Prevalence of Helicobacter Pylori in Iranian milk and dairy products using culture and ureC based-PCR techniques

The hygienic quality of milk has an important public health importance. Helicobacter pylori has a foodborne route and especially food with animal origin. This present study was carried out in order to isolation the H. pylori from cow milk samples using culture and PCR method. A total of 120 bovine milk and 120 dairy product samples were collected from the supermarkets of various parts of Iran. The animals whose milk samples collected for this study were clinically healthy. All samples were cultured and those that were H. pylori-positive were subjected for PCR method fordetection of the H. pyloriure C gene. Of 240 samples studied, 33 (13.75) were positive for the H. pylori using the culture method. Raw bovine milk were the most contaminated (16.66) but traditional cream were the less contaminated (7.5) samples. Significant differences was seen for the prevalence of H. pylori between raw bovine milk and traditional cream samples (P =0.027). All of the positive colonies of H. pylori were confirmed using the ureC gene based-PCR method. This study showed that cow milk and traditional dairy product samples are the sources of H. pylori infection for humans

Decrease expression and clinicopathological significance of miR-148a with poor survival in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, mainly due to its high rates of postoperative recurrence and metastasis. Please remove, it currently ranks as the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths. MiRNAs are a set of small, single-stranded, non-coding RNA molecules that negatively regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. In this study, we demonstrated the down-regulation of miR-148a in HCC and non-cancerous tissues using qRT-PCR. Methods: Ninety six HCC samples and their noncancerous normal liver tissues were collected. Total mRNA including miRNA was extracted, and miR-148a expression was determined using qRT-PCR. Furthermore, the correlation between the miR-148a expression and clinicopathological parameters was investigated. Results: The result showed that reduction of miR-148a expression was associated with TNM stage, metastasis, and number of tumor nodes. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards model analysis showed that low expression of miR-148a was independently associated with recurrence of HCC in the current study. Moreover, our result showed that lower expression in tumor tissues in comparison with corresponding normal control tissues. Conclusion: Down-regulation of miR-148a is related to HCC carcinogenesis and deterioration of HCC. MicroRNA-148a may act as a suppressor miRNA of HCC, and it is therefore a potential prognostic biomarker for HCC patients. © 2015 Ajdarkosh et al

Body roundness index and waist-to-height ratio are strongly associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A population-based study

Background: A strong association between obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been reported. Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate if new obesity indices, including a body shape index (ABSI) and body roundness index (BRI), have stronger associations with NAFLD than waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we utilized the data of 4,872 participants aged 18 74 years from a cohort study conducted among 6,143 subjects in northern Iran. Logistic regression analysis was performed on NAFLD as the outcome and obesity measures (based on Z-score values) as potential predictors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were conducted, in which NAFLD was considered as a reference variable and obesity measures as classification variables. The discriminatory ability of the obesity measures was reported based on area-under-the-curves, and the related cut-off points of BRI and WHtR were determined using the Youden index (YI). Results: Based on our results, BRI (OR = 5.484 for men and OR = 3.482 for women) and WHtR (OR = 5.309 for men and OR = 3.854 for women) showed a higher association with NAFLD than ABSI (OR = 1.363 for men and OR = 1.003 for women) and WHR (OR = 3.123 for men and OR = 1.628 for women). The optimal cut-off points for BRI were 4.00 (sensitivity = 82.7, specificity = 70.8) for men and 5.00 (sensitivity = 83.3, specificity = 71.7) for women. The optimal cut-off points for WHtR were 0.533 (sensitivity = 82.7, specificity = 70.8) for men and 0.580 (sensitivity = 83.3, specificity = 71.7) for women. Conclusions: While BRI and WHtR have equally strong associations with NAFLD, ABSI and WHR have weaker associations with NAFLD than BRI and WHtR. � 2016, Kowsar Corp

Accuracy of endoscopic ultrasonography for determination of tumor invasion depth in gastric cancer

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is one the common lethal cancers in Iran. Detection of GC in the early stages would assesses to improve the survival of patients. In this study, we attempt to evaluate the accuracy of EUS in detection depth of invasion of GC among Iranian Patients. Materials and Methods: This study is a retrospective study of patients with pathologically confirmed GC. They underwent EUS before initiating the treatment. The accuracy of EUS and agreement between the two methods was evaluated by comparing pre treatment EUS finding with post operative histopathological results. Results: The overall accuracy of EUS for T and N staging was 67.9 and 75.47, respectively. Underestimation and overestimation was seen in 22 (14.2) and 40 (25.6) respectively. The EUS was more accurate in large tumors and the tumors located in the middle and lower parts of the stomach. The EUS was more sensitive in T3 staging. The values of weighted Kappa from the T and N staging were 0.53 and 0.66, respectively. Conclusions: EUS is a useful modality for evaluating the depth of invasion of GC. The accuracy of EUS was higher if the tumor was located in the lower parts of the stomach and the size of the tumor was more than 3 cm. Therefore, judgments made upon other criteria evaluated in this study need to be reconsidered

Retraction note: Decrease expression and clinicopathological significance of miR-148a with poor survival in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues Diagn Pathol., 10 (2015) (135)

The Editor-in-Chief and Publisher have retracted this article 1 because the scientific integrity of the content cannot be guaranteed. An investigation by the Publisher found it to be one of a group of articles we have identified as showing evidence suggestive of attempts to subvert the peer review and publication system to inappropriately obtain or allocate authorship. This article showed evidence of plagiarism (most notably from the articles cited 2, 3) and authorship manipulation. © The Author(s). 2016

Mutation analysis of KRAS and BRAF genes in metastatic colorectal cancer: A first large scale study from Iran

Background: The investigation of mutation patterns in oncogenes potentially can make available a reliable mechanism for management and treatment decisions for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). This study concerns the rate of KRAS and BRAF genes mutations in Iranian metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients, as well as associations of genotypes with clinicopathological features. Materials and Methods: A total of 1,000 mCRC specimens collected from 2008 to 2012 that referred to the Mehr Hospital and Partolab center, Tehran, Iran enrolled in this cross sectional study. Using HRM, Dxs Therascreen and Pyrosequencing methods, we analyzed the mutational status of KRAS and BRAF genes in these. Results: KRAS mutations were present in 33.6 cases (n=336). Of KRAS mutation positive cases, 85.1 were in codon 12 and 14.9 were in codon 13. The most frequent mutation at KRAS codon 12 was Gly12Asp; BRAF mutations were not found in any mCRC patients (n=242). In addition, we observed a strong correlation of KRAS mutations with some clinicopathological characteristics. Conclusions: KRAS mutations are frequent in mCRCs while presence of BRAF mutations in these patients is rare. Moreover, associations of KRAS genotypes with non-mucinous adenocarcinoma and depth of invasion (pT3) were remarkable

Takayasu's arteritis associated with Crohn's disease: A case report

Introduction: The simultaneous presence of Takayasu's arteritis and Crohn's disease in a patient seems to be rare. To our knowledge, no patient with the combination of Crohn's disease and Takayasu's arteritis has been reported from our region. Case presentation: Herein we present the case of a 22-year-old Iranian woman previously diagnosed as Crohn's disease and who had subsequently developed Takayasu's arteritis. Conclusion: Clinical suspicion, proper imaging, and consideration of the differential diagnosis are important for the correct diagnosis and management of patients with this coincidence. © 2008 Daryani et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis C virus infection in Amol city, north of Iran: A population-Based study (2008-2011)

Background: Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection is one of the most important causes of chronic liver disease and related problems in the world.There are few population-based studies on the prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis C infection in Iran, which could not provide enough information. Moreover, the prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis C infection are not similar in all parts of Iran. Objectives: The aim of this survey was to determine the prevalence and risk factors of HCV infection in the general population of the city of Amol, north of Iran. Patients and Methods: This was a population-based study. Using a cluster sampling approach, 6145 individuals of both genders and different ages were involved from general population of urban and rural areas of Amol, The inclusion criteria were Iranian nationality, willing to participate in the study, and lifelong residence in Amol city and surrounding areas. Anti-hepatitis C antibody was measured by a third generation of ELISA. The positive results were confirmed by Recombinant Immuno Blot Assay (RIBA) and quantitative HCV-RNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. Potential risk factors of HCV transmission were recorded. Results: The mean age of participants was 42.70 ± 17.10 years. Of these participants, 57.2 (n = 3483) were male. Anti-HCV antibody was positive in 12 individuals from which five were RIBA positive. Three of these subjects were PCR positive. The prevalence of HCV was more predominant among males than females. The common risk factors among the study subjects included history of minor or major surgery (34.7), unsterile punctures (21.2), history of traditional phlebotomy (5.8), and history of hepatitis among close relatives (5.7). In univariate regression analysis, unsterile punctures and history of infection in family members were associated with HCV infection. Conclusions: We confirm that in Amol city and surrounding areas, the prevalence of true HCV infection is 0.05, which is lower than that previously reported from Iran. © 2013, Kowsar Corp.; Published by Kowsar Corp