Effect of Convalescent Plasma Therapy on Clinical Improvement of COVID-19 Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: Due to the critical condition of COVID-19, it is necessary to evaluate the efficacy of administrating convalescent plasma to COVID-19 patients. Therefore, we decided to design a clinical trial to investigate the effect of convalescent plasma of patients recovered from COVID-19 on the treatment outcome of COVID-19-infected patients.

Materials And Methods: In this parallel randomized controlled clinical trial, patients in the intervention group received standard treatment plus convalescent plasma of patients recovered from COVID-19.

The effects of nutrition bio-shield superfood powder on immune system function: A clinical trial study among patients with COVID-19.

Unlabelled: The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of Nutrition Bio-shield Superfood (NBS) powder on the immune system function and clinical manifestations in patients with COVID-19. We compare the effects of NBS powder on the immune system function and clinical manifestations among two different groups: 1) intervention group receiving standard treatment scheduled according to treatment guidelines plus NBS powder, and 2) control group receiving only the same standard treatment. The serum levels of IL-2, IL-6, IL-17, IFNγ, and TNFα were determined after four weeks of treatment by specific ELISA kits according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Susceptibility and Severity of COVID-19 Are Both Associated With Lower Overall Viral-Peptide Binding Repertoire of HLA Class I Molecules, Especially in Younger People.

An important number of studies have been conducted on the potential association between human leukocyte antigen () genes and COVID-19 susceptibility and severity since the beginning of the pandemic. However, case-control and peptide-binding prediction methods tended to provide inconsistent conclusions on risk and protective alleles, whereas some researchers suggested the importance of considering the overall capacity of an individual's HLA Class I molecules to present SARS-CoV-2-derived peptides. To close the gap between these approaches, we explored the distributions of , , , and 1st-field alleles in 142 Iranian patients with COVID-19 and 143 ethnically matched healthy controls, and applied predictions of bound viral peptides for each individual's HLA molecules.

Molecular Detection of Carbapenemase Genes and Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns among Clinical Isolates of .

is a bacterium found in most places, especially in clinics and hospitals, and an important agent of nosocomial infections. The presence of class D enzymes such as OXA-type carbapenemases in is proven to have a key function in resistance to carbapenem. The aim of the current study is to determine the carbapenemase genes and antimicrobial resistance among clinically isolated samples of We assessed 100 clinically isolated specimens of from patients in intensive care units of educational hospitals of Hamadan, West of Iran.

Assessment of Association between miR-146a Polymorphisms and Expression of miR-146a, TRAF-6, and IRAK-1 Genes in Patients with Brucellosis.

Background: Brucellosis is a major zoonosis all over the world. MicroRNAs are significant gene expression regulators and could be involved during the infections and also genetic alterations in the miRNAs sequence can affect primary miRNAs and precursor miRNAs processing and thus alter miRNAs expression. Current research studied the impact of the miR-146a polymorphism on miR-146a, TRAF-6, and IRAK-1 genes expression in patients with brucellosis illness.

Association between risk of brucellosis and genetic variations in MicroRNA-146a.

Background: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the most common types of DNA changes in the human genome that leading to phenotypic differences in humans. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are usually affected by various bacterial infections, and they are involved in controlling the immune responses. MicroRNA-146a (miR-146a) plays an essential role in the development of infectious and inflammatory diseases.

Frequency of toxin genes and antibiotic resistance pattern of isolates in diarrheal samples among hospitalized patients in Hamadan, Iran.

Aim: This study was designed to investigate the prevalence of , its toxin-producing genes, and antibiotic resistance patterns in diarrheal samples from hospitalized patients in Hamadan, Iran.

Background: Today, concerns over infection (CDI) have significantly increased due to reduced susceptibility to antibiotics used for CDI treatment. Toxins produced by strains are associated with disease severity and outcome.

Evaluation of the relationship between IL-12, IL-13 and TNF-α gene polymorphisms with the susceptibility to brucellosis: a case control study.

Background: The cytokine gene polymorphism is important for the genetic susceptibility of infectious diseases. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between TNF-α, IL-12, and IL-13 gene polymorphisms and predisposition to brucellosis.

Methods: In this study, 107 patients with brucellosis and 107 healthy individuals were evaluated.

Polymorphisms in Promoter Region of the Interferon-Gamma Receptor-1 Gene and its Relation with Susceptibility to Brucellosis.

Background & Objective: Brucellosis is one of the most prevalent bacterial zoonotic diseases which afflicts both humans and animals. Genetic factors play an important role in susceptibility to brucellosis. One of these factors is interferon-gamma (IFN-), which is vital in the defense mechanism against infectious diseases such as brucellosis.

Comparison of PCR-RFLP and PFGE for determining the clonality of isolates from human and livestock specimens.

Brucellosis is an important zoonotic disease caused by different species of genus that are pathogenic for humans and a variety of animals. Accurate detection of spp infection is important for control of disease. The aim of this study was to comparison of molecular genotyping of strains by Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and polymerase chain reaction -Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) techniques.

Prevalence of the Most Common Virulence-Associated Genes among Brucella Melitensis Isolates from Human Blood Cultures in Hamadan Province, West of Iran.

Brucellosis is a widespread zoonotic disease causing considerable economic and public health problems. Despite animal vaccination, brucellosis remains endemic in some areas such as Iran, especially in the western Iranian province of Hamadan. We sought to detect some of the most common virulence-associated genes in Brucella isolated from human blood cultures to determine the prevalence of some virulence genes among Brucella isolates.

The Optimization of Molecular Detection of Clinical Isolates of Brucella in Blood Cultures by eryD Transcriptase Gene for Confirmation of Culture-Negative Samples.

Background: Brucellosis is a zoonosis disease which is widespread across the world.

Objectives: The aim of the present study is the evaluation of culture-negative blood samples.

Materials And Methods: A total of 100 patients with suspected brucellosis were included in this experimental study and given positive serological tests.

Analysis of IL-10 and IL-6 Gene Polymorphisms and Their Serum Levels in Patients with Brucellosis: A Case Control Study.

Background: It seems that polymorphism in the regulatory areas of cytokine genes affects the cytokine production capacity and may play a role in the development of infectious diseases. Interleukin-10 (IL-10) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6), which are cytokines of Th2, cause the macrophage become inactive and patient conditions get worse.

Methods: In this case-control study, 60 patients with brucellosis and 60 healthy participants were recruited.

Seroprevalence of Bordetella pertussis antibody in pregnant women in Iran.

Background: The increasing incidence of pertussis among adolescents and adults in recent years is an alarming factor in transmission of the infection to non-immune infants and children. Vaccination of pregnant women, immediately after delivery and before being discharged from the hospital may help to protect mothers and their newborns against the disease. Decision making process, regarding maternal immunization, requires credible information and knowledge about seroepidemiology of the infection in pregnant women.

Reducing NO(x) emissions from a nitric acid plant of domestic petrochemical complex: enhanced conversion in conventional radial-flow reactor of selective catalytic reduction process.

The nitric acid plant of a domestic petrochemical complex is designed to annually produce 56,400 metric tons (based on 100% nitric acid). In the present work, radial-flow spherical bed reactor (RFSBR) for selective catalytic reduction of nitric oxides (NO(x)) from the stack of this plant was modelled and compared with the conventional radial-flow reactor (CRFR). Moreover, the proficiency of a radial-flow (water or nitrogen) membrane reactor was also compared with the CRFR which was found to be inefficient at identical process conditions.

Comparison between doxycycline-rifampin-amikacin and doxycycline-rifampin regimens in the treatment of brucellosis.

Background: Combination drug therapy of brucellosis leads to recovery of symptoms, shortening of symptomatic interval, and decrease in morbidity rate, but single drug therapy is associated with more relapse episodes and a higher rate of drug resistance. Different drug combinations have been evaluated in the treatment of brucellosis. Considering the failure of treatment and relatively high rate of relapse of the disease with the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended therapeutic regimen, we evaluated a new regimen that we assumed would increase the success of treatment and decrease the rate of relapse.