mohammad zibaei

The protein C-type lectin is secreted by the secondary-stage larve of Toxocara canis (T. canis). Its antigenic characteristics have been the subject of research. The recombinant pET-32a (+) plasmid containing the 660 bp sequence of T. canis C-type lectin gene was successfully synthesized, cloned, and expressed in Escherichia coli (DE3+). Serum samples were collected from 56 pet owners. Forty-four samples were negative and twelve samples were positive which were performed with a commercial ELISA kit. The same samples were also tested using dot blot and Western blot analysis prepared with recombinant CTL antigen (rCTL). The expression was confirmed by Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS-PAGE) and Western blot. The study results revealed that two samples, which tested negative in the ELISA analysis, were found to be positive when using the recombinant C-type lectin (rCTL) antigen in both dot blot and Western blot analyses. The overall test results showed a high level of agreement between the three methods, with Kappa coefficients of 1 and 0.9 for the comparisons. This indicates the potential of using recombinant CTL antigen, to detect positive samples that may be missed by E-S Antigen. The recombinant rCTL demonstrated higher sensitivity than the excretory-secretory Antigens, indicating its potential for improved serodiagnosis of human toxocariasis. The study proposes that the rCTL could be further evaluated in supplementary studies to improve and develop the diagnostic kits for toxocariasis.

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are one of the most common bacterial infections of childhood. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains, with the ability to successfully colonize the urinary tract, are recognized as the main cause of UTI. The aim of this study is to investigate UPEC strains in children with UTI in Karaj city during 1400-1401.

In current study, 146 UPEC isolates were collected from children with UTI referred to Karaj Hospitals, Alborz province during January to August 2022. The identification of isolates as UPEC strains was confirmed using standard microbiological methods and biochemical tests. PCR method and amplification of 16SrRNA gene were used for confirmation of diagnosis. Statistical data analysis was performed with SPSS software version 23. Statistical comparison between groups was done using chi-square and Fisher's exact tests.

The results showed that out of 146 children suffering from urinary tract infections caused by UPEC strains during the study period, 30 (20.5%) were male and 116 (79.5%) were female. In addition, 16 (11.0%) had underlying kidney disease and 130 (89.0%) had no underlying kidney disease.

The present study showed that urinary infection with UPEC strains constitutes more than half of the cases of UTIs in children over one-year-old in Alborz province. In addition, the infection is almost 3.9-times more in girls over one year old than in boys. Although male children with underlying kidney disease are more likely to get UTI with the UPEC strains than female children with underlying kidney disease.

 Toxocariasis caused by Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati is a worldwide zoonotic parasitic infection that can be acquired from contaminated soil. The soil contamination of public places and parks is one of the effective factors in human pollution.

 The current study was designed and implemented to investigate the prevalence of Toxocara species eggs in the soil of Marand parks (in the northwest of Iran).

 Present cross-sectional study was conducted between September and December 2021. Overall, 160 samples were collected from 10 large parks with high traffic and then analyzed by parasitological techniques (sucrose flotation).

 The overall prevalence was assessed at 27.2% in Marand public parks; the highest and lowest prevalence rates were related to Besat park and Shahr park, respectively (39.6% vs. 19.3%). The maximum number of recovered eggs from 100 grams of soil was seven eggs.

 Considering the remarkable prevalence of Toxocara spp. in the Marand parks, control and preventive measures seem necessary.

Toxocara infection is one of the most neglected tropical diseases that has remained undiagnosed in developing countries. The disease leads to many signs and symptoms such as fever, coughing or wheezing, belly pain, hepatomegaly, loss of appetite, rash, lymphadenopathy, red and painful eyes, strabismus, blurred or cloudy vision, and the like.

The present study aimed at investigating the seroprevalence and other demographic parameters of toxocariasis among hospitalized patients diagnosed with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) in Karaj district, Alborz province, Iran.

This study was undertaken between March and September 2021. Ninety-two sera samples obtained from COVID-19 patients and 56 seemingly healthy individuals were tested for anti-Toxocara immunoglobulin G via an immunological assay (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, ELISA). The demographic characteristics of the participants were collected through a questionnaire.

The findings indicated that during the study period, the seroprevalence of toxocariasis in the case group was significantly higher than in the control group (15.2% vs. 3.6%). Among the 92 seropositive COVID-19 patients, 35.7% (5/14) were males and 64.3% (9/14) were females. No deaths were observed in the Toxocara-positive individuals with COVID-19.

Toxocariasis is a worldwide zoonotic parasitic infection in developing countries. The findings of the present study revealed the importance of Toxocara spp. infection screening in COVID-19 patients, and simple empirical treatment can be life-saving in such positive cases.

 Diabetes mellitus is known to be a potential risk factor for herpes zoster (HZ). The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between diabetes and HZ statistically. What is the status of diabetes in people with HZ, and are diabetes and HZ associations statistically significant? Answering these questions is the main purpose of this study.

 Systematic search was carried out in four major international databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google scholar for eligible records between January 2000 and December 2020. The overall prevalence of diabetes in HZ people, studies heterogeneity, as well as geographical distribution were estimated by a random-effect model applied in comprehensive meta-analysis (V2, BioStat) software.

 Ultimately, 28 studies (29 datasets) were included in the present meta-analysis. The overall prevalence of diabetes in HZ people was estimated to be 12.7% (95% CI: 11.5%- 14%), the highest and lowest prevalence rates were 17.4% and 4% in Southeast Asian and American regions, respectively. Additionally, the odds ratio (OR) results suggested a significant association between HZ and diabetes (OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.18-1.38).

 The results indicate a significant association between HZ and diabetes, and this association should not be neglected. Future studies may reflect the effect of vaccination more seriously by considering this association.

Isolation of genomic DNA from bacterial cells is one of the processes typically performed in most biological laboratories and there are different methods to do it .In this study, two methods including phenol-chloroform, and magnetic nanoparticles, were used to extract genomic DNA of Staphylococcus aureus.

In the present study, the standard strain of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 was used for extraction of genomic DNA by phenol-chloroform and magnetic nanoparticles methods. Nanodrop and electrophoresis on agarose gel were used to evaluate the quality and concentration of extracted DNA.

The concentration of extracted DNA by phenol-chloroform and magnetic nanoparticle) SiO2/Fe3O4) methods were obtained 550.4 and 131.6 µg/ml respectively.

From the findings of this study it can be concluded that due to the thick wall of Staphylococcus aureus, genomic DNA extraction by magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4/SiO2) have acceptable concentration and purity for molecular processes such as PCR, and can be used as an alternative to other extraction methods.

Rodents are the reservoir of many zoonotic diseases, including some helminth infection. The necessity to identify rodents and parasites which are transmitted through in different geographical areas of Iran and control and prevention measures can be very important from a health point of view.

In this study 40 rodents were caught from different parts of Alborz province from autumn 2018 to autumn 2020. Internal organs and viscera of mice erer examined after dissection using direct parasitological methods and parasites isolated from each rodent were identified in terms of genus and species.

Of the 40 rodents killed, 57.5% were infected with parasitic helminth. Detected worm species include Hymenolepis diminuta (17.5%), Hymenolepis nana feraterna(7.5%), Syphacia obvelata(7.5%), Syphacia muris(2.5%), Aspicularis tetraptera(7.5%), Trichuris muris(15%), Cysticercus fasciolaris(Taenia taeniae formis Larva Stag)(2.5%), Trichosomoides crassicauda(2.5%).

The results indicate the infection of rodent in Alborz province with different types of worms. Isolation of some zoonotic worm parasites from rodents in urban and rural communities reminds the neceeity of more attention for control and prevention measures as the most important action to prevent spread of parasitic disese in province.

Toxocariasis is a parasitic disease with global distribution. Many paratenic or transport hosts have been identified as the sources of infection, including vertebrates such as birds and humans. The definitive hosts of Toxocara are dogs and cats whose parasites live in their guts. Hence, the diagnosis of the disease in these animals is important.

The present study was performed using the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method to diagnose toxocariasis.

In the present study, 60 samples of pet feces were collected and subsequently evaluated by direct smear, formalin-ether, and LAMP.

Toxocara infection in dogs by microscopic and formal ether methods and LAMP method was 10% and 13.3%, respectively, while feline infection with this parasite was not observed either microscopically or molecularly.

The present findings revealed that pet dogs can be considered as a source of infection for humans. Therefore, it is recommended that animal owners receive the necessary training to prevent the risks of transmitting zoonotic diseases.

Echinococcus granulosus is one of the most important pathogens in medicine. This parasite is able to cause a hydatid cyst in humans, which causes various human and financial losses annually.

This study focused on determining the polymorphism of antigen B (AgB) of E. granulosus in the human and animal samples of Alborz province.

In this study, 50 samples of the hydatid cyst fluid (HCF), 10 human samples, and 40 sheep samples were collected, then the DNA was extracted from the samples. During the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) process, the corresponding fragment was replicated in the AgB gene. Subsequently, PCR-single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) was performed to investigate genetic diversity.

All 50 isolates used in this study showed the AgB in 350 bp after conducting PCR. In addition, all isolates demonstrated similar band patterns after the PCR-SSCP assay.

In 50 isolates, one banding pattern was observed after PCR-SSCP, while no polymorphism was detected in any of the isolates.

Hydatid cysts can be caused by Echinococcus species in various tissues. Skeletal cystic lesions are very rare and may be neglected. Here, we report a case of pathologic fracture following primary hydatid cystic lesions in the proximal and femoral shaft bone. A 62-year-old man suffered a sudden fracture followed by swelling of the thigh. Intramedullary femoral fixation was made and during the surgery, numerous cystic lesions of the hydatid cysts were observed. After  the surgery ultrasound and CT-Scans of the abdomen, lung, spine, and brain did not confirm any sign of mass or cyst elsewhere. The patient was followed up for one year. During this period, the union was not yet completely established and the patient was stillreceiving treatment. Orthopedic surgeons need to be aware of this parasitic complication in bones and joints and provide the best outcome for the patients with proper treatment. Surgery along with albendazole and/or mebendazole  therapy remains the treatment of choice. For this purpose, it is recommended that attention be paid to long-term follow-up in continuous professional development courses.

Hydatid cyst disease (Echinococcosis) is caused by species of the parasite genus Echinococcus. The infection is present in many countries where animal husbandry is common. The treatment of the disease was based on surgery, which was accompanied by an adjunctive drug treatment. It is harmful to use the protoscolicidal effect of parasites during surgery to reduce the recurrence of the disease. The aim of this study was to confirm the protoscolicidal effect of nanoparticles of silver oxide, methanolic and acetonic extracts of Gal Ghalghaf due to the antimicrobial effects of plant in vitro on hydatid cyst protoscolices.

Echinococcus granulosus protoscolices were collected from 60 liver of sheep infected with hydatid cyst. The hydatid cyst fluid was drained using a syringe and concentrated after centrifugation. The lethal effect of normal saline group of 0.9% and the first, second and third groups with concentrations of 0.1, 0.01 and 0.001% of silver oxide nanoparticles and methanolic and acetone Gal Ghalghaf extracts and their integration on protoscolices, respectively. Hydatid cysts are determined at exposure times of 1, 5, 10, and 20 minutes. After data collection, the obtained data were analyzed using SPSS software.

Among the examined extracts, the concentration of 0.1% nanoparticles of silver oxide in 20 minutes and the combination of nanoparticles of silver oxide and methanolic extract of Gal Ghalghaf in 20 minutes had the most protoscolicidal effects, respectively. Also, the lowest lethal effect was obtained at a concentration of 0.001 nanoparticles of acetonic extracts of Gal Ghalghaf at 1 minute.

The findings of the present study showed that methanolic and acetonic extracts of Gal Ghalghaf after combining with silver oxide nanoparticles, especially methanolic extract, can be used as a suitable protoscolicidal agent during hydatid cyst surgery using PAIR (Puncture, Aspiration, Injection, and Re-aspiration of protoscolices).

Ocular toxocariasis in humans is caused by infection with larvae of Toxocara species, which are common ascarid roundworms of mammals, kept in close proximity to human. Four cases with a history of contact with dogs and cats and blurred vision and visual impairment over periods of variable duration were examined. We screened patients diagnosed with ocular larva migrans syndrome between March and June 2021 at the Ophthalmology clinics affiliated with Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran. Detailed demographics, clinical characteristics, and fundus photography were recorded. Anti-Toxocara antibodies in the sera and vitreous fluid detected by ELIZA. Complete recovery in all four patients was achieved following treatment with oral albendazole. The diagnosis of ocular toxocariasis can be challenging, because both the condition is relatively uncommon and its presentation varies from patient to patient. There are lots of differential diagnoses like retinoblastoma, therefore correct, quick diagnosis, and treatment is very important.

In the recent century, the improper use of antibiotics has led to the emergence of resistant isolates that pose a serious threat to the health of human populations. In order to deal with this phenomenon, various approaches have been used, including the use of natural herbal extracts to treat infectious diseases. Ghalghaf Gall is caused by abnormal growth of plant tissues under the influence of living factors such as bees on various organs of the oak tree. Laboratory findings obtained from the evaluation of this plant indicate its high potential for antimicrobial properties. In the present study, the antimicrobial effect of Ghalghaf Gall extract on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was investigated.

This study was performed on standard strains of Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923. Aqueous extract of Ghalghaf Gall was obtained by Soxhlet method. To evaluate the antibacterial activity, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined by broth-macrodilution method.

The MIC value of the extracts of Ghalghaf Gall obtained for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were 3125 µg/ml and 98 µg/ml respectively. Also The MBC value of the Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus obtained 50000 µg/ml and 1562 µg/ml respectively.

The results of this study showed that the herbal extract of Ghalghaf Gall has a very good antimicrobial effect on the gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus compared to the gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli. Also, although relatively strong bacteriostatic function of the above extract was observed on Staphylococcus aureus, but there was a significant difference between bactericidal and bacteriostatic concentrations.

Urbanization of catchment regions is a major cause of freshwater ecosystem degradation worldwide. As catchments become more developed and river ecosystems become increasingly engulfed in various land use activities, there is a growing need to understand these impacts on freshwater ecosystems. Macroinvertebrate are extensively used as indicators of ecosystem health and have been an instrument tool in ecosystem monitoring and management. Five stations with different types of land use (reference station, forest, recreational, agricultural, urban area) of Chehel Chai River, Iran were sampled in 2018. A total of 2040 macroinvertebrate belonging to 6 orders from 12 families were identified. The highest abundance was related to the diversity of the Ephemeroptera (Batidae). According to the results, the abundance of macroinvertebrate was significantly different in the seasons and sampling stations. The maximum value of diversity indices was measured to the Shannon index (S1= 1.06, autumn), Simpson's Index (S1= 0.63, autumn), Margalef richness (S1= 0.9, spring) and Pielou's index (S3= 0.92, summer). Stations in up-stream (forest area) recorded highest species richness, abundance and proportion of sensitive macroinvertebrates compared to the agricultural and urban development area. Cluster and nMDS analysis revealed that among the macroinvertebrates, Ephemeroptera were distinct in the forest sites and Diptera and Oligochaeta in urban area of Chehel Chai River. This finding suggests that present environment problem (such as: agriculture, tourism and urban area) caused serious impacts on the biodiversity of Chehel Chai River.

Human toxocariasis is a neglected parasitic disease in most countries including Iran. Among different clinical forms of toxocariasis, ocular toxocariasis (OT) is an important disease resulting in severe vision loss. However, the prevalence and incidence of OT are currently unclear in Iran. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of ocular toxocariasis among patients with uveitis in the Northeast of Iran.

From 2015 to 2017, 510 patients with uveitis referred to Khatam-al-Anbia, a tertiary eye hospital at Mashhad, Iran were examined for OT. Serum samples of the suspected patients were obtained and evaluated for IgG against Toxocara canis using ELISA test. Anti-Toxocara IgG positive serums were further investigated using confirmatory Western blotting (WB) analysis.

Twenty patients had pathologic changes and clinical presentations in the anterior and posterior segments of their eyes and they were clinically diagnosed ocular toxocariasis. Among the 20 patients, 2 (10%) patients showed IgG antibody against Toxocara canis on ELISA as well as on WB test. The calculated prevalence of ocular toxocariasis was about 0.4%.

Ocular toxocariasis can be diagnosed both clinically and serologically in Mashhad, northeastern Iran. Although OT is a rare pathologic eye disease, it should be considered as one of the important cause of infectious posterior uveitis.

The increasing development of agricultural and aquaculture activities along the rivers has reduced the quality of running water. The aim of this study was to evaluate Chehel-chai River water quality with national sanitation foundation water quality index (NSFWQI), Iran water quality index for surface water (IRWQISC), Canadian water quality index (CWQI).

This descriptive-analytical study, was performed on all of 7 sampling stations based on standard factors such as availability, land use type, geology and dispersion along the river, 12 water quality parameters including dissolved oxygen, fecal coliform, pH, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), temperature, organic phosphate, nitrate, ammonium, turbidity, total soluble solids and electrical conductivity and 5 cations (sodium, calcium and magnesium) and anion (chloride and sulfate) along the river for summer and autumn seasons 2018 (42 sample) with the standard method was measured.

The amount of phosphate and turbidity increased from station 2 to downstream due to the existence of fish ponds and agricultural drainage. BOD, COD and fecal coliform values at station 6 have increased significantly with due to urban effluent output. River pollution in the summer has increased due to reduction of river flow and after station 3 (promenade) to the downstream, which is due to the entry of agricultural fertilizers and urban wastewater discharge. According to the average of IRWQISC and NSFWQI, the water quality of Chehel-chai River in the sampling station in the area of Minoodasht city (station 6) is in bad class. The CWQI index showed that the water of the Chehel-chai River is suitable for drinking and aquaculture at the border of the class, for agriculture in the bad class, and in terms of recreation and livestock use in the higher class.

The mean values of the above indices indicate high pollution quality class, and since this river is used for water supply for agricultural and aquaculture, management strategies are necessary.

Toxocariasis is one of the most commonly reported zoonotic helminth infections in the world which is caused by the parasitic roundworms of dogs or cats. This survey aimed to provide data on the contamination of the soil of public parks by Toxocara spp. eggs in Hamedan city, capital of Hamedan Province in the west of Iran.

During April and May 2019, a total of 120 soil samples were collected from 20 public parks (4 to 10 soil samples from each park) from all geographical areas of the city. For detection of eggs, soil samples were dried overnight at room temperature and passed through a 150 μm mesh sieve. After performing Sheather’s flotation technique using 2 g of powdery soil, light microscopic examinations were carried out.

Microscopic evaluation of specimens revealed that 14 samples out of 120 (11.67%) collected from 10 public parks out of 20 in Hamedan (50.0%) were contaminated with Toxocara spp. eggs. Various developmental stages of Toxocara spp. eggs including (1) non-developed, (2) 2-cell to tadpole stage, and (3) larvated eggs were observed. Furthermore, in two public parks, Trichuris spp. eggs were found in the soils.

This study provides the first information about the contamination of public areas in Hamedan 0rovince and suggests that public awareness about this fact is needed. Education of citizens especially parents with children, who have commonly mouthing behavior, is recommended. Further molecular-based studies for the identification of parasite species in the province are suggested. All of the published literature about contamination of the soils of public areas in Iran with Toxocara eggs until July 2020 were also reviewed.

Surface water is usually highly variable in chemical composition due to contact with different geological formationsand other surface and groundwater resources.  Knowledge on water quality and the impact of human activities are particularly important for sustainable management and planning of water resources. The aim of this study was to investigate the physicochemical and hydrochemical quality of Chehelchai river water in Golestan province.

In this study, 6 sampling stations were selected based on standard criteria including land use type, accessibility and standard distributions along the river in 2018. 10 river water quality parameters including pH, electrical conductivity, total soluble solids, sulfate, chloride, bicarbonate, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium - were measured according to standard methods for one year period. Piper, Schuler, Durov, Wilcox and Gibbs diagrams were applied for hydrochemical analysis using RockWorks.17 software.  Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA.

 Results indicated the abundance of major ions was found in the order of HCO3- > SO42- > Cl- and Ca2+ > Na+ > Mg2+ > K+. The river water type was predominantly determined as calcic bicarbonate. The findings revealed that the water of the study area is acceptable for drinking purpose based on Schuler diagram and also appropriate for agricultural uses considering Wilcox diagram (80% of the samples in class S1-C3 (saline - usable for agriculture)) and the average sodium uptake ratio (0.79).

The presence of dolomite ores, the absence of factories and domestic sewage and adhering to hygiene regulations by the residents, are the main reasons which have increased the quality of Chehelchai river water.

There are different methods for genomic DNA extraction. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) exhibit many important features making them suitable for DNA extraction.

The aim of this study was to compare the effect of monolayer and bilayer MNPs on genomic DNA extraction.

The genomic DNA was extracted from the Staphylococcus aureus strain ATCC 25923 and clinical isolates using monolayer MNPs SiO2 and Fe3 O4 and bilayer MNPs SiO2 /Fe3 O4 . Then, the quality and quantity of the obtained genomic DNA were compared with both NPs.

The obtained results showed the concentration and purity of the extracted genomic DNA using bilayer magnetic NPs was significantly higher in comparison to the extracted genomic DNA by monolayer MNPs.

In general, surface-coated MNPs are much more efficient than naked MNPs for genomic DNA extraction.

Toxocariasis is one of the most neglected zoonotic diseases, predominantly caused by Toxocara canis. We aimed to evaluate the expression of microRNAs 21 and 103a in seropositive individuals for human toxocariasis as diagnostic biomarkers.

This study was conducted on 324 individuals for ELISA test on toxocariasis in Tehran and Karaj, Iran 2019. Then positive samples for anti-Toxocara IgG were obtained to quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assays to investigate the transcriptional profiles of miRNAs predicted to be involved in developmental and reproductive processes. qPCR was employed to assess levels of transcription for miRNAs of 103a and 21 in plasma samples

After the experiments, the results were evaluated by REST software, Livak formula and quantitative t-test. The analyzes performed on human samples showed that in the case group compared to the control group, only in Tc-miR-21 gene, a 0.3-fold increase in expression was obtained with REST software (Fold change ≤ 1.5, P>0.05), which was statistically significant by t-test (P<0.05).

To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate miR-21 and miR-103a in toxocariasis, which shed light on the fundamental role of it as a biomarker and diagnostic tool. However, due to the changes in expression of these miRNAs were not vast to be used as biomarkers in diagnosis. Despite of that the changes in the expression of these miRNAs were not vast but they could serve as novel promising biomarkers for diagnosis of toxocariasis.