Infectious Diseases

Z Rasulzade obtained her PhD from Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences in 2011. She is working as a Data Manager in Republican Anti-Plague Station since 2012 to date. Currently, she is a Member of Electronic Integrated Diseases Surveillance System (EIDSS) administrative working group at the Ministry of Health since 2011. She successfully graduated South Caucasus Field Epidemiology and Laboratory training two year program (SC/FELTP) in 2014. Since 2017, she is a Member of Azerbaijan Science Diplomacy Support Center’s Working Group. She has published more than 10 papers in reputed journals and 40 abstracts.

Introduction: Electronic Integrated Disease Surveillance System (EIDSS) was adopted in Azerbaijan in 2010 by the Ministry of Health. EIDSS provides essential patient specific accumulation of information from the data sources throughout the country, real-time reporting of diseases, integrating with other electronic systems (health medical records, TB-manager, TIBCO, CISID, etc.) and it allows information exchange between different agencies. The main goal of the current assessment was to identify the public health benefits after implementation of the electronic reporting.

 

Conclusion: EIDSS provides the simultaneous input, investigation and monitoring of the data about the infection diseases. Establishment of the connection between veterinary and human services for integrated surveillance and collaborative investigation of zoonotic infections is recommended. Validation of the data quality of the database is possible through AVR module and developed data quality indicators. Completeness of the laboratory data allows timely diagnostics. Timely notification and investigation make possible rapid identification of the outbreaks. It is recommended systematic assessment of the data quality and surveillance indicators. The implementation of the EIDSS in Azerbaijan significantly improves the diseases reporting and surveillance system in the country.

Serdal Arslan works as an Associate Professor at Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Sivas Cumhuriyet University (Turkey). He has a PhD Degree of Molecular Biology. His expertise is molecular medicine. He has been working on noncoding RNAs in different diseases especially infectious diseases. He has been conducting molecular genetic studies in Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever disease in recent years.

Statement of the Problem: Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is a fatal disease caused by the CCHF virus. Viral infections cause significant changes in cell transcriptomy including long non-coding RNA (lncRNA). Some lncRNAs expressed in infected cells are used to regulate the expression of viral and host genes. Expression of cellular lncRNAs can lead to altering the antiviral response. The aim of this study is to investigate of lncRNA gene expression profiles in CCHF patients at first time of the world.

 

Conclusion & Significance: In this study, lncRNAs, which are important in the pathogenesis of CCHF, were first detected in the world. This results obtained from the study will contribute to explain the role of lncRNAs in pathogenesis of CCHF.

 

Ishag Adam a holder of MD in Obstetrics and Gynecology and PhD in Public Health, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Prof Ishag is a full Professor in 2009 at Faculty of medicine, University of Khartoum Sudan. Dr. Ishag has been author or co-author on over 300 articles and 6 chapters that have appeared in peer-reviewed journals, and is a reviewer for such journals as lancet, international Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Malaria Journal and Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He is on the editorial Board of BMC pregnancy and Child Birth. Prof Ishag and his collaborators succeeded to move Praziquantel during pregnancy from unsafe zoon (X) to be safely used during pregnancy as per WHO guidelines. He spent most of his carrier investigating malaria, anemia, preeclampsia and well known in the safety of artemisinins during pregnancy in RCOG guidelines.

Statement of the Problem: Both malaria and Helicobacter pylori infection can lead to maternal and perinatal adverse effects. There are few published data on interaction between malaria and H. pylori and their association with low birth weight (LBW). The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between malaria, H. pylori and LBW and to assess if there is any interaction betweenmalaria and H. pylori.

 

Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: A case control study was conducted at Medani Hospital, Sudan. The cases were women who delivered low birth weight (<2,500 g) and women who delivered normal weight (≥ 2,500 g) were the controls. Obstetric history was gathered using questionnaires. peripheral, placenta and umbilical cord malaria was investigated using blood film, placental histology and PCR. H. pylori IgG antibody was analysed using ELISA

 

 

Soukup J has completed his Master´s Degree in Food and Nutrition at the Czech University of Life Sciences (CULS) and now continue there in his PhD studies. His Bachelor’s thesis topic was “Natural compounds in foods with anticancer effects”. He works as a Nutritional Consultant and Strength Coach with a specialization in Prehabilitation. Now-a-days he conducts research in the area of the oil stability during heating and storing and the formation of toxic compounds.

One of the most significant and widespread problems in infectious disease treatment is the development of resistance to chemotherapeutics. It is disturbing that bacteria resistant to important drugs appear. Typical example is methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecalis that become common in hospitals, leading to very significant morbidity and mortality in previously curable bacterial infections. This situation is alarming and needs to be addressed. Considerable efforts are being made to discover new antibacterial agents against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains that have developed resistance to most existing antibiotics. One of the options are medium-chained fatty acids (MCFA). Nothing is known, however, about their interactions with antibiotics in case of S. aureus. The objective of this diploma thesis was to evaluate the interactions between medium chain saturated fatty acids, which have antibacterial activity, and the standard antibiotic (oxacillin) against the reference strains of Staphylococcus aureus and one clinical isolate. The oils used were coconut (Cocos nucifera), palm kernel (Elaeis guineensis), tucuma (Astrocaryum vulgare) and muru-muru (Astrocaryum murumuru). Tested strains of Staphylococcus aureus were strains ATCC 29213 and ATCC 43300, which are representing methicillin sensitive and resistant strains, and one clinical isolate (SA1) provided by the Motol University Hospital (Prague, Czech Republic). The fatty acids profile of each oil was determined by the gas chromatography. Activation of antibacterial effects of oils required lipase cleavage. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of individual oils were determined by microdilution assay in a 96 well microtiter plate. To evaluate the combinatory effect of selected cleaved vegetable oils, the fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) value was used. All selected cleaved oils combined with oxacillin acted antagonistically at concentration 2048 mg/L for all chosen strains (sensitive and resistant to oxacillin). Some had the same results at concentration 1024 mg/L.

Adriana Calderaro has a Degree in Medicine and Surgery at the Faculty Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma; license to medical practice in Medicine and Surgery awarded by the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Parma; Member of the Medical Practitioners National Register; PhD in Basic and Applied Microbiology; Post-Degree at the Medical School of Microbiology and Virology at the Faculty Medicine and Surgery of the University of Parma. She is currently MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology at the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Parma.  Her research activity covers the fields of bacteriology (Micobacteria, Spirochaetes); parasitology (Plasmodia, Toxoplasma Gondii, Intestinal Protozoa), virology (hepatitis viruses; gastroenteric viruses). She is the author of more than 400 papers and 4 books and chapters of books.

Traditionally, diagnosis of parasitosis is performed by the microscopic examination of the sample. However, this approach is affected by several factors, such as the sensitivity of the microscopic examination positively influenced by the examination of multiple samples, the use of suitable staining techniques and/or culture and by the expertise of the parasitologist. Because of the cited difficulties, few laboratories routinely perform amplification assays (such as real-time PCR) targeting the genes encoding for ribosomal RNA that allow a more rapid and sensitive laboratory diagnosis, despite higher costs. At present, MALDI-TOF MS is being used increasingly for clinical microbiological diagnosis however, the diagnostic applications cover mainly bacteria and fungi and it is poorly described in diagnostic parasitology. In this study, we report the application developed in this field. In a first approach, the commercial database of the spectrometer used in our laboratory was supplemented with the spectrum of T. vaginalis reference strain; after implementation, the protein spectra of 21 T. vaginalis clinical isolates were correctly identified. In a second approach, protein biomarkers were picked out to identify and differentiate 6 E. histolytica and 8 E. dispar and to identify 13 D. fragilis. For each parasite, specific biomarkers were found that allowed to properly identify clinical strains. The versatility of the system was demonstrated, allowing us to identify different parasites using different approaches such as the creation of a specific database modifying the parameter setting and by biomarkers detection. The use of conventional methods and molecular assays is combined for the diagnosis of malaria: microscopic examination of blood smears remains the gold standard, even if it presents limitations in sensitivity and/or specificity in cases of low parasitaemia and mixed infections and molecular assays allow the correct diagnosis of malaria, particularly in cases of infections by species other than Plasmodium falciparum and mixed infections.

Ishag Adam a holder of MD in Obstetrics and Gynecology and PhD in Public Health, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Prof Ishag is a full Professor in 2009 at Faculty of medicine, University of Khartoum Sudan. Dr. Ishag has been author or co-author on over 300 articles and 6 chapters that have appeared in peer-reviewed journals, and is a reviewer for such journals as lancet, international Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Malaria Journal and Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He is on the editorial Board of BMC pregnancy and Child Birth. Prof Ishag and his collaborators succeeded to move Praziquantel during pregnancy from unsafe zoon (X) to be safely used during pregnancy as per WHO guidelines. He spent most of his carrier investigating malaria, anemia, preeclampsia and well known in the safety of artemisinins during pregnancy in RCOG guidelines.

Hormonal e.g. cortisol and prolactin, Pregnant women are more attractive to the mosquitoes (vector, Immunological factor and Immune system is modulated (suppression of pro-inflammatory responses from T helper 1(Th1) cells to prevent fetal rejection increase the susceptibility of pregnant women to malaria infection. In areas with low transmission/little or no immunity malaria during pregnancy may be symptomatic or can develop severe malaria, anaemia or adverse birth outcomes Blood films and rapid diagnostics tests are the main diagnostic tools for malaria during pregnancy. Effective case management, insecticide treated bednets (ITNs), vector control, chemoprevention are the main pillars to control malaria.The treatment for uncomplicated malaria is artemisinin based combination therapy (ACT) according to WHO guidelines. Sulfadoxine and Pyrimethamine is the current drug of choice of malaria chemoprophylaxis during pregnancy, however new drugs are being tested.

M Papaianni received her Bachelor’s Degree from Biology at the University of Naples “Federico II” and Master Degree from Biology at the University of Benevento “Università del Sannio” her study experiences continued thanks to PhD student in Biotechnology  of the XXXII cycle. Her scientific curiosity and the strong attitude for research have always allowed me to distinguish myself in my projects.

Bacteria are under constant attack by bacteriophages (phages), the most abundant life forms in the biosphere. This work describes how the phage therapy is an efficient way to contrast the bacterial infection regardless the host. Here, we describe the activity of phage in both plant and chicken meat. All the experiment carried out are with phage complex with the hydroxyapatite, since many years, hydroxyapatite is being explored as vehicle for drug targeting, transfection, bone scaffolds and implant coating materials and for these reasons we evaluated the effect of this mineral for the bacteriophage therapy. At first, we validated the antimicrobial activity of the phage and its possible direct administration into the plant xylem. We next performed both in vivo and in vitro experiments to assess the activity of the bacteriophage in association with hydroxyapatite, secondly, we demonstrate that the hydroxyapatite/ bacteriophage complex was able to reduce the bacterial load of Salmonella Rissen in previously infected minced meat, respective to bacteriophage or hydroxyapatite alone 

 

Kundu J has completed her PhD at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.

Diabetes affects the presentation of tuberculosis including delayed clearance of the bacteria from the host cells, however, the molecular changes which help survival of phagocytosed mycobacterium in the diabetic host are still not clear. The effect of in vitro high glucose concentrations on the proteome of the phagocytosed mycobacterium isolated from the human monocytic THP1 cell line derived macrophages has been investigated in the present study. Concurrent tuberculosis and hyperglycemia conditions were mimicked by growing M. tuberculosis infected THP1 cells under high glucose conditions. Phagocytosed bacilli were isolated 5 days post infection. Proteomics analysis of the isolated bacilli was done by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by mass spectrometry. A total of 224±18 protein spots were obtained out of which 10 were found to be differentially expressed under high glucose concentrations in comparison to normal glucose concentration. Further, identity of all the ten proteins namely Tgs3, Rv0547c, AcrA1, EsxU, Rv2219, Mpa, Rv2308, ORN, LucA, and Rv1414 was elucidated by peptide mass fingerprinting using Matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDI/MS) assisted with MASCOT software. Though Tgs3,Rv0547c, AcrA1 and Mpaproteins have been demonstrated to play a major role in lipid metabolism and fatty acid accumulation under nitric oxide stress conditions, the functional role of rest of the differentially expressed proteins remains to be elucidated. Under hyperglycemic conditions in the host cells, differential expression of these proteins might help in the better survival of mycobacteria and can further act as suitable targets to design novel drugs for more effective therapy for comorbid tuberculosis and diabetes.