Molecular diagnosis of potentially human pathogenic Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Encephalitozoon species in exotic birds in Southwestern Iran

Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasites that produce spores. The infections caused by these parasites are mostly considered to be opportunistic in immunodeficient patients. Because of the zoonotic nature of microsporidia as well as the increasing prevalence of immunodeficiency diseases, the aim of this study was to evaluate the molecular diagnosis of Enterocytozoon bieneusi (E. bieneusi) and Encephalitozoon spp. in exotic birds in southwestern Iran. Initially, 816 stool specimens were collected and stained by modified trichrome (Weber) staining. The slides were explored using light microscopy. In the next stage, the extracted DNA was amplified using a multiplex/nested PCR method. RFLP with the Mnl1 restriction enzyme was used to differentiate the Encephalitozoon species in the products of the molecular analysis. Out of 816 samples, 138 and 181 cases were found to be positive by the staining and the multiplex/nested-PCR methods, respectively. Of the 181 samples, 103 and 78 samples were positive for E. bieneusi and Encephalitozoon spp., respectively. The Encephalitozoon species were 17 E. cuniculi, 52 E. intestinalis and 9 E. hellem. Of 103 E. bieneusi samples, 57, 39, 2 and 5 cases were detected as genotypes D, M, E and L, respectively. The results showed a relatively high prevalence of microsporidia in exotic birds, and according to the results of the genotyping, these birds can be an important source of microsporidiosis. It is essential that high-risk individuals, including patients with immunodeficiency diseases, receive accurate and valid information about the risk of direct and indirect contact with infected exotic birds

Rhomboid antigens are promising targets in the vaccine development against Toxoplasma gondii

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is an obligate intracellular parasite with worldwide distribution. It is estimated that near one-third of the people around the globe are latently seropositive for the parasite. Since the current common drugs are incapable in the elimination of parasites within tissue cysts, the development of an effective vaccine has high priority for researchers to limit the infection. During recent years, non-stop efforts of scientists have made great progress in the identification and development of T. gondii candidate vaccines. However, there is a lack of a commercially licensed vaccine for human application yet. Rhomboid proteases (ROMs) are a class of serine proteases that have an important role in the invasion of the parasites that can be considered as a new target for vaccine strategy. They also play critical roles in mitochondrial fusion and growth factor signaling, allowing the parasite to completely enter into the host cell. In the current review, we have summarized the recent progress regarding the development of ROM-based vaccines against acute and chronic T. gondii infection in animal models

Phytochemical properties and antiviral effect of green tea (Camellia sinensis) extract on adenovirus in vitro

Background and aims: The lack of effective antiviral drugs for adenoviruses is one of the most important problems in this area. The aim of this study was to investigate the phytochemical properties and antiviral effect of the green tea extract (GTE) on adenovirus in HEp2 cells in vitro. Methods: In this experimental study, dried leaves of green tea were extracted by maceration. Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant capacity of the extract were measured by Folin-Ciocalteu, aluminum chloride, and 2,2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) colorimetric methods, respectively. The amounts of some phenolic compounds in the extract were also determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. The toxicity of the extract on Hep2 cells and antiviral activity of the extract on adenovirus were assessed by the MTT colorimetric method. The half-maximum cytotoxicity concentration (CC50) and the 50 inhibitory concentration (IC50) of the extract were calculated as well. Results: Phytochemical investigations showed that the IC50 of DPPH radical was 42.1 ± 3.2 μg/mL compared with butylated hydroxytoluene (IC50 of 33.5 ± 3.67 μg/mL). The TPC and TFC of the extract were 74.2 mg GAE/g and 16.3 mg RE/g of the dry extract, respectively. The extract demonstrated the highest amounts of syringic acid, gallic acid, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, and rutin levels (67.27, 20.12, 7.39, and 2.97 mg/g DW, respectively). Based on the results of cell culture, the CC50 and IC50 of GTE were 103.3 μg/mL and 25.16 μg/mL, respectively. Conclusion: GTE with phenolic and flavonoid compounds can exert dose-dependent inhibitory effects on adenoviruses

Effects of symbiotic and vitamin E supplementation on blood pressure, nitric oxide and inflammatory factors in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been suggested to be well correlated with altered blood pressure. This study was conducted to determine the effects of symbiotic and vitamin E supplementation on blood pressure and inflammatory indices of patients with NAFLD. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed among 60 NAFLD patients aged 25 to 64 years old. Participants were randomly divided into four groups to receive a 400 IU alpha-tocopherol and 2 × 108 CFU/g symbiotic supplement for 8 weeks. The anthropometric parameters, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), serum malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) were assessed at baseline and after 8 weeks of intervention. After 8 weeks of intervention, combined symbiotic and alpha-tocopherol, symbiotic and alpha-tocopherol lone administration, compared with the placebo, resulted in significant decreases in SBP (-17.07±2.1, -16.07±3.56, -1.73±2.25 and -1.55±3.01 mmHg, P=0.01), serum MDA (-1.19±0.5, -0.12±0.65, 0.14 ± 0.64 and 0.16±0.34 nmol/mL, P<0.001), serum TNFα (-15.62±13.93, -9.24±7.12, -11.44 ± 15.47 and 3.01±1.71 pg/ml, P<0.001) concentrations. A significant decrease in serum AST (-11.36±4.52, -7.43±8.58, -5.93±6.61 and 2.5±5.75 μmol/L, P <0.001), ALT (-12.79±3.65, -3.66±6.81, -6.54±7.66 and 4.16±3.43 μmol/L, P <0.001) and ALP (-26.8±11.1, -4.56±9.22, -14.48±12.22 and 5.19±2.64 μmol/L, P <0.001) was seen. Variations in DBP and serum NO concentration were not significant. Alpha-tocopherol and symbiotic supplementation among patients with NAFLD resulted in decreased SBP, serum MDA, TNFα levels and enzymes liver; however, they did not affect DBP and serum NO concentration

Basic Occupational Health Services for Agricultural Workers in the South of Iran

The agricultural sector has by far the world’s largest labour force, there are more than one billion workers in this industry worldwide, which contains half of the total world labour force. On the other hand, agriculture is one of the most hazardous occupations, and many workers suffer occupational accidents and ill health each year. Farming and animal breeding are associated with exposure to a wide variety of risk factors, including zoonotic agents, dust, elements of the thermal environment, noise, vibration and chemicals. Although half of the world’s population are economically active and spend at least one third of their time in the workplace, only 15% of the workers have access to basic occupational health services. According to a WHO report, Iran has a well-structured health care system through which basic health care services are available to the entire population, and health indicators in Iran have consistently improved. The agricultural health program in Iran is being carried out in the cities and rural areas, and occupational health services are mainly integrated into the health network. This paper aims to describe the health care system and basic occupational health services (BOHs) available to 5,300 agricultural enterprises with 8,380 employees in the cities of Abadan, Khorramshahr and Shadegan in the Abadan region (Abadan, Khoramshahr and Shadegan districts), in the south of Iran

Positive and Negative Impact of Nitrogen Fertilizer on Soil Properties and Nutrient Dynamic

Our study was conducted over the period of two years and explored the impact of nitrogen fertilization and non-fertilization systems on soil health indicators and crop yield. Our study hypothesized that no fertilization coupled with cover cropping would enhance soil health, carbon content, and bulk density. This study found that excessive nitrogen fertilization had negative impact on soil health factors such as bulk density increment and carbon content decline through deeper profiles. In contrast, the no-fertilization system exhibited improved bulk density and better carbon distribution near the soil surface, suggesting that reducing or eliminating nitrogen can promote soil health and prevent long-term fertility decline. The study also highlighted the imbalanced carbon to nitrogen ratio resulting from high nitrogen fertilizer rate can negatively impact soil microbial activity and nutrient mineralization

Investigating the Changes of Hormonal and Cytokine Levels in Patients with Human Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

Background and purpose: Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by the Leishmania parasite and transmitted through the bite of a specific type of mosquito. This disease appears in three forms: cutaneous, cutaneous-mucosal, and visceral. Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a tropical disease caused by an intracellular parasite of the genus Leishmania. This disease is the most important endemic disease in Iran. Changes in plasma hormone levels have been reported in many parasitic infections, and changes in hormone levels can lead to changes in cytokine profiles. The immune-endocrine system interaction plays an important role in the pathogenesis of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Also, the level of some hormones is related to the level of cytokines and clinical symptoms. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the plasma levels of hormones (cortisol, DHEA-S, estradiol, prolactin, and testosterone) and cytokines (interferon-gamma, TNF-α, IL-4, and IL-10) in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis and the control group. Materials and methods: This study was carried out in the cities of Abadan and Khorramshahr located in Khuzestan province in the southwest of Iran. After obtaining permission from the ethics committee of Behbahan Faculty of Medical Sciences and obtaining consent from all subjects under the study, a questionnaire including demographic information was completed by all subjects participating in the study. An amount of 5 ml of blood was prepared from each person under study and after centrifugation at 4000 rpm for 10 minutes, the serum was kept at minus 20 degrees Celsius until the day of the experiment to measure hormones and cytokines. In the present study, 40 patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis and 40 healthy patients with no history of cutaneous leishmaniasis were selected. Using laboratory kits, the plasma levels of the hormones cortisol, estradiol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), prolactin, and testosterone, as well as the plasma levels of cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 1 (IL-1) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) were measured.  Hormone concentration in the control group and patients was compared using the Mann-Whitney test. The relationship between the levels of cytokines and hormones was investigated by Spearman's test. All statistical tests were performed using Graph Pad software version 5 (GraphPad Software Inc., San Diego, CA, USA). Results: The results of this study showed that the plasma levels of cortisol, estradiol, DHEA, prolactin, and testosterone were lower in patients than in healthy individuals and these results were statistically significant (P0.05). In addition, the plasma level of IFN-γ was lower in patients than in healthy subjects, and these results were statistically significant(P>0.05). Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, it seems that endocrine-immune system changes in cutaneous leishmaniasis patients are beneficial for the host and helps to heal the lesions. Also, knowing as much as possible about the endocrine mechanisms involved in the regulation of the immune response in cutaneous leishmaniasis can be important for the diagnosis of the disease or the drug treatment of this disease

An Integrated Modelling Approach to Urban Growth and Land Use/Cover Change

Long-term sustainable development in developing countries requires researching and projecting urban physical growth and land use/land cover change (LUCC). This research fills a gap in the literature by exploring the issues of modelling coupled LUCC and urban growth, their causes, and the role of policymakers. Tabriz metropolitan area (TMA), located at north-west Iran, was chosen as a case study to design an integrated framework using four well-established methods: cellular automata (CA), Markov chains (MC), logistic regression (LR), and stepwise weight assessment ratio analysis (SWARA). Northern, north-west, and central TMA were affected the worst by urbanisation and the loss of cultivated and grassland between 1990 and 2020. The accessibility of arterial roadways and proximity to major cities influenced these changes. Three scenarios characterise LUCC dynamics: the uncontrolled growth scenario (UGS) and the historical trend growth scenario (HTGS) foresee significant loss of cultivated land and continued urban expansion above the long-term average in 2050, while the environmental protection growth scenario (EPGS) promotes sustainable development and compact urbanisation. The methods used in this research may be used to various contexts to examine the temporal and spatial dynamics of LUCC and urban growth

The Probable Association between Chronic Toxoplasma gondii Infection and Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Case-Control Study

Purpose. The probable association between Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection and diabetes mellitus (DM) is still controversial, and there are several studies with conflicting results. Thus, this study was performed to assess the possible association between chronic T. gondii infection and type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and T2DM. Methods. In this case-control study, a total of 105 diabetic subjects including 36 patients with T1DM and 69 patients with T2DM were recruited. In addition, 150 nondiabetic subjects were enrolled as controls. Each case group had its own control group. Each participant completed a structured questionnaire obtaining demographic information. Serum samples were examined for T. gondii-specific IgG antibody using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Results. Analysis revealed that 69.4% and 34.0% of patients with T1DM and control subjects were serologically positive for T. gondii, respectively (odds ratio (OR): 4.41; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.75–11.06; P=0.001). Moreover, 72.5% of T2DM patients and 29.0% of healthy individuals were seropositive for T. gondii (OR: 6.44; 95% CI: 3.25–12.74; P<0.001). Among risk factors, only contact with cats was significantly associated with IgG seroprevalence in both T2DM patients (P<0.001) and control subjects (P=0.045). Conclusion. Although the results showed that chronic T. gondii infection is significantly associated with T1DM and T2DM, there remain many questions regarding the exact mechanisms of T. gondii in the pathogenesis of DM