EAEC is a diarrheal pathogen of emerging importance. Correlation between pCVD432 PCR and the HeLa cell line assay was confirmed in children with diarrhea. In comparison to the assay for aggregative adherence, the EAEC PCR has been found to be simple and specific in many epidemiological studies. The typical EAEC (73.3%) strains (with pCVD432 and aggR genes) identified in this study were heterogeneous with respect to virulence genes. This study also showed that EAEC isolates were highly resistant to tetracycline, co-trimoxazole, and ampicillin, which are the most commonly used antibiotics in our area.

Investigations indicate a potential link between exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) and some cancers. Carcinogenesis of ELF-EMF may be mediated by effect on the immune system. During an immune response, naïve T cells differentiate to effector type 1 helper T cells (T(H)1), T(H)2, or T(H)17 subsets according to existence of different cytokines and T(H)1 is important in defense against tumors. Therefore, it will be reasonable to test whether ELF-EMF can change cytokines like interferon gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-6, and IL-12 that regulate T(H)1/T(H)2/T(H)17 balance. Forty adult male rats were randomly separated into ELF-EMF-exposed and sham-exposed control groups. The ELF-EMF group was exposed to a flux density of 100 μT, frequency 50 Hz, 2 h/day for 3 months. The controls were placed in identical chamber without ELF-EMF. The results showed there were no significant differences between the mean mass of rats, thymuses, and spleens in ELF-EMF exposed group compared with controls. Serum IL-12 level was decreased from 418 ± 47 pg/ml in controls to 300 ± 23 pg/ml (p < 0.05) in ELF-EMF-exposed group. Phytohemagglutinin activated of in vitro production of IL-6 by the whole spleen culture (1356 ± 92 pg/ml) and total blood culture (418 ± 40 pg/ml) of ELF-EMF-exposed rats were higher (p < 0.001) comparing with controls (905 ± 74 pg/ml), (182 ± 26 pg/ml), respectively. However, the levels of IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-6 of serum and IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-12 in spleen culture and total blood culture of two groups were not significantly different. It seems that ELF-EMF may change T(H)1/T(H)2/T(H)17 balance toward down regulation of T(H)1 and upregulation T(H)17 type responses.

The balance and regulation of T helper 1 (Th1) and Th2-type cytokines are important in the effective immune response to different diseases. To clarify the effect of garlic (Allium sativum L.) consumption on the Th1/Th2 balance, the secretion of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-4 (IL-4), as two prototypes of Th1/Th2 cytokines, were compared in serum and supernatant of in vitro phytohemagglutinin activated rat spleen lymphocytes. Thirty male rats were divided equally into two groups. The treatment group received garlic solution in water (600 mg/kg/4 mL) and controls received distilled water by gavage. After 1 month, serum and supernatant of PHA activated spleen lymphocytes were analysed for IFN-gamma and IL-4 by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test and thymus and spleen weights were measured. The garlic treatment group showed significantly decreased production of IFN-gamma from 101.73 +/- 4.62 to 74.64 +/- 4.64 pg/mL and significantly increased IL-4 production from 26.75 +/- 3.35 to 83.92 +/- 6.56 pg/mL (p < 0.001) in the supernatant of PHA induced spleen lymphocytes. The serum level of these cytokines was undetectable. The mean weight of thymuses in the garlic fed animals was significantly reduced from 0.456 +/- 0.016 to 0.368 +/- 0.023 g compared with the control group (p < 0.005). There were no significant differences between the spleen weights in the two groups. In conclusion, oral garlic treatment may favor a Th2 or humoral immune response.

IntroductionmtDNA defects, both deletions and point mutations, have been associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathies. The aim of this study was to establish a spectrum for mtDNA mutations in Iranian hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients.Material and methodsThe control group was chosen among the special medical centre visitors who did not have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or any related heart disease. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is widely accepted as a pluricausal or multifactorial disease. Because of the linkage between energy metabolism in the mitochondria and cardiac muscle contraction, it is reasonable to assume that mitochondrial abnormalities may be responsible for some forms of HCM. Point mutations and deletions in the two hot spot regions of mtDNA were investigated by PCR and sequencing methods.ResultsSome unreported point mutations have been found in this study but no deletion was detected. Meanwhile some of these point mutations have been investigated among HCM patients for the first time.ConclusionsA8860G transition was detected in a high proportion, raising the question whether this rare polymorphism is associated as a secondary effect in HCM disease.

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