Effect of Royal Jelly on Gene Expression of Toll-like Receptors 1-9 in Patients with Hepatitis B.

BACKGROUND: By damaging the liver, hepatitis B can result in acute and chronic diseases, such as cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. Viable treatments for such diseases using natural products and determinative biomarkers have been proposed but require evaluation to improve their effects. Therefore, this study aims to examine how effectively a specific natural product (namely, royal jelly) protects the body from the copy number of the virus, as well as TLR1 to TLR9 gene expressions. METHODS: The effectiveness of royal jelly was tested by giving it (orally) to 30 hepatitis B patients for one month. HBV copy number and mRNA levels of TLRs were explored using Real Time PCR technique, and liver enzymes were evaluated too. RESULTS: Orally treatment with royal jelly led to a significant decrease in HBV-DNA copy number, down-regulation of TLR2 and TLR8, and up-regulation of TLR3. However, mRNA levels of the TLRs were not altered in the female, while TLR1, TLR2, and TLR5 were significantly decreased in the male participants. CONCLUSIONS: It seems that royal jelly has anti-viral and anti-inflammatory roles in the in vivo conditions in a dependent manner in TLR3, TLR2, and TLR8. Therefore, it can be suggested as a safe complementary agent for patients with hepatitis B.

Phenotypic and Molecular Characterization of AmpC ß-Lactamases among Escherichia coli a Prospective Study in Southeast Iran.

BACKGROUND: Escherichia coli (E. coli) causes serious health problems due to the high rate of its resistance to common antibiotics. AmpC ß-lactamases are important cephalosporinases, encoded by E. coli chromosome, that cause resistance to cefoxitin, cephalothin, most penicillins, cefazolin, and beta-lactamase inhibitor-beta-lactams. This study aimed to detect AmpC ß-lactamases among E. coli strains at three educational hospitals in Iran. METHODS: Two hundred and thirty samples were recovered from the three educational hospitals in Zahedan City in southeast Iran. Sixty E. coli strains were identified by biochemical and differential tests. E. coli strains with extended-spectrum ß-lactamases (ESBLs) were selected by disk-diffusion agar method and combined diffuse disc test. Finally, selected isolates were screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the common AmpC genotypes MOX, FOX, CIT, DHA, EBC, and ACC. RESULTS: Out of 60 E. coli strains, 13 isolates (21.7%) were ESBL positive and 7 strains (11.6%) were phenotypically AmpC beta-lactamase producers. Three isolates had CIT (23.1%), 5 had DHA (38.5%), 4 had EBC (30.8%), and 1 had ACC (7.7%) genotypes. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of AmpC-producing E. coli strains in hospital settings is an important challenge for health care systems. Data about beta-lactamase producers that are crucial for controlling bacterial resistance should be upgraded.

Isolation and Detection of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae and Its Distribution in Humans and Animals by Phenotypical and Molecular Methods in Ahvaz-Iran in 2015.

BACKGROUND: Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae (E. rhusiopathiae) is generally transmitted into the gastrointestinal tract of animals by the intake of contaminated food or water and causes great economic loss in agriculture worldwide. Some of the Erysipelothrix spp. are the causative agents of erysipeloid, which is an occupational infection in humans. The aim of the present study was to isolate E. rhusiopathiae from animals as well as the hands of the butchers working in Ahvaz, Iran, and to determine their susceptibility to antibiotics. METHODS: Totally, 150 samples were taken from slaughterhouse workers, fishermen, and livers and hearts of sheep and calves by the swabbing method. Phenotypical methods and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were used for the isolation and identification of E. rhusiopathiae. The isolates were tested for their susceptibility to commonly used antimicrobial agents using the disk diffusion protocol described by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. RESULTS: Out of the 150 samples examined via phenotypical and biochemical tests, 16 samples were positive as putative Erysipelothrix spp. twelve cases out of the 16 putative Erysipelothrix spp. were confirmed by PCR. The tested isolates were highly sensitive to the antibiotics used. The results of the sensitivity and specificity of PCR revealed that the sensitivity and specificity of indirect PCR were higher than those of direct PCR. CONCLUSION: E. rhusiopathiae is widely distributed on seafood and presents as a commensal pathogen in nature and animals. Infection with this microorganism should be emphasized because it is a rare organism causing severe infections such as infectious endocarditis and polyarthritis following localized infections.

Phylogenetic background of enterotoxigenic and enteroinvasive Escherichia coli from patients with diarrhea in Sirjan, Iran.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) strains are a major cause of intestinal syndromes in the developing countries. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) and enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) in relation to phylogenetic background from patients with diarrhea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 110 E. coli isolates were obtained from diarrhea patients in Sirjan, southeast of Iran. The E. coli isolates were confirmed using biochemical and bacteriological tests. DNA of E. coli isolates was extracted by boiling method and checked for existence of ETEC (LT and ST genes) and EIEC (ipaH gene) pathotypes and also characterize the phylogenetic groups on the basis of presence or absence of the chuA, yjaA genes and an anonymous DNA fragment, TspE4. C2 by multiplex PCR. RESULTS: Out of 110 E. coli isolates, 32 (29.09%) were positive for ETEC (LT and ST genes) and 6 (5.45%) possessed EIEC (ipaH gene) pathotypes. Isolates fall into four phylogenetic groups: A (39.09%), B1 (20%), B2 (15.45%) and D (25.45%). Phylotyping of isolates of DEC indicated they were distributed in four phylogenetic groups including A (12 isolates), B1 (7), B2 (9) and D (10). CONCLUSION: In this study, the DEC isolates were segregated into different phylogenetic groups. The majority of isolates belonged to phylo-groups A and D.

Frequency and Type Distribution of Human Papilloma Virus in Patients with Prostate Cancer, Kerman, Southeast of Iran.

Prostatic cancer is the second cause of cancer-related death among men worldwide. The human papilloma viruses (HPVs) are a family of sexually transmitted viruses which have may have roles in the etiology of inflammation in the prostate leading to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa). In this study, we evaluated the frequency of different HPV types in prostatic cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in Kerman province, southeast of Iran, using real-time PCR techniques. The aim of the present research was to clarify any association with prostatic carcinogenesis. Real Time PCR showed that HPV DNA was found in 20% of 200 PCa samples, 80 percent of these with high-risk HPV types, 40% with type-16,18, 30 % type-31,33 and 10% type 54. High risk HPV DNA was detected in only 2% of BPH samples. Values for low risk types were much higher. Our study provided support for a role of high risk HPV infection in prostatic disease in Iranian patients, and association between presence of HPV DNA and prostate carcinoma. In particular, HPV 16 and18 might have an important role in prostate cancer.

Characterization of plant-growth-promoting traits of Acinetobacter species isolated from rhizosphere of Pennisetum glaucum.

A total of 31 Acinetobacter isolates were obtained from the rhizosphere of Pennisetum glaucum and evaluated for their plant-growth-promoting traits. Two isolates, namely Acinetobacter sp. PUCM1007 and A. baumannii PUCM1029, produced indole acetic acid (10-13 microgram/ml). A total of 26 and 27 isolates solubilized phosphates and zinc oxide, respectively. Among the mineral-solubilizing strains, A. calcoaceticus PUCM1006 solubilized phosphate most efficiently (84 mg/ml), whereas zinc oxide was solubilized by A. calcoaceticus PUCM1025 at the highest solubilization efficiency of 918%. All the Acinetobacter isolates, except PUCM1010, produced siderophores. The highest siderophore production (85.0 siderophore units) was exhibited by A. calcoaceticus PUCM1016. Strains PUCM1001 and PUCM1019 (both A. calcoaceticus) and PUCM1022 (Acinetobacter sp.) produced both hydroxamate- and catechol-type siderophores, whereas all the other strains only produced catechol-type siderophores. In vitro inhibition of Fusarium oxysporum under iron-limited conditions was demonstrated by the siderophore-producing Acinetobacter strains, where PUCM1018 was the most potent inhibitor of the fungal phytopathogen. Acinetobacter sp. PUCM1022 significantly enhanced the shoot height, root length, and root dry weights of pearl millet seedlings in pot experiments when compared with controls, underscoring the plant-growth-promoting potential of these isolates.