Prevalence of Intestinal Protozoan Infection in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) in Isfahan, Iran.

BACKGROUND: Determination of the prevalence of intestinal protozoan infection is a fundamental step to set up an effective control program to improve the health status of society and to establish efficient strategies. Intestinal pathogen and even non-pathogen protozoa consider as major causes of disease in patients with gastrointestinal problems. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of intestinal protozoan infection in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) in Isfahan, Iran. METHODS: The descriptive cross-sectional study carried out from 2013 to 2018 in Isfahan, Iran. One thousand nine hundred and sixty-five samples of feces from patients with UC collected and each sample examined using direct wet mounting with normal saline and iodine and sedimentation tests such as formol-ethyl acetate concentration and trichrome-staining methods. RESULTS: From 655 patients, 185 (28.2%) infected with Giardia lamblia followed by Blastocystis hominis (27.3%), Endolimax nana (14.4%), Entamoeba coli (11.5%), Iodamoba butschlii (4.7%), Entamoeba histolytica (1.4%), and Chilomastix mesnili (0.6%). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed a high prevalence of infection with at least one or six non-pathogenic and pathogenic intestinal protozoa in UC patients in the Isfahan region. Intestinal protozoa are a challenging public health problem wherever health care is limited in the area. The emergence of UC in the world results in the need to study etiologic factors. In order to obtain further information about the etiology of disease, we investigated the prevalence of intestinal protozoan infection in patients with UC in Isfahan, Iran.

Particularly neglected in countries with other challenges: High Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence in pregnant women in Kabul, Afghanistan, while a low proportion know about the parasite.

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic parasitic disease of global importance. It is widespread and endemic practically all over the world, with infection prevalence varying by geographic location. The parasite and the disease are neglected, which is illustrated by the lack of baseline information on the prevalence from many regions. Developed, peaceful regions are in better situation to address toxoplasmosis, while the neglected status is particularly pronounced in regions with other challenges. Due to the lack of baseline data, these regions are rarely mentioned in discussions about the neglected status of the disease. A dramatic manifestation of toxoplasmosis, congenital toxoplasmosis, is the dreaded outcome of vertical transmission of the infection from the mother to the unborn child. For this reason, pregnant women are a key target group for primary prevention of T. gondii infections, and baseline data on the prevalence in pregnant women is important. In this cross-sectional seroepidemiological study, we estimated Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence and evaluated possible risk factors for seropositivity in pregnant women in Kabul, Afghanistan. Altogether 207 of the 431 women included in the study tested positive for immunoglobulin G antibodies against T. gondii, yielding an apparent seroprevalence estimate of 48.03% (95% CI 43.33-52.75). Based on the final multivariable model for T. gondii seropositivity, non-concrete floor in the house and well or river as water source were identified as risk factors for seropositivity, while residence in rural area was a protective factor. The majority of the participants (72.9%) reported that they did not know about T. gondii. Our study is the first to report an estimate of T. gondii seroprevalence in pregnant women in Afghanistan. The high seroprevalence indicates substantial infection pressure, and the results of the risk factor analysis suggest that the environmental route, infection from oocysts, might be the most relevant to address to prevent the infections in the region. Our results contribute to the global discussion on neglected status of toxoplasmosis.

Rapid Identification of Echinococcus granulosus and E. canadensis Using High-Resolution Melting (HRM) Analysis by Focusing on a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism.

High-resolution melting (HRM) is a reliable and sensitive scanning method to detect variation in DNA sequences. We used this method to better understand the epidemiology and transmission of Echinococcus granulosus. We tested the use of HRM to discriminate the genotypes of E. granulosus and E. canadensis. One hundred forty-one hydatid cysts were collected from slaughtered animals in different parts of Isfahan-Iran in 2013. After DNA extraction, the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene was amplified using PCR coupled with the HRM curve. The result of HRM analysis using partial the sequences of cox1 gene revealed that 93, 35, and 2 isolates were identified as G1, G3, and G6 genotypes, respectively. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was found in locus 9867 of the cox1 gene. This is a critical locus for the differentiation between the G6 and G7 genotypes. In the phylogenic tree, the sample with a SNP was located between the G6 and G7 genotypes, which suggest that this isolate has a G6/G7 genotype. The HRM analysis developed in the present study provides a powerful technique for molecular and epidemiological studies on echinococcosis in humans and animals.

Use of restriction fragment length polymorphism to identify Candida species, related to onychomycosis.

BACKGROUND: Onychomycosis is one of the most common clinical forms of fungal infections due to both filamentous fungi and yeasts. The genus of Candida is one of the most prominent causes of onychomycosis in all around the world. Although Candida albicans is still the most frequent cause of nail infections, use of broad-spectrum antifungal agents has led to a shift in the etiology of C. albicans to non-albicans species. The aim of the present study is rapid and precise identification of candida species isolated from nail infection by using of PCR-RFLP technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 360 clinical yeast strains were collected from nail infections in Iran. Genomic DNA was extracted using FTA(;) cards. ITS1-5.8SrDNA-ITS2 region was amplified using universal primers and subsequently products were digested with the restriction enzyme MspI. For identification of newly described species (C. parapsilosis complex), the SADH gene was amplified, followed by digestion with Nla III restriction enzyme. RESULTS: Candida albicans was the most commonly isolated species (41.1%), followed by C. parapsilosis (21.4%), C. tropicalis (12.8%), C. kefyr (9.4%), C. krusei (5.5%), C. orthopsilosis (4.1%), C. glabrata (2.8%), C. guilliermondii (1.4%), C. rugosa (0.8%), and C. lusitaniae (0.5%). Patients in the age groups of 51-60 and 81-90 years had the highest and lowest distribution of positive specimens, respectively. CONCLUSION: Rapid and precise identification of Candida species from clinical specimens lead to appropriate therapeutic plans.