EPIDEMIOLOGY OF VIRAL GASTROENTERITIS IN IRAN

Viruses are prominent causative agents of acute gastroenteritis in children <5 years of age per year.(1) In the present review, all viral gastroenteritis studies in Iran were assessed, and the mean prevalences of rotaviruses, noroviruses, enteric adenoviruses, sapoviruses and astroviruses associated with acute gastroenteritis were 39.9%, 6%, 5.7%, 4.2% and 2.7%, respectively. In 2 studies, human bocavirus and human parechovirus were detected in 21.8% and 23.7% of children with acute gastroenteritis, respectively

Update on Epidemiology and Circulating Genotypes of Rotavirus in Iranian Children With Severe Diarrhea: 1986-2015

Rotaviruses are the most common cause of severe diarrhea in children under 5 years of age worldwide with a higher prevalence in developing countries. In accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for the global use of rotavirus vaccines, it is important to review trends of rotavirus epidemiology, distribution and diversity of rotavirus strains in the pre-vaccine period. In Iran, the average rotavirus positivity rate is 40.04% in all patients under 5 years of age hospitalized for acute gastroenteritis (AGE). Studies have shown a substantial increase in the rotavirus detection rate over time from 1986 to 2013. Moreover, there has been continued predominance of G (G1) and P (P[8]) genotypes, although the peak prevalence of G1 appeared to decline in 2007-2011 compared to 2001-2006. The data presented in this review, which suggests a change in the pattern of rotavirus genotypes in the Iranian population, further highlights the important role of continuous monitoring of rotavirus genotypes before starting any national rotavirus vaccination program

Detection of human herpes viruses 1-5 in miscarriage: A case-control study

Background: Miscarriage is the spontaneous pregnancy loss before 24 wk of gestation. The incidence rate of miscarriage over the past few decades has shown steady or even growing trends. Viral intrauterine infections are one of the probable etiological causes of miscarriage. Previous evidence have shown that human herpes viruses (HHVs) could be considered as the potential reasons for intrauterine infections and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Objective: This case-control study aimed to detect HHV1-5 DNAs in placental tissues and assess their association with miscarriage during the first 24 wk of pregnancy in spontaneous and therapeutic abortions. Materials and Methods: Placental tissues from 83 women with spontaneous abortions during the first and the second trimesters of pregnancy and 81 women with therapeutic abortion during the same gestational age were collected. The DNA extraction was performed by the phenol/chloroform method. A part of the DNA polymerase gene of HHVs was amplified with multiplex nested-polymerase chain reaction. The polymerase chain reaction products were subjected to sequencing. Results: The results showed the presence of human cytomegalovirus genome in the placenta of both spontaneous (8.4%) and therapeutic (4.9%) abortions. No statistically significant differences were found between these two groups. The other investigated viruses were not detected here. Conclusion: In conclusion, like some other studies, no correlation was detected between the HHVs placental infections and the increased risk of spontaneous abortions. In order to find the actual role of HHVs infections in miscarriage, further investigations should be performed on a larger sample size in different areas. Key words: Spontaneous abortion, Therapeutic abortion, Infections, Human herpes viruses

Detection of hepatitis G virus envelope protein E2 antibody in blood donors

SummaryObjectivesThe frequency of hepatitis G virus exposure in blood donors varies between 2.5% in Japan to 24.2% in Poland. Therefore there is a geographic difference in distribution of hepatitis G virus (HGV) in the world. We aimed to determine the frequency of HGV exposure in Iranian blood donors.MethodsBlood samples from 478 Iranian volunteer blood donors were tested. Positive anti-E2 samples were tested for HGV RNA by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) using primers derived from the NS5A region of the viral genome.ResultsOf the 478 donors enrolled in our study, five (1%) were positive for anti-E2. Only one donor out of a total of three HBsAg-positive donors was co-infected with HGV, but we did not find HGV and HCV co-infection in our subjects. HGV RNA was not observed in the five anti-E2-positive subjects. We did not find HGV viremia and antibody at the same time.ConclusionA low frequency of HGV exposure in blood donors was found in this study. We did not observe co-infection of HGV with HCV in our subjects, supporting the theory that although the parenteral route is the most effective means of transmission, other routes such as sexual contact and intra-familial contact may also play a role in HGV transmission

Intra-peritoneal and intra-rectal immunogenicity induced by rotavirus virus like particles 2/6/7 in mice

We previously developed virus like particles of rotavirus (RV) with VP2, VP6, and VP7 proteins (VLP2/6/7) using stable High-five cell line. To evaluate the immunogenicity of our construct, we assessed the humoral and cytokine responses induced by VLP2/6/7 in BALB/c mice immunized intra-peritoneally and intra-rectally. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Relative quantitative (RQ) Real-time PCR were used to evaluate the antibody (IgG and IgA) levels in serum and mRNA levels of IL-6, IL-10 and IFN-gamma in spleen cells, respectively. Our results showed that VLP2/6/7 is capable of intra-peritoneal (I.P.) and intra-rectal (I.R.) induction of serum IgG and IgA responses. IgA was detected in fecal samples of immunization groups by I.P. and I.R. routes. Interestingly, I.R. route induced higher IgA titer compared with I.P. route which was statistically significant. Moreover, mRNA levels of IL-6 and IFN-gamma were significantly elevated in mice immunized intra- peritoneally with VLP2/6/7 compared to control group. As such, the mean change was 7.4 (P < 0.05) and 14.8 (P < 0.001) for IFN-gamma and IL-6, respectively. Likewise, the same pattern was found when mice were immunized intra-rectally. Although elevated, the difference in the mean change for IL-10 was not statistically significant when compared to control group. Our findings indicated that VLPs constructed via a stable insect cell line are able to induce both humoral and cellular responses, a similar pattern as observed after immunization with live RVs. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

The interplay between human papillomavirus and vaginal microbiota in cervical cancer development

Abstract Over the past few decades, we have grown accustomed to the idea that human papillomavirus can cause tumors. The genetic and environmental factors that make the difference between elimination of viral infection and the development of cancer are therefore an area of active investigation at present. Microbiota has emerged as an important factor that may affect this balance by increasing or decreasing the ability of viral infection to promote. The female reproductive system has its specific microbiota that helps to maintain health and prevent infection with pathogens. In contrast to other mucosal sites, the vaginal microbiota typically has low diversity and contains few Lactobacillus spp. which by using high-throughput 16s rRNA gene sequencing, classified into five different community state types. According to emerging information, increased diversity of vaginal microbiota and reduced abundance of Lactobacillus spp. contribute to HPV acquisition, persistence, and development of cervical cancer. In this review, the role of normal female reproductive tract microbiota in health, mechanisms which dysbiosis can cause diseases through interaction with microbes and several therapeutic approaches were addressed

Meta-analysis of type-specific human papillomavirus prevalence in Iranian women with normal cytology, precancerous cervical lesions and invasive cervical cancer:Implications for screening and vaccination

To predict the impact of current vaccines on cervical cancer and for the improvement of screening programs, regional data on distribution of human papillomavirus (HPV) types in women with or without cervical cancer is crucial. The present meta-analysis intend to comprehensively evaluate the HPV burden in women with invasive cervical cancer, high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2 and 3), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 1), atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance and normal cytology, as these data will help decision making in regards with screening programs and HPV vaccination in Iran. To determine the HPV prevalence and type distribution in Iranian women with or without cervical cancer, 20 published studies were included in this meta-analysis. In total, 713, 124, 104, 60, and 2577 women invasive cervical cancer, high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2 and 3), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 1), atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance and normal were reviewed, respectively. Overall HPV prevalence in women with invasive cervical cancer, high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2 and 3), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 1), atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance and normal cytology were 77.4%, 71.8%, 65.3%, 61.7%, and 8.4%, respectively. The six most common types were HPV 16, 18, 6/11, 31, and 33; among them HPV 16 was the most frequent type in all five different groups. According to this study, it was estimated that HPV vaccines could have a great impact on prevention of cervical cancer in Iran. In conclusion, this meta-analysis highlights the necessity of introducing vaccination program in Iran. J. Med. Virol. 87:287-295, 2015.</p