جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه « الایزا » در نشریات گروه « پزشکی »

Programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) is a membrane receptor expressed on the surface of T and B lymphocytes, monocytes, natural killers, and dendritic cells. In cancer, the PD-1/PD-L1 system prevents the proliferation of T lymphocytes and causes the release of cytokines and cytotoxicity, which leads to the apoptosis of tumor-specific T cells, thereby preventing the immune response to cancer cells. 

In this study, the extracellular part of the humanized PD-1 protein was cloned and expressed, and the protein was injected as an antigen into a camel (Camelus dromedarius) to obtain a camel polyclonal antibody against PD-1 protein. 

The obtained results indicate the proper expression of the protein in the prokaryotic system. Also, using various tests, such as ELISA and western blot, it was confirmed that the polyclonal antibody obtained from camel can identify PD-1 protein. 

This study showed that because of the advantages, such as the ability to bind multiple epitopes, camel polyclonal antibodies can be used in antibody-based research for effective and strong molecular applications to detect PD-1 receptors.

Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites of fungi, which can have very dangerous consequences for human health in addition to spoiling food and changing organoleptic properties. Aflatoxin entering the body and targeting the liver as the main organ involved can cause liver and blood cancer. Hence, the aim of the present study is to measure aflatoxin B1 in corn flour and wheat flour supplied in Shahrekord using ELISA method in 2022.

In this study, 40 samples of flour, including 20 samples of corn flour and 20 samples of wheat flour, were randomly sampled from the supply centers and sent to the food hygiene laboratory to track and determine the amount of aflatoxin B1.

The results showed that all samples of wheat flour and corn flour contained aflatoxin 1B. The average of aflatoxin B1 in wheat flour and corn flour was calculated as 2.58 ± 0.95 and 3.47 ± 2.07 (µg/kg) of the sample, respectively; Among the 20 examined samples of corn flour, the concentration of aflatoxin B1 ranged from 3.4 (µg/kg) to 1.9 (µg/kg) and in 20 samples of wheat flour (µg/kg) from 7.90 to (µg/kg) was 1.4; Therefore, the concentration of none of the samples was higher than the Iranian standard.

The occurrence of aflatoxin B1 in all the samples examined in the current study is lower than the risk range determined by the Iranian standard, so in this case, its aasociated high risk does not threaten the health of consumers.

Angiogenesis is seen in active pulmonary tuberculosis. One of the factors involved in angiogenesis is vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Therefore, the aim of this case-control study is to investigate and compare the level of VEGF as a possible factor involved in angiogenesis in active pulmonary tuberculosis

The present case-control study enrolled 90 patients hospitalized in Boo-ali Hospital in Zahedan (45 patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis and 45 non-tuberculosis patients). In this study, census sampling method was used and VEGF level was measured by ELISA method. Data was analyzed in SPSS22 at a significance level of 0.05.

The mean age was 43.29±18.6 years in the case group and 37.93±16.2 years in the control group, and the majority of patients in both groups were women. The serum level of vascular endothelial growth factor was increased in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (334.36±90.6) compared to the control group (192.96±48.8). There was a significant difference in the serum level of vascular endothelial growth factor in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis compared to the control group (P<0.05). There was no significant relationship between smoking or gender and VEGF serum level.

Considering that the serum level of vascular endothelial growth factor in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis increased significantly compared to the control group, this increase can indicate active pulmonary tuberculosis.

Helicobacter pylori is a microaerophilic Gram-negative bacterium that is usually found in the stomach. The presence of this bacteria in the stomach can lead to gastritis and decrease gastric acid production. Also, studies have reported the relationship between this infection and gastric cancer. Early diagnosis of infection with this bacterium is crucial in its treatment. This study was conducted with the aim of investigating the level of anti-H. pylori antibodies in infected and non-infected patients.

A total of 85 patients with symptoms including 46 Hp+ and 39 Hp- samples were included in the study. Finally, the serum level of IgG and IgA antibodies was measured using an ELISA kit (Roche - Germany).

The average age of the studied subjects was 43.83 ± 13.41 and 41.28 ± 12.65 in the Hp+ and Hp- groups, respectively. The Hp+ group included 17 females and 29 males; the Hp- group included 22 females and 17 males. No significant relationship between age and gender was observed in the two groups. Data analysis found that IgG and IgA levels were significantly increased in people with H. pylori infection compared to Hp- people (p<0.001). Also, the results showed no significant relationship between the level of antibodies and the gender of thepeople.

According to the results obtained from this research, H. pylori infection can occur at any age and gender. Considering the high prevalence of this disease and the economic and time costs, it seems necessary to conduct more studies on itand its causes.

Neisseria meningitidis is a leading cause of death in children in developed countries. Meningococcus has 13 sero-groups based on the capsule antigens. Rapid diagnosis of the bacteria results in timely selection of the right anti-microbial treatment. The present study, conducted in 2019, aimed to produce a highly pure antiserum for diagnostic assays for the detection of meningococcus sero-groups.

The type of research study was research and development. Inactivated bacterial suspension was intravenously injected into white New Zealand Rabbits. Serum was collected after the last injection. Purification process was performed using precipitation, chromatography, and tangential flow filtration. The produced antiserum was used in Agglutination and ELISA assays. The purified antiserum had a purity of more than 98% at a suitable quantity. Agglutination test with the primary antigen showed 4+ result. To develop the ELISA assay, the optimized concentration of primary and biotinylated antibodies was 1 and 80 micrograms, respectively. The results of positive predictive value were 100% and negative predictive value was 96%, for the designed assay.

The purified antiserum had a purity of more than 98% at a suitable quantity. Agglutination test with the primary antigen showed 4+ result. To developed the ELISA assay, the optimized concentration of primary and biotinylated antibodies was 1 and 80 micrograms, respectively. The results of positive predictive value were 100% and Negative predictive value was 96%, for the designed assay.

Serum-based assays are recommended for the timely diagnosis of the disease since these assays are specific, sensitive, inexpensive, and rapid. The antiserum produced in the present research is highly pure. Therefore, we recommend the antiserum for the development of agglutination and ELISA assays for the detection of N. meningitides.

Hydatidosis is an important parasitic disease, caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus. It is a major health problem in different parts of the world including Iran. The disease can lead to serious complications in several organs, especially in liver and lungs. It seems that the military forces have a high risk of infection due to their presence in different missions in various climatic, geographical, and security conditions. This study aimed at determining the sero-prevalence of hydatidosis in the personnel of a military unit.

During a cross-sectional study conducted in 2020, antigen B (AgB) was prepared from sheep hydatid cyst fluid (HCF) by Oriol method. Two hundred and five sera samples were prepared and evaluated by AgB-ELISA.

Out of 205 examined samples, 30 cases (14.6%) showed a positive response by AgB-ELISA. The most positive cases were observed in personnel aged 30-39 years (63.3%), working in the operational category (76.7%), with 11-20 years of service (43.3%), with university education (96.7%) and living in urban areas (80%). Furthermore, individuals consuming spring/boiled/mineral water (53.3%), who used salt and vinegar (50%) to wash vegetables, had the highest percentage of seropositivity. According to the statistical analysis, there was no significant relationship between the variables and the positivity of AgB-ELISA (P>0.05).

High sero-prevalence of antibodies (IgG) against AgB of hydatid cyct in military forces demonstrated the importance of high-quality health educational programs in such communities. Screening and following up of the persons with positive sera are also recommended.

  Helicobacter pylori is a spiral gram-negative bacterium that causes infection in the human stomach and has the ability to survive and grow in acidic stomach conditions. ELISA technique for diagnosis and qualitative determination of IgG and IgM antibodies to pylori in human serum has been considered as an aid in the diagnosis of H pylori infection in individuals with gastrointestinal symptoms. The aim of this study was to evaluate IgG and IgM antibody titers in pregnant women living in Salmas.

The present study was performed on 380 pregnant women referred to the laboratory with clinical signs of severe nausea and vomiting. After sampling and ELISA test, IgG and IgM antibodies against pylori were examined. Completing the pre-test questionnaire, statistical data were analyzed by Chi-Squared-Pearson test and SPSS software version 24.

In this study, 140 were positive for serological tests, which showed a significant relationship with age, previous history of infection and family history. The highest incidence was observed in the age group of 31-35 years among 28 patients (20.44%) with the highest IgM titer in the age group of 26-30 years (21.43%).

It is recommended to perform anti pylori tests before pregnancy. A history of infection and underlying family diseases play a significant role in recurrence of pylori infection.

Helicobacter pylori is one of the most common infectious bacteria in the world and the most common cause of type B gastritis. The aim of this study is to determine the amount of anti-H. pylori antibodies in healthy and asymptomatic people.

A number of 264 people in two age groups, 15-20 and 45-50 years, were selected after completing the questionnaire. A serum sample was prepared from each person and the amount of IgG and IgA antibodies was checked by ELISA method.

The frequency of antibodies in the entire population and in two age groups and by gender (girls, boys, women and men) in the case of IgG is 57.2, 52.9, 32.3, 69.7 and 7.7 respectively and in the case of IgA it was 10.6%, 7.1%, 4.8%, 5.2% and 15.2% respectively. In terms of the amount of positive IgG and IgA, a significant difference was observed between the two age groups (p<0.05), so that the amount of the two antibodies was higher in the age group of 45-50 years. In terms of gender, no significant difference was observed in the entire population. Also, the amount of positive cases had a direct relationship with the number of family members and an inverse relationship with the income level.

Therefore, age and sex (in young people), number of family members, and income had an effect on the frequency of antibodies. It is suggested to improve the economic, health, medical and cultural status of the society in order to reduce the frequency of infection with H. pylori.

Serological studies are based on the detection of antibodies. However, the produced antibodies decrease over time; therefore, such methods cannot provide a valid estimate of prevalence and incidence. The present study aimed to determine the serum prevalence and cumulative incidence in the Ravansar cohort population (Youth and RaNCD Cohort) in October 2020.

A random sample of 716 people aged > 18 years old were selected from the participants in the Ravansar cohort study in October 2020. Euroimmun anti-SARS COV-2 IgG ELISA kits (Lübeck, Germany) were used to measure antibody levels. Seroprevalence was estimated with considering of cut-off = 1, and cumulative incidence (modified and modified based on test specificity) was determined using modeling.

In the present study, the serum prevalence of COVID-19 viral infection in the Ravansar cohort population from 22 October 2020 to 18 November 2020 was estimated to be %35.16 (95%CI: %31.64, %38.79). Modified Cumulative incidence and modified based on test characteristics from 20 February to 18 November 2020 were estimated to be %68.85 and %67.71, respectively. 

Although very high cumulative incidence may be a sign of approaching herd immunity, adherence to health protocols is still recommended due to the potential role of asymptomatic cases in transmitting the disease to other members of the community; and the presence of new variants of the virus and reduced antibody levels should be considered.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In this study, an indirect ELISA method was designed to measure the human IgM and IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.

Protein sequence of nucleocapsid antigen from SARS-CoV-2 was expressed in E. coli BL21 and then was purified by chromatography. The purified protein was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. An indirect ELISA method was designed to measure the specific IgG and IgM antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 using recombinant N protein. The optimized ELISA method was then applied to measure the IgG and IgM antibodies in 61 infected or recovered COVID-19 patients and in 31 healthy controls. Finally, data obtained from the designed ELISA method were compared with those of a commercially approved ELISA kit.

The recombinant nucleocapsid protein was successfully expressed and purified which was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. The amount of optical densities obtained from the designed ELISA method was similar to those of the commercial kit in 61 patients and 31 controls. The sensitivity and specificity of the designed ELISA method for IgG were 100% compared with the commercial ELISA kit, while the sensitivity and specificity for IgM were 96.72 and 96.77, respectively.

Serological tests alone are not suitable for diagnosis; however, their combination with molecular tests increases the accuracy and sensitivity of the COVID-19 diagnosis. These tests are also vauable for epidemiological studies.

The objective of this study was to determine the seroepidemiological history of SARS-CoV-2 infection among asymptomatic children in Tehran.

Blood samples of children younger than 14 years old were collected during the period autumn-winter 2020 and spring 2021 and tested for SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody using the EUROIMMUN ELISA kit. In addition, questionnaires were used to collect demographic and infection status information in the participants. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software.

Out of the 1142 children collected from the children with no COVID-19 symptoms, 33.3% (381/1142) were found to have had a history of SARS-CoV-2. The positive samples in girls and boys were 34.1% and 33.03%, respectively. Analysis of the data showed no statistically significant differences between the infection rate on the one hand and age, family size, underlying diseases, gender or occupations of the family members on the other hand. In addition, the infection rate was significantly lower in autumn 2020 than in winter 2020 and spring 2021.

SARS-CoV-2 infection can occur in children with no clinical symptoms. In addition, the infection rate is in direct correlation with an increase in age of the children.

Dear Editor The current epidemic of the novel Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) risen from Wuhan, China, turned to a worldwide concern because of its incubation period (2-14 days) and its high transmission rate. The first cases of the infection were reported in December 2019 in Wuhan with symptoms like pneumonia with an unknown reason. Very soon it was known as a novel kind of Coronavirus on 31 December 2019. severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the main viral agent of this disease, is belonging to betacoronavirus genera, Coronaviridae family, an enveloped positive sense RNA virus. Like SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 attacks the organism by binding to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Recently, some reports of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been shown that the virus is found not only in the respiratory tract but also in the gastrointestinal tract. In recent year, SARS-CoV-2 is still infecting populations that lack immunity to the virus, causing significant disease and mortality (1, 2). Immunity to SARS-CoV-2, either through natural infection or through vaccination, to some extent protects and reduces the risk of significant clinical consequences. For example, it has been estimated that improved seropositive individuals can have up to 89% protection against re-infection (3) and that vaccine efficacy has been reported to be 50 to 95% (4). However, the duration of the created immunity period is not known and over time, this immunity weakens (5, 6), in addition, there is concern about the escape of new variants from the immune system (7). An important question here is to identify the immune link with protection against SARS-CoV-2 and thus predict how these changes will affect the clinical outcome of the disease. Neutralizing antibody titer is an important predictor of the effectiveness of vaccines in development. Studies show that the level of neutralizing antibodies decreases over time and a booster may be needed within a year. However, protection against the severe form of the disease may be significantly longer. It can be said that the development of a strong or weak humoral response depends on the interaction of the virus and the host and the inflammation that occurs. If the challenge is low, the antibody produced has poor performance, but if the challenge is high, the antibody produced is more functional and responds more aggressively to re-exposure to the pathogen. In addition, cellular immune responses can play a prominent role in this regard (8). Therefore, if existing vaccines, such as natural infections, are able to stimulate the cellular immune response in addition to producing neutralizing antibodies, the immunity persistence of the vaccine will also increase. Another question that arises is whether determining the antibody titer after a natural infection or vaccination can be a correct marker of the state of protection against infection? Antibodies act as markers of infection and, if persisted, can lead to long-term immunity. In most clinically approved vaccines we measure the binding antibody titer, while this is a neutralizing antibody titer that indicates how immunogenic is a vaccine. An antibody, in addition to binding to the desired antigen, must also be able to neutralize that antigen, either by blocking the infection by preventing the pathogen from binding to the receptor or by stimulate immune cells for clearance and disease control, which should also be considered in vaccine studies. In addition to antibody titer and function, knowing how antibody function is related to cellular immunity and the nature of T and B cell immunity is essential to realizing long-term protection against re-infection (9). It is not yet known how some people get re-infected despite having antibody titers. Can the presence of specific antibodies against other viral antigens compensate for the low titer of functional RBD specific antibodies? The answer is no. Experiments show that when the Ab-mediated complement deposition (ADCD) and Ab-dependent neutrophil phagocytosis (ADNP) tests were performed, virus neutralization was seen only in individuals with high IgG antibody titers against the RBD region. Therefore, it was concluded that only antibodies against RBD are neutralizing (10). However, it cannot be said that a high titer of anti-RBD antibody means high immunity because not all antibodies against RBD are neutralizing. Does it mean that there is no protection against re-infection if the antibodies lack good binding or function? We cannot say for sure because the role of the T cell, which acts as a strong immune responder to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), cannot be ignored. Suppose we measure the antibody titer in a number of volunteers at time T0 (test start time). Are only symptomatic people positive for neutralizing antibodies? According to an experiment conducted by YC Bartsch et al. (9) asymptomatic individuals also had specific antibodies against RBD with a specificity of over 99.5% by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). This means that this antibody was present in both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, but its titer was higher in symptomatic individuals. After tracking subjects for antibody titers after a certain period of time, a small number of participants completely lost their antibody response, and in the remaining individuals, almost half of the subjects had decreased antibody titers and the other half had a dramatically increased antibody titers. This observation can be justified in two ways, first, that these people differed in the length of time they spent with the infection, and second, that people with elevated antibody titers may be re-exposed to the infection. Knowing this, it can be concluded that measuring the antibody titer after infection or vaccination will not give us accurate information about the level of protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Routine clinical laboratory methods such as ELISA will never be able to make sure that the antibodies produced in your body are neutralizing or not, because this requires specialized neutralizing tests. In addition, knowing the initial antibody titer, it is not easy to estimate that the rate of antibody reduction will be faster or slower. Therefore, models that predict immune responses to infection need to determine the link between the protection provided by expanding vaccines. Because in different studies, a single method has not been used to measure the neutralizing antibody titer, there is a need for data normalization methods to better compare the results. In addition, we suggest that in addition to measuring the neutralizing antibody titer, the responses of memory T and B cells, which are associated with high protection against SARS-CoV-2, be measured so that we can have a better prognosis for neutralization.

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders. Examination of infectious agents indicates the role of some parasites, including toxocara, in causing epileptic seizures. Because toxocariasis is a preventable zoonotic worm infection, its detection and treatment can prevent the secondary consequences of epilepsy, including seizures. This study was performed for the first time in Khorasan Razavi province to determine anti- toxocara antibodies in epilepsy patients.

The study was performed on 60 patients with epilepsy who were examined and confirmed by a neurologist and after obtaining informed consent and completing the demographic questionnaire, the patient's blood samples were collected and serums were tested for anti- toxocara antibodies by ELISA method.

The results of ELISA were positive in 1 patient (1.67%).Conclosion: The prevalence of antitoxocariasis in patients with epilepsy in Mashhad is very low. It is unlikely that the clinical signs of the disease and the damage to the nervous system of these patients can be related to Toxocara in this area. In addition, no significant relationship was observed between the prevalence of toxocariasis and epilepsy in Khorasan Razavi province.

 Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen, and alginate is its most important factor in pathogenicity. The objective of the study is the immunogenicity evaluation of P. Pseudomonas aeruginosa alginate conjugated to exotoxin A as a vaccine candidate in mice.

 The mucoid strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa 6494 was used to prepare alginate, and the separation of exotoxin A was done with the standard strain of PAO1. Alginate was extracted by means of sedimentation with cold ethanol, dialysis, enzymatic digestion and chromatography. To improve immunogenicity, purified antigen was coupled to exotoxin A with ADH as a spacer and EDAC as a linker. Based on confirmation tests, the resulting conjugate was devoid of specific toxicity and pyrogenic effect. Four groups of BALB/c female mice (each group was included 15 mice) were selected in the next step. The first group with the ALG, the second group with the D-ALG-ETA, and the third one with the ETA were vaccinated. The fourth group (control group) was vaccinated with normal saline. Vaccination was performed in three injectable doses with two-week intervals. Subsequently, serum samples were collected, and antibody responses were measured by the ELISA method for total IgG, IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b, IgG3.

 After the second and third doses with ALG-ETA showed a significant increase in antibody titer against ALG-ETA in comparison with pure ALG. The titers of IgG2a, IgG2b, IgG, IgG1, IgG3 antibodies that produced against alginate increased in the third injection compared to the first conjugate injection, which was 2.9, 3, 5.2, 10, and 9.2, respectively.

 These results show that ALG from Pseudomonas aeruginosa increases anti-alginate antibodies in conjugate form with exotoxin A and can be considered an appropriate, effective adjuvant.

Toxocariasis is a zoonotic infection that can affect the human eye, some viscera, and even the nervous system. The infection is worldwide and is more prevalent in areas with poor hygiene such as rural areas. This investigation aimed at studying the seroprevalence of toxocariasis in Qaemshahr, north of Iran, for the first time, and recognizing its risk factors in rural areas.

In this cross-sectional study, 370 people were selected from different rural areas and after completing a questionnaire, blood samples were collected. After isolation of serums, anti-Toxocara antibody was examined by ELISA kit (Novatec, Germany). Data were analyzed in SPSS V24 using logistic regression.

Anti-Toxocara antibodies were detected in 159 (42.97%) patients. No significant association was observed between positive anti-Toxocara and variables studied (P>0.05). Among five selected areas, the rates of positive anti-Toxocara were significantly higher in two rural areas (P<0.05).

To the best of our knowledge, this study reported the highest seroprevalence of Toxocara in Iran. Physicians in this area are suggested to pay more attention to this infection. Due to the high seroprevalence of Toxocara in this region, further studies are required in other regions in Mazandaran province with a similar climate.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a serious problem during pregnancy as it threatens the mothers’ health and also leads to fetal abnormalities and/or deaths. There is paucity of information about the incidence of CMV in pregnant mothers in Sari, Iran. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the frequency of CMV during pregnancy and the relationship between that and related epidemic parameters in Sari.

A descriptive-observational study was conducted in pregnant women participating in Sari Birth Cohort (SBC) Center during 2018-2020. A total of 1092 samples were investigated for serological markers of CMV using ELISA. Data analysis was performed applying Chi-square and logistic regression.

Prevalence of positive CMV-IgG and IgM in samples studied were 91.8% and 0.2%, respectively. Educational level (P= 0.03) and pregnancy stage (P= 0.02) were found to be significantly different between mothers with positive IgG and negative IgG.

In current study, pregnant women in third trimester whose educational level was bachelor’s degree or less had CMV infection. Despite prenatal screening, cytomegalovirus can be reactivated during pregnancy, therefore, follow-up of the fetus for fetopathy is recommended.

Staphylococcus aureus is a micrococcal, gram positive and positive catalase family with oxidative metabolism and fermentation metabolism. Staphylococci are a large group of skin inhabitants, mammals are mammals. In some of these bacteria, the peptidoglycan layer has completely disappeared, and some still have small portions of it. The purpose of this study was to investigate antibiotic resistance, biofilm and forms of L. Coagulase positive and negative staphylococci isolated from clinical specimens by E-test and ELISA.

A total of 437 clinical specimens were collected from the Tehran Mehr Hospital and other treatment centers during 6 months and transferred to the laboratory. The specimens were first transferred to the Blood agar environment and then from colonies on specific environments for final diagnosis. The growth of bacteria in the four media was also evaluated by BHI Agar, BHI broth, LMP Agar and LPM broth. Biofilm measurements were performed by light absorption and using a well plate. In the E.test test, antimicrobial resistance such as Kirby-Boer test was used from the Muller Hinton Agar medium.

The highest resistance and antibiotic susceptibility were penicillin and gentamicin, amikacin, respectively. The results of the E-TEST test based on the halo diameter showed the highest resistance to erythromycin with 1 mm and the highest sensitivity to ciprofloxacin with 2 mm.
Discussion and

The results of MIC determination on Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated by penicillin microdilution showed more resistance to ciprofloxacin. Consequently, L-forms, bacterial protoplasts and Spheroplasts are resistant to peptidoglycan synthesis, such as penicillins, cephalosporins and glycopeptide antibiotics (vancomycin and tiopelanin), due to the lack of peptidoglycans.

Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most common parasitic infections in humans and other vertebrates worldwide. This study aimed at determining the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection and associated risk factors in individuals attending a Reference Laboratory in Gorgan, Iran. Moreover, recent studies in Golestan province were reviewed.

A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted in 551 blood samples obtained from February-June 2017. Serum samples were isolated and examined for IgG and IgM antibodies against T. gondii using ELISA. Data were analyzed in SPSS applying logistic regression.

Total prevalence of T. gondii was 63.5% (350 out of 551). Among the samples, 306 (55.5%), 12 (2.17%), and 32 (5.8%) were found to be positive for IgG, IgM and both IgG and IgM against T. gondii, respectively. There were significant associations between T. gondii infection and age and soil contact (P< 0.05). However, no significant correlation was observed between T. gondii infection and sex, living area, level of education, occupation, etc (P>0.05).

About two thirds of individuals were infected with T. gondii. Accordingly, a high number of subjects have been exposed to T. gondii in this area, which their seropositivity was seen to increase by age as a risk factor. High seropositivity indicates appropriate conditions for the life cycle of the parasite in this province. Therefore, preventive measurements at the community level, particularly in high-risk groups, are warranted.

Helicobacter pylori (HP) is the most common human pathogen. Due to differences in HP prevalence in different geographical areas, this study was conducted to investigate the seroprevalence of HP in patients with gastrointestinal disorders referring to Imam Reza Hospital in Birjand, Iran, in 2018. After blood sampling of 2,550 patients, the anti-HP antibody titer was measured by a commercial kit. The positive serum response of HP in this study was shown in 1,045 individuals (41%). The results of the present study showed that there was no significant relation between serum positive reaction and gender. In addition, the immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody with 83% was the most abundant antibody in individuals with positive seropositive reaction. Epidemiological studies, especially serum IgG, can highly help with the detection of HP infection, particularly in individuals with clinical symptoms (P<0.05).