Background: Tuberculosis remains a global epidemic, especially in developing countries, including Iran. Rapid diagnosis of active Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection plays a critical role in controlling the spread of tuberculosis. Conventional methods may take up to several weeks or longer to produce results. In addition to multiplicity of steps involved in conventional detection, including isolation, identification and drug susceptibility testing, the slow growth rate of M. tuberculosis is also responsible for this lengthy time. Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and culture methods for the detection of M. tuberculosis in different clinical specimens. Materials and Methods: This study was performed on different samples (urine, gastric aspirate, bronchoalveolar lavage, pleural fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, ascetic fluid and joint fluid specimens) of tuberculosis suspected patients. M. tuberculosis DNA was extracted directly from different samples using two different protocols. Next, PCR was performed using three sets of specific primers to detect members of Mycobacterium genus, M. tuberculosis complex and non-tuberculosis Mycobacteria. The results were then compared with that of the culture method, which is considered as the gold standard method. Results: The concordance rate between the three sets of primers was calculated and IS6110/buffer PCR method showed good agreement with the LJ culture method (κ = 0.627, P < 0.0001). The sensitivity of IS6110/buffer PCR was 58.33%, with specificity of 77.78%; the positive and negative predictive values were 100% and 78.26%, respectively. Buffer method for DNA extraction was proved to give a higher accuracy to PCR in comparison with the boiling method. Conclusions: PCR method is a valuable, cost-effective and alternative tool for quick diagnosis of active tuberculosis in different clinical specimens. Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR); Culture; Diagnosis

The hepatitis C virus (HCV), first described in 1989, is now a leading cause of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. With more than 170 million people infected globally, this virus is a major public health issue. The current standard therapy is based on interferon in combination with ribavirin. This costly therapy often fails to completely clear the infection and is associated with adverse side effects. Recent anti-HCV therapies are interferon-free direct-acting antiviral (DAA) regimens for HCV, including simeprevir, sofosbuvir, and ledipasvir, which have effects on non-structural proteins. DAA regimens have several advantages, such as specifically targeting HCV viral replication, accompanied by very high sustained virological response rates and lower side effects like flu-like syndrome. These facts plus the fact that most HCV cases progress to chronic infection suggest the potential need for an efficient HCV vaccine. Different innovative methods, including methods based on peptide, recombinant protein, DNA, vector-based, and virus-like particles, have been introduced for the development of HCV vaccines. An extensive number of studies have been published on these vaccines, and some vaccines were even tested in clinical trials. In the current review, progress in the development of preventive and therapeutic vaccines against the HCV is reviewed in the context of peptide vaccines, recombinant protein vaccines, HCV-like particle, DNA vaccines and viral vectors expressing HCV genes.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a significant health problem throughout the world. Chronic form of the disease is found in about 75% to 85% of the newly infected individuals. The chronic infection may lead to severe forms including chronic liver disease, cirrhosis and with a higher mortality rate, hepatocellular carcinoma. Since no vaccine has yet been developed against HCV, there is an increasing need to take measures to control the spread of the infection. Therefore, epidemiologic study of the virus is important to manage and monitor the spread of the virus in the community. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hepatitis C seropositivity in the general population of Mashhad, northeast of Iran. Patients and Methods: Three thousand, eight hundred and seventy (3870) individuals living in the city of Mashhad were recruited using cluster sampling method. HCV seropositivity was determined with HCV antibody detection ELISA kit and was confirmed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. Results: In this study the overall seroprevalence of hepatitis C was founded to be 0.2% by using ELISA method. However, the overall Hepatitis C virus infection prevalence was found to be 0.13% with RT-PCR method. Conclusions: Our study suggested that the prevalence rate of Hepatitis C virus is below 1% in the general population of Mashhad. Keywords: Hepatitis C; Prevalence; Population Groups; Iran

Production of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) by enteric bacteria continues to be a major problem in hospitals and community. ESBLs producing bacteria cause many serious infections including urinary tract infections, peritonitis, cholangitis and intra-abdominal abscess. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of ESBLs producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria isolated from clinical samples of patients attending Imam Reza and Ghaem University Hospitals, Mashhad, Northeast of Iran. During 2009 and 2010, 82 strains of E. coli and 78 strains of K. pneumoniae were isolated from out-patients and hospitalized patients and they were examined by Oxoid combination disk test and PCR methods. We found that 43.9% of E. coli and 56.1% of K. pneumoniae produced ESBLs. The frequency of SHV and TEM among the ESBLs producing isolates were 14.4% and 20.6%, respectively. Ratios of ESBLs positive isolates from out-patients to hospitalized patients were 24/33. This study shows that the prevalence of ESBLs producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae is high in both study groups (out-patients and hospitalized patients). Therefore it seems that continuous surveillance is essential to monitor the ESBLs producing microorganisms in hospitals and community.

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the most common and serious liver infection in the world. An estimated 350 million people are chronic carriers of this virus, of whom, more than 620,000 die from liver-related diseases annually. Due to the vaccination program, prevalence of HBV, particularly among the younger generation, is reported to have declined in recent years in Iran. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of HBV infection in Mashhad, North-East of Iran. Patients and Methods: Three thousand one hundred and ninety eight (3198) individuals living in Mashhad were studied using cluster sampling method. HBV infection was determined by HBsAg ELISA commercial kit. Positive results were subjected for PCR using HBV-specific primers. HBeAg, HBeAb, and HBcAb-IgM ELISA tests were performed for HBsAg-positive samples. Results: Patients’ age ranged from 15 to 65 years (Mean = 35.54 ± 14.85). Thirty four (1.0%) of the subjects were positive for HBsAg, of whom, 2.9 % (1 of 34 cases) were also positive in PCR-based screening. ELISA tests for HBeAg, HBeAb, and HBcAb IgM were positive in one (2.9 %), 27 (79.4%) and one (2.9 %) cases, respectively. Conclusions: According to our results, HBsAg was positive in 0.53 of the total population. The prevalence of HBV infection was seemingly low in Mashhad; however, an upward trend was observed in older subjects probably due to successful HBV vaccination coverage in the younger generation. Continuous surveillance and periodic population-based studies are essential to monitor the prevalence of HBV infection in Mashhad in the future. Keywords: Hepatitis B virus; Prevalence