Is Escherichia coli O157:H7 a common pathogen in children with bloody diarrhea in Shiraz, Iran?

Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 is a common cause of bloody diarrhea in developed countries. The aim of this study was to determine whether E. coli O157:H7 is a possible pathogen of bloody diarrhea in southern Iran. Out of 719 children with diarrhea, 243 (34%) patients with positive occult blood took part in our study. The polyclonal antibody test and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were used to identify E. coli O157:H7. Stool cultures showed enteropathogens in 107 patients (44%). Shigella (34.3%) was followed by E. coli (8.6%), campylobacter (2%) and salmonella (0.4%). None of the E. coli species was of O157:H7 serotype. Antibiotic sensitivity of shigella species was 100% to ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin and ceftazidime, 94% to nalidixic acid and 13% to co-trimoxazole. The results of the study showed that E. coli O157:H7 is not a cause of bloody diarrhea in our area.

Data on phosphorous concentration of rivers feeding into Taham dam in Zanjan, Iran.

Due to the great possibility of water contamination of many rivers by human activities in Iran, the study of water quality is crucial for water resource protection and human health. High level of phosphorous is the main reason for eutrophication of freshwater systems. The main aim of this study was to investigate the concentration of phosphorus in the rivers feeding into Taham dam in Zanjan, using GIS software. 40 sampling stations were selected along Taham and Ghalharod Rivers with respect to sewage discharge points and feeding characteristics of water entering to Taham dam. In total, 160 water samples were taken from rivers with regard to precipitation season in two different periods from winter 2014 to spring 2015. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS and ArcView GIS. The findings showed that 15% of the studied stations had phosphorous levels higher than acceptable levels set by EPA. The highest levels of phosphorous contamination were observed in stations No. 145, 154, 155, 161, 166 and 168. The elevated concentrations of phosphorous in the rivers can be responsible for the eutrophication of Taham dam reservoir.

Susceptibility patterns and cross-resistance of antibiotics against Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from burn patients in the South of Iran.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa plays a prominent role in serious infections in burn patients. Rapid acquisition of multi-drug resistance leads to high morbidity and mortality, especially in burn centers. Ten antibiotics, which were widely used in our burn patients were selected. MICs for imipenem, mropenem, cefepime, ceftazidime, cafoparazone/sulbactam, ticarcillin/clavulanate, piperacillin/tazobactam, ciprofloxacin, tobramycin and amikacin to 70 strains of P. aeruginosa, which were isolated from burn patients were determined by the E-test method (AB Biodisk, Sweden). Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase, group I inducible beta-lactamases and metallo-beta-lactamase activities were also determined. Imipenem and meropenum were the most active in vitro antibacterial agents followed by ciprofloxacin (p<0.05), whereas, ticarcillin/clavulanate was the least active. Almost all (98-100%) of the resistant isolates also showed cross-resistance to cefepime. The majority of imipenem and meropenem resistant isolates (85-100% and 76-100%) demonstrated cross-resistance to all the other antibiotics. ESBLs were detected in only three (4.3%) isolates, whereas, inducible beta-lactamase was observed in eight (11.4%) isolates. Metallo-beta-lactamase was detected in none of the isolates. Almost all of the antibiotic resistant isolates also showed cross-resistance to the majority of penicillins and cephalosporins with or without beta-lactamase inhibitors, from which ticarcillin/clavulanate demonstrated this phenomenon at the highest level.

Actinomycosis as a neglected diagnosis of mediastinal mass.

Thoracic actinomycosis is a rare disease in children. Diagnosis is typically delayed, since the presentation can be very similar to that of malignant tumors, tuberculosis, and fungal infections. We here present the case of a 9-year-old girl who was treated for tuberculosis at the first presentation, for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at the second presentation, and for chronic granulomatous disease at the third presentation before actinomycosis was finally diagnosed by culture.

Immunodominant antigens of Helicobacter pylori strains isolated from patients with different gastroduodenal diseases.

OBJECTIVE: To detect the immunogenic proteins in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) strains isolated from patients with different gastric diseases. METHODS: We performed this study in the Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran, during July 2003 to September 2004. Total proteins of H. pylori strains isolated from the gastric biopsies of 3 groups of patients were separated by 1D-SDS-PAGE and then blotted with the sera of their respective hosts. RESULTS: In SDS-PAGE the members of each group showed high correlation according to similarity in their patterns, resulting in considering them in the same cluster. The patterns of immunoblots differed from that of Coomassie Brilliant Blue stained gels. The blotting method did not recognize some of the protein bands in the SDS-PAGE. Only the bands of 106 and 45 kDa from H. pylori strains isolated from patients with gastric cancer were significantly (p<0.05) recognized specifically with the sera of their respective patients, and the band of 13 kDa was recognized specifically (p<0.05) with the sera of nonulceric patients. With the exception of these bands, in the patterns of blotting of the sera from all patients no significant differences were observed. CONCLUSION: By using 1D blotting methods we could find 2 antigenic protein bands (106 and 45 kDa) for H. pylori strains isolated from cancerous patients, and one (13 kDa) for the strains isolated from nonulceric patients, which were specifically recognized with their respective host.

Detection of HCMV DNA in placenta, amniotic fluid and fetuses of seropositive women by nested PCR.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most common viral cause of intrauterine infection throughout the world. Its distribution patterns in different clinical samples are poorly understood. This study was performed to determine the frequency of CMV DNA positivity in maternal/fetus sera, placentas and amniotic fluid, together with maternal/fetus serology. Clinical specimens were obtained from 92 pregnant women who delivered by cesarean section. 98% of women and their neonates were HCMV IgG positive and 5.4% of these mothers were IgM positive, while no IgM was detected in neonates of IgM positive mothers. Among the IgG positive mothers, IgM was detected in 3.3% of their fetuses. 5.4% and 3.3% of maternal and fetal sera were HCMV DNA positive, respectively. The three neonates who were positive for HCMV DNA in sera were also positive for HCMV IgM and the PCR of their amnions was positive (p < 0.0001). 9.8% of placenta samples and 4.3% of amniotic fluid specimens were positive for HCMV DNA while among these placenta samples, two amnions were PCR positive (p = 0.046). Our results showed that there is not always a correlation between placenta and amnion infections. This may be due to reactivation of HCMV leading to placenta infection, as all affected placentas do not pass infection to fetuses and amniotic fluids. Detection of HCMV DNA in amnion and fetus plasma and the existence of fetus IgM against HCMV can also occur without clinical symptoms.