Effect of Allium sativum Extract on Erythromycin and Methicillin Resistant Bacteria Isolated from Hospital Operating Room

Background: This study aimed to evaluate antibacterial effect of Allium sativum, garlic extract on erythromycin and methicillin resistant bacteria isolated from an operating room in a teaching hospital in Tehran, I.R. Iran. Methods: The antibacterial effect of garlic extract was  investigated on 70 bacterial strains. The selected isolates were resistant to erythromycin and or methicillin, which were isolated from an operating room. Antibiotic sensitivity was done using an agar well diffusion procedure and either a micro dilution method. Each of the bacterial strains were exposed to concentrations of 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 µg/ml of garlic extract, separately. The growth rate of the strains was determined by measurement of the inhibition zone diameter, colony count and either by  measurement of the optical density. Results: The results showed that 70 (100%) of the strains in agar well diffusion method were sensitive to 4- 12 µg/ml of garlic extract with MIC 8 µg/ml. While, the results of micro dilution method showed that 40 out of 70 strains were MIC ≥ 12 µg/ml for GE. Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that the MIC and minimum bactericidal concentration of garlic extract were 8 µg/ml and 16 µg/ml, respectively. These finding indicated that garlic extract inhibit the growth of erythromycin and methicillin resistant bacterial strains

Bacteriological aspects of hand washing: A key for health promotion and infections control

The aim of this review is to show the historical aspects of hands washing for healthy life and explains how can reduce the transmission of community-acquired infectious agents by healthcare workers and patients. This review article is prepared based on available database. The key words used were hands washing, risk assessment, hands hygiene, bacterial flora, contamination, infection, nosocomial, tap water, sanitizer, bacterial resistance, hands bacterial flora, washing methods, antiseptics, healthcare workers, healthcare personnel, from PubMed, ScienceDirect, Embase, Scopus, Web of Sciences, and Google Scholar. Data were descriptively analyzed. The insistence on hand washing has a history of 1400 years. The research results indicate that the bacteria released from the female washed hands in wet and dry condition was lower than from the male′s hands with a significance level (3 CFU vs. 8 CFU; confidence interval 95%, P ≤ 0.001). The valuable results of the study indicated that released amount of bacterial flora from wet hands is more than 10 times in compared to dry hands. In addition, established monitoring systems for washing hands before and after patient′s manipulation as well as after toilet were dominant indices to prevent the transfer of infectious agents to the patients. Increasing awareness and belief of the healthcare workers have shown an important role by about 30% reduction in the transfection. Hand washing could reduce the episodes of transmission of infectious agents in both community and healthcare settings. However, hand washing is an important key factor to prevent transmission of infectious agents to patients. There is no standard method for measuring compliance. Thus, permanent monitoring of hand washing to reduce the transmission of infections is crucial. Finally, the personnel must believe that hand washing is an inevitable approach to infection control

Bacterial meningitis: a new risk factor

Background: The purpose of this study is to discuss a possible new risk factor for the bacterial meningitis. Methods: Cerebrospinal fluid collected from 270 patients was assayed. An enzyme immunosorbent assay for the detection of Staphylococcal enterotoxins A to E was used. Results: The results indicated that the frequency of Coagulase Negative Staphylococci (CoNS) was 35 (20.46%). An important finding of this research was that the CoNS isolates produced enterotoxin C and D or enterotoxin C and E. Conclusions: This is the first report of enterotoxin-producing Coagulase Negative Staphylococci isolated from CSF patients. Therefore, these enterotoxins probably act as risk factors in the bacterial invasion into central nervous system

Detection of Epstein-Barr virus in synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis patients

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most common chronic inflammatory disorders. Genes and environmental factors contribute to RA. Epstein–Barr Virus (EBV) has been considered as one the RA pathogeneses. The aim of this study was to detect of the EBV genome in patients with RA. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 50 samples of synovial fluid were obtained from patients with RA from 2010–2012. Using a standard of the EBV genome and EBNA-1-specific primers, the method of PCR was set up. Then, all of the samples of synovial fluids separately were subjected to DNA extraction and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 18.0. The statistical analysis was performed by the t-test. Results: The demographic and laboratory characteristic assay revealed that the mean age of patients was 49, and the patients were 60% males and 40% females. In addition, in all cases, the mean rheumatoid factor (RF) levels of the patients were below the normal level. The results of this study showed that the PCR was able to detect EBV DNA in > 60% of the cases. Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that EBV was frequently detected in the synovial fluid of RA patients. Thus, EBV may be a strong candidate that can act at several levels of the pathophysiology of RA. However, these findings also indicated that EBV may play a role in the pathogenesis of RA. However, the possible relationship between RA and EBV must be determined by further research

Specific Markers of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli VBNC in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Background and purpose: Recent studies suggest that the viable but nonculturable (VBNC) bacteria could cause inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to detect and investigate the expression of nuc and rfbE genes in blood samples of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Materials and methods: In this experimental study, 102 blood samples were collected from patients with RA and universal and specific primers were designed. Then, the genome was extracted and PCR reaction was performed to confirm the presence of universal and specific genes. Finally, RT-Real Time PCR reaction was carried out to evaluate the expression of marker genes associated with VBNC bacteria. Data were grouped and analyzed descriptively. Results: PCR showed nuc and rfbE genes in 54 (52.9%) and 12 samples, respectively, while according to RT-Real Time PCR these genes were expressed in 80% of the blood samples of patients with RA. Conclusion: In current study, the VBNC state of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were present in the blood samples of patients with RA. Accordingly, and due to the pathogenicity of VBNC bacteria, different diagnostic methods and treatments should be considered for RA

Staphylococcal Enterotoxin A Detection from Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients’ Blood and Synovial Fluid

Introduction: Direct detection of microbial super antigens in synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis may be able to guide to the design of cost-effective therapies. The purpose of this study was to assess the existence of Staphylococcal enterotoxin A (superantigen A) in the synovial fluid of patients with RA by the PCR and ELISA methods. Methods: This experimental study was conducted on the synovial fluid of 103 RA patients from Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences’ Rheumatology Clinic in Tehran, Iran in 2011-2014. Bacterial cultures, polymerase chain reaction with specific primer pairs and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods were used. The PCR products were subjected to sequence as a confirmatory molecular method results. The data were descriptively analyzed by SPSS Version 19. Results: The bacteriological study result indicated that, in four cases (3.8%) of the patients, bacterial strains were isolated. The result of PCR molecular method for staphylococcal enterotoxin A gene showed that, 42 of the patients (40.7%) tested positive for the ent A gene. The results of ELISA were positive for staphylococcal enterotoxin A (superantigen A) in 51 cases (49.51%) of the patients’ synovial fluids. The results indicated that the possibility of detecting superantigen A in the SF of RA patients, but the origin of the enterotoxin A gene remained unknown. Conclusions: The findings of this study may be able to alter the actual theory on the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of RA patients. In addition, the results have shown the probability of an endogenous origin for the involved superantigen A in RA patients’ synovial fluids

Quorum Sensing in Bacterial Pathogenesis

Introduction: Quorum sensing (QS) in the word means a gathering or a fixed number of objectives and say the microbes sense of awareness of the presence of bacteria and their community is. Bacteria in social life, the greatest benefit from the competitive environment to get the genetic regulatory mechanisms they use.Materials and Methods: This paper is a review article through library research and internet search sites, PubMed, Sid, Google Scholar keyword (Quorum sensing, AHL, pathogenesis) is collected in the years 2005 to 2014.Results: Quorum sensing in bacteria (pathogens and non-pathogens) regulates cell activity in quickly adapting to changing environmental conditions for maintenance and survival of bacteria in the environment. Process that is regulated by Quorum sensing including biofilm formation, Conjugation, produce virulence factors, toxin production and escape from the immune system. In this paper, we investigate the existence QS in gram-negative and gram-negative bacteria and its role in the pathogenesis of some of the major virulence factors are discussed.Conclusions: Increased prevalence of bacterial strains resistant to antimicrobial drugs is a big problem to find a new way to treat these infections is important. QS System to prevent damage to the opportunity to respond to the signal and prevent the bacteria express virulence factors follows. My hope is that by using antagonists and agonists can control so many dangerous diseases.</p