Prevalence of foodborne and zoonotic viral pathogens in raw cow milk samples.

Foodborne and zoonotic viral pathogens are responsible for substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. These viruses can be transmitted through foods such as dairy products to humans and cause several acute and chronic diseases. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and profile of different foodborne and zoonotic viruses in raw cow milk samples. We collected 492 raw cow milk samples from local dairy markets in Qazvin, Iran. Then we evaluated the presence of hepatitis A virus, noroviruses, rotavirus, astrovirus, bovine leukaemia virus (BLV) and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in samples using conventional and nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction methods. We found that 34.95, 7.72, 25.81, 14.63, 66.86, 12.80 and 21.34% of raw milk samples were contaminated with norovirus GI, norovirus GII, hepatitis A virus, rotavirus, astrovirus, BLV and TBEV viruses, respectively. Interestingly, the samples collected from the city's south area revealed a higher prevalence of foodborne and zoonotic viruses. Astrovirus and its combination with norovirus GI were the most prevalent virus profiles. Also, the highest correlations were observed among the presence of rotavirus and hepatitis A viruses (0.36) and TBEV and norovirus GII (0.31). Considering the prevalence rate and virus profiles of different foodborne and zoonotic viruses in raw milk samples, hygiene practices and the pasteurization process are strongly suggested to be conducted throughout the cow milk production chain and in dairy industries to prevent infections with these pathogens.

Association Between TLR2, TLR4, and CD14 Gene Polymorphisms and Acute Rejection in Kidney Transplant.

OBJECTIVES: Toll-like receptors play an important role in innate and adaptive immune responses and can induce acute graft rejection, especially in the early phase after transplant. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible association between TLR2, TLR4, and CD14 polymorphisms and acute renal rejection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our study included 239 patients seen between 2013 and 2015. Patients were classified into 3 groups: acute rejection group (71 patients), stable graft function group (71 patients), and healthy control group (97 patients). Polymorphisms in TLR2 (Arg753Gln, rs5743708), TLR4 (Asp299Gly, rs4986790; Thr399Ile, rs4986791), and CD14 (-159C/T, rs2569190) were determined by the TaqMan allelic discrimination assay for detection of single-nucleotide polymorphisms. RESULTS: The genotype distribution of CD14 rs2569190C/T was found to be significantly different among the acute rejection, stable graft function, and healthy control groups (P < .05). Interestingly, based on logistic regression, CD14 genotype (rs2569190) in patients with acute rejection was still significant after including risk factors. The adjusted odds ratio for CD14 CT+TT over CC genotype was calculated as 3.172 (95% confidence interval, 1.397-7.200; P = .006). Moreover, incidence of acute rejection and graft loss were significantly more frequent in recipients carrying CD14 TT (95% confidence interval, 2.81-27.16; P ≤ .001). In contrast to CD14, no significant differences were observed in the single-nucleotide polymorphisms of TLR2 and TLR4 genes in the acute rejection group versus the stable graft function and healthy control groups. The presence of CD14 T allele was associated with a significantly lower rejection-free survival compared with the CD14 CT and CC genotypes (P ≤ .001). CONCLUSIONS: Renal transplant recipients carrying the CD14-159 TT genotype have significantly higher risk of acute rejection and reduced transplant survival rate than patients with heterozygous or wild-type genotypes.

Investigation of Killer Immunoglobulin-like Receptor (KIR) and HLA Genotypes to Predict the Occurrence of Acute Allograft Rejection after Kidney Transplantation.

After kidney transplantation, natural killer (NK) cells play a pivotal role in triggering the immune response to the allogeneic grafts primarily by their killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR). This process may be one mechanism that contributes to graft rejection. In this study, we have evaluated whether acute rejection after kidney transplantation was associated with predicted NK cell alloreactivity based on KIR gene and ligand along with KIR/HLA compound genotype analysis. After kidney transplantation, natural killer (NK) cells play a pivotal role in triggering the immune response to the allogeneic grafts primarily by their killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR). This process may be one mechanism that contributes to graft rejection. In this study, we have evaluated whether acute rejection after kidney transplantation was associated with predicted NK cell alloreactivity based on KIR gene and ligand along with KIR/HLA compound genotype analysis. DNA from 65 patients with biopsy-proven acute kidney allograft rejection (AKAR), 61 clinically stable graft function (SGF) recipients and 176 healthy subjects were identified for the presence or absence of 10 variable KIR genes (both activating and inhibitory receptors) and their HLA ligands using polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP) assay. Although no significant difference in the frequency of individual KIR genes, was found the gene content, and the haplotypic distribution between the three categories were detected, the frequency of the KIR3DL1+HLA-Bw4*A allele combination was significantly lower in AKAR patients compared to SGF recipients (p=0.004, OR=0.34, CI=0.16-0.72) and healthy subjects (p=0.019, OR=0.47, CI=0.25-0.89). Kaplan-Meier survival test showed that the KIR3DL1+HLA-Bw4*A allele combination could be considered protective for AKAR (p=0.04 by log-rank). The results of this study suggest that KIR/HLA polymorphism may be a genetic susceptibility factor to alloreactivity dysfunction in the NK cells of patients with AKAR. It is likely that a KIR/HLA combinatorial study can be beneficial in predicting AKAR occurrence for the purpose of selecting donors appropriately.