azam ahmadi

Lung cancer has the highest incidence and mortality rate of all cancers worldwide. In Iran, it is one of the commonly diagnosed malignancies, and its frequency is increasing rapidly. Genetic variants in DNA repair genes are linked to differences in efficiency of repairing DNA damage, which can influence lung cancer susceptibility. EXO1 is a key gene involved in the mismatch repair pathway. The K589E polymorphism in EXO1 may alter the DNA repair activity of the encoded protein and impact lung cancer risk. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between the K589E polymorphism in EXO1 and lung cancer risk in the Iranian population, and evaluate its potential as a prognostic biomarker.

This case-control study was conducted to investigate EXO1 K589E variant with susceptibility to lung malignancy in the Iranian population. One hundred patients with lung cancer as a patient group and 100 healthy individuals from Khansari Hospital located in Markazi province were studied, from January 2020 to May 2022. DNA extraction from blood samples of participants was done using a kit.  Genotype determination of both patient and control groups was done using PCR-RFLP technique. Finally, statistical results were analyzed using SPSS software and the logistic regression method.

Genotype and allele frequency  analysis showed the AA genotype (P=0.004, OR=5.391, 95% CI: 1.690-17.200) and A allele (P=0.010, OR=2.851, 95% CI: 1.291-6.300) were correlated with susceptibility to lung cancer. On the other hand, people carrying the G variant allele had a lower risk of lung cancer.

 In summary, this study found the AA genotype and A allele of K589E in EXO1 are correlated with risk of lung cancer in Iranians, while the G allele has protective effects. The K589E polymorphism may serve as a prognostic biomarker for lung cancer susceptibility, but more studies with high population size are required.

Evidence suggests a link between serum adropin levels and coagulation factors, with physical activity boosting adropin circulation. This study investigates the correlation between adropin and blood coagulation factors in young adults at varying activity levels.

Fifty healthy young adults were divided into active and inactive groups using the Baecke questionnaire. Blood samples assessed adropin and coagulation factors. Statistical tests included Mann-Whitney and independent t-tests for comparison, with Spearman's correlation coefficient determining strength.

Active participants exhibited significantly lower fibrinogen (p<0.05) and higher adropin levels (p<0.05) compared to inactive peers. Physical activity correlated negatively (r=-0.27, p=0.05) with fibrinogen but not with adropin and other coagulation factors.

 Elevated physical activity levels correlate with heightened serum adropin and reduced serum fibrinogen. Moreover, serum fibrinogen, a critical coagulation factor influencing blood clot formation, appears particularly sensitive to the effects of physical activity.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death globally. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays an important role in cell proliferation and signaling. In this study, we examined the association between EGFR (rs712829) gene polymorphism and lung cancer risk among the Iranian population.

Subjects and Methods:

 A total of 100 patients with primary lung cancer and 100 matched healthy controls were recruited into this study. EGFR rs712829 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) were genotyped by PCR-RFLP techniques for this association with lung cancer risk.

A significant association was observed between the GG genotype (P= 0.039, OR= 5.500, CI=95%; 1.710- 11.921) and also G (P= 0.001, OR= 2.967, CI=95%; 1.557- 5.691) allele of rs712829 SNP with lung cancer risk, this was while the TT genotype and T allele of this polymorphism showed a protective role against risk of lung cancer.

In conclusion, EGFR rs712829 was associated with a risk of lung cancer among Iranians. More studies in other Iranian populations are required to confirm the present findings.

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was first reported in late November 2019. Identifying the characteristics of this disease can help make decisions and control the pandemic. The present study aims to determine the characteristics and clinical results of patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in Masih Deneshvari Hospital in Tehran, Iran.

In this cross-sectional study, the study population consists of all patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and hospitalized in Masih Deneshvari Hospital in Tehran from February to May 2020. By using a prepared checklist, the demographic and disease-related characteristics of patients were extracted,. The data were then entered into SPSS software and were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

In this study, 700 patients were examined, of whom 451 (64.4%) were male and the rest were female. The most common symptoms were shortness of breath (97.8%) and cough (96.4%). The highest rate of infection was in the age group of 56-65 years. Also, 640 (91.4%) had underlying diseases and 42% were overweight (BMI: 25-29.9 kg/m2). Moreover, 88.2% were recovered and 11.8% were died.

Most of the people infected with COVID-19 admitted to the study hospital were male and middle-aged. Analyzing the relationship between different factors in epidemiological studies can increase the attention of caregivers and decision makers to reduce the spread of the diseases.

 In line with the importance of digital resilience in the health sector, especially during pandemic periods, and the double work and psychological pressure on the employees of such organizations, the purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of psychological and technical factors of adopting smart information technology on resilience” Digital is Iran’s health sector.

 In terms of purpose, this research is an applied descriptive survey. Data were collected using a questionnaire with 28 questions performed on a statistical sample of 200 Alborz University of Medical Sciences employees. Participants were selected using a simple random sampling technique. The digital resilience questionnaire developed by García Perez et al. was employed. Structural equation modeling, which was administered using PLS software, was used to test the hypotheses.

 Individual innovation behavior of healthcare workers on digital resilience (by a variable of 0.211); Self-efficacy of employees (0.367); Perceived benefits of the system (0.302); the level of professional knowledge of employees (0.369); and the level of conservatism of healthcare workers (0.329), presented a positive effect on digital resilience. However, the motives for using information systems, the complexity of the system, and the knowledge of using technology do not affect digital resilience in the health sector. 

 Improving the procedures for identifying talents, raising the level of professional knowledge of employees by holding on-the-job training courses and workshops with a focus on Professional knowledge, and spreading the culture of innovation and self-efficacy in the health sector can increase Digital resilience, indicating the need for more attention of managers.

Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide with high mortality rates in male and female. In Iran, lung cancer is the third most common type of cancer and its prevalence is increasing rapidly. This disease has a high mortality rate because patients with lung cancer are diagnosed at an advance stage of the disease. Therefore, the presence of tumor markers is essential for treatment and early diagnosis of lung cancer. Studies have shown that there are many genetic variants that are significantly related to the incidence of lung cancer. The present study aimed to investigate the role of key genes in the occurrence of lung cancer.

Methods and Materials: 

This review article has been performed by searching lung cancer, key genes, clinical biomarker, and early diagnosis keywords in various data bases such as NCBI, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Google Scholar.

EGFR, KRAS and TP53 genes have the highest importance and role in the occurrence of lung cancer; therefore, the identification of mutations in the mentioned genes can play an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer as a clinical biomarker.

Identification of genetic variants involved in lung cancer can be used as clinical biomarkers for early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of this disease. Molecular biomarkers can have the potential to improve the current state of early lung cancer detection and treatment methods. Recognizing genetic variants as clinical biomarkers for early diagnosis and evaluation of response to treatment for lung cancer can play an important role in facilitating the treatment process, increasing response to treatment, reducing mortality, and reducing material and spiritual damages caused by this disease.

Bacterial infections are the most common complication in cancer patients. Infection with multi-drug resistant bacteria has recently become a worrying phenomenon in cancer patients. This study focused on Gram-negative bacteria isolated from clinical samples of cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the presence and prevalence of drug resistance genes, including metallobetalactamase (blaIMP and blaVIM) and carbapenemase (blaKPC and blaGES) genes, in the main bacteria agents of nosocomial infections in cancer patients, such as Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli.

Common biochemical methods were used to identify bacterial isolates. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed according to the standard method recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (2019). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was also used to check the presence and prevalence of resistance genes.

During six months, from May to November 2020, 250 clinical samples were collected from cancer patients in Ayatollah Khansari hospital in Arak city, Iran. From which 80 Gram-negative bacilli were isolated, including 33 (41.2%) E. coli, 15 (18.7%) A. baumannii complex, 12 (15%) P. aeruginosa, eight (10%) K. pneumoniae, seven (8.7%) Citrobacter freundii, and five (6.2%) Enterobacter aerogenes isolates. The frequency of blaKPC, blaGES, blaIMP, and blaVIM genes was 39.95, 21.25, 16.25, and 17.45%, respectively.

The present study emphasizes the importance of identifying Gram negative rods and their resistance genes (metallobetalactamase and carbapenemase genes) in cancer patients, carrying out preventive instructions to prevent the transmission of resistance genes, and reducing mortality in these patients.

It is estimated that by 2035, more than 130 million adults will suffer from various types of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, it is very important to know the pathogens of cardiac diseases and investigate new treatments. Also, despite continuous progress in diagnosis, patient education, and risk factor management, myocardial infarction (MI) remains one of the most common causes of morbidity, hospitalization, and mortality worldwide. The events associated with MI are highly complex and characterized by rapid metabolic and biochemical changes. Exercise training is an effective cardioprotective strategy that reduces adverse effects of MI and ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Multiple signaling pathways of exercise preconditioning in mitigating MI-induced cardiac damage is one of the topics that has attracted much attention. In this article, some of the contributing factors in exercise-induced cardiac protection, including mitochondrial changes, metabolic changes, vascular adaptations, antioxidant capacity, heat shock proteins, cyclooxygenase levels, ATP-sensitive potassium channels, adenosine, protein kinase C, calcium and klotho homeostasis are discussed.

Nowadays the importance of vitamins is clear for everyone. However, many patients are suffering from insufficient intake of vitamins. Incomplete intake of different vitamins from food sources due to their destruction during food processing or decrease in their bioavailability when mixing with other food materials, are factors resulting in vitamin deficiency in the body. Therefore, various lipid based nanocarriers such as nanoliposomes were developed to increase the bioavailability of bioactive compounds. Since the function of nanoliposomes containing vitamins on the body has a direct relationship with the quality of produced nanoliposomes, this review study was planned to investigate the several aspects of liposomal characteristics such as size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, and encapsulation efficiency on the quality of synthesized vitamin-loaded nanoliposomes.

Abnormal vaginal discharge is a common problem among pregnant women. The most common cause of these discharges is bacterial vaginosis (BV), which has numerous complications and causes problems for pregnant mothers and their fetuses. The purpose of this study was to determine the BV frequency among pregnant women referring to a gynecology clinic in Arak city using Amsel and Nugent criteria, Alberta guideline, and PCR.

This descriptive study was performed on 70 vaginal samples of pregnant women in Arak to investigate the most common causes of vaginal discharge according to Amsel and Nugent criteria and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method using specific primers targeted towards three bacteria: Gardnerella vaginalis, Atopobium vaginae, Mobiluncus curtisii. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and Chi-square test.

In this study, ten (14.28%) out of 70 pregnant women had positive bacterial vaginosis according to Amsel criteria. According to Nugent criteria and Alberta guideline, three (4.29%) cases were diagnosed with definite BV, 20 (32.26%) cases with intermediate BV with clue cells, 42 (67.74%) cases with intermediate BV without clue cells, and finally five (4.29%) cases with negative BV. Also, according to PCR, the frequency of G. vaginalis, M. curtisii, and A. vaginae in vaginal samples was 71.42% (50 cases), 64.28% (45 cases), and 30% (21 cases), respectively. 

According to the obtained results, the prevalence of definite bacterial vaginosis was lower than that of vaginitis, and most patients suffered from nonspecific vaginitis.

Arcobacter is an emerging bacterium that may cause watery diarrhea and septicemia in humans. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Arcobacter spp. in diarrheal stool specimens using culture and molecular methods, their genetic diversity, and their resistance to different antibiotics in patients referring to clinical centers in Arak, Iran.

In this descriptive cross-sectional study, diarrheal stool specimens were collected from 230 patients over a two-month period from July to September 2016. The samples were tested for the presence of Arcobacter species. Suspected colonies were subjected to biochemical tests and identified by phenotypic methods. In addition, antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the disk diffusion method. Arcobacter spp. were also directly detected  by multiplex-PCR.

Out of 230 samples, 20 samples (8.69%) were positive in culture method, and 44 samples (19.13%) were positive in PCR method, all culture-positive samples were also positive in PCR method. Rep-PCR indicated 14 different rep types among Arcobacter spp. isolated from patients with gastroenteritis. All Arcobacter isolates were resistant to cefazolin, ceftazidime, and nalidixic acid. The isolates showed high susceptibility to tetracycline, gentamicin, ampicillin, amikacin, meropenem, erythromycin, and ciprofloxacin.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study conducted in Iran to isolate Arcobacter spp. from patients with gastroenteritis. The results indicate that Arcobacter spp. are one of the main causes of acute diarrhea in humans. The research outcomes show that Arcobacter spp. could be considered as the etiology of gastrointestinal infections in humans.

The history of the Ottoman Empire could be of particular importance to researchers. This importance firstly goes back to the arrival of modernity in Islamic lands, which the Ottoman Empire faced as the last heir of Islamic empires, and secondly, refers to the understanding of modernity and its requirements which were able to appear in modern Turkey after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. While some of the ulema were opposed to any reforms that had a Western and non-Islamic source, some others were hoped to regain the former power of the empire and consequently improve their position. In order to find new ways and support their ideas, the Ottoman’s ulema revised Ijtihad. However, it had no effect other than to impose new meanings on old concepts. As a result of chaos on thoughts, a group of late Ottoman intellectual realized the irreconcilability of the Islamic thought tradition with modern Western civilization and in order to establish modern institutions, they destroyed the legitimate and traditional resources. As the bearers of these resources, the ulema were expelled from the new structure under construction, and after numerous struggles, they supported the new government. By using the historical study method and books and library resources, this article tries to examine the impact of Ottoman modernization on the ulema’s situation.

 Sexually infections transmitted by bacteria are one of thetherapeutic and social problemsworldwide. The Real-time PCR assay is one of the most sensitive diagnostic and screening methods for these infections. The purpose of this study wassimultaneous detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma genitaliumusing the TaqMan duplex real-time polymerase chain reaction.

 In the present study, we used extracted DNA from women with vaginal infections available in the bank ofthe molecular and medicalresearch center, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran. The duplex real-time PCR was evaluated to detectChlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasmagenitalium in 110 vaginal andendocervical samples. To validate the diagnostic performance of the designedmethod, the tests were compared with a commercial diagnostic kit.

 The size of the ampliconsOmpA, 135 bp and MgPa, 145bp,indicated the accuracy of the primers designing procedures. The analysis of a panel of human STI revealed no cross-reactivity in the method. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of developedTaqMan duplex real-time PCR were 97% and 75%, respectively,compared to a commercial diagnostic kit.

 The results indicated that the used TaqMan duplex real-time PCR technique is specific and cost-effective and can be an excellent alternative to commercial kits for simultaneously detecting C. trachomatis and M. genitalium. Although the disadvantage of this method is its high cost, this disadvantage has significantly been resolved by the multiplex method.

Current cancer treatments include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. Despite these treatments, a main issue in cancer treatment is early detection. microRNAs (miRNAs) can be used as markers to diagnose and treat cancers. This study investigated the effect of radiotherapy on miR-374 expression, and APC and GSK-3β, two of its target genes, in the WNT pathway, in peripheral blood samples from radiotherapy-treated colorectal cancer (CRC) patients.

Peripheral blood was collected from 25 patients before and after radiotherapy. RNA was extracted from the blood and cDNA synthesized. miR-374, APC, and GSK-3β expression was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and the amplicons were sequenced. Finally, the data were statistically evaluated.

Quantitative RT-PCR revealed significant down-regulation of miR-374 (0.63-fold) and upregulation of APC (1.12-fold) and GSK-3β (1.22-fold) in CRC patients after five weeks of radiotherapy. Sequencing of PCR-produced amplicons confirmed the conservation of mature and precursor sequences encoding miR-374. miR-374 expression changed with time after radiotherapy treatment and related tumor grading. Increased age and tumor grade positively correlated with decreased miR-374 expression.

miR-374 expression, and that of its two target genes, APC and GSK-3β, changed after radiotherapy. These genes can likely be used as  diagnostic radiotherapy markers in CRC.

The WNT-pathway is involved in several cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC). Many cell signaling components and pathways are controlled by microRNAs. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the expression of hsa-miR-374, and its two target genes of the Wnt-pathway in CRC clinical samples.

In this study, we predicted the miRNAs targeting key genes of WNT-pathway using bioinformatics algorithms. The expression levels of hsa-miR-374, APC and GSK-3β on 48 pairs of Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) CRC tumors and marginal-tumors were evaluated using real time-PCR. Additionally, the hsa-miR-374a-5p precursor sequence was amplified by whole-blood DNA as a template. This amplicon was cloned into pEGFP-c1 expression vector and transfected into SW742 cells. Aside from this, MTT assay was performed to evaluate the effect of miR-374 on cell viability.

The bioinformatics analysis indicated that hsa-miR-374 binds to the regulatory region the key components of WNT-pathway, including APC and GSK-3β considering the recognition elements and mirSVR scores. Our results revealed significant down-regulation of GSK-3β (0.94 times, p= 0.0098) and APC (0.96 times, p= 0.03) and up-regulation of miR-374 (1.22 times, p= 0.0071) on tumor samples compared with their normal pairs. Meanwhile, the results of the over-expression of miR-374 showed down-regulation of APC and GSK-3β. MTT-assay also indicated that the miR-374 increased cell survival.

The results of our study indicated a concomitant change in the expression of miR-374 and its two related target genes, in clinical samples of CRC. Hsa-miR-374 might be as a helpful biomarker or therapeutic target in CRC.

Campylobacter spp. are the main cause of human gastroenteritis. The 16SrRNA sequencing is one of fast molecualr method to detect this fastidious. In this study, we compared the sequencing of 16srRNA genewith four housekeeping genestodetect Campylobacter spp. in patients with diarrhea and healthy people.

60 samples of Campylobacter DNA extracted from stool samples of 30 patients with diarrhea and 30 healthy people were used. In order to detect Campylobacter, we designed primers for proliferation of 16SrRNA, cadF, dnaJ, slyD, and rpoA genes using Primer 3, Mega 4.0 and Blast software. Then the PCR products were sequenced using ABI system.

The sequencing showed concordance of PCR-products with deposited sequences in the Gene Bank. Among diarrhea patients, 53.3% of samples were significantly (p< 0.05) positive for slyD and cadF genes and 50% of samples were positive using 16SrRNA, rpoA, and dnaJ genes by PCR assay. The average of sensitivity and specificity were found 53.33% and 83.33%, respectively.

Due to various copies of repeated sequences of 16SrRNA gene, analyzing its amplicons on electrophoresis may be more difficult than the slyD and cadF genes. According to our results, among the 5 studied genes; the highest detection rate was related to slyD and cadF genes. Although, dnaJ and rpoA genes, instead of 16SrRNA gene, can be considered as appropriate genes for molecular detection of Campylobacter bacteria.

Giardiasis is a worldwide infection of the small intestine. The causative agent of this disease is a flagellate protozoan called Giardia. It is only transmitted by mature cysts. It is important to identify the geographical distribution of Giardia intestinalis assemblages and genotypes in order to determine their transmission pattern in each region of the country. Therefore, the present study was performed to determine the predominant Giardia assemblage in human samples in Arak.

Fecal samples with severe contamination to Giardia were collected from laboratories affiliated to Arak University of Medical Sciences and Giardia cysts were isolated by flotation method and then DNA extraction was performed by phenol-chloroform method on these samples. The extraction product was used in the PCR reaction based on the identification of the β-giardin gene.  Finally, the product of PCR reaction was sent to the sequencing.

In this study, 25 samples of Giardia-infected feces were examined by PCR method and 12 of PCR reaction products were sent for sequencing. Ten isolates were 98% similarity to LC508640.1 sequence and two isolates were 97% similarity to JN616244.1. These isolates were recorded in GenBank (MT584765- MT584776). Results of current study showed assemblage A of Giardia intestinalis is the dominant in Arak.

The assemblage of all isolates that obtained from current study was matched with genotype A. Given that assemblage A is mostly contaminating humans and other mammals, it seems the transmission of Giardia is zoonotic in Arak city.

Arcobacter is one of the most common bacteria in humans and livestock, leading to gastroenteritis in humans as well as genital and enteric diseases in animals. This bacterium is known to be the main cause of diarrhea. In molecular studies, the 16SrRNA gene was primarily used as the standard gene for the determination of the Arcobacter. The purpose of this study was to investigate the molecular detection of Arcobacter using glyA, atpA, and gyrA genes compared to16SrRNA.

In this study, 61 samples of Arcobacter DNA isolated from fecal specimens of patients and healthy individuals in the sample bank were used. In order to detect Arcobacter, the intended primers for 16SrRNA as well as glyA, atpA, and gyrA genes were used for polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The products obtained from the PCR were sequenced.

The results of the proliferation reactions indicated the accuracy of the intended primers and the associated molecular experiments. Our results showed that 65.57% of the cases were detected to be positive for Arcobacter among 61 samples using the glyA gene. This percentage was higher compared to 16SrRNA (42.62%), gyrA (42.62%), and atpA (24.59%). The analysis was statistically significant.

Given the presence of repetitive sequences in the 16SrRNA in most bacteria, the interpretation of the results is likely to be difficult for researchers. The results of this study showed more sensitivity and accurate diagnosis of Arcobacter using the glyA gene than other studied genes. In diagnostic studies of Arcobacter, the glyA gene is proposed as an alternative to the 16SrRNA.

Staphylococcus aureus is common pathogens of nosocomial infections. Nasal swabs in hospital staff is main sources of hospital infections are considered. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of nasopharyngeal carriers of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and microbial contamination of health care workerschr('39') cell phones in Emergency department of Vali-e-Asr Hospital in Arak City.

Methods & Materials:

 In this descriptive study, nose swabs and cell phone levels were taken from 70 health care workers in the emergency ward of Vali-e-Asr Hospital. The Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates were identified using standard microbiological methods (catalase, coagulase, mannitol fermentation and DNase). The susceptibility to oxacillin and cefoxitin was detected by the disk diffusion and the mecA genes in this clinically isolated strain of staphylococci was investigated by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).

Ethical Considerations: 

This study was approved by the Research Ethics committee of Arak University of Medical Sciences. (Code : IR.ARAKMU.REC.1396.282).

 According the results, Staphylococcus aureus was isolated in 16 cases, which 5 cases were methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA), and 11 cases were Methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Also, 3 cell phones were infected with Staphylococcus aureus, which 1 case was MRSA and 2 cases were MSSA.

 The results of this study showed that frequency of MSSA strains is significant in emergency personnel of the hospital. Thus, regarding to the risk of epidemics due to nosocomial infections, periodic testing for the identification and treatment of carriers among employees for controlling and preventing hospital infections seems necessary.

Brucella spp. are Gram-positive, rod-shaped, and spore-forming bacilli. Brucella abortus and B. melitensis are the main causes of brucellosis. The aim of the study was to establish a rapid and simple molecular method for the detection of this disease. Forty-five Brucella spp. were isolated from blood samples using the BACTEC Fluorescent 9050 system and were detected by anti-IgM or IgG Brucella specific antigen. DNA extraction was conducted on all samples. Fluorescent amplification based specific hybridization (FLASH-PCR) test was utilized to detect the 351-bp fragment from eryD gene, which was specific for Brucella spp. A 351-bp fragment resulted from PCR reaction and showed the accuracy of designed primers. This fragment was successfully amplified in the FLASH-PCR reaction. In this study, we have positive and negative samples and a standard method. In addition, we calculated the sensitivity and specificity of this method as 100%. Results of the study was proved that the FLASH-PCR method was a rapid, sensitive, and safe method for the detection of Brucella genome in whole blood samples of patient harbored brucellosis and is recommended for routine usage.

In recent years, Arcobacter has been isolated from various samples. It can cause diseases both in human and animal and be transmitted to human through water, food, and continuous contact with poultry meat. Therefore, people exposed to the contaminated meat such as chicken meat can be exposed to Arcobacter too and as a part of its transmission route. Thus, in this study, the frequency of Arcobacter species was evaluated in slaughterhouse workers and poultry meat sellers and healthy people not exposed to the poultry meat. In the present study, 85 slaughterhouse workers and poultry meat sellers (exposed group) and 85 healthy people with other jobs (non-exposed group) were studied. By simple method, fecal samples were collected from Health Center of Arak city and tested by 4 methods including direct observation, culture, PCR, and m-PCR. Campylobacter-like organisms were observed in 32 out of 85 samples from the exposed group and in 11 out of 85 samples from the non-exposed group by microscopic observation method. No sample was positive by culture method. However, by PCR method, the frequency of Arcobacter strains was 20 in the exposed group and 6 in the non-exposed group. According to the m-PCR results, among the 170 samples, 21 A. cryaerophilus and 14 A. butzleri strains were identified. Chicken carcass are introduced as a main reservoir for Arcobacter; therefore, continuous contact with poultry meat can have a significant effect on the transmission of Arcobacter strains to individuals. Therefore, this study showed that the frequency of Arcobacter strains is more in exposed group than in non-exposed group.

Thermophilic Campylobacter is the first cause of gastroenteritis infection in human. Nowadays, the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. is higher than other bacteria causing intestinal infection such as Salmonella and Shigella. This study was designed to compare the frequency of Campylobacter species in poultry slaughterhouse workers and poultry meat sellers (exposed group) and in healthy people (non-exposed group) in Arak city. Among the 104 samples, 52 samples were collected from the slaughterhouse workers and poultry meat sellers, and 52 samples were collected from the control group. The stool samples were taken from the slaughterhouse workers, poultry meat seller, and healthy people who had not received antibiotics for the last two weeks. For enrichment, the samples were enriched in Preston broth medium at 37℃ for 48 hrs under the microaerophilic conditions. Then they were sub cultured using a passive filtration method on Brucella agar at 37℃ for 72 hrs under the microaerophilic conditions. Finally, the samples were directly tested using genus- and species specific PCR primers. Of 52 samples collected from the slaughterhouse workers and poultry meat sellers, 11 (21.1%) samples were positive for the presence of Campylobacter spp. by PCR, and of 52 samples collected from the healthy people, 2 (3.8%) samples were reported as positive. The most frequent species isolated from the 2 groups were C.jejuni (53.84%) and C.coli (23.07%), respectively. Chicken is identified as one of the important sources of Campylobacter infections in humans, which may contaminate poultry Slaughterhouse workers and chicken meat sellers, which in turn, they could potentially transmit Campylobacter strains to healthy people and chicken meat.

Cancer is a multifactorial Disorder caused by variations in multiple genes coupled with environmental risk factors. The genes involved in the carcinogenesis can be classified into several groups, including proto-oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, genes involved in genome stability and cell migration. The accumulations of genetic changes lead to tumor mass and formation of new blood vessels to grow. The tumor is not a collection of single cells and has bilateral interactions with its environments. The tumor microenvironment (TME) has a similar function to stem cells niches that affect tumor progression and metastasis. The study of this environment is effective in diagnosis and treatment of cancer and provides valuable and new information for controlling tumor malignancy and risk assessment (1). This paper focuses on TME components and the molecular targets for cancer treatment. Investigating of TME by cellular and molecular profiles indicated that there are different types of cells in this environment that promote neoplastic changes and metastasis and protect the tumor from the immune system and lead to resistance to treatment (2). Among the different types of cells present in the TME, including parenchymal tumor, fibroblasts, epithelial and inflammatory cells, extracellular matrix and signaling molecules, blood and lymph vessels, the highest number of cells are fibroblasts. In the early stages of carcinogenesis, normal fibroblasts prevent tumor growth. The genetic changes of these cells, with the help of inflammatory agents, release the growth factors that directly inhibit tumor-stimulating cells or indirectly inhibit apoptosis by stimulating growth and inducing angiogenesis. Therefore, a complex system of interactions is created by the involvement of a variety of cellular factors and molecular signals (3,4). Within the TME infrastructure, there are interactions of tumor cells with extracellular matrix (ECM), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and endothelial cells (EC). These communications have been established with the help of chemokines, growth factors, matrix metalloprotezes (MMPs) and ECM proteins, that lead to migration, invasion to distant organs and metastasis (5). TME restores tissue and induces metabolic changes in the tumor by making changes in the stromal and immune cells. This remodeling in a TME is similar to around of scar surrounded by different cells (6). Based on tissue type’s cancers, more than 40% of the CAFs can be derived from bone marrow progenitors that are recruited to the growing TME. Although CAFs may also be derived of epithelial cancer cells or stained fibroblasts that differentiate into myofibroblasts. In epithelial tumors, fibroblasts, mainly through the secretion of growth factors and chemokines, led to an altered ECM, and increase signals of proliferation and metastasis, and ultimately lead to tumor progression (7). The ECM also accumulated a scaffold of inflammatory and immune cells, lymph and nerve arteries. In general, in the metastatic phenomenon, the invasive tumors should be able to move, to break up the extracellular matrix of the tissue, to form new blood vessels, to survive in the blood and to stabilize in a new tissue environment. In studies that have been conducted to understand how these capabilities are achieved in cancer cells, TME has been identified as critical to the development of this phenomenon. TME stabilizes invasion of tumor to distant organs via signals to stromal or non-malignant cells and activation of transcription of genes (8,9). Also, angiogenesis precursor cells that are recruited to TME under hypoxic conditions are associated with metastasis. Some studies have shown that miRNA molecules are the main regulator of this activity, leading to changes in fibroblasts in the TME. MiR-21, miR-31, miR-214 and miR-155 play an important role in differentiation of normal fibroblasts to CAF (10). Although miRNAs in TME have not yet been fully identified, some studies indicated that miRNAs produced by TME cells and specially CAFs affect on tumor growth (11). Musumeci and colleagues showed the role of miRNAs in TME in prostate cancer. Their study found that expression of miR-15a and miR-16 down-regulated in fibroblasts of TME in prostate cancer. MiRNAs target oncogenes such as Bcl-2 and WNT pathway components (12). Several strategies have been proposed to remodel TME components in cancer treatment (2). Blocking the recruitment and activation of stromal cells in TME is one of these molecular approaches. Based on this strategy, Avastin has been designed to treat clone and glioblastoma cancer. Some drugs also block the interaction between the TME cells with the tumor and angiogenesis, ECM and inflammatory compounds in TME. Siltuximab is a human anti-IL-6 antibody that inhibits the pathway of IL-6 / STAT3 in cancer cells and its therapeutic effects have been reported in xenografet models. The effect of this drug in the Phase II clinical trials in platinuim-resistant ovarian cancer is under survey. More accurate identification of gene networks and cell pathways will help us improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of cancer and the advancement of therapeutic approaches. Therefore, in addition to controlling the signaling pathway inside the tumor, it is also necessary to identify the TME. Although, despite the recognition of the importance of TME in carcinogenesis, due to the multiplicity of involved cells, the origin of molecular mutations in its components is still not fully detected and requires extensive research in this area.

Ziehl Nelson staining, fluorescent and also culture are the standard methods for the diagnosis of tuberculosis. In this study, the performance of conventional cultivation methods was compared with Flash PCR. A total of 56 sputum samples from patients with suspected tuberculosis in Tuberculosis Center of Arak city were collected and Ziehl–Neelsen and culture in Löwenstein–Jensen medium were accomplished. Moreover, DNA from all of the 56 sputum samples was extracted by Chelex100 method. Molecular evaluation was accomplished by Flash PCR kit containing probes and primers for gene amplification IS6110. Positive and negative controls together with samples were used in a MTC410 apparatus for amplification. FD-12 apparatus was used to evaluate the results. In addition, electrophoresis on agarose was used for confirmation of the results.
Findings: From 56 sputum samples of suspected TB patients, 20 samples were positive and 36 samples were negative on microscopic evaluation and culture methods. FLASH-PCR molecular analysis showed that all of 20 positive samples were positive in molecular methods, too. On the other hand, three of sputum samples that were negative by culture and staining were positive in FLASH-PCR method. One of these 3 patients, received Isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol antibiotic by responsible medicine. All results were confirmed using conventional electrophoresis. In some negative samples, possibly because of the small number of bacteria in sample or a defect in the sampling, the Flash PCR may due good advantages. Therefore, due to the low cost, this method is recommended for routine use