Analysis of CABP2 c.637+1G>T mutation in iranian patients with non-syndromic sporadic hearing loss

The most common sensorineural defect in human is congenital hearing loss and genes have an incontestable role in the development of this defect. Many genetic mutations are known to be responsible in this heterogeneous disease. The most frequent mutations are GJB2 mutations followed by the SLC26A4 mutations. Recently, we published a report regarding the role of c.637+1G>T mutation in CABP2 gene, causing hearing loss in three Iranian families. The present study was launched to analyze the role of this recently reported mutation in patients with sporadic hearing loss. One hundred and eighty three patients with moderate to profound sporadic hearing loss were included in this study. The mutation c.637+1 G>T was investigated in patients using the PCR-RFLP method. PCR-RFLP findings revealed that the considered mutation was absent in subjects with sporadic hereditary hearing loss. The mutation c.637+1 G>T in CABP2 gene did not play any roles in the investigated Iranian patients with sporadic hearing loss. Larger samples of different populations, and assessment of all exons and the promoter region of mentioned gene will help to determine the real role of this gene in producing hearing loss. © 2014, Iranian Neurogenetics Society. All rights reserved

Study of VSX1 Mutations in Patients with Keratoconus in Southwest Iran Using PCR-Single-Strand Conformation Polymorphism/Heteroduplex Analysis and Sequencing Method

Objective: Keratoconus (KC) is an eye disorder in which the cornea is swollen, thinned and deformed. Despite extensive studies, the pathophysiological processes and genetic etiology of KC are unknown. The disease incidence is approximately 1 in 2,000, and it is the most common cause of corneal transplantation in the USA. Many genes are involved in the disease, but evidence suggests a major role for VSX1 in the etiology of KC. This study aimed to determine the frequency of mutations in exons 2, 3 and 4 of the VSX1 gene in Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province in the southwest of Iran. Study Design: In this experimental study, mutations in 3 exons, namely exons 2,3 and 4, of VSX1 were investigated in 50 patients with KC and 50 healthy control subjects. DNA was extracted using a standard phenol-chloroform method. PCR-single-strand conformational polymorphism/heteroduplex analysis was performed, followed by DNA sequencing to confirm the identified motility shifts. Results: H244R mutations were found in 1 patient and also in 1 healthy control subject. Furthermore, 12 polymorphisms were identified in patients with KC and 7 in healthy control subjects rs6138482 and c.546A>G (rs12480307)]. Conclusion: Our investigation showed that KC-related VSX1 mutations were found in a very small proportion of the studied patients from Iran. Further investigations on other genes are needed to clarify their roles in KC pathogenesis. (C) 2013 S. Karger AG, Base

Studying VSX1 gene mutations in patients with Keratoconus of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, Iran

Background & Aims: Keratoconus (KC) is an eye disorder in which the cornea is swollen, thinned and deformed. Despite extensive studies, the pathophysiological processes and genetic etiology of KC is unknown. The disease incidence is approximately 1 in 2000 and is the most common cause of corneal transplantation in the US. Many genes are involved in the disease, but evidence suggests a major role for VSX1 in the etiology of KC. This study aimed to determine the frequency of mutations in exons 2, 4 of the VSX1 gene in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, Iran. Methods: In this experimental study, mutations in two exons including exons 2 and 4 of VSX1 were investigated in 50 patients with KC. DNA was extracted using a standard phenol-chloroform method. PCRSSCP/ HA was performed, followed by DNA sequencing to confirm the identified motility shift. Results: H244R mutation was identified in exon 4 of only one patient. Conclusion: Our investigation showed that the KC-related VSX1 mutations are found in very small samples in the study subjects from Iran. Further investigations on other genes are needed to clarify their roles in KC pathogenesis

Mutation screening of exons 7 and 13 of the TMC1 gene in autosomal recessive non-syndromic hearing loss (ARNSHL) in Iran

Mutation screening of exons 7 and 13 of th

Genetic linkage analysis of DFNB93 locus in a group of families with autosomal recessive non-syndromic hearing loss in Chahar Mahal & Bakhtiari and Kohkiluyeh & Boyer Ahmad provinces of Iran

زمینه و هدف: ناشنوایی یک اختلال حسی، عصبی است و بیشترین اختلال موجود در هنگام تولد است. بیش از 60 موارد ناشنوایی ارثی است. انواع ژنتیکی آن به دو نوع سندرومی و غیر سندرومی تقسیم می شود که نا شنوایی غیر سندرومی مغلوب اتوزومی (ARNSHL) با بیشترین درصد (70) رخ می دهد. این مطالعه با هدف تعیین پیوستگی ژنتیکی به لوکوس DFNB93 در خانواده های مبتلا به ARNSHL انجام شد. روش بررسی: این مطالعه توصیفی آزمایشگاهی بر روی 40 شجره بزرگ مبتلا به ARNSHL دارای حداقل دو بیمار، والدین سالم و عمدتاً دارای ازدواج خویشاوندی و منفی از نظر جهش های ژن GJB2، از استان های چهارمحال و بختیاری و کهگیلویه و بویراحمد انجام گردید. سپس خانواده ها برای پیوستگی ژنتیکی به لوکوس DFNB93 با استفاده از نشانگرهای STR و روش PCR و سپس ژل پلی اکریل آمید بررسی شدند. یافته ها: از تعداد 40 خانواده، 1 خانواده (5/2) به لوکوس DFNB93 پیوستگی نشان داد. ارزش SLINK این خانواده 67/2 و LOD بیشینه دو نقطه ای 05/2 و LOD بیشینه چند نقطه ای 05/2 محاسبه شد. نتیجه گیری: بر اساس نتیجه پژوهش حاضر، این لوکوس احتمالاً نقش کمی در ایجاد ناشنوایی در جمعیت مورد مطالعه (دو استان) دارد ولی برای تعیین نقش دقیق تر این لوکوس در ایجاد ناشنوایی در جمعیت ایرانی، مطالعات بیشتری ضروری می باشد

Investigation of LRTOMT gene (locus DFNB63) mutations in Iranian patients with autosomal recessive non-syndromic hearing loss.

Hearing loss (HL) is the most frequent sensory defect affecting 1 in 1000 neonates. This can occur due to genetic or environmental causes or both. The genetic causes are very heterogenous and over 100 loci have been identified to cause autosomal recessive non - syndromic hearing loss (ARNSHL). The aim of this study was to determine the contribution of the LRTOMT gene mutations in causing ARNSHL. One hundred fifty seven pupils affected with ARNSHL from Azarbaijan Sharghi, Kordestan, Gilan and Golestan provinces, north and west of Iran, were ascertained. In this descriptive - laboratory study, the presence of LRTOMT mutations were initially checked using PCR - Single - strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and heteroduplex analysis (HA) strategy. Samples with shifted bands on the gel were confirmed by DNA sequencing method. The PCR-SSCP/HA and the subsequent direct DNA sequencing showed no mutation in the population studied. We conclude that LRTOMT mutations have no role in causing sporadic deafness in the studied population. Further studies on other populations and samples could clarify the exact role of LRTOMT mutations

Pathogen Identification in Suspected Cases of Pyogenic Spondylodiscitis

Pyogenic spinal infection continues to represent a worldwide problem. In approximately one-third of patients with pyogenic spondylodiscitis, the infectious agent is never identified. Of the cases that lead to organismal identification, bacteria are more commonly isolated from the spine rather than fungi and parasites. This study applied universal prokaryotic 16S rRNA PCR as a rapid diagnostic tool for the detection of bacterial agents in specimens from patients suspected of pyogenic spondylodiscitis. Gram and Ziehl-Neelsen staining were used as a preliminary screening measure for microbiologic evaluation of patient samples. PCR amplification targeting 16S rRNA gene was performed on DNA extracted from 57 cases including specimens from epidural abscesses, vertebral, and disc biopsies. Positive samples were directly sequenced. MRI findings demonstrated that disc destruction and inflammation were the major imaging features of suspected pyogenic spondylodiscitis cases, as 44 cases showed such features. The most common site of infection was the lumbar spine (66.7%), followed by thoracic spine (19%), the sacroiliac joint (9.5%), and lumbar-thoracic spine (4.8%) regions. A total of 21 samples amplified the 16S rRNA-PCR product. Sanger sequencing of the PCR products identified the following bacteriological agents: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (n = 9; 42.9%), Staphylococcus aureus (n = 6; 28.5%), Mycobacterium abscessus (n = 5; 23.8%), and Mycobacterium chelonae (n = 1; 4.8%). 36 samples displayed no visible 16S rRNA PCR signal, which suggested that non-bacterial infectious agents (e.g., fungi) or non-infectious processes (e.g., inflammatory, or neoplastic) may be responsible for some of these cases. The L3–L4 site (23.8%) was the most frequent site of infection. Single disc/vertebral infection were observed in 9 patients (42.85%), while 12 patients (57.15%) had 2 infected adjacent vertebrae. Elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) inflammatory markers were noted in majority of the patients. In conclusion, microbiological methods and MRI findings are vital components for the proper diagnosis of pyogenic spondylodiscitis. Our findings suggest that molecular methods such as clinical application of 16S rRNA PCR and sequencing may be useful as adjunctive diagnostic tools for pyogenic spondylodiscitis. The rapid turnaround time of 16S rRNA PCR and sequencing submission and results can potentially decrease the time to diagnosis and improve the therapeutic management and outcome of these infections. Although S. aureus and M. tuberculosis were the most common causes of pyogenic spinal infections in this study, other infectious agents and non-infectious etiologies should be considered. Based on study results, we advise that antibiotic therapy should be initiated after a definitive etiological diagnosis

Surgical Causes in Lower Respiratory Tract Infection in Children

Introduction: To evaluate the surgical causes in pulmonary infection in children. Materials and Methods:In this cross sectional study 203 patients aged between one month and 12 years old were studied in pediatric wards at Ghaem hospital in Mashhad, Iran. Results: Most of patients were male and younger than one year old. Fever and cough were among the most common presentations. Foreign body aspiration, hydatid cyst, empyema and lung abscess were the most common causes that required surgical intervention. Conclusion: Foreign body aspiration and hydatid cyst, empyema and lung abscess are the most common causes of surgical intervention in children with pneumonia

Prevalence and Predisposing Factors of Retinopathy of Prematurity in Very Low-birth-weight Infants Discharged from NICU

Objective: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a disease of the eye caused by disorganized growth of retinal blood vessels resulting in scarring and retinal detachment. All preterm babies are at high risk for ROP, and very low birth weight is an additional risk factor. An increased incidence of ROP is expected in Iran because of improved survival of low birth weight and premature babies, and it is obvious that pediatricians and ophthalmologists are concerned about prevention and timely treatment of ROP in these children. To asses the real situation of ROP in our NICU we studied its prevalence and risk factors. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of premature infants with birth weight of ≤1500 grams or gestational age of ≤32 weeks, admitted April 1, 2005 to March 28, 2006, to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Qaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran. The collected data of 47 cases in this cross-sectional study are analyzed by SPSS (Mann_Whitney, t-Student). Findings: Forty five infants were included in the study. Out of these, 4 (8.5%) developed ROP (inclusive all stages). Our analysis revealed that low gestational age, sepsis and respiratory distress syndrome were independent predictors for the development of ROP. Conclusion: The frequency of ROP in our hospital was lower than the range reported in developed countries, and our risk factors were a little different