mehrdad hajilooi

Patients with acute stroke are vulnerable to infectious diseases due to low consciousness, aspiration, dysphagia, and underlying conditions. Zinc and selenium play critical roles in boosting the immune system. This study aimed to compare serum zinc and selenium levels in patients with stroke before and after infection.

The present prospective study was conducted on patients with stroke in Hamadan, west of Iran, from 2019 to 2020. Serum levels of zinc and selenium were measured before and after infection in patients with stroke. The calculated sample size for this study was 78 patients. A paired t-test was used to compare the mean zinc and selenium levels. The linear regression model was used to assess the association of clinical and para-clinical factors with the change in the serum level of selenium after infection. The level of statistical significance was 0.05.

The mean (±SD) age of participants was 71.33±14.27 years, and 55.1% of the participants were female. The mean (±SD) serum zinc levels before and after infection were 80.4±7.6 µg/dL and 74.3±7.9 µg/dL, respectively, indicating a significant difference (P<0.001). These values for selenium were 118.1±42.8 µg/dL and 78.4±29.4 µg/dL, respectively (P<0.001). There was a significant association between sepsis and decreases in the levels of selenium (-28.86 µg/dL, 95% CI: -56.13, -1.59) and zinc (-9.84 µg/dL, 95% CI: -16.12, -3.56).

Based on our results, the levels of zinc and selenium in patients with stroke significantly decrease after infection compared to before infection.

According to the high prevalence of iron (Fe) deficiency anemia, it is highly important to reach simple and cost-effective methods for accurate diagnosis. Considering that saliva, as a diagnostic substance is of great value, the present study aimed to compare the amount of salivary Fe and total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) levels of patients with Fe deficiency anemia and healthy individuals.

In this descriptive-analytic cross-sectional study, thirty 20-40-year-old women participated in case (patients with anemia) and control (healthy individuals) groups. After collecting the serum and saliva samples of each participant, Fe and TIBC levels were measured in µg/dL. Data were analyzed using SPSS with Kolmogorov-Smirnov, t test and Pearson correlation tests at the significant level of 0.05.

The mean age of the participants of the case and control groups was 31.25 and 30.6, respectively. The average amounts of salivary Fe and TIBC of patients with Fe deficiency were 28.60 and 610.00 µg/dL, respectively. Further, the means of salivary Fe and TIBC of the control group were 78.80 and 290.00 µg/dL, respectively. Based on the results, the serum Fe and TIBC of anemic patients were 27.05 and 589.70 µg/ dL, whereas the means of the serum Fe and TIBC of the control group were 80.27 and 286.80, respectively. There were significant differences between both salivary and serum values of the Fe and TIBC of case and control groups (P<0.05). Furthermore, the relationship between the serum and salivary levels of Fe and TIBC were positive and significant (P<0.05).

Based on the results of the present study, significant changes were found in the salivary amount of the Fe and TIBC of patients with Fe deficiency anemia corresponding to the serum levels of Fe and TIBC, thus saliva could be considered as a diagnostic substance for the detection of Fe deficiency anemia.

Given the potential link between genetic risk factors and clinical features of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), this study aimed to explore the relationship between human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB1/DQB1 alleles and haplotypes and clinical sub-phenotypes of the disease in a group of Iranian SLE patients. HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1 alleles were determined by PCR-SSP in 127 SLE patients and 153 ethnically-matched healthy controls. The relationships between various clinical manifestations and HLA alleles/haplotypes were analyzed in the patients. We observed the positive associations of DRB1*07 and DRB1*07-DQB1*02 haplotypes with articular and pulmonary involvement (p=0.006 and p<0.001 respectively), DRB1*03 andDQB1*02 alleles, and DRB1*03-DQB1*02 haplotypes with cutaneous (p=0.03, p=0.004 and p=0.02 respectively) and renal involvement, and DRB1*13 as well as DRB1*13-DQB1*06haplotypes with renal involvement. Conversely, negative associations of DRB1*13 with cutaneous and gastrointestinal disorders (p=0.004 and p=0.02 respectively) and DRB1*01 with renal involvement (p=0.03) were found in our patients. Patients carrying susceptible HLA-DRB1alleles had a higher risk for expression of cutaneous involvement (p=0.03), anti-coagulant antibody development (p=0.01), and a lower risk for pulmonary disorders compared to patients' negatives for susceptible alleles (p=0.04). Our findings on associations between HLA risk allele (DRB1*03) as well as non-risk alleles with particular clinical manifestations and between the potentially protective allele (DRB1*01) and protection against renal involvement indicate the important role of HLAclass II genes in predisposing of specific serological and clinical features of SLE disease which could be implicative for therapeutic applications and better management of SLE patients.

Diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM-1) is associated with pancreatic beta-cell destruction, inflammatory processes, and cardiovascular disorders. C-reactive protein (CRP) and homocysteine are considered as inflammatory processes and cardiovascular disorder indicators that can be used for monitoring patients with DM-1. The present study aimed to compare the salivary levels of homocysteine and CRP of DM-1 patients with those of healthy people.

In this case-control study, 82 patients participated, including 41 DM-1 patients (case group) and 41 healthy people (control group). The case and control groups were matched in terms of age, gender, and body mass index, and 5 mL of the saliva was collected from each participant. Then, the salivary levels of CRP and homocysteine were measured for each patient. Finally, several parameters were recorded for diabetic patients, including fasting blood glucose (FBS), 2-hour postprandial glucose (2hpp), and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), as well as the duration of the disease and the type and amount of insulin injections. Eventually, data were analyzed by SPSS software using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, and Pearson correlation coefficient.

The salivary CRP and homocysteine concentration had no significant difference between patients and controls (P>0.05). There was no significant correlation between the salivary level of homocysteine and CRP and FBS, 2hpp, HbA1c, albuminuria, duration of disease, type and amount of insulin injection (P<0.05).

According to the results of the current study, the measurement of the salivary levels of CRP and homocysteine could not be helpful for monitoring patients with DM-1.

Hydatidosis is one the most important zoonotic infections that is a critical issue of health economics in endemic areas. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence level of hydatidosis and parasitic disease encounters in Hamadan. This cross sectional study was conducted on 1000 individuals referring to health centers in Hamadan in 2017. The samples and demographic data had been collected before the serum samples were subjected to anti-Echinococcus IgG antibody detection by ELISA method. Data were analyzed using SPSS and Fisher's exact test. Out of the total participants, four subjects (two males and two females, 0.4%) were considered positive for anti-Echinococcus antibody. Two of the seropositive individuals were residing in rural and the other two subjects were living in urban areas. In addition, about ninety nine percent of the cases had no knowledge of hydatid cyst disease. Three of the seropositive subjects had a history of contact with dog (29.3%). Moreover, they used water for washing raw vegetables (36.2%). The prevalence level of hydatidosis in this area is lower than that of other regions in Iran. However, it is a must to implement management and prevention programs to control and reduce the infection levels in the country due to the endemicity and health economics importance of this issue.

In this study, the effect of rs310441 polymorphism in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region on the development of susceptibility or resistance to Type 1 diabetes (T1D) among the people with T1D compared to healthy subjects has been investigated.
This research, which is based on the examination of 130 cases with T1D and 98 controls, has been carried out in the city of Hamedan after clinical examination. In order to determine the HLA gene polymorphism, the allele-specific-refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) method was utilized.
This study indicated that there is a significant relationship between the frequency of alleles and genotypes in the patients compared to healthy subjects. The C/C and C/G genotypes were more frequent in patients than controls and G/G genotype was shown to be protective for T1D (p=0.01). Significant difference was found for the G allelic frequency in patients with T1D and in the control group. The allelic frequency was significantly different between the two groups (p=0.0001). Our findings indicate that HLA polymorphism(C/G) and (C/C) genotypes could be considered as genetic risk factors associated with susceptibility and (G/G) genotypes associated with protection for T1D.
This study identified that there is a significant relationship between the frequency of alleles and genotypes in the patients compared to healthy subjects.

Tension-type headache is the most common type of headache across the world. Saliva as a non-invasive medium is used to detect a wide range of diseases. Salivary Alpha-Amylase (SAA) levels has been suggested as a potential indirect marker for detecting Sympathoadrenal Medullary (SAM) activity, which is activated by pain. Significant correlation was found between SAA levels and pain scale in patients with chronic pain. The purpose of the present study was to measure SAA activity in Frequent Episodic Tension-Type Headache (FETTH). In addition to the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), we intend to assess intensity and various aspects of pain by McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ).
A total of 45 females with FETTH (case group) and 45 healthy voluntary females (control group) were enrolled in our case-control study. Unstimulated saliva by spitting method was taken from each participant.
SAA levels were significantly higher in patients with FETTH (P This is the first study using MPQ as a subjective means of assessing quality and quantity of pain alongside the VAS as an objective tool for evaluating pain in patients with FETTH. SAA may be an appropriate marker for assessing of pain levels in patients with FETTH. MPQ versus the VAS may be a more accurate measurement tools along VAS.

Oral Lichen Planus (OLP) is a chronic autoimmune disease that could be considered as a potential premalignant status. To evaluate the miRNA-146a and miRNA-155 expression levels in patients with oral Lichen planus lesions compared to healthy subjects with normal oral mucosa. Forty patients with oral lichen planus and 18 healthy age and gender-matched controls were recruited in this case-control study. Oral lichen planus was diagnosed clinically and pathologically. The expression levels of two miRNAs in peripheral blood samples were determined using commercial TaqMan MicroRNA Assays. Relative quantification of gene expression was calculated by the 2-ΔΔct method. The expression levels of miRNA-146a and miRNA-155 in patients with oral Lichen planus were significantly higher than the of the healthy control group. Also, a direct but insignificant correlation was found between miRNA-155 and miRNA-146a expression levels among the patient group. Our findings indicate that miRNA-146a and miRNA-155 could be potential biomarkers for the immunopathogenesis of oral lichen planus.

Many studies have shown that cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) gene variants are associated with several autoimmune diseases particularly type 1 diabetes. Due to the lack of consistent data for this association with type 2 diabetes (T2D), this study explored the possible influence of CTLA-4 gene polymorphisms at -1722 (T/C), -318 (C/T), and (G/A) positions for susceptibility to T2D in relation with neuropathy. One hundred and eleven unrelated patients with T2D [49 patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and 62 patients without PDN] and 100 healthy ethnic- and gender matched controls were included in this study. The dimorphisms at -1722 (C/T), -318 (C/T) and (A/G) for CTLA-4 gene were determined using ARMS-PCR. The CTLA-4 ( G/G) and ( A/A) genotypes were found to be positively and negatively associated with T2D, respectively (p=0.03). The 318 C/T and T/T genotypes were more frequent in patients than controls and -318 C/C genotype was shown to be protective for T2D (p=0.003). ACT and GTT Haplotypes were less and more frequent in controls and patients, respectively (p=3.86×10-7 and p=2.29×10-5). Genotypes distribution among T2D patients with and without DPN compared to healthy controls showed significantly lower frequencies for 318 C/C and A/A genotypes and significantly higher frequencies for -318 C/T and T/T genotypes as well. Our findings indicate that CTLA-4 ( A/G) and (-318 C/T) genotypes could be considered as genetic risk factors associated with susceptibility or protection for T2D.

Bordetella pertussis has been suggested to take part in the acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to investigate the association between B. pertussis and COPD. In this case-control study,90 patients with COPD and 90 age- and sex- matched control subjects were included. Serum samples were tested for anti-B. pertussis IgG and IgA by ELISA. A physician completed a questionnaire including demographic characteristics,habitual history and spirometric findings for each patient. Of 90 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,66 (51%) had mild,31 (34.4%) had moderate,and 13 (14.4%) had severe disease. There was no significant association between B. pertussis IgA seropositivity and COPD. Serum levels of anti- B. pertussis IgG were significantly higher in patients with COPD than in the control subjects (P < 0.001). No association was observed between B. pertussis infection and severity of COPD. The results suggest that there is an association between B. pertussis infection and COPD. Further studies should be planned to investigate the potential pathogenic mechanisms underlying these associations.

Immune responses play significant roles in protection against leishmaniasis. Polymorphisms within the interleukin 4 receptor alpha chain (IL-4Rα) gene affect the production of cytokines, which is important for the clearance of many pathogens. The aim of the current study was to identify the relationship between visceral leishmaniasis (VL) infection and polymorphisms at positions T1432C and A1652G of IL-4Rα in an Iranian population.

This cross-sectional study was performed during 2004–2012 and included three groups of participants: VL patients (Group 1, n = 124), seropositive healthy controls (Group 2, n = 101), and seronegative healthy controls (Group 3, n = 55). The IL-4Rα T1432C and A1652G polymorphisms were evaluated using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique, and anti-Leishmania antibody titers were determined by using immunofluorescence technique. Alleles and genotypes were compared between groups of the study as well as Groups 1 and 2 based on the titer of antibodies. The validity of the data was analyzed using Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and one-way analysis of variance, as well as χ2 tests.

The polymorphisms at IL-4Rα positions T1432C and A1652G were significantly associated with active VL infection. These results demonstrated that the IL-4Rα T1432C and A1652G polymorphisms were not associated with anti-Leishmania antibody production.

Our results indicate that these IL-4Rα polymorphisms may be risk factors for the development of VL.

Hepatitis C Virus genotyping appears to be vital for predicting the response to antiviral therapy. The present study aimed to analyze the HCV genotypes in relation to persistence or clearance of the virus in residents of Hamadan Province, West-Iran. A total of 1159 recorded questionnaires of HCV infected people were evaluated in this prospective study. Several parameters including HCV genotypes, anti-HCV antibodies, viral load, drug treatment, response to therapy and amount of ALT and AST were analyzed. HCV genotyping in 637 samples revealed a predominance of type 1a (52.1%) followed by 3a (42.4%), type 1b (2.7%) and type 2 (0.2%) respectively. Mixed genotypes (3a-1a) were detected in 0.9%, and 1.7% had untypable genotype. High frequency of genotypes 1a and 3a were observed in drug-resistant (group-a) and drug-sensitive (group-b) patients respectively (P<0.0001). Additionally, duration of drug treatment was significantly higher in group-a than group-b (P<0.0001). During follow-up period, 92 cases showed spontaneous clearance of HCV infection and more importantly 86 of 92 cases were positive for anti-HCV antibodies compared with 59 of 455 antibody positive cases with treatment-induced clearance of HCV infection (P<0.0001). HCV genotyping and also antibody screening could be useful for proper therapeutic intervention in HCV infected subjects.

Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is a member of the Herpesviridae family that has infected more than 90% of the worlds’ population. EBV is now considered etiologically associated with the endemic Burkitt''s lymphoma, Hodgkin disease, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Recent findings show the association between EBV infection and other malignancies.. The current study aimed to evaluate the relationship between EBV infection and B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders, including lymphoma and multiple myeloma..Patients and In the current case-control study, a total of 43 patients with lymphoma and multiple myeloma and 46 age/sex-matched healthy people were included. After taking written consent, serum samples were taken from all subjects. The level of IgG against viral capsid antigen was measured using ELISA. Antibody titers > 5 U/mL was considered as positive. Data were analyzed using Stata 11 software.. Of the 89 subjects, 53 were male and 36 females, aged 14 to 82 years. There was no significant difference between EBV seroprevalence in the patients with lymphoma and multiple myeloma, and the healthy subjects.. The results of the current study indicated no relationship between latent EBV infection and lymphoma or multiple myeloma. However, further studies with larger sample sizes are required..

Interleukin (IL)-8 plays important roles in the recruitment and activation of immune cells during visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Genetic variations in IL-8 modulate the expression of IL-8 protein and may be associated with VL. This study aimed to evaluate polymorphisms at the IL-8 −251 position in VL patients. This cross-sectional study was performed on three groups: Leishmania-seropositive patients with clinical symptoms of VL (n = 91), seropositive patients without clinical symptoms (n = 104), and healthy controls (n = 110). Polymorphisms at the IL-8−251 position were analyzed using allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Anti-Leishmania antibody titers were assessed by immunofluorescence. IL-8−251 polymorphism was significantly associated with VL (P<0.002). The IL-8−251 T/T genotype was significantly higher in group 1 than in groups 2 and 3 (P<0.002). The validity of the data was analyzed using Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), as well as χ2 tests. IL-8−251 polymorphism was significantly associated with impaired immune responses in VL and might be considered a risk factor for disease development.

Several lines of evidence approve that innate and adaptive immunity play key roles in the defense against visceral leishmaniasis (VL). The polymorphism within the cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) gene alters its expression.. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the polymorphism within the +49 position of the CTLA-4 gene of Iranian patients with VL in comparison with healthy controls.. In this cross-sectional study, 88 patients with clinical presentations of VL, who were seropositive for Leishmania (group 1), 86 patients without clinical presentations but seropositive (group 2), and 115 healthy controls (group 3) were assessed with respect to the CTLA-4 +49A/G polymorphism, using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The anti-Leishmania antibody titration was evaluated using an immunofluorescence method.. Our results indicated that both CTLA-4 +49A/G polymorphisms were significantly associated with VL.. According to the results, the polymorphisms within the +49 position of CTLA-4 can be associated with VL and may be considered as risk factors for the disease..

Brucellosis is a major bacterial zoonoses of global importance caused by Brucella spps. FCγRIIA receptor plays a central role in phagocytosis of IgG2-opsonized bacteria. FCγRIIA exhibits allelic polymorphisms with different capacities for binding IgG2 and phagocytosis. Cells expressing FcγRIIa-H131, bind more efficiently to complexed IgG2 than those expressing the FcγRIIa-R131 variant. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of FCγRIIA polymorphisms with susceptibility to or severity of brucellosis. In this study we evaluated FCγRIIA polymorphisms (R/R131, R/H131, H/H131) in 67 patients with brucellosis and 67 age, sex and geographical matched healthy volunteers. FCγRIIA genotyping was performed by using a sequence-specific primer polymerase chain reaction (SSP-PCR). Comparison of the FCγRIIA genotypes distribution in patients with brucellosis and controls showed a higher frequency in FCγRIIA-R/R131 homozygosity in patients than controls (47.8% vs. 28.4%). Logistic regression analysis showed that there is a significant correlation between R/R131 genotype and brucellosis (OR=2.3, 95% CI=1.3-4.2, P=0.04). Although the frequency of the FCγRIIA-R/R131 was higher in patients with chronic brucellosis compared with acute brucellosis, we did not find any statistically significant differences (53.8% vs. 46.3%, P=0.65). The result of this study showed that the homozygous genotype of FCγRIIA-R/R131 in patient with brucellosis may be associated with susceptibility to brucellosis as a genetic risk factor.

Previous studies revealed that selectins play key roles in homing of immune cells to inflamed tissues and lymphatic organs. L-selectins are expressed on immune cells and interact with P and E selectins to homing to the tissues, hence, the polymorphisms within the gene of L-selectins may are associated with alteration in its expression. Thus, the current cross-sectional analytical study has been designed to investigate the polymorphisms within L-selectin gene and their relation with visceral leishmaniasis (VL). This study was performed on 194 samples during 2004-2012.The PCR-SSP and immunoflorescence techniques were used to evaluate the L-selectins polymorphism and anti-Leishmania antibody titration, respectively, in 56, 74 and 64 seropositive VL patients (group 1), seropositive healthy controls (group 2) and seronegative healthy controls (group 3). The results showed that the genotypes (P=0.711) and alleles (P=0.679) within L-selectins gene (A/C) was not differ between groups. Our results also demonstrated that the genotypes within L-selectins in group 1 (P=0.807) and 2 (P=0.441) were not associated with the titration of anti-leishmania antibody. The results identified that the polymorphisms within L-selectins gene were not associated with VL and it may be concluded that these genotypes and alleles are unable to affect immune responses in VL patients.

Immune responses play critical roles in the leishmaniasis eradication. IL-10 is a key regulator of immune responses, and the polymorphisms within its promoter region are associated with alteration in its expression. Therefore, this study was designed to examine the correlation between polymorphism at the -1082 position of the IL-10 gene and visceral leishmaniasis (VL). The IL-10 -1082 polymorphism and anti-Leishmania antibody titration were examined in 110 patients with clinical presentation of VL and seropositive for the Leishmania (group 1), 74 seropositive patients but without clinical presentation (group 2) and 113 healthy controls (group 3) using the PCR-RFLP and immunofluorescence techniques, respectively. The polymorphism at IL-10 -1082 (A/G) position was significantly associated with VL and A/G genotype was significantly higher in VL patients when compared to the groups 2 and 3 (P< 0.001). However, the results demonstrated that the A and G alleles were not associated with VL (P= 0.263). Previous investigations have shown that the polymorphism at the -1082 position of the IL-10 gene can influence its expression and also it has been proved that IL-10 level was increased during VL. Our results suggest that the A/G genotype may be considered as a risk factor for VL.

Host genetic factors play a central role in determining the clinical phenotype of human diseases. Association between two polymorphic loci in human genome, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs), and genetically complex infectious disease particularly those of viral etiology have been historically elusive. Hence, defining the influence of genetic diversity in HLA and KIRs on outcome of viral infection has begun extensively in clinically well-defined cohort studies. HLA genes encode molecules which present antigenic peptide fragments to T lymphocytes as central players in adaptive immunity against infectious diseases. KIRs are expressed on natural killer cells which perform a vital role in innate immunity to pathogen infection. The effector function of NK cells such as direct killing of infected cells, cytokine production and cross-talk with adaptive immune system are dependent on activation of NK cells which is determined by its surface receptors. Among these receptors, KIRs which interact with HLA class I are mainly inhibitory and exhibit substantial genetic diversity. An extensive body of association studies indicates a role for HLA–KIRs interactions in infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders, cancer, transplantation and reproduction. Various compound HLA-KIR genotypes appear to affect outcome of viral infections that suggests a role for HLA class I diversity in innate immunity as well as adaptive immune responses. The aim of this review is focusing on the impact of HLA and KIR alleles and different combinations of these alleles on clinical outcome of viral diseases to validate this proof-of-concept with respect to the therapeutic interventions.

Several lines of evidence demonstrating that innate and adaptive immunity play important roles in the defense against visceral leishmaniasis (VL). A polymorphism within the FcγRIIIB gene can lead to the expression of three variants of NA1, NA2, and the combined one (NA1/NA2) which alters affinity of IgG to its receptor. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the FcγRIIIB-NA1/NA2 polymorphism in the FcγRIIIB gene of VL patients in comparison to healthy controls.Patients and In this cross-sectional study, three groups; 54 seropositive patients with clinical presentation of VL (group 1), 104 seropositive patients without clinical presentation (group 2), and 104 healthy controls (group 3) were evaluated with respect to the FcγRIIIB-NA1/NA2 polymorphism using a PCR-SSP method. The titration of anti-leishmania antibodies was analyzed using an immunoflorescence technique. Our results indicated that polymorphisms within the FcγRIIIB gene (that lead to the expression of the NA1/NA2 isoforms) are significantly associated with VL. The results demonstrated that the genotype heterozygotic for FcγRIIIB-NA1/NA2 expression was significantly increased in VL patients, group 1 when compared to groups 2 and 3. Conversely, there is a decrease in homozygous NA1 and NA2 genotypes in VL patients; however, the overall frequency of NA1 and NA2 alleles appear similar across the three cohorts examined. According to our results, it is likely that the increased frequency of the FcγRIIIB-NA1/NA2 genotype is associated with impaired immune responses against VL and its subsequent clearance from the patient.

Backgrounds and The main purpose of one-stage full-mouth disinfection is the rapid elimination or depletion of all oro-pharyngeal pathogens using scaling and root planning، subgingival periodontal pocket irrigation and tongue disinfection. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of this technique on serum levels of IL-17 and IL-23 in patients with moderate-to-advanced chronic periodontitis. This randomized clinical trial study conducted on 24 eligible patients with moderate to advanced chronic generalized periodontitis. 20 (11 male- 9 female)، healthy subjects and with no history of drug therapy during the last 6 months were included in the study. Blood samples were taken from the patients before the intervention. Then، full-mouth disinfection was carried out in one session. Blood samples were taken again 6 weeks after the intervention. The ELISA method was used to evaluate serum levels of IL-17 and IL-23. The Pre and post-treatment serum levels of IL-17 were 103. 8±38. 6 and 14. 1±8. 6 pg/mL، respectively (P=0. 003); in case of IL-23، The Pre and post-treatment serum levels were 124. 9±40. 1 and 17±8. 8 pg/mL، respectively (P = 0. 001). The differences were statistically significant in both cases. In patients with moderate-to-advanced chronic periodontitis، serum levels of IL-17 and IL-23 significantly decrease subsequent to one-stage full-mouth disinfection.

Encephalitis can cause a severe public health problem. The main aim of this research was to evaluate the medical laboratory results of patients with Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) encephalitis. Diagnosis of encephalitis for these patients was firstly based on a clinical profile for Herpes Simplex Encephalitis (HSE), plus either a detected HSV1&2-DNA by PCR in CSF or brain neuro-imaging results. Molecular testing on CSF showed that 15 patients (15%) had HSV infection, 5 patients (5%) had Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) and one case was positive for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-RNA in CSF. The cause of encephalitis in 79 out of 100 patients (79%) was unknown. The comparison of CSF analysis in HSV positives and negatives showed a significant increase of glucose and protein levels in HSV positives than negatives. The mortality rate was 46.6% (7/15) in patients with HSV encephalitis compared to 11.4% (10/85) in non-HSV encephalitis (P = 0.003). In the current study, 15% of cases were diagnosed as having HSV.

Blastocystis is a common protozoan parasite in mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish, arthropods, and annelids. This parasite has some subtypes, which pathogenicity status of them still remained controversial. Some of Blastocystis subtypes are potentially pathogenic to human. This study has identified the B. hominis subtypes and their prevalence rates in Hamadan.Patients and During two months of summer 2011, a total number of 250 human fecal samples referred for parasitology examination to Beasat Hospital and a few clinical laboratories of Hamadan city were collected. The samples were examined by direct method and formalin-ether. 41 samples exhibited positive results for B. hominis thereby were cultured in Locke-egg medium. After the growth and in order to genotype identification, B. hominis isolates were amplified by PCR, using seven pairs of sequencestagged site primers. In this study, three subtypes of B. hominis consisted of one [SB83], two [SB340] and three [SB227] were identified. The most dominant genotype was SB83 with 56.1% frequency. The prevalence rate of genotype SB227 and SB340 were 22% and 7.3%, respectively. Coexistence of genotypes SB83 and SB227 was detected in 14.6% of positive cases. This is the first study in Hamadan on genotyping of B. hominis, which may trigger other epidemiologic and zoonotic studies on different subtypes and hence control clinical manifestations of infection

Many environmental and genetic factors are known as factors that increase the susceptibility to periodontitis. As IL-8 is a chemokine that mediate the inflammatory process in periodontal disease, we decided to evaluate the effect of its polymorphism on chronic and aggressive periodontitis. In this cross-sectional study DNA was isolated from the whole blood of 107 periodontitis patients and 199 healthy individuals. All samples were genotyped for the IL-8 polymorphisms using the polymerase chain reaction with sequence specific primers. The distribution of the interleukin-8 genotype and allele frequencies in control and disease groups was analyzed by the Chi-square test and a P-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The findings revealed that the allele and genotype frequencies of A2767T, T11722T2, and C781T polymorphism of IL-8 gene were not significantly differed between controls and patients. However, there was a significant difference in the genotype frequencies of IL-8 A251T (P < 0.0001), G396T (P < 0.0001), and C1633T (P < 0.0001) gene polymorphism between the patient and the control groups. Additionally, there was a significant difference in the genotype frequencies of C1633T (P < 0.05) polymorphism of IL-8 gene between the aggressive and chronic periodontitis. IL-8 gene polymorphism may be protective against periodontitis.

Asthma is considered as a chronic inflammatory airway disease and defined as increased tracheobronchial responsiveness to variety of stimuli. Edema and inflammatory cell infiltration in airway is observed in the asthmatic patients. One of the essential changes in inflammation is adhesion of leukocyte to endothelium and transmigration of leukocytes to the sites of inflammation. Unfortunately، little is known about the role of Platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) polymorphism in asthma inflammatory process. The purpose of this study was to determine whether PECAM-1 polymorphisms affect the risk of asthma or not. Forty five asthmatic patients (including 27 men and 18 women) and 45 healthy volunteers (11 men and 34 women) were studied. To determine the severity of the asthmas situation، a questionnaire was prepared asking the following information: age، sex، clinical signs and symptoms and past medical history. All subjects were genotyped for PECAM-1 polymorphism by using amplification refractory mutation system -polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR). The genotype distribution of PECAM-1 80 Val/Met polymorphism in all asthmatic patients were Val/Val while non asthmatic controls were 95. 6% Val/Val and 4. 4% Val/Met. However، these differences were not statistically significant (P<0. 05. The allele and genotype frequencies of PECAM-1 125 Val/Leu polymorphism were significantly differed between asthmatic patients and controls. On the other hand، the presence of 125 Leu allele was associated with an increasing risk of asthma with an odds ratio of 2. 8 (95% CI; 1. 5-5. 3، p=0. 002). Our findings suggest that the PECAM-1 125 Val/leu polymorphism might be a genetic factor that may be associated with asthma.