Species distribution and antifungal susceptibility of Candida spp. isolated from superficial candidiasis in outpatients in Iran.

OBJECTIVE: Candidiasis is the most prevalent fungal infection affecting human and animals all over the world. This study represents the epidemiological aspects of superficial candidiasis in outpatients and in vitro antifungal susceptibility of etiologic Candida species. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Clinical samples were taken from 173 patients including skin and nail scrapings (107; 61.8%), vaginal discharge (28; 16.2%), sputum (20; 11.6%), oral swabs (7; 4.0%), bronchoalveolar lavage (6; 3.5%) and 1 specimen (0.6%) of each eye tumor, gastric juice, urine, biopsy and urinary catheter and confirmed as candidiasis by direct microscopy, culture and histopathology. Susceptibility patterns of the isolated Candida species were determined using the disk diffusion and broth microdilution methods. RESULTS: Among 173 Candida isolates, C. albicans (72.3%) was the most prevalent species followed by C. parapsilosis (11.5%). Other identified species were C. glabrata, C. krusei, C. tropicalis, C. guilliermondii, C. intermedia and C. sake. Majority of the Candida isolates were susceptible to fluconazole (95.4%) followed by 5-flucytosine (89.6%), voriconazole (78.6%) itraconazole (48.0%) and ketoconazole (42.8%). Caspofungin was the most potent antifungal drug against C. albicans (MICs; 0.062-1 µg/mL), ketoconazole for C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis (MICs; 0.031-0.25 µg/mL) and itraconazole for C. krusei, C. glabrata and C. guilliermondii (MICs; 0.031-1 µg/mL). CONCLUSION: This study reinforces the significance of superficial candidiasis as an important fungal infection with multiple clinical presentations. Our results further indicate that susceptibility testing to commonly used antifungals is crucial in order to select the appropriate therapeutic strategies which minimize complications while improving patients' life.

Surveillance and laboratory detection system of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in Iran.

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a viral zoonotic disease with a high mortality rate in humans. The CCHF virus (CCHFV) is transmitted to humans through the bite of Ixodid ticks or by contact with blood or tissues of infected livestock. In addition to zoonotic transmission, CCHFV can be spread from person to person and is one of the rare haemorrhagic fever viruses able to cause nosocomial outbreaks in hospitals. Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever is a public health problem in many regions of the world such as Eastern Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. In addition to clinical symptoms, the diagnosis of CCHF is based on the use of serological tests for the detection of immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G antibodies and on the use of molecular tools such as RT-PCR. From 1970 to 1978, serological and epidemiological studies were performed in humans and in livestock of Iran. After two decades and observations of CCHF in some provinces of Iran, a CCHF surveillance and detection system was established in 1999, leading to a dramatically decreased mortality rate from 20% (year 2000) to 2% (year 2007).

Effect of c-Fos overexpression on the murine macrophage cell line P388DI.

In order to study the role of Fos on the regulation of proliferation in the monocyte-macrophage lineage we realized a stable transfection of the murine P388D1 cell line by the murine c-fos gene under the control of the human metallothionein IIA promoter. Several clones have been selected by geneticin: they show a variable number of integrated transgene (two to ten copies). Their expression has been analyzed in the presence or absence of cadmium chloride as inducer (5 x 10(-6) M). In one clone especially, the c-fos mRNA and Fos protein levels were respectively 6- and 10-fold increased. The study of cell growth by tritiated thymidine incorporation indicates a negative effect of the overexpressed Fos protein in the absence of any other stimulus.