R. Sharififar, K. Heidari, Mahdi Mazandarani, Narges Lashkarbolouk
{"title":"Comparison of the Polymerase Chain Reaction Method with Serological Tests in the Diagnosis of Human Brucellosis","authors":"R. Sharififar, K. Heidari, Mahdi Mazandarani, Narges Lashkarbolouk","doi":"10.5812/jjm-128698","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/jjm-128698","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease with different clinical symptoms. Its early diagnosis is essential to prevent severe complications. Due to the limitations of serological diagnostic methods, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method has become important in the diagnosis of the disease. Objectives: Our study aimed to evaluate the PCR method in patients with suspected brucellosis and compare it with serological tests. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 90 febrile patients with clinical features of brucellosis who were examined by an infectious disease specialist. A total of 90 serum samples were collected from the suspected brucellosis patients admitted to the hospital and were analyzed by serological (Rose Bengal) and PCR tests. Then, each method's results were recorded and compared with each other. Results: According to serological test results, 45 samples were negative, and 45 were positive. Then, among the serology-positive patients, all had positive PCR results. However, 40 out of 45 patients had a positive PCR test in serology-negative patients. According to this study, the sensitivity of PCR in diagnosing human brucellosis with the serology-positive test is 100%, and with the negative serology test is 88.9%. Therefore, the sensitivity of PCR is higher than that of serology tests in patients, which was 50% in this study. Conclusions: The PCR test can be a valuable diagnostic method for patients with negative serologic test results.","PeriodicalId":17803,"journal":{"name":"Jundishapur Journal of Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42169585","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. Soltani, Mehrdokht Sadrkhanloo, G. Siri, A. Zakeri, Mohammad Saeid Emadi, A. Tabibzadeh, M. Didehdar, A. Farahani
{"title":"HSV-1 Infection Among COVID-19 Cases with Ocular and Neurological Manifestations","authors":"S. Soltani, Mehrdokht Sadrkhanloo, G. Siri, A. Zakeri, Mohammad Saeid Emadi, A. Tabibzadeh, M. Didehdar, A. Farahani","doi":"10.5812/jjm-135251","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/jjm-135251","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 progression depends on multiple factors, including the compromised immune system and underlying diseases. HSV-1 reactivation in SARS-CoV-2 infection, more likely in patients with pneumonia and immunodeficiency, may be potentially life-threatening and implicate the prognosis. Case Presentation: We report two COVID-19 cases presenting ocular and neurological manifestations suspicious for HSV-1 encephalitis. Conclusions: Our study showed HSV-1 ocular manifestation among two COVID-19 cases. So, the recurrence of HSV-1 infection probably is related to immune responses during COVID-19 pathophysiology.","PeriodicalId":17803,"journal":{"name":"Jundishapur Journal of Microbiology","volume":" 21","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41253427","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Saleh Jamehdor, N. Hosseinirouzbahani, Seyed javad Hoseinishokoh, K. Ghorban, A. Teimoori, M. Gholami, Parisa Agahi, Ghazale Azizi, M. Mohammadimehr
{"title":"TaqMan Multiplex Real-time PCR Assay for Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Diagnosis Using Armored RNA Technology","authors":"Saleh Jamehdor, N. Hosseinirouzbahani, Seyed javad Hoseinishokoh, K. Ghorban, A. Teimoori, M. Gholami, Parisa Agahi, Ghazale Azizi, M. Mohammadimehr","doi":"10.5812/jjm-134188","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/jjm-134188","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is a highly lethal virus that causes hemorrhagic fever in humans and is endemic in many countries, including Iran. Therefore, fast, accurate, and reliable diagnosis is crucial for patient management and outbreak control. Objectives: This study aims to optimize a TaqMan multiplex real-time RT-PCR for the rapid and specific diagnosis of CCHFV. Methods: In this study, the L (NC_005301.3) and S (NC_005302.1) fragments were used as reference sequences for blast analysis. The L and S sequence segments of CCHFV with more than 90% identity from different areas were downloaded from the Genbank database. Primers and probes were designed based on the best-conserved regions of CCHFV L and S sequence segments. To construct the plasmid, a 1751 bp fragment from the MS2 phage that was previously amplified using cloning primers was inserted into the pET-32a plasmid. The S and L segments of the CCHFV, which were 110 bp and 135 bp, respectively, were inserted downstream of the MS2 phage sequence from HindIII to NotI. The Viral-like particles (VLPs) were produced in Escherichia coli, strain BL-21(DE3), in the presence of 1 mM Isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). The stability of VLP particles was confirmed in the presence of the ribonuclease enzyme. The fabrication of VLPs was approved by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with negative staining (1% phosphotungstic acid). To validate the specificity of the primers and probes sequences, we compared them to the NCBI database and tested them experimentally using extracted DNA and RNA samples from healthy subjects and an infectious panel. Results: The VLPs showed complete resistance in the presence of the ribonuclease enzyme, and the TEM results confirmed that the VLPs were correctly produced. The TaqMan multiplex real-time RT-PCR confirmed that the primers and probes were designed correctly and were completely specific to the CCHFV. The limit of detection (LOD) of the multiplex assay for the L and S genes was one copy of the VLPs per µL. Conclusions: This TaqMan assay is reliable for amplifying CCHFV due to its design on conserved regions of the CCHFV sequences, which have minimal variability and high specificity.","PeriodicalId":17803,"journal":{"name":"Jundishapur Journal of Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46760891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Parainfluenza Virus Type 3 Co-infection with Other Respiratory Pathogens Among Hospitalized Children with Acute Respiratory Infections in Wuhan, China","authors":"Dan Z. Lu, Ying Cheng, Hongbo Hu","doi":"10.5812/jjm-135823","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/jjm-135823","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Bacterial and viral co-infections are increasingly recognized as the cause of Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI). The role of co-infection in ARI patients with Parainfluenza Virus type 3 (PIV3) infection is unclear. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of PIV3 co-infections in hospitalized children and assess the co-infections' role in ARI patients with PIV3 infections. Methods: Between January 2018 and December 2021, children were confirmed to have a PIV3 infection via throat swabs or nasopharyngeal aspirates. Some digital clinical data were analyzed, including demographic, epidemiological, diagnostic, and laboratory data. Results: During the study period from 2018 to 2021, 2,539 patients were hospitalized with ARI caused by PIV3. Of them, 34.0% had co-infection with other pathogens, and 2.4% had co-infection with more than two pathogens. Mycoplasma pneumoniae was the most common co-infecting pathogen (71.3%), followed by other bacteria (13.3%) and viruses (8.2%). A significantly higher proportion of patients with M. pneumoniae co-infection was found in girls (χ2 = 19.233, P < 0.001). Co-infections with M. pneumoniae were observed principally in patients aged 1 – 2 years (χ2 = 202.130, P < 0.001). In contrast, viral (56.3%) and bacterial (66.1%) co-infections occurred mainly in children younger than one year. The diagnosis of PIV3 as a single infection included pneumonia (41.2%), bronchitis (39.9%), upper respiratory tract infections (15.0%), and laryngitis (3.9%), which were distinguished from those with bacterial co-infections (χ2 = 16.424, P = 0.001) and co-infections with more than two pathogens (χ2 = 11.687, P = 0.010). Co-infections of PIV3 with any pathogen were not associated with admissions to intensive care units or ventilator support. However, the mean hospitalization was significantly higher in M. pneumoniae co-infections (t = 2.367, P = 0.018), bacterial co-infections (t = 2.402, P = 0.016), and co-infections with more than two pathogens (t = 2.827, P = 0.006) than in single PIV3 infection. Conclusions: Parainfluenza virus type 3 frequently occurs with other pathogens. The epidemiological and clinical characteristics of co-infections with different pathogens differed. Mycoplasma pneumoniae co-infections, bacterial co-infections, and co-infections with more than two pathogens lengthened the hospitalization. Bacterial co-infections and co-infections with more than two pathogens increased the severity of ARI and worsened the symptoms.","PeriodicalId":17803,"journal":{"name":"Jundishapur Journal of Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48651042","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ali Moradpoor Shamami, M. Anvari, H. Pourmoshtagh, T. Shafighi, Hadi Seddigh Ebrahim-Saraie
{"title":"Serogroup and Pathogenicity Island Marker Distributions Among Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Isolates in Rasht, Iran","authors":"Ali Moradpoor Shamami, M. Anvari, H. Pourmoshtagh, T. Shafighi, Hadi Seddigh Ebrahim-Saraie","doi":"10.5812/jjm-132754","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/jjm-132754","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most prevalent infections in hospitals and communities worldwide. Objectives: Due to the medical importance of UTIs caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), this study aimed to investigate pathogenicity island (PAI) markers, O-antigen serogroups, and resistance to antibiotic agents associated with UPEC isolates obtained from hospitalized patients in Rasht city hospitals. Methods: A total of 110 urine samples were taken from patients with UTI referred to selected hospitals in Rasht, Iran. The double-disk synergy test (DDST) was used to detect the isolate’s ability to produce extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL). Using particular primers, eight PAIs were detected (ie, PAI I536, PAI II536, PAI III536, PAI IV536, PAI ICFT073, PAI IICFT073, PAI IJ96, and PAI IIJ96). Results: According to the antibiotic susceptibility pattern, a high level of antibiotic resistance was observed against nalidixic acid (81.8%) and co-trimoxazole (78.2%), while the most effective agent was amikacin (85.5%). Double-disk synergy test revealed that the incidence of ESBL-positive strains was 62.7% (69/110). Of the 110 UPEC isolates, 106 (96.4%) carried at least one of the investigated PAI markers. UPEC isolates with PAI IV536 (81.8%) had the highest prevalence, and PAI J196 (6.4%) had the lowest PAI marker. The most predominant serogroup O was O25 (36.4%), followed by O16 (17.3%), while the O4 and O7 serogroups (0.9%) were the lowest serogroups among UPEC isolates. Conclusions: The characterization of our strain revealed the co-occurrence of PAI and serogroups, confirming the importance of antibiotic resistance among the distinct serogroups and PAI markers. Our results have potential application for epidemiological studies and designing UTI treatment strategies against UTIs caused by UPEC.","PeriodicalId":17803,"journal":{"name":"Jundishapur Journal of Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49620089","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
C. Shen, Tao Lv, Ge Huang, Xiaoxiang Zhang, Lisi Zheng, Yunbo Chen
{"title":"Genomic Insights Into Molecular Characteristics and Phylogenetic Linkage Between the Cases of Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae From a Non-tertiary Hospital in China: A Cohort Study","authors":"C. Shen, Tao Lv, Ge Huang, Xiaoxiang Zhang, Lisi Zheng, Yunbo Chen","doi":"10.5812/jjm-133210","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/jjm-133210","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) strains have been listed as one of the major clinical concerns. Objectives: We investigated CPKP isolates from non-tertiary hospitals to find disseminated clones and analyze extensive phenotypic and genetic diversity in this study. Methods: In this cohort study, a total of 49 CRKP isolates from 3 hospitals in the same region were collected in 2021. The prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns were analyzed. Clinical data were retrieved from electronic medical record systems. The molecular types, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles, plasmid replicons, and virulence factors were analyzed. The maximum-likelihood phylogenetic tree and transmission networks were constructed using single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Results: The median age of patients (N = 49) was 66.0 years, and 85.7% were male. The most common CRKP infection was nosocomial pneumonia (75.5%), followed by bacteremia (10.2%). More than 53% of isolates were resistant to ceftazidime-avibactam (CAZ/AVI). Forty-five isolates were successfully sequenced; the predominant carbapenem-resistant gene was blaKPC-2 (93.3%). The 30-day mortality in our cohort was 24.5%. The most dominant sequence type (ST) was ST11 (60.0%), followed by ST15 (13.3%). Whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis exhibited dissemination of ST11 strain clones, ST420, and ST15 clones, both within and outside the given hospital. Conclusions: In this surveillance study, several dissemination chains of CRKP were discovered in the hospital and the region, as ST11 was the main epidemic clone. Our findings suggest that effective infection control practices and antimicrobial stewardship are needed in non-tertiary hospitals in China.","PeriodicalId":17803,"journal":{"name":"Jundishapur Journal of Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46663263","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Arman Shafiee, S. Rezaian, Mansur Aliyu, Ali Shayeghpour, Z. Mokhames, Hamed Mohammadi, Somayeh Yaslianifard, A. Soleimani, Fatemeh Soleimanifar, Taranom Tojari, M. Qorbani, Sayed-Hamidreza Mozhgani
{"title":"Immunologic Profile of Severe COVID-19 Patients in Alborz Province, Iran","authors":"Arman Shafiee, S. Rezaian, Mansur Aliyu, Ali Shayeghpour, Z. Mokhames, Hamed Mohammadi, Somayeh Yaslianifard, A. Soleimani, Fatemeh Soleimanifar, Taranom Tojari, M. Qorbani, Sayed-Hamidreza Mozhgani","doi":"10.5812/jjm-134264","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/jjm-134264","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has prompted researchers to look for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pathogenicity in depth. Immune system dysregulation was one of the major mechanisms in its pathogenesis. The evidence regarding the levels of interferons (IFNs) and pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in COVID-19 patients is not well-established. Objectives: Therefore, this study evaluated the expression level of type-I, II, III IFNs, along with interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and FOXP3 genes in patients with severe COVID-19 to provide additional insights regarding the regulation of these cytokines during COVID-19 infection. Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from two groups, including severe COVID-19 patients and healthy controls. Ribonucleic acid was extracted to evaluate the expression level of IFN-a, IFN-b, IFN-g, IFN-la, IL-1, IL-6, IL-10, and FOXP3 genes using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The correlations between the expression levels of these genes were also assessed. Results: A total of 40 samples were divided into two groups, with each group consisting of 20 samples. When comparing the severe COVID-19 group to the controls, the expression levels of IFN-g, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), IL-6, and IL-10 genes were significantly higher in the severe COVID-19 group. The two groups had no significant differences in IFN-a, IFN-b, IFN-la, IL-1, and FOXP3 expression. The correlation analysis revealed a negative correlation between type I and type III IFNs (i.e., IFN-a and IFN-la) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (i.e., IL-1 and IL-10). Conclusions: This study suggests the possible upregulation of IFN-g, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α during SARS-CoV-2 pathogenicity. The preliminary findings of this study and those reported previously show that the levels of IFNs and pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines are not uniformly expressed among all COVID-19 patients and might differ as the disease progresses to the severe stage.","PeriodicalId":17803,"journal":{"name":"Jundishapur Journal of Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45266009","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Evaluation of Anti-bacterial, Anti-adenoviral, and Apoptosis-inducing Activity of Bacillus clausii Supernatant","authors":"Z. Fateminasab, M. Shayestehpour, M. Zolfaghari","doi":"10.5812/jjm-132952","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/jjm-132952","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Bacillus clausii is being studied as a probiotic candidate. There is insufficient information on the antimicrobial and anticancer effects of B. clausii. Objectives: The present investigation was designed to evaluate the anti-bacterial, anti-adenoviral, and apoptosis-inducing activity of B. clausii cell-free supernatant (CFS). Methods: First, the supernatant of B. clausii was collected after culture for 24 h. Then, its anti-bacterial impact on several genera of bacteria was assessed through the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC). Adenovirus 5 (Ad5) was exposed to the CFS under four conditions, including pre-treatment: first infecting cells with CFS and then with the virus; pre-incubation: incubation of the supernatant and virus for 1.5 hours and then adding to the cells; competition: infection of cells with the simultaneous mixture of the supernatant and virus, and post-treatment: first infecting cells with the virus and then with CFS. The median tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50) technique determined the virus titer. Real-time PCR was performed to assess the E1A expression. After exposure to the CFS, real-time PCR was utilized to measure the expression of MicroRNA-145, BCL-2, and BAX in HeLa cancer cells. Results: Bacillus clausii supernatant showed an inhibitory effect on MRSA, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Acinetobacter. baumannii. The Ad5 titers were reduced by about 4.61, 4, 3.9, and 3.1 Log10 TCID50/mL in pre-treatment, pre-incubation, competition, and post-treatment tests (CFS dilution: 1/4), respectively. Similar results of the viral titration were seen when experimental and control E1A expression levels were compared. Also, B. clausii supernatant during 48 h exposure to HeLa cells increased the transcript of the BAX, BCL-2, and miR-145 genes to 9.1, 2.3, and 55 folds, respectively, compared to the untreated condition. Conclusions: Bacillus clausii can be a potent antimicrobial and anticancer agent. Further research is required to learn about the spectrum of anti-bacterial, antiviral, and anti-cancerous activities of B. clausii.","PeriodicalId":17803,"journal":{"name":"Jundishapur Journal of Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43341957","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Shojaei, Farokh Rokhbakhsh-Zamin, Ebrahim Rezazadeh Zarandi, F. Sarafzadeh, Sayed Mohammad Reza Khoshroo
{"title":"Frequency of Clostridioides difficile Infection Among Hospitalized Patients in Kerman City, Iran","authors":"M. Shojaei, Farokh Rokhbakhsh-Zamin, Ebrahim Rezazadeh Zarandi, F. Sarafzadeh, Sayed Mohammad Reza Khoshroo","doi":"10.5812/jjm-132262","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/jjm-132262","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Clostridioides difficile is one of the major causes of nosocomial infections, being responsible for 15 to 25% of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. It is important to determine the epidemiology and prevalence of this bacterium at hospitals and healthcare centers. Objectives: This study aims to investigate the prevalence of C. difficile infection (CDI) by identifying toxigenic isolates of C. difficile in different wards of the hospital. Methods: A total of 417 diarrheal stool samples were taken from hospitalized patients in different wards of three educational hospitals in Kerman City, Iran from 2018 to 2020. The samples were cultured on cycloserine-cefoxitin fructose agar and C. difficile suspected colonies were isolated. Identification of the cdd-3 gene for definitive diagnosis of C. difficile and identification of toxin genes in the positive isolates was performed using the PCR method. Results: A total of 68 isolates (16.3%) of C. difficile were isolated from the specimens. Besides, 8.6% (36/417) and 7.6% (32/417) of the isolates were toxigenic and nontoxigenic, respectively; thus, the prevalence of CDI was 8.6%. Most of the toxigenic isolates had the A+B+CDT- toxin phenotype. The highest prevalence of CDI was observed in males, ICU ward, and age group of 41 - 60. Conclusions: A total of 8.6% of hospitalized patients with diarrhea were infected with C. difficile. The prevalence of CDI in Kerman City is lower than that in Europe, East Asia, and other parts of Iran, but it is almost the same as that in the Middle East.","PeriodicalId":17803,"journal":{"name":"Jundishapur Journal of Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42307494","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mojtaba Taghizadeh Armaki, Mohammad Hossein Tayefeh-Arbab, Jalal Jafarzadeh, Sina Nasrollahian, Z. Baseri, H. Mehdinezhad, R. Rajabnia, Abazar Pournajaf
{"title":"Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification Test for Rapid Identification of Clinical Nocardia Isolates","authors":"Mojtaba Taghizadeh Armaki, Mohammad Hossein Tayefeh-Arbab, Jalal Jafarzadeh, Sina Nasrollahian, Z. Baseri, H. Mehdinezhad, R. Rajabnia, Abazar Pournajaf","doi":"10.5812/jjm-132432","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/jjm-132432","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Nocardia is a Gram-positive and partially acid-fast bacterium. The species are widely distributed in the environment and cause severe human infections. Nocardiosis is not easily identifiable due to the lack of pathognomonic clinical signs. Objectives: The present study was designed to develop and evaluate a simple and quick method based on a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for detecting Nocardia spp isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 357 BAL samples were collected from two teaching hospitals. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed using a set of species-specific primers for the 16S rRNA gene. Kinyoun acid-fast staining and culture were done on the Sabouraud dextrose plate. The optimal LAMP reaction condition was set at 65°C for 45 min, with the recognition limit as 1 pg DNA/tube and 100 CFU/reaction. In addition to calcein and manganous ions, agarose gel electrophoresis was used to visualize the amplified LAMP products. Results: Out of 357 BAL samples, 0 (0.0%), 4 (1.1%), 9 (2.5%), and 10 (2.8%) Nocardia strains were identified by direct staining of partial acid-fast, streak culture plate, PCR, and LAMP methods, respectively. Conclusions: We developed a new LAMP technique for the recognition of Nocardia, which is fast, very precise, simple, and low-cost. According to our knowledge, this is the first report of the LAMP method to detect Nocardia in clinical samples.","PeriodicalId":17803,"journal":{"name":"Jundishapur Journal of Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43278355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}