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  Background & Objectives: Infection with Toxoplasma gondii can cause severe illness when transmitting to fetus or when it is reactivated in immune-suppressed persons. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of antibodies against toxoplasma gondii in women referring to laboratory of health center for medical examinations before marriage.

  Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 504 samples collected from women in Arabil, Iran, in 2002. The samples were studied by indirect immunofluorescent assay (IFA) for determination of IgG and IgM antibodies to toxoplasma.

  Results: The seroprevalence of IgG antibody at a titer of ³ 1:20 was 34.7%. The highest antibody titer frequency was observed in 1:20 titer (11.7%) and the lowest belonged to 1:3200 (0.4%) and 1:6400 (0.4%) titers. 20 persons (4%) showed IgM antibody against Toxoplama gondii. No statistically significant differences were observed between the prevalence of antibodies on the one hand and age and history of contact with cat or domestic animals on the other.

  Conclusion: since 65.3% of these women in Ardabil were seronegative, health education is required to omit the risk factors, especially during the pregnancy.

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  Background & Objectives: Preeclampsia is still one of the leading causes of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Despite active researches over the past many years, the etiology of this disorder in human pregnancy is an enigma. Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia. Essential nutrients such as vitamin C can scavenge free radicals inducing cellular damage. The present study was designed to investigate the plasma levels of vitamin C in patients with preeclampsia (case) and normotensive pregnant women (control).

  Methods: In this case-control study vitamin C as an antioxidant was estimated and compared spectrophotometrically in 40 preeclamptic and 80 normotensive pregnant women referring to Alavi Hospital of Ardabil province, Iran. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

  Results: The plasma levels of vitamin C were significantly lower in patients with preeclampsia (0.147 ± 0.030 mg/dl) compared to controls who were normotensive pregnants (0.347 ± 0.119 mg/dl).

  Conclusion: Attempts at prevent preeclamsia are justified but since no reliable screening test has been offered as yet for women at risk, assessment of plasma level of vitamin C in patients prone to preeclampsia is strongly suggested.

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 Background & Objectives: Toxoplasmosis is an important zoonosis parasitical disease. Infection with Toxoplasma gondii in transmission of parasite to fetus or its reactivation among immune-compromised persons can lead to server clinical symptoms. The aim of study was to determine immune level of Toxoplasmosis among women who were to get married and have referred to Health Center of Ardabil.

  Methods: In this study 272 blood samples of women who had referred to health center of Ardabil in 2007 were collected. Samples were tested with ELISA method to detect Anti-Toxoplasma IgM and IgG Antibodies.

  Results: The tests showed that 42.3% of women were IgG Positive, 57.2% were IgG negative and 2.6% women were IgM positive and also IgG positive. They have ( IgG positive women) 11.3% family history of abortion, 96.5% eating raw vegetables, 92.2% eating half cooked meat, 89.6% not washing the vegetables with disinfectants, 29.6% animal contact, 57.4% contact with raw meat and 94.8% used piped water.

  Conclusion: Since 57.7% of women who were to marry in Ardabil city were negative from the view point of Toxoplasmosis, health education for elimination of risk factors especially within pregnancy period seems mandatory.

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  Background & Objectives: Pneumonia is one of the most fatal infectious syndromes with various etiologies. Mycoplasmas require special therapeutic approach as they are not sensitive to betalactams such as penicillin.

  Regarding lack of comprehensive studies relating to mycoplasmas' part in pneumonia in Iran, the current study was conducted.

  Methods: This is a descriptive study performed on 80 patients diagnosed with community acquired pneumonia and hospitalized in infectious diseases ward of Immam Khomeini Hospital (Ardebil, Iran) in over a one year time span.

  Blood samples for titration of anti-mycoplasmal IgGs and IgMs were taken from all patients.

  Results: Out of 80 hospitalized patients 40 were men and 40 were women. Mean age of the studied group was 59.91 years and 76.6% of patients lived in urban areas. We observed positive IgM in 5 patients (6.3%) and positive IgM in 20 patients (25%). Etiologic cause of 6 % of hospitalized patiants with community acquired pneumonia was mycoplasmal. We could not specify any particular clinical finding assisting to differentiate mycoplasmal pneumonias from other types of pneumonia. All the patients with positive IgM titrations had positive agglutination titers of 1/16 or 1/32, therefor under any circustances that performing of IgM titration is not possible, agglutination test can be used as an alternative.

  Conclusion: Approximately 6.7 % of community acquired pneumonias in adults' infectious diseases ward of Imam Khomeini Hospital, were etiologically related to mycoplasmas. Therefore, regarding limitations for PCR analysis and antibody titration, administration of antibiotics with antimycoplasmal properties is necessary.

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  Background & Objectives: Prostatitis is relatively one of the common diseases in elderly men. Treatment of this disease is difficult and because of frequent relapses, it provides complicated problems for patients and the physicians. Detection of reservoirs and determination of prevalence of involved microbes in prostatitis are important in the epidemiology and control of the disease. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Mycoplasma genitalium�in patients with prostatitis by sequencing and PCR-RFLP techniques.

  Methods : In this cross-sectional study, 200 paraffin-embedded prostate samples from patients with prostatitis during 2008-2011 were checked for M. gentialium. After cutting the tissues and homogenization, the genomic DNA was extracted and used as template in PCR. Primers targeting a 465 bp regions of 16S rRNA of M. genitalium were used in the assay. PCR products were sequenced and Cac8I, Bbs I, EcoRI, AluI, TaqI endonucleases were used in RFLP analysis.

  Results : Of 200 samples, 4 were positive in PCR. The results of DNA sequencing and RFLP confirmed the amplified genes corresponded to M. genitalium�G37.

  Conclusion : The Mycoplasma genome present in tissue samples of prostate showed this bacterium could be one of the risk factors for prostatitis in men. However large studies and control groups are needed to prove this finding.

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  Extramedullary plasmacytomas are rare solitary soft tissue tumors that arise from proliferations of malignant transformed monoclonal plasma cell. Though they are closely related to multiple myelomas, they have better prognosis. The tumor is eradicated by surgery or local radiation therapy. This is a case-report study of solitary plasmacytoma tumor which involved left side maxillary sinus and underwent excisional biopsy confirmed by IHC.

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Background & objectives: Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that infects all warm-blooded animals as well as human worldwide. Determining the parasite genotype in intermediate hosts  is crucial in  evaluating the role of these types in human infections as wll as in prevention programs. Therefore, this study aimed to identify and detect the genotypes of Toxoplasma gondii in aborted fetuses of ewes in Lorestan province.
Methods: Identification of the parasite was performed  on the brain and liver tissues of 142 aborted fetuses using  a conventional PCR based on amplification of highly repetitive 529 bp region of the parasite genome. Genotyping of positive samples, which were isolated from the brain and liver, was performed by PCR-RFLP based on SAG2, SAG3 and GRA6 molecular markers.
Results: From a total of 142 samples  obtained from  brain  and fetus, 10 cases (7%) were determined as positive samples based on conventional PCR. The precence of parasite DNA was also confirmed in the liver of  3 positive samples. Evaluation of RFLP pattern of amplified SAG2, SAG3 and GRA6 genes showed the presence of various types of parasites, incuding type I in 3 samples, type II in 2 samples and atypical type in 5 samples.
Conclusion: Isolation of types I, II and atypical type of T. gondii from ewes in  Lorestan province suggests the need for greater attention to parasite transmission from livestock to human, particularly in pregnant women and people with weakened immune system.

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Background & objectives: Nephrotoxicity is the most important side effect of gentamicin and is a concern in clinical situations. There are no therapeutic tools to prevent or palliate nephrotoxicity. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as a source of growth factors can be considered as a therapeutic tool. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of PRP on proliferation of epithelial cells of convoluted tubules in gentamicin-treated rat model by stereological method.
Methods: 28 male rats (200-300g) were divided into four groups, each group containing 7 animals: control, patient without treatment, sham and experimental groups. Gentamicin was injected intraperitoneally (80mg/kg/daily) for 8 days. 24 hours after the last injection, blood samples were collected to assess the serum levels of blood urea nitrogen and creatinine. The sham and experimental animals were subjected to intrarenal injection of 100 µl normal saline and PRP, respectively. 3 days later, the rats scarified under the deep anaesthesia and their kidneys were removed, prepared histologically and stained. The stereological methods were used for estimating the number of epithelial cells in convoluted tubules. Data analysis was done using SPSS 26. Differences between groups were compared with one-way analysis of variance and Duncan’s multiple range test. p<0.05 was considered as significant.
Results: PRP increased the number of epithelial cells in the convoluted tubules in gentamicin-treated animals (p<0.05).
Conclusion: It seems that PRP can induce proliferation of epithelial cells of convoluted tubules in gentamicin-treated rat model.

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Background & Objectives: Cold Plasma is an emerging non-thermal, chemical-free, environmentally friendly disinfection technology. Plasma-activated water has received considerable attention from researchers in recent years. Despite extensive studies on the antibacterial effects of plasma-activated water, its anti-eukaryotic effects have not been identified. In humans, Acanthamoeba causes granulomatous encephalitis, skin ulcers, and Acanthamoeba keratitis. Considering the health importance of Acanthamoeba, this study investigated the anti-amoeba  effect of plasma-activated water on trophozoites and cysts of Acanthamoeba castellanii.
Methods: In this study, plasma-activated water prepared by the cold atmospheric plasma method.Physicochemical properties of produced water were evaluated by measuring pH, hydrogen peroxide, nitrite, and nitrate. To assess the effect of plasma-activated water on A. castellanii, trophozoites and cysts were exposed to plasma-activated water for 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 hours. Three replicates were examined each time. At the mentioned times, cell viability was calculated by trypan-blue staining and counting on a hemocytometer, and the results were statistically analyzed.
Results: Based on the physicochemical results, the mean pH of plasma-activated water in this study was about 3.4, and the amount of hydrogen peroxide, nitrate, and nitrite were 102, 737, and 36.94 μM, respectively. The present study showed that plasma-activated water killed A. castellanii trophozoites after three hours of exposure and A. castellanii cysts after four hours of exposure. On the other hand, some trophozoites gradually became cysts after exposure to plasma-activated water. These cysts became more resistant to plasma-activated water and inactivated after five hours of exposure.
Conclusion: In this study, for the first time, the effect of plasma-activated water on A. castellanii was investigated. The results of the present study showed that plasma-activated water is able to inactivate A. castellanii trophozoites and cysts. Therefore, plasma-activated water can be used to disinfect and inactivate A. castellanii.

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