BackgroundFree-living amoeba (FLA) are wide-spread protozoa that are found in different environmental sources including water, soil, dust, hospital units and ventilation areas. These amoebas can act as opportunistic or non-opportunistic pathogens. Among FLAs, some genera such as Acanthamoeba are important because of their potential pathogenic ability in humans. The purpose of this study is to identify of Acanthamoeba isolated from pond water of parks in a tropical and subtropical region in the Middle East, and its relation with physicochemical parameters.From August to December 2015, 90 samples were collected from pond water of parks of 13 regions of Mashhad City. Physicochemical parameters were measured in situ. After filtering, the samples were cultured on Bacto-agar enriched with Escherichia coli. PCR analysis was conducted on the culture-positive samples, and then the PCR products were sequenced. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS software and Fisher’s Exact and Mann-Whitney test.ResultsAmong the samples that were examined, 19 samples (21.1%) were positive for Acanthamoeba. The sequencing revealed that Acanthamoeba isolates belonged to T4 genotype of Acanthamoeba. There was no significant relationship between physicochemical parameters and the presence of Acanthamoeba.ConclusionThe prevalence of Acanthamoeba in pond water of parks was relatively high, but there was no significant relationship between physicochemical parameters and the presence of Acanthamoeba.
Highlights
Abstract
Introduction: Snuffbox arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is one of the most common vascular accesses for hemodialysis. Despite all the advantages, it is not usually considered the first choice of treatment. This could be primarily due to difficulty in its technical procedure and a higher probability of failure than other sites such as cubital. Therefore, the present study aimed at comparing the efficacy and patency rate between the snuffbox and the wrist AVF. Methods: Seventy-eight patients with end-stage renal disease were enrolled in this study. They were randomly assigned into the snuffbox and the wrist groups. Each participant had an appropriate vein at the time of examination and was eligible for distal AVF creation. The procedure was conducted under local anesthesia, and arteriovenous anastomosis was done in an end-to-side configuration. AVF maturation was defined by initiation of successful dialysis through the AVF 8–10 weeks postoperatively.
Results: The results showed that 61% of snuffbox AVFs and 65% of wrist AVFs became matured and were used for further dialysis. Diabetes and female sex had negative impacts on AVF patency. In addition, no significant relationship was found between the patency rate and demographic as well as clinical variables such as age, hypertension, and duration of the previous dialysis.
Conclusions: No significant differences were found in the maturation and patency rate between the wrist and the snuffbox AVFs. Therefore, the snuffbox fistula is recommended in the first step, as there would be a possibility for re-creation on the ipsilateral wrist once the AVF fails.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.