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Background & objectives: Construction of new service centers including hospitals is expensive and requires optimal site selection for these centers so that all citizens benefit from its increased productivity. It can also help them lower their costs. This study investigates the optimal locations for construction of hospitals in Ardabil using GIS software.

Methods: This is an applied research which incorporates a descriptive-analytic methodology. The data is made up of 11 criteria; proximity to densely populated areas, proximity to green space, closeness to main thoroughfares, proximity to fire departments and distance from existing hospitals, industrial centers, slopes, learning centers, cemetery, military bases and from sport facilities. They were all weighted using analytic network process (ANP) model.

Results: After performing the necessary calculations and evaluations, the highest and lowest weight of criteria belonged to the proximity to densely populated areas (0.229) and distance from the cemetery (0.033), respectively. According to the criteria weights and overlapping of layers, the most and least favorable locations for the establishment of hospitals were identified.

Conclusion: Results of the classification showed the best location for construction of hospitals in Ardabil city based on four municipal regions. In region one it belongs to the 8^th, 5^th, 2^nd, and 11^th districts in region two districts of 6 and 7 which cover southeastern edge of the city, in region 3 districts of 1, 2, 6, 7, 8 and 10 which contain the western part of the city, and in region four it belongs to districts of 1, 2, 6, 7, 10 and 11 that encompass the blocks in the northern and north-western route of the city. These regions can be used for construction of new hospitals in order to improve people’s access to healthcare services.

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Background & Objectives: hcpD gene in Helicobacter pylori is a member of cysteine-rich proteins family which triggers the host's immune system and antibody production. H. pylori is found in human's stomach and causes digestive diseases such as duodenal ulcer, chronic gastritis and stomach cancer. The objectives of this study were to isolate, amplify and clone H. pylori's hcpD gene in pcDNA3.1 (-) vector and to study its expression in eukaryotic system.

Methods: H. pylori genomic DNA was isolated by extraction kit. The hcpD gene was amplified using PCR reaction and then purified from gel, followed by pTZ cloning. Subcloning of hcpD was performed in pcDNA3.1 (-) eukaryotic expression vector. The accuracy of cloning steps was investigated through PCR, enzymatic digestion by BamHI and EcoRV enzymes, and sequencing, respectively. Transfer of expression construct into CHO cells was done by electroporation. The gene expression in these cells was analyzed using RT-PCR and SDS-PAGE.

Results: PCR results showed amplification of a 933bp segment related to hcpD gene. Successful cloning of the gene in pTZ vector and construction of pTZ-hcpD recombinant vector were achieved. Enzymatic digestion and sequencing confirmed the correctness of subcloning and creation of pcDNA3.1 (-)-hcpD construct. hcpD was expressed in eukaryotic system, and its protein product was observed on SDS-PAGE gel.

Conclusion: pTZ-hcpD construct can be used as a source of H. pylori's hcpD gene for future research, like production of recombinant protein and vaccine in different systems. Furthermore, successful expression of the gene using pcDNA3.1 (-)-hcpD in CHO animal cells shows the potential of vector as a gene vaccine against H. pylori.

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Background & objective:   One of the objectives of health reform plan in Iran is to reduce the rate of cesarean section delivery. This needs research and use of results to improve the maternal and neonatal outcomes. The aim of this study was to compare the maternal and neonatal outcomes after normal vaginal and cesarean section delivery in hospitalized low-risk mothers in Arash Hospital in Tehran, Iran.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 1900 low-risk pregnant women, with 37-40 weeks of gestational age, referring to the emergency department and being hospitalized for delivery were included. The data were collected from two groups of patients (normal vaginal delivery and cesarean section delivery). Data on wound infection, abnormal postpartum hemorrhage, decrease of hemoglobin, transfusion requirement, injuries to the genitourinary system, fever until 10 days after delivery, neonatal respiratory complications, NICU admission, jaundice and obstetric injuries were collected by a questionnaire.

Results: From 1900 pregnant women, 62.1% had cesarean delivery and 37.9% had normal vaginal delivery. The reasons for cesarean delivery included repeated cesarean (68%), failure to progress (18.1%), and fetal distress (13/9%). Wound infection (p=0. 004), abnormal postpartum hemorrhage (p=0.042) and low hemoglobin (p<0.001) were more frequent in cesarean delivery group than in normal vaginal delivery group. But obstetric injuries were higher in normal vaginal delivery group (p<0. 0001). There was no difference between the two groups in terms of fever ten days after delivery and blood transfusion requirement. For neonatal outcomes, transient neonatal tachypnea (p=0.032), neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (p=0.002), and NICU admission (p<0. 0001) were more frequent in cesarean delivery group than in normal vaginal delivery group. There was no difference between the two groups in neonatal jaundice rate and neonatal injuries.

Conclusion: Due to the high rate of cesarean section delivery in our country and higher rate of maternal and neonatal complications after cesarean section delivery, appropriate strategies are required to be applied to decrease unnecessary cesarean section delivery and increase normal delivery with minimum maternal and neonatal complications.

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Background & objectives: Prostate cancer is one the most common cancer in men whose incidence is increasing in many countries. According to the studies, decreased expression of miR-143 has been reported in prostate cancer. In this study, we replaced miRNA-143 in prostate cancer cells by vector based miRNA-143 and evaluated its inhibitory effects on migration of prostate cancer cells (PC3).
Methods: MTT assay was performed to reach an inhibitory concentration of Genticin antibiotic (G418 (in PC3 cells. Then, miRNA-143 vector was transfected into PC3 cells via JetPEI transfection reagent. The transfected cells were selected by G418 antibiotic according to a 2-week treatment with IC50 concentration. Then, the expression level of miRNA-143 was measured by qRT-PCR method. To evaluate the effect of miRNA-143 in inhibition of migration, scratch wound healing assay was performed.
Results: Results of MTT assay showed the IC50 level of G418 on PC3 cells was obtained to be 141.9 μg / ml. The results of qRT-PCR indicated increased expression of miRNA-143 in PC3 cells transfected with miRNA-143 compared to control cells. Finally, the results of wound healing assay showed migration reduction in transfected cells compared with control cells (empty vector).
Conclusion: The results showed that miRNA-143 play an important role in cell migration during prostate cancer metastasis, and it can be a good candidate for molecular treatments.

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Background & objectives: Enterococcus spp. are predominant in the faecal microflora which enter the environment directly or through wastewater. These bacteria play an important role in the development of nosocomial infections due to their ability to acquire resistance genes and their transmission to other bacteria, particularly Staphylococcus aureus. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and to detect van A, van B and van C1/C2 genes in VRE strain isolated from environmental samples of the in southern Fars province.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 155 Enterococcus spp isolates collected from environmental samples (hospital wastewaters and surface waters) in different areas of Larestan and Jahrom cities. Isolates were identified and confirmed as Enterococcus spp. using the membrane filtration method, selective growth on Kenner Fecal Streptococcus Agar (KF) medium and biochemical tests. The disk diffusion test and Macro Broth dilution method based on CLSI guidelines were used to determine antimicrobial susceptibility against conventional antibiotics and vancomycin and to measure the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), respectively. Finally, the presence of van A, van B and van C1/C2 genes in VRE strains was determined by multiplex PCR technique.
Results: Out of all of Enterococcus spp. isolates, 41 cases (26.45%) were belonged to E.faecalis, 6 cases (3.87%) to E.faecium and 108 cases (69.68%) to non-faecalis and non-faecium. In total, 46 isolates (29.67%) were resistant to vancomycin and 4 isolates showed MIC ≥128 μg/ml. Resistant to all types of antibiotics was observed in 4 isolates (8.70%). Further, 2 isolates (50%) had vanA gene and 2 isolates (50%) had vanB gene, but vanC1/C2 genes were detected in none of them.
Conclusion: The results indicated that the VRE strains are widespread in the studied area, therefore there is an urgent need for prudent use of vancomycin and implementation of control measures to prevent the environmental spread of VRE strains.

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Background & objectives: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a globally widespread infection that spreads mainly through sexual contact, mother to child and intravenous drug use. The disease can vary from an asymptomatic state to advanced immune deficiency and AIDS-related opportunistic infections and complications. Patients may be diagnosed at different stages of the disease. In this study, we aimed to analyze the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients with HIV and its consequences during the past 10 years (2005-2014) in Ardabil city.
Methods: In this descriptive and case series study, patients with HIV (including live and dead patients) referring to the Ardabil behavioral counseling center were included during 2005-2014 years. The checklist containing demographic data, modes of transmission, time of diagnosis, clinical and therapeutic problems during this period, etc. was prepared for each patient. In dead patients, the causes of death as well as the interval between diagnosis and death were investigated.
Results: In this study, 60 patients with HIV were evaluated, the mean age was 42.96 years, 76.7% of patients were male and 48.2% were intravenous drug users. In 39.7% of cases, patients have probably been infected through intravenous injection and 33.3% by sexual contact. The mean CD4 + lymphocyte cell count of patients was 252 cells per ml. The most common early symptoms of the disease were fever (63.33%), aphthous stomatitis (35%) and diarrhea (28.33%). In 7 cases (50%), tuberculosis was the most common opportunistic infection. 6 patients (10%) had coinfection with hepatitis B or C. 28 patients (46.6%) died within the time of study. The median time from diagnosis to death was 44.84±39.65 months and cardiorespiratory failure was the most common cause of death among patients.
Conclusion: This study showed that most patients were middle-aged and intravenous drug use was the most common risk factors for HIV. The most common way of transmission was intravenous injection and hepatitis C and tuberculosis were the most important comorbidities, respectively. Raising community awareness about the disease, early diagnosis and appropriate care during illness are basic measures to deal with this global problem.

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Background & objectives: Syzygium aromaticum (Clove) is a medicinal plant usually used in traditional medicine to reduce toothache. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the analgesic effect of topical Clove oil on acute and chronic pain in male mice using formalin test.
Methods: In this study, 24 mice were divided into 4 groups: control, morphine (as positive control), Clove oil, and Clove oil plus morphine groups. Before the formalin test, the animals were treated topically with clove oil for 6 hours.  A single dose of morphine (10 mg/kg) was prescribed subcutaneously. Pain scores were obtained using the formalin test through an injection of 20 microliter of formalin 2.5% into the palm of the animal's right hand.
Results: Topical administration of Clove oil significantly decreased acute pain (the initial phase of the formalin test) and chronic pain (the second phase of the formalin test). Furthermore, topical Clove oil increased the analgesic effect of morphine in acute pain phase.
Conclusions: This study showed that the analgesic effect of topical Clove oil was comparable to morphine.

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Background & objectives: One of the main problems in the control of nosocomial infections due to Klebsiella pneumoniae is increase of antimicrobial resistance and prevalence of extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBLs) producing isolates. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation of antibiotics resistance with SHV, CTX-M and TEM extended-spectrum beta lactamases genes among Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates isolated from the patients in Kermanshah hospital.
Methods: The clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae were collected during the spring from Kermanshah hospitals, and identification of Klebsiella pneumoniae strains was performed using standard microbiological and biochemical tests. Antibiotic resistance of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates was determined using disk diffusion method. Then, the presence of CTX-M, SHV, and TEM was investigated using multiplex-PCR method. Finally, the relationship between variables was analyzed by SPSS-22 software using logistic regression and chi-square.
Results: A total of 98 isolates out of 112 samples were identified as Klebsiella pneumonia. Also, 82.8% of isolates were resistant to cefotaxime, 40.2% to ceftriaxone, 62.88% to ceftazidime, 3.9% to imipenem, 39.17% to cefepime, 64.94% to cefixime and 26.8% to amikacin. Further, 35.55% of isolates had CTX-M gene, 63.91% of isolates had SHV gene and 9.27% of samples had TEM gene.
Conclusion: The presence of CTX-M, SHV and TEM genes along with high antibiotic resistance are very concerning, indicating the importance of rational use of antibiotic for the treatment of infectious diseases.
 

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Background & objectives: Cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Leukemia is a cancer of blood cells and bone marrow, which is characterized by abnormal growth of white blood cells, known as blasts. Chronic myeloid leukemia is a clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorder that accounts for 15-20 percent of adult leukemia. Embelin, a natural compound found in the fruit of Embeliaribes plant, has low toxicity and potent anticancer properties. Several studies have shown that the anticancer properties of Embelin are due to inhibition of XIAP (X-linked inhibitor of the apoptosis protein) and modulation of NF-kB signaling pathway. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Embelin on the growth and apoptosis of K562 cell line.
Methods: K562 cells were cultured in RPMI-1640 medium containing 10 % FBS and 1% penicillin. Then, the cells were treated with different concentrations of Embelin (2, 4, 6, 8 μM/ml) for 72 hours. MTT assay was used to determine the viability of cells. Hoechst staining and DNA electrophoresis were used for apoptosis analysis.
Result: Based on the results of MTT assay, Embelin inhibited the viability of K562 cells. The results of Hoechst staining showed that DNA fragmentation was increased in the treated cells. DNA electrophoresis analysis revealed that Embelin induced apoptosis.
Discussion: As the results showed, Embelin inhibited the cell growth and induced apoptosis in K562 cells time- and dose-dependently. Therefore, Embelin may be a candidate for treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia.

 

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Background & objectives: 10 year survival rates for thyroid cancer is about 90%, but papillary thyroid cancer often spread to regional lymph nodes resulting in survival rate falls below 90%. In patients with thyroid cancer, cervical lymph node metastasis risk is about 20 to 50 percent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between ultrasound results and the involvement of lymph nodes before thyroidectomy and compare it with the pathologic response after thyroidectomy in patients with non-medullary thyroid cancer.
Methods: 60 patients with thyroid cancer were randomly selected and entered into the study. Ultrasonographic examination of cervical lymph nodes was performed by two radiologists using an ultrasound machine in all patients diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Patients underwent total thyroidectomy and neck lymph node dissection by surgeon.
Results: In papillary thyroid cancer, there was a significant relationship between ultrasonographic results and pathologic outcomes in determining the presence of cervical lymph node metastasis before thyroidectomy. And also, there was a significant relationship between the results of ultrasonography and pathologic findings in determining the location of affected lymph nodes.
Conclusion: Compared to histological examination, ultrasonography can be a useful tool in determining the location of affected cervical lymph node in thyroid cancers before surgery.

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Background & objectives: Shigella species are one of the most common causes of dysentery and sometimes death, especially in children and those with immunodeficiency. The variety of causative agents (Shigella species) and the development of drug-resistant strains make it difficult to select an appropriate antibiotic for the treatment of shigellosis. One of the most important factors involved in the resistance of Shigella isolates is the presence of extended spectrum beta lactamases (ESBLs) genes. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of blaPER, blaGES and blaVEB genes in Shigella sonnei isolated from patients with dysentery using multiplex-PCR method and to determine the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of these isolates.
Methods: A total of 60 isolates of Shigella sonnei were collected from different hospitals and medical ‎diagnostic laboratories in Kerman province. Specimens from different age groups were cultivated in special media ‎and confirmed by biochemical tests. The presence of blaPER, blaGES and blaVEB genes were ‎investigated using specific primers and multiplex-PCR method. Antibiotic susceptibility test was ‎performed by disc diffusion method based on CLSI standards. ‎
Results: Multiplex-PCR results showed three samples had blaPER gene, but none of them had blaVEB or blaGES ‎genes. Also, the results of antibiotic susceptibility test showed the highest resistance for amoxicillin- clavulanic ‎acid (53.3%) antibiotic and the highest sensitivity for tetracycline (85%) antibiotic.‎
Conclusions: The results of the experiments indicated the presence of blaPER gene in Shigella sonnei isolates. In ‎addition, the results showed high resistance of isolates to amoxicillin clavulanic acid and ceftriaxone ‎antibiotics. Therefore, careful medical care and proper and timely use of appropriate antibiotics are essential to ‎prevent the spread of resistant isolates. ‎

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Background & objectives: Evaluation of liver and renal function before and after administration of methotrexate (MTX) is recommended in the treatment of molar pregnancy, but the necessity of performing these tests during treatment of ectopic pregnancy (EP) is not clear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes of creatinine and AST levels before and after treatment with double (DD) and multiple (MD) doses of MTX in patients with Ep.
Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study performed on 152 patients with an EP during 2007-2013 in Al-Zahra hospital (Rasht). Seventy six patients received DD and 76 cases were treated with MD of MTX. The success rate, side effects of MTX and changes in creatinine and AST levels were compared between the two groups.
Results: The mean changes in creatinine level was 0.06±0.08 and 0.16±0.13 in DD and MD groups, respectively and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p=0.002). The mean changes in AST level was 5.06±2.47 and 9.63±5.5 in DD and MD groups, respectively which was statistically significant (p=0.002). The success rates were 65.8% and 86.8% in DD and MD groups, respectively with statistically significant difference (p=0.002). The side effects rates were 13.2% and 32.9% in DD and MD groups, respectively with statistically significant difference (p=0.004).
Conclusion: It seems that administration of MD of MTX in EP patients leads to an increase in success rate of treatment but also it causes considerable increase in creatinine and AST levels.
 

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Background & objectives: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the main therapeutic technique in psychiatric diseases. The use of anesthesia for ECT is necessary. In these patients, selection of anesthesia with minimal hemodynamic changes is very important. The aim of this study was to compare the hemodynamic effects of two anesthetics including sodium thiopental and propofol in patients undergoing ECT.
Methods: This study was performed on 84 patients (50 males and 34 females) who were anesthetized for ECT in 22- Bahaman Hospital, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences (QUMS). Initially, the hemodynamic status of patients was recorded. Then, they randomly received either sodium thiopental or propofol as an anesthetic and succinylcholine as a muscle relaxant. Hemodynamic changes, including systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse rate in the 1, 3 and 10 minutes after ECT, as well as seizure duration and recovery time were recorded. The data were analyzed by SPSS v.20 using independent t-test.
Results: the sodium thiopental group, showed the highest changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate in the third minute (45%, 64% and 26% respectively). In the propofol group, the highest systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure changes were 55%, 64% and 43% respectively, at the 10th minute, but the highest pulse rate (33%) occurred in the 3rd minute. The blood pressure changes were significant between the two groups (p<0.05). The post-shock seizure duration was less with sodium thiopental, but recovery from anesthesia was shorter with propofol (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Our findings showed that in the anesthetic required for electroshock, sodium thiopental had a slightly better hemodynamic stability than propofol. Therefore, it seems appropriate to use it as an anesthetic for ECT.
 

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Backgrounds & objectives: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Micro RNAs are a group of non-coding small RNAs that inhibit the translation of target mRNA. MiR-146a-5p, as a tumor suppressor, has abnormal expression in many cancers. In this basic research, our goal was to restore the expression level of miR-146a-5p to normal level and to investigate its effect on the expression of the MMP9 gene in HT-29 cells.
Methods: this study evaluates the effect of transfection of miR-146a-5p in HT-29 cell line. At first, the HT-29 cell line from colorectal cancer was cultured in RPMI-1640 culture media and then  were transfected with miR-146a-5p using Jet-PEI reagent. qRT-PCR technique was employed to evaluate the expression level of miR-146a-5p and MMP9 genes. The statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism 6 software.
Results: According to the obtained data, the onset of the invasion and metastasis, in particular, at the final stage of colorectal cancer may be related to a reduction in the expression of miR-146a-5p. The results of the qrRT-PCR test showed that by increasing the expression level of miR-146a-5p in HT-29 cells, the expression level of MMP9 gene decreased in the miR-146a-5p transfected group compared to the control group.
Conclusions: According to this study, activation of metastatic pathways was due to the down regulation of miR146a-5p. Accordingly, miR-146a-5p can inhibits migration of these cells through down-regulating the expression of metastasis-related genes. Hence, miR-146a-5p can be a new diagnostic biomarker and new therapeutic target for CRC.
 

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Background & objectives: Ectopic eruption is a disorder in which the tooth does not follow its usual course and if not diagnosed in a timely manner, leads to occlusal problems. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of ectopic eruption of the first permanent molar and canine in patients referred to Ardabil dental school.
Methods: By observing the panoramic radiographs, recorded from 2016 to 2017, the frequency of ectopic eruption of first permanent molars in children aged 5 to 8 years and permanent canine in children aged 10 to 13 years was determined. The frequency distribution based on sex, involved jaw, unilaterality and bilaterality were evaluated using Chi-Square test.
Results: the frequency of ectopic eruption of the first permanent molar and permanent canine was 2.1% and 6.4% respectively. There was no significant difference in the frequency of ectopic eruption of the first molar, based on the patient's gender (p=0.366), jaw (p=0.132), and unilateral or bilateral involvement (p=0.366).Also, there was no significant difference between the frequency of ectopic eruption of permanent canine and the patient's gender (p=0.384), unilateral or bilateral involvement (p=0.056). The ectopic eruption of the permanent canine in the maxilla was greater than the mandible (p=0.012).
Conclusions: In this study, the frequency values of ectopic eruption were 2.1% and 6.4% for the first permanent molar and permanent canine respectively that were in the range of other studies reported from other populations.
 

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Background & objectives: Considering the importance of liver toxicity due to drugs and toxins as a major cause of liver damage, this study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the combination of cinnamon and ginger extracts on serum biochemical parameters in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)- intoxicated rats.
 Methods: In this experimental study, forty-two male Wistar rats were divided into 7 groups (n=6). Three control groups including normal control, combined extract control and damaged control were designated that received distilled water, a mixture of cinnamon and ginger extracts and distilled water respectively for 14 days.
 Other 4 groups were pre-treatment  groups which were treated with cinnamon (50 mg/kg/d), ginger (250 mg/kg/d), cinnamon + ginger (25+125 mg/kg/d) and silymarin (100 mg/kg/d) respectively for 14 days before being damaged by intraperitoneal injection of CCl₄ (1 ml/kg, 1:1 in olive oil). Fifty - two hours after CCl4 injection, blood sampling was performed and biochemical parameters were measured in serum of rats.
Results: The results of this study showed that the injection of CCl₄ significantly increased the ALT and AST enzymes activity ,cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL levels and decreased the blood albumin and HDL levels in damaged rats compared to the normal control group (p<0.001). However, pre-treatment with the cinnamon and ginger extracts, especially combination of extracts significantly improved these values ​​compared to the CCl₄ damage group (p<0.001).
Conclusion: The results suggest that simultaneous use of cinnamon and ginger extracts has more significant protective effects against CCl₄-induced hepatotoxicity.
 

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Background & objectives: Chronic illnesses are one of the most important causes of mortality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between perfectionism and stress with life satisfaction in cardiovascular patients.
Methods: The research method is descriptive correlational. The statistical population of this study included patients who came to receive the services in Ardabil in the first half of 1396. The sample consisted of 60 cardiovascular patients who were selected by simple random sampling. Data was collected using questionnaires of perfectionism scale, stress scale and life satisfaction scale. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis using spss-19 software.
Results: The results showed that there is a significant negative relationship between perfectionism and life satisfaction. Also, there was a significant negative relationship between stress and life Satisfaction (p<0.01). In other words, with increasing stress, life satisfaction decreases. There is a multiplicity relationship between perfectionism and stress with life satisfaction (p<0.01).
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that reducing the perfectionism and stress of individuals helps to increase the satisfaction of people from life and also effective in the process of treatment.
 

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Background & objectives: Immunosuppressive drugs that are used for decreasing risk of acute rejection and renal graft loss can lead to reactivation of latent viruses for example BKV and JCV in either renal allograft or recipients. These viruses can lead to renal graft loss. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality and quantity of the genome of these two viruses in the renal recipients’ plasmas for early detection.
Methods: In this retrospective descriptive study, at first, DNA extraction test was   performed on 102 plasma samples of renal allograft recipients. And then, BKV and JCV DNAs were detected and quantified by Real-Time PCR.
Results: Fifty four (52.94%) BKV DNA positive and 26 (25.50%) JCV DNA positive were found in 102 recipient plasma samples. Linear range of measurements for BKV and JCV DNAs were within the range of 10⁷-0.596 copies/ µl and 10⁷-0.528 copies/ µl respectively. After calculation of genes amounts based on copy/ml in the plasmas, numbers and percent of positive cases were highlighted in the four categories. BKV and JCV DNA (Co-infection) were detected in 22 (21.56%) plasma samples.
Conclusion: Real-time PCR is a quantitative and qualitative PCR method that can detect genome of any type of organisms and their amounts (even in trace amounts), so using of this method is very important for early detection of viruses which can cause diseases and graft rejection in renal transplant recipients.
 

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Background & objectives: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common types of hu­man infections and Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia are the main causes of urinary tract infection among the gram negative bacteria. The prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) among these bacteria and hence resistant strains to β-lactam antibiotics have increased in recent decades. Several types of extended-spectrum β-lactamases, such as TEM, SHV and CTX-M have been identified, which are prominently present in the strains of E. coli and K. pneumoniae. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of TEM and SHV genes in E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates of urinary tract infections by using phenotypic and molecular (PCR) tech­niques in microbiology laboratory at medical school of Tabriz Islamic Azad University.
Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 50 isolates of E. coli and 50 isolates of K. pneumoniae collected from uri­nary tract infections from out-patients in Tabriz. Antibiotic sensitivity patterns of isolates were stu­died against 14 antibiotics by disk diffusion test (Kirby Bauer) and also confirmatory tests were performed using combined antibiotic tests. Finally TEM and SHV genes were investigated using molecular methods (PCR).
Results: Twenty five isolates (25%) out of 100 bacterial isolates were identified as ESBL-producing isolates of which 13 isolates (26%) were E. coli and 12 isolates (24%) were K. pneumoniae. The TEM and SHV genes were detected in 2% and 4% of E.coli and 0% and 2% of K. pneumoniae isolates, respectively.
Conclusion: The presence of these genes among our isolates confirmed ESBL genes in these medically important bacteria leading to resistance against β-lac­tam antibiotics which are routinely used in their treatments. The low frequency of the studied genes could be because of the source of our isolates from out-patients which are not generally exposed to antibiotics

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Background & objectives: Paraquat is a toxic herbicide that is widely used in many countries. Paraquat selectively accumulates in the lung tissue and leads to severe pulmonary injury through the oxidative and inflammatory processes. The plant Rosa canina L. has been used for long years as an herbal medicine throughout the world. Rosa canina L. is a member of Rosacea family and shows therapeutic effects against numerous disorders by its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant effect of Rosa canina fruits on the paraquat induced lung injury in a mouse model.
Methods: Animal experiments were performed on male NMRI mice. Paraquat was injected at a single dose (20 mg/kg, ip) to induce pulmonary damage in mice. The extract of Rosa canina fruits (200 and 400 mg/kg/day, orally) administered by gavage for four days after the injection of paraquat. The treated mice were compared to normal mice as a control group. At the end of the experiment, lung tissue samples were collected for biochemical analysis.
Results: The results showed that administration of paraquat caused an oxidant-antioxidant imbalance in the lung tissue. However, treatment with Rosa canina increased the levels of glutathione (GSH) and catalase (CAT) antioxidants and decreased the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in the lung tissues compared with those in the paraquat group.
Conclusion: Treatment of paraquat-exposed mice with the extract of Rosa canina fruits improved oxidant-antioxidant balance in the lung tissue of mice. In other words, the present study demonstrated that Rosa canina has remarkable antioxidant effects against paraquat induced oxidative damage.