Study of Physicochemical Properties of Hydroquinone Nanofibers

Introduction:  Melasma is a common hypermelanotic disorder affecting the face that is associated with considerable psychological impacts that one of the treatment options is hydroquinone. The phenolic and hydroquinone derivatives and derivatives thereof, including the sesquiterpenoid hydroquinone and quinone, are widely used to inhibit bacteria, fungi and viruses, on the other Polymeric drug delivery system are able to improve therapeutic efficacy, reduce toxicity, and prolong drug release by adjusting the degradation rate of the polymer. So in this study we product and investigate of antifungal activity of Hydroquinone nanofibers. Methods and Results:  Films containing hydroquinone were produced from electrospining method. The physicochemical properties of prepared films were investigated by electronic microscopy and FTIR. Physical stability and degradation rate of nanofibers as well as the rate of hydroquinone release were also studied. In this study, the antifungal effects of hydroquinone were studied in laboratory conditions. The release test revealed that the release rate of hydroquinone nanofibers increased with increase in temperature. Hydroquinone prevents the growth of the fungal species of Candida albicans Conclusions:  Hydroquinone is widely used in the treatment of melasma, but no report has yet been made of the use of hydroquinone in the treatment of fungal diseases. Antifungal effects of hydroquinone on the Candida albicans species have been tested in laboratory conditions and its positive effect has been determined

Characterization of ERG11 Gene in Drug-Resistant Candida Albicans Isolated from Iranian Cases of Recurrent Vulvovaginal Candidiasis

Background & Aims:  Candida albicans is the most common fungal pathogen of human infections. C. albicans is responsible for significant mucosal infections such as vulvovaginitis in women. Azoles inhibit the cytochrome P450 14α-lanosterol demethylase, as a part of the ergosterol biosynthetic pathway is encoded by the ERG11 gene. Some mutations in ERG 11 could cause resistance to azole drugs.  Detection of the mutations of the gene in the present study helped us to explain drug resistances in some vaginal isolates of C. albicans and other Candida species. Materials & Methods: A multicenter, experimental study was conducted at Cellular and Molecular Research Center and Kowsar Gynecology Center affiliated to UMSU from October 2016 to July 2017. Women with symptomatic vaginitis (20-45 years old) were asked to take part in the study. 192 women allowed vaginal swabs to be obtained. For the identifications, culture on SGA4% and CHROM agar Candida were conducted followed by PCR-RFLP. A disc diffusion method was performed based on the standard guideline of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) to determine level of susceptibility against fluconazole and clotrimazole (most current use for the treatment of VVC). DNA extraction and PCR amplification of the ERG11 gene were performed. Results: As we showed in the Table (1), 69.1% of all Candida isolates carried the ERG11 gene. It was detected in 49(68.1%), 5 (55.6%), and 7(77.8%) cases of C. albicans, C. krusei, and C. glabrata, respectively.  Among the C. albicans isolates resistant to Clotrimazole, 8(53.3%) had ERG11 gene while 7(46.7%) did not. Among all the C. glabrata isolates resistant to Clotrimazole, 40% carried ERG11 while 60% did not show the gene. Also, ERG11 gene was detected in 50% of the isolated C. glabrata. ERG11 gene was observed in 53.3% of C.krusei isolates resistant to Clotrimazole and 52% of those of resistant to Fluconazole. Conclusion: As an approximate finding, Azole resistance in the present study could be attributed to mutations in ERG11 gen

Effect of Some Evaluation Methods on the Consequence of Final Exam for Freshman Medical Students

Background & Objective: In Iran, evaluation is one of the most important bases of medical education and one of the best criteria for the categorization of medical universities. Therefore, we aimed to compare some methods of evaluation for medical students. Methods: The target group included all basic level medical students studying medical mycology during the fifth semester. The tested methods of evaluations were: development test, post-test, class reports, and final exam. Three groups of evaluation were compared as a course plan of mycology for nine sessions. Results: There was a significant direct relation between the midterm and final exam, so that the increased midterm and post-test marks caused improvement in the final exam. Moreover, there was a relative correlation between the class reports and final exam. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that each tested continuous evaluation is able to improve the final exams. Keywords Evaluation Medical students Final exam Midterm Post-tes

ASPERGILLUS MONITORING PROJECT IN A LARGE EDUCATIONAL HOSPITAL USING MOLECULAR

Our main object was to use a rapid and cheap molecular method for monitoring of Aspergillus infections and epidemiological approaches. Different molecular methods such as restriction fragment length polymorphism based on amplification of ribosomal RNA have been employed to identify Aspergilli in the level of species. The subject of our study was a group of hospitalized patients with clinical and subclinical signs of infection. All of the collected clinical specimens were transported to the medical mycology lab and examined for Aspergillus identification. Environmental specimens were collected from air and surfaces inspected for the Aspergillus hospital sources. A morphological study was firstly performed including; growth characteristics and microscopic features of Aspergillus species on mycological media for the identification. For the confirmation of Aspergillus isolates which similarly found in clinical and environmental sources, molecular method polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism was carried out. From the mentioned specimens, 110 fungal isolates included Candida spp., Aspergillus spp. and other fungi. Among the clinical isolates of Aspergilli; Aspergillus flavus (47%), Aspergillus fumigatus (29.4%) and Aspergillus niger (23.6%) were the most frequent species respectively, and also environmental Aspergillus isolates were Aspergillus niger (43.7%), Aspergillus flavus (41.8%), Aspergillus fumigatus (14.7%). Because of facility in use, speed and high sensitivity of diagnosis, the polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism with a single restriction enzyme was very useful in identification of medically important Aspergillus spp

Molecular characterization of Aspergillus infections in an Iranian educational hospital using RAPD-PCR method

Objective(s): The nosocomial infections by Aspergillus species are associated with constructions and increased dust loads in hospital indoors. Our main object was to find the environmental sources of Aspergillus species causing hospital acquired infections. Materials and Methods: The clinical and environmental samplings were performed during 18 months from spring 2010 to summer 2011 in Imam educational hospital, Urmia, Iran. A morphological diagnosis was performed including microscopic characterization of isolated aspergillus from cultured specimens and polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) for the identification in the level of species. Random amplified polymorphic DNA – PCR RAPD-PCR using random primers for rDNA gene was performed to compare Aspergillus isolates of clinical cases with the relevant environmental sources. Results: Use of RAPD method resulted various differential patterns, so that some Aspergillus isolates from the clinical and hospital indoor were completely matched (matched pairs) and some other Aspergillus isolates were not matched.  In the case of matched pairs, Aspergillus niger and A. flavus isolated from broncoalveolar lavage and sinus discharge were relevant to those of air conditioner and walls surfaces, respectively. Conclusion: The hospital sources for the Aspergillus clinical isolates included air condition and walls. RAPD-PCR analysis can play a trivial role to find the hospital sources of Aspergillus clinical isolates

Detection of efflux pump gene cepA in Klebsiella pneumonia and its effect on resistance to biocides

Background & Aims: Klebsiella pneumonia (K.pneumonia) is one of the causative agents of lung infections, wound infections, urinary tract, and bloody diarrhea. One of the most common ways of transmission in neonatal and surgical wards is through hospital staff, nurses, and physicians. It could be transmitted to hospitalized patients and personnel through feces, respiratory secretions, contaminated equipment, and hands. To prevent the transmission of nosocomial infections, hand washing of employees with biocides can be effective. Materials & Methods: The minimum inhibitory concentration of 65 K.pneumonia isolates was determined according to CLSI guidelines compared to common biocides used in educational hospitals in Urmia, Iran, such as benzalkonium chloride and chlorhexidine. PCR was performed to evaluate the presence of cepA genes. Results: The results showed a significant relationship between the presence of cepA gene and high MIC compared to chlorhexidine bioside in K. pneumoniae. But there was no significant relationship between the presence of cepA gene and multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates. Conclusion: It is concluded that, detection of cepA gene or other genes involving drug resistance should be extended by using another tests with more reliability and reproducibility like gene expressions and gene cloning methods

Comparison of Biochemical and Molecular Methods for the Identification of Candida Species Causing Vulvovaginal Candidiasis and Recurring Vulvovaginal Candidiasis

Background and Aim: Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a common clinical problem that affects most adult women at least once during their life time. Many also have frequently recurring yeast infections (RVVC) caused by Candida albicans and non albicans Candida species. We studied use of CHROMagar Candida and PCR-RFLP to compare their differential ability and time consuming.  Materials and Methods: Vaginal discharge samples of all women with clinical signs were cultured on CHROM agar Candida medium .After an overnight incubation at 37°C, growth coloration of Candida isolates compared with those of standard patterns. PCR-RFLP using restriction enzyme Msp I were used for the identification of more  Candida isolates in the level of species.Results: Totally 192 vaginal discharge samples were obtained from the women with vulvovaginitis clinical signs. 90 patients had Candida vulvovaginitis, 11 case were RVVC. The Candida species which were identified included, C.albicans (78.8%), C.glabrata (7.7 %), C. parapsilosis (6.6%) , C. tropicalis (4.4 %) and C. krusei (2.2 %). Conclusions: We concluded that, use of PCR-RFLP is recommended for the identification of Candida species causing VVC and RVVC in accompany with the culture based methods, regarding to its differential power and speed

Interspecies differences of candida species causing recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis in response to fluconazole treatment

Background: Looking at the increased incidence of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis and refractory resulting from such non-albicans Candida species in recent decades, this study was performed aiming the use of rapid biochemical and molecular detection of drug-resistant Candida species in response to fluconazole in patients with vulvovaginal candidiasis and recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis. Methods: The cross-sectional study was performed at Kowsar Gynecology Center, Motahhari educational hospital and Medical Mycology Center, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia, Iran, from October 2013 to July 2015. Those patients referred to the clinic with symptoms of vaginal discharge, itching or burning that swab samples from endo-exocervix and distal fornix discharge were taken. The vaginal discharge samples submitted to Medical Mycology Center, Urmia School of Medicine for the direct microscopic examination and cultures. Identification at the level of species was performed using CHROMagar Candida and Corn meal agar media. The molecular test polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) used for confirming culture results. For the susceptibility assay, disc diffusion method was performed with fluconazole and clotrimazole. Results: In these study 198 samples collected from patients with symptoms of vulvovaginal candidiasis, 77 vulvovaginal candidiasis cases were identified. Candida species are common in primary and recurrent cases in terms of frequency, Candida albicans (85.7%), Candida krusei (10.2%) and Candida glabrata (4.1%) were identified respectively. Total of 27 cases of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis, 10 cases were resistant to both clotrimazole and fluconazole (37%) was observed that the most common species are resistant to treatment were Candida albicans by (82.1%), Candida krusei (14.3%) and Candida glabrata (3.6%) respectively. Drug resistance in Candida albicans, Candida krusei and Candida glabrata causing recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis included 69.1%, 75% and 100% respectively. Conclusion: Our findings have shown frequency of resistant non-albicans Candida species to fluconazole and clotrimazole is increasing. There is a considerable difference between Candida albicans and non-albicans species, Candida glabrata for the resistance to fluconazole and clotrimazole

Medium optimization for extracellular urate oxidase production by a newly isolated Aspergillus Niger

Urate oxidase is a peroxisomal enzyme with four equal subunits that convert uric acid to allantoin, a more soluble metabolite for excretion. The usage of uricase as a drug in medicine is to treat hyperuricemia. Many microorganisms have been used for uricase production such as Streptomyces exfoliates, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Aspergillus flavus. In this study, soil samples were collected and then cultured in a screening medium including uric acid as the sole carbon source. Samples with the higher ability of uricase production were selected for enzyme assay. Enzyme activity was measured by spectrophotometry and the sample with the maximal uricase activity was identified as Aspergillus niger and selected for further studies. According to the results of experiments, the optimized temperature for enzyme production by Aspergillus niger was determined to be 35±2°C. The best carbon and nitrogen source was glucose and NH4NO3, and the highest enzyme activity was observed in the presence of Cu2+ ion

Identification of Aspergillus species using a single restriction enzyme MwoI in RFLP method based on the amplification of rDNA gene.

Background: Aspergillus species are occasionally associated with human infections. It is essential to find a rapid and reliable method to identify these fungi and can be useful for screening the disease and also epidemiological aims. Materials and Methods: Our subjects included Aspergillus species isolated from clinical and environmental sources of four Iranian educational hospitals. Aspergilli were primarily identified using morphological methods in the level of species. Aspergillus mycelia were harvested from sabouraud broth media and the used for the DNA extraction by Glass beads-Phenol Chloroform method. Ribosomal DNA gene was amplified using the universal primers of ITS. The resulted PCR products were subjected to a digestion with a novel restriction enzyme, MwoI in RFLP method. Results: We could identify eight important species of Aspergillus including: A. flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, A. terreus, A. clavatus, A. nidulans, A. ochraceus, A. amsteloidami using tested molecular method. The identification of Aspergillus species was carried out using a protocol including, extraction, PCR and RFLP in a short time 36 hour culture . Conclusion: The method of the PCR-RFLP based on ribosomal DNA gene with the novel restriction enzyme, MwoI enabled us to identify the most medically important Aspergillus species in a short time