Objectives: Acinetobacter Baumannii is an opportunistic nosocomial pathogen belonging to the Moraxellaceae family. The emergence of multidrug resistant strains of this pathogen caused many problems for hospitals and patients. The aim of the current study was to isolate, identify, and morphologically, physiologically, and in vivo analyze a new lytic bacteriophage targeting extensively drug‐resistant (XDR) A. baumannii.Materials and Methods: Different wastewater samples were tested for isolation of lytic bacteriophage against 19 A. baumannii isolates obtained from patients hospitalized in a hospital in Arak, Iran, from January 2019 to March 2019. The phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of A. baumannii strains (resistance genes including: adeA, adeB, adeC, adeR, adeS, ISAba1, blaOXA‐23, blaOXA‐24) were analyzed. The isolated phage characteristics including adsorption time, pH and thermal stability, host range, one‐step growth rate, electron microscopy examination, and therapeutic efficacy of the phage were also investigated. Therapeutic efficacy of the phage was evaluated in a rat model with burn infection of XDR A. baumannii. The lesion image was taken on different days after burning and infection induction and was compared with phage untreated lesions.Results: The results showed unique characteristics of the isolated phage (vB‐AbauM‐Arak1) including high specificity for Acinetobacter baumannii, stability at a relatively wide range of temperatures and pH values, short adsorption time, short latent period, and large burst size. In relation to the therapeutic efficacy of the phage, the lesion area decreased in phage‐treated groups over 14 days than in those untreated, significantly (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated that isolated lytic phage was able to eliminate burn infections caused by XDR A. baumannii in a rat model. So, it may be recommended as alternative options toward to developing a treatment for extensively drug resistant Acinetobacter infections.

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) are heterogeneous diseases that classified by the presence of Philadelphia chromosome into Philadelphia chromosome negative (Ph-neg) and positive (Ph-pos) myeloproliferative neoplasms. In ph-neg group A somatic point mutation (c.1849G>T) in the JAK2 gene, part of the JAK2-STAT signal-transduction pathway, causes substitution of phenylalanine for valine (V617F) in the JAK2 protein and has been identified. This mutation was seen in PV by 65% to 97% and ET (30–57%) and primary myelofibrosis (35–95%). Highly sensitive methods have been used to determine the presence of the JAK2V617F mutation instead of direct sequencing. We aimed to assess JAK2 exon14 mutations by high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis, which allows variation screening in compare to other method for detecting mutation. The mutation analysis included 45 individuals who were subjected for diagnosis of ph-neg MPN. Genomic DNA was isolated and different methods are performed. PCR RFLP, ARMS PCR and HRM method has a detection sensitivity comparable with conventional methods (Qiagen) to identify the mutations and sequencing. For HRM analysis is cost-effective and beside that it is enzyme independence method also this method able to show amount of the mutant allele carried in samples and it’s helpful for treatments follow-up and determining MRD for them.

Introduction: Thalassemia is a hypochromic microcytic anemia, which is characterized by congenital disorders. In thalassemia patients, bone diseases are one of the causes of mortality. Our goal was to investigate the association between vitamin D deficiency and increased iron uptake by cardiac myocytes and hepatocytes. Materials and Methods: Forty patients with thalassemia major were studied in Amir Kabir Hospital, Arak, Iran. The information obtained through clinical examination. Serum ferritin level was determined by ELISA and T2*MRI performed for measuring iron content in the heart and the liver. Results: The average age of the patients was 23.8 ± 10.7 years. The mean T2*MRI values were 23.7 ± 7. The vitamin D3 level in 33 patients (82.5% cases) was less than 20 ng/dl, 2 patients (5%) in the range of 20– 30 ng/dl, and the others had above 30 ng/dl. Correlation between vitamin D and age was 0.611. Correlation coefficient between heart and liver T2*MRI with ferritin level in patients was 0.437 and 0.335, respectively. Conclusion: Due to significant associations, the periodic measurement of vitamin D, as well as PTH, is recommended for patients with thalassemia major.

Background: Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous type of acute leukemia. Genetic mutations are the most important prognostic factors in AML. Mutations that affect isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (IDH1 and 2) genes are associated with poor prognosis, but the nucleophosmin 1 (NPM1) mutation is favorable. In this study, we investigated the efficiency of the High-Resolution Melting (HRM) method for the detection of NPM1, IDH1, and IDH2 mutations, and used it for minimal residual disease detection. Methods: Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) marrow biopsies of 78 patients with AML were analyzed. Mutation detection was performed using the HRM method and the results were compared with those obtained by direct sequencing. The melting temperatures (Tm) were analyzed using the blast cell percentage. Results: NPM1, IDHs mutations were detected in 28 (35.8%) and 21 (26.9%) samples, respectively. Among all IDH mutations, 13 (16.6%) and eight (10.2%) samples were harboring the IDH-1 and-2 gene mutations, respectively. Based on the HRM results, samples with higher blast cells had a minimal difference in Tm compared to samples with higher blast cells. Conclusion: Our study is generally distinguished from previous studies based on the desirable characteristics of the HRM method. Regarding mutation detection in low amounts of extracted DNA, the relationship between Tm and the blast percentage is an advantageous characteristic of the HRM method. As shown in a previous study, the use of NPM1 and IDHs for the detection of Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) by HRM is a sensitive method.

Introduction: Epigenetic mechanisms play a crucial role in regulating genome expression and are subject to dysregulation in leukemia, hence exerting a significant impact on the pathogenesis of this malignancy. Maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3), a long non-coding RNA, has been identified as a tumor suppressor in many hematologic malignancies due to its frequent down-regulation. This study aimed to examine the expression and methylation status of MEG3 in patients diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia by employing the High-Resolution Melting (HRM) method. Materials and Methods: The study employed quantitative RT-PCR to assess the expression of MEG3 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) derived from a cohort of 62 individuals diagnosed with AML and 32 individuals as healthy controls. The study used the methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting (MS-HRM) method to assess the methylation status of the MEG3 promoter region. Results: The MEG3 expression was significantly downregulated (P < 0.0001) in patients with AML compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, the methylation level of the MEG3 promoter was significantly different between patients and controls (P< 0.001). The average methylation rate of the MEG3 gene promoter in patients was 70.3%. A statistically significant negative association (r = − 0.32, p = 0.03) was observed between MEG3 methylation and its expression. Discussion: The expression of the MEG3 gene exhibited a significant decrease, while the promoter methylation level was elevated in patients. These findings suggest that MEG3 may function as a tumor suppressor gene and may have potential as a prognostic biomarker in AML. These findings suggest that targeting aberrant MEG3 promoter methylation could represent a potential therapeutic strategy in AML, though further studies are warranted to confirm this hypothesis.

Background: The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, identified as the causative agent of COVID-19, first emerged in Dec 2019 and subsequently triggered a rapid global pandemic. Despite extensive research, no definitive treatment has been established, and the disease is anticipated to re-emerge in the future, underscoring the need for continued investigation into its clinical and laboratory manifestations. We aimed to evaluate changes in hematological and coagulation parameters before and after COVID-19 infection. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of medical records from 94 patients admitted to Allameh Bohlool Gonabadi Hospital in Gonabad, Iran between Apr 21, 2022 and Sep 22, 2022. Complete blood count (CBC) and coagulation tests, including D-dimer, partial thromboplastin time (PTT), and prothrombin time (PT) levels, were analyzed before and after COVID-19 infection. Results: Significant hematological and coagulation abnormalities were observed in severe COVID-19 cases. These included lymphopenia (P<0.0001), thrombocytopenia (P<0.0001), prolonged prothrombin time (PT) (P<0.0001), prolonged partial thromboplastin time (PTT) (P=0.0003), and elevated D-dimer levels (P<0.0001). The results of this study indicate demonstrate significant COVID-19-associated alterations in hematological parameters and coagulation cascades. Conclusion: The observed dysregulation of hemostatic pathways and blood cell indices underscores the need for careful hematological monitoring in clinical management, particularly for surgical candidates. Monitoring these parameters can aid in early diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment optimization.