Lymphocyte transformation test detects a response to Campylobacter jejuni antigens in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an immune-mediated polyneuropathy. Campylobacter jejuni-associated gastrointestinal infection is identified as a major precipitating agent of GBS; however, a standard test to diagnose this infection in patients with GBS is lacking. The aim of the present study was to evaluate an outer membrane protein (OMP)-based lymphocyte transformation test (LTT) for the diagnosis of C. jejuni infection in GBS. Forty patients with GBS, age and gender matched 52 healthy controls (HC) and 46 disease controls (DC) were analyzed for C. jejuni infection by culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and LTT. Lymphocytes at concentration of 1 × 10⁶/well isolated from GBS patients and controls were stimulated with 20 μg/ml of C. jejuni OMP, and ³H-thymidine was incorporated to measure cell proliferation. LTT detected significantly higher C. jejuni infection compared to culture (77.5 vs. 2.5%; P < 0.05) and PCR (77.5 vs. 22.5%; P < 0.05). The cutoff value of lymphocyte proliferation by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 2.5 had 77.5% sensitivity and 96.5% specificity. Area under ROC curve was 0.92. The mean SI of the cell proliferation for GBS cases was significantly higher than the controls (GBS vs. HC; P < 0.001, GBS vs. DC; P < 0.001). LTT appears to be a sensitive tool for detecting preceding C. jejuni infection in GBS patients with reasonable sensitivity and specificity. It is possible that the activated lymphocytes might play role in the pathogenesis of neuronal damage in GBS.     

Suitability of DNA sampled from Nile tilapia skin mucus swabs as a template for ddRAD-based studies

For conservation, ethical and welfare reasons, minimally invasive DNA sampling is becoming increasingly important in animal genetics studies. Skin mucus swabs have been used as a source for fish DNA in PCR-based studies, but their suitability for high-throughput sequencing has not been examined. DNA was extracted from skin mucus, muscle and fin samples of two Nile tilapia and used in double-digest restriction-site associated DNA (ddRAD) sequencing. Approximately 16,000 and 9000 RAD loci were retrieved from de novo and reference-based analyses respectively. The numbers of RAD loci retrieved from three tissue sources were similar, with >83?% being shared among all three samples. Minor bacterial contamination was detected in a single muscle sample (0.07?% of the total RAD loci). The data indicates that DNA derived from skin mucus can be reliably used for ddRADseq and is likely to be applicable in other similar genomic analyses.     

The malaria situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran

In 1998 there were 32,616 cases of malaria registered in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 20.34% of which were falciparum malaria.     

Low Helicobacter pylori eradication rates with 4- and 7-day regimens in an Iranian population

BACKGROUND: In Iran, there is insufficient information on the efficacy of Helicobacter pylori eradication regimens shorter than 10 days. This study aims at assessing the efficacy of 4- and 7-day H. pylori eradication regimens in a high-incidence area of gastric cancer in Iran. METHODS: Subjects with an endoscopic diagnosis of gastritis, positive urease test, and a histological diagnosis of chronic gastritis were enrolled. Patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups: AOC7 (1000 mg amoxicillin, 20 mg omeprazole, and 500 mg clarithromycin twice daily for 7 days), FOT4 (200 mg furazolidone, 20 mg omeprazole, and 500 mg tetracycline twice daily for 4 days) and FOT7 (the same treatment as the FOT4 group but for 7 days). Sensitivity to these antibiotics was determined in all isolates recovered from culture. The efficacy of eradication was assessed 8 weeks after the end-of-treatment by the 14C-urea breath test. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-eight patients were enrolled in the study. Culture was positive for 84 patients and none of these were resistant to amoxicillin, tetracycline or furazolidone, 1.2% were resistant to clarithromycin and 32.1% to metronidazole. Forty-five, 41 and 42 patients were randomly allocated to the AOC7, FOT4, and FOT7 groups, respectively. The intention-to-treat eradication rates were 35.5, 17.1, and 23.8% for the AOC7, FOT4, and FOT7 groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: Treatment regimens of 4 or 7 days are unacceptable for H. pylori infection in Iran, even in the presence of a favorable sensitivity profile.     

Antibiotic resistance,virulence gene,and molecular profiles of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli isolates from diverse sources in Calcutta,India

Antibiotic resistance, virulence gene, and molecular profiles of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) non-O157 strains isolated from human stool samples, cow stool samples, and beef samples over a period of 2 years in Calcutta, India, were determined. Resistance to one or more antibiotics was observed in 49.2% of the STEC strains, with some of the strains exhibiting multidrug resistance. The dominant combinations of virulence genes present in the strains studied were stx(1) and stx(2) (44.5% of strains) and stx(1), stx(2), and hlyA (enterohemorrhagic E. coli hemolysin gene) (19% of strains). Only 6.4% of the STEC strains harbored eae. The diversity of STEC strains from various sources was assessed by random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD). STEC strains that gave identical or nearly similar DNA fingerprints in RAPD-PCR and had similar virulence genotypes were further characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Identical RAPD and PFGE profiles were observed in four sets of strains, with each set comprising two strains. There was no match in the RAPD and PFGE profiles between strains of STEC isolated from cows and those isolated from humans. It appears that the clones present in bovine sources are not transmitted to humans in the Calcutta setting although these strains showed evolutionary relatedness. Maybe for this reason, STEC has still not become a major problem in India.     

Calvarial hemangiomas: report of two cases and review of the literature

BACKGROUND: Primary hemangiomas of the bone are uncommon tumors, accounting for less than 1.0% of all bone neoplasms. These tumors are mostly found in vertebral bodies. Hemangiomas are rarely seen in the calvarium, where their frequency is 0.2% of all bone neoplasms. Because of their infrequent appearance in the skull, vague symptoms, and absence of prototypical radiological findings, these tumors can be missed in many cases or may be misinterpreted as more ominous lesions like multiple myeloma or osteosarcoma. CASE DESCRIPTION: We report two cases of calvarial hemangiomas: one with a single mass on the right sphenoid wing, and another with two similar lesions on the right occipital and left parietal bones. The diagnoses could be established only by histopathologic analysis. CONCLUSION: Histopathologic confirmation of the tumor is the definitive method for diagnosis of intraosseous hemangiomas. Radiological findings are not always characteristic for calvarial hemangiomas. Due to possible complications and the possibility of effective treatment, this lesion should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of skull lesions.     

Pentavalent antimonial nephrotoxicity in the rat

Aspects of the renal function were assessed in rats treated with the pentavalent antimonials Glucantime (Meglumine Antimoniate, Rhodia) or Pentostam (Sodium Stibogluconate, Wellcome). In dose of 30 mg of Sbv (Glucantime or Pentostam) by 100 mg of weight by day for 30 days, renal functional changes were observed consisting of disturbances in urine concentrating capacity. Such disturbances were expressed by significantly low values of urine osmolality as compared to the basal values previous to the drugs. The decrease in urine osmolality was associated to a significant increase in urinary flow and in negative free-water clearance. There was no alteration in osmolar clearance and in fractional excretion of sodium. These observations suggest an interference of the drugs in the action of the antidiuretic hormone. The disturbance in urine concentration was reversible after a seven days period without the drugs administration. No significant histopathological alterations were observed in the kidneys of the rats treated with the drugs. On the other hand, the rats treated with a high dose of Pentostam (200 mg/100 grams of weight/day) showed the functional and the histopathological alterations of the acute tubular necrosis.     

Follicle stimulating hormone receptor protein is expressed in ovine uterus during the estrous cycle and utero-placenta during early pregnancy: An immunohistochemical study

Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) is a well characterized gonadotropin that controls primarily development and functions of ovarian follicles in mammalian species. FSH binds to a specific G protein-coupled receptor (FSHR) belonging to the glycoprotein hormone receptor family that plays an essential role in reproduction. Although the primary location of FSHR is in the gonads (mainly in ovarian follicles), FSHR protein and/or mRNA have also been detected in extragonadal female reproductive tissues including embryo, placenta, endometrium, cervix, ovarian cancer tissues, and/or endometriotic lesions in several species. To determine the pattern of FSHR expression in the uterus and placenta, uterine tissues were collected at the early, mid- and/or late luteal phases of the estrous cycle from non-treated or FSH-treated ewes, and utero-placental tissues were collected during early pregnancy followed by immunohistochemistry and image generation. FSHR was immunolocalized to several uterine and utero-placental compartments including luminal epithelium, endometrial glands and surrounding stroma, myometrium, and endothelium and vascular smooth muscle cells in endometrium, myometrium and mesometrium. Intensity of staining and distribution of FSHR in selected compartments differed and seems to depend on the stage of the estrous cycle or pregnancy, and FSH-treatment. These novel data demonstrate differential expression of FSHR protein indicating that FSH plays a specific role in regulation of uterine and utero-placenta functions in sheep.