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Background Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide, affecting about 80% of women up to the age of 50. The persistent infection of high risk-HPV types (HR-HPV) is the leading cause of cervical cancer, the fourth most common cancer of women. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the frequency and typing of HPV in the genital lesions in the Iranian population. Methods This descriptive-analytic study was conducted on a population in the South-Khorasan province of Iran. All of the participants were sexually active and were checked for evident cervical warts. Biopsy samples were collected from various lesions, and all samples were tested for detection and genotyping of HPV using a reverse dot blot hybridization method (HPV direct flow CHIP). Results In overall, 370 samples were evaluated; 10 cases (2.7%) were male and the rest were female. The mean age of patients was 33.3 ± 8.5 years, of which 48.1% were in the age range from 25 to 36 years. Among the samples, 345 (93.2%) were positive for HPV-DNA; the low risk HPV types (LR-HPV) and HR-HPV were identified among 80.9% and 15.5% of tissue samples, respectively. Among the LR-HPV, HPV-6, 11, 42 and 54 were the most common genotypes, and HPV-16 and 39 were prevalent HR-HPV types detected. The number of pregnancies, marriage age, and partner infection were not significantly related to the HPV types. Types 42 had a declining pattern toward aging, and HPV-11 was increasing toward aging. Conclusion The number of samples with HR-HPV was rather high. Due to the greater frequency of infection in the age range of 25–35 years, it is advised that all individuals referred to gynecological clinics at gestational age be tested for HPV types.

In recent decades, antimicrobial resistance of different bacteria against various antibiotics and contamination of water resources by various dyes has been one of the most important human problems. Therefore, in this research, biogenic silver nanoparticles were synthesized using nontoxic and rapid approach using Pistacia khinjuk leaves extract (P. khinjuk) as compatible and safe reducing agent (PKL@AgNPs). Nanoparticle optimization experiments were performed at different times, temperatures and concentrations in order to achieve the most optimal conditions. The biosynthesized AgNPs were characterized in terms crystalline, morphology and structural. The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectra showed that the phenol compounds present in the P. khinjuk leaves extract were responsible for silver ion (Ag + ) reduction and stabilization of AgNPs (Ag 0 ). X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis results revealed that the product were facecentered cubic structure, homogeneous, uniformly, oval-like and spherical morphology with size of about 35-45 nm. The biosynthesized AgNPs exhibited a high photocatalytic activity for the degradation of the methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) as hazardous contaminants. The degradation efficiency of PKL@AgNPs for MB and MO pollutants were 93.2% and 85.37% under UV and 75.18% and 70.03% under sun-light irradiations, respectively. Furthermore, the PKL@AgNPs showed strong antibacterial and antifungal activities against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus mitis, Enterococcus faecalis, and Candida albicans with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 0.58, 0.58, 0.58, 1.17, 2.34, 1.17, and 0.15 μg ml À1 , respectively. The antioxidant activity of PKL@AgNPs was calculated and the results revealed that the percentage of DPPH inhibition increased (3.8% to 69.9%) with increasing the concentration of nanoparticles. Also, the PKL@AgNPs also revealed significant

Background:Candida albicans (C. albicans) is an opportunistic fungus and the most common cause of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). In recent years, the use of antifungal drugs has led to the incidence of drug resistance.The purpose of this study is two fold: to determine the relationship between risk factors and antifungal resistance among C. albicans isolates from women with VVC and to investigate the expression pattern of drug-resistance genes ERG11 and TAC1 in C. albicans isolates using real-time PCR. Methods and Results:This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 50 C. albicans isolates from women with VVC. Antifungal susceptibility was tested for 4 azoles ( uconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, clotrimazole) and amphotericin B via the microdilution methods per the testing standard M27-A3/S4 of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). High susceptibility rates were recorded for itraconazole and voriconazole (68%), followed by ketoconazole (46%). Fluconazole had the smallest impact on C. albicans with 36% sensitivity The change in ERG11 and TAC1 genes expression was determined by qPCR, and the results revealed that ERG11 and TAC1 genes expression had overexpression in some uconazolesensitive isolates. The mRNA levels of ERG11 and TAC1 genes in uconazole-resistant isolates compared to susceptible isolates increased by 1.1 and 3.1 times, respectively. Conclusion:The results revealed that drug resistance in C. albicans is not simply controlled by several genes but is a multi-factorial phenomenon, where several factors and mechanisms are involved in the process of drug resistance.