Microscopic and Molecular Identification of Cyclospora cayetanensis and Cystoisospora belli in HIV-Infected People in Tabriz, Northwest of Iran.

Opportunistic pathogens such as Cryptosporidium, Cystoisospora belli, and Cyclospora cayetanensis cause various gastrointestinal and non-digestive disorders in people with HIV/AIDS. These symptoms are especially severe in HIV-infected people who have a CD4+ count of less than 200 cells/mL. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of C. belli and C. cayetanensis infections among people living with HIV in Tabriz, northwest of Iran. This descriptive study was performed on 137 people with HIV who had been referred to behavioral disease counseling centers in Tabriz. Then, after receiving written consent, fecal samples were collected and evaluated for the detection of parasitic infections using direct methods and modified acid fast staining, as well as polymerase chain reaction (PCR).From the 137 fecal samples collected (98 males and 39 females, between 20 and 40 years old), 1.5% were positive for C. cayetanensis and 2.9% were positive for C. belli. Due to the prevalence of C. cayetanensis and C. belli in people with HIV in Tabriz, essential measures, including personal hygiene training for infection control and prevention, seem necessary.

Toxoplasma and Risk of Spontaneous Abortion: A Meta-Analysis in A Population of Iranian Women.

Toxoplasma gondii is found as an intracellular protozoan parasite in the Apicomplexa phylum that can be transmitted to the fetus and causes miscarriage, infection, and asymptomatic neonatal disease. In the present study, we characterized the seroprevalence rate of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in a population of Iranian women with a recent a spontaneous abortion. We examined our national and international databases including Irandoc, Magiran, SID, Medlib, Scopus, PubMed, and the Science Direct. The search strategy was carried out by using keywords and MeSH terms. The statistical analysis was performed by STATA 14.2. By using the random effects model and the fixed effects model the statistical analysis was performed while the heterogeneity was ≥75 and ≤50%, respectively. We used the chi-squared test and I2 index to calculate heterogeneity among studies, and for evaluating publication bias, Funnel plots and Egger tests were used. The seroprevalence positive rate of IgG among women who had experienced abortion was observed 32% [95% confidence interval (CI): 20-45%] based on the random-effects model. The seroprevalence positive rate of IgM based on the fixed-effect model and positive IgG rate based on the random-effect model was evaluated 4% (95% CI: 3-6%) and 32% (9% CI: 3-42%) among women immediately after an abortion, respectively. According to the finding of our study, toxoplasmosis can be one of the most significant causes of abortion.

Use of Recombinant CP2 and CP23 Antigens of Cryptosporidium parvum for Serodiagnosis of Human Cryptosporidiosis

Background: Cryptosporidium parvum is an important coccidian parasite infecting many mammals, including human. This parasite can manifest as chronic severe diarrhea in immunocompromised individuals, especially those with AIDS. The present study reports the recombinant production of recombinant (r)P2 and rP23 antigens of C. parvum as antigens for detecting human cryptosporidiosis using indirect ELISA tests. Methods: The coding sequences of rP2 and rP23 proteins were codon-optimized, commercially synthesized and sub-cloned in the pET28a expression vector. The expressed proteins were purified by Ni-NTA column chromatography and confirmed by Western blotting. The efficacy of rP2/rP23 proteins for serodiagnosis was evaluated by positive (n = 20) and negative (n = 20) human sera, confirmed by the Ziehl-Neelsen staining as the gold standard test. Results: In ELISA test, the sera from C. parvum-infected patients reacted strongly to rP2/rP23. The sensitivity and specificity related to the diagnostic potential of rP2/rP23 in the ELISA assay were 100%. Conclusion: Our results showed that combination of rP23 and rP2 antigens in ELISA significantly increases the performance of C. parvum serodiagnosis in human cryptosporidiosis.

Morphological and Molecular Descriptions of Macracanthorhynchus ingens (Acanthocephala: Oligacanthorhynchidae) Collected from Hedgehogs in Iran.

Aim: Limited data exist on acanthocephalan infections of hedgehogs in the world. Our objective was to investigate the prevalence and distribution of Macracanthorhynchus ingens infection in hedgehogs between August 2021 and March 2022 (n = 30) in the east of Iran. Methods: At first, infection with M. ingens was diagnosed based on morphologic features of the adults such as body length, proboscis, and hooks. Spindle-shaped eggs (mean length, 99.1 microns; mean width, 60.1 microns) were obtained from the body cavity of gravid female specimens. Results: The molecular analysis based on 18S rDNA and COX 1 genes confirmed the morphological identification of isolated M. ingens. The prevalence of M. ingens in our sample was 13.3% with 1-10 worms per infected host. Conclusion: In this study, we identify M. ingens as zoonotic species in hedgehog carcasses for the first time that passed eggs and adult worms, indicating parasite maturation and reproduction. There are a few studies on acanthocephalans in Iran. Therefore, more comparative studies are needed to determine the status of these species.

Identification of Knockdown Resistance Mutations in the Cimex hemipterus (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) in Iran.

The worldwide resurgence of tropical bed bug Cimex hemipterus beginning in the late 1990s has led to growing concern. Molecular data on pyrethroid resistance, which is essential for the control strategies, is unknown for C. hemipterus in Iran. The current study evaluated the deltamethrin resistance status of C. hemipterus by bioassay and molecular tests. Live bed bugs were collected from sleeping quarters (dormitories) in the city of Tehran and used for insecticide bioassay tests. For bioassay evaluation, mixed-sex pools of adult bugs were exposed to deltamethrin (0.025%)-treated paper. Polymerase chain reaction assay evaluated resistance-related mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel gene (VGSC) gene of studied populations. On the basis of the bioassay test within the 48-h exposure to deltamethrin, C. hemipterus were determined to be resistant. Knockdown time ratios (KR50) in the studied populations of C. hemipterus was 5.5-fold compared with those of the C. lectularius Teh strain. DNA sequencing of the VGSC gene revealed the presence of mutations at M918I and L1014 in C. hemipterus. According to the bioassay and molecular results of current study, C. hemipterus showed a high degree of pyrethroid resistance. The application of multiple approaches including physical, biological, and chemical tests should be regarded in future bed bug control strategies.

A proteomic glimpse into the effect of antimalarial drugs on Plasmodium falciparum proteome towards highlighting possible therapeutic targets.

There is no effective vaccine against malaria; therefore, chemotherapy is to date the only choice to fight against this infectious disease. However, there is growing evidences of drug-resistance mechanisms in malaria treatments. Therefore, the identification of new drug targets is an urgent need for the clinical management of the disease. Proteomic approaches offer the chance of determining the effects of antimalarial drugs on the proteome of Plasmodium parasites. Accordingly, we reviewed the effects of antimalarial drugs on the Plasmodium falciparum proteome pointing out the relevance of several proteins as possible drug targets in malaria treatment. In addition, some of the P. falciparum stage-specific altered proteins and parasite-host interactions might play important roles in pathogenicity, survival, invasion and metabolic pathways and thus serve as potential sources of drug targets. In this review, we have identified several proteins, including thioredoxin reductase, helicases, peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase, endoplasmic reticulum-resident calcium-binding protein, choline/ethanolamine phosphotransferase, purine nucleoside phosphorylase, apical membrane antigen 1, glutamate dehydrogenase, hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase, heat shock protein 70x, knob-associated histidine-rich protein and erythrocyte membrane protein 1, as promising antimalarial drugs targets. Overall, proteomic approaches are able to partially facilitate finding possible drug targets. However, the integration of other 'omics' and specific pharmaceutical techniques with proteomics may increase the therapeutic properties of the critical proteins identified in the P. falciparum proteome.

Persian language version of the "Tinnitus Handicap Inventory": translation, standardization, validity and reliability.

UNLABELLED: Tinnitus is a debilitating condition that is widespread yet difficult to successfully diagnose and treat. This symptom can seriously affect the individual's life quality. OBJECTIVES: The aim of current study was to compose and validate a Persian version of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI-P). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The linguistic validation of the original version of THI into Persian version (THI-P) included translation, back translation and data gathering. The THI-P was administered to 112 tinnitus subjects. Age, gender, medical history and tinnitus characteristics were recorded as baseline information. All participants complained of chronic unilateral or bilateral subjective idiopathic tinnitus lasting for at least 6 months before consulting about their tinnitus. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between gender, age, hearing impairment and total score and subscales of THI-P. Pearson product-moment correlations revealed adequate test-retest reliability for the THI-P (r = 0.96). Cronbach's-alpha coefficient indicated adequate internal stability of the THI-P (r= 0.943), with a total item correction varying between r=0.939 and r=0.944, indicating its reproducibility. CONCLUSION: The present study proved the internal consistency/ coherency of the Persian version of THI (THI-P). This provides satisfactory application in clinical/research environments.