- Iran, Islamic Republic of
Background: Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) is one of the most common health complications with a strong genetic component. Several genetic disorders were identified as etiological factors of hereditary X linked RSA. However, more... more
Background: Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) is one of the most common health complications with a strong genetic component. Several genetic disorders were identified as etiological factors of hereditary X linked RSA. However, more genetic factors remain to be identified. Objective: In this study we performed linkage analysis on a large X linked RSA pedigree to find a novel susceptibility locus for RSA. Materials and methods: A linkage scan using 11 microsatellites was performed in 27 members of a large pedigree of hereditary X-linked RSA. Two point parametric Linkage was performed using Superlink v 1.6 program. Results: Evidence of linkage was observed to markers at Xq23, DXS7133 and at Xq22.1 DXS101, with LOD score of 3.12 and 1.60, respectively. Conclusion: Identified locus in this study may carry a responsible gene in RSA. Narrowing down of this region may leads to identification of this gene. This article extracted from M.Sc. thesis. (Sahar Shekouhi).
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Objective(s): Hypoxia is a serious challenge for treatment of solid tumors. This condition has been manifested to exert significant therapeutic effects on glioblastoma multiform or (WHO) astrocytoma grade IV. Hypoxia contributes numerous... more
Objective(s): Hypoxia is a serious challenge for treatment of solid tumors. This condition has been manifested to exert significant therapeutic effects on glioblastoma multiform or (WHO) astrocytoma grade IV. Hypoxia contributes numerous changes in cellular mechanisms such as angiogenesis, metastasis and apoptosis evasion. Furthermore, in molecular level, hypoxia can cause induction of DNA breaks in tumor cells. Identification of mechanisms responsible for these effects can lead to designing more efficient therapeutic strategies against tumor progression which results in improvement of patient prognosis. Materials and Methods : In order to identify more hypoxia regulated genes which may have a role in glioblastoma progression, cDNA-AFLP was optimized as a Differential display method which is able to identify and isolate transcripts with no prior sequence knowledge. Results: Using this method, the current study identified 120 Transcription Derived Fragments (TDFs) which were completely differentially regulated in response to hypoxia. By sequence homology searching, the current study could detect 22 completely differentially regulated known genes and two unknown sequence matching with two chromosome contig and four sequence matches with some Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs). Conclusion: Further characterizing of these genes may help to achieve better understanding of hypoxia mediated phenotype change in tumor cells.
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Background: Small supernumerary marker chromosomes (sSMCs) are chromosomal fragments with abnormal structures found in patients with fertility problems and developmental delay. They may be detected in amniotic cell karyotypes. sSMCs are... more
Background: Small supernumerary marker chromosomes (sSMCs) are chromosomal fragments with abnormal structures found in patients with fertility problems and developmental delay. They may be detected in amniotic cell karyotypes. sSMCs are categorized as hereditary or de novo. Here, we describe a case of prenatal de novo 4q11q12 sSMC and its molecular cytogenetic features which had no apparent phenotypic abnormality. Case: The fetus of a 36-yr-old pregnant woman was detected positive for Down’s syndrome (trisomy 21) at the 16th wk of gestation. Quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction technique was applied for the rapid detection of numerical aneuploidy of chromosomes X, Y, 13, 18, and 21 microsatellites. Array comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH) technique was also conducted following the karyotype analysis of amniotic cells. The karyotype analysis was also done for the parents. Quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction result revealed a male fetus with a n...
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In this study, we reported for the first time Y chromosome haplotypes throughout Iran from 1097 unrelated Iranian males using the AmpFlSTRTM YfilerTM kit. 1094 out of the 1097 haplotypes identified were unique. The values of haplotype... more
In this study, we reported for the first time Y chromosome haplotypes throughout Iran from 1097 unrelated Iranian males using the AmpFlSTRTM YfilerTM kit. 1094 out of the 1097 haplotypes identified were unique. The values of haplotype diversity (HD) and discriminating capacity (DC) were 1.00000 and 0.997, respectively. An analysis of genetic distance was performed by the molecular variance (AMOVA) and multidimensional scaling plots (MDS), showing that a statistically was observed significant difference between the study population and previous data reported for other Iranian populations and other neighboring countries. The findings of the present study are likely to be useful for Forensic casework analysis and kinship investigations.
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Background: Mutations of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene, predominantly in exons 18-21, have been highlighted to function as the crucial predictors of the response rate of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)... more
Background: Mutations of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene, predominantly in exons 18-21, have been highlighted to function as the crucial predictors of the response rate of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Methods: This study was performed at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Data and information were retrospectively collected from the period between Dec 2010 and Apr 2014. Exons 18 to 21 of the EGFR were analyzed for any potential mutation by PCR, accompanied by DNA sequencing on 160 with pathological confirmation of NSCLC. Results: Demographically, the male to female ratio was approximately 2:1, and a substantial difference in age between sexes was not observed (P=0.065), but a noticeable difference was found in the smoking variable, where 77.8% of males were smokers compared to 17.3% of women (odds ratio (OR) (95% CI) = 16.72 (7.15-39.11)). We found a frequency of 10.63% (17/160) for mutations found in...
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Background: Investigation of the maternal cause of death and pregnancy-related death is one of the most important responsibilities of a forensic pathologist. From the public health point of view, it may help to prevent losses during and... more
Background: Investigation of the maternal cause of death and pregnancy-related death is one of the most important responsibilities of a forensic pathologist. From the public health point of view, it may help to prevent losses during and following pregnancy and save the lives of women, especially in developing countries. Methods: We report a case of maternal death with a history of neurofibromatosis type 1 who presented asymptomatic and normotensive with normal laboratory test results. Results: The first attack after delivery was associated with pulmonary edema, which led to death. Investigation during the medico-legal autopsy discovered a left suprarenal tumor with the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma, which was confirmed by further histopathology testing. Conclusion: We believe that although the association of neurofibromatosis type 1 and normotensive pheochromocytoma during pregnancy has been reported rarely, the possibility must be considered for evaluation before elective operation...
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Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is the most severe form of leishmaniasis in Iran with high mortality rates in the case of inaccurate diagnosis and treatment. This study aimed to prepare and evaluate a new rk39 recombinant antigen... more
Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is the most severe form of leishmaniasis in Iran with high mortality rates in the case of inaccurate diagnosis and treatment. This study aimed to prepare and evaluate a new rk39 recombinant antigen from an Iranian strain of Leishmania infantum for diagnosis of VL in humans and dogs. Methods: rK39-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was compared with the direct agglutination test (DAT) for the detection of anti L. infantum antibodies. We screened 84 human sera and 87 dog sera from clinical cases in the endemic area of Meshkin-Shahr, Iran along with 176 sera from healthy controls (collected from 86 humans and 90 dogs) during 2013 -2016. Results: Using the rK39 ELISA, a sensitivity of 85.7% (95% CI, 95-99%) and a specificity of 86.0% (95% CI, 95%-99%) were detected in human sera at a 1:800 (cut-off) titer when DAT-confirmed cases were compared with healthy controls; a sensitivity of 96.6% (95% CI, 95%-99%) and specificity of 94.4% (95...
1Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 2Center for Research of Endemic Parasites of Iran (CREPI), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran,... more
1Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 2Center for Research of Endemic Parasites of Iran (CREPI), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 3Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; 4Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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TGIFLX, a Homoproteins cluster member located on the X chromosome, has a critical role in male reproduction and prostate development. Previous studies have shown the erratic expression of TGIFLX gene in a large proportion of prostate... more
TGIFLX, a Homoproteins cluster member located on the X chromosome, has a critical role in male reproduction and prostate development. Previous studies have shown the erratic expression of TGIFLX gene in a large proportion of prostate tumors. However TGIFLX function in prostate development remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the consequences of TGIFLX expression on prostate cancer cell lines (LNCaP). Inducible Tet-On gene expression system was used with a regulatory capability by doxycycline induction. In this system, stable LNCaP cells with TGIFLX tet-on plasmid were able to induce TGIFLX expression by doxycycline treatment. TGIFLX gene expression was confirmed by RT-PCR. Induction of gene expression caused cell proliferation decrement and apoptosis increment in LNCaP TGIFLX cells compared with control cells (P<0.01). Also, by using PEGFPN1 plasmid protein in this study localization was shown in nucleus. The gene was cloned in the plasmid and transfected to...
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Non-syndromic aniridia (iris hypoplasia) as an autosomal dominant eye disorder results from the chromosomal abnormalities and mutations within the paired box gene 6 (PAX6). The aim of this study was to investigate on the clinical and the... more
Non-syndromic aniridia (iris hypoplasia) as an autosomal dominant eye disorder results from the chromosomal abnormalities and mutations within the paired box gene 6 (PAX6). The aim of this study was to investigate on the clinical and the underlying genetic alteration in PAX6 gene in a large pedigree with five generations of Iranian family with an autosomal dominant aniridia. Here, we reported unique clinical features in terms of presenting nystagmus, ptosis, minimal iris abnormality, foveal hypoplasia and late-onset clinical limbal stem cell deficiency. Genomic DNA was extracted from the affected members and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was conducted using specific primers to amplify coding sequence of PAX6. Then, PCR products were subjected to bidirectional dye terminator sequencing. A heterozygous transversion mutation A→T (c.1268A>T, p.*423Lext*15) in exon 13 of PAX6 was identified in all affected individuals, but not in the healthy members. This is the first report of non-...
Background: Parasite lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) is extensively employed as malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). Moreover, it is a well-known drug target candidate. However, the genetic diversity of this gene might influence... more
Background: Parasite lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) is extensively employed as malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). Moreover, it is a well-known drug target candidate. However, the genetic diversity of this gene might influence perfor-mance of RDT kits and its drug target candidacy. This study aimed to determine polymorphism of pLDH gene from Iranian isolates of P. vivax and P. falciparum. Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood of microscopically confirmed P. vivax and P. falciparum infected patients. pLDH gene of P. falciparum and P. vivax was amplified using conventional PCR from 43 symptomatic malaria patients from Sistan and Baluchistan Province, Southeast Iran from 2012 to 2013. Results: Sequence analysis of 15 P. vivax LDH showed fourteen had 100 % iden-tity with P. vivax Sal-1 and Belem strains. Two nucleotide substitutions were de-tected with only one resulted in amino acid change. Analysis of P. falciparum LDH sequences showed six of the seven sequences had 100...
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Spontaneous abortion (SAb) is the most common complication of early pregnancy. Numerous risk factors are associated with an increased risk of pregnancy loss such as: Blighted ovum. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of... more
Spontaneous abortion (SAb) is the most common complication of early pregnancy. Numerous risk factors are associated with an increased risk of pregnancy loss such as: Blighted ovum. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of balanced chromosomal translocations in couples with a history of recurrent spontaneous abortions and ultrasound diagnosed blighted ovum. Sixty Eight couples with the history of spontaneous abortion (diagnosed blighted ovum) were selected and introduced into this survey during 2007-2012 at Medical Genetics department of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. Giemsa banding technique was used to search for chromosomal balanced translocations. Demographic assessment has not shown any age difference between blighted ovum suffering couples and general population. Consanguineous marriages in blighted ovum suffering couples was significantly higher (P value <0.001) than non-consanguineous marriages (68.5 % versus 31.5%), while in general population 62 %...
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Acquired azole resistance in opportunistic fungi causes severe clinical problems in immunosuppressed individuals. This study investigated the molecular mechanisms of azole resistance in clinical isolates of Candida glabrata. Six unmatched... more
Acquired azole resistance in opportunistic fungi causes severe clinical problems in immunosuppressed individuals. This study investigated the molecular mechanisms of azole resistance in clinical isolates of Candida glabrata. Six unmatched strains were obtained from an epidemiological survey of candidiasis in immunocompromised hosts that included azole and amphotericin B susceptible and azole resistant clinical isolates. Candida glabrata CBS 138 was used as reference strain. Antifungal susceptibility testing of clinical isolates was evaluated using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) methods. Complementary DNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP) technology, semi-quantitative RT-PCR, and sequencing were employed for identification of potential genes involved in azole resistance. Candida glabrata Candida drug resistance 1 (CgCDR1) and Candida glabrata Candida drug resistance 2 (CgCDR2) genes, which encode for multidrug transporters, were found to be upregu...
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Today, the treatment of bacterial infections is a major challenge, due to growing rate of multidrug-resistant bacteria, complication of treatment and increased healthcare costs. Moreover, new treatments for bacterial infections are... more
Today, the treatment of bacterial infections is a major challenge, due to growing rate of multidrug-resistant bacteria, complication of treatment and increased healthcare costs. Moreover, new treatments for bacterial infections are limited. Oligonucleotide aptamers are single stranded DNAs or RNAs with target-selective high-affinity feature, which considered as nucleic acid-based affinity ligands, replacing monoclonal antibodies. The aptamer-based systems have been found to be talented tools in the treatment of microbial infections, regarding their promising anti-biofilm and antimicrobial activities; they can reduce or inhibit the effects of bacterial toxins, and inhibit pathogen invasion to immune cell, as well as they can be used in drug delivery systems. The focus of this review is on the therapeutic applications of aptamers in infections. In this regard, an introduction of infections and related challenges were presented, first. Then, aptamer definition and selection, with a brief history of aptamers development against various pathogens and toxins were reviewed. Diverse strategies of aptamer application in drug delivery, as well as, the effect of aptamers on the immune system, as the main natural agents of human defense against pathogens, were also discussed. Finally, the future trends in clinical applications of this technology were discussed.
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Background: Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) is one of the most common health complications with a strong genetic component. Several genetic disorders were identified as etiological factors of hereditary X linked RSA. However, more... more
Background: Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) is one of the most common health complications with a strong genetic component. Several genetic disorders were identified as etiological factors of hereditary X linked RSA. However, more genetic factors remain to be identified. Objective: In this study we performed linkage analysis on a large X linked RSA pedigree to find a novel susceptibility locus for RSA. Materials and Methods: A linkage scan using 11 microsatellites was performed in 27 members of a large pedigree of hereditary X-linked RSA. Two point parametric Linkage was performed using Superlink v 1.6 program. Results: Evidence of linkage was observed to markers at Xq23, DXS7133 and at Xq22.1 DXS101, with LOD score of 3.12 and 1.60, respectively. Conclusion: Identified locus in this study may carry a responsible gene in RSA. Narrowing down of this region may leads to identification of this gene.
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The article has been withdrawn at the request of the editor of the journal Current Cancer Therapy Reviews (CCTR). Bentham Science apologizes to the readers of the journal for any inconvenience this may have caused. BENTHAM SCIENCE... more
The article has been withdrawn at the request of the editor of the journal Current Cancer Therapy Reviews (CCTR). Bentham Science apologizes to the readers of the journal for any inconvenience this may have caused. BENTHAM SCIENCE DISCLAIMER: It is a condition of publication that manuscripts submitted to this journal have not been published and will not be simultaneously submitted or published elsewhere. Furthermore, any data, illustration, structure or table that has been published elsewhere must be reported, and copyright permission for reproduction must be obtained. Plagiarism is strictly forbidden, and by submitting the article for publication the authors agree that the publishers have the legal right to take appropriate action against the authors, if plagiarism or fabricated information is discovered. By submitting a manuscript, the authors agree that the copyright of their article is transferred to the publishers if and when the article is accepted for publication.
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Acinetobacter baumannii causes difficult-to-treat nosocomial infections, which often lead to morbidity due to the development of antimicrobial drug resistance and expression of virulence genes. Data regarding the association of resistance... more
Acinetobacter baumannii causes difficult-to-treat nosocomial infections, which often lead to morbidity due to the development of antimicrobial drug resistance and expression of virulence genes. Data regarding the association of resistance to colistin, a last treatment option, and the virulence gene expression of A. baumannii is scarce. We evaluated the MLVA genotype, antimicrobial resistance, and biofilm formation of 100 A. baumannii isolates from burn patients, and further compared the in vitro and in vivo expression of four virulence genes among five colistin-resistant A. baumannii (Cst-R-AB) isolates. Five Cst-R-AB isolates were tested; one from the present study, and four isolated previously. Our results showed that reduced expression of recA, along with increased in vivo expression of lpsB, dnaK, and blsA; are associated with colistin resistance among Cst-R-AB isolates. Differences in virulence gene expressions among Cst-R-AB isolates, may in part explain common discrepant in v...
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Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by Leishmania infantum is the most severe form of leishmaniasis in Iran, which causes a high mortality rate in the case of inaccurate diagnosis and treatment. This study aimed to clone of K26 gene from... more
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by Leishmania infantum is the most severe form of leishmaniasis in Iran, which causes a high mortality rate in the case of inaccurate diagnosis and treatment. This study aimed to clone of K26 gene from Iranian strain of L. infantum and register the sequencing results in Genbank to facilitate the preparation a new K26 antigen for the detection of L. infantum infection. L. infantum was obtained from an infected domestic dog in Meshkin-Shahr area from northwestern Iran in 2015. Canine visceral leishmaniasis was confirmed by direct agglutination test (DAT), rK39 dipstick and parasitological methods. L. infantum was confirmed by N-acetyl glucosamine -1-phosphate transferase (nagt)-PCR and its sequencing. The band of interest for k26 form Iranian strain of L. infantum was purified by gel extraction kit after PCR amplification and then ligated into pBluescript II SK (+) and pET-32a (+), respectively. The sequences of recombinant plasmids were analyzed and...
The infected root canal system harbors one of the highest accumulations of polymicrobial infections. Since the eradication of endopathogenic microbiota is a major goal in endodontic infection therapy, photo-activated disinfection (PAD)... more
The infected root canal system harbors one of the highest accumulations of polymicrobial infections. Since the eradication of endopathogenic microbiota is a major goal in endodontic infection therapy, photo-activated disinfection (PAD) can be used as an alternative therapeutic method in endodontic treatment. Compared to cultivation-based approaches, molecular techniques are more reliable for identifying microbial agents associated with endodontic infections. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of designed multiplex real-time PCR protocol for the rapid detection and quantification of six common microorganisms involved in endodontic infection before and after the PAD. Samples were taken from the root canals of 50 patients with primary and secondary/persistent endodontic infections using sterile paper points. PAD with toluidine blue O (TBO) plus diode laser was performed on root canals. Resampling was then performed, and the samples were transferred to transport mediu...
Widespread methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and absence of effective antimicrobial agents has led to limited therapeutic options for treating MRSA infection. We aimed to evaluate the effect of antimicrobial photodynamic... more
Widespread methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and absence of effective antimicrobial agents has led to limited therapeutic options for treating MRSA infection. We aimed to evaluate the effect of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) on the expression of novel identified methicillin resistance markers (NIMRMs) in S. aureus using complementary DNA-Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP) approaches to address the therapeutic alternatives for MRSA infections. We used cDNA-AFLP to compare MRSA and methicillin susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) for identification of target genes implicated in methicillin resistance. To determine the sub-lethal aPDT (sPDT), MRSA and MSSA clinical isolates photosensitized with toluidine blue O (TBO), and then were irradiated with diode laser. After sPDT, the colony forming units/mL was quantified. Antimicrobial susceptibility against methicillin was assessed for cell-surviving aPDT. Effects of sPDT on the expression of NIMRMs were evaluated by real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR. According to our results, serine hydrolase family protein (Shfp) encoding gene and a gene encoding a conserved hypothetical protein (Chp) were implicated in methicillin resistance in MRSA. sPDT reduced the minimum inhibitory concentrations of methicillin by 3-fold in MRSA. sPDT could lead to about 10- and 6.2- fold suppression of expression of the Chp and Shfp encoding genes, respectively. sPDT would lead to reduction in resistance to methicillin of MRSA in surviving cells by suppressing the expression of the Shfp and Chp encoding genes associated with methicillin resistance. This may have potential implications of aPDT for the treatment of MRSA infections.
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Periodontal diseases refer to inflammation of the gingiva, induction of apoptosis in human gingival fibroblast cells, destruction of the surrounding tissues, and early bone loss resulting in infections due to the pathogenic activity of... more
Periodontal diseases refer to inflammation of the gingiva, induction of apoptosis in human gingival fibroblast cells, destruction of the surrounding tissues, and early bone loss resulting in infections due to the pathogenic activity of the microorganisms and the host immune inflammatory responses. Recent investigations have suggested that antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) can be an adjunct treatment therapy for periodontal infections. To prove the lack of side effects of PDT on periodontal tissues, we investigated the expression of BAX and BCL-2 genes that are involved in apoptosis after the PDT on human gingival fibroblast (HGF) cells. In this study the effect of PDT based on indocyanine green (ICG) as a photosensitizer with the diode laser were tested on the expression of BAX and BCL-2 genes in monolayers of HGF cells. The effects of PDT on the expression of BAX and BCL-2 genes were evaluated by real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR. The results of the genes exp...
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The alternative antibacterial treatments of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) significantly affect microbiota inactivation. The aim of the present research was the assessment of the antimicrobial and anti-biofilm... more
The alternative antibacterial treatments of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) significantly affect microbiota inactivation. The aim of the present research was the assessment of the antimicrobial and anti-biofilm effects of PDT with toluidine blue O (TBO) and PTT with indocyanine green (ICG) on Streptococcus mutans as a cariogenic bacterium. The S. mutans ATCC 35668 strain was treated with final concentrations of 0.1mg/mL TBO and 1mg/mL ICG with energy densities of 17.18 and 15.62J/cm(2), respectively. Cell viability was evaluated after culturing and anti-biofilm potential was analyzed using crystal violet assay and scanning electron microscopy. The number of S. mutans colony forming unit (CFU)/mL was significantly lower in the groups submitted to PDT (12.5-100μg/mL TBO) and PTT (62.5-1000μg/mL) compared to the control (untreated group). 0.1mg/mL TBO-PDT and 1mg/mL ICG-PTT showed stronger inhibitory effects on biofilm formation in S. mutans than other concentration levels, with a reduction of 63.87% and 67.3%, respectively. Photo-elimination by high concentrations of TBO-PDT and ICG-PTT exhibited significantly stronger inhibitory effects on biofilm formation and cell viability in S. mutans.
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Microorganisms treated by photo-activated disinfection (PAD) in combined periodontal-endodontic (perio-endo) lesions would be exposed to sub-lethal doses of PAD (sPAD). This study evaluated the effect of sPAD using toluidine blue O (TBO)... more
Microorganisms treated by photo-activated disinfection (PAD) in combined periodontal-endodontic (perio-endo) lesions would be exposed to sub-lethal doses of PAD (sPAD). This study evaluated the effect of sPAD using toluidine blue O (TBO) in combination with diode laser irradiation on the growth and biofilm-formation ability of Porphyromonas gingivalis as an endo-periodontal pathogen. The antibacterial and antibiofilm potential of sPAD against P. gingivalis was analyzed at sub-lethal doses of TBO and irradiation time of diode laser on a colony-forming unit and crystal violet assays, respectively. TBO-mediated PAD, using 6.25-100μg/mL at a fluency of 171.87J/cm(2) and 12.5-100μg/mL at a fluency of 137.5J/cm(2), showed a significant dose-dependent reduction in P. gingivalis growth when compared to the control. TBO-mediated PAD showed a significantly inhibitory effect on biofilm formation in P. gingivalis than TBO-PAD at sub-lethal levels. High doses of sPAD revealed antibacterial and antibiofilm potential activity, whereas lower doses of sPAD had conflicting results. Therefore, when PAD is prescribed in combined perio-endo lesions treatment, the dose of PAD used in vivo should be taken into account.
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Eradication or suppression of microbial pathogens is a major goal in endodontic infection therapy. Sub-lethal doses of photo-activated disinfection (sPAD) as a new treatment method would be able to the microorganisms involved in... more
Eradication or suppression of microbial pathogens is a major goal in endodontic infection therapy. Sub-lethal doses of photo-activated disinfection (sPAD) as a new treatment method would be able to the microorganisms involved in endodontic infections normally treated with PAD. This study evaluated the effect of sPAD using methylene blue (MB) in combination with diode laser irradiation on the growth and biofilm formation ability of Porphyromonas gingivalis as an endodontic pathogen. The anti-microbial and anti-biofilm potential of sPAD against P. gingivalis were assessed at sub-lethal doses of MB and irradiation by diode laser on colony forming unit and crystal violet assays, respectively. MB-sPAD using 25μg/mL at a fluency of 117.18J/cm(2) and 50-100μg/mL at a fluency of 93.75J/cm(2) significantly P. gingivalis growth when compared to the control. MB at 100μg/mL at a fluency of 117.18J/cm(2) in MB-mediated PAD showed a significant inhibitory effect on biofilm formation in P. gingivalis compared with MB-sPAD. High doses of MB-mediated sPAD exhibited anti-microbial and anti-biofilm potential activity, whereas lower doses of MB-mediated sPAD did not display this ability. Therefore, the dose of PAD used in vivo should be taken into account for endodontic treatment.
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Leishmania RNA virus (LRV) was first detected in members of the subgenus Leishmania (Viannia), and later, the virulence and metastasis of the New World species were attributed to this virus. The data on the presence of LRV in Old World... more
Leishmania RNA virus (LRV) was first detected in members of the subgenus Leishmania (Viannia), and later, the virulence and metastasis of the New World species were attributed to this virus. The data on the presence of LRV in Old World species are confined to Leishmania major and a few Leishmania aethiopica isolates. The aim of this study was to survey the presence of LRV in various Iranian Leishmania species originating from patients and animal reservoir hosts. Genomic nucleic acids were extracted from 50 cultured isolates belonging to the species Leishmania major, Leishmania tropica, and Leishmania infantum. A partial sequence of the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene was amplified, sequenced and compared with appropriate sequences from the GenBank database. We detected the virus in two parasite specimens: an isolate of L. infantum derived from a visceral leishmaniasis (VL) patient who was unresponsive to meglumine antimoniate treatment, and an L. major isolate origina...
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Acquired azole resistance in opportunistic fungi causes severe clinical problems in immunosuppressed individuals. This study investigated the molecular mechanisms of azole resistance in clinical isolates of Candida glabrata. Six unmatched... more
Acquired azole resistance in opportunistic fungi causes severe clinical problems in immunosuppressed individuals. This study investigated the molecular mechanisms of azole resistance in clinical isolates of Candida glabrata. Six unmatched strains were obtained from an epidemiological survey of candidiasis in immunocompromised hosts that included azole and amphotericin B susceptible and azole resistant clinical isolates. Candida glabrata CBS 138 was used as reference strain. Antifungal susceptibility testing of clinical isolates was evaluated using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) methods. Complementary DNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP) technology, semi-quantitative RT-PCR, and sequencing were employed for identification of potential genes involved in azole resistance. Candida glabrata Candida drug resistance 1 (CgCDR1) and Candida glabrata Candida drug resistance 2 (CgCDR2) genes, which encode for multidrug transporters, were found to be upregu...
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Background: The probiotic microorganisms are live normal flora that provide nutritional benefits. When probiotic administered in adequate amounts, they also confer a health benefit on the host. Different mechanisms of probiotic effects... more
Background: The probiotic microorganisms are live normal flora that provide nutritional benefits. When probiotic administered in adequate amounts, they also confer a health benefit on the host. Different mechanisms of probiotic effects include the following: stimulating the immune system, modifying the composition of normal intestinal flora and preventing the carcinogenic activity of fecal enzymes. In this study, direct effects of probiotic lactobacilli on tumor cells were investigated. Methods: Supernatants and bacterial extracts of two standard Lactobacillus species (L. acidophilus and L. casei) were prepared and CaCo-2 cells were treated with them. Probiotic effects on cell proliferation, necrosis, apoptosis, migration and invasion were assessed. Results: The supernatants of Lactobacilli decreased cell proliferation and increased cell apoptosis, however, no significant effect on cell necrosis was reported. In contrast, Lactobacilli extract, reduced cell proliferation and increased cell apoptosis. Lactobacilli extract also led to cell necrosis. Furthermore, both supernatants and cell extracts of the probiotic agents resulted in decreased cells' migration and invasion. Conclusion: In this study, it was shown that Lactobacilli probiotics useful effects are not confined to the enhancement of the immune system; however, they effectively suppress the malignant phenotypes of colorectal cancer cells.
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Research Interests: Genetics, Prostate Cancer, Apoptosis, Gene expression, In Vitro, and 3 morePlasmids, Genes, and Cell Lines
Resistance to pentavalent antimonial drugs has become a serious problem in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis in some endemic areas. Investigations on molecular markers involved in drug resistance are essential for monitoring of the... more
Resistance to pentavalent antimonial drugs has become a serious problem in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis in some endemic areas. Investigations on molecular markers involved in drug resistance are essential for monitoring of the disease. Leishmania-activated C kinase gene (LACK1) is involved in multiple central processes such as signal transduction. According to the probable role of the LACK1 gene in antimony resistance, we used real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to investigate the expression of this gene in clinical L. tropica strains, which were resistant or sensitive to meglumine antimoniate. We analyzed the expression level of LACK in 18 sensitive and 14 resistant L. tropica isolates collected from patients with anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis. After cDNA synthesis, gene expression analysis was performed by quantitative real-time PCR using SYBR Green. In addition, the full length of the LACK gene from six reference strains was cloned and sequenced then deposited in the NCBI database to confirm our strains. Real-time reverse transcription-PCR revealed that the average RNA expression level of LACK in isolates from unresponsive and responsive patients were 0.479 and 4.583, respectively, and expression of LACK was significantly downregulated (9.56-fold) in resistant isolates compared to sensitive ones. Results of the present study suggest the probable role of the LACK gene in antimony resistance. Moreover, it can be considered as a potential marker for monitoring antimony resistance in clinical isolates. However, further studies are required to exploit the biological functions of it in antimony resistance.
Research Interests: Dermatology, Gene expression, Humans, Drug Resistance, Clinical Sciences, and 9 morePublic health systems and services research, Cutaneous Leishmaniasis, Organometallic Compounds, Cross Sectional Studies, Leishmania Tropica, Down-Regulation, real time polymerase chain reaction, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, and Protein Kinase C
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Parasite lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) is extensively employed as malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). Moreover, it is a well-known drug target candidate. However, the genetic diversity of this gene might influence performance of RDT... more
Parasite lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) is extensively employed as malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). Moreover, it is a well-known drug target candidate. However, the genetic diversity of this gene might influence performance of RDT kits and its drug target candidacy. This study aimed to determine polymorphism of pLDH gene from Iranian isolates of P. vivax and P. falciparum. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood of microscopically confirmed P. vivax and P. falciparum infected patients. pLDH gene of P. falciparum and P. vivax was amplified using conventional PCR from 43 symptomatic malaria patients from Sistan and Baluchistan Province, Southeast Iran from 2012 to 2013. Sequence analysis of 15 P. vivax LDH showed fourteen had 100% identity with P. vivax Sal-1 and Belem strains. Two nucleotide substitutions were detected with only one resulted in amino acid change. Analysis of P. falciparum LDH sequences showed six of the seven sequences had 100% homology with P. falciparum 3D7 ...
Viscerotropic leishmaniasis (VTL) is a parasitic disease with non-specific manifestations caused by Leishmania tropica. Specific antigens produced by Viscerotropic leishmaniasis gene have been used for diagnosis of VTL. The aim of this... more
Viscerotropic leishmaniasis (VTL) is a parasitic disease with non-specific manifestations caused by Leishmania tropica. Specific antigens produced by Viscerotropic leishmaniasis gene have been used for diagnosis of VTL. The aim of this study was to compare the expression level of VTL gene among the viscerotropic L. tropica isolates (n: 3) and visceral L. infantum isolates (n: 4). Also, the expression level was compared in L. tropica (n: 21) and L. major (n: 8) isolates, the main causes of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iran by real time-RT-PCR. Results showed viscerotropic leishmaniasis gene was expressed in all 3 species; L. tropica, L. major and L. infantum. The most expression rate was in L. tropica and L. major as the cutaneous species and the lowest in visceral isolates including L. infantum and viscerotropic L. tropica strains respectively.Conclusion: Results revealed that VTL gene can play an important role in visceralization process of L. tropica although there are other mechani...
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TGIFLX, a Homoproteins cluster member located on the X chromosome, has a critical role in male reproduction and prostate development. Previous studies have shown the erratic expression of TGIFLX gene in a large proportion of prostate... more
TGIFLX, a Homoproteins cluster member located on the X chromosome, has a critical role in male reproduction and prostate development. Previous studies have shown the erratic expression of TGIFLX gene in a large proportion of prostate tumors. However TGIFLX function in prostate development remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the consequences of TGIFLX expression on prostate cancer cell lines (LNCaP). Inducible Tet-On gene expression system was used with a regulatory capability by doxycycline induction. In this system, stable LNCaP cells with TGIFLX tet-on plasmid were able to induce TGIFLX expression by doxycycline treatment. TGIFLX gene expression was confirmed by RT-PCR. Induction of gene expression caused cell proliferation decrement and apoptosis increment in LNCaP TGIFLX cells compared with control cells (P<0.01). Also, by using PEGFPN1 plasmid protein in this study localization was shown in nucleus. The gene was cloned in the plasmid and transfected to...
Research Interests: Genetics, Prostate Cancer, Apoptosis, Gene expression, In Vitro, and 3 morePlasmids, Genes, and Cell Lines
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Background: Dermatoglyphics are the dermal ridge configurations on the digits, palms and soles. Dermatoglyphic polymorphism results from the co-operation of genetic and environmental factors. The Dermatoglyphic analysis is a valuable... more
Background: Dermatoglyphics are the dermal ridge configurations on the digits, palms and soles. Dermatoglyphic polymorphism results from the co-operation of genetic and environmental factors. The Dermatoglyphic analysis is a valuable completion of initial diagnosis of some syndromes genetically determined. Our objective was to assess dermatoglyphics study results against standard chromosomal analysis in Down and Klinefelter syndromes. Methods: In this study we applied clear plastic tape and graphite powder for finger and palm prints of 90 persons. Cytogenetic study was also performed for patients with Down (n=29) and Klinefelter (n=22) syndromes and 39 normal individuals who served as the control group. Results: Dermatoglyphic investigations indicated that in Down syndrome, simian line, ulnar loops, whorl, t'', t''' and t' were significant, whereas arch and interdigital III pattern were more indicative for Klinefelter syndrome. Conclusion: Dermatoplyphic can ...
Background: Leukemia is one of the most common pediatric malignancies. T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL) accounts for 15% of hematopoetic cancers. It has been well understood that identification of genetic alterations associated... more
Background: Leukemia is one of the most common pediatric malignancies. T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL) accounts for 15% of hematopoetic cancers. It has been well understood that identification of genetic alterations associated with leukemias is very critical. The molecular genetic techniques have promoted the identification of leukemia-associated genetic changes that may characterize the most accurate predictors of clinical outcome. These considerations reinforce the requirement for rapid identification of the abnormalities. Methods: Multiplex RT-PCR, a highly sensitive and specific method applied to screen simultaneously three most frequent transcription factors, TLX1/HOX11, TLX3/HOX11L2 and TAL1/SCL which are associated with T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL). Results: We describe here our efforts to establish a multiplex RT-PCR analysis system that facilitates the detection of HPB-ALL and K562 cell lines, respectively. Conclusion: The multiplex RT-PCR techniq...
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Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common cancer in Iran and in the world and its prevalence may become equivalent to the prevalence of all other cancers combined in the future. The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway has an important... more
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common cancer in Iran and in the world and its prevalence may become equivalent to the prevalence of all other cancers combined in the future. The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway has an important role in tumorigenesis of BCC. Mutations in PTCH and Smo molecules of this pathway account for 85% to 95% of sporadic BCCs and also most cases of inherited cases. Currently, several treatment methods exist for this cancer. Mohs surgery and removing the whole tumor with free margins are the most efficient way for metastatic and highly invasive BCCs. According to the latest findings, small inhibitor molecules of the Hh pathway are becoming highlighted in drug production. Vismodegib an inhibitor of Smo, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2012 as a drug for metastatic and highly invasive BCCs. Therefore, strategic targeting of signaling molecules has demonstrated success and holds great potential in medicine.