Significant correlation of angiotensin converting enzyme and glycoprotein IIIa genes polymorphisms with unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss in north of Iran

Background: Spontaneous abortion is considered as the most complex problem during pregnancy. Thrombophilia is resumed as a cause of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Glycoprotein IIIa (GPIIIa) gene is involved in thrombosis and abortion. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) converts angiotensin I to angiotensin II and is involved in thrombosis. The most common polymorphism in this gene is the insertion/deletion (I/D). Objective: In this study, we analyzed the association between ACE I/D and GPIIIa c.98C >T polymorphisms in women with unexplained RPL from the north of Iran. Materials and Methods: Sample population consisted of 100 women with unexplained RPL and 100 controls. The ACE I/D and GPIIIa c.98C>T polymorphisms were genotyped by TETRA-ARMS PCR. The association between genotypes frequency and RPL were analyzed using χP2P and exact fisher tests. Associated risk with double genotype combinations was also investigated by binary logistic regression. Results: There was significant association between ACE DD genotype and RPL (OR=2.04; 95% CI=0.94-4.44; p=0.036). ACE D Allele was also significantly associated with the RPL (OR=1.59; 95% CI=1.05-2.41; p=0.013). No significant association was observed between GPIIIa c.98C>T polymorphism and RPL. Conclusion: ACE I/D polymorphism may probably be a prognostic factor in female family members of women with the history of recurrent abortion. © 2016, Research and Clinical Center for Infertitlity. All Rights Reserved

Efficacy of antimicrobial agents for food contact applications: Biological activity, incorporation into packaging, and assessment methods: A review

Interest in the utilization of antimicrobial active packaging for food products has increased in recent years. Antimicrobial active packaging involves the incorporation of antimicrobial compounds into packaging materials, with the aim of maintaining or extending food quality and shelf life. Plant extracts, essential oils, organic acids, bacteriocins, inorganic substances, enzymes, and proteins are used as antimicrobial agents in active packaging. Evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of packaging materials using different methods has become a critical issue for both food safety and the commercial utilization of such packaging technology. This article reviews the different types of antimicrobial agents used for active food packaging materials, the main incorporation techniques, and the assessment methods used to examine the antimicrobial activity of packaging materials, taking into account their safety as food contact materials

Alpha-globin gene mutation spectrum in patients with microcytic hypochromic anemia from Mazandaran Province, Iran

Background: It is estimated about 7 of the world population is carriers of hemoglobin diseases. Alpha-thalassemia is one of the most common hereditary hemoglobin disorders in the world. This study investigated alpha-globin mutations in potential carriers with hypochromic and microcytic anemia from Mazandaran, in northern Iran. Methods: A total of 859 subjects were selected; genomic DNA was extracted and examined for the presence of mutations in the alpha-globin genes. Results: Mutation analysis of alpha-globin genes revealed 27 different mutations. Seven variants were seen in 91.45 of all alpha-1 and alpha-2 mutations among patients in this study. The 3.7 kb deletion is the most frequent mutation with a frequency of 49.53, followed by PolyA2 (15.19), â��4.2 deletion (8.76), —MED (5.84), IVSI-5nt deletion (5.49), Hb constant spring (3.62), and Cd 19 (â��G; 3.04), respectively. There are also seven new variants which were reported for the first time either in alpha-1 or alpha-2 genes, including codon 9 (C > A; α2), deletion of codon 60 (AAG deletion; α2), duplication of codon 94-100 plus 3 base pairs of intron 2 (IVSII + 3; α1), codon 99 (C > A; α2), codon 108 (A > G; α2), codon 128 (A > T; α2), and codon 129 (T > G; α2), respectively. The MLPA method also revealed three rare and novel deletions in alpha-cluster region with about 30 kilobases long. Conclusion: This study showed an efficient identification of α-thalassemia can be achieved using standard hematological indices in our population. The details of these variations will help local genetic services for diagnostic and prenatal diagnosis services. © 2019 The Authors. Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc