Journal of

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Introduction: Avian influenza viruses are considered as a serious threat to human and animal health. An increase in expression of proinflammatory cytokines and type I IFN genes, as well as host cell death responses contribute to the pathogenesis of influenza infection. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the growth dynamics of subacute avian influenza virus in human respiratory alveolar epithelium cells (A549).

Methods: The A549 cell cultures were infected at MOIs 0.1 and 2.0 viral doses in the presence and absence of trypsin. The virus growth kinetics were elucidated by the plaque assay and the cell viability was determined by MTT at various times after the infection. The induction quality of programmed cell death as well as the signal transduction pathway of death were assessed by genomic DNA fragmentation and western blotting respectively.

Results: The study findings indicated that although the H9N2 virus replication did produce a marked cytopathic effect on the alveolar cells, which led to a reduction in the cell viability, the viral titers were increased in the infected cells. The virus replication of in these cells indicated repression of host defense mechanism as well as activation of cell death. The induction of apoptosis in A549 cells was correlated with the increased virus titers as well as virus replication (p< 0.05).

Conclusion: H9N2 avian influenza virus were demonstrated to induce apoptosis in human alveolar epithelial cells via the intrinsic pathway in a dose-dependent manner.

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Introduction: Carotid Endarterectomy (CE) can be mentioned as a valuable theraputic method for primary and secondary prevention of stroke, provided it can be performed in vascular surgery centers with a low surgical risk. Thus, the present study aimed to assess prognosis of CE in high risk patients of an Iranian vascular surgery center.

Methods: This prospective observational study consisted of 50 high risk CE patients during 2011-14 in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. All the high risk CE were performed by a vascular surgeon and a surgical carotid shunt was placed in each CE. Neurologic evaluation was performed before CE and serial neurologic axamination was done after CE by a neurologist. Surgical complications including stroke, death and lower cranial nerve palsy were recorded for 30 days after operation.

Results: The study results revealed that 80% of high risk CE patients had symptomatic carotid stenosis on the operation side and 80% had carotid stenosis contralateral to the operation side. Thirteen high risk CE were performed simultaneously with coronary artery by pass graft and 24 patients were demonstrated to have diabetes. Post surgical death and stroke in the high risk CE patients were reported 2% and 4%, respectively. Lower cranial nerve palsy appeared in 2% of patients.

Conclusion: The 6% post operative stroke and death rate in the high risk CE patients are comparable to best vascular surgery centers in Europe and North America.

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Background and Objectives: One of the ways to strengthen the effect of vaccines is using the adjuvant. STxB has a carrier and adjuvant role that we can fuse it with vaccine candidate antigens and produce efficient vaccines. BLF1 has a role in the pathogenesis and infection by Burkholderia pseudomallei, that can be studied when fused with stxB.The aim of this study expression blf1-stxB gene Cassette in E. coli and antibody production in mice.

Methods:In this study the synthetic gene in pUC57 plasmid was purchased from Nedaye Fan COR. pUC57 plasmid containing blf1 with BamHI , SalI restriction enzyme sites was subcloned in pET28a(+)-stxB expression vector and transformed into E. coli BL21 DE3. expression blf1-stxB gene Cassette was induced by IPTG. After extraction by affinity chromatography, the recombinant protein was injected four times to mice.

Results: In this study, blf1-StxB cloned gene in pET28a(+) expression vector was approved by PCR and enzymatic analysis. Also recombinant protein confirmed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Then antibody produced from the mice serum, were isolated and confirmed by ELISA.

Conclusion: Given that BLF1 protein has the ability to stop protein synthesis and STxB has a carrier and adjuvant role, also with respect to antibody titers produced, it’s as a vaccine candidate against B. pseudomallei and Shigella dysenteriae.

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Introduction: Plant ribosome inactivating proteins act as N-glycosidase enzyme and produce by several family of Caryophyllaceae such as Saponaria Officinalis. Different Isoforms of RIPs expressed by Saponaria Officinalis. SO6 isoform depurinate Adenine 4324 in the conserved GAGA loop of 28SrRNA and disrupts protein synthesis. The aim of this study was expression of SO6 isoform in E.coli and investigation of antibody titer in rats.

Methods: In this experimental study, SO6 synthetic gene was excised from recombinant pUC57- SO6 plasmid with BamHI and SalI restriction enzymes and subcloned into pET28a (+) expression vector. The expression of recombinant protein was induced by IPTG. Recombinant SO6 was purified by nickel affinity chromatography. Western blotting was performed to confirm the recombinant protein. Rats were immunized intraperitoneal with purified protein and IgG serum titer was assayed by ELISA.

Results: PCR reaction and enzyme digestion confirmed subcloning of SO6 gene into pET28a (+) expression vector. A 29.5kDa protein band on SDS-PAGE showed a high level of recombinant protein expression. Polyclonal antibodies recognized SO6. ELISA confirmed significant antibody titer after injection of protein in test group compared with the control group.

Conclusion: The recombinant purified SO6 antigen can be used for anti-cancer and vaccine candidate research.

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Introduction: The ability to taste Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC), has been long studied from genetics, epidemiologic and evolutionary point of view. This ability is associated with the ability of tasting other bitter substances which mostly are toxic. Natural selection is involved in the maintenance of the allelic frequency of PTC. Variation in the frequency of tasters and non-tasters could reflect the food preferences and dietary habits. Moreover, it can be a marker for diet-related diseases. The frequency of PTC taste sensitivity has been studied in many populations. However, no study in this regard has been reported in Iran.  The aim of this research was to determine the frequency of PTC tasters and not-tasters in a population from Iran and also the association of sex and smoking with the ability to taste PTC.
 
Methods:  In this research, 175 individuals from Shiraz University or their families were examined regarding the ability to taste PTC.
 
Results: The frequency of T, and t alleles was 0.58 and 0.42, respectively. There was 82.3% taster versus 17.7% non-taster in this population. There was significant difference (p=0.007, OR=4.044) between male and female regarding the ability of tasting PTC. Moreover, there was more non-taster among smokers compared to non-smokers (p= 0.002, OR=0.278).
 
Conclusion: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the frequency of PTC tasters in Iran. We have shown that, similar to studies from other populations, the frequency of PTC tasters is higher compared to non-tasters in our population. Moreover, there are more tasters among women and non-smokers compared to men and smokers, respectively. Considering that in Iran, women have an important role in providing food recepies, being more taster would help them probably to choose healtier ingredients for food recepies. In addition, investigating the connenctions between taste perception and smoking may help us to find a reliable indicator for smoking susceptibility. However, larger sample size and genetic tests are necessary to draw a more comperihensive conclusion.  

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Introdution: It is very important to pay attention to the health centers and their roles in countries. Improving the performance of these centers is dependent on their performance evaluation. The aim of this study was evaluating the relative efficiency of health centers with a combined approach of DEA and GT.
Methods: For this purpose, first by reviewing relevant researches, inputs and outputs associated with the operation of health centers were identified and with a field study, the variables were matched with forms and information resources available in the health center data base. Then, by visiting experts from different functional areas, performance criteria were fitted with proportional data. After data gathering, mathematical modeling has been prepared based on the hybrid DEA-Game techniques. The DEA-Solver and Lingo software, mathematical models were designed and solved.
Results: Results showed that performance levels among health centers in Yazd City are different. With reprogramming the resources that was affected the performance of health centers, included the number of employees and their covered population it has expectd an improvement in their efficiency.
Conclusion: Managers and policymakers of health care centers can use the model presented in this study to measure the relative efficiency of these centers and to improve their efficiency.

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Identifying the Research Extent of Medical Tourism in the World and the Components of Attracting Medical Tourists in Iran

Mohammad Dehghani Mahmoudabadi¹, Iravan Masoudi Asl*²,
Soad Mahfoozpour³, Somayeh Hessam⁴

1Department of Health Services Management, Science & Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Corresponding author: Tel: 09209901218, email: masoudi_1352@yahoo.com

Corrigendum notice: In the above article, which was published in the Volume 31, Issue of 8,Year 2023, the correspounding author has been changed.