 [3.77%] and F: 2 [3.77%]. Twenty six [49.06%] of 53 isolates showed a unique RAPD pattern that were not similar to each other. A significant relationship was not seen between a single RAPD pattern and a gastric disorder [P>0.05]. The results of this study suggest a high level of DNA sequence diversity among H. pylori isolates and it is better to use sequencing method for surveying of Helicobacter pylori genome rather than RAPD-PCR

Staff and patient absorbed doses due to diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures

Background: Annual patient effective dose equivalent can be considered as a quantitative physical parameter describing the activities performed in each nuclear medicine department. Annual staff dose equivalent could be also considered as a parameter describing the amount of radiation risk for performing the activities. We calculated the staff to patient dose equivalent ratio to be used as a physical parameter for quantification of ALARA law in nuclear medicine departments

Materials and Methods: As a part of nationwide study, this paper reports the staff and patient absorbed dose equivalents from diagnostic nuclear medicine examinations performed in four nuclear medicine departments during 1999-2002. The type and frequency of examinations in each department were determined directly from hospital medical reports. Staff absorbed dose equivalents were calculated from regular personal dosimeter reports

Results: The total number of examinations increased by 16.7% during these years. Annual patient collective dose equivalent [EDE] increased about 13.0% and the mean effective dose equivalent per exam was 3.61+/-0.07 mSv. Annual total staff absorbed dose equivalent [total of 24 radiation workers] in four departments increased from 40.45 mSv to 47.81 mSv during four years that indicates an increase of about 20.6%. The average of annual ratios of staff to patient effective dose equivalents in four departments were 1.83×10[-3], 1.04×10[-3], 3.28×10[-3] and 3.24×10[-3], respectively, within a range of 0.9×10[-3] - 4.17×10[-3]. The mean value of ratios in four years was about 2.24×10[-3] +/- 1.09×10[-3] that indicates the staff dose of about two 1000[th] of patient dose

Conclusion: The mean value of ratios in four years was about 1.89×10[-3] +/- 0.95×10[-3] indicating the staff dose of about one 1000th of the patient dose. The staff to patient absorbed dose equivalent ratio could be used as a quantitative parameter for describing ALARA law in radiation protection and risk-benefit assessments