Medical Laboratory Journal
Volume:14 Issue: 6, Nov Dec 2020

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease with a high incidence rate in many parts of the world due to the presence of various hosts for the pathogenic Leptospira. Tropical, subtropical and humid regions are suitable for long-term survival of the bacterium. Because of the temperate and humid climate, northern areas of Iran are suitable for pathogenic Leptospira and outbreak of the disease. Therefore, identification of infected areas is important from a public health and economic point of view. Previous studies show that the incidence rate of leptospirosis is increasing every year. Therefore, accurate diagnosis, control and prevention of this disease seem necessary through vaccination and raising public awareness, especially among high-risk groups. Today, diagnostic methods including immunofluorescence assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, microscopic agglutination test (MAT) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are used to diagnose the leptospirosis. MAT is the gold standard test for the diagnosis of leptospirosis with extensive applications in Iran. Due to the importance of this disease and its high prevalence in recent years, the present study aimed to investigate the epidemiology and diagnosis of leptospirosis in Iran.

Pathogenesis of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) is controlled by viral and host factors, among which human histone acetyltransferase p300 (EP300) plays an important role. This study aimed to examine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the EP300 binding site in patients with HPV-associated anogenital wart.  

After DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction was performed to determine HPV genotypes. Human p300 was amplified to detect SNPs using Sanger sequencing.  

Overall, 35.3% of HPV-6-positive patients had Ile997Val substitution at the EP300 binding site. Another SNP containing A to G point mutation leading to Glu983Gly was also detected. In addition, Ile997Val substitution of EP300 was frequently observed in the patients. 

Our findings suggest that the EP300 genotype Ile/Val can be involved in HPV-6 pathogenesis. In addition, we introduced a new genotype (Glu983Gly) at the EP300 bromodomain site, which requires further investigation.

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and fetuin A are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders, such as type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, regular physical activity has an important role in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this study was to investigate effect of moderate aerobic exercise on serum levels of FGF21 and fetuin A in women with type 2 diabetes.

This was a semi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design. The study was performed on 28 women with type 2 diabetes aged 40-50 years (mean weight: 70.58 ± 2.11) who were randomly divided into an exercise group (n=14) and a control group (n=14). The training intervention consisted of eight weeks of moderate aerobic exercise at 60-70% of maximum heart rate, five times a week. Serum levels of FGF21, fetuin A and some metabolic parameters were evaluated before the first session and 48 hours after the last session. All statistical analyses were performed in SPSS (version 24) using repeated measures ANOVA and at significance of 0.05. 

The eight-week aerobic training intervention caused a significant increase in FGF21 and insulin sensitivity as well as a significant decrease in fetuin A, fasting blood sugar and HbA1c (P=0.001).

As a complementary therapy, regular aerobic exercise can be beneficial for type 2 diabetes patients in improving some metabolic parameters as well as FGF21 and fetuin A levels.

Industrial wastewater is worldwide health concern. Microorganisms present in the environment have an important role in the biodegradation of lipids, fats and proteins from wastewater. In this regard, microbial lipases and proteases are interesting research targets because of high stability, broad substrate specificity, high yields and availability. In this study, we analyze sequences encoding lipase of Pseudomonas putida and subtilisin of Bacillus subtilis for generation of a new recombinant protein for degradation of environmental contaminations caused by lipids and proteins.  

In this study, sequences of the genes encoding lipase and subtilisin were obtained from GenBank. To predict the 3D structure of the protein, modeling was carried out. The prediction of secondary structure, tertiary structure and solvent accessibility was carried using bioinformatics tools including I-TASSER, GoR4 and ExPasy   

The lipase-subtilisin fusion protein was well-characterized by bioinformatical studies with appropriate spatial and secondary structures. The protein had appropriate hydrophilicity, biological half-life and thermal and acidic stability. The codon optimization was performed appropriately   

Overall, the bioinformatical analysis of the designed protein showed that the recombinant lipase-subtilisin protein has a stable structure both in vitro and in vivo, a negative normalized B-factor and lipolytic and proteolytic activities, which makes it suitable for treatment of lipid and protein contaminations.

It has been suggested that concurrent training (CT) improves both health and performance during aging. However, possible effects of CT order have not been evaluated in menopausal women. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate effects of CT order on follistatin, physical fitness factors and functional capacity of postmenopausal women.

In this semi-experimental study, 33 healthy, sedentary, postmenopausal women were divided into three groups of endurance training-resistance training (ET+RT; n=11), resistance training-endurance training (RT+ET; n=10) and control (C; n= 12).  The training exercises were performed three times a week for eight weeks.

Weight and body fat percentage did not differ significantly between the groups (P>0.05). Muscular strength, endurance and aerobic capacity increased significantly in both training groups (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the effects of the training orders. There was a significant time × group interaction regarding the follistatin levels after the CT intervention. However, there was no significant difference in the follistatin levels between the groups.

Based on the results, the order of eight weeks of CT training does not significantly affect body fat percentage, physical fitness factors and functional capacity of postmenopausal women. However, the percentage changes in the mentioned variables are higher in the ET+RT exercise order.

It has been suggested that irisin and fibronectin type III domain-containing protein 5 (FNDC5) can increase energy expenditure, promote weight loss and improve insulin resistance in diabetic patients by affecting white and brown adipose tissues. In this study, we investigate effect of adipose tissue-derived stem cell transplantation and six weeks of aerobic exercise on FNDC5 and irisin levels in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Forty-eight rats (weighing 220-240 g and aged nine weeks) were divided into six groups of control, sham, diabetes control, diabetes + exercise, diabetes + stem cell and diabetes+ exercise + stem cell. The exercise group ran on running wheel at intensity of 60-70% VO2max, five days a week for six weeks. Next, 1.56 × 106 stem cells extracted from human adipose tissue were injected into the tail vein of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Finally, FNDC5 and irisin plasma levels of the mice were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits.  

FNDC5 and irisin levels reduced significantly in the diabetes control group (P=0.0001). FNDC5 levels in the diabetes + exercise + stem cell and the exercise group increased significantly compared to the diabetes control group (P=0.0001). The irisin level in the diabetes + stem cell + exercise group, exercise group and stem cell group increased significantly compared to the diabetes control group (P=0.0001).  

The results indicate that aerobic exercise program and stem cell therapy alone and combined can significantly increase plasma irisin levels. Given the favorable effects of adipose tissue-derived stem cell injection and aerobic exercise on FNDC5 and irisin levels, this strategy could be further evaluated in coping with the adverse effects of diabetes on metabolism and aging

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common arthritic diseases and a main cause of pain and disability. Simultaneous downexpression of paired box 7 (Pax7) and myogenin genes, as indicators of satellite cells activation is evident in osteoarthritis. This study assessed effects of an exercise training course and stem cell injection on the expression of Pax7 and myogenin in gastrocnemius muscle of rats with arthritis.

Thirty five male rats aged 6–8 weeks and weighing 250–300 g were divided into five groups: control, patient, exercise, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC), and exercise+MSC. Osteoarthritis was induced in rats by surgery. The training program consisted of 30 minutes of running on a non-slip treadmill at a speed of 16 m/min. The rats were injected with 1×106 cells/kg MSC. The expression of Pax7 and myogenin was measured by real–time PCR. Data were analysed with SPSS (version 23) using one-way analysis of variance.  

Both Pax7 and myogenin were significantly overexpressed in the exercise+MSC group compared to the patient group (P<0.001).

The combination of MSC therapy and training had more positive effects on Pax7 and myogenin expression compared to training and MSC therapy alone.

Dried Black Curd (DBC), also known as Gharahghorut (Persian), is a dairy product produced from curd of yogurt or doogh. The aim of this study was to evaluate microbial contamination of industrially and traditionally produced DBC in Iran.

Four DBC brands holding certification of the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran (ISIRI), Iran Ministry of Health and Medical Education (IMHME) and ISO were purchased from a market in Tehran, Iran. Microbial monitoring for presence of coliform, Escherichia coli, coagulase-positive Staphylococcus aureus, mold and yeast was performed using different basic, enriched, selective and differential media including peptone water agar, MacCankey agar, blood agar and brain heart infusion agar, etc. according to the ISIRI standards (No.13299).

None of the tested samples had microbial contamination. However, in one traditional DBC sample, the population of mold and yeast was higher than the acceptable level defined by the ISIRI standard.

We found no contamination with coagulase-positive S. aureus, E. coli and coliforms in four brands of traditionally and industrially produced DBC in Iran. This indicates that the hygienic practices designated by the IMHME are well-implemented in the industrial sector. However, the mold and yeast contamination in traditionally produced DBC should be prevented by applying hygienic practices during the process of manufacturing and distribution.