Association of the p53 Codon 72 Polymorphism with Colorectal Cancer in South West of Iran

Abstract—The p53 tumor suppressor gene plays two important roles in genomic stability: blocking cell proliferation after DNA damage until it has been repaired, and starting apoptosis if the damage is too critical. Codon 72 exon4 polymorphism (Arg72Pro) of the P53 gene has been implicated in cancer risk. Various studies have been done to investigate the status of p53 at codon 72 for arginine (Arg) and proline (Pro) alleles in different populations and also the association of this codon 72 polymorphism with various tumors. Our objective was to investigate the possible association between P53 Arg72Pro polymorphism and susceptibility to colorectal cancer among Isfahan and Chaharmahal Va Bakhtiari (a part of south west of Iran) population. We investigated the status of p53 at codon 72 for Arg/Arg, Arg/Pro and Pro/Pro allele polymorphisms in blood samples from 145 colorectal cancer patients and 140 controls by Nested-PCR of p53 exon 4 and digestion with BstUI restriction enzyme and the DNA fragments were then resolved by electrophoresis in 2% agarose gel. The Pro allele was 279 bp, while the Arg allele was restricted into two fragments of 160 and 119 bp. Among the 145 colorectal cancer cases 49 cases (33.79%) were homozygous for the Arg72 allele (Arg/Arg), 18 cases (12.41%) were homozygous for the Pro72 allele (Pro/Pro) and 78 cases (53.8%) found in heterozygous (Arg/Pro). In conclusion, it can be said that p53Arg/Arg genotype may be correlated with possible increased risk of this kind of cancers in south west of Ira

Sensitivity and Specificity of Procalcitonin in Diagnosis of Neonatal Sepsis

Background and Objective: According to the fact that neonatal infection is a challenging diagnosis field, several studies have tried to test sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic tests. This study was conducted to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of procalcitonin (PCT) as a single early marker of neonatal sepsis. Materials and Methods: In this study, 150 neonates admitted to NICU and neonatal ward in Shahrekord Hajar hospital were enrolled. A full workup including blood cultureand other tests and PCT was conductede. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values for PCT was determined. Results: It was found out that 8 patients had definite infection, 15 patients had possible infection, and 127 patients had no infection. Although PCT was not able to significantly differentiate between those with definite and possible infections (p>0.05), but there was a significant difference for frequency of abnormal PCT between non-infectious patients and other patients. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of PCT was 87.5%, 87.4%, 30.4%, 99.1%, and 87.41% respectively. Conclusion: Beside the limitation of the sample size, the satisfactory diagnostic characteristics of PCT highlight it as a good measure for diagnosis of neonatal sepsis. Further studies are essential to be carried out

Immunological cross reaction between cancer cells and hydatid cyst

Background and aims: Hydatid cyst is the larval stage of the tape worm Echinococcu granulosus. Anticancer effects of some parasites have been shown. Moreover, existence of common antigens between some parasites especially hydatid cyst and cancers have been reported. So, immunological cross reaction between hydatid cyst and cancer cell antigens has been investigated in this study. Methods: In this laboratory descriptive study, different hydatid cyst antigens were prepared and antibody raised against them in rabbits. In dot immunoblotting, those antigens were probed with sera of patients with cancers (collected from Imam Hossein Hospital in Isfahan). Also, cross reaction among excretory secretory products of cancer cells and antisera raised against different hydatid cyst antigen was investigated. In order to remove carbohydrate bands of antigens, sodium periodate buffer was used. Results: Antisera raised against laminated & germinal layers of hydatid cyst reacted with excretory secretory products of cancer cells. Also, antigens of hydatid cysts reacted with cancer patients sera. Carbohydrate bands of antigens were involved in some immunological cross reactions. Conclusion: Results of this work emphasis existence of common antigens between hydatid cyst and cancers. Therefore, more study about these common antigens is recommende

Utility of blood as the clinical specimen for the diagnosis of ocular toxoplasmosis using uracil DNA glycosylase-supplemented loop-mediated isothermal amplification and real-time polymerase chain reaction assays based on REP-529 sequence and B1 gene

Background: Ocular infection with Toxoplasma gondii is a major preventable cause of blindness, especially in young people. The aim of the present study was to assess detection rate of T. gondii DNA in blood samples of clinically diagnosed of ocular toxoplasmosis using uracil DNA glycosylase-supplemented loop-mediated isothermal amplification (UDG-LAMP) and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) based on REP-529 and B1. Methods: One hundred and seventeen patients with clinically diagnosed ocular toxoplasmosis (OT) were participated in the study as well as 200 control patients. Peripheral blood samples were assessed using UDG-LAMP and qPCR techniques targeting REP-529 and B1. Results: Detection limits of qPCR using REP-529 and B1 were estimated as 0.1 and 1 fg of T. gondii genomic DNA, respectively. The limits of detection for UDG-LAMP using REP-529 and B1 were 1 and 100 fg, respectively. In this study, 18 and 16 patients were positive in qPCR using REP-529 and B1, respectively. Based on the results of UDG-LAMP, 15 and 14 patients were positive using REP-529 and B1, respectively. Results of the study on patients with active ocular lesion showed that sensitivity of REP-529 and BI targets included 64 and 63%, respectively using qPCR. Sensitivity of 62 and 61%, were concluded from UDG-LAMP using REP-529 and B1 in the blood cases of active ocular lesion. qPCR was more sensitive than UDG-LAMP for the detection of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in peripheral blood samples of patients with clinically diagnosed toxoplasmic chorioretinitis. Furthermore, the REP-529 included a better detection rate for the diagnosis of ocular toxoplasmosis in blood samples, compared to that the B1 gene did. Moreover, the qPCR and UDG-LAMP specificity assessments have demonstrated no amplifications of DNAs extracted from other microorganisms based on REP-529 and B1. Conclusions: Data from the current study suggest that qPCR and UDG-LAMP based on the REP-529 are promising diagnostic methods for the diagnosis of ocular toxoplasmosis in blood samples of patients with active chorioretinal lesions

Evaluate the Response Rate of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Patients to Hyper Cyclophosphamide, Vincristine, Adriamycin, and Dexamethasone Regimen and Remission Rate to Stay Until the End of the Arbitrary Treatment

Background: This study aimed to determine the effect of Hyper-Cyclophosphamide, Vincristine, Adriamycin, and Dexamethasone (CVAD) in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients and remission duration. Materials and Methods: During a cross-sectional study in the Seyed Al-Shohada Hospital in Isfahan, patients with ALL who were admitted and treated from 2011 to 2015 because of the risk of ALL were selected and through the records investigation, demographic information, disease information, treatment, remission duration, current status, and duration of survival were collected in the form of data and are sick after going into remission, including the duration and recurrence remission survival time in treatment were analyzed and consequence, whether the patient is going into remission, remission and relapse and survival time based on the duration of treatment were analyzed. Results: Of the 62 patients, 13 patients after starting of treatment did not go to remission and died, but 49 patients (79%) went into complete remission. 21 of them of Hyper-CVAD group and 28 patients of classical treatment group (75/7% vs. 84%), but the difference was not significant (P = 0.43). Of the 48 patients who had a complete remission with the treatment regimen, ten patients relapsed after treatment with two of them of Hyper-CVAD group and eight patients were in the classical treatment group (9/5% vs. 29/6%), and the difference between the two groups was significant (P = 0.015). Conclusion: Hyper-CVAD regimen resulted in increased survival time of patients with ALL and less disease recurrence and therefore contraindications for use if the existing rules, and under the supervision of treatment, can be used

The effect of Ramadan fasting on hematological parameters

Background: Ramadan fasting is an obligation for many Muslims around the world who abstain from eating and drinking for one month, which has different medical and physiological effects, such as reducing blood pressure, lipid profile, blood glucose, and body weight. It has also been hypothesized that Ramadan fasting may induce some changes in the hematologic parameters. Thus, we aimed to investigate the effect of Ramadan fasting on blood cell count (CBC), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Methods: In the present study, 59 adult healthy individuals, who had completed one month of Ramadan fasting were included. Fasting blood samples were analyzed for ESR, hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), white blood cell (WBC), platelet count (PLT), mean corpuscular Volume (MCV) and mean platelet volume (MPV), one day before, on the second and last week of Ramadan and one month after Ramadan (phase I , II, III,  and IV, respectively). Results: 34 men and 25 women with an age range of 15 to 24 years participated in the study. Mean ESR increased significantly (except phase IV, in comparison phase III). Mean Hb and Hct levels were significantly greater in phase III than phase I (PConclusion: Ramadan fasting has statistically significant effects on hematological parameters, which were within normal range

Establishment Of A Method For Describing Stx Genes Expression Of E.coli O157:h7 In Ground Beef Matrix During Refrigerated Storage

Ingredients and complexity of food matrices are inhibitory factors for gene expression studies of bacterial pathogens directly from food matrix. The aim of this study was to develop a simple and fast method for RNA extraction from ground beef matrix as well as stx genes expression of Escherichia coliO157:H7 by relative quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Inoculated ground beef samples were kept 7 days in refrigerated storage (41C) and bacterial RNA was extracted according to the described method at 0, 2, 5 and 7 days after storage. Results indicate that refrigerated storage temperature decreased gene expression of stx1A (-3.35 relative changes on day 7) and stx2A (-2.9 relative changes on day 7) in ground beef matrix. In the current study, a method requiring minimal equipment and limited interference for RNA extraction from bacteria associated with a meat matrix was evaluated (developed, invested, etc.). Results of the study suggest that the quantitative real-time RT-PCR method could be used as a reliable and sensitive method for gene expression studies.362220226National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute (NNFTRI) of Ira

Macroeconomic resilience and bankruptcy of the banking system (Cross-country study)

The purpose of this paper is to estimate the effect of macroeconomic resilience on the probability of bankruptcy of the banking system in its various frameworks (Briguglio - Boorman) using annual data (2005-2016) for 125 countries in the form of models Logite and Probit. Overall results show that the increases of economic resilience and economic growth rate have reduced the probability of bankruptcy. Based on Briguglio model, the effect of increasing good governance and market efficiency on the probability of bankruptcy is negative, and increasing macroeconomic instability has increased the probability of bankruptcy. In the pattern of Boorman, The growth of variables such as good governance, the health of monetary policy, foreign power, export independence, bank credit and reserves have reduced the probability of bankruptcy and increased budget deficits have increased the probability of bankruptcy. Also, the improvement of institutions with the effect on macroeconomic instability has reduced the probability of bankruptcy. The effect of nonperformance loan has been positive and the effect of the ratio of capital adequacy ratio, margin of profit, return on assets and the existence of cash assets is negative

Intelligent speed control of hybrid stepper motor considering model uncertainty using brain emotional learning

This paper presents an implementation of the brain emotional learning-based intelligent controller (BELBIC) for precise speed tracking of the hybrid stepper motor (HSM). Such a configuration is applicable where high resolution and accuracy is essential particularly in uncertain conditions. The proposed controller is a model-free controller independent of the model dynamics and variations that occur in a system. It is capable of autolearning to handle unforeseen disturbances. To evaluate the performance of the BELBIC controller in realistic conditions, the uncertainty of the system as a result of mechanical parameter variation and load torque disturbance is considered. To verify an excellent dynamic performance and the feasibility of the BELBIC, the system is simulated in MATLAB Simulink, and the results of the simulation are compared with an optimized proportional integral (PI) controller. The simulation results confirm the superior performance of the BELBIC for fast and precise speed response as well as its potential in dealing with nonlinearity and uncertainty handling as compared with that of the PI controller. The proposed controller is used in realistic applications, such as tunable-laser system and robot-assisted surgery

Electrostatic Self-Cleaning Gecko-like Adhesives

Using a two-phase square wave at 5Hz frequency to remove 100 μm glass beads on directional gecko-like adhesiv