Organelle Isolation for Proteomics: Mitochondria from Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

Mitochondria play key roles in many cell functions including energy production, fatty acid metabolism, pyrimidine biosynthesis, calcium homeostasis, and aging. They also regulate crucial signaling cascades such as apoptosis and oxidative stress. The proteome is often used to investigate the functional correlations on protein levels. Based upon the human, genome there is estimated 2000 to 2500 associated mitochondrial proteins, however, just over 600-800 have been identified at the protein level. For this reason, mitochondria contain a great number of proteins that have yet to be identified and characterized. The identification of these proteins can help in discovery of biological process. This protocol focuses on step-by-step procedure of mitochondrial proteome extraction from peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) mitochondria. The isolation and preparation procedures described here require 6 hours approximately

Comparing the Severity of Injury and Trauma Pattern between Scooter and Street Motorcycle Riders; a Prospective Cohort Study

Introduction: The popularity of motorcycle riding in Iran is increasing. However, there is a lack of information about the safety of different motorcycle types. This study aimed to compare the severity of injury and trauma pattern between scooter (vespa) and street (standard) motorcycle riders. Method: In a prospective cohort study, a comparison of demographics, injury severity, trauma pattern, and clinical characteristics between 324 riders (162 Vespa and 162 standard motorcycles) admitted to emergency departments was undertaken. The risk factors associated with severe injuries in the two groups were also determined. An emergency medicine specialist determined the severity of trauma based on the abbreviated injury scale (AIS). Results: The Odds Ratio (OR) of severe injuries was significantly higher in the standard motorcycle riders’ group (OR: 3.09; 95% CI: 1.9-4.21; p: 0.013). The frequency of lower extremity fractures was significantly lower in the Vespa group (OR: 4.11; 95% CI: 2.01-6.25; p = 0.012). The frequency of admission to the intensive care unit was significantly higher in the standard motorbike riders’ group (OR: 1.64; 95% CI: 1.11-2.51; p = 0.033). The multivariate analysis indicated that motorcycle type, the speed at the time of the accident, use of helmet, and age of riders are the most important predictors of trauma severity in riders (p<0.05). Conclusion: The pattern of injury varies between standard and Vespa motorcycles. The standard motorcycle riders were prone to a higher risk of adverse outcomes such as severe injuries. Due to the particular structure of scooters, the rate of lower limb injuries was significantly lower than standard motorcycles

Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties of Zung SelfRating Depression Scale in Women with a Sick Child

Background: Considering the necessity of using a valid and reliable tool to assess depression in women and the lack of similar tools in Iran, the purpose of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZSDS) with an emphasis on factor analysis among Iranian women with sick children.. Methods: In the cross-sectional psychometric study, 102 eligible women were selected by multistage cluster sampling from various environments such as healthcare centers, hospitals, and public and private institutions, who completed the ZSDS. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using testretest and internal consistency, and its validity was tested by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results: Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the total scale were equal to 0.73, and high test-retest reliability indicated the appropriate reliability of ZSDS. The CFA results indicated a poor fit of the model in determining the factors as initially expressed in ZSDS. After removing six questions with low factor loadings and freeing the covariance error between the two questions, the model was adequately fitted (CMIN/DF= 1.3, CFI= 0.92, TLI= 0.90, GFI= 0.89).Conclusions: Based on our study, the ZSDS is convenient for identifying clinically significant depressive symptoms among women with sick children. Keywords: Child, Psychometric, Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale, Wome

Is liver fibrosis in association with opium addiction and intravenous drug abuse among hepatitis C virus-infected patients?

Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a prevalent etiology that leads to cirrhosis. Various factors affect liver fibrosis progression. In the current study, we aimed to assess the probable role of opium consumption and intravenous drug abuse(IVDU) on liver inflammation and fibrosis. Methods: This is a case-control study conducted on 58 patients with hepatitis C virus infection in 2012. Anti-HCV antibody and quantitative HCV-RNA burden were performed for all patients. Then, they underwent a liver biopsy for the determination of inflammation grading and liver fibrosis based on the Hepatic Activity Index(HAI). Regarding inflammation grade, patients were divided into two groups of 0-4 grade as controls and 5-18 as cases. Considering the fibrosis score, patients were divided into two groups of 0-2 score as controls and 3-6 score as cases. Results: This study was conducted on HCV positive patients; among them, 74.1% were smokers, and 53.4% were opium addicts. Regarding liver inflammation grading, 52.2% of cases and 25.7% of controls were IVDU and 65.2% versus 45.7% were opium addict (P-value=0.04 and 0.145, respectively). On the other hand, regarding fibrosis score, 60% of cases versus 50% of controls were opium addicts, while 30% of cases versus 39% of controls were IVDUs (P-value&gt;0.05). Conclusion: Contrary to the previous studies, we found no association between opium addiction with either liver inflammation or fibrosis. Based on this study, IVDU was only associated with liver inflammation, but liver fibrosis