734-738 Tatera indica in Estahban, Southern Iran: Microscopy, culture, isoenzyme and PCR

ABSTRACT Objectives: This study identifies the infected rodent hosts to Leishmania major in Estahban town, southern Iran during [2004][2005]. Methodology: The rodents were caught alive from April 2004 to April 2005 in Estahban town, south of Iran and examined for any skin lesion. An impression was provided from the tissues of feet, tail, ears and any patent lesion, stained with Giemsa and studied microscopically for the presence of amastigotes. All samplings were cultured at 25ºC in rabbit blood agar and considered negative if no promastigotes were visible during a two months period. The parasites from any positive culture were cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen pending their identification in PCR and isoenzyme electrophoresis. The femoral bones were histologically and ultrastrucrurally studied. Results: Among 13 captured rodents, 8 were Tatera indica (5 male and 3 female Indian gerbils) and 5 were Rattus rattus (3 males and 2 females). Just one female T. indica was smear-positive for amastigotes in Mohmmad Abad village. This rodent was also found culture positive for leishmanial infection which was confirmed by PCR and enzyme electrophoresis. At histological and ultrastructural levels, many clusters of amastigotes were noticed in the foamy macrophages of the femoral bone bone marrow. Conclusion: T. indica was found for the first time in the area and can be one of the rodents to be a potential reservoir host of L. major. It was also shown that femoral bone marrow was the tissue of choice to confirm the presence of macrophages containing the amastigote form of the parasite

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Abstract Background and Objectives: Coronary angiography is the most accurate and standard method for investigating the anatomic status and blood supply to the heart tissue; however, this method has been overused during the past decade. The present study aimed to investigate the appropriateness of coronary angiography in the patients referred to the selected hospital clinics in Shiraz, Iran. Methods: This study included 280 outpatients who were referred to seven selected hospitals of Shiraz for coronary angiography. In order to collect the data regarding the patients and the angiography use, a questionnaire and a checklist were utilized. All the analyses were performed in SPSS, version 15. Results: Among 280 angiography cases, 206 (73.6%), 34 (12.2%), and 40 (14.3%) cases were considered as appropriate, uncertain, and inappropriate, respectively. Due to the 40 cases of inappropriate use of angiography, 19000 US dollars have been imposed on the insurance organizations as well as the patients. Conclusion: Senior managers of healthcare centers are recommended to pay special attention to the performance of diagnostic as well as therapeutic procedures according to the reliable and standard guidelines. Besides, insurance organizations and other institutes which reimburse the expenses should consider the appropriateness of application of angiography as a basis for the imbursement