Background:Intestinal parasitic infections, particularly in the rural areas, are one of the most important indices of the hygiene status and sanitation level of the society. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of the intestinal parasitic infections among rural inhabitant of Hamadan City, Iran, 2012. Patients and Methods: A total of 228 fecal samples were collected from 50 families in seven villages that were directly and indirectly involved in raising livestock and other domestic animals in spring of 2012. The demographic data were collected by interview and included age, sex, educational level, place of keeping animals, direct or indirect contact with animals, and occupation. Fecal samples were concentrated using formol-ether sedimentation technique and examined by iodine-stained wet mount method. Indistinguishable samples were assessed by trichrome staining method. Results: Among 228 samples, 80 (35.1%) were diagnosed with parasitic infection, which separately included 43 cases of Entamoeba coli (18.9%), 32 Blastocystis hominis (14%), 16 Endolimax nana (7%), nine Iodamoeba butschlii (3.9%), five Giardia lamblia (2.2%), two Taenia species (0.9%), two Hymenolepis nana (0.9%), one Chilomastix mesnili (0.4%), one Trichuris trichiura (0.4%), and one Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (0.4%). No significant difference in infection rate was observed with regard to indirect or direct contact with livestock. Coinfection of E. coli and B. hominis, E. coli and I. butschlii, and E. nana and G. lamblia were statistically significant. Interestingly, no Ascaris lumbricoides ovum was seen in this population. Conclusions: According to the results of the present study, the prevalence of some infections with intestinal parasites is high in the Hamadan City. Considering that most of the parasites are nonpathogenic, pathogenic ones have been reduced generally in comparison to the previous reports. Nevertheless, the existence of Taenia species and H. nana could not be ignored.

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Cryptosporidium is one of the most common causes of diarrhea in the world, which can be severe and prolonged in immunocompromised patients. We compared the prevalence rate of Cryptosporidium infection in hemodialysis patients and 2 control groups (i.e., their healthy family members and normal population). Stool specimens of 104 adult outpatient chronic hemodialysis patients, their 91 healthy family members, and 140 healthy individuals were examined for the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts by using a modified acid-fast staining method. Twelve (11.5%) dialysis patients were infected with Cryptosporidium. This was significantly higher than 4 (4.4%), and 5 (3.6%) cases in the 2 control groups, respectively (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the 2 control groups. The prevalence rate of Cryptosporidium infection did not correlate with patients' sex, age, duration of dialysis, history of kidney transplantation, or history of taking immunosuppressive drugs. However, it was significantly higher in diabetics vs. nondiabetics (19.4% vs. 8.3%, respectively, p < 0.05). Our results indicate that the prevalence rate of Cryptosporidium infection is considerably higher in dialysis patients than in the general population. Moreover, dialyzed diabetic patients had the highest rate of infection. As hemodialysis patients are candidates for renal transplantation, general preventive measures against acquiring Cryptosporidium infection must be considered.

Leishmaniasis has a wide spectrum of signs and symptoms due to infection to numbers of Leishmania species and makes enormous mortality and morbidity. There are clues of antileishmanial effects of prenylated coumarins. Apiaceae family is one of the most important sources of coumarins. Air-dried aerial parts of Ferulago angulata and fruits of Prangos asperula were extracted with n-hexane, using a soxhlet apparatus. The solvents were evaporated under reduced pressure. Column chromatography and crystallization process resulted to isolation of three prenylated coumarins. 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance, electron ionization Mass and Infrared spectra were used for elucidation of isolated compounds. Leishmanicidal activity of isolated coumarins was assessed on Leishmania major strain (MRHO/IR/75/ER) for the first time. Suberosin epoxide and suberosin were isolated from aerial parts of F. angulata and osthol was extracted from grounded fruits of P. asperula. Osthol showed a significant antileishmanial effect on promastigotes in early hours of exposure with IC50 of 14.40 µg/mL but suberosin epoxide showed only a weak antileishmanial activity. IC50 of osthol and suberosin epoxide after 48 h were 10.79 and 54.0 µg/mL, respectively. Suberosin showed no remarkable effect in these concentrations. This is the first report on the pharmacological activity of suberosin epoxide. Substantial difference between efficacies of two isomers, osthol and suberosin remarks the importance of prenyl substituent location on C-8.

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