Colonization of the gut mucosa of colorectal cancer patients by pathogenic mucosa-associated Escherichia coli strains

Some strains of Escherichia coli are known to be involved in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of current study was to compare the general characteristics of the E. coli from CRC patients and healthy participants. A total of 96 biopsy samples from 48 CRC patients and 48 healthy participants, were studied. The clonality of the E. coli isolates was analyzed by Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-based PCR (ERIC-PCR) method. The strains were tested by PCR to determine the prevalence of different virulence factors. According to the results of ERIC-PCR analysis, (from the 860 E. coli isolates) 60 strains from CRC patients and 41 strains from healthy controls were identified. Interestingly, the majority of the strains of both groups were in the same cluster. Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) was detected significantly more often in CRC patients (21.6 %) than in healthy participants (2.4 %) (p < 0.05). The Enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) was found in 18.33 % of the strains of CRC patients. However, other pathotypes were not found in the E. coli strains of both groups. Furthermore, all the studied genes encoding for virulence factors seemed to be more prevalent in the strains belonging to CRC patients. Among the virulence genes, the statistical difference regarding the frequency of fuyA, chuA, vat, papC, hlyA and cnf1 genes was found significant (p < 0.05). In conclusion, E. coli strains that carry extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) and diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC) multiple virulence factors colonize the gut mucosa of CRC patients.

The Relation of Work Ability and Return to Work Among Iranian Cancer Survivors

OBJECTIVE

Cancerous diseases are known to disrupt a person's ability and inflict physical, psychological, financial, and social complications on the person, thereby challenging an individual's returning to work. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of cancer patients to work after returning to work.

METHODS

This descriptive-correlational study examined a total of 227 surviving cancer patients, having picked the participants through convenience sampling. Data were collected by the return to work and work ability index (WAI) questionnaires and analyzed by descriptive statistics and inferential statistics using SPSS software.

RESULTS

A total of 166 (73.2%) of the participants had returned to work after completing the basic treatment. The mean (standard deviation) of the work ability score was 29.52 (9.43), ranging from 9 to 43 while the average daily work hours dropped from 12.30 to 5.50. The chi-square test showed a significant relationship between the work ability score and the type of return to work. Moreover, the rank logistic regression analysis revealed that work ability was the most important predictor of return to work.

CONCLUSION

Survivors of cancer face reduced working hours and limited ability to work after returning to work, and it is possible to facilitate the return to work in these patients by identifying their job needs in relation to their abilities and barriers of returning to work through the appropriate interventions.

Vitamin D Receptor Gene Polymorphism and the Risk of Multiple Sclerosis in the Azeri Population of Iran

BACKGROUND

Multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease of the central nervous system (CNS), is associated with damage to the myelin sheath of neurons. It is demonstrated that vitamin D deficiency plays an important role in the development of the disease. Binding of vitamin D to its specific nuclear receptors is a way to exert its function.

OBJECTIVE

Possible correlation between the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene and MS was evaluated in the Azeri population of Iran.

METHODS

Different genotypes of the Bsml site were determined by using the PCR-RFLP method in 148 MS patients and 220 non-relative healthy controls.

RESULTS

In MS patients, genotype bb was significantly higher than the healthy controls (p<0.05). Additionally, most subjects of the MS group had been insufficiently exposed to sunlight before the age of 15 (p<0.001). Our findings indicated that the red meat intake in MS patients was significantly higher than the healthy controls (p<0.001). In addition, the healthy controls had appropriate dieting behaviors in comparison to MS patients (excessive intake of some foods) (p=0.0001).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, genotype BB and sufficient exposure to sunlight before the age of 15 were the protective factors against MS. Although, excessive consumption of red meat and inappropriate dieting behaviors were predisposing factors to MS disease.