Purpose Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains are a common cause of transplant rejection, morbidity, and mortality among kidney transplant recipients. The virulence of UPEC strains differs based on their pathogenicity islands (PAIs) and susceptibility to antibiotics. The present study evaluates the clonal relationship and antibiotic susceptibility of UPEC PAI-genotypes among Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) isolates from kidney transplant patients. Patients and methods A total of 115 Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) isolates were collected from kidney transplant recipients with acute urinary tract infections (UTIs). Isolates were typed based on the presence of PAI-markers, and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). The disk diffusion method was performed for the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of isolates. Results According to the PAI-specific virulence markers, 69 (60%), 21 (18.3%), and 25 (21.7%) isolates were identified as genotypes related to UPEC 536, UPEC J96, and UPEC CFT073 strains, respectively. PAI III536 genotypes were the most prevalent genotype in this study. The findings showed a high-sensitivity to imipenem (93.9%) and nitrofurantoin (91.3%) and a low-sensitivity to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (36.5%). Clonal association and similar antibiotic susceptibility pattern were seen in the PAI-related genotypes. Conclusion Due to a similar pattern of antibiotic susceptibility of these clonal groups and increased resistance to some important antibiotics such as trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole in the treatment of urinary tract infections, especially in kidney transplant patients, the spread of these clones should be considered as a serious concern.

We consider the dynamics of a system consisting of two two-level atoms interacting with the electromagnetic field near an optical black hole. We obtain the reduced density operator of the two-atom system in the weak coupling regime for the case that one atom is in the excited state and the other in the ground state. The time evolution of the negativity between the atoms is discussed for two non-resonance and resonance cases. In both cases, we show that the two atoms can become entangled due to the indirect interaction mediated through the optical black hole.

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Background and Objectives: HTLV-1 is responsible for two important diseases, HAM/TSP and ATLL. Approximately 10 to 20 million people are infected with HTLV-1 worldwide. Identifying altered genes in different cancers is crucial for finding potential treatment strategies. One of the proteins of the RAS/MAPK signaling pathway is MEK1, which is made from the MAP2K1 gene. The effects of the MAP2K1 gene on the MAPK signaling pathway are not yet fully elucidated. The current study aims to determine the MAP2K1 gene mutations and the level of MAP2K1 gene expression in ATLL patients compared to healthy individuals. Materials and Methods: Ten ATLL and 10 healthy control individuals were investigated in this study. We used ELISA test to screen anti-HTLV-I antibodies and PCR for confirmation of infection. Then, we extracted total RNA from fresh whole blood, and cDNA was synthesized. The expression levels of the MAP2K1 gene were examined by qRT-PCR, and to check possible mutations in the MAP2K1 gene; all samples were sequenced and analyzed by BioEdite Software. Results: MAP2K1 gene expression in the ATLL group was significantly higher than in the healthy control (P=0.001). The mutational sequencing analysis showed nucleotide 212 (S→R) change and identification mutations at different nucleotides that were entirely different from the nucleotide mutations defined in the UniProt database. Conclusion: These results could be a perspective in the prevention, prognosis, and targeted treatment of diseases in which the MAP2K1 gene plays a vital role.

Background and Objectives: Human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) belongs to retrovirus family that causes the neurological disorder HTLV-1 adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). Since 1980, seven subtypes of the virus have been recognized. HTLV-1 is prevalent and endemic in some regions, such as Africa, Japan, South America and Iran as the endemic regions of the HTLV-1 in the Middle East. To study HTLV-1 subtypes and routes of virus spread in Iran, phylogenetic and phylodynamic analyses were performed and for as much as no previous phylogenetic studies were conducted in Tehran, we do this survey. To this purpose, the Tax region of HTLV-1 was used. Materials and Methods: In this study 100 samples were collected from blood donors in Tehran. All samples were screened for anti-HTLV-I antibodies by ELISA. Then, genomic DNA was extracted from all positive samples (10 people), and for confirmation of infection, ordinary PCR was performed for both the HBZ and LTR regions. Moreover, the Tax region was amplified and purified PCR products were sequenced and analyzed, and finally, a phylogenetic tree was constructed using Mega X software. Results: Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that isolates from Iran, Japan, Brazil, and Africa are located within the extensive ‘‘transcontinental’’ subgroup A clade of HTLV-1 Cosmopolitan subtype a. The Japanese sequences are the closest to the Iranian sequences and have the most genetic similarity with them. Conclusion: Through phylogenetic and phylodynamic analyses HTLV-1 strain in Tehran were characterized in Iran. The appearance of HTLV-1 in Iran was probably happened by the ancient Silk Road which linked China to Antioch.

Background Bacillary dysentery is a bacterial gastrointestinal disorder that damages the intestinal wall and excretion of blood and mucus in the feces. The disease is associated with Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (EIEC) and Shigella flexneri. The virF gene is the major regulator of the virulence of these bacteria. Previous studies have shown that Sub-inhibitory concentration (Sub-MIC) of antibiotics have significant effects on bacterial virulence. Therefore, in this study, the effects of Sub-MIC of ciprofloxacin and azithromycin on Shigella flexneri and EIEC were evaluated. Methods Standard strains of both bacteria were treated with Sub-MIC concentrations of 1.2, 1.4, and 1.8 of ciprofloxacin and azithromycin antibiotics. Alternations in the expression of virF gene in antibiotic treated samples compared to control samples, were analysed using relative Real-time PCR. Results The mean expression of the virF gene in all Sub-MICs of ciprofloxacin were increased in both Shigella flexneri and EIEC, while Sub-MICs of azithromycin were reduced. The changes in gene expression were observed in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusions The results showed virulence of Shigella flexneri and EIEC is affected by Sub-MICs of azithromycin and ciprofloxacin. This phenomenon should be considered in antibiotic therapy of infections with these bacteria. Moreover, it seems that azithromycin is more convenient antibiotic of choice with a lower risk for treatment of acute infections associated with these bacteria.

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