Pathobiology Research
Year:2006 | Volume:9 | Issue:2|Papers Count:9

Antibiotics are widely used as bacteriostatic and bactericidal drugs in bacterial infections. Besides the respective interactions between the antibiotics and bacteria and between the immune system and bacteria, antibiotics also interact directly with the immune system and have various immunomodulatory effects on phagocytosis, chemotaxis, cytokine production and endotoxine release.In this study, monocytes and neutrophils were separated from the blood samples of the patients with urinary tract infection before and after the therapy with 500 mg ciprofloxacin tablets. The cells were cultured in the presence of ciprofloxacin and activators including IFN-g and LPS or PMA (for in vitro evaluation) or only the activators (for ex vivo evaluation). Supernatants of the cells were collected and then production of NO and H2O2 was measured.The effect of ciprofloxacin on NO and H2O2 production by monocytes and neutrophils in the patients with urinary tract infection caused by E. coli (E.Coli) was evaluated. The results were compared to an age- and sex-matched normal population. Peripheral blood samples from 45 patients with uUTI were collected at the time of diagnosis and at the end of the treatment.The results showed that NO and H2O2 production was significantly increased in the patients comparison to the control group, before and after the treatment (P<0.05). NO level in the post treatment group was also significantly raised compared to the pre-treatment group (P<0.05), but H2O2 level was not significantly altered (P>0.05).The results showed that the result of in vitro study was different from ex vivo. and alteration was not different between pre-treatment and post treatment groups significantly (P>0.05) .

Background and objective: VEP is a powerful method to study visual system via evaluating evoked potentials. Technologic and instrumental restrictions may be the reason of having studies on optical modulation and induction such as color, spatial frequency and contrast. Developments of computer software and hardware may lead to an increase in the flexibility of pattern designs.Material and methods: A visual psychophysical principle of color, spatial frequency and contrast was used to design patterns. Using the Delphi 5 package. Recording system and pattern reversing were synchronized by software and some hardware components including an A/D, monostable and an extension Board. A trigger signal from a VEP system was used to change optical properties of patterns according to a definite algorithm.Results and conclusion: All of the optical parameters such as color, spatial frequency and contrast that have influence on visual evoked potentials can be changed independently or in an interactive manner by means of user friendly multiple windows and logical methods. Therefore, optical modulation and induction are made possible by this system. Temporal, spatial and contrast modulation can be carried out independently or dependently with a trigger signal from a VEP system. Dynamic interaction of optical parameters shows new horizons on VEP studies.

Aim: Abnormal joint mobility is an important factor in movement dysfunction and physical disability. A general lack of descriptive details exists for measurements of hip rotation range of motion (ROM). This study was designed to establish the influence of hip position on active and passive range of motion of the hip in external and internal rotation (Ext & Int Rot).Material & Methods: Sixty healthy female college-age (22.17 +/- 1. 8 years) subjects were studied. Hip rotation of the legs of each subject was measured in the prone (hip near 0 degree of extension) and seated (hip near 90 degrees of flexion) positions using a standard goniometer. Results: Data were analyzed using an analysis of paired-t-test and Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney model. Pearson's r statistics were used to determine the reliability of measurements of hip rotation made in ext vs. flex (P<0.05, r>0.90). A statistically significant difference (p< 0.05) was found between mean hip Ext & Int Rot, active range of motion measured in ext vs. flx. Conversely, mean hip Ext & Int Rot, passive range of motion measured in ext or flx was not statistically different. Our data indicate that measurement position had a significant effect on the amount of active range of motion of the hip in Ext & Int Rot.Discussion & Conclusion: These findings are clinically significant for they stress the importance of documenting measurement position. They also stress the need for representative normal valves to be established for each hip position and gender. Our normal valves ROM values for the Int & Ext Rot of the hip calculated from this population based sample were found to differ from estimate found in textbooks. This may be due to young age and female groups and lifestyle of Iranian population, too.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Understanding of the tumor behavior, in a much closer look, at the molecular level, results in a more effective treatment and accurate prognosis of the disease. From among various genes altered in colorectal cancer K-ras is assumed to be of diagnostic and prognostic significance. K-ras mutations are believed to be a critical event in colorectal oncogenesis. Previous studies have demonstrated that 40% (20-50%) of CRCs harbor a mutant allele of K-ras oncogene. The mutations are limited to codons 12, 13, and 61 of the gene, with a great incidence at codon 12. The localization of mutations has given mutated K-ras an advantage of sensitive and simple detection over APC or p53 in which mutations are spread in their whole DNA sequence. To determine the incidence of K-ras mutations in CRC in Iran, compared with other countries, DNA was isolated from a random collection of 55 colorectal carcinoma samples, and codon 12 K-ras mutations were detected by RFLP. K-ras mutations in sporadic colorectal cancer in Iran are relatively frequent, with an incidence of 65%. This may be attributed to variation in methodology and to characteristics of the population studied such as differences in genetic background and variability in environmental factors and epidemiologic parameters such as diet, social lifestyle status, and other parameters that could be specific to the Iranian population. Correlation between the presence of codon 12 mutation and various clincopathological parameters was also investigated. A significant correlation was found with poor tumor differentiation of tumor samples. This places much emphasis on the role of promotion of differentiation as the most prominent effect of Ras.

Current investigations indicate different in vitro infection patterns for Oka and Dumas strains. Infection of cells in culture with Dumas strain produces lower number of infectious particles while the Oka strain is highly infectious in vitro. It is postulated that weak expression of the replication genes in Dumas strain may be the reason for the attenuated phenotype.The objective of this study was to analyze the sequences of the promoter region in two of the VZV replication genes, 16 and 52 by studying the level of expression of a reporter gene.For this purpose, primers were designed from VZV published sequences to amplify the promoter regions of both genes using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique. The amplicons were cloned in a lacZ reporter vector. Cotransfaction of 52-Oka reporter plasmid with virus major trans-activator (IE62) in Huh7 cells showed that the presence of 52-Oka promoter was up regulated by the IE 62 trans-activator in a dose dependent manner resulting in b-gal levels approximately 4-fold higher than those observed with 52-Dumas promoter and 10-fold higher than basal levels. In addition cotransfection of 16-Oka reporter plasmid did not show any significant change in activity in comparison with 16-Domus-reporter plasmid.Sequence determination of the promoter region in gene 52 indicated differences in 3 nucleotides in Dumas strain compared to Oka strain while no change was observed in the promoter sequences of gene 16 of the two strains.It is hence postulated a relationship between mutations in the Dumas promoter of replication genes, and the lower infectivity of the Dumas strain.

Introduction: Breast cancer is one of the provalent cancers in the world. This cancer as well as other solid tumors, in the course of its development has phases in this order: Epithelial Dysphasia, Carcinoma Insitu, Invasiveness and metastasis.Breast cancer Diagnosis is generally made with pathology methods. In this survey, measuring Angiostatin (which is one of the most important and potent angiogenesis inhibitor) in random urine as a noninvassive method was introduced to diagnose the disease.Materials and Methods: In this assay, random urine samples of 15 Breast cancer patient and 15 control urine samples were obtained, and assayed with improved sandwich direct ELISA.Results: Obtained result in statistical T-Test (Pvalue<0.03) showed significant correlation between urine angiostatin and breast cancer, that has coordinace with the result of patients sample pathology.Discussion: Angiostatin dosage in urine of patients of breast cancer is a good marker of non invasive diagnosis.

FAB (French– American- British) group determined a diagnostic classification for leukemia's. but in spite of some reports on different clinical findings and prognosis of HMC and LGL there is no place for Hand- Mirror Cell leukemia and LGL leukemia in this classification. On the other hand, there are different ideas about causes of Hand Mirror Cell and about different changes of large granlar lymphocyte in malignancies including leukemias.Therefore, We decided to evaluate HMC & LGL in leukemic patients in Sayed Al- Shohadda Hospital in Isfahan province.This study was performed on 595 cases of leukemia during 1993-1998. We studied stained peripheral blood and bone marrow aspiration smears of the leukemic patients at the time of diagnosis, in remission and relapse phase of disease.Contrary to our anticipation, the results showed no increase in frequency of leukemia during 1993-1998, but leukemia was more frequent among males than females (2.1). LGL percent was lower than normal in the majority of patients in peripheral blood at the time of diagnosis and relapse phase. LGL percent was normal or increased in 90% of the patients in the remission phase and was lower than normal in 10% of them. Also no case of LGL leukemia was recognized. HMC percent in peripheral blood was normal in 99% of the patients at the time of diagnosis but it was more than normal (20%) only in one patient (ALL-L2) and it was normal in peripheral blood in the majority of patients in remission phase. HMC percent in peripheral blood was normal in the majority of patients in relapse phase but more than normal in one patient with ALL-L2 (15%). HMC percent in the bone marrow was normal in 98% of the patients at the time of diagnosis but it was more than normal in seven patients. Also it was also normal in the bone marrow in the majority of patients during remission and at the time of diagnosis and it has increased in three patients during the relapse phase. In conclusion, a low percent of LGL at the time of diagnosis and during the relapse phase shows a probable insufficiency in the immune system and no case of LGL leukemia was recognized. Also, four cases of Hand- Mirror Variant Leukemia with lymphoid origin (mostly ALL-L2) were recognized which should be under more investigation in the future.

Introduction: Malassezia has been reported as the cause of sometimes fatal, systemic infections in premature neonates. The soure of the infecting strain in these cases is uncertain, since neonates have limited numbers of Malassezia on their skin, it may be from the hands of healthcare workers and family. The aim of this study was to examine how long Malassezia was able to survive in the environment and how easily it could be transferred between people to determine by what routes neonates could become colonised.Method: Suspensions of Malassezia sympodialis, M.globosa and M.restreicta (104/ml) were prepared in wash fluid (PBS with 0.05% [v/v] Triton X-100, pH 7.9), dispensed onto a pre-measured area of wooden bench, steel, cotton or plastic and allowed to dry. Samples were then taken at regular intervals unsing the williamson and Kligman scrub technique or by immersing the containing milk (Leeming and Notman, 1987). To determine the amount of Malassezia transfering between people, the suspensions of the species were inocluated onto the palms of volunteers and allowed to dry. The volunteer then shook hands with a second volunteer and the number of Malassezia transferred was determind using the Williamson and Kligman technique.Results: The pattern of survival on wood, cotton and plastic was similar for both M.globosa and M. sympodialis, with viable organisms recovered up to 48h after inoculation. For M.restricta a very different pattern was found, with viable organisms only recovered up to 4h after inoculation on all four materials, also transmission from one hand to a second hand was successful in most of the experiments ranging from 0.2-14% of the inoculum.Discusstion: In conclusion, the materials studied are likely to be present in the hospital environment and may well act as reservoirs of Malassezia once contaminated. In this way they could act as vehicles by which Malassezia could be transferred onto neonatal skin and thus initiate an infection in suitably predisposed individuals. These result, seem to be very important for our understanding as to how neonates become colonised and for the epidemiology of neonatal infections.