Carboplatin and epigallocatechin-3-gallate synergistically induce cytotoxic effects in esophageal cancer cells.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We aimed at evaluating the effects of combinatorial treatments with carboplatin and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on the KYSE-30 esophageal cancer (EC) cell line and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: EC cells were harvested and exposed to increasing concentrations of carboplatin and EGCG to construct a dose-response plot. Cell inhibitory effects were assessed by the MTT method and apoptosis-related gene expression levels (caspases 8 and 9) and Bcl-2 mRNA were detected using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The lactate levels in the various treated cases were analyzed using the colorimetric assay kit. In addition, total antioxidant capacity was measured. FINDINGS/RESULTS: The results indicated that, following treatments with carboplatin in IC20, IC25, and IC10 concentrations when combined with EGCG in similar concentrations, synergistically decreased cell viability versus single treatments of both agents. Also, in combined treatments at IC20 and IC25 of both agents the gene expression ratio of caspases 8 and 9 upregulated significantly compared to monotherapies (P < 0.05). Bcl-2 gene expression ratios were decreased in double agents treated cells versus monotherapies. Following treatment of KYSE-30 cells with carboplatin and EGCG in double combinations, lactate levels were significantly decreased compared with the untreated cells and single treatments (P < 0.05). Also, in IC25, IC20, and IC10 concentrations of both agents the total antioxidant capacity levels were decreased versus monotherapies and untreated cells. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: The presented study determined that treatment with carboplatin and EGCG was capable of promoting cytotoxicity in EC cells and inhibits the cancer progress. Combined treatments with low concentrations of carboplatin and EGCG may promote apoptosis induction and inhibit cell growth. These results confirmed the anticancer effects of carboplatin and EGCG and providing a base for additional use of EGCG to the EC treatment.

Human parvovirus B19 in Iranian pregnant women: a serologic survey.

BACKGROUND: Parvovirus B19 infection is associated with clinical symptoms that vary in the spectrum from trivial to severe. The important clinical manifestations are erythema infectiosum or the fifth disease, transient aplastic anemia in patients with hemoglobinopathies, acute polyarthralgia syndrome in adults, hydrops fetalis, spontaneous abortion and stillbirth. Acute infection in nonimmune pregnant women can lead to fetal hydrops. In view of the many complications that can result from acute parvovirus B19 infections during pregnancy, documenting the seroprevalence of anti-parvovirus B19 IgG and its association with the history of abortion in an Iranian population of pregnant women would be of value. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum samples from 86 pregnant women were collected between May and September 2011 in West Azerbaijan province of Iran. Every pregnant woman completed a questionnaire which included age, history of tattooing, blood transfusion, and abortion. Anti-B19 specific IgG was detected by using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. RESULTS: Anti-B19-specific IgG antibody was detected in (65/86, 75.6%) of pregnant women. The mean age was 25.56 ± 5.30 years and three women had a documented history of blood transfusion (2 of them tested seropositive for B19). 16/18 (88.8%) of women with a history of abortion were IgG positive. The frequency of abortion sessions in the seropositive group (25 sessions of abortion: 11 women experienced once, 2 twice, 2 thrice and one 4 times) was 4.03 times greater than abortion in seronegative group (2 abortions/21 seronegative women). CONCLUSION: Our study reaffirms previous reports regarding the higher frequency of abortion among anti-B19 IgG seropositive pregnant women and a possible role of this viral infection in the pathogenesis of abortion.

The seroprevalence of Parvovirus B19 among kidney transplant recipients: a single-center study.

Parvovirus B19 is a DNA virus that is responsible for causing several diseases in humans. Parvovirus B19-induced persistent anemia is one of its manifestations that is relatively common in transplant recipients. This study was aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of parvovirus B19 among kidney transplant recipients. Ninety-one transplant recipients were selected randomly and were investigated for several variables including age, gender, educational status, history of hemodialysis (HD), history of blood transfusion and immunosuppressive therapy. Two milliliters of blood samples were collected via venipuncture and evaluated for anti-Parvovirus B19 IgG antibody using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All recipients were anemic, with 72.5% of them suffering from severe anemia (Hb ≤ 11 in men and ≤ 10 in women). Sixty-three patients (69.2%) were seropositive for Parvovirus B19. There was no significant difference in age, sex, educational status, history of blood transfusion, history of HD and immunosuppressive therapy between seropositive and seronegative groups. The seroprevalence of Parvovirus B19 was relatively high in kidney transplant recipients in Urmia, Iran. Our study failed to find a correlation between the severity of anemia and the seropositivity of Parvovirus B19.

Seroprevalence of HTLV-1 among kidney graft recipients: a single-center study.

BACKGROUND: Renal transplant recipients are susceptible to viral infections because of their immunocompromised background. HTLV-1 is a retrovirus that leads to adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma or myelopathies. This study aimed to evaluate HTLV-1 antibodies among renal transplant recipients in Urmia, Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum samples of 91 renal transplant recipients from Urmia, Iran, were examined serologically for antibodies against HTLV type 1 using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Mean age was 37.26 +/- 14.22 years old. Only 1 patient had a positive anti-HTLV-1 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test, which was confirmed by Western blot. The HTLV-1-positive case did not have HTLV-associated clinical manifestation. This patient was a 45-year-old man, with no history of blood transfusion, but he did have a history of hemodialysis before transplant. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of HTLV-1 among renal transplant recipients of our region in the northwest of Iran was not so high, and it is similar to the HTLV- 1 seroprevalence among hemodialysis patients. Still, it is more frequent among healthy blood donors as representative of the general population in our region.

Survey the seroprevalence of CMV among hemodialysis patients in Urmia, Iran.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) causes infection in immunocompromised, transplant recipients and those who received blood transfusion frequently. Risk factors for primary CMV infection are blood transfusion (including clotting factors, etc), recipients of infected transplants, hemo-dialysis and the frequency of dialysis in a week. This study aimed at determining the prevalence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibodies in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients who undergo hemodialysis. A cross-sectional study of hemodialysis patients in Urmia, Iran was undertaken in 2007. Sera of 84 Hemodialysis patients were investigated for CMV-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG). Forty-four (52%) patients were males. 65 patients (77.4%) were anti-CMV IgG positive and 6 (7.1%) were anti-CMV IgM positive. There was no relationship between the antibody titer and dialysis duration, or frequency of HD in a week. In conclusion, we recommend that every patient who has undergone hemodialysis receive blood products free of CMV if CMV negative to reduce the incidence and prevalence of CMV among HD patients.

Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of urinary tract pathogens.

Microbial drug resistance is a major problem in the treatment of infectious diseases worldwide. The purpose of this survey is to determine the prevalence of the type of bacterial agents that cause urinary infection and to assess the antimicrobial sensitivity pattern in the Urmia Medical University, Iran. In the period between 2005 and 2006, urine cultures collected were analyzed. Positive culture was defined as growth of a single bacterial species with colony count of > 100,000 CFU/mL. Stratification was done according to age-group and gender. Statistical tests used included chi-square to evaluate differences between susceptibility rates. A total of 803 urine culture positive patients were studied of whom 81.6% were females and 18.4% were males. The common micro-organisms isolated were E. coli (78.58%), Klebsiella (5.48%), Proteus and Staphylococcus. About 89% of the E. coli isolated showed sensitivity to cephtizoxin, 83.9% to gentamycin and 83.2% to ciprofloxacin; the highest resistance was shown to ampicillin and co-trimoxazole. Surveys of this nature will give a clear idea about the bacteriologic profile in a given institution as well their antibiotic sensitivity profile. This will act as a guide to commencing empirical antibiotic treatment in patients with urinary infections until such time culture reports are available.

Survey of the seroprovalence of HTLV I/II in hemodialysis patients and blood donors in Urmia.

Human T lymphocytotropic virus HTLV is a virus from retroviridae family, and more than 20 million people are infected with this virus worldwide. It can cause leukemia/lymphoma in adults, tropical spastic paralysis, HTLV associated myelopathy, spastic paraparesis, tropical myelopathy (HAM/TSP), and some other nervous system diseases. It is transmitted by means of blood products via blood transfusion. In Iran, except the Great Khorasan region, none of blood products undergo screening for HTLV. Immunodeficiency in HD patients, results in increased risk of infection. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of anti-HTLV-I/II antibody among hemo-dialysis patients and healthy blood donors in Urmia, Iran. A cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2005 to January 2006 among healthy blood donors and in 2006 among hemodialysis patients. The serum of 2046 blood donors and 95 Hemodialysis patients was checked with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for anti HTLV-I/II, and positive cases were confirmed by western blot. Three seropositive cases among 95 hemodialysis patients were detected, and only one of them was confirmed by western blot. Of the healthy blood donors 1910 (93.4%) were males and 136 (6.6%) were females. Serum of 1997 (97.6%) subjects was negative, and 49 (2.6%) cases were positive for HTLV by ELISA. Among the positive cases western blot confirmed only 7 (14.3%) persons as HTLV positive, 37 (75.5%) as negative, and 5 (10.2%) as indeterminate. Among the 7 positive cases 6 (85.6%) were infected with HTLV-I, and only one (14.3%) with HTLV-I /II infection. Total Serologic prevalence of HTLV in healthy blood donors was 0.34%. We conclude that such high serologic prevalence in the population of blood donors in Urmia city, suggests the high probability of transmission through blood transfusion, and therefore screening of blood donors for human T-lymphocyte virus is essential in this region. HD patients should be screened for HTLV and positive subjects should be isolated.

Survey of hepatitis B status in hemodialysis patients in a training hospital in Urmia, Iran.

To evaluate the prevalence of HBV infection in chronic hemodialysis patients at our dialysis center of Urmia's Taleqni Hospital, Urmia, Iran, we studied cross-sectionally the hepatitis surface antigen (HbsAg) status in blood samples of 167 active chronic hemodialysis patients at our center with enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA). The mean frequency of HbsAg+ was 6.58%, which was higher in patients less than 50 years old than in those above 50 years (9.3% vs. 5.3%, respectively), in males than females (10.5% vs. 2.5%, respectively), and in those on three times dialysis than twice per week (7.1% vs. 0.0%, respectively). We did not find a significant relationship between the factors of: age, sex, being resident in city or village, duration of the therapy, history of blood transfusion, marital status, job status, history of kidney transplantation, and prevalence of HbsAg+.

Occurrence of cytomegalovirus infection and factors causing reactivation of the infection among renal transplant recipients: a single center study.

Reactivation of infection with the cytomegalovirus (CMV) in renal transplant recipients may cause significant morbidity and mortality. To evaluate factors associated with activation of CMV replication, we followed prospectively a group of 68 renal transplant recipients for 12 months. The control group consisted of healthy blood donors (n = 37). Sera were collected periodically from these patients and analyzed for the presence of specific anti-CMV antibodies. Enzyme-linked immunoassay based on recombinant CMV proteins was used to detect the following antibody specificities: IgG and IgM. During the first year after transplantation, reactivation of CMV occurred in 48 recipients (70.6%). Detailed analysis did not show any association of reactivation with the type of basic immunosuppressive therapy, prophylactic or therapeutic use of anti-lymphocyte antibodies, as well as occurrence of acute rejection episodes. There was a borderline association (P=0.068) between the presence of CMV infection and EBV reactivation. In conclusion, results of our study suggest that CMV infection may represent a factor activating EBV replication.