THE PREVALENCE OF CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS IN EAST OF AHVAZ COUNTY, SOUTH-WESTERN IRAN

Objectives: Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is a zoonotic parasitological disease. This disease cause always important health challenges for the human communities. It is common in many parts of the globe. This research was designed to determine the epidemiology of CL in East of Ahvaz County during 2003- 2013. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The disease was diagnosed based on clinical examination and microscopic observation of the parasite in the ulcer site. The patient's Information such as age, gender, number and sites of ulcer (s) on the body, month and residence area were recorded. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software. Results: Totally, 2287 cases were detected during 2003 2013. About 53.4 patients were male and 46.4 female. The highest frequency infected age groups were observed in 10-19 years old (n=550 ,24). Nearly 37 of the patients had one and 38.1 had three ulcers. The most common location of ulcers were on hands (n=1022, 44.7) and then on feet (n=501, 21.9). Totally 1877 of the patients were infected in rural areas. Based on the appearance of the lesion it was found that 410 cases (17.9) were of the dry type and 1877 cases (82.1) were wet type. Concluaions: Such high prevalence and incidence rates are alarming and require control and prevention measures. Further epidemiological studies of CL are suggested

Survey on Epidemiological Status and Incidence Rate of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Abadan County, Khuzestan Province, Southwestern Iran

Cutaneous Lieshmaniasis (CL) has been considered as a large hygienic challenge, and the epidemiological studies have been useful in controlling this problem, and also taking prevention stages. Khuzestan Province is one of the common foci of the wet or rural zoonotic CL in Iran. Due to the lack of data about the epidemiology and prevalence of CL in Abadan County (30 degrees 16'N 48 degrees 34'E), this study was conducted in this area within 2011-2015. This descriptive-analytical study was based on 179 cases of CL submitted to the medical and health centers of Abadan County (30 degrees 42'02''N 49 degrees 49'53''E) during the past years. The study was done by extracting the demographic and epidemiologic data from a standard information questionnaire as well as analyzing the study data via SPSS software with chi-square and T tests. Demographic information-epidemiologic features, such as the number and location of lesions on the body, job, month, season, age, gender was collected. The patients were diagnosed by direct microscopic examination of the samples and clinical information. All ethical issues were also addressed. The average incidence rate was reported to be 0,15 / 1000 person. The results revealed that the number of the infected cases in Abadan was 179 people during the study. The most frequent age group was 21-30 years old (24.6). Meanwhile, about 54.7 of CL patients were male and 45.3 were female. Housekeepers had the highest incidence (29.1) of CL. The analysis of the lesions on the different parts of the body showed that 24.3 of the lesions occurred on the hand, 20.1 on the foot, 14.5 on the hand as well foot, and 11.7 on the face. The maximum number of CL cases was reported in the autumn with 34.1. Most of the cases were seen in October (14.5) and November (12.3). About 59.2 of the patients had one ulcer. The findings showed an increasing and decreasing trend of the incidence and prevalence rate of CL over the period study in this area. Also, CL has been remaining a health threat in the future. Therefore, it is recommended that the regional authorities pay more attention to control the spread of the disease

A checklist of scorpions in Iran (by 2017)

Aim: The present study aimed at compiling an updated checklist of scorpion species in 2017. Methods: scorpion, species, classification, Iran, and family were taken as keywords and were searched in the websites related to credible academic journals and scientific databases such as Web of Science, Ovid, PubMed, Systematic Review, SID, Iran Medex, Scirus, Google Scholar, and Medline. The search was more focused on species identification and included all articles published by 2017. A total of 150 articles were examined, of which 75 were selected as they involved the scorpion species found in Iran. Results and Discussion: Scorpions have attracted a great degree of attention, owing to possess a painful sting, poisonous venom, and sometimes fatal venom. In the past 50 years, scorpions have been studied from different biological and toxicological aspects in Iran. These efforts have been more focused on identifying different species of this animal. From among the 64 scorpion species reported in Iran, 86 belonged to the Buthidae family, 9.5 to the Hemiscorpiidae family, and 4.5 to the Scorpionidae family. The species were mainly reported to inhabit southern and southwestern Iran. The number of scorpion species reported in Iran has increased in the past 50 years. This trend will continue as more accurate studies are going to be conducted in this field. Conclusion: Iran is among the countries which have been reported to have a great number of species especial the dangerous ones. © 2018 BRNSS Publication Hub. All rights reserved

Introducing of a new sting agent of velvet ant dentilla sp. (hymenoptera: Mutillidae) in Kashan, centerl of Iran (2014-2015)

Background: Velvet ants (Mutillid wasps) are among the venomous and stinging insects, which their existence has been reported from different areas of Iran. Objectives: Since no study has been done so far in Iran in regards to their sting, their clinical complications and their sting are studied for the first time in Kashan. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study that was performed during 2014-2015, 49 individuals stung by velvet ants in the residential areas in Kashan were assessed. Identification of the sting agent was according to the morphologic specifications of the collected samples of the insect in the houses of the injured. Sting complications in the individuals were studied according to the clinical manifestation and the time of the sting, which was from June to September. Results: In this study, the sting agent was identified as velvet ants, Dentilla genus. Most sting cases were in the age group of 11-20 years with 30.5 and the lowest belonged to the age groups of 31-40 and 41-50 years. The first sign of the sting was a severe and sharp pain. The highest percentage of redness in the individuals was 47 in the first day, and the lowest belonged to four or five days after the sting with 2. Intense itching was one of the main symptoms of velvet ant stings. In the final stages of pain and itching, hemolysis and bruise signs were observed as brown spots. Conclusions: Velvet ant stings have not been reported so far from Kashan. Due to the high cases of stinging in the women carpet weaving workshops, their sitting rooms, and bed rooms, it can be concluded that this arthropod is a domestic pest. Therefore, control and prevention of its potential damages must be programmed accordingly. © 2018, Archives of Clinical Infectious Diseases

The Alberta Heart Failure Etiology and Analysis Research Team (HEART) study

Background Nationally, symptomatic heart failure affects 1.5-2% of Canadians, incurs $3 billion in hospital costs annually and the global burden is expected to double in the next 1–2 decades. The current one-year mortality rate after diagnosis of heart failure remains high at >25%. Consequently, new therapeutic strategies need to be developed for this debilitating condition. Methods/Design The objective of the Alberta HEART program (http://albertaheartresearch.ca) is to develop novel diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic approaches to patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. We hypothesize that novel imaging techniques and biomarkers will aid in describing heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Furthermore, the development of new diagnostic criteria will allow us to: 1) better define risk factors associated with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction; 2) elucidate clinical, cellular and molecular mechanisms involved with the development and progression of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction; 3) design and test new therapeutic strategies for patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Additionally, Alberta HEART provides training and education for enhancing translational medicine, knowledge translation and clinical practice in heart failure. This is a prospective observational cohort study of patients with, or at risk for, heart failure. Patients will have sequential testing including quality of life and clinical outcomes over 12 months. After that time, study participants will be passively followed via linkage to external administrative databases. Clinical outcomes of interest include death, hospitalization, emergency department visits, physician resource use and/or heart transplant. Patients will be followed for a total of 5 years. Discussion Alberta HEART has the primary objective to define new diagnostic criteria for patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. New criteria will allow for targeted therapies, diagnostic tests and further understanding of the patients, both at-risk for and with heart failure

ACE2 Deficiency Enhances Angiotensin II-Mediated Aortic Profilin-1 Expression, Inflammation and Peroxynitrite Production

Inflammation and oxidative stress play a crucial role in angiotensin (Ang) II-mediated vascular injury. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has recently been identified as a specific Ang II-degrading enzyme but its role in vascular biology remains elusive. We hypothesized that loss of ACE2 would facilitate Ang II-mediated vascular inflammation and peroxynitrite production. 10-week wildtype (WT, Ace2+/y) and ACE2 knockout (ACE2KO, Ace2−/y) mice received with mini-osmotic pumps with Ang II (1.5 mg.kg−1.d−1) or saline for 2 weeks. Aortic ACE2 protein was obviously reduced in WT mice in response to Ang II related to increases in profilin-1 protein and plasma levels of Ang II and Ang-(1–7). Loss of ACE2 resulted in greater increases in Ang II-induced mRNA expressions of inflammatory cytokines monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 without affecting tumor necrosis factor-α in aortas of ACE2KO mice. Furthermore, ACE2 deficiency led to greater increases in Ang II-mediated profilin-1 expression, NADPH oxidase activity, and superoxide and peroxynitrite production in the aortas of ACE2KO mice associated with enhanced phosphorylated levels of Akt, p70S6 kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). Interestingly, daily treatment with AT1 receptor blocker irbesartan (50 mg/kg) significantly prevented Ang II-mediated aortic profilin-1 expression, inflammation, and peroxynitrite production in WT mice with enhanced ACE2 levels and the suppression of the Akt-ERK-eNOS signaling pathways. Our findings reveal that ACE2 deficiency worsens Ang II-mediated aortic inflammation and peroxynitrite production associated with the augmentation of profilin-1 expression and the activation of the Akt-ERK-eNOS signaling, suggesting potential therapeutic approaches by enhancing ACE2 action for patients with vascular diseases

TrpC3 Regulates Hypertrophy-Associated Gene Expression without Affecting Myocyte Beating or Cell Size

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy is associated with an increased risk of heart failure and cardiovascular mortality. Calcium (Ca2+) -regulated gene expression is essential for the induction of hypertrophy, but it is not known how myocytes distinguish between the Ca2+ signals that regulate contraction and those that lead to cardiac hypertrophy. We used in vitro neonatal rat ventricular myocytes to perform an RNA interference (RNAi) screen for ion channels that mediate Ca2+-dependent gene expression in response to hypertrophic stimuli. We identified several ion channels that are linked to hypertrophic gene expression, including transient receptor potential C3 (TrpC3). RNAi-mediated knockdown of TrpC3 decreases expression of hypertrophy-associated genes such as the A- and B-type natriuretic peptides (ANP and BNP) in response to numerous hypertrophic stimuli, while TrpC3 overexpression increases BNP expression. Furthermore, stimuli that induce hypertrophy dramatically increase TrpC3 mRNA levels. Importantly, whereas TrpC3-knockdown strongly reduces gene expression associated with hypertrophy, it has a negligible effect on cell size and on myocyte beating. These results suggest that Ca2+ influx through TrpC3 channels increases transcription of genes associated with hypertrophy but does not regulate the signaling pathways that control cell size or contraction. Thus TrpC3 may represent an important therapeutic target for the treatment of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure

A Disintegrin and Metalloenzyme (ADAM) 17 Activation Is Regulated by α5β1 Integrin in Kidney Mesangial Cells

The disintegrin and metalloenzyme ADAM17 participates in numerous inflammatory and proliferative diseases, and its pathophysiological role was implicated in kidney fibrosis, polycystic kidney disease and other chronic kidney diseases. At present, we have little understanding how the enzyme activity is regulated. In this study we wanted to characterize the role of α5β1 integrin in ADAM17 activity regulation during G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) stimulation.We showed previously that the profibrotic GPCR agonist serotonin (5-HT) induced kidney mesangial cell proliferation through ADAM17 activation and heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF) shedding. In the present studies we observed that in unstimulated mesangial cell lysates α5β1 integrin co-precipitated with ADAM17 and that 5-HT treatment of the cells induced dissociation of α5β1 integrin from ADAM17. Using fluorescence immunostaining and in situ proximity ligation assay, we identified the perinuclear region as the localization of the ADAM17/α5β1 integrin interaction. In cell-free assays, we showed that purified α5β1 integrin and β1 integrin dose-dependently bound to and inhibited activity of recombinant ADAM17. We provided evidence that the conformation of the integrin determines its ADAM17-binding ability. To study the effect of β1 integrin on ADAM17 sheddase activity, we employed alkaline phosphatase-tagged HB-EGF. Overexpression of β1 integrin lead to complete inhibition of 5-HT-induced HB-EGF shedding and silencing β1 integrin by siRNA significantly increased mesangial cells ADAM17 responsiveness to 5-HT.Our data show for the first time that β1 integrin has an important physiological role in ADAM17 activity regulation. We suggest that regulating α5β1 integrin binding to ADAM17 could be an attractive therapeutic target in chronic kidney diseases