Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and Health Services

About: Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and Health Services is a education organization based out in Tehran, Iran. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Medicine. The organization has 19456 authors who have published 33659 publications receiving 365676 citations.

Bacterial Pathogens and Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns in Pediatric Urinary Tract Infections: A Four-Year Surveillance Study (2009–2012)

Abstract: The aims of this study were to assess the common bacterial microorganisms causing UTI and their antimicrobial resistance patterns in Bandar Abbas (Southern Iran) during a four-year period. In this retrospective study, samples with a colony count of ≥105 CFU/mL bacteria were considered positive; for these samples, the bacteria were identified, and the profile of antibiotic susceptibility was characterized. From the 19223 samples analyzed, 1513 (7.87%) were positive for bacterial infection. UTI was more frequent in male (54.9%). E. coli was reported the most common etiological agent of UTI (65.2%), followed by Klebsiella spp. (26%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3.6%), and Staphylococcus coagulase positive (3.7%). Results of antimicrobial susceptibility analysis for E. coli to commonly used antibiotics are as follows: Amikacin (79.7%), Ofloxacin (78.3%), Gentamicin (71.6%), Ceftriaxone (41.8), Cefotaxime (41.4%), and Cefixime (27.8%). Empirical antibiotic selection should be based on awareness of the local prevalence of bacterial organisms and antibiotic sensitivities rather than on universal or even national guidelines. In this study, Amikacin and Gentamicin were shown to be the most appropriate antibiotics for empiric therapy of pyelonephritis, but empirical therapy should only be done by specialist physicians in cases where it is necessary while considering sex and age of children.

Whole-genome sequencing identifies rare genotypes in COMP and CHADL associated with high risk of hip osteoarthritis.

Abstract: We performed a genome-wide association study of total hip replacements, based on variants identified through whole-genome sequencing, which included 4,657 Icelandic patients and 207,514 population controls. We discovered two rare signals that strongly associate with osteoarthritis total hip replacement: a missense variant, c.1141G>C (p.Asp369His), in the COMP gene (allelic frequency = 0.026%, P = 4.0 × 10-12, odds ratio (OR) = 16.7) and a frameshift mutation, rs532464664 (p.Val330Glyfs*106), in the CHADL gene that associates through a recessive mode of inheritance (homozygote frequency = 0.15%, P = 4.5 × 10-18, OR = 7.71). On average, c.1141G>C heterozygotes and individuals homozygous for rs532464664 had their hip replacement operation 13.5 years and 4.9 years earlier than others (P = 0.0020 and P = 0.0026), respectively. We show that the full-length CHADL transcript is expressed in cartilage. Furthermore, the premature stop codon introduced by the CHADL frameshift mutation results in nonsense-mediated decay of the mutant transcripts.

Therapeutic use of curcumin-encapsulated and curcumin-primed exosomes.

Abstract: Curcumin, the bioactive pigment of turmeric which has polyphenolic-hydrophobic components, has been used for the treatment of a variety of diseases. However, due to its insignificant intestinal-liver metabolism, low stability, quick systemic elimination and its hydrophobic property with low solubility, curcumin has limited bioavailability. Exosomes are nanovesicles (30-100 nm) released from diverse cell types into extracellular and, ultimately, into bio-fluids in a tightly regulated manner. Exosomes are capable of transferring lipids, proteins, RNAs and DNAs, both with and without direct cell-to-cell contact. Curcumin-encapsulated exosomes are highly bioavailable, soluble and safe, and can reach high concentrations in the blood; they, therefore, have therapeutic potential without toxic effects and immune stimulation. Thus, curcumin-encapsulated exosomes could be superior to other synthetic nanoparticles as a carrier of curcumin. The aim of the current review is to offer an overview of the in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies pertaining to the role of curcumin-primed and curcumin-encapsulated exosomes in the treatment of cancer, oxidative stress, brain disorders, cholesterol, and endothelial dysfunction.