nahid masoudi

The standard treatment for differentiated thyroid carcinoma is post-surgical radioiodine ablation; however, salivary gland damage is prevalent. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Zataria multiflora Boiss. (ZM) aerial part essential oil in protecting salivary glands from post-radioiodine therapy damage in differentiated thyroid cancer patients.

In this randomized clinical trial, 24 patients with differentiated thyroid cancer were randomly allocated to two groups: 11 patients in the ZM essential oil group and 13 in the placebo group. Patients in the intervention and placebo groups received 20 oral drops three times a day of ZM essential oil or placebo respectively, starting from one week before radioiodine therapy to 4 weeks afterward. Salivary gland function was assessed using scintigraphic parameters before and six months following radioiodine therapy.

Follow-up scintigraphy demonstrated significant decrease in parotid UI in the placebo group (P=0.032) while significant increase in UI (P=0.025) and EF (P=0.042) of the parotid was observed in the ZM group. Comparing changes in functional indices of salivary glands between the two groups after six months revealed significantly better function in parotid UI (P=0.005) and parotid EF (P=0.006) in the ZM group. Substantial damage to parotid UI was significantly less in the ZM group (P=0.044).

Results of this study demonstrated that administration of ZM essential oil to patients with differentiated thyroid cancer may protect the salivary glands from radioiodine injury.

Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus (ACLSV) is one of the most important viruses infecting fruit trees. Preparation antibodies, ELISA kit and, biosensors are one of the applicable strategies to rapid and efficient screen a number of viral samples. To aim, the recent study was conducted to raise recombinant polyclonal antibodies to rapid detection of Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus by expressing coat protein gene in the prokaryotic system. First, the pTG19-ACLSV-CP was transformed to E. coli DH5α, the replicated plasmids were extracted and double digested was optimized by restriction enzymes, then the released fragment (Coat protein gene) was cloned into pET28 as an expression vector. Next, the expression construct (pET28a-ACLSV-CP) was transformed into E. coli strain BL21 (DE3) to express the coat protein gene. After optimization of expression the transformed cells, a protein band an approximate size of 27 kDa (22 kDa for coat protein and about 5 kDa for histidine tags) was observed at four hours after induction. The recombinant protein was purified by native methods using Ni-NTA Agarose column, then purified proteins were injected into New Zealand female rabbits in four steps as antigen. IgGs were purified from serums raised from immunized rabbits using an IgG purification kit. The efficiency of purified IgGs was approved that a 1: 1000 concentration of recombinant anti-ACLSV-CP antibodies are efficient to detect the desired antigens. The results showed the raised antibodies have enough specificity to detect Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus in gardens and seedlings.

Gated SPECT myocardial perfusion scanning has new capabilities in addition to its main applications such as left ventricular dyssynchrony using phase analysis. Phase analysis has been investigated through various software including Emory Cardiac Toolbox (ECTb) and Quantitative Gated SPECT (QGS). The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of reconstruction parameters on dyssynchrony indices including phase histogram bandwidth (PHB) and phase standard deviation (PSD) derived from two different software packages. In this study three groups of patients including 47 patients with normal findings 53 patients with Left bundle branch block (LBBB) and 47 patients with heart failure (HF) (including gated studies with 8 or 16 frames). All studies were analyzed by both ECTb and QGS software and reconstructed by both FBP and OSEM reconstruction methods. Then, the PHB and PSD were compared between these methods in separate patient groups. Comparison of two reconstruction methods in ECTb and QGS software showed no statistical difference for mean PHB and PSD parameters except for PHB in HF patients that analyzed with ECTb and obtained by 8 frame. On the other hand, the comparison of two software (QGS and ECTb) showed significant difference for both PHB and PSD, although, the correlation of two software was acceptable and significant. The present study showed that the method of cardiac scan reconstruction had no significant effect on the ranges of dyssynchrony parameters obtained from phase analysis. However, the type of software used for phase analysis, significantly affect the PHB and PSD.

Endometriosis is a gynecological disease and disorder that occurs when endometrial cells are shed through the fallopian tubes and are implanted on the surfaces of pelvis and abdomen. They form lesions that respond to hormones of the menstural cycle and will stimulate inflammation. It is controversial whether [99mTc]Tc-RBC scan would be sufficient for localizing bleeding sites. This study evaluated the value of [99mTc]Tc-RBC in diagnosing endometriosis. Twenty patients were included in the study for endometriosis localization. Between the 2nd and the 5th days of menstruation, when the lesions were highly activated, [99mTc]Tc-RBC scan was performed and compared with TVUS, pelvic MRI and laparoscopic surgery findings. Scans of the patients were reported by two nuclear medicine specialists who were blind to patients’ history. The patients’ age range was 21-48 years (mean age: 35±8.79). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value for the right pelvic bleeding sites were 73.3%, 80.0%, 91.7% and 50%, respectively while the corresponding indices on the opposite pelvic site were find to be 87.5%, 75.0%, 93.0% and 60%, respectively. Radiolabeled red blood cell scintigraphy has the potential to be used as an alternative procedure for diagnosing endometriosis.

In spite of existing of several methods for detection of viruses, time consuming is major limitation of them. So, developing faster and real time method is important to certificate the plant materials in quarantine stations and virus management. In the recent research, nanotechnology was employed to detect Potato virus S (PVS) using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Colloidal AuNPs were prepared through citrate reduction and conjugated to a specific antibody against PVS coat protein. Conjugation was optimized by changing the pH of AuNPs and antibody concentration. Antibody coated nanoparticles were used to detect different concentrations of antigen using spectrophotometry. After binding the antibody to the gold nanoparticles which cause an increase in particle size, the SPR peak was displaced in range of 4-5 nm and shifted from 524 to 530 nm. The binding of the antigen to the nanoparticle also caused a change in the particle size and an increase maximum absorbance from 530 to 539 nm. No spectral change were seen when PVY and CMV used as controls. This study is the first attempt of nanoparticle usage in quick and easy detection of PVS

Gene expression in bacteria have already been used to study the protein of viruses and to produce specific antibodies. In this research, potato samples were collected from eight provinces of Iran and were tested for Potato virus S, as one of the most destructive viruses of potato fields, by DAS-ELISA and RT-PCR. Dominant isolate of PVS was selected according to coat protein (CP) gene sequences following phylogenetic analysis. Full length CP gene was amplified, cloned and sequenced, then was digested from pJET1.2/blunt vector, ligated into the expression vector pET-28a and the construct (pET-28a:PVS:CP) was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21 strain. Gene expression was optimized by induction with 0.5, 1 and 2 mM final concentrations of IPTG for 3, 4 and 6 h and was verified by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Based on the nucleotide analysis, the Iranian isolates of PVS were divided into three groups that one group with 22 members known as the dominant group. The expression of recombinant CP of about 34 kDa was proved by western blotting. Induction by 1 mM IPTG for 4 h proved to be the most efficient method of expression. This is the first report of the expression of PVS CP gene, which is important for the preparation of anti-PVS antibody.

Potato virus S (PVS) of the genus Carlavirus belongs to the Betaflexiviridae family is one of the important potato infectious viruses. To detect PVS, the suspected leaf samples were collected from potato fields in Ardabil province during summer in 2015 and 2016. To assess the biological properties, symptomatic leaves inoculated to indicator plants in the greenhouse condition. The samples were tested for PVS infection using DAS-ELISA. RT-PCR for molecular detection was done using specific primers related to the coat protein area of Potato virus S. The coat protein gene nucleotide sequences of two isolates of Potato virus S called Ag-9 and Os-11 obtained from Agria and Oceana cultivars were determined. The CP sequences of two isolates were compared with each other and with 29 other isolates of the virus. The reconstructed phylogenetic tree clustered the isolates in two main groups I (subgroups IA and IB) and II. Two Ag-9-PVS-F and Os-11-PVS-F isolates were clustered in IB subgroup along with isolates from Azarbaijan, Hamedan, Kerman and Esfahan as well as isolates from Hungary, Ukraine, Scotland and India. The putative coat protein amino acid sequence alignment of this two isolates with 6 Iranian and 5 foreigner isolates showed difference in 8 and 25 amino acids for Ag-9-PVS-F and Os-11-PVS-F isolates respectively. The results indicate that there are various PVS isolates in the country, and the difference in nucleotide and amino acid sequences may indicate differences in the geographic origin and hence the type and timing of entry of virus isolates into the region.

Gastric cancer is the fourth most common cause of malignancy death in the world, which also has a high prevalence in Iran. Caspase 3 gene is considered one of the major genes related to gastric cancer. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between rs12108497 polymorphism of Caspase 3 gene. Due to the fundamental role of caspases, we have considered an SNP of Caspase 3 (common to two-way joint execution caspases), which has been proven to be related to various cancers. In this case-control study, 95 patients and 90 healthy subjects were enrolled. The patient status was approved, by endoscopy and pathology, to be gastroduodenal adenocarcinoma. Overall, 5 ml of the peripheral blood was collected from all participants, after obtaining an informed consent. Genomic DNA was extracted using the salting-out method and genotypic polymorphism was investigated using the PCR-RFLP method. The frequency of rs12108497 polymorphism was significantly different between patients with gastric adenocarcinoma and healthy subjects (p = 0.0259). Also, the difference in the distribution of T/T genotype was significant (P = 0.0111) and according to the OR score ((95.1% CI = 1.3539-10.5412) and OR = 3.7778), it is suggested that the T/T genotype increases the risk of disease. Our results confirm the association between the rs12108497 polymorphism of Caspase3 gene and the increased risk of gastric adenocarcinoma in individuals referring to Toba Sari Clinic.

Potyviruses are accounted for 40% of viral diseases of various crops including vegetables and legumes. Potyviruses can be transmitted through plant sap, seeds and many aphid species. Due to ease of spread of these viruses detection of such viruses are crucial as to the control of the incited diseases.. This study compared the efficiencies of two couples of primers in their detection of potyviruses infecting vegetables in North-West of Iran.. To identify potyviruses infecting vegetables, total RNA preparations from leaves of diseased plants were subjected to reverse transcription (RT) with oligo d(T)15, M4T or a potyvirus-specific primer, followed by polymerase chain reactions (PCR) with two pairs of degenerate primers including Sprimer/M4 or NIb2F/NIb3R that would yield ~ 1700 or 350 bp fragments, respectively. Amplification was achieved from 7 samples when Sprimer and M4 were used, but non- specific fragments were also amplified. However, specific amplifications from 31 samples were achieved with NIb2F2 and NIb3R. PCR products resulting from the use of NIb2F/NIb3R were subjected for cloning and sequencing.. BLAST analysis of the sequenced data revealed that the PCR-amplified fragments belonged to Bean common mosaic virus (green bean), Bean yellow mosaic virus (broad bean), Potato virus Y (potato), Watermelon mosaic virus (squash, muskmelon or melon), Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (squash), and Soybean mosaic virus (bean).. This study demonstrated the efficiency of NIb2F2/NIb3R in detection of potyviruses and revealed the extent of infections with diverse potyviruses species in the northwest part of Iran..