Isolation and identification of culturable halophilic bacteria with producing hydrolytic enzyme from Incheh Broun hypersaline wetland in Iran.

Incheh Broun hypersaline wetland is located near the border of Turkmenistan in thenorth of Iran. This wetland is notable because of salinity (280g/l) and alteration in pH range (2.8 to 6.8). Eastern part of wetland is affected by wastewater of iodine extraction factory.  Samples were taken from soil, water and salt. Totally, 400 bacterial strains were isolated of which 194 strains were Gram-positive bacilli, 184 strains were Gram-negative rod and 22 strains were Gram-positive cocci. According to phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA, selected strains were placed in three taxonomic phyla including Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria. Optimum growth was evaluated for salt and 22 strains were found to be moderate halophile and 33 strains were halotolerant. Production of lipase, amylase, gelatinase and protease was examined. Gram-positive bacilli were the main producers of hydrolytic enzymes. Gelatinase and protease were the most frequent enzymes. Gram-positive cocci were the main producers of lipase but they didn't produce amylase.

Celiac disease and dysfunctional uterine bleeding; the efficiency of gluten free diet.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between Celiac disease (CD) and unexplained dysfunctional uterine bleeding (DUB) in celiac women. The celiac patients were selected from women who were referred to celiac department. Controls were selected from those women without any signs of celiac disease and matched with age. Meanwhile, a trained physician was ready to explain the study, and then in case of their allowance, a questionnaire was completed by the physician. 24 % of celiac women reported a past history of at least one menstrual cycle disorder vs 10 % of controls reported these problems (p=0.038) and higher percentage of unexplained DUB has been observed in celiac women. All celiac patients were undertaking gluten free diet for at least 3 months and the celiac patients who reported the history of DUB were again interviewed for any signs of unexplained DUB. From 12 celiac women with DUB, 10 patients reported no more unexplained DUB after getting gluten-free diet (83.3 %). The occurrence of a significant correlation between CD and DUB suggests the possibility of considering CD as one of the potential causes of abnormal uterine bleeding. Therefore, celiac disease must be seriously considered in the screening of patients with reproductive disorders (Tab. 2,Ref. 23).

Comparison of ELISA and three rapid HCG dipsticks in diagnosis of premature rupture of membranes.

BACKGROUND: The importance of accurate diagnosis of premature rupture of membranes (PROM) is quite apparent while trying to diminish false negative or positive results as much as possible. This study compares Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and three rapid human chorionic gonadothropin (HCG) dipsticks in diagnosis of premature rupture of membranes. METHODS: During 2008-2009, 181 pregnant women with single pregnancy from 14 to 41 weeks of gestation who referred to Ayatollah Taleghani Hospital in Tehran, Iran were divided into two groups, 91 patients with PROM and 90 controls with matched gestational weeks. All patients underwent speculum examination for cervicovaginal washing fluid, HCG three rapid tests and ELISA. RESULTS: The HCG concentration of vaginal fluid was significantly different between the two groups. Using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and determining the threshold as 19 mIU/mL for HCG by ELISA method, the sensitivity was 94.5%; specificity, 91%; positive predictive value, 91.5%; negative predicted value, 94.2% and accuracy was 92.2%. In rapid diagnostic test, the most sensitivity was for ACON and the most specificity for DIMA. Comparing the four methods, DIMA strip showed the highest accuracy and the highest value in early diagnosis of ROM. CONCLUSION: The reliability of three rapid diagnostic tests in diagnosis of ROM in cervicovaginal discharge was acceptable.

Identification of 13 novel NLRP7 mutations in 20 families with recurrent hydatidiform mole; missense mutations cluster in the leucine-rich region.

BACKGROUND: NLRP7 (NALP7) has recently been identified as the causative gene for familial recurrent hydatidiform mole (FRHM), a rare autosomal recessive condition in which affected women have recurrent molar pregnancies of diploid biparental origin. To date only a small number of affected families have been described. Our objectives were to investigate the diversity of mutations and their localisation to one or both isoforms of NLRP7, by screening a large series of women with FRHM and to examine the normal expression of NLRP7 in ovarian tissue. METHODS: Fluorescent microsatellite genotyping of molar tissue was used to establish a diagnosis of FRHM. Twenty families were subsequently screened for mutations in NLRP7 using DNA sequencing. Expression of NLRP7 in the ovary was examined by immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: 16 different mutations were identified in the study, 13 of which were novel. Missense mutations were found to be present in transcript variant 2 of NLRP7 and cluster in the leucine-rich region (LRR). A man with two affected sisters and homozygous for the p.R693P mutation had normal reproductive outcomes. In the normal human ovary, NLRP7 expression is confined to the oocytes and present at all stages from primordial to tertiary follicles. CONCLUSION: 13 novel mutations in NLRP7 were identified. We confirm that mutations in NLRP7 affect female but not male reproduction, and provide evidence that transcript variant 2 of NLRP7 is the important isoform in this condition. The mutation clustering seen confirms that the LRR is critical for normal functioning of NLRP7.

Self-doped anthranilic acid-pyrrole copolymer/gold electrodes for selective preconcentration and determination of Cu(I) by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry.

Electropolymerization of anthranilic acid/pyrrole (AA/PY) at solid substrate electrodes (platinum, gold, and glassy carbon) gave stable and water-insoluble films under a wide range of pH. Combining high conductivity of the polypyrrole (PPY) and pH independence of the electrochemical activity of the self-doped carboxylic acid-substituted polyaniline allows us to prepare an improved functionalized PPY-modified electrode to collect and measure Cu(I) species. The differential pulse stripping analysis of the copper ions using a polyanthranilic acid-co-polypyrrole (PAA/PPY)-modified electrode consisted of three steps: accumulation, electrochemical reduction to the elemental copper and stripping step. Factors affecting these steps, including electropolymerization conditions, accumulation and stripping medium, reduction potential, reduction time and accumulation time, were systematically investigated. A detection limit of 5.3 x 10(-9) M Cu(I) was achieved for a 7.0 min accumulation. For 12 determinations of Cu(I) at concentrations of 1.0 x 10(-8) M, an RSD of 3.5% was obtained. The log I(p) was found to vary linearly with log[Cu(I)] in the concentration range from 7.0 x 10(-9) to 1.0 x 10(-5) M.

Evidence of a genetic heterogeneity of familial hydatidiform moles.

We previously mapped a maternal recessive locus responsible for familial hydatidiform moles (HMs) to 19q13.4. The candidate region has recently been narrowed down to 1.1 megabases. Here, we report the segregation of alleles at 18 genetic markers, including nine new ones, from the HMs candidate region in a recently reported consanguineous family. In this family, five affected women had a total of seven HMs, three miscarriages, and three normal children. Linkage and haplotype analyses exclude linkage to 19q13.4 and indicate the presence of a second recessive locus responsible for familial molar pregnancies. The heterogeneity in the phenotype of the conceptuses of patients with familial HMs is in agreement with previous observations and seems to be a common feature of this condition. This indicates that the homozygous genetic defects leading to hydatidiform moles can be modulated by other genetic or environmental factors. The identification of these factors may unravel natural ways to treat these forms of reproductive wastage and reverse the infertility of women with recurrent moles.

Familial gestational trophoblastic disease.

UNLABELLED: Familial molar pregnancies and gestational trophoblastic disease are exceedingly rare. In this case report, a family including four sisters and their cousin had molar pregnancies. Eldest sister had repeated molar pregnancies. Second sister had early abortion at her first pregnancy and partial molar pregnancy following blighted ovum by intrauterine insemination at her second pregnancy. Third sister had two molar pregnancies in a 2-year interval. Fourth and youngest sister has had gestational trophoblastic disease stage 1, following complete molar Pregnancy at her first pregnancy. A paternal-related cousin of this family has had gestational trophoblastic disease following complete molar pregnancy at her first pregnancy. No members of this family, except eldest sister, has given birth to a child. CONCLUSION: complete and partial moles, repeated moles, gestational trophoblastic disease, early abortion, blighted ovum, and secondary infertility in this family demonstrate that a defective ovum with abnormal maternal genetic component is responsible.