Green synthesis of oxidized starch with a novel catalyst based on Fe3O4 nanoparticles and H2O2 reagent to form thermoplastic as a stable gel coating on the cardiovascular stents.

Oxidation of starch is one of the most commonly used approaches to improve its properties in the thermoplastic (TP) reactions. Iron oxide nanoparticle (IONP) (8.2 ± 1.5 nm) was used as a novel catalyst for this reaction. The functional groups of the carbonyl (COH) and the carboxyl (COOH) were obtained about of 7-12.2 % and 0.03-0.3 %. TP reaction and then electrospray technique of oxidized starch were used for the thin-film coating. The swelling ratio of the gelled thermoplastic structure with IONP (198 ± 9 % at 180 min) was lower than the sample without NP (193 ± 8 % at 90 min). The results from fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance (HNMR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveal desirable chemical and crystalline changes. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis was used to determine the thickness of the thin film (1.4 ± 0.2 µm) and the size of the electrosprayed droplets (172 ± 45 nm). Cytotoxicity studies of HUVEC and L929 cell lines against the extracts have shown appropriate biocompatibility. The blood compatibility analysis demonstrated proper results for (nanocomposite) NC. The results show that NC coated on metal surfaces can be used in medical approaches with drug delivery capability.

Hepatitis A Virus and Hepatitis E Virus Seroprevalence Among Blood Donors in Tehran, Iran.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis A virus (HAV) and Hepatitis E virus (HEV) are both transmitted by the fecal-oral route and are known as the leading causes of acute viral hepatitis in the world, especially in developing countries. There is a lack of updated data on HAV and HEV seroprevalence in Iran. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of HAV and HEV among a group of blood donors in Tehran, Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed from July 2014 to December 2014, on a total of 559 blood donors referred to the Tehran blood transfusion center. The serum samples were tested for antibodies to HAV and HEV, using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: In the present study, 536 (95.9%) cases were male and 23 (4.1%) female with mean age of 38 years. Out of 559 blood donors, 107 (19.1%) were first-time donors, 163 (29.2%) lapsed donors and 289 (51.7%) regular donors. Anti-HAV was found in 395 (70.7%) and anti-HEV in 45 (8.1%) of the blood donors. The HAV and HEV seroprevalence increased by age. There was no significant difference between genders in terms of anti-HAV and anti-HEV status. The HAV and HEV seroprevalence was significantly related to the level of education, where the donors with higher level of education had lower rate of HAV and HEV seroprevalence. The HAV and HEV seroprevalence was significantly higher in regular and lapsed donors than in first-time donors. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that both HAV and HEV infections are still endemic in Iran.

Molecular Tracing of Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 1 Isolates in Iran: A NS5B Phylogenetic Analysis with Systematic Review.

CONTEXT: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is characterized by a high degree of genetic heterogeneity and classified into 7 genotypes and different subtypes. It heterogeneously distributed through various risk groups and geographical regions. A well-established phylogenetic relationship can simplify the tracing of HCV hierarchical strata into geographical regions. The current study aimed to find genetic phylogeny of subtypes 1a and 1b of HCV isolates based on NS5B nucleotide sequences in Iran and other members of Eastern Mediterranean regional office of world health organization, as well as other Middle Eastern countries, with a systematic review of available published and unpublished studies. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: The phylogenetic analyses were performed based on the nucleotide sequences of NS5B gene of HCV genotype 1 (HCV-1), which were registered in the GenBank database. The literature review was performed in two steps: 1) searching studies evaluating the NS5B sequences of HCV-1, on PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, and 2) Searching sequences of unpublished studies registered in the GenBank database. RESULTS: In this study, 442 sequences from HCV-1a and 232 from HCV-1b underwent phylogenetic analysis. Phylogenetic analysis of all sequences revealed different clusters in the phylogenetic trees. The results showed that the proportion of HCV-1a and -1b isolates from Iranian patients probably originated from domestic sources. Moreover, the HCV-1b isolates from Iranian patients may have similarities with the European ones. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, phylogenetic reconstruction of HCV-1 sequences clearly indicated for molecular tracing and ancestral relationships of the HCV genotypes in Iran, and showed the likelihood of domestic origin for HCV-1a and various origin for HCV-1b.