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Trichomoniasis is the interplay between the infecting parasite, Trichomonas vaginalis, and the host, on which the clinical presentation of the disease depends. Although the clinical spectrum varies from an asymptomatic state to mild, moderate or severe symptoms, the exact virulence markers of T. vaginalis have not been well elucidated. Free radical generation during the disease process and its role in pathogenesis has been reported in various microbial diseases. In the present study, an attempt has been made to study reactive nitrogen intermediate (RNI) concentrations in experimental animals infected with T. vaginalis isolates from symptomatic and asymptomatic women. A significant increase in polymorphs, vaginal epithelial cells and RNI levels was observed in mice infected with isolates from symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects as compared to uninfected controls. The mean concentration of RNI in the vaginal tissue of mice infected with isolates from symptomatic women (75.5+/-7.7) was significantly higher than that of the vaginal tissue of mice infected with isolates from asymptomatic women (47.9+/-7.8), while it was less in the vaginal washes and plasma of mice infected with isolates from symptomatic women (18.7+/-3.6 and 17.1+/-3.3, respectively) compared to those infected with isolates from asymptomatic women (28.9+/-7.3 and 26.7+/-4.4, respectively), which may be due to different macrophage populations with different functional capabilities. Our study indicates that RNI production may play a role in establishing the infection.

Electroporation is defined as cell membrane permeabilization under the application of electric fields. The mechanism of hydrophilic pore formation is not yet well understood. When cells are exposed to electric fields, electrical stresses act on their surfaces. These electrical stresses play a crucial role in cell membrane structural changes, which lead to cell permeabilization. These electrical stresses depend on the dielectric properties of the cell, buffer solution, and the applied electric field characteristics. In the current study, the effect of electric field frequency on the electrical stresses distribution on the cell surface and cell deformation is numerically and experimentally investigated. As previous studies were mostly focused on the effect of electric fields on a group of cells, the present study focused on the behavior of a single cell exposed to an electric field. To accomplish this, the effect of cells on electrostatic potential distribution and electric field must be considered. To do this, Fast immersed interface method (IIM) was used to discretize the governing quasi-electrostatic equations. Numerical results confirmed the accuracy of fast IIM in satisfying the internal electrical boundary conditions on the cell surface. Finally, experimental results showed the effect of applied electric field on cell deformation at different frequencies.

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Background: Transfusion-transmitted cytomegalovirus infection (TT-CMV) is known to cause significant morbidity and mortality in immunosuppressed patients particularly among allograft recipients and infants born with birth weights less than 1.5 kg. Objectives: This is the first report in Iran showing the prevalence of CMV-DNA in whole blood/red cell components to evaluate safety for patients. Patients and Methods: 153 units of whole blood or red cell components [CPDA1 RBC (n = 88), washed RBC (n = 50), whole blood CPDA1 (n = 1), whole blood low volume (n = 1) and leukocytes reduced (n = 13)] were selected for the presence of CMV-DNA from two different hospitals in Gorgan. Detection of CMV-DNA in plasma was performed by nested polymerase chain reaction (Nested PCR) using specific primers selected from highly conserved regions of major capsid protein (MCP) gene of human cytomegalovirus. In addition, CMV-IgM antibody of plasma was analyzed by serological methods. Data was analyzed using SPSS software (version 18). Results: Totally, 2 of 153 (1.3%) whole blood or red cell components had positive results for CMV infection. Both viremia and anti-IgM CMV positivity were 0.65% (1/153), respectively. CMV-DNA was detected in 2/88 CPDA1 RBC, but not in other products. Conclusions: Unscreened whole-blood derivatives can act as a vehicle for transmission of CMV infection, thus, screening for cytomegalovirus infection should be performed at least for special groups of patients.