"Vitreous loss: Incidence and complications in extracapsular Cataract extractions "

One of the dangerous complications of cataract extractions is vitreous loss. The purpose of this stuy is to evaluate the incidence of vitreous loss and its sepuale while teaching residents at Rasoul Akram Hospital in Iran. This study has been conducted on existing records of 730 eyes which were subjectd to extracapsular cataract extractions by 3rd and 4th year, right handed resident of Rasoul Akram hospital. The information was taken from the records of patients who had vitreous loss during cataract surgery and the following data was extracted. The presence of any systemic diseases, phase of operation where vitreous loss occurred, vision on the next day, one month and 3 months later, the cause of low vision and any post operative sequale of the eye were evaluated. Extracted data collected and the prevalence of vitreous loss and its sequale were indentified and presented. Forty-nine eyes (6.7%) had vitreous loss, thirty-one of them were in the left eye (63.3%) and eighteen of them were in the right eye (36.7%). Regarding the stage of operation in which vitrous loss had occurred: twenty –eight eyes while nucleous delivery (57.7%) eighteen eyes during aspiration of cortical material (36.7%) and in three cases during IOL implantation. Five eyes had pseudoexfoliaton syndrome, four patients were diabetic and three had high myopia. Post operational sequale of these 49 eyes were: thirty-five with transient corneal edema (71.4%). Nine with misshaped pupils (18.9%), four with high astigmatism (8.1%), tow with cystoid macular edema (4%), two with retinal detachment (4%) and seven with cloudy vitreous. (14.3%). The incidence of vitreous loss is more than expected. More extensive research to evaluated the prognositc factors according to the eye (OD/OS) and the stage of the operation the leads to vitreous loss and to decrease its incidence is still needed

Genotyping and molecular analysis of Enterocytozoon bieneusi isolated from immunocompromised patients in Iran

Microsporidia are known as opportunistic unicellular pathogens, particularly so in individuals with congenital or acquired immunodeficiency. Enterocytozoon bieneusi is one of the most common species infecting both immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals. The aim of this study was to assess the distribution of E. bieneusi genotypes among immunocompromised patients in Iran. From 329 stool samples referred for parasitological analysis during 2011-2014, 14 samples from immunocompromised patients proving positive for E. bieneusi by SSU rDNA analysis were selected. Genotyping was carried out using specific primers targeting the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region. Subsequently, all samples were sequenced and results queried against the GenBank database. Moreover, sequences were subject to phylogenetic analysis. The expected amplification product was generated for all samples. Genotype D was identified in patients with HIV +/AIDS, transplant recipients, and cancer patients, while Genotype E was identified only in cancer and HIV +/AIDS patients. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that there was no relationship between genotypes and types of immunosuppression, whereas most genotype D isolates grouped with those described previously from cattle, horses, birds, and humans. E. bieneusi genotype D appears to be the most frequent genotype in immunocompromised patients, while Genotype E was observed only in HIV +/AIDS patients and cancer patients, not transplant recipients. © 2015

Phospholipase C in Beijing strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Background and Objectives: Phospholipase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis plays an important role in pathogenesis through breaking up phospholipids and production of diacylglycerol. In this study, we examined the Beijing strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated from Iranian patients for the genes encoding this enzyme. Materials and Methods: DNA extraction was performed using CTAB (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) from positive culture specimens in tuberculosis patients. PCR was then used to amplify the plcA, plcB, plcC genes of Beijing strain, and non-Beijing strains were identified by spoligotyping. Results: Of 200 specimens, 19 (9.5%) were Beijing strain and 181 (90.5%) were non-Beijing strains. The results of PCR for Beijing strains were as follows: 16 strains (84.2%) were positive for plcA, 17 (89.4%) were positive for plcB and 17 (89.4%) were positive for plcC genes. The standard strain (H37RV) was used as control. Conclusion: The majority of Beijing strains have phospholipase C genes which can contribute to their pathogenesis but we need complementary studies to confirm the role of phospholipase C in pathogenecity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Survey of feline visceral leishmaniasis in Azarshahr area, north west of Iran, 2013

Leishmania infantum is a causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis or kala-azar, which is endemic in some part of Iran. Azarshahr city located in East Azerbaijan province, North West of Iran, which is endemic for visceral leishmaniasis. This study aimed to investigate the possible reservoir role of cats for visceral leishmaniasis in the Azarshahr area. Totally 65 cats have been trapped alive from villages of Azarshahr county and their serum samples subjected to direct agglutination test (DAT) for L. infantum antibodies. Giemsa stained impression smears have been prepared for parasitological examination of spleen and liver tissue. Also liver and spleen samples of the cats have been cultured in Novy-MacNeal-Nicolle (NNN) medium and also used for PCR. None from 65 samples was positive in NNN culture, PCR and microscopic examination. Fifteen (23.07 ) out of 65 serum samples showed Leishmania specific antibody agglutination at 1:320 dilution or above, but all considered as negative because none of them confirmed by Giemsa stained smears, PCR and NNN culture. According to the findings of the present study, cats are not a reservoir for visceral leishmaniasis in the Azarshahr area. © 2014, Indian Society for Parasitology

Evaluation of Correlation between Severity of Dry Eye Syndrome and Retinopathy in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus

ABSTRACT: Introduction & Objective: Diabetes is one of the most common systemic diseases. Dry eye syndrome is one of the eye involvements in diabetic patient. Evaluation of correlation between dry eye syndrome and diabetic retinopathy in patients with insipidus diabetes was the aim of this study. Materials & Methods: In this study two hundreds eyes from 100 diabetic patients (non-insulin dependent) were selected and evaluated for dry eye syndrome. The patients then were divided into four groups: group 1: patients without diabetic retinopathy group 2: patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy group 3: patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy group 4: patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy undergone PRPAll. The patients were examined for Schirmer test, BUT, painting cornea with flourecein and then allocated in different group based on the severity of dry eye. Collected data were analyzed by X2 and Kendle-taue tests using SPSS software. Results: Prevalence of dry eye syndrome in patients in group 1 was 48% and in patients in group2, 3 and 4 was 52%, 60% and 80% respectively. Conclusion: Dry eye syndrome is a complication of diabetes mellitus and its severity correlates with severity of diabetic retinopathy

Application of Direct Agglutination Test (DAT) for the Diagnosis and Seroepide-miological Studies of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Iran

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is one of the most important parasitic diseases which is endemic in different parts of Iran. Serological studies were conducted by direct agglutination test (DAT) on 12144 human serum samples, collected from four geographical zones of Iran. Sero prevalence, geographical distribution, clinical signs and symptoms for human visceral leishmaniasis based on DAT for the period of 2002 through 2005 were determined. From 516 kala-azar cases detected: 50.6% were from Meshkin-shahr and Moghan districts in Ardabil Province, northwest of Iran and 49.4% were detected from other areas of Iran. In physical examination of seropositive cases, which were detected by DAT with anti-leishmanial antibodies at titers of 1: 3200 to 1: 102400, almost 50% of suspected individuals showed the classical kala-azar signs and symptoms. Predominant signs and symptoms in 233 hospitalized patients with anti-Leishmania antibodies at 1:3200 and higher, were fever (88.0%) and splenomegaly (84.5%). Statistically significant difference was found between males (58%) and females (42%) (P< 0.01). Moreover, 93.6% of the VL patients were < 5 yr of age, and 6.4% were older than 5 yr that this difference was statistically significant (P< 0.01). From 1383 serum samples collected from domestic dogs in the villages that are known as endemic foci of human leishmaniasis, 152 (11.0%) were positive by DAT (≥ 1:320). Parasitological and serological examinations that were performed in 30 wild canines showed that 10% of these animals were infected by L. infantum. L. infantum Lon49 is the principal agent of the disease in human as well as animal reservoir hosts in different parts of Iran. For the first time in Iran, L. tropica isolated from both skin lesions in the face and bone marrow aspiration in a HIV+ man who co-infected with VL as well as in an infected dog from Ardabil Province