Prevalence of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis in patients with tuberculosis from Iran

In patients with preexisting lung disease, especially a cavity, Aspergillus can infect the surface of the cavity, causing chronic cavitary pulmonary aspergillosis (CCPA), and may form an aspergilloma, collectively called chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA). In the present study, we assessed tuberculosis (TB) patients for CPA based on culture and serological methods. During a period of 1 year (from March 2013 to March 2014), we studied 124 patients with TB (94 with current TB and 30 with previous TB) at Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Tehran, Iran. Sputum specimens were analyzed by direct microscopic examination (DME) and fungal culture. The clinical and radiological features of all patients were recorded, to categorize the patients into CCPA and aspergilloma. All patients were screened for serum-specific IgG against A. fumigatus, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Out of 124 patients with TB (66 male, age range: 10-91 years), 48 patients (38.7 %) exhibited residual cavities. Eighteen (14.5 %) patients had cavities with pleural thickening. A round-shaped mass lesion was detected in six patients (6.8 %). DME was positive in ten patients for septate fungal hyphae. A. fumigatus was grown from 14 samples. Fifty-five (44.3 %) cases were positive for serum-specific IgG against A. fumigatus. Of 124 patients with TB, 3 (2.4 %) met criteria for aspergilloma and 14 (11.3 %) for CCPA. CPA is a common clinical presentation in individuals with healed TB in Iran, as reported by previous studies from other countries.

Site specific nematode management-development and success in cotton production in the United States

Variability in edaphic factors such as clay content, organic matter, and nutrient availability within individual fields is a major obstacle confronting cotton producers. Adaptation of geospatial technologies such global positioning systems (GPS), yield monitors, autosteering, and the automated on-and-off technology required for site-specific nematicide application has provided growers with additional tools for managing nematodes. Multiple trials in several states were conducted to evaluate this technology in cotton. In a field infested with Meloidogyne spp., both shallow (0 to 0.3 m) and deep (0 to 0.91 m) apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) readings were highly correlated with sand content. Populations of Meloidogyne spp. were present when shallow and deep EC values were less than 30 and 90 mS/m, respectively. Across three years of trials in production fields in which verification strips (adjacent nematicide treated and untreated rows across all soil zones) were established to evaluate crop response to nematicide application, deep EC values from 27.4-m wide transects of verification strips were more predictive of yield response to application of 1,3-dichloropropene than were shallow EC values in one location and both ECa values equally effective at predicting responses at the second location. In 2006, yields from entire verification strips across three soil zones in four production fields showed that nematicide response was greatest in areas with the lowest EC values indicating highest content of sand. In 2008 in Ashley and Mississippi Counties, AR, nematicide treatment by soil zone resulted in 36% and 42% reductions in the amount of nematicide applied relative to whole-field application. In 2007 in Bamberg County, SC, there was a strong positive correlation between increasing population densities of Meloidogyne incognita and increasing sand content. Trials conducted during 2007 and 2009 in South Carolina against Hoplolaimus columbus showed a stepwise response to increasing rates of aldicarb in zone 1 but not in zones 2 and 3. Site-specific application of nematicides has been shown to be a viable option for producers as a potential management tool against several nematode pathogens of cotton.

Changes in serum levels of brain derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor-beta in schizophrenic patients before and after treatment

Schizophrenia is one of the most debilitating diseases among psychiatric disorders. Recent studies suggest the existence of effective immunological changes in the pathophysiology of this disease. The purpose of the current study was to determine the changes in serum levels of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and Nerve Growth Factor-beta (NGF) in schizophrenic patients before treatment and 40 days after treatment. In this case-control study, serum levels of BDNF and NGF were measured by ELISA in 26 patients with schizophrenia and 26 healthy controls. All patients were treated with clozapine or risperidone for 40 days. A positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) questionnaire has been used to recognize the severity of the disease and to assess the response to treatment. Neurotrophin concentrations were compared before and after the treatment and with control groups using paired t-test and ANOVA test. BDNF and NGF levels in the case group were more than levels after treatment, but these differences were significant only for NGF. Concentrations in both neurotrophins were higher than the control group. The statistically significant difference was observed between changes in the NGF levels in the case and the control group, while no significant difference was seen in changes of BDNF. The main conclusion to be drawn from this study was that the increase in BDNF and particularly NGF may have an important role in causing schizophrenia. And possibly drugs clozapine and risperidone help to treat the disease by reducing the concentration of Neurotrophins.

Effect of zinc supplementation in children with asthma: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial in northern Islamic Republic of Iran

There are conflicting reports about the benefits of zinc supplements in childhood asthma. This study examined the effect of zinc supplementation in children with asthma attending an outpatient clinic in Sari, Islamic Republic of Iran. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial over 8 weeks, 284 children on inhaled steroids were allocated to receive zinc supplements (50 mg/day) (n = 144) or placebo (n = 140). Cases and controls had low initial serum zinc concentrations [61.8 (SD 7.3) μg/dL and 60.9 (SD 4.3) μg/dL]. After treatment, mean serum zinc level in the case group was significantly higher [129 (SD 20.4) μg/dL] than in the controls [63 (SD 8.6) μg/dL]. There were no significant differences in IgE levels before and after treatment. The case group showed significant improvements in clinical symptoms such as cough, wheezing and dyspnoea and in all spirometry parameters (FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC).

High sensitive CRP and pentraxine 3 as noninvasive biomarkers of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

INTRODUCTION

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common hepatic disease. Liver biopsy is the gold standard for the diagnosis of NAFLD. To overcome the problems with liver biopsy many studies are being performed to find noninvasive methods for the evaluation of hepatic status.

AIM

This study aims to study to role of high sensitive CRP and pentraxine 3 in the setting of NAFLD.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

thirty two NAFLD cases and 34 controls were enrolled. All subjects were studied clinically and blood was drawn for para-clinical studies. Liver biopsy was performed for all cases. Levels of hs-CRP and pentraxine were analyzed to find any significant difference for the stages of steatosis and fibrosis based on pathologic findings.

RESULTS

Hs-CRP level was higher in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) cases versus non-NASH cases. Its level was also increased in higher levels of fibrosis. Pentraxine 3 had no efficacy in differentiating different levels of NAFLD and fibrosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Hs-CRP can be used in combination with other biomarkers in the noninvasive evaluation of NAFLD.

Prevalence of intestinal parasites and profile of CD4+ counts in HIV+/AIDS people in north of Iran, 2007-2008

In this study 142 stool samples (64 HIV+/AIDS patients and 78 non-HIV infected individuals) collected from Mazandaran province and screened for intestinal parasites, using direct wet mont, formalin-ether sedimentation concentration, modified Ziehl Neelsen and modified trichrome techniques. Each person in this study was examined for CD4+ counts. Intestinal parasites were found in 11/64 (17.2%) of patients in HIV+/AIDS group and in 14/78 (17.9%) of controls. Prevalence of parasites detected in HIV+/AIDS individuals was as follow: Cryptosporidium sp. 9.4%, Giardia lamblia 3.1%, Entamoeba coli 1.6%, E. histolytica 1.6% and Chilomastix mesnili 1.6%. Prevalence of parasites in controls was as follow: Trichostrongylus sp. 6.4%, G. lamblia 3.8%, Cryptosporidium sp. 2.5%, E. coli 2.5%, E. histolytica 1.2%, Hookworms 1.2%. The mean of CD4+ counts in HIV-positive group (430 cells microL(-1)) was remarkedly less than controls (871 cells microL(-1)) (p = 0.001). As patients usually belong to poor socio-economic backgrounds and they can hardly afford treatment, therefore, it is suggested screening and free treatment of intestinal parasites in these individuals should be taken by health centers to prevent the occurrence of these diseases in HIV+/AIDS patients, as often the disease may take a fulminant form.

Seroprevalence of toxocariasis in schoolchildren in Northern Iran

This cross-sectional study was carried out on 1210 randomly selected schoolchildren, attending sixteen primary and secondary schools, during the period between November 2005 and June 2006. Parents who accepted to include their children were requested to be present at sampling time and to fill in a simple questionnaire with personal and epidemiological data. Three milliliter of venous blood were taken by vein puncture under sterile conditions from each subject for detection and titration of antibodies to T. canis and eosinophil counts. Total IgG anti-Toxocara antibodies was evaluated by T. canis IgG ELISA kit. According to the manufacture recommendations, an index positivity >11 U was considered positive. Of the 1210 serum specimens tested, an overall seroprevalence for Toxocara antibodies of 25% was obtained. There was no association between positive seroprevalence and age (p = 0.34). Boys and girls differed significantly with regard to Toxocra titre (p = 0.003). Eosinophilia in peripheral blood (> or = 5%) was detected in 24.5% (297/1210) of the population studied, 97/297 (32.8%) of whom were seropositive for toxocariasis. The findings of this study confirmed that infection with Toxocara is quite high and widespread in children in Northern Iran. Therefore, health promotion efforts must be directed at increasing the awareness of the population about the potential zoonotic hazards associated with the disease and how to minimize them.

Toxocara catiinfections in stray cats in northern Iran

A cross-sectional survey was undertaken to study the prevalence and intensity of infection withToxocara catiin 100 stray cats, from April to October 2004 in urban areas of Sari, northern Iran. A total of 44 cats (44%) were found to be infected withT. cati. There was a significant difference in the prevalence of infection relative to host age and weight (P = 0.000). There was also a significant difference in the intensity of infection relative to body weight and urban sites (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found between the prevalence of infection relative to host gender, urban sites and season (P>0.05), nor in the intensity of infection between host gender, age and season (P>0.05). The intensity of infection ranged from 1 to 32 worms per cat, with a mean of 7.30 ± 6.82.

Knowledge and practices of health care workers and medical students towards universal precautions in hospitals in Mazandaran Province

This study investigated knowledge of and practices towards universal precautions among 540 health care workers and medical students in 2 university hospitals in Mazandaran Province, Islamic Republic of Iran. Only 65.8% and 90.0% staff in the 2 hospitals and 53.5% of medical students had heard about universal precautions. Overall, there was a low understanding of precautions, except concerning disposal of sharps, contact with vaginal fluid, use of mask and gown or cleaning spilled blood. Health workers had difficulty distinguishing between deep body fluids and body secretions that are not considered infectious. Good practices were reported regarding hand-washing, disposal of needles, and glove, mask and gown usage.