Iranian Journal of Public Health
Volume:33 Issue: 3, Autumn 2004

LHON is a mitochondrial neurodegenerative disorder often manifesting itself in the second or third decade of life, and hence resulting in progressive central vision loss usually in a short period of 2-8 weeks within which different degrees of blindness may occur. Etiologically, more than twenty missense mutations have been reported for LHON, amongst which the three mutations of G11778A, G3460A and T14484C, affecting NADH dehydrogenase complex activity, are recognized as primary mutations. The three primary mutations account for 90% of LHON patients, emphasizing the importance of molecular investigation of these mutations for differential diagnosis of LHON. Using PCR-RFLP, this research resulted in the detection of two LHON families carrying the G11778A mutation in homoplasmy and described the clinical and molecular features of the disease in the patients

The Leishmania major Parasite surface Antigen-2 (PSA-2) is a family of glycoinositol phospholipids anchored glycoprotoins expressed in both promastigotes and amastigotes. Promastigote PSA-2 comprises three polypeptides with approximate molecular weight of 96, 80 and 50 kDa. Amastigote express a distinct but closely PSA-2 polypeptide with molecular weight of 50 kDa. In this study fusion of SP2/0 myeloma cells with immunized mice spleenocytes infected with promastigotes of L. major intraperitoneally resulted to a clone of hybridoma producing a specific antibody that only reacts with L. major parasite surface antigen (PSA-2). This mAb showed no crossreactivity with either other Leishmania species including L. tropica, L. donovani and L. infantum or recombinant gp63. Western blot analysis of culture supernatant revealed multiple bands with molecular weight of 50, 58, 80 and 96 kDa only in L. major.

Zinc is one of the elements necessary for growth and health in human. Some evidences indicate that the zinc deficiency is one of real difficulties for the public health in developed and developing countries. Since the pregnant women are more at risk by the zinc deficiency, and this can cause many problems, in this study we tried to find out the rate of zinc deficiency in pregnant women within the region. This research project was analytical-descriptive study which was done on the 400 pregnant women whom referred to Zahedan Ghods hospital. A questionnaire was set up for each case which contained the following items, mother age, pregnancy age, numbers of deliveries, education, and consumption of iron tablet during pregnancy. The serum zinc level in each mother in this project was determined by atomic absorption technique. Prevalence of zinc deficiency among the pregnant women was 49%. Statistical analysis indicated that zinc deficiency had correlation with mother age, term of pregnancy and iron consumption. But zinc deficiency showed no correlation with numbers of deliveries and education.

respectively. Allergic fungal sinusitis also was seen in one patient and Alternaria sp. isolated from the biopsy material. Only the patient with allergic form of disease survived but all the patients with invasive form of fungal infection were expired. This clearly underscores the need of early recognition of fungal sinusitis in at risk population in order to start urgent treatment. In this study Nocardia asteroids also was isolated from the biopsy sample in a patient with sinunasal adenocarcinoma.

Enterobiasis is undoubtedly one of the most common human helminths infections through the world, with an estimate of 1000 million cases worldwide. Although adult worms and their eggs are frequently found in inflamed appendices, but the role of the parasite in producing appendicitis in humans still remains controversial. Although acute appendicitis may occur at any age, but it is relatively rare at the extremes of age. A histopathological study of infested appendices with Enterobius vermicularis was performed in Khuzestan province, south western Iran, during 2001 to 2003. All 40 samples had surgically been removed during the emergency operations and histopathological process with (H&E) staining has been performed for each. One of the main objects of this work was to collect more data about the possible role of this highly prevalent human round worm as a causative agent of appendicitis in humans, leading to different types of appendicitis in this part of the country. In this occasion over the slide examinations of the tissue sections, fewer cases than expected, with worm infested appendices were seen exclusively affected with this parasite.

In recent years, the importance of Shigella as an enteric pathogen with global impact has been increasingly recognized. In this study, serogroup distribution of Shigella isolated from clinically diagnosed cases of gastroenteritis and acute diarrhea in Tehran, capital of Iran was investigated between December 2002 and November 2003. Fecal specimens and rectal swabs were cultured for Shigella spp. using standard microbiological techniques. The isolates of Shigella were identified by biochemical assay and serological testing. From a total of 302 Shigella isolates, 178, 110, 10 and 4 strains were identified as S.sonnei (58.9%; 95% CI: 53.2-64.5), S. flexneri (36.4%; 95% CI: 31.0-42.2), S.boydii (3.3%), and S. dysenteriae (1.3%), respectively. The peak of infection occurred during summer. Overall, 167 patients (55.3%) were males and 135 (44.7%) were females

Malnutrition is a common problem among nursing home residents and encompasses adverse outcomes. This study was conducted to determine malnutrition and urinary tract infections as well as antibiotic resistance of isolated bacteria at Kahrisak nursing home in Tehran city, capital of Iran. Nutritional status was determined by direct detection of kitchen, checking the menue of weekly foods, quality and quantity of each meal for each person. The mean age of patients in this descriptive study was 77.2 years old, (ranging from 60 to 103). Samples of midstream urine from these patients were collected and bacteria were identified by standard bacteriological methods. Then, antibiotic resistance of bacteria was determined. On the basis of nutritional status, the quality and quantity of food for each meal was good and enough. From 520 samples of urine, bacteria were grown only from 81 samples. E. coli was the most common bacteria and the other bacteria were Proteus, Klebsiella, Staphylococci aureus, Alcaligenes faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Providencia. All of bacteria were resistant at different rate to ampicillin, tetracycline, cephalothin and co-trimoxazol, but sensitive to ciprofloxacin and nitrofurantoin. Malnutrition in this study was less than 30%. This may be due to people helping, qualified foods, well nursing and suitable facility at Kahrizak nursing home.

Khuzestan province in the south west of Iran having several seasonal and permanent lagoons which are shelter for domestic and migratory birds including, fish-eating birds. This research study was carried out to find the intestinal helminth parasites of birds in this ecosystem and evaluation of their medically importance with emphasis on heterophyid trematodes. For these reasons, the total of 37 birds including; Himantopus himantopus, Fulica atra, Egretta grazetta, Bubulcus ibis, Ceryle rudis, Vanellus indicus, Vanellus vanellus, Charadrius sp. Calidris sp. and Saher (Local name) were hunted and transported to Ahwaz Health Research Center as alive or freshly dead after having been shot. Helminthes collected as alive or dead and fixed in ethanol or formaldehyde. Parasites were identified using morphometric measurements and morphological descriptions. 24 species of intestinal helminth parasites were found as follow: trematodes (Haplorchis taichui, Haplorchis pumilio, Stellantchasmus falcatus, Centrocestus formosanus. Psiloterma marki, Echinostoma revolutum, Parechinostomum cinctum, Echinochasmus coaxatus, Paramonostomum alveatum, Uvitellina pseudocotylea, Cyclocoelum mutabile, Apharyngostrigea cornu, Cardiocephallus brandesi, Cotylurus cornutus, Pseudostrigea buteonis) and nematodes (Amidostomum fuligulae, Cosmocephalus diesingii, Microtetrameres accipiter, Strongyloides minimus) and cestodes (Gyrocoelia perversa, Infula burhini, Dirorchis tringae, Echinocotyle nitida, Spiniglans microsoma). These results have suggested that, the birds are reservoir for helminth parasitic diseases such as heterophyiasis for man and animals in the areas. These helminthes are reported for the first time in the region.

In this research, the Chloroform (CHCl3) removal effectiveness of two water treatment systems including membrane technology and granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption were studied. Two bench-scales were designed and set up: 1) Nanofiltration (NF) spiral-wound modules and 2) GAC adsorption column. Chloroform was considered as trihalomethanes (THMs) basic indicator compound. The inlet and outlet CHCl3 concentrations were detected by gas chromatography (GC) with electron capture detector (ECD). The study was carried out for the two cases of spiked deionized water with CHCl3 and chlorinated Tehran tap water. Flow rate, CHCl3 and total dissolved solids (TDS) concentrations were considered in both treatment systems and the transmembrane pressures for membrane pilot, as the basic variables affecting removal efficiencies. Results showed that CHCl3 rejection coefficients for NF 300 Da, NF 600 Da and GAC Column, with various operation conditions had a range of 55.2% to 87.8%, 78% to 85% and 41.4% to 74.1%, respectively. It was found that removal efficiencies for NF 600 Da were lower than those of NF 300 Da and GAC column. The obtained data were analyzed by SPSS and non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis method. Results showed a positive correlation between the flow rate, CHCl3 concentration and chloroform rejection coefficients and the TDS concentration had no significant effect on chloroform removal efficiencies.

Aeromonas hydrophila is a causative agent of a number of human infections. Aeromonads have been isolated from patients with diarrhea. In spite of a number of virulence factors produced by Aeromonas species, their association with diarrheal diseases has not been clearly linked. In current study, 1546 fecal samples of a randoml selected population were screened for presence of A. hydrophila. Out of the total number of cases, 20 were suffering from diarrhoea and the rest were asymptomatic healthy individuals. The result showed that 3.4% of the samples were positive for Aeromonas spp. A. hydrophila was isolated as the sole enteropathogen from 80% diarrheal and 20% asymptomatic cases. A significant association was found between the A. hydrophila and diarrhoeal diseases in rural and urban areas (P<0.05), while no difference was revealed between genders. The highest rates of A.hydrophila (3.9%) was detected in children <6 years of age. A significant association was also found between A. hydrophila and different age groups (P< 0.05). In conclusion, our epidemiological study showed that Aeromonas spp. as a sole enteropathogen could be responsible for diarrhea.

Lectins that agglutinate red blood cells (RBCs) were demonstrated in Anopheles stephensi mosquito midgut extracts using human (four groups: A, B, AB and O, RH+) rat, sheep and rabbit blood cells. Only rabbit RBCs showed agglutination reaction against the midgut extracts. Significant differences in hemagglutinin titers and carbohydrate specifity were detected between male and female mosquitoes as well as among three different geographical populations of Anopheles stephensi from south of Iran. Overall agglutinin levels were increased following a blood meal. The highest hemagglintination titers were due to Kazerun population. All hemagglutination assays were versus rabbit RBCS. A significant difference was detected among the number of egg-float ridges. Iranshahr population was different from Bandar-abbas and Kazerun population in egg-float ridges number. Bandr-abbas population was in the intermediate category. Iranshahr population fell between mysoransis and intermediate group and Kazerun population was between intermediate and type form. This study presents the first report on the occurrence of heterogeneous anti Rabbit RBC agglutinins in the midget extracts of the different geographical populations of An.stephensi with the sugar – binding specificities. The sugar- inhibition pattern was different between & within geographical population of An.stephensi.