Survey of sarcocystis infection in slaughtered sheep in Kerman Abattoir, Kerman, Iran

Sarcocystosis caused by different Sarcocystis species and is a zoonotic protozoan infection with worldwide distribution in man and many animal species. In the present study, three techniques — direct inspection, impression smears and digestion method — were used for the diagnosis of Sarcocystis infection in 112 slaughtered sheep in a Kerman abattoir from November 2010 to May 2011. A total of 450 slaughtered sheep were selected randomly during three seasons, and their oesophagus and diaphragm were inspected using naked eye examination. In the second stage, 112 carcasses out of the 450 which had no apparent infection were selected randomly and their meat investigated using two techniques: impression smear with staining and pepsin digestion. The percentage of macroscopic cysts found in the oesophagus and diaphragm muscle was 6% and 2.88%, respectively, and microscopically, infection was found in 100% of the organs. There was no significant difference between different ages or between males and females. Although all of the sheep were found to be infected with Sarcocystis, majority of the cysts were demonstrated microscopically. This suggests that meat should be cooked sufficiently, since a macroscopic inspection may not provide true results.     

High levels of circulating CXC chemokine ligand 10 are associated with chronic autoimmune thyroiditis and hypothyroidism

CXC chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10), an interferon-gamma-inducible chemokine associated with Th1-mediated immune responses, has been proposed as a marker of inflammation in autoimmune diseases. We measured serum CXCL10 concentrations in 223 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed autoimmune thyroiditis (AT), 97 euthyroid controls, and 29 patients with nontoxic multinodular goiter and related this parameter to the clinical phenotype. The three groups were similar in gender distribution and age; among the AT patients, 24% had subclinical hypothyroidism. Serum CXCL10 level was significantly higher in AT patients (157 +/- 139 pg/ml) than in controls (79 +/- 38) or patients with multinodular goiter (90 +/- 32; P < 0.0001). Among patients with AT, CXCL10 levels were significantly higher in those with a hypoechoic ultrasonographic pattern and hypothyroidism. In a multiple linear regression model including age, thyroid volume, hypoechogenicity, hypervascularity, TSH, free T(4), and antithyroid peroxidase, only age (standardized coefficient = 0.39; P = 0.0001) and TSH (standardized coefficient = 0.41; P < 0.0002) were significantly related to serum CXCL10 levels. We conclude that circulating CXCL10 is increased in patients with AT and is associated with hypothyroidism. CXCL10 may be regarded as a marker of a more aggressive thyroiditis leading to thyroid destruction.     

Characterization,mechanistic analysis and improving the properties of denture adhesives

Objective

Denture adhesives are widely used to avoid the detachment and sliding of dentures. However, the adhesion properties can be affected by variation in mouth conditions such as the level of salivation. The objective of this study was to understand the effect of environmental conditions on the adhesion properties of a commercially available denture adhesive named as Poligrip^® Free manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline Ltd., UK and to identify the reasons for the observed variation in its adhesion strength.

High Serum Levels of TGF-β in Iranians With Chronic HBV Infection

Background

The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is an important cytokine with anti-inflammatory properties.

Objectives

The main purpose of this study was to compare the serum levels of TGF-β in a group of chronic HBV infected (CHB) patients as well as healthy individuals from South-East of Iran.

Patients and Methods

Sixty patients with CHB as well as sixty healthy individuals were enrolled in the study. ELISA technique was applied to measure the serum levels of TGF-β in both groups.

Results

Our results revealed that the serum levels of TGF-β were significantly increased in CHB patients in compare to healthy controls.

Conclusions

According to this result, it may be concluded that high serum levels of TGF-β may be a mechanism by which immune response against HBV is suppressed.     

Thyroid cancer in HCV-related mixed cryoglobulinemia patients

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of thyroid cancer in a series of unselected HCV-related mixed cryoglobulinemic patients was investigated in comparison with a control group. METHODS: Among 107 consecutive patients with mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC), 94 were eligible for the study. A control group was obtained from a sample of the general population (2,401 subjects), age > 50 years, who had undergone thyroid ultrasonography (582 subjects); 5 sex-matched controls were randomly assigned to each MC patients (470 individuals). The mean age was similar in the MC patients and controls (64.2 +/- 10.0 vs. 63.4 +/- 7.0). RESULTS: The prevalence of thyroid nodules was higher, although not significantly so, in control subjects than in MC patients (65.3 vs. 54.8%). Two patients with papillary thyroid cancer were found in the MC series, while no case was observed among controls (p = 0.001, chi-square P value; p = 0.02, Fisher's exact test). In both MC patients with papillary thyroid cancer lymphocytic infiltration was observed in the thyroid tissue. CONCLUSION: The possible association between HCV-related MC and thyroid cancer indicates that a careful monitoring of the thyroid would be opportune during the clinical follow-up of HCV-associated MC patients, especially in those with signs of thyroid autoimmune disorders.     

The protein–creatinine ratio in spot morning urine samples and 24-h urinary protein excretion in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

A 24-h urinary protein is a standard way to diagnose lupus nephritis. Assessment of protein–creatinine (Pr–Cr) ratio in morning spot urine is a valuable method in diabetic patients but not use in systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) patients routinely. In this study Pr–Cr ratio in spot urine was compare with 24-h urine protein; if they have valuable correlation we can use this test instead of 24-h urinary protein. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation of spot urine Pr–Cr ratio for prediction of significant proteinuria (≥300 mg/24 h) in patients with SLE. A cross-section study was conducted in 74 hospitalized women with SLE. The correlation between Pr–Cr in first morning urine specimens and urinary protein excretion in 24-h collections were analyzed. Correlation between Pr–Cr ratio in spot morning urine specimens and urinary protein excretion in 24-h collections was significant (P < 0.0001, r = 0.83). A high correlation and precision of agreement were demonstrated between the two methods of assessment proteinuria in lupus patients. The difference between the two methods was less than the biological variability in the protein excretion and its measurement, enabling the methods to be used interchangeably creatinine ratio in spot morning urine samples is a precise indicator of proteinuria in patients with lupus nephritis and represents a simple and inexpensive procedure in establishing severity of proteinuria in patients with SLE.