Formalin and ferric chloride inactivated Pasteurella multocida type a adjuvanted with bacterial DNA and alum as a new vaccine candidate in sheep pasteurellosis.

The aim of the present study was to investigate humoral and cellular immune responses in sheep inoculated with inactivated P. multocida antigen with alum and bacterial DNA adjuvant by identifying IgG and cytokines from serum and cell culture. Sheep were immunized with iron and formalin-inactivated antigens at an interval of 2 weeks. These immunogens were mixed with alum adjuvant and P. multocida type A DNA (AbDNA). After injection and blood sampling, the serum antibody titer and cellular immune responses (IL-4, IFN-γ, and TNF-α) on serum samples and lymphocyte cell were tested by ELISA. The ELISA results showed a higher antibody titer in the bDNA adjuvant group compared to the alum adjuvant group and the control group. In general, the level of IgG in the serum of immunized animals was significantly increased compared to the control group. The peak antibody titer (1.794) was observed on the 28th day of injection in the IIV-AbDNA group. After immunization, inactivation with iron and bDNA adjuvant increased cytokine production compared to other experimental and control groups. High levels of lymphocyte and serum titers of IL-4, IFN-γ, and TNF-α were also obtained in the IIV-AbDNA group. The findings showed that killed P. multocida type A antigens formulated with bacterial DNA as an adjuvant are candidates for new immunogens against P. multocida infections in sheep. The inactivation of bacteria with iron also enhanced proper immune responses.

Myeloperoxidase Deficiency: A Rare Case.

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is found in the lysosomes of monocytes and neutrophils, serving as a crucial component in the elimination of infections through the process of phagocytosis via neutrophils. Consequently, individuals with MPO deficiency exhibit a significantly heightened susceptibility to serious infections and chronic inflammatory diseases. In a clinical case, a 37-year-old Iranian woman presented with a chronic history of bacterial and fungal infections dating back to her childhood. She has no family history of similar diseases and has used antibiotics and antifungal medications. A comprehensive clinical assessment revealed that she is well-nourished and without acute distress, neurological symptoms, or cutaneous manifestations. A complete blood count (CBC) with differential white blood cell (WBC) count showed a decreased number of neutrophils despite normal WBC counts, and peripheral blood smear (PBS) revealed reduced neutrophil granulation, abnormal neutrophil morphology, decreased chromatin condensation, and cytoplasmic hypogranulation. So, the patient was diagnosed with MPO deficiency, a rare condition requiring early diagnosis and management.

A randomized open-label clinical trial on the effect of Amantadine on post Covid 19 fatigue.

Many COVID-19 survivors experience lingering post-COVID-19 symptoms, notably chronic fatigue persisting for months after the acute phase. Despite its prevalence, limited research has explored effective treatments for post-COVID-19 fatigue. This randomized controlled clinical trial assessed the impact of Amantadine on patients with post-COVID-19 fatigue. The intervention group received Amantadine for two weeks, while the control group received no treatment. Fatigue levels were assessed using the Visual Analog Fatigue Scale (VAFS) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) questionnaires before and after the trial. At the study's onset, VAFS mean scores were 7.90 ± 0.60 in the intervention group and 7.34 ± 0.58 in the control group (P-value = 0.087). After two weeks, intervention group scores dropped to 3.37 ± 0.44, significantly lower than the control group's 5.97 ± 0.29 (P-value < 0.001). Similarly, FSS mean scores at the trial's commencement were 53.10 ± 5.96 in the intervention group and 50.38 ± 4.88 in the control group (P-value = 0.053). At the trial's end, intervention group scores decreased to 28.40 ± 2.42, markedly lower than the control group's 42.59 ± 1.50 (P-value < 0.001). In this study, we report the safety, tolerability, and substantial fatigue-relieving effects of Amantadine in post-COVID-19 fatigue. The intervention demonstrates a statistically significant reduction in fatigue levels, suggesting Amantadine's potential as an effective treatment for this persistent condition.

Development of a disperse dye immunoassay technique for detection of antibodies against Neospora caninum in cattle.

In this study a disperse dye immunoassay method was standardized and evaluated for detection of antibodies against Neospora caninum in cattle. Sera from 150 cattle with a recent history of abortion were collected and tested by commercial ELISA kit and a standardized in-house dye immunoassay system. The positivity rate for the sera used in this study was 34.6% for the disperse dye immunoassay (DDIA) compared to 32% obtained by ELISA kit. This study showed no significant difference between DDIA and ELISA. The results indicated that the DDIA provide an economic, simple, rapid and robust test for detection of N. caninum infection in cattle.

MLC901 in hypoxic-ischemic brain injury patients: A double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI) is a disabling consequence of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, which has no direct treatment except supportive care. Many studies have used pharmacological agents to reduce or stop this disability. MLC901 is a traditional Chinese medicine showing neuroprotective and regenerative effects on focal and global ischemia in previous animal and human studies. We designed an experimental, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to analyze MLC901 efficacy in HIBI patients. METHODS: In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 35 patients with HIBI were randomly designated to receive either MLC901 or placebo capsules 3 times per day over 6 months. We assessed the 2 groups by modified Rankin Scale and Glasgow Outcome Scale at baseline, and follow-up visits in 3rd month, and 6th-month after injury. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients completed this study. There was no significant difference in baseline characteristics between the 2 groups as regards age, gender, time of resuscitation, the interval between injury and start of the intervention, and the length of intensive care unit stay. Both the placebo and intervention groups improved during the investigation. However, the Glasgow Outcome Scale and modified Rankin Scale scales were significantly improved in the MLC901 group compared to the placebo after 6 months (P < .05) with close to no adverse effects. No major side effect was reported. CONCLUSION: MLC901 has shown, compared to placebo, a statistically better improvement at 6 months in neurological functions of patients with HIBI.

Cerebral hemodynamic response to generalized anxiety disorder.

BACKGROUND: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is the least studied among anxiety disorders. Therefore, we aimed to compare the cervical blood flow velocities using doppler ultrasonography in untreated chronic GAD patients and healthy individuals. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this study, thirty-eight GAD patients were enrolled. And thirty-eight healthy volunteers were recruited as control participants. The common carotid artery (CCA), internal carotid artery (ICA), and vertebral artery (VA) of both sides were explored. Also, we trained machine learning models based on cervical arteries characteristics to diagnose GAD patients. RESULTS: Patients with chronic untreated GAD showed a significant increase in peak systolic velocity (PSV) bilaterally in the CCA and the ICA (P value < 0.05). In GAD patients, the end-diastolic velocity (EDV) of bilateral CCA, VA, and left ICA was significantly decreased. The Resistive Index (RI) showed a significant increase in all patients with GAD. Moreover, the Support Vector Machine (SVM) model showed the best accuracy in identifying anxiety disorder. CONCLUSION: GAD is associated with hemodynamic alterations of extracranial cervical arteries. With a larger sample size and more generalized data, it is possible to make a robust machine learning-based model for GAD diagnosis.

The Role of Fluconazole Prophylaxis Regimen and the Regimes Chosen by the Patient's Risk of Fungal Infection in Reducing the Infection Rate after Bone Marrow Transplantation

Objective: Invasive fungal infections (IFI) in bone marrow transplant (BMT) recipients are common and lethal. Fluconazole was the choice prophylaxis previously, but recent strategy utilization antifungal drugs according to the risk of IFI in patients undergoing transplantation. In this study we aim to evaluate the efficacy of fluconazole prophylaxis regimen and the regimes chosen by the patient's risk of IFI. Materials and Methods: We evaluated 376 patients with BMT. Patients were divided into those treated before 2012 with fluconazole prophylaxis (group I, n=206) or those undergone transplantation after 2012 and received fluconazole, voriconazole and posaconazole prophylaxis according their risk of fungal infection (group II, n=170). Results: Group I was significantly younger (p=0.007), less smoker (p=0.01), received more autologus transplant (p=0.001) and mostly high risk patient for infection (p<0.001). Group I had significantly higher duration of fever (p=0.004) and increased WBC (p=0.02), longer length of stay (p=0.001), more proven and less probable fungal infections (p=0.008) and higher hepatic complications (p=0.003). There was no significant difference in fungal related and overall mortality rate between groups. Conclusion: The use of prophylaxis based on risk of fungal infection in patients undergoing BMT results in reduce fungal infections, duration of fever and accelerate the engraftment and patient discharge.

Study of Bacterial Infections Among Patients Receiving Kidney Transplant in Mashhad, Iran.

OBJECTIVES: Over the past 2 decades, significant advances have been made in the management of infections after transplant; however, transplant recipients are still at high risk of infectious complications. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of bacterial infections and antimicrobial resistance patterns in kidney transplant recipients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 356 patients who received kidney transplants, regardless of the underlying disease, from 2013 to 2015 at the Montaserieh Transplant Hospital (Mashhad, Iran). Clinical samples collected from patients were sent to the microbiology laboratory for culture processing. Typing of bacteria was conducted, and susceptibility testing was performed according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guideline by use the of disk diffusion agar method. Data were then analyzed by SPSS software (SPSS: An IBM Company, IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA) using chi-square test. RESULTS: Among 356 kidney recipients (206 men and 150 women), 115 (32.3%) received transplants from living donors and 241 (67.7%) received transplants from deceased donors. Of 356 total patients, 112 patients (31.5%) had an infection at various times after transplant. The most common gram-negative and gram-positive isolated bacteria were Escherichia coli and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, with prevalence rates of 66.1% and 48.6%. Most of the isolates were resistant against selected antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the high prevalence of infection among transplant patients, infection prevention should receive more attention, and antibiotic susceptibility should be determined before treatment.

The healing effect of scrophularia striata on experimental burn wounds infected to pseudomonas aeruginosa in rat.

BACKGROUND: The cause of death in burn patients after 48 hours of hospitalization has been reported to be bacterial infections. Recently, due to the compounds accelerating the healing process and the intense reduction of treatment side effects, medicinal plants are used to cure burn wound infections. This study aims to investigate the medicinal effect of the ethanolic extract of Scrophularia striata on burn wound infection in in-vivo and in-vitro in comparison with silver sulfadiazine (SSD). METHODS: One hundred and fifty male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 3 equal groups. A hot plate of 1×1cm was used to create second degree burn wounds. The ethanolic extract of S. striata was provided through percolation method. Group 1 was treated with SSD, group 2 with S. striata, and group 3 was considered as control group. All animals were infected to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. On days 3, 7, 10, 14, and 21 after burn wound injury, the animals were euthanized and were evaluated histologically. The MIC and MBC were determined using the micro dilution method. RESULTS: The rate of wound healing was significantly greater in S. striata group in comparison to SSD and control groups. CONCLUSION: S. striata contains was shown to have anti-bacterial and wound healing effects while this effect was significantly more than SSD denoting to its use when needed for burn wounds infected to P. aeruginosa.