فهرست مطالب

International Journal of Medical Laboratory
Volume:8 Issue: 1, Feb 2021

  • تاریخ انتشار: 1400/01/10
  • تعداد عناوین: 8
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  • Majid Pourentezari, Morteza Anvari, Maryam Yadegari, Abolghasem Abbasi, Hengameh Dortaj* Pages 1-9

    Suitable alternatives are made for damaged or diseased organs and tissues in tissue engineering by combining cellular and molecular biology with materials and mechanical engineering. Fibrin is a critical blood component responsible for homeostasis, used extensively as a biopolymer scaffold in tissue engineering. This study summarizes the latest developments in organ and tissue regeneration using fibrin as a scaffold material. The combination of active peptides and growth factors through a heparin-bound delivery system improves fibrin function as a scaffold. Besides, the development of fibrin precursors as recombinant proteins solves multiple or single donor fibrin adhesives. Its composite allows biomolecules to be combined with fibrin and can significantly enhance fibrin efficacy in cartilage tissue engineering applications.

    Keywords: Fibrin, Fibrinogen, Fibrin Composite, Cartilage, Scaffold
  • Niayesh Mohebbi, Sara Pakzadkaramad, Keyvan Goharimoghadam, Mohammadreza Jafary, Poorya Rajabi, Afsane Nejat, Amir Kasaeian, Mona Talaschian* Pages 10-16
    Background and Aims

    In 2019, a novel coronavirus called SARS-COV-2 spread throughout the world, causing a pandemic a few months later. As the virus is not well-known and highly contagious, it is important to observe patients for all possible symptoms and comorbidities. This study aimed to demonstrate some demographic, clinical, and paraclinical features of the deceased patients with COVID-19 in Iran.

    Materials and Methods

    A retrospective observational study was designed to demonstrate the clinical and paraclinical features of deceased patients who had a positive real time-polymerase chain reaction test result for COVID-19. The study included all COVID-19 patients who visited Shariati Hospital, Tehran, Iran, from February 20th until May 20th, 2020. All data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 21 (Mann-Whitney or Fisher’s test).

    Results

    The patients had a mean age of 63.86 ± 16.428, and most were males (59.65%). Diabetes and hypertension were the most frequent comorbidities. The most common symptoms among the patients were dyspnea (64.91%), weakness (61.40%), fever (60.71%), and having ground-glass opacities in the CT scans (85.96%). There was also a rise in lactate dehydrogenase, serum ferritin, D-dimer, and procalcitonin.

    Conclusions

    Older COVID-19 patients are more likely to get more severe forms of the disease. Most of the deceased COVID-19 patients had ground-glass opacities in their CT scans. Dyspnea, fatigue, and fever were the most frequent symptoms. Hypertension and diabetes were the most important comorbidities. There was almost no significant difference between the two genders regarding clinical and paraclinical symptoms.

    Keywords: Clinical observation, Comorbidity, Corona virus, COVID-19, SARS-COV-2
  • Hassan Boskabadi, Elahe Heidari, Fatemeh Bagheri, Maryam Zakerihamidi* Pages 17-26
    Background and Aims

    Neonatal sepsis is considered a clinical syndrome characterized by signs and symptoms of infection associated with positive blood culture. The present study investigates the rate of sensitivity and resistance to antibiotics in neonates with definite sepsis.

    Materials and Methods

    This cross-sectional study was conducted on 268 neonates with definitive sepsis (positive blood culture with clinical signs of infection) hospitalized in the NICU of Ghaem Hospital of Mashhad, from 2008 to 2018. To investigate the antibiotic susceptibility pattern, identifying microorganism and antibiogram tests was performed according to the standard microbiological method. The data were collected through a questionnaire designed by the researchers. It included neonates’ characteristics, types of microorganisms in neonatal unite, and sensitivity and resistance to neonatal sepsis’s common microorganism.

    Results

    Based on the results, Klebsiella showed sensitivity to norfloxacin (100%), ciprofloxacin (100%), meropenem (100%), imipenem (94%), co-trimoxazole (73%), and vancomycin (67%). Similarly, Enterobacter showed 100% sensitivity to ciprofloxacin, meropenem, norfloxacin, and high sensitivity to imipenem (94%) and co-trimoxazole (83%). Acinetobacter turned out to be sensitive to co-trimoxazole and norfloxacin (both of them were 67%) and to amikacin in 33% of the cases. E. coli was sensitive to imipenem (83.33%), ciprofloxacin (80%), and ceftazidime (71.43%). Finally, staphylococcus coagulase negative was sensitive to piperacillin in 100%, vancomycin in 96.67%, and imipenem in 71.43% of the cases.

    Conclusions

    The findings of the present study suggest that high-sensitivity drugs for the treatment of definite neonatal sepsis are Meropenem(Klebsiella and E. coli), Enterobacter (Ampicilin), acinetobacter(Imipenem) and staphylococcus coagulase negative (vancomycin).

    Keywords: Antibiotics, Blood culture, Infections, Infant, Sepsis
  • Vahid Nasiri* Pages 27-34
    Background and Aims

    In most of the studies, Toxoplasma gondii is maintained in laboratory mice or studied in vitro using non-lymphoid cell lines or primary mouse macrophages. The target of our research was to design a new axenic culture of Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites to providing a sufficient quantity of them.

    Material and Methods

    Theileria annulata-infected lymphoblastoids, which had been maintained up to 260 sub-cultures to attenuate the Theileria annulata, were evaluated for their suitability to the cultivation of Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites. This cultivation process was carried out continuously for up to 10 passages, and after each 5 sub-culture, 0.1 ml of culture suspension (1×106 tachyzoites) was inoculated to each BALB/c mouse.

    Results

    It was observed that the tachyzoites have attacked the lympho-blastoids, multiplied inside them, and many fresh tachyzoites with typical shape and gliding movement were present in the culture suspension. In all processes of cultivation, the pathogenesis of parasites remained stable, and they were able to proliferate in mice and eventually lead to the death of the animals.

    Conclusions

    We describe here a new protocol for prolonged maintenance of tachyzoites of Toxoplasma gondii, which is more efficient (both in terms of yield and cost (it does not need fetal calf serum)) than other traditional methods for maintenance of the parasite.

    Keywords: lymphoblastoid, Tachyzoites, Theileria annulata, Toxoplasma gondii
  • Elahe Fathi, Abbas Shahedi*, Mohammad Hosseinisharifabad, Mahmood Vakili Pages 35-43
    Background and Aims

    Formaldehyde (FA) exposure is an important cause of cellular injury and oxidative damage in testis, leading to infertility. This study aimed to assess the protective effects of curcumin on sperm and stereological parameters in testes from formaldehyde-exposed NMRI mice.

    Materials and Methods

    At 6-8 weeks of age, 24 adult male NMRI mice weighing 30-35 g were categorized into four groups (n=6) based on the treatment they received: Group І (control) received no treatment, group ΙΙ received FA (10 mg/kg), group ΙΙΙ received FA (10 mg/kg) and curcumin (100 mg/kg), and group IV (Solvent) received dimethyl sulfoxide (0.2 ml/day). Materials were administered intraperitoneally for 35 days. After excision, epididymis tissues were placed in 1 mL aliquots of Ham’s F10 medium at 37˚C for 20 min and were then used in analyses of sperm parameters. Testes were fixed and stained with Hematoxylin & Eosin to investigate stereological indices. We also determined lipid peroxidation levels using malondialdehyde assays.

    Results

    Mean sperm parameters (count, motility, viability, and morphology) differed significantly between groups ΙΙ and ΙΙΙ (p≤0.001). Stereological indices, including Leydig and spermatogonia cell numbers and surface-to-volume ratios of seminiferous tubules were significantly higher in group ΙΙΙ than in group ΙΙ (p≤0.001) . Finally, malondialdehyde levels in group III were significantly lower than in group II (p=0.001).

    Conclusions

    The data showed that the curcumin, as an antioxidant, reduced FA-induced damage in sperm parameters and stereological indices in mice testes.

    Keywords: Curcumin, Formaldehyde, Mice, Testis
  • Hamid Reza Jamshidi*, Sina Negintaji Pages 44-54
    Background and Aims

    Hepatotoxicity induced by Co-amoxiclav has been indicated in multiple studies. Thymol is the main constituent of the Thymus vulgaris essential oil that has antioxidant properties. Even though thymol can exhibit antioxidant activity in vivo models, there is a lack of evidence about the thymol’s effectiveness in drug-induced liver injury. Thus, the present study was conducted to explore the thymol anti-hepatotoxic effects.

    Materials and Methods

    Thirty male rats were randomly divided into five groups of six. The control group received corn oil (0.25 ml/100 g body weight). CoA group was given only co-amoxiclav in doses of 10 mg/kg daily by gastric tube. CoA+T50, CoA+T150, and CoA+T300 groups orally received
    Co-amoxiclav at the same dose as the second group along with thymol at a daily dose of 50, 150, and 300 mg/kg for 7 consecutive days. At the termination of the treatment, all animals fasted overnight, and then blood samples were collected to determine alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, glutathione S-transferases, and bilirubin.

    Results

    Administration of thymol at the dose of 300 mg/kg with co-amoxiclav resulted in a significant decrease in direct and total bilirubin levels. Findings also revealed that the concomitant administration of thymol at the 150 mg/kg dose caused a significant reduction in the total bilirubin level. Additionally, the concomitant administration of thymol at the doses of 150 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg resulted in a significant reduction of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase serum activities along with increased plasma Glutathione S-transferase activity compared to co-amoxiclav group.  

    Conclusion

    Administration of thymol can cause a significant ameliorative effect against co-amoxiclav-induced hepatotoxicity in rats.

    Keywords: Co-amoxiclav, Hepatotoxicity, Rat, Thymol
  • Maryam Moradi, Somayeh Sadat Moochani, Nazila Yamini, Davod Javanmard, Arezoo Marjani, Alireza Tabibzadeh, Ahmad Tavakoli, Seyed Hamidreza Monavari* Pages 55-61
    Background and Aims

    Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can induce latency and evade the immune system. The latent virus can reactive later in older ages and due to immunosuppressive conditions. Sexually transmitted diseases and viruses can influence the male reproductive system, and members of the Herpesviridae family are one of these important viruses. Regarding the importance of herpesviruses, specially HCMV, this research aimed to evaluate the prevalence of HCMV in semen samples of infertile men.

    Materials and Methods

    Semen samples were collected from infertility centers affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences. The chromatin state was assessed by DNA fragmentation index. Nucleic acids were extracted from the semen specimens, and a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay was performed to detect HCMV DNA.

    Results

    Enrolled patients were 82 infertile men. The mean age of participants was 37.3 ± 6.1 years, and the mean motility and DNA fragmentation index of the samples were 33.6 ± 2 % and 27.2 ± 1.2, respectively. The prevalence of HCMV was 11%, and there was no statistically significant difference between HCMV and sperm parameters except the motility.

    Conclusions

    HCMV infection could be important in sperm motility, and HCMV prevalence in infertile patients was 11%. Further investigations in this field can be helpful for a clear result in the future.

    Keywords: Human cytomegalovirus, Male infertility, PCR, Semen
  • Atefeh Sharifi, Ata Ghadiri*, Anayatallah Salimi, Pegah Ghandil, Seyed-Alireza Esmaeili Pages 62-69
    Background and Aims

    Asthma is a complicated chronic inflammatory disease associated with pulmonary inflammation, severe immune responses of the respiratory tract, and change or destruction in the respiratory tract structure. Several factors, especially genetic and environmental factors, contribute to the pathogenesis of asthma. Interlukin (IL)-13 is considered the most important inflammatory mediator of asthma that play an effective role in the different stages of B cell maturation and differentiation. It also increases the expression of major histocompatibility complex II and CD23 and is effective in IgE isotypes switching. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) cause the wide genetic diversity in the genome, and SNP analysis helps evaluate and diagnose disease-related genes. The present study was conducted to investigate the association of -1112C / T and + 2044 G /A polymorphisms in the IL-13 gene with asthma.

    Material and Methods

    Blood samples (5 ml) from asthma patients (167) and controls (172) after spirometry test were collected into tubes, and then DNA was extracted to determine the genotype of asthma patients. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed by the Taq Man method, and the results were analyzed using SPSS software version 22.

    Results

    There was a significant difference between the genotype of IL-13 -1112C / T polymorphism in the patient group and the control group (p = 0.028). The IL13 + 2044G / A polymorphism results showed no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.319).

    Conclusions

    The present study showed that IL-13 -1112C / T polymorphism positively correlates with the induction of asthma, but there was no significant association between the polymorphism + 2044G / A IL-13 and the risk of asthma.

    Keywords: Asthma, IL-13, polymorphism, Real time PCR