International Journal of Medical Laboratory
Volume:7 Issue: 2, May 2020

Non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C), which reflects all cholesterol present in potentially atherogenic lipoprotein particles, might be a useful marker of atherosclerosis in diabetic subjects. In the present study, we evaluated the prevalence of high non-HDL-C in patients with dyslipidemia in diabetic and non-diabetic subjects following LDL-C assessment as the first goal of therapy.

A data set of 2142 individuals was included in the study. All values of lipid profile were compared between non-diabetic and diabetic groups and the prevalence of dyslipidemia was evaluated in two groups.

According to the results, 48% of patients with diabetes achieved combined LDL-C ≤2.5 mmol/L and non-HDL ≤3.3 mmol/L targets, and 58.2% of diabetic patients achieved LDL-C goal while only 50.2% attained non-HDL-C goal. Also, the results indicated that non-HDL-C significantly heightened in patients with diabetes. Therefore, non-HDL-C needs to be calculated as a routine assessment in patients with diabetes.

Several studies have shown that host genetic factors can be associated with the risk of developing Helicobacter pylori infections. Therefore, we evaluated the most prevalent toll-like receptors (TLRs) polymorphisms in Helicobacter pylori positive subjects and their possible role in susceptibility to Helicobacter pylori infections.

Using related keywords, an independent search in the electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar and ISI web of knowledge was performed to collect studies evaluating, until January 15, 2019, polymorphisms in the TLR 1 to 13 genes and their association with susceptibility to Helicobacter pylori infection. A total of 18 articles met our inclusion criteria and thus were included in the meta-analysis.

In this meta-analysis, a significantly increased risk of Helicobacter pylori infection was observed in subjects carrying TLR2 rs3804099 (TT vs. CC: odds ratio = 2.209, 95% CI: 1.283-3.804), TLR4 rs4986790 (A allele vs. G allele: odds ratio = 2.987, 95% CI: 1.899-4.697), TLR4 rs4986791 (C allele vs. T allele: odds ratio = 5.469, 95% CI: 13.432-8.713), TLR4 rs4986791 (CC vs. TT: odds ratio = 7.974, 95% CI: 2.682-23.706), TLR4 rs10759932 (TT vs. CC: odds ratio = 3.180, 95% CI: 1.022-9.890), TLR4 rs1927914 (C allele vs. T allele: odds ratio = 8.831, 95% CI: 4.222-18.470), and TLR9 rs352140 (CC vs. CT: odds ratio = 1.878, 95% CI: 1.071-3.290) polymorphisms.the formula is not displayed correctly!

This meta-analysis indicated that TLR2 rs3804099, TLR4 rs4986790, TLR4 rs4986791, TLR4 rs10759932, TLR4 rs1927914 and TLR9 rs352140 polymorphisms are associated with increased susceptibility to Helicobacter pylori infections.

Mercury, with its oxidative activity, causes damage to the antioxidant enzymes thus resulting in physiological disorders. Sodium selenide is an antioxidant that protects antioxidant enzymes. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of sodium selenide on renal toxicity induced by mercuric chloride in rats.

Animals were divided into 6 groups of 6 each. Control group was treated with mercuric chloride (2.5 mg/kg) subcutaneously. Groups 2, 3 and 4 of the rats were treated with 2.5 mg/kg of mercuric chloride and sodium selenide subcutaneously administered at doses of 0.02, 0.04 and 0.08 mg/kg, respectively. The fifth group received 0.04 mg/kg sodium selenide subcutaneously after 25 days of mercuric chloride (2.5 mg/kg) treatment. The sixth group was treated with 2.5 mg/kg of mercuric chloride subcutaneously and 100 mg/kg of vitamin E by gavage.

After data analysis of the activity of the enzyme catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxide, creatinine and urea, there was a significant difference in the activity of these factors compared with the control group in blood and kidney tissue (p<0.05).

This study indicated that mercuric chloride has toxic effects in blood and kidney and sodium selenide may be able to reduce its’ blood and renal toxicity.

This study aimed to investigate the frequency of Q192R polymorphism and oxidative stress markers in infants with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency.

This is a case-control study in which 60 male infants (2-4 months old) with G6PD deficiency along with 60 age- and sex-matched healthy neonates were included. The diagnosis of G6PD deficiency was made by Beutler test by which the G6PD enzyme activity is measured by the fluorescent spot test. The blood samples were taken from all infants, and the sera were isolated for the evaluation of Paraoxonase-1 (PON1) and malondialdehyde (MDA) using the spectrophotometric method. Restriction fragment length polymorphism was applied for determination of Q192R polymorphism (rs 662).

The frequencies of QQ, QR, and RR genotypes were 55%, 39%, and 6%, respectively in infants with G6PD deficiency while the above genotype frequencies were 45%, 49%, and 6%, respectively in healthy neonates. The frequency of R and T alleles failed to show any significant difference when G6PD deficient infants and healthy neonates were compared. The results indicated PON1 activity and MDA levels being significantly (p<0.05) higher in neonates with G6PD deficiency compared with their healthy counterparts.

Contrary to previous studies, it was indicated that the presence of RQ and RR genotypes at Q192R position is associated with decreased activity of PON1 and increased oxidative stress. In this study, no significant differences were found in the genotype and allele frequency of PON1 Q192R polymorphism between the case and control groups. Also, this frequency was not consistent with the results obtained from oxidative stress conditions.

Candida albicans is the most prevalent opportunistic human pathogen. Therapeutic options for Candida infections are limited to available antifungal drugs. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of combination of fluconazole/clotrimazole on C. albicans hyphae formation.

We have established the effectiveness combination of fluconazole/clotrimazole on C. albicans hyphae formation. Interaction of C. albicans with combination of fluconazole/clotrimazole were performed using the CLSI standard method and time-killing curves. In order to investigate the effectiveness combination of fluconazole/clotrimazole on C. albicans hyphae formation, XTT and crystal violet (CV) assays as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and expression of HWP1 gene were carried out.

The interaction of C. albicans with fluconazole and clotrimazole resulted in synergistic, partial synergistic and indifferent effects. The interaction of fluconazole/clotrimazole were confirmed by time-killing curves. In XTT and CV assays, C. albicans treated with combination of fluconazole/clotrimazole reduced metabolic activity and hyphae formation. Images taken by SEM microscopy indicated the effectiveness on hyphae disruption. According to relative real time RT-PCR analysis, the mean Ct values revealed the significant decrease in expression level of the HWP1 gene (P<0.05). A 2.86- and 2.33-fold decrease in HWP1 gene expression was observed in combination of fluconazole/clotrimazole treatment at 2× MIC and 1× MIC concentrations, respectively (P<0.05).

We confirmed that the hyphae is a target for the combination of fluconazole/clotrimazole in C. albicans. HWP1 gene is likely to be considered as a probable targets synergistic interaction of fluconazole/clotrimazole against C. albicans.

Azoospermia factor (AZF) region of the Y-chromosome has several genes which are responsible for normal spermatogenesis. Microdeletions of these genes are associated with azoospermia and oligospermia. These microdeletions are too small to be detected by karyotyping. They can be easily identified using polymerase chain reaction. The aim of this study is to determine the frequencies of Y-chromosome microdeletions in azoospermic and oligospermic Iranian infertile men and compare them with other studies in different ethnic groups.

At first, karyotype analysis was performed in 80 infertile men and 30 healthy age-matched counterparts as control group using standard cytogenetic methods. Second, genomic DNA was extracted from all cases and genetic screening was conducted for Y chromosome microdeletions by multiplex polymerase chain reaction for AZF genes on both infertile and control men using 6 STS markers on the long arm of the Y chromosome.

Totally, 49 infertile men were azoospermic and 31 were oligospermic. Y-chromosome microdeletions in the AZFc region were detected in 4 of azoospermic patients. Y-chromosome microdeletions was not detected in any of the oligospermic patients and the control group.

This finding recommends that genetic counseling and screening before starting assisted reproductive techniques such as in vitro fertilisation and intracytoplasmic sperm injection can prevent unnecessary treatment and transmission of genetic defects to offspring.

Tissue engineering is a relatively novel field that has been intensely developing during recent years and has shown to be excessively promising when used for cartilage regeneration. Scaffolds represent important components for tissue engineering.

The Poly Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid (PLGA) impregnated with fibrin and hyaluronic acid (HA) produce hybrid scaffolds. human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) were seeded in scaffolds and cultured in chondrogenic media. The viability of cells in different groups was assessed by MTT. The expression of chondrogenic related genes [Sox9, type II collagen (Col II), Aggrecan(AGG)] and type X collagen (Col X) was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction.

The results of the real-time PCR showed SOX9, AGG and Col X gene expression in the control groups being significantly lower than the other groups (p≤0.05). It also demonstrated Col II gene expression in the control group being significantly lower than the PLGA/Fibrin and PLGA/Fibrin/HA groups (p≤0.05). The Col X gene expression of cells in PLGA/HA and PLGA/Fibrin/HA groups significantly decreased in comparison with the PLGA/Fibrin group (p≤0.05).

These conclusions indicate that administration of PLGA/ Fibrin and PLGA/HA scaffolds, particularly PLGA/Fibrin/ HA, motivates chondrogenesis in hADSCs. This can be diminished by decreasing hypertrophic markers and increasing characteristic markers of hyaline cartilage.

Based on the results, Staphylococcus aureus is one of the serious infectious agents found in community and hospitals with remarkable potential for high morbidity and mortality around the globe. The present study was carried out for molecular investigation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains and Staphylococcal Chromosomal Cassette mec (SCCmec) phenotypes isolated from the intensive care unit in Hazrat Fatemeh Zahra hospital of Isfahan.

A total of 76 clinical wound samples were collected from Hazrat Fatemeh Zahra Hospital in Isfahan and evaluated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. The Methicillin resistance Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) screening was performed by genotypic and phenotypic methods; also antibiotic resistance pattern was determined by using the disk diffusion method and related genes by PCR.

Totally, 53 (69.7%) out of 76 clinical samples were positive for MRSA. Of the 76 MRSA strains, 39 (63.51%) were PVL positive (51.3%). The most commonly infected samples were collected from wounds (40.8%). The most commonly detected antibiotic resistance genes were mecA (89.61%), tetK (88.23%), tetM (49.15%) and msrA (46.93%). Resultantly, it was shown that MRSA has the highest level of resistance against methicillin (98%), penicillin (97.24%), tetracycline (89.64%). It was also revealed that the most commonly detected SCCmec types in the MRSA strains are types II (14.53%) and III (16.82%).

In summary, this paper argues that the orderly surveillance of hospital-associated infections and initial management and supervision of the antibiotic resistance patterns are required to control the prevalence of MRSA.