RESUMEN
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Pigeons are extensively kept for homing and racing purposes in Iran. The main objective of this study was to investigate dissemination of M. avium subsp. avium (MAA) in pigeon aviaries in Tabriz, North-western Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Postmortem pathologic specimens from thirty-nine out of 140 birds collected from private flocks (n=3), were subjected to bacterial culture out of which 3-4 mycobacterial isolates were recovered. RESULTS: Applying a five-PCR diagnostic algorithm targeting short but definitive stretches of 16S rRNA and RV0577 genes, IS6110, IS901 and IS1245 genomic loci, proved all the isolates were MAA. They were either IS901+/IS1245+(n=22) or IS901+/IS1245- (n=12). When four healthy cattle sensitized against Mycobacterium bovis AN5 and Mycobacterium avium D4 were tuberculinated, the results confirmed the observed skin reactions against bovine tuberculin in animals sensitized with M. avium were large enough to complicate test interpretation. CONCLUSION: We believe the extent of such epidemiological impact deserves further investigation if progress in control of bovine tuberculosis is intended.
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: The cag pathogenicity island (PAI), which can be divided into two parts, cagI and cagII, is the most well-known virulence factor of Helicobacter pylori. AIMS: We investigated the association between genetic variations within the cag PAI (cagA and cagE in the cagI and cagT in the cagII) and clinical outcomes in Iranian patients. SUBJECTS: A total of 231 patients including 182 patients with gastritis, 41 with peptic ulcer and 8 with gastric cancer. METHODS: The presence of the cagA, cagE and cagT genes were measured by polymerase chain reaction and the results were compared with clinical outcomes and gastric histology. RESULTS: The cagA, cagE and cagT genes were found in 154 (66.7%), 90 (39.0%) and 70 (30.3%) of clinical isolates. At least 144 (62.3%) strains possessed partially deleted cag PAI (e.g., 69 [29.9%] strains were cagA-positive, but cagE and cagT-negative). CONCLUSION: The single genes as well as the combination of genes in the cag PAI appeared not to be useful markers to predict H. pylori-related diseases in Iranian patients. The genomic sequences of the cag PAI in Iranian strains might be considerably different from those in other geographic locations.
