Background:The use of biomarkers for diagnosis of Preeclampsia (PE), a life-threatening pregnancy disorder, could reduce serious complications of this disease. In this study, we investigated dysregulation of endoglin (Eng) expression and diagnostic accuracy of soluble endoglin (sEng) in PE patients.Methods:For this case-control study, 26 mild and 15 severe preeclamptic women along with 20 normotensive controls were recruited. The expression level of Eng (the co-receptor of TGF-β1) was evaluated using qRT-PCR. Also, the serum concentration of soluble Eng and expression of membranous Eng were determined by ELISA and immunohistochemistry.Results:A significant up-regulation in Eng mRNA and sEng levels was observed in PE patients versus normal controls. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) showed up-regulation of membranous Eng staining in syncytiotrophoblast and cytotrophoblast cells of PE patients. The serum levels of sEng were significantly increased in all patients (mild, sever, early- and late-onset) as compared to healthy pregnant women (P<0.001). Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that sEng had the highest accuracy in distinguishing PE from normal pregnancies with cut-off value of 20.4, sensitivity of 92.1%, specificity of 90%, and area under the curve (AUC) of 0.94 (95% CI: 0.88-1.00).Conclusions:Our data showed that the up-regulation of Eng mRNA along with its membranous and soluble form in PE patients leads to defect in angiogenesis pathway. Also, the results of this study revealed sEng potential as a marker for diagnosis of PE and its severity.

Summary The expression of microRNA in eukaryotic cells is subject to tightly regulated processing. The altered expression of microRNAs in a number of cancers suggests their contribution to disease pathogenesis, where processing pathways may be involved in disease pathogenesis. In the present study, we evaluated changes in the profile of two main components of microRNA biogenesis, AGO2 and DICER, and assessed their correlation with disease progression in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). To achieve this aim, 25 patients afflicted with ALL were included in the study along with 25 healthy subjects as control. The expression level of AGO2 and DICER was evaluated by real‐time PCR. The results revealed an increase in the expression of DICER and a decrease in AGO2 in patients. The correlation between the alteration levels of these genes with pathologic events was also studied. This increase or decrease proved to be directly correlated with the progression of the disease particularly in L1 to L2. According to the obtained results, it can be deduced that dysregulation in transcription of DICER and AGO2, involved in the formation of mature microRNAs in cytoplasm of ALL cancer cells, is a part of the pathological molecular mechanism implicated in the exacerbation of this malignancy. Therefore, the genes involved in microRNAs biogenesis that have been studied here could be considered as candidate prognostic markers especially in childhood ALL which will help towards a better understanding of the molecular basis of ALL.

BackgroundAdditional cytogenetic aberrations are associated with disease progression in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). This study was conducted to determine the type and frequency of these aberrations and their relationship with hematologic and molecular findings in the Middle East.MethodsIn this retrospective study, 134 well-established cases of CML were selected from 2010 to 2016. Their hematologic phase and type of fusion gene were determined. Finally, their karyotypes were analyzed and reported according to ISCN 2013.ResultsPatients had a mean age of 44 years. Twenty-two patients (16.4%) showed additional cytogenetic aberrations. Nine patients (6.7%) harbored a variant Philadelphia chromosome, and most were in the chronic phase. Seventeen patients (12.7%) had major and minor route abnormalities. There was a significant relationship between additional cytogenetic aberrations and major molecular response (P=0.032). Patient survival in the group with additional cytogenetic aberrations was significantly lower (49.7±11.1 mo) than that in the group without additional cytogenetic aberrations (77.3±3.1 mo) (P=0.031).ConclusionThis study revealed the same frequency of additional cytogenetic aberrations in CML as found in previous studies. Additional chromosomal aberrations led to shorter survival and lower rates of achievement of a major molecular response.

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is a problematic infectious agent in hospitals as well as in the community. Nasal carriage of healthcare workers (HCWs) and sometimes patients are an important source for transmitting this bacterium to vulnerable individuals. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the frequency of nasal carriage of S. aureus and the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of this organism isolated from HCWs and patients at Shahid Mohammadi Hospital in Bandar Abbas, South of Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2017 to December 2018. A total of 400 nasal swabs were taken from HCWs and patients to investigate the presence of S. aureus. An antimicrobial susceptibility pattern was carried out using the disc diffusion method according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Methicillin resistance was determined using cefoxitin disc diffusion and PCR for mecA gene. Agar dilution was performed to determine MIC of vancomycin and mupirocin. Results: Of 130 HCWs, 11 (8.5%) subjects were nasal carriers, of which 5 (45.5%) harbored methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Of 270 patients, 21 (7.8%) patients were nasal carriers, of whom 9 (42.9%) patients were MRSA carriers. Linezolid and vancomycin were the most effective agents, and 100% of isolates were susceptible to these agents. Furthermore, high-level mupirocin-resistant S. aureus (HLMuRSA) was observed in 6.3% of the isolates. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that the rate of nasal carriage among HCWs and patients was lower than global reports. However, the frequency of MRSA was comparable with previously reported ranges and was approximately high. Vancomycin and linezolid are the most effective antimicrobial agents. Appropriate decolonization is recommended for the control of transmission of MRSA to vulnerable individuals.

IntroductionImmunogenicity assessment figures of the measles vaccine is approximately 90%, and decreases over time. Therefore, the immunity level of measles vaccine is variable which can result in outbreaks of measles in a population. The aim of current study was to report the outbreaks of measles in Hormozgan province from 2009 to 2015.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was carried out in Hormozgan Province on the southern coast of Iran. The documented data of all cases suspected of measles are included in this study. We used a checklist including gender, age, area, place of residence, contact history, and vaccination status to extract required data. Data was analyzed using IBM SPSS statistics software version 21.0.ResultsEight hundred fifty-one suspicious cases of measles were determined from 2006 to 2015. Of those, 135 infected cases were reported. Among patients, 49% were male, 79% were Iranian, 18% were Afghans, and 3 % were Indians or Pakistanis. Also, 31% of cases were reported from Bandar Abbas, 25% were reported from Minab, 18% from Qeshm, 17 % from Jask and other cases were reported from other areas of the Hormozgan Province. Thirty percent of the cases were reported from urban areas.ConclusionA high percentage of cases with measles in rural areas were reported in the areas which were covered by complete vaccination. This shows interruption of cold continuum. Also, increasing the number of under one-years-old cases reported, could be due to poor nutritional status of the children and insufficient immunization of mothers. Further studies are required for identifying the causes of cold continuum interruption. Further studies are required for the assessment of immunization in children and mothers and various vaccination protocols.