Dermatopathology
Maral Mokhtari; Farzaneh Mostanbet; Saideh Nekooee Fard; Golsa Shekarkhar; Mozhdeh Sepaskhah; Maryam Sadat Sadati
Abstract
Background & Objective: Thiopurine drugs are considered as a treatment modality in various autoimmune disorders including pemphigus vulgaris (PV). These drugs are metabolized by an enzyme “Thiopurine S-methyl transferase” (TPMT). Various variants of this enzyme may have decreased ...
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Background & Objective: Thiopurine drugs are considered as a treatment modality in various autoimmune disorders including pemphigus vulgaris (PV). These drugs are metabolized by an enzyme “Thiopurine S-methyl transferase” (TPMT). Various variants of this enzyme may have decreased activity leading to serious drug side effects. To investigate the phenotype and genotype of TPMT in PV patients receiving thiopurine drugs. Methods: 50 patients (29 women and 21 men) with pemphigus vulgaris treating with standard dose of Thiopurine drugs were selected. Sex, age, result of liver function test and complete blood count were recorded. Genotyping of two common non-functional allele (TPMT*2 and TPMT*3C) by Allele-specific and RFLP-PCR was performed. TPMT enzymatic level was determined by an ELISA based method. Results: Of patients, 36 (72%) were found to have normal TPMT level; and 12, (24%) had higher level of enzyme and 2, 4% had low TPMT enzyme, but none of the patients showed mutant TPMT*2 and TPMT*3C alleles. None of the patients showed hepatotoxicity and bone marrow suppression. Conclusion: The phenotypic assay based on ELISA method may have false positive and misleading results but genotyping using PCR-RFLP and allele specific PCR is accurate, simple and cost-effective and can be used in patients decided to undergo thiopurine treatment.
Microbiology
Gholamreza Irajian; Mehri Sharifi; Shiva Mirkalantari; Reza Mirnejad; Mohammad reza Jalali Nadoushan
Volume 11, Issue 2 , April 2016, , Pages 138-143
Abstract
Background: In most cases, prostatitis can be caused by a bacterial agent such as Ureaplasma urealyticum. Considering to the cumbersome of the culture method for the detection of Ureaplasma species in clinical samples such as prostate; PCR method that is faster and more appropriate than the cultivation ...
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Background: In most cases, prostatitis can be caused by a bacterial agent such as Ureaplasma urealyticum. Considering to the cumbersome of the culture method for the detection of Ureaplasma species in clinical samples such as prostate; PCR method that is faster and more appropriate than the cultivation methods, can be utilized for the detection of U. urealyticum and U. parvum. PCR-RFLP method can differentiate both biovars and assist in studies of the clinical diagnosis, epidemiology and pathology of this species in human. The aim of this study was to molecular detection of U. urealyticumin in prostate tissue samples based on PCR- RFLP. Methods:Two hundred prostate tissue samples were collected from patient suffering from prostatitis. The PCR assay was used to amplify a 559 bp fragment of 16S-23SRNA interspace region of Ureaplasma. After sequencing, PCR products from positive samples were digested with TaqI restriction enzyme. Results: Seven cases (3.5%) out of 200 prostate tissue samples were positive for U. urealyticum. Results of PCR products sequencing demonstrated that all isolates were U. parvum biovar. PCR-RFLP results shown that there was not any differentiation in pattern of enzymatic digestion, in addition, all isolates were U. parvum, serovar 3. Conclusion: U. urealyticum can be one of the causing agents of prostatitis. Using PCR-RFLP with specific primer and restriction enzyme is a rapid and cost-effect method for detection and differentiation of Ureaplasma from clinical samples.