Publications by authors named "Zahra Rafat"

Background And Objectives: The study aimed to investigate the epidemiology and clinical therapy of candidemia in burn patients hospitalized in Velayat Hospital, Rasht, Iran.

Materials And Methods: The blood samples of suspected patients were cultured and PCR-sequencing was performed. Antifungal susceptibility testing was done by the CLSI M27-A4 document.

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Background & Aims: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) poses a significant global health challenge due to various lifestyle factors contributing to its prevalence and associated complications. Chronic low-grade inflammation, characterized by elevated levels of inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of T2DM. Modulation of the gut microbiota through microbiome-targeted therapy (MTT), including probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics, has emerged as a potential strategy to mitigate inflammation and improve metabolic outcomes in T2DM.

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Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been associated with secondary fungal infections such as mucormycosis. We investigated the relapse rate of mucormycosis and its risk factors.

Methodology: A prospective study was conducted on COVID-19-associated mucormycosis (CAM) patients discharged from Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran, Iran, from July 2021 to February 2022.

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Background: Studies have shown that changes in the frequency of oral microorganisms may play a key role in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, no research has been conducted on the oral fungal composition in AD-patients. The present study aimed to investigate the changes in the frequency of oral fungal composition, the antifungal susceptibility, and the enzymatic profiles of oral fungal composition in patients suffering from AD compared to non-AD individuals.

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Background And Objectives: Fungal burn wound infections (FBWIs) are one of the most disastrous complications in burn patients. The present study investigated the incidence and the species distribution of fungal agents isolated from burn lesions and reviewed the feautures, underlying conditions, and outcomes of patients.

Materials And Methods: The wounds were swabbed and cultured on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar with chloramphenicol medium.

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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need to study oral fungal carriage and its potential impact. In oral fungal environments, factors like changes in respiratory epithelium, increased pathogen attachment, local inflammation, and virulence factors could influence COVID-19 severity. The authors conducted a study to explore oral fungal carriage in COVID-19 patients and compare it to a healthy control group.

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The fungal nail infection (onychomycosis) involves 18%-40% of all nail disorders, which, although not fatal, can cause mechanical, aesthetic, occupational, and economic problems. Drug treatments due to prolonged treatment periods, drug interactions, adverse effects, and slow progression may associate with numerous negative outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the long-pulsed 1064-nm Nd: YAG laser effect on fungal colonies and subsequently possible change in the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of common antifungals compared with the same non-lasered colonies as a novel way to investigate laser and antifungal interaction.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The meta-analysis examined the impact of a positive family history of cancer on colorectal cancer (CRC) risk in EMRO countries, analyzing 27 relevant articles from databases like PubMed and Scopus.
  • - The research utilized the Newcastle-Ottawa checklist to ensure article quality and calculated odds ratios (OR) to compare cases with controls, revealing a significant association between family history and CRC risk (OR 2.21; P < 0.001).
  • - The findings emphasize the need for timely screening and early detection for at-risk individuals, suggesting that improved coordination in healthcare facilities and increased screening could lower CRC mortality rates and financial costs for the public.
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Background: a species are normal vaginal flora in healthy women, which can cause vulvovaginal candid-iasis (VVC). The formation of biofilm is a cause of drug resistance in species of vaginal origin. We aimed to specify species cause VVC, detect their biofilm-forming ability, and antifungal susceptibility pattern.

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Diabetes mellitus patients are prone to cutaneous and subcutaneous fungal infections due to pathogenic fungi, including dermatophytes, Mucorales, , , and species. Here, we report a case of mycetoma confirmed by isolation and molecular identification. The case was a 38-year-old male farmer with a seven-year history of type 2 diabetes mellitus, living in Khuzestan, southwest of Iran.

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Background And Objectives: Onychomycosis is caused by dermatophyte species, non-dermatophyte moulds (NDMs), and accounts for roughly 50% of all nail diseases. As the prevalence of onychomycosis is increasing, new epidemiologic documents may help with treatment and prevention. The present investigation aims to determine the epidemiological profile of onychomycosis in 2 mycology laboratories.

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Background And Purpose: The pandemic of COVID-19 has caused a worldwide health crisis. Candidemia is a potentially lethal condition that has not yet been enough discussed in patients with COVID-19. The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence of candidemia among Iranian COVID-19 patients and characterize its causative agents and the antifungal susceptibility pattern.

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The emergence of SARS-CoV2 in 2019 showed again that the world's healthcare system is not fully equipped and well-designed for preventing the transmission of nosocomial respiratory infections. One of the great tools for preventing the spread of infectious organisms in hospitals is the anteroom. Several articles have investigated the role of the anteroom in disease control but the lack of a comprehensive study in this field prompted us to provide more in-depth information to fill this gap.

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Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by amyloid plaque deposits, neuronal cell loss, and memory impairment. Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a growth factor associated with AD improvement. Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) mediates therapeutic effects of G-CSF.

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Backgrounds: The pandemic of COVID-19 has created a global public health crisis. ICU patients with COVID-19 are prone to infections of bacterial and/or fungal origins due to several risk factors. Consequently, the current study was conducted to evaluate the frequency, demographic characteristics, underlying conditions, and etiologic agents of fungal and bacterial co-infections of the respiratory tract among ICU patients with COVID-19 in Iran.

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Background: Tracheoesophageal voice prostheses (TVPs) have been the gold standard in rehabilitation, after laryngectomy, producing faster and premier voicing towards esophageal speech. Fungal colonization shortens the device's lifetime and leads to prosthesis dysfunction, leakage, and subsequent respiratory infection. Therefore, in the current study, we aimed to investigate the fungal colonization patterns and to propose prophylactic measures that shall increase the longevity of voice prosthesis.

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In HIV-infected pediatrics, oral candidiasis (OC) is a global issue of concern due to its association with dysphagia, malnutrition, and mortality. The present systematic review and meta-analysis are the first to determine the prevalence of OC in HIV-infected pediatrics worldwide. We searched international (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase) databases for studies published between January 2000 to May 2020 reporting the epidemiologic features of OC in HIV-infected pediatrics.

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Background: remains the main cause of candidiasis in most clinical settings. Available drugs for candidiasis treatment have many side effects. In this work, novel nitroglycerin derivatives were synthesized and their cytotoxic and antifungal effects evaluated against fluconazole susceptible and resistant clinical isolates.

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Otomycosis is a fungal infection of the external auditory canal caused mainly by the genus , an industrially important fungus, is a member of section . In this report, we present a case of otomycosis due to in a 43-year-old female patient. We performed a partial PCR-sequencing of β-tubulin and calmodulin genes to identify the isolate to the species level.

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Background And Objectives: pneumonia (PJP) is a serious infection that usually affects those with a weak immune system. Since the prevalence of this infection in Iran and in the world is not clearly defined, the present study aimed to evaluate the incidence, clinical spectrum, and demographic characteristics of PJP among HIV and non-HIV immunocompromised patients.

Materials And Methods: Bronchoalveolar Lavage (BAL) specimens were obtained from 3 groups of immunocompromised patients, including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients, diabetic patients, and patients receiving immunosuppressive therapies.

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Background: Onychomycosis is one of the most common and recurrent dermatological diseases worldwide. The antimycotic activity of prescribed medications varies according to the causative agents, and treatment failure rates exceeding 30%. This study aimed to assess the epidemiological profile of onychomycosis in Iran.

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Article Synopsis
  • Vulvovaginal candidiasis is a significant global issue affecting 75% of women at least once in their lifetime, linked to various health and economic concerns.
  • A systematic review analyzed 39 studies from 1929 identified, focusing on the prevalence among Iranian women, revealing an overall prevalence rate of 47%.
  • The dominant risk factor identified was the use of oral contraceptive pills, with the most common symptom being cheese-like vaginal discharge, especially in women aged 25-34 years.
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Unlabelled: BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The outbreak of COVID-19 has created a global public health crisis. Little is known about the predisposing factors of this infection. The aim of this study was to explore an association between the serum vitamin D level, obesity, and underlying health conditions, as well as the vulnerability to COVID-19 in the Iranian population.

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Background And Objectives: The respiratory tract is the most common site for developing fungal infections. People who have a weakened immune system are more susceptible to respiratory system involvement with fungi. Fungal infections of the respiratory tract are largely unrecognized and their true burden is elusive.

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