Considering the causes of inefficiency of supervision programs of Ilam city health center

In the context of health services, the main philosophy of health cares is proper distribution of health resources. According to definition, this purpose is attainable when the necessary facilities have been provided to respond the most preliminary and necessary health needs of society in home and work place and access to them must be easy and sustainable. This research has performed with a cross-sectional method in Ilam city in order to improve the present facilities in parallel with development of health indices. Materials and methods: In this research, it was investigated 17 rural and urban health centers, 3 health bases and 29 health houses. Necessary data and Figures in various contexts have been collected through prepared and pre-planned questionnaire. In the next step, the ideas of both observer and observed group were described based on respective questions and variables. With regard to this fact that in this study the purpose was to answer various questions from the perspective of both mentioned groups, then a special statistical test has not been performed. Findings: The findings of this research show that 34/2 of observed subjects mentioned that the supervision programs are varied and interesting,45/8 said they were repetitive. On the contrary 81/3 observers had the same idea. This investigation showed that 90/8 milieu forces (observed) and 62/5 observers were interested to their works. In this research 93/8 observers and 75/5 observed subjects have believed to effective role of education in improving health services. Results: Results obtained from this research showed that observed and observer groups were interested in their work and continued their activity seriously. The research results also showed that the main cause of the loss of health indices is (support) financial facilities and services which are not available to milieu and operational departments on time. As such in this research 77/5 observed subjects and 100 observed believed to this issue. © 2010, INSInet Publication

Biofilm formation in Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the important antibiotic resistance pathogen. Chronic hospital acquired infections by S. aureus have become a major problem in recent years. One of the main mechanisms for chronic hospital acquired infections is defined by biofilm formation. Therefore, the current research aimed to identify the prevalence of biofilm formation among MRSA clinical isolates in Ilam hospitals and to determine the gene responsible for biofilm formation. For this reason, 26 MRSA clinical isolates were identified and subjected to biofilm by micro-plate assay and PCR for identification of icaa and icaD. The results demonstrated that 69.2 (n = 18) of MRSA clinical isolates possess icaD and were interestingly were negative for icaa; while biofilm formation were negative in three isolates that were positive for icaD. The current study strongly recommended icaD as a main factor to produce the biofilm formation in MRSA clinical isolates and suggested this gene as a target for antibiofilm therapy. The reason for negatively in 2 isolates could be explained in the abstract by low accuracy of micro-late assay. Another reason that could be concluded was silencing of icaD in these three isolates. © 2020 Elsevier Inc

mazE Antitoxin of Toxin Antitoxin System and fbpA as Reliable Targets to Eradication of Neisseria meningitidis

Background: Neisseria meningitidis is considered as a dangerous pathogen threatening human health. Nowadays, the new drug target is focused. Toxin antitoxin (TA) system is recently identified as an antimicrobial drug target. Also, in N. meningitidis, iron-uptake system could be an interesting target for drug discovery. Methods: In this study, fbpA and mazE genes were chosen as new antimicrobial targets and treated with antisense peptide nucleic acid (PNA). Firstly, they were evaluated by bioinformatics and then analyzed by experimental procedures. Secondly, the functionality was evaluated by stress conditions. Results: Our results interestingly demonstrated that when fbpA and mazE loci of N. meningitidis were targeted by antisense PNA, 8 mu M concentration of fbpA-PNA as well as 30 mu M concentration of mazE-PNA inhibited the growth of N. meningitides and were found to be bacteriostatic, whereas 10 mu M concentration of fbpA-PNA showed bacteriocidal activity. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated the bactriocidal activity of fbpA-PNA and bacteriostatic activity of mazE-PNA. Therefore, mazE and fbpA genes should be potent antimicrobial targets but further analysis including in vivo analysis should be performed

Persister cells as a possible cause of antibiotic therapy failure in Helicobacter pylori

Background and Aim: Due to the failure of antibiotic treatment and recurrence of infection in patients with Helicobacter pylori, this study was designed to find the possible cause of treatment failure and recurrence of the H. pylori infections in Ilam, Iran. Methods: One hundred patients with specific symptoms of H. pylori infection were selected, and after taking a biopsy specimen, identification of H. pylori, antibiotic susceptibility assay, and persister cell assay were performed. In addition, after treatment, patients with persister cells were followed for possible recurrence of infection. Furthermore, an antibiotic susceptibility assay was performed. Results: Our results demonstrated that, among 100 patients, 50 (n = 50) showed positive results for the existence of H. pylori. Among the susceptible isolates, 18 (n = 9) were persister cells that were sensitive to clarithromycin as confirmed by a 5 folds higher than the Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of clarithromycin. The data were confirmed by following up the suspected patients. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that persister cells in H. pylori infections may be responsible to recurrent infection and antibiotic treatment failure. However, more research is needed to obtain more information in this area

Ex Vivo Evaluation of Thymus daenensis as an Antioxidant and Antibacterial Medicinal Herb

Herbal medicines are defined as traditionally used natural products. The current study in an attempt try to investigate the antibacterial activity on extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL), methalo beta-lactamases (MBL) producing gram negative bacteria and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and subsequently, to determine the antioxidant activity of Thymus daenensis. For this reasons, firstly cytotoxicity of T. daenensis was determined by MTT assay. Then, essential oil was subjected for antibacterial and antioxidant activity. Our results demonstrated that 15mg/ml concentration of T. daenensis inhibited both P. aeruginosa producing MBL and E.coli producing ESBL, while this value was 25mg/ml concentration for MRSA inhibition. The association between phenolic compound and antioxidant activity was found for the ABTS(center dot+) method (43.52) in the lowest level, while, for FRAD and DPPH center dot methods the opposite story occurred (70.5 correlation for DPPH center dot and 50.9 for FRAD). Our findings suggested that T. daenensis has a potential herbal medicine that should be considered as an antibacterial and antioxidant with very low toxicity

In vitro Eradication of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Persister Cell Producers by Peganum harmala

Background: Because of increasing antibiotic failure and recurrence of infections in patients with P. aeruginosa, the present study was designed to determine the antibiotic resistance status, presence of persister cells and investigate the antipersister effect of Peganum harmala in P. aeruginosa clinical isolates in vitro in Ilam, Iran. Methods: Thirty P. aeruginosa urinary clinical isolates were collected from hospitals in Ilam, Iran and identified by common microbiological and biochemical tests. Afterward, antibiotic susceptibility assay, persister cell assay, P. harmala extraction, cell culture, and cell viability assays were performed. Results: A high rate of antibiotic resistance was observed. All isolates were resistant to co-amoxiclav. Also, 83.3 (n = 25), 90 (n = 27), and 36.6 (n = 11) of isolates showed resistance to ceftazidime, kanamycin, and tobramycin, respectively. The MIC and MBC values for imipenem were = 2 and 2 mu g/mL for susceptible isolates, respectively. In addition, 6.66 (n = 2) of isolates were persister cells and were also sensitive to imipenem by MIC but did not show any MBC. IC50 for P. harmala was 35 mu g/mL. Eventually, MIC value of P. harmala against two P. aeruginosa persister cell producer isolates was 3 mu g/mL and 1 mu g/mL, and the value of MBC was 10 mu g/mL and 30 mu l/mL. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated that P. harmala may be a suitable antipersister herbal medicine against P. aeruginosa clinical isolates. In this regard, comprehensive research is needed in the future to gain more information in this area

In vitro Eradication of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Persister Cell Producers by Peganum harmala

Background: Because of increasing antibiotic failure and recurrence of infections in patients with P. aeruginosa, the present study was designed to determine the antibiotic resistance status, presence of persister cells and investigate the antipersister effect of Peganum harmala in P. aeruginosa clinical isolates in vitro in Ilam, Iran. Methods: Thirty P. aeruginosa urinary clinical isolates were collected from hospitals in Ilam, Iran and identified by common microbiological and biochemical tests. Afterward, antibiotic susceptibility assay, persister cell assay, P. harmala extraction, cell culture, and cell viability assays were performed. Results: A high rate of antibiotic resistance was observed. All isolates were resistant to co-amoxiclav. Also, 83.3 (n = 25), 90 (n = 27), and 36.6 (n = 11) of isolates showed resistance to ceftazidime, kanamycin, and tobramycin, respectively. The MIC and MBC values for imipenem were <= 2 and 2 mu g/mL for susceptible isolates, respectively. In addition, 6.66 (n = 2) of isolates were persister cells and were also sensitive to imipenem by MIC but did not show any MBC. IC50 for P. harmala was 35 mu g/mL. Eventually, MIC value of P. harmala against two P. aeruginosa persister cell producer isolates was 3 mu g/mL and 1 mu g/mL, and the value of MBC was 10 mu g/mL and 30 mu l/mL. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated that P. harmala may be a suitable antipersister herbal medicine against P. aeruginosa clinical isolates. In this regard, comprehensive research is needed in the future to gain more information in this area. (Clin. Lab. 2022;68:xx-xx. DOI: 10.7754/Clin.Lab.2021.210414

Novel Information about Neisseria meningitidis: Identification of the Most Important Type II Toxin Antitoxin Systems

BACKGROUND: Toxin antitoxin systems is the one of the important elements among pathogenic bacteria which have proven roles such as biofilm formation, cell programmed death and persister cells formation. Neisseria meningitidis causing serious diseases in humans must be highlighted. OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to identify the mazEF and relBE TA systems in N. meningitidis. METHOD: The potential TA loci were searched in RASTA database by bioinformatics analysis and then, experimental analysis was performed by PCR assay. PCR products were confirmed by sequencing. RESULTS: Our findings demonstrated that mazEF and relBE TA systems were positive by PCR assay and results of sequencing confirmed the PCR results. CONCLUSION: Notably, our highlighted findings are the first report of mazEF and RelBE TA loci in N. meningitides. Finally, we strongly recommended that laboratory experiments should be performed to identify the roles of these TA loci in N. meningitides