Sero-prevalence of helicobacter pylori infection in Neyshabur, Iran, during 2010-2015

Backgrounds & Objective: The Helicobacter pylori prevalence has continuously decreased during recent years in Iran. The current study aimed at determining H. pylori prevalence in Neyshabur city, Northeast Iran, during 2010-2015. Methods: The current epidemiologic survey was conducted in Neyshabur from 2010 to 2015 to determine the prevalence of H. pylori infection. A total of 11596 participants (3681 male with the mean age of 31.7±6.2 years and 7915 female with mean age of 68.3±4.7 years) were included. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits for the detection of H. pylori and Stat Fax 3200® Microplate Reader (USA) with a sensitivity of 95% and specificity of 98% were used. Titers above 12 units were considered positive for IgG, IgA, and IgM (negative 12 U). The Chi-square t test and F test were used to analyze data. Results: The overall IgA, IgG, and IgM seropositive samples among the study participants were 852 (7.2%), 9000 (72.8%), and 1256 (5.2%), respectively. The IgA seropositivity was significantly high among the age group above 51 years, compared with the other age groups. Moreover, the IgG and IgM seropositivity were significantly high among the age groups 41 to 50 and 31 to 40 years respectively, compared with the other age groups. There was no significant difference between male and female cases regarding IgA and IgG seropositive samples, but IgM level was significantly higher among females, compared with that of the male cases. Furthermore, there was no significant alteration in IgA, IgG, and IgM seropositivity during 2010-2014 in Neyshabur. Conclusion: The prevalence of H. pylori in Neyshabur was high in the healthy population. Furthermore, the H. pylori prevalence did not change from 2010 to 2014 in the studied city. Effective approaches to improve health, educational, and socioeconomic status should be implemented to minimize and control H. pylori infection

Bladder Volume Wall Index In Children With Urinary Tract Infections

How to Cite This Article: Hooman N, Hallaji F, Mostafavi SH, Sharif MR, Tatarpoor P, Otukesh H. Bladder Volume Wall Index in Children with Urinary Tract Infections. J Ped. Nephrology 2013 July;1(1):18-22.Introduction: Few studies have focused on the correlation between bladder ultrasound and urinary tract infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the bladder volume wall index in children with single or recurrent urinary tract infection.Materials & Methods: This case-control study was conducted between March 2008 and December 2009. The study was performed on one hundred children (8 boys, 92 girls) aged 4-15 years with a history of urinary tract infection and thirty-nine (20 males, 19 females) age- matched healthy children who had negative urine culture one month before investigation. The kidneys, ureters, and bladder sonography were performed in all children. Bladder volume wall index was calculated for each child and the result of 70-130 was presumed normal. Student T-test, chi-square, likelihood ratio, and risk ratio were used. P-value <0.05 was considered significant.Results: The mean bladder volume was 262.5 (±82) in recurrent urinary tract infection, 235 (±54) in single urinary tract infection, and 278 (±80) in controls (P<0.05). The bladder was thick (<70) in 37 (28 cases, 9 controls) and thin (>130) in 38 children (28 cases, 10 controls) (P>0.05). The median residual volume was not different between the two groups. The abnormal BVWI in children with vesicoureteral (VU) reflux was 75% as compared to 51% in those without VU reflux (P>0.05). There was no correlation between BVWI and age, gender, groups, vesicoureteral reflux status, or residual volume (P>0.05).Conclusions: According to our findings, the bladder volume wall index is not sensitive enough to discriminate children who are prone to urinary tract infection. Keywords: Urography; Urinary Tract Infections; Ultrasonography; Urinary Bladde

A study on the activity and thermal stability of adenosine deaminase in the presence of spermine

Adenosine Deaminase is an aminohydrolase (EC 3.5.4.4) which participates in the purine metabolism where it degrades either adenosine or 2'-deoxyadenosine producing inosine or 2'-deoxyinosine, respectively. The enzyme contains a parallel alpha/beta -barrel motif with eight central beta strands and eight peripheral alpha helices. ADA is located both in the cytosol and on the cell membrane. Since spermine, a natural metabolite, exists in all cells and tissues and its effect on the cell proliferation and enzyme regulation have been reported,  thermal inactivation of the ADA and spermine regulatory effect on the ADA activity have been investigated in this study. Percentage of ADA activity in the presence and absence of spermine (1000 µM) in Tris buffer 50 mM, pH 7.5 at physiologic and pathologic temperatures have been reported in the present study. Thermal inactivation curves for ADA in the absence and presence of spermine (1000 µM) in different temperatures ranging from 55 oC to 70 oC have been drawn. Our data showed that spermine activates the enzyme in the low concentrations of adenosine at 37 oC. However, it inhibits ADA activity at 42 oC in the same concentrations of substrate. It is concluded that spermine regulatory effect depends on combined influence of temperature and adenosine concentration. Furthermore, thermal stability of the enzyme also depends on temperature in presence of spermine. Binding site of spermine on the enzyme has been identified by docking analysis

Učestalost hipertenzije i kardiovaskularnih rizika u djece s ožiljcima na bubrežnom tkivu nakon mokraćne infekcije

Hypertension is a late outcome of refl ux nephropathy and renal parenchymal scar secondary to urinary tract infection (UTI). We presumed that it might be detected much earlier after episodes of UTI and the associated cardiovascular risk factors assessed. Between 2009 and 2011, 85 (67 female and 18 male) children aged 5-15 years with a history of febrile UTI, followed-up for at least one year from the fi rst episode of febrile UTI, were enrolled in the study. The variables included 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), echocardiography, carotid sonography, renal 99mcTc-DMSA, glomerular fi ltration rate, and microalbuminuria. Masked hypertension was detected in 18.8%, hypertension in 7.1% and white coat hypertension in 9.4% of cases. Prehypertension was seen in 20% of children. Out of 85 cases, 43.5% were non-dippers. Out of 56 children with hypertensive and prehypertensive parameters on ABPM, 9.1% showed left ventricular mass index >51g/m2.7 (p>0.05). Signifi cant correlation was only recorded between abnormal blood pressure and the severity of renal parenchymal scar (p<0.05). In conclusion, ABPM is suggested for early detection of masked hypertension and abnormal blood pressure pattern in all normotensive children with a history of recurrent UTI.Hipertenzija je kasni ishod refl uksne nefropatije i ožiljaka na bubrežnom parenhimu koji nastaju nakon mokraćne infekcije. Pretpostavili smo da bi se to moglo otkriti znatno ranije nakon epizoda mokraćne infekcije te procijeniti pridružene kardiovaskularne čimbenike rizika. Od 2009. do 2011. godine, u ispitivanje je uključeno 85 (67 Ž, 18 M) djece u dobi od pet do 15 godina s anamnezom febrilne mokraćne infekcije koja su bila praćena najmanje jednu godinu od prve epizode febrilne mokraćne infekcije. Praćene su sljedeće varijable: 24-satno ambulatorno praćenje krvnog tlaka (ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, ABPM), ehokardiografi ja, karotidni ultrazvuk, 99mcTc-DMSA bubrega, glomerularna stopa fi ltracije i mikroalbuminurija. Maskirana hipertenzija otkrivena je u 18,8%, hipertenzija u 7,1% i hipertenzija “bijele kute” u 9,4% slučajeva. Prehipertenzija je zabilježena u 20% djece. Od 85 slučajeva 43,5% ih nije pokazalo odgovarajući pad krvnog tlaka tijekom noći (non-dipper). Od 56 djece s hipertenzivnim i prehipertenzivnim parametrima na ABPM 9,1% ih je imalo indeks lijeve ventrikularne mase veći od 51g/m2.7 (p>0,05). Značajna korelacija zabilježena je između nenormalnog krvnog tlaka i težine ožiljka na bubrežnom parenhimu (p<0,05). U zaključku, ABPM se može preporučiti za rano otkrivanje maskirane hipertenzije i nenormalnog kretanja krvnog tlaka kod sve normotenzivne djece s anamnezom opetovane mokraćne infekcij

Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA)-Based Nanoniosome for Enhanced in vitro Delivery and Anticancer Activity of Thymol

Introduction: There is an unmet need to develop potent therapeutics against cancer with minimal side effects and systemic toxicity. Thymol (TH) is an herbal medicine with anti-cancer properties that has been investigated scientifically. This study shows that TH induces apoptosis in cancerous cell lines such as MCF-7, AGS, and HepG2. Furthermore, this study reveals that TH can be encapsulated in a Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-coated niosome (Nio-TH/PVA) to enhance its stability and enable its controlled release as a model drug in the cancerous region. Materials and Methods: TH-loaded niosome (Nio-TH) was fabricated and optimized using Box–Behnken method and the size, polydispersity index (PDI) and entrapment efficiency (EE) were characterized by employing DLS, TEM and SEM, respectively. Additionally, in vitro drug release and kinetic studies were performed. Cytotoxicity, antiproliferative activity, and the mechanism were assessed by MTT assay, quantitative real-time PCR, flow cytometry, cell cycle, caspase activity evaluation, reactive oxygen species investigation, and cell migration assays. Results: This study demonstrated the exceptional stability of Nio-TH/PVA at 4 °C for two months and its pH-dependent release profile. It also showed its high toxicity on cancerous cell lines and high compatibility with HFF cells. It revealed the modulation of Caspase-3/Caspase-9, MMP-2/MMP-9 and Cyclin D/ Cyclin E genes by Nio-TH/PVA on the studied cell lines. It confirmed the induction of apoptosis by Nio-TH/PVA in flow cytometry, caspase activity, ROS level, and DAPI staining assays. It also verified the inhibition of metastasis by Nio-TH/PVA in migration assays. Conclusion: Overall, the results of this study revealed that Nio-TH/PVA may effectively transport hydrophobic drugs to cancer cells with a controlled-release profile to induce apoptosis while exhibiting no detectable side effects due to their biocompatibility with normal cells

9-cis-Retinoic Acid and 1,25-dihydroxy Vitamin D3Improve the Differentiation of Neural Stem Cells into Oligodendrocytes through the Inhibition of the Notch and Wnt Signaling Pathways

Background: Differentiating oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) into oligodendrocytes could be improved by inhibiting signaling pathways such as Wnt and Notch. 9-cis-retinoic acid (9-cis-RA) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25[OH]2D3) can ameliorate oligodendrogenesis. We investigated whether they could increase oligodendrogenesis by inhibiting the Wnt and Notch signaling pathways. Methods: Cortical neural stem cells were isolated from 14-day-old rat embryos and cultured using the neurosphere assay. The cells were treated in 4 different conditions for 1 week: the negative control group received only the basic fibroblast growth factor, the positive control group received only T3 without growth factors, the RA group was treated with 9-cis-RA, and the Vit D3 group was treated with 1,25(OH)2D3. The effects of 9-cis-RA and 1,25(OH)2D3 on the level of the myelin basic protein (MBP) and the gene expression of the SOX10, MBP gene, HES5, and LRP6 were studied using flow cytometry and real-time PCR. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA with GraphPad Prism. A P value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mRNA expressions of the SOX10, MBP, and MBP gene were significantly increased in the treated groups compared with the negative control group; the increase was similar in the 9-cis-RA group and the positive control group. Furthermore, 9-cis-RA significantly decreased the expression of the HES5 gene, a Notch signaling pathway transcription factor, and 1,25(OH)2D3 significantly reduced the expression of the LRP6 gene, a Wnt signaling pathway co-receptor. Conclusion: It seems that 9-cis-RA and 1,25(OH)2D3 are good candidates to improve the differentiation of OPCs into oligodendrocytes

A study on the activity and thermal stability of adenosine deaminase in the presence of spermine

ABSTRACT Adenosine Deaminase is an aminohydrolase (EC 3.5.4.4) which participates in the purine metabolism where it degrades either adenosine or 2&apos;-deoxyadenosine producing inosine or 2&apos;-deoxyinosine, respectively. The enzyme contains a parallel alpha/beta -barrel motif with eight central beta strands and eight peripheral alpha helices. ADA is located both in the cytosol and on the cell membrane. Since spermine, a natural metabolite, exists in all cells and tissues and its effect on the cell proliferation and enzyme regulation have been reported, thermal inactivation of the ADA and spermine regulatory effect on the ADA activity have been investigated in this study. Percentage of ADA activity in the presence and absence of spermine (1000 µM) in Tris buffer 50 mM, pH 7.5 at physiologic and pathologic temperatures have been reported in the present study. Thermal inactivation curves for ADA in the absence and presence of spermin

Evaluation of Radiomics to Predict the Accuracy of Markerless Motion Tracking of Lung Tumors: A Preliminary Study

Template-based matching algorithms are currently being considered for markerless motion tracking of lung tumors. These algorithms use tumor templates derived from the planning CT scan, and track the motion of the tumor on single energy fluoroscopic images obtained at the time of treatment. In cases where bone may obstruct the view of the tumor, dual energy fluoroscopy may be used to enhance soft tissue contrast. The goal of this study is to predict which tumors will have a high degree of accuracy for markerless motion tracking based on radiomic features obtained from the planning CT scan, using peak-to-sidelobe ratio (PSR) as a surrogate of tracking accuracy. In this study, CT imaging data of 8 lung cancer patients were obtained and analyzed through the open source IBEX program to generate 2,287 radiomic features. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering was used to narrow down these features into 145 clusters comprised of the highest correlation to PSR. The features among the clusters with the least inter-correlation were then chosen to limit redundancy in the data. The results of this study demonstrated a number of radiomic features that are positively correlated to PSR. The features with the highest degree of correlation included complexity, orientation and range. This approach may be used to determine patients for whom markerless motion tracking would be beneficial

Threefold rotational symmetry in hexagonally shaped core–shell (In,Ga)As/GaAs nanowires revealed by coherent X-ray diffraction imaging

Coherent X-ray diffraction imaging at symmetric hhh Bragg reflections was used to resolve the structure of GaAs/In$_{0.15}$Ga$_{0.85}$As/GaAs core–shell–shell nanowires grown on a silicon (111) substrate. Diffraction amplitudes in the vicinity of GaAs 111 and GaAs 333 reflections were used to reconstruct the lost phase information. It is demonstrated that the structure of the core–shell–shell nanowire can be identified by means of phase contrast. Interestingly, it is found that both scattered intensity in the (111) plane and the reconstructed scattering phase show an additional threefold symmetry superimposed with the shape function of the investigated hexagonal nanowires. In order to find the origin of this threefold symmetry, elasticity calculations were performed using the finite element method and subsequent kinematic diffraction simulations. These suggest that a non-hexagonal (In,Ga)As shell covering the hexagonal GaAs core might be responsible for the observation