International Journal of Medical Laboratory

6

Authors: Ali Fattahi Bafghi *, Mahin Ghafourzadeh

Background and Aims: Hydatidosis is a major health problem caused by larva stage of cestodes belonging to the genus Echinococcus granulosus with a cosmopolitan distribution. Zoonoses have a mountain side distribution in Iran. Echinococcus granulosus takes places in two models sylvatic and domestic. Both life-cycles are present in Iran and human is considered as an afferent host. The prevalence rate of hydatidosis is different, ranging from 1-220 cases in 100000 individuals and mortality rate of hydatidosis up to 2-4%. The aim of the present study was to explore the frequency of human hydatic cyst in Yazd province, Iran from 2006 to2011. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study applied through census for five years which investigated all of the profiles concerned with surgeries. Results: A total of 26911 surgeries were performed on individuals for five years 12 cases (0.045%) were infected with hydatic cyst out of which 9 cases (75%) were affected through liver, 1 case (33.34%) through pulmonary, 1 case (33.33%) through intestine and 1 case (33.33%) through cerebellum. 50% of the infected individuals were females. Morbidity age was 8-69 years, 7(66.67%) cases who were infected with Echinococcus granulosus were natives and 5 cases (33.33%) were non-natives. Among non-native individuals 2 cases were foreigners. Conclusions: Yazd province is a dry area and the desert cycle of Echinococcus granulosus is present in it. Jackals and wolves act as final hosts and goats and camels are the intermediated hosts. Based on the findings compared with those in other areas, the prevalence rate in these areas are similar requiring more control in using water, beverages, fruits and vegetables.

7

Authors: Neda Eskandarzade *, Alireza Heydarnezhad, Yousef Valizadeh, Mona Shokouhi, Alireza Shafizadeh Kholenjani

Background and Aims: Finding prevalence of chicken anemia virus (CAV) infection in native chickens is necessary to avoid transmission of infection to commercial flocks. In this paper we attempt to describe molecular detection of chicken anemia virus in native Larry-breed chickens in Chaharmahal-va-Bakhtiyari province in Iran for the first time. Materials and Methods: Blood samples were collected from 100 native Larry-breed chickens (5-8 months old) in Shahrekord, Lordegan, Brogen and Koohrang, i.e.four cities of Chaharmahal-va-Bakhtiyari province. To detect CAV, Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was undertaken on isolated DNA from blood samples using a pair of CAV specific primers that produced a 374 base pair fragment. Results: PCR analysis detected CAV in 12 of 100 (12%) tested blood samples. Conclusions: The results revealed that native Larry chicks were not free from CAV infection in Chaharmahal-va-Bakhtiyari province and vaccination against CAV should be taken into account in native farms.

9

Authors: Nezarali Moulaei, Hossein Ali Khazaei *, Vida Pejman

Background and Aims: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a kind of pulmonary diseases characterized by chronic obstruction of lung that is in the form of a diffuse narrowing of airways resulting in air flow resistance. Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency is genetically relatively common risk factor in patients with COPD throughout the world and the exact cause of its prevalence is unknown. We therefore performed a study to determine the frequency of AAT deficiency in patients with severe COPD compared to the healthy controls. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional case control study, AAT serum level in 60 patients with severe COPD for whom the history and spirometry test with FEV1<50% had been confirmed based on gold criteria as well as 60 healthy controls, were tested using commercial kit and nephelometry method. Results: The lowest serum levels of AAT measured in patients was <0.349 g/l and the highest was 3.099 g/l. These were obtained in healthy subjects as 1.180 g/l and 4.195 g/l respectively. Out of 60 patients, 4 (6.7%) had partial deficiency of AAT (AAT<1 g/l) and 6 (10%) had definite shortage of AAT (AAT<0.5 g/l). In healthy subjects, we did not find any definite and relative lack of AAT. The comparison of results obtained from these two groups indicated a significant difference between frequency of AAT (P=0.001). Conclusions: Our findings revealed the frequency of AAT deficiency, as a factor involved in COPD disease, to be 10% and can be the reason for the high prevalence and severity of COPD in Zahedan city.

11

Authors: Hassan Momtaz, Seyed Morteza Seifati, Marziyeh Tavakol *

Background and Aims: Acinetobacter baumannii is mostly a cause of septicaemia, pneumonia and urinary tract infections following hospitalization of patients with more severe illnesses. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and detection of the most prevalent virulence genes in A. baumannii isolated from hospital infections of two largest hospitals of Tehran, Iran. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 500 clinical specimens were obtained from various types of hospital infections over a period of 6 month, consisting of blood (98 samples), phlegm (141), urine (92), pus (134) and cerebrospinal fluid (35) from patients admitted to the Payambaran and Baqiyatallah Hospitals in Tehran. The isolated organisms were identified based on colony morphology, microscopic characteristics and various biochemical tests according to some standard laboratory methods. Conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed to confirm the identity of the isolates. Results: A. baumannii was isolated from 121 (24.2%) of the 500 cultured samples. The highest isolation of A. baumannii was observed in blood samples while cerebrospinal fluid had the least. The isolation rate recorded for blood samples in this study was 43.87%. fimH gene was the most virulence gene detected in 74% of samples, sfa/focDE and afa/draBC genes were next highly detected genes, respectively. The lowest isolations were observed in PapG III, papC and PapG II genes. Conclusions: High prevalence of A. baumannii and their virulence genes showed hospital prevalence of these bacteria, thereby causing many problems for infections control and treatment. Therefore, determining this bacterium by molecular methods and designing conservation programs for the control of different infections in parts of the hospital seems to be urgently needed.