In this research, we have offered a green and new synthesizing procedure for selenium nanoparticles (Se-NPs) through the utilization of Na
2
SeO
3
, in which starch has a role of stabilizer and ...capping agent, as the functionality of green reducing mediums is taken by glucose and ascorbic acid. According to the observations, this method has been capable of producing Se-NPs in lab conditions. Additionally, the synthesized Se-NPs can be separated from the aqueous solution of stabilizer and reducing agents by a high—speed. Certain analyzing procedures have been used to characterize the obtained particles including TEM, XRD, UV–VIS, DLS, FESEM, EDX, FTIR, and AFM. In this paper, we have investigated the antimicrobial and photocatalytic functionality of Se-NPs on Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Methylene blue (MB) and according to the results, these particles have shown satisfying activity in both cases. To be stated in exact, about 60% of MB has degraded under UV light after 150 min, which indicates the acceptable position of Se-NPs could be applied for eliminating water pollutions. Moreover, the attained data on colorectal cancer SW480 cell lines in regards to the in vitro cytotoxicity assessments have exhibited non-toxic effects, which had lasted throughout concentrations that had measured up to even 100 µg/mL within MTT assay.
The
Aspergillus
species are main causative agents of various infections such as invasive aspergillosis (IA) in immunocompromised patients and these infections have high mortality rates. In this ...study, we provide insight in the species causing aspergillosis in Iran based on morphology and sequence data. Clinical (
n
= 117) and environmental isolates (
n
= 54) collected during 2010–2016 from University hospitals in Mashhad and Tehran (Iran) were identified both morphologically and molecularly using partial calmodulin (
CaM
) gene sequences. Clinical cases were identified based on EORTC/MSG criteria.
Aspergillus flavus
(
n
= 96, 55%) was the most prevalent species among the clinical and environmental isolates while
A. fumigatus
(
n
= 13, 7.5%) ranked fourth after
A. tubingensis
(
n
= 23, 13%) and
A. welwitchiae
(
n
= 18, 10%). Species such as
A. tubingensis
,
A. welwitschiae
,
A. fumigatus
,
A. sydowii
,
A. neoniger
and
A. terreus
were present in both clinical and environmental samples indicating the possible environmental source of infections. Interestingly,
A. niger
was isolated only once. Furthermore, 13 other rare and cryptic
Aspergillus
species were detected. Pulmonary and respiratory disorders (
n
= 33), followed by transplantation (
n
= 23), invasive fungal rhinosinusitis (
n
= 14), and haematological malignancies (
n
= 12) were major predisposing factors. According to EORTC/MSG criteria, there were 43 probable cases identified followed by 36 cases for each of proven and possible ones. Correct molecular identification will be useful for further epidemiological studies.
Here in, a novel method for manufacturing selenium oxide nanoparticles (SeO
2
-NPs) was presented, which includes the use of sodium selenite (Na
2
SeO
3
), gelatin, and ascorbic acid as selenium ...precursor, stabilizing and reducing agents, respectively. The prepared SeO
2
-NPs have been characterization using field FESEM, XRD, and FTIR techniques. The presence of stable spherical SeO
2
-NPs with an average size of < 25 nm is shown by the results. The XRD pattern of SeO
2
-NPs shows a hexagonal crystal structure. The goal of this article was to study two features of SeO
2
-NPs, containing antifungal and photocatalytic activities. The antifungal examinations on
Trichophyton tonsurans
,
T. benhamiae
,
T. rubrum
,
T. interdigitale
,
Microsporum canis
,
T. mentagrophytes
,
M. fulvum
, and
Epidermophyton floccosum
have displayed the elegant functionality of nanoparticles in the role of an antifungal drug. In the presence of SeO
2
-NPs, about 60% of methylene blue (MB) was degraded after 120 min UV-irradiation that it's indicative of the acceptable photocatalytic property of SeO
2
-NPs. In Vitro cytotoxicity, findings on colorectal cancer SW 480 cells have revealed non-toxic even in concentrations that enclosed up to 100 µg/mL in the MTT assay.
Background Pulmonary aspergillosis is a prevalent opportunistic fungal infection that can lead to mortality in pediatric patients with underlying immunosuppression. Appropriate and timely treatment ...of pulmonary aspergillosis can play a crucial role in reducing mortality among children admitted with suspected infections. Case presentation The present study reports three cases of inappropriate treatment of pulmonary aspergillosis caused by Aspergillus flavus in two Iranian pediatric patients under investigation and one Afghan patient. Unfortunately, two of them died. The cases involved patients aged 9, 1.5, and 3 years. They had been diagnosed with pulmonary disorders, presenting nonspecific clinical signs and radiographic images suggestive of pneumonia. The identification of A. flavus was confirmed through DNA sequencing of the calmodulin (CaM) region. Conclusion A. flavus was the most prevalent cause of pulmonary aspergillosis in pediatric patients. Early diagnosis and accurate antifungal treatment of pulmonary aspergillosis could be crucial in reducing the mortality rate and also have significant potential for preventing other complications among children. Moreover, antifungal prophylaxis seems to be essential for enhancing survival in these patients. Keywords: Pulmonary aspergillosis, Pediatric patients, Antifungal, Aspergillus
This study aimed to investigate the presence and genotyping of
Acanthamoeba
spp., in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of immunocompetent patients with chronic respiratory disorders (CRD). In ...this study, 211 BALF samples were collected from patients with CRD during the COVID-19 pandemic who were candidates for fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) at Imam Khomeini Hospital, Sari, Mazandaran Province, northern Iran and investigated for
Acanthamoeba
spp., by PCR. A total of 211 FBAL samples were examined; 5 (5/211; 2.36%) were positive by using the PCR test for Acanthamoeba spp. According to sequence analysis, three strains belonged to the T4 genotype and one strain to the T2 genotype. Our data demonstrate that the presence of
Acanthamoeba
(T4 and T2) in BALF specimens of patients with respiratory infections. However, it is important to note that these findings may be merely accidental. Our findings suggest further investigation to fully understand the role of
Acanthamoeba
spp. in the pathogenesis of lung infections.
Rhinosinusitis mucormycosis (RM) is an invasive opportunistic fungal infection, especially among COVID-19 patients. The current study aimed to assess the peripheral blood hematological disorders of ...COVID-19 patients-associated RM.
During ten month, in two COVID-19 centers in Mashhad, Iran, from June 2021 to March 2022, eighty-three patients suspected of COVID-19 with rhinosinusitis or rhino-orbital mucormycosis participated in this study. The hematological indices of these patients were measured by independent sample T-test or Mann-Whitney test for quantitative data, and the qualitative variables were analyzed using Chi-square or Fisher's exact test in SPSS version 20 at a significance level of 0.05.
Of the COVID-19 patients, 40 (48.2%) were affected by RM, and leukocytosis due to neutrophilia was observed in 30% of them. Leukocyte counts were normal in 10 (25%) patients, but 1 (2.5%) and 3 (7.5%) had leukopenia and lymphopenia, respectively. Leukocytosis plus lymphopenia was observed in 7 (17.5%) patients. Also, the synchronicity of leukopenia and lymphopenia was seen in 5 (12.5%) patients. Leukopenia, lymphopenia, and neutropenia have occurred concurrently in 2 (5%) patients. The complete blood count (CBC) showed that RBCs, hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (HCT), MCH, MCHC, platelet (PLT), and lymphocytes decreased while neutrophils increased.
Among the hematological parameters, leukocytosis due to neutrophilia and reduction in Hb, HCT, and PLT are more dominant factors in COVID-19 patients-associated RM.
Biosynthesis of nanoparticles can replace the available chemical and physical methods by offering new procedures as green syntheses that have proved to be simple, biocompatible, safe, and ...cost‐effective. Recently, antifungal resistance has been reported against different species of Aspergillus and Candida opportunistic fungi. Selenium nanoparticles (Se‐NPs) were biosynthesized using standard strains of A. flavus and C. albicans. The presence of NPs was confirmed by UV‐Vis, FT‐IR, FESEM, EDX, XRD, and Zeta potential. Common fungal strains were cultured in Sabouraud dextrose agar medium to perform the sensitivity test based on the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method in duplicate. The utilization of Se‐NPs at concentrations of 1, 0.5, and 0.25 μg/mL or in some strains even more minor than 0.125 μg/mL resulted in zero growth of fungal agents. However, antifungal drugs inhibited their growth at concentrations of 2, 4, 8, 16, and 64 μg/mL itraconazole (ITC). Also, MIC breakpoints for amphotericin B (AMB) and anidulafungin (AFG) were 2 μg/mL for defining resistance in some isolates. Based on the obtained results, biological NPs produced by Aspergillus and Candida at different concentrations exhibited favourable inhibitory effects on the growth of fungal strains.
Background: Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a prevalent infectious disease that affects the majority of women. While Candida albicans is the most common cause of VVC, the prevalence of non-albicans ...species is increasing, and mixed infections have made treatment more challenging. This study aimed to identify Candida species and detect mixed infections in women with VVC in a tropical region of northeastern Iran, employing the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Methods: In the prospective study, a total of 270 specimens of vaginal discharge were collected using sterile swabs from patients suspected of having VVC. After extracting DNA from Candida colonies, the genome was amplified using PCR with specific primers. Species identification was conducted through PCR-RFLP analysis of the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, using the MspI restriction enzyme. Results: Out of the 270 specimens suspected of VVC, 167 tested positive for Candida cultures. Among these positive Candida cultures, Candida species were identified in 150 specimens, with 44 (29.3%) showing evidence of mixed Candida infections. The species of Candida in 17 specimens were not identified. Out of the 190 identified Candida isolates included, the distribution was as follows: 85 (44.8%) C. albicans, 39 (20.5%) C. glabrata, 28 (14.7%) C. guilliermondii, 11 (5.8%) C. kefyr, 11 (5.8%) C. parapsilosis, 8 (4.2%) C. tropicalis, and 8 (4.2%) C. krusei. The mixed Candida species combinations observed were as follows: C. albicans/C. guilliermondii 26 (65%), C. albicans/C. kefyr 4 (10%), C. parapsilosis/C. glabrata 4 (10%), C. parapsilosis/C. tropicalis 4 (10%), C. krusei/C. tropicalis 2 (5%), C. albicans/C. parapsilosis 1 (2.5%), C. albicans/C. krusei 1 (2.5%), C. glabrata/C. guilliermondii 1 (2.5%), and C. kefyr/C. tropicalis 1 (2.5%). Conclusions: In women with VVC in the tropical region of northeastern Iran, the prevalence of clinical non-albicans species is higher than that of C. albicans. Furthermore, there is a notable high prevalence of clinical specimens containing mixed Candida infections.
Resistance to antifungal drugs is increasing among
isolates from patients with vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). Lack of correct diagnosis of
causing VVC and the experimental use of antifungal drugs ...are the main causes of this resistance. This study aimed to determine the susceptibility of antifungal drugs against
species isolated from VVC in Northeastern Iran.
Among women suspected of VVC, 189 vaginal discharge specimens were evaluated.
isolates detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism were examined by standard antifungal disk diffusion susceptibility testing method for voriconazole, itraconazole, fluconazole, and ketoconazole. The susceptibility pattern of these antifungals was reported as sensitive, susceptible dose-dependent, and resistant. The results were evaluated by SPSS software and analyzed by Pearson chi-squared test.
Among the vaginal specimens, 108 out of 189
isolates were identified as
,
,
,
, and
. The susceptibility rates of
isolates to voriconazole, ketoconazole, itraconazole, and fluconazole were 92.6%, 90.7%, 68.5%, and 63.9%, respectively. Moreover, the resistance rates to fluconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole, and itraconazole were 15.7%, 8.3%, 1.9%, and 1.9%, respectively. The
and
isolates were resistant to antifungal discs among 93% and 20% of the specimens, respectively.
The
and
species showed the highest resistance to antifungal drugs. Furthermore,
isolates showed the highest sensitivity to voriconazole and ketoconazole and the lowest sensitivity to fluconazole.
Hospital ward environments contain various types of microorganisms, in which fungal agents are one of the main contaminants that may cause hospital-acquired infections. Regarding this, the aim of the ...present study was to evaluate the effect of nanosilver paint on reducing fungal contaminants of indoor air in an educational, research, and treatment center. Two rooms in the hematology ward were selected. One room was painted using usual paint (control room) and the other room was painted with paint containing nanosilver particles (experimental room). One hundred and twelve samples were collected using active (Anderson BioSampler) and passive (settle plate or open plate) air sampling techniques. The samples were incubated for 3–7 days at 35°C, and the positive fungal cultures were examined according to morphological and microscopic characteristics. Following active sampling, the mean and standard deviation of the number of colony-forming units (CFU/m3) of fungi colonies in the experimental and control rooms were 29.21 ± 17.99 and 22.50 ± 10.02 before intervention and 13.79 ± 6.20 and 31.07 ± 21.1 after intervention, respectively. Following passive sampling, the number of CFU/plate in the experimental and control rooms was 6 and 0 before and 1and 1 after intervention, respectively. The use of the nanosilver paint was effective in reducing air fungal contamination. Moreover, the active sampling method was more sensitive to measuring the concentration changes for fungal bioaerosols.
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