International Journal of Medical Laboratory
Volume:8 Issue: 3, Aug 2021

The increasing number of pregnant women being diagnosed as having gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and  lead health care providers to develop reliable screening protocols and know the exact worldwide epidemiology of the disease. This study seeks to obtain data that will help to improve the epidemiologic knowledge about this disease.

This cross-sectional study was performed on 953 pregnant women seeking routine prenatal screening tests. Participants participate with using Carpenter-Coustan criteria in the study. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software.

Results and Conclusions:

Among 953 pregnant women , 38 participants (4%) were detected to have GDM . Fifty percent of patients in the study were overweight .The data showed a significant difference in the mean age between the diabetic and non-diabetic groups. The high prevalence of GDM in young Iranian pregnant women may emphasize the need for early diagnosis and treatment to avoid adverse outcomes associated with GDM.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most prevalent neurological disability in young adults. The pathogenesis of MS is characterized by demyelination and neurodegeneration in the central nervous system (CNS) as the ruinous result of chronic activation of the immune system. All clinical forms of MS, including relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), and the primary progressive MS (PPMS), demonstrate inflammation as a common symptom. In various autoimmune diseases like MS, the ability of the immune system to set a balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses is lost. In this review, the imbalance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses of immune cells and their role in MS progression is discussed. Disturbing the balance of Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg cells and M1/M2 phenotypes of macrophages and microglial plays a key role in the development and progression of MS. In this review, we first depict an outline of regulatory immune cells involved in inflammation. Second, we discuss shreds of evidence that confirm how B cells play both pathogenic and protective roles in MS disease. Third, we point out the pros and cons of B cell/T cell-targeted therapies in clinical trials.

The prevalence of carbapenemase-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) strains has been recently reported worldwide. Therefore, accurate and rapid detection of carbapenemase-producing isolates is essential. So, this study aimed to detect blaVIM and blaIMP carbapenemase-producing strains using the modified Hodge test (MHT) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

In this cross-sectional study, P. aeruginosa  strains were collected from clinical samples (blood, urine, wound, and other liquids body) in Firoozgar and Shahid Motahari Hospitals in Tehran and Velayat Hospital in Rasht Province, from May to December 2018. After identifying the isolates using the standard microbial tests, carbapenemase-producing strains were isolated by the modified hodge test. After that, the detection of blaVIM and blaIMP genes was performed by RT-PCR technique.

One hundred P. aeruginosa were isolated from different clinical samples. Among these, 74 (74%) isolates were considered as carbapenemase positive using MHT. The frequencies of blaVIM and blaIMP genes were obtained as 83% and 11%, respectively.

The results of this study indicate a high level of resistance to most of the antibiotics tested and a high prevalence of blaVIM gene in P. aeruginosa strains.

Echinococcus granulosus (E. granulosus) is a cestode parasite that causes cystic hydatid disease in humans worldwide. Iran is one of the endemic regions for infection that indicate the importance and presence of infection in this country. Therefore, the current research aimed to characterize the seroprevalence of human cystic echinococcosis in Sanandaj city, Kurdistan province, western Iran.

Totally, 500 serum samples were collected from patients referred to different health centers in Sanandaj city using cluster sampling in 2018-2019. All the sera were examined using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test.

The seroprevalence of human hydatidosis was reported at 2.2% by ELISA test in Sanandaj city. This rate was 9 (1.9%) in women and 2 (0.4) in men. The age group of 20-30 years old had the highest positivity rate (1.0%). Also, the subjects that consumed home slaughtered meat had the highest infection rate at 4 (0.8%). There was no significant difference regarding factors studied such as sex, education, residence, consumed water, keeping a dog, and the seropositivity.

Seroprevalence of human cystic echinococcosis in Sanandaj city is lower than the general prevalence in Iran. Our research team hopes to provide accurate data on the prevalence of hydatidosis in Sanandaj encourage more extensive research to help prevent this parasite in Iran and worldwide.

Obesity and hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and malnutrition are among the causes of fatty liver disease. This study compares blood biochemical markers and anthropometric parameters in different grades of fatty liver.

In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 73 fatty liver patients were studied. The degree of fatty liver disease was divided into three grades on ultrasonography. Anthropometric parameters BMI, waist circumstance, height, weight in the fasting state were evaluated according to the standard protocols. The blood samples were taken and biochemical variables fasting blood sugar, serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), Serum glutamicpyruvic transaminase (SGPT), calcium, phosphorus, low density lipoprotein (LDL), cholesterol, triglyceride, and others were examined with photometric and HPLC methods.

Statistical analysis was significant between grades 1 and 3 of fatty liver (p = 0.006) and body mass index between grades 1 and 3 of fatty liver (p = 0.003). Comparing SGOT between different grades did not show any significant differences. However, comparing Bili Total indicated a significant difference between grades 1 and 2 and 1 and 3. Moreover, statistical analysis of qualitative variables, such as gender, hypertension, smoking, drug, alcohol, heart disease, stomach disease, and kidney disease, was not statistically significant between the three fatty liver groups. Median ± IQR had a significant difference for SGOT and Bili Total (p < 0.05).

This study showed the significance of BMI, waist circumstance, and bilirubin factors in different grades of fatty liver. Monitoring BMI, waist circumstance, and bilirubin factors will be useful for susceptible people to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Long-term surge of heart loads causes cell hypertrophy. Left ventricular hypertrophy is an adaptive response of the heart to pathological stimuli such as hypertension. B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family members play an essential role in this process regulation. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of thymol on the transcription level of Bcl-2 family factors in the rat model of left ventricular hypertrophy.

Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: 1- Control 2-Untreated hypertrophy (H), 3 and 4 groups which received 25 and 50 mg/kg/day of thymol (H + Tym25 and H + Tym50 groups, respectively). Hypertrophy was induced by abdominal aortic banding, and the real time polymerase chain reaction technique was used for gene expression.

Data showed that in the H group, the mRNA level of the BAD was increased significantly (p ˂ 0.001). However, the transcription level of BAX was increased in the H and H+Tym25 compared with the control group. In the H + Tym50 group, BAX mRNA level decreased significantly compared to the H group (p ˂ 0.05).

Our findings demonstrated that the expression rates of the antiapoptotic factor, Bcl-2, was significantly increased in the H group (p < 0.01) and thymol-treated hypertrophy groups (p < 0.001). Interestingly, the upregulation of Bcl-2 mRNA was statistically significant in the H+Tym50 group compared with H and H + Tym25 groups (p < 0.01). The results showed that thymol could protect heart hypertrophied by increasing the expression of anti-apoptotic factors.

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis is a significant health problem in many parts of Iran. Management of the disease and its treatment is a global dilemma. In this study, the status and the proportions of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis induced by Leishmania major and tropica among suspected patients referred to the Health Centers of Abarkouh, Ardakan, Bafgh, and Khatam cities, Yazd Province, Iran were investigated.

The lesion was diagnosed using direct smear microscopy and conventional polymerase chain reaction.

A total of 90 samples were prepared of which 64 (71.1%)  were male and 26 (27.9%) were female. Also, 30 (33.3%) samples came  from Ardakan, 29 (32.2%) samples  from Bafgh, 21 (23.3%) samples from Abarkouh, and 10 (11.1%) samples  from Khatam city. Ninety samples with 112 lesions were recruited and parasitologically examined. The results showed that, in macroscopic examination, 90 of the patients had 59 lesions: patients with lesion(s) induced by Leishmania major = 52 (M=35, 67.3%, F=17, 32.7%), lesion(s) induced by Leishmania tropica =4 (M=2, 50.0%, F=2, 50.0%), and lesion(s) induced by false positive =33 (36.4%). Basides, in microscopic method, 90 of the patients had 59 lesions: patients with lesion(s) induced by Leishmania major =44 (M=29, 65.9%, F=15, 34.09%), lesion(s) induced by Leishmania tropica =9 (M=8, 88.8%, F=1, 11.2%), and lesion(s) induced by false positive =37 (M=28, 75.7%, F=9, 24.3%). 

Although travel history to an endemic area is important for diagnosis, parasitological confirmation is necessary to initiate treatment.

Mercuric chloride is highly toxic once absorbed into the bloodstream, especially the kidneys in which it is collected. Mercury chloride increases hydrogen peroxide and enhances the destruction of protective enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX), leading to oxidative stress. Besides, thymol has anti-oxidant effects and can increase the activity of SOD and GPX. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of thymol on mercury chloride-induced toxicity.

In this study, 30 rats, consisting of 6 groups of 5, were used. Control group receiving a single dose of 0.5 mg/kg mercuric chloride for 15 days, third, fourth, and fifth group received intraperitoneal injection of mercuric chloride at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg for 15 days plus thymol at a dose of 10, 30, 50 mg/kg. The sixth group received mercuric chloride at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg for 15 days plus thymol at 30 mg/kg per day for ten days.

Results showed a significant difference in the activity of catalase enzyme in kidney tissue samples test. According to the results of SOD, there is a significant difference between the group of corn oil and the group of mercury chloride and between the group of mercury chloride and the group that receives thymol at a dose of 10, 30, 50 mg/kg (p ≤ 0.05).

It can be concluded that mercury chloride-induced kidney toxicity and thymol have anti-oxidant protective effects for SOD and GPX.