Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen that can cause acute infections as well as chronic ones in humans. The expression of algD and PpyR genes involved in biofilm formation in clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa in the presence of Escherichia coli Nissle1917 outer membranes vesicles (EcN OMVs) was evaluated. All isolates were tested for biofilm formation. qPCR and disk diffusion were used to identify the expression of algD and PpyR genes, and antimicrobial resistance, respectively. EcN OMVs caused a more significant loss of algD and PpyR expression, compared with the control group. EcN OMVs contain a variety of biomolecules that are capable of influencing the biofilm formation genes. EcN OMVs treatment reduced P. aeruginosa biofilm formation significantly, which emphasizes their positive role in inhibiting biofilm formation. As a result, EcN OMVs can be used as new therapeutic strategies for inhibiting P. aeruginosa biofilm formation.

OBJECTIVE: Autologous platelet gel (APG) is used in most surgeries to treat a variety of tissue defects because of its healing factors composition. This randomized parallel clinical trial was conducted to investigate the healing effects of APG on cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) wounds. Eighteen male patients with CL wounds were recruited and followed for two months. The patients had more than one cutaneous wound, one of which was examined as the control and the other one as the intervention wound. APG was applied to the intervention wounds once a week, up to eight times. The primary endpoint was wound healing which defined as complete epithelialization and tissue granulation. Other clinical evaluation criteria were assessment of the wound size, and histopathology analyses. RESULTS: Of 18 patients, 15 patients completed the trial (83.3%, mean age 28 years). The use of APG on the wounds was associated with complete and faster healing in 66% of the wounds and partial healing in 34% of the wounds. During the study, none of the control wounds were completely healed. The wound area in the intervention cases showed a statistically significant decrease throughout the study (P < 0.01) compared with controls. Following treatment of CL lesions with APG, the inflammatory process in the epidermis and dermis were decreased significantly (P < 0.01) compared with controls. CONCLUSION: Our preliminary results confirm the clinical healing improvement described in the literature for APG-GF treatment of chronic non-leishmania wounds via immunomodulation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: IRCT, IRCT20190212042694N1. Registered 20 February 2019, https://en.irct.ir/trial/37522.

OBJECTIVE: Microtubules, which are closely related to cell proliferation, have been the promising therapeutic target of cancer. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the intracellular control mechanisms of microtubules, the whole picture of which is still unclear though. Intracellular dynamics of microtubules are regulated by various microtubule-associated proteins, one group of which is microtubule plus-end-tracking proteins (+ TIPs), localizing to the extending tips of microtubules. Here, we report the identification and analysis of Ccser2 as a new + TIP in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. RESULTS: Ccser2 was found to be a member of + TIPs by microscopic observations including time-lapse imaging. The C-terminal region of Ccser2, including two SxIP motifs, was likely to be important for the tracking function. In MCF-7 cells, endogenous Ccser2 was mainly detected in the peripheral regions of microtubule fibers, suggesting that Ccser2 functions in cell projections.

OBJECTIVE: Schistosomiasis remains a chronic disease of global importance, especially in many rural areas of the world where co-infection with Plasmodium falciparum is common. It is critical to decipher the role of single or co-infected disease scenarios on immune system regulation in such individuals and how such co-infections can either ameliorate or complicate immune response and the consequent disease outcome. First, 10 ml of urine samples, collected between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, was filtered for diagnosis of schistosomiasis, while egg count, indicative of disease severity, was determined by microscopy. Furthermore, genomic DNA samples extracted from dried blood spots collected on filter paper from one hundred and forty-four Schistosoma haematobium-infected school-children was tested for P. falciparum parasite positivity by an allele-specific nested-PCR analysis of merozoite surface protein (msp)-1 and -2 genes and a real-time PCR assay. In addition, among P. falciparum parasite-positive individuals, we carried out a Taqman SNP genotyping assay to extrapolate the effect of host CD14 (-159 C/T; rs2569190) genetic variants on schistosome egg count. RESULTS: Of the 144 individuals recruited, P. falciparum parasite positivity with msp-1 gene were 34%, 43% and 55% for MAD20, RO33 and K1 alleles respectively. Of the co-infected individuals, CD14 genetic variants ranged from 18.8% vs 21.5%, 33.3% vs 44.4%, 9.7% vs 11.8% for single versus schistosome co-infection for the wild type (CC), heterozygous (CT) and mutant (TT) variants respectively. Though the mean egg count for co-infected individuals with CD14 wild type (33.7 eggs per 10 ml of urine) and heterozygote variants (37.5 eggs per 10 ml of urine) were lower than that of schistosome infection alone (52.48 and 48.08 eggs/10 ml of urine respectively), it lacked statistical significance (p-value 0.12 and 0.29), possibly reflecting the benefit of the CD14 activation in schistosome plus malaria co-infection and not schistosome infection alone. In addition, the lower mean egg count in co-infected individuals reveal the benefit of downstream Th1 immune response mitigated by CD14 innate activation that is absent in schistosome infection alone.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is presented with a cluster of cardio-metabolic risk factors with widespread prevalence. In the present case-control study, we aimed to examine the relationship between several minerals and renal function tests with the components of MetS in individuals with obesity. METHODS: This study included 127 individuals with obesity of both gender with or without MetS as the case and control, respectively. MetS was characterized based on the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) criteria. Anthropometric variables and blood pressure were recorded. Mineral status including serum magnesium, copper, calcium, phosphorous, and iron were measured using standard colorimetric methods. Also, the serum lipid levels, concentrations of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL), and renal function tests, including total protein, albumin, urea, creatinine, and uric acid were evaluated using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. RESULTS: According to our results, individuals with obesity and MetS had higher levels of waist circumference (WC) and diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.05) compared to individuals with obesity and without MetS. Moreover, individuals with obesity and MetS had higher levels of serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), insulin, and iron (P < 0.05). In individuals with obesity and MetS, iron and albumin showed a positive relationship with LDL cholesterol and TG concentrations, respectively (P < 0.05 for all of them). Also, there was a positive association between serum magnesium and Ox- LDL in individuals with obesity with MetS. While, in individuals with obesity and without MetS, only a positive association between urea and uric acid with WC was observed (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that disturbed serum lipids in obesity-metabolic syndrome is associated with homeostatic changes in the level of minerals or proteins that are involved in their metabolism. Although, further studies are needed to better explain and clarify the underlying mechanism of observed relationships.

OBJECTIVE: Suicide is a significant public health concern worldwide, and efforts to prevent it are crucial. This study aims to assess suicide ideation among transgender individuals in Iran. A cross-sectional design was used, with 235 transgender participants recruited through snowball sampling across Iran. The data collection included a questionnaire containing demographic inquiries, while the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation was employed to gather data. Descriptive and analytical statistics were performed using SPSS software. RESULTS: The findings indicate that the prevalence of suicidal ideation among the transgender individuals in the study was 83%, with a mean score of 12.8 ± 8.8 on the suicide ideation scale. Individuals with lower levels of education, younger age, unemployment, and being divorced or single demonstrated significantly higher scores compared to others (p < 0.05). This study highlights the high prevalence of suicidal ideation among Iranian transgender individuals, particularly among those with lower age and education levels, as well as those who have not undergone gender reassignment surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Genetic polymorphisms in ACE and ACE2 genes are involved in the RAS regulation of blood pressure and their activity may confer susceptibility to hypertension. In addition, they may play a role in SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and the severity of COVID-19. This study aims to determine the effect of genetic variations in the ACE (rs4331) and ACE2 (rs2074192) genes with hypertension comorbidity on the severity of COVID-19 in the Indonesian population. RESULT: 186 patients were enrolled and assigned into the COVID-19 group (n = 95) and non-COVID-19 group (n = 91) in this cross-sectional study. GG genotype frequency was dominant in ACE gene, but there were no significant differences between the groups (p = 0.163). The two groups had a significant difference (p = 0.000) for the CC genotype frequency (0,37 vs. 0.01) in the ACE2 gene. The proportion of women with COVID-19 is higher (51%), but men with hypertension had more severe symptoms (44%). Men with hypertension comorbidity, GG (ACE), and TT (ACE2) genotypes tended to have moderate-to-severe symptoms (25%). Similarly, women with hypertension as well as GG and CT genotypes tended to have moderate-to-severe symptoms (21%). We conclude that hypertension and mutations in the ACE (rs4331) and ACE2 (rs2074192) genes affect the severity of COVID-19.

INTRODUCTION: A risk factor for developing obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in non-clinical samples is obsessive-compulsive tendencies (OCT). An OCT scale has recently been developed for university students (UOC) and showed promising psychometric properties. However, no validated Persian language scale evaluates OCT in non-clinical samples. Accordingly, this study aimed to validate the Persian version of the UOC in Iranian university students. METHODS: Three hundred sixty-eight university students (54.6% females, mean ages: 22.4 ± 4.51) entered the study. The Persian version of UOC was evaluated concerning the structure of Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and Exploratory graph analysis (EGA). Regarding the construct validity, the concurrent validity was assessed between the UOC and The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R), Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), and Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). We calculated Cronbach's alpha to evaluate the reliability of the UOC. All statistical calculations were done in R programming language (in R-Studio Desktop version 4.2.1). RESULTS: The Persian version of UOC showed a convenient internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the total scale 0.88. UOC scores were significantly correlated with OCI-R, K-10, and YBOCS. The EFA and EGA showed four and three-factor solutions with 25 and 28 items, respectively. Also, CFA showed that these two solutions were reliable, and the three-factors solution showed higher fit indexes. Finally, the results showed that item-27 was the most central item in the UOC network structure. CONCLUSION: The findings from the present study indicated that the Persian version of UOC has acceptable psychometric properties. So, this scale can be used for examining obsessive-compulsive tendencies in Iranian university students.

OBJECTIVES: South Africa is experiencing both HIV and hypertension epidemics. Data were compiled for a study to identify effects of HIV and high systolic blood pressure on mortality risk among people aged 40-plus in a rural South African area experiencing high prevalence of both conditions. We aim to release the replication data set for this study. DATA DESCRIPTION: The research data comes from the 2010-11 Ha Nakekela (We Care) population-based survey nested in the Agincourt Health and socio-Demographic Surveillance System (AHDSS) located in the northeast region of South Africa. An age-sex-stratified probability sample was drawn from the AHDSS. The public data set includes information on individual socioeconomic characteristics and measures of HIV status and blood pressure for participants aged 40-plus by 2019. The AHDSS, through its annual surveillance, provided mortality data for nine years subsequent to the survey. These data were converted to person-year observations and linked to the individual-level survey data using participants' AHDSS census identifier. The data can be used to replicate Houle et al. (2022) - which used discrete-time event history models stratified by sex to assess differential mortality risks according to Ha Nakekela measures of HIV-infection, HIV-1 RNA viral load, and systolic blood pressure.

OBJECTIVE: Aloe elegans Tod. is an ecologically, environmentally, medicinally, and commercially useful aloe species in Ethiopia and Eritrea. Unfortunately, it is highly threatened due to industrial and urban expansion and traditional mining and agricultural activities. As a consequence, it is included in the IUCN List of Threatened Species since 2013. The plant is getting thinly populated in many parts of the Tigrai floristic region since it is being exploited for traditional and commercial purposes. Therefore, this study was aimed to develop a reproducible, large-scale micropropagation protocol using offshoot cuttings in Murashige and Skoog (MS) media enriched with plant growth regulators (PGRs). RESULTS: Sterilized explants cultured in full-strength MS media enriched with 0.25 mg/L benzyl amino purine (BAP) and 0.10 mg/L naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) resulted in 100% healthy and live (i.e., initiated) explants after four weeks of initiation study. Unsupplemented initiation media (control) yielded only 14.3% initiated explants. The initiated explants were tested for their shooting response to produce microshoots by incubating in different concentrations and combinations of BAP and NAA for four weeks. Fewer days to shooting (13.0 ± 1.0 days), higher mean shoot number (5.0 ± 1.0), and higher mean shoot length (9.20 ± 2.35 cm) were observed with 1.0/0.50, 1.0/0.25, and 1.0 /0.50 mg/L BAP/NAA combinations, respectively. The rooting responses of the microshoots toward producing plantlets were also tested by incubating them in half-strength MS media enriched with different concentrations of NAA and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) for four weeks. Fewer mean days to rooting (12.0 ± 1.0 days), higher mean root number (8.0 ± 4.0), and higher mean root length (7.53 ± 3.03 cm) were observed in MS media enriched with 0.75, 0.75, and 1.25 mg/L IBA, respectively. The responses of A. elegans plantlets to primary (in greenhouse) and secondary (in nursery shade and direct sunlight) acclimatization in coco peat, composted soil, and manured soil media were high - with survival percentages of 87.5-97.8% in three to four weeks.

The present study was designed aiming at finding novel botanicals for controlling the vector population. Objective was to evaluate the larvicidal and pupicidal efficacies of crude and solvent extracts of Michelia champaca seed against the notorious dengue vector Aedes albopictus. 0.5% concentration of the crude extractive and 40 ppm concentration of ethyl acetate extractive were enough to execute 100% of larval mortality of all the instars after 72 h of exposure and the LC50 and LC90values (95% confidence level) of ethyl acetate extractive were 0.9880 ppm and 36.0491 ppm. In case of pupicidal bioassay, 100% mortality was observed at 200 ppm of ethyl acetate extract. Through TLC techniques, the bioactive compounds were isolated, which caused remarkable larval toxicity at 15 ppm concentration. Three-way factorial ANOVA analysis showed different concentrations, time intervals, and instars revealed a significant difference in larval death. FT-IR analysis revealed the presence several important functional groups. Presence of methyl 5,12-octadecadienoate and ethyl 9cis,11trans-octadecadienoate were ascertained by GC-MS analysis. The said bioactive compounds showed very low toxicity in non-target organisms such as damselfly (Ischnura sp.) and water bug (Diplonychus sp.) Thus, proclaiming the potentialities of Michelia champaca seed extracts as larvicidal and pupicidal agents against Ae. albopictus.

OBJECTIVE: Lifestyle choices including physical inactivity, smoking, abuse of alcohol and drugs, unhealthy diet are common among traders and market women and these behavioural activities predispose individuals to ill-health conditions including cardiovascular diseases and chronic anaemia. We evaluated lifestyle choices such as alcohol intake, smoking and resorting to self-medication among traders in the Tamale Central market in Ghana. We then associated these lifestyle choices with anaemia. RESULTS: A total of 400 participants were recruited for this study. Haemoglobin (Hb) levels of participants were measured using Mission® Plus Hb meter and anaemia was diagnosed by Hb < 12 g/dl for non-pregnant females and Hb < 13 g/dl for males. Of the participants, a majority (69.3%) were males, and most of them (56.0%) were within 18-35 years age bracket. While alcohol intake and smoking were uncommon, self-medication was a common practice among the participants. Anaemia was a common condition; diagnosed in 44.5% of participants, but was independent of age, alcohol intake and smoking. However, anaemia was more common in females (χ2 = 15.9, p < 0.001) and was associated with self-medication (χ2 = 5.7, p = 0.017). We recommend that traders in the Tamale metropolis should seek routine health check-ups to help avert adverse health consequences associated with anaemia.

OBJECTIVES: Pollen is a useful tool for identifying the provenance and complex ecosystems surrounding honey production in Malaysian forests. As native key pollinators in Malaysia, Apis dorsata and Heterotrigona itama forage on various plant/pollen species to collect honey. This study aims to generate a dataset that uncovers the presence of these plant/pollen species and their relative abundance in the honey of A. dorsata and H. itama. The information gathered from this study can be used to determine the geographical and botanical origin and authenticity of the honey produced by these two species. RESULTS: Sequence data were obtained for both A. dorsata and H. itama. The raw sequence data for A. dorsata was 5 Mb, which was assembled into 5 contigs with a size of 6,098,728 bp, an N50 of 15,534, and a GC average of 57.42. Similarly, the raw sequence data for H. itama was 6.3 Mb, which was assembled into 11 contigs with a size of 7,642,048 bp, an N50 of 17,180, and a GC average of 55.38. In the honey sample of A. dorsata, we identified five different plant/pollen species, with only one of the five species exhibiting a relative abundance of less than 1%. For H. itama, we identified seven different plant/pollen species, with only three of the species exhibiting a relative abundance of less than 1%. All of the identified plant species were native to Peninsular Malaysia, especially the East Coast area of Terengganu. DATA DESCRIPTION: Our data offers valuable insights into honey's geographical and botanical origin and authenticity. Metagenomic studies could help identify the plant species that honeybees forage and provide preliminary data for researchers studying the biological development of A. dorsata and H. itama. The identification of various flowers from the eDNA of honey that are known for their medicinal properties could aid in regional honey with accurate product origin labeling, which is crucial for guaranteeing product authenticity to consumers.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether electronic health record (EHR) data text mining can be used to improve register-based heart failure (HF) subtyping. EHR data of 43,405 individuals from two Finnish hospital biobanks were mined for unstructured text mentions of ejection fraction (EF) and validated against clinical assessment in two sets of 100 randomly selected individuals. Structured laboratory data was then incorporated for a categorization by HF subtype (HF with mildly reduced EF, HFmrEF; HF with preserved EF, HFpEF; HF with reduced EF, HFrEF; and no HF). RESULTS: In 86% of the cases, the algorithm-identified EF belonged to the correct HF subtype range. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of the algorithm were 94-100% for HFrEF, 85-100% for HFmrEF, and 96%, 67%, 53% and 98% for HFpEF. Survival analyses using the traditional diagnosis of HF were in concordance with the algorithm-based ones. Compared to healthy individuals, mortality increased from HFmrEF (hazard ratio [HR], 1.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.24-2.95) to HFpEF (2.28; 1.80-2.88) to HFrEF group (2.63; 1.97-3.50) over a follow-up of 1.5 years. We conclude that quantitative EF data can be efficiently extracted from EHRs and used with laboratory data to subtype HF with reasonable accuracy, especially for HFrEF.

PURPOSE: Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a ductal syndrome that can have a significant functional impact. Various studies have highlighted positional factors and repetitive movements as risk factors for the development of TOS. However, there are few literature data on the socioprofessional consequences of TOS. METHODS: We performed a prospective, cross-sectional, descriptive, multicentre study of workers having received a Doppler ultrasound diagnosis of TOS between December 17th, 2018, and March 16th, 2021. Immediately after their diagnosis, patients completed a self-questionnaire on the impact of TOS on their work activities. We assessed the frequency of TOS-related difficulties at work and the associated socioprofessional consequences. Trial Registration Number (TRN) is NCT03780647 and date of registration December 18, 2018. RESULTS: Eighty-two participants (95.3%) reported difficulties at work. Seventy-seven of the participants with difficulties (94%) worked in the tertiary sector; these difficulties were due to prolonged maintenance of a posture, carrying loads, and repetitive movements. Although the majority of participants experienced organizational problems and lacked support at work, few of them had approached support organizations, expert and/or healthcare professionals. CONCLUSIONS: TOS was almost always associated with difficulties at work (95.3%). However, poor awareness of sources of help or a perceived lack of need may discourage people with TOS from taking steps to resolve these difficulties. It is clear that the socioprofessional management of TOS requires significant improvements.

Orthopedic foreign body-associated infection can be difficult to treat due to the formation of biofilms protecting microorganisms from both antimicrobials and the immune system. Exebacase is an antistaphylococcal lysin (cell wall hydrolase) under consideration for local treatment for biofilm-based infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). To determine the activity of exebacase, we formed MRSA biofilms on orthopedic Kirschner wires and exposed them to varying concentrations (0.098, 0.98, 9.8 mg/ml) of exebacase and/or daptomycin over 24 h. The biofilm consisted of 5.49 log10 colony forming units (cfu)/K-wire prior to treatment and remained steady throughout the experiment. Exebacase showed significant biofilm reduction at all timepoints (up to 5.78 log10 cfu/K-wire; P < 0.0495) compared to the controls at all concentrations and all time points with bactericidal activity (> 3 log10 cfu/K-wire reduction) observed for up to 12 h for the 0.098 and 0.98 mg/ml concentrations and at 24 h for 9.8 mg/ml. Daptomycin showed significant biofilm reduction, although non-bactericidal, at all time points for 0.98 and 9.8 mg/ml and at 4 and 8 h with 0.098 mg/ml (P < 0.0495). This study supports further evaluation of local administration of exebacase as a potential treatment for orthopedic implant infections.

OBJECTIVE: In routine clinical laboratories, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection is determined by reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR). In the COVID pandemic, a wide range of antigen detection tests were also in high demand. We investigated the correlation between SARS-CoV-2 NCap antigen and N gene concentration by analyzing samples from several INSTAND external quality assessment (EQA) schemes starting in March 2021. The absolute N gene concentration was measured using reverse transcriptase digital PCR (RT-dPCR) as reference value. Moreover, the performance of five commercial ELISA tests using an EQA inactivated SARS-CoV-2 sample at different concentrations was assessed on the basis of these reference values. RESULTS: Quantitative ELISA and RT-dPCR results showed a good correlation between SARS-CoV-2 NCap antigen and RNA concentration, but this correlation varies among SARS-CoV-2 isolates. A direct correlation between SARS-CoV-2 NCap antigen concentration and genome concentration should not be generally assumed. CONCLUSION: Further correlation studies between SARS-CoV-2 RNA and NCap antigen concentrations are needed, particularly in clinical samples and for emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, to support the monitoring and improvement of antigen testing.

PURPOSE: This retrospective study aims to evaluate the mandibular flexure on a long-span rigid fixed prosthesis supported by natural teeth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine patients (five males and four females) were included in this study who had long-span rigid mandibular fixed prostheses for long-term (10-15 years) that have led to radiographic changes around the supporting teeth. The mandibular flexure was measured digitally after adhering reference markers to the prostheses. Intraoral scans were obtained at the minimum and maximum mouth openings before and after splitting the preexisting prostheses. The distances between the markers were measured, and mandibular flexure was calculated. RESULTS: This study showed a significant deviation (narrowing) of the mandible before and after splitting the rigid fixed prostheses (P value < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Digital analysis of the data collected from the patients in this retrospective study indicated that deviations occur during mandibular flexure. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Splitting the full arch prosthesis could prevent the negative consequences of mandibular flexure on restorations. Trial registration The study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov with registration number NCT05617274 (15/11/2022).

OBJECTIVE: Insulin secretion is regulated by ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels in pancreatic beta-cells. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) α ligands are clinically used to treat dyslipidemia. A PPARα ligand, fenofibrate, and PPARγ ligands troglitazone and 15-deoxy-∆12,14-prostaglandin J2 are known to close KATP channels and induce insulin secretion. The recently developed PPARα ligand, pemafibrate, became a new entry for treating dyslipidemia. Because pemafibrate is reported to improve glucose intolerance in mice treated with a high fat diet and a novel selective PPARα modulator, it may affect KATP channels or insulin secretion. RESULTS: The effect of fenofibrate (100 µM) and pemafibrate (100 µM) on insulin secretion from MIN6 cells was measured by using batch incubation for 10 and 60 min in low (2 mM) and high (10 mM) glucose conditions. The application of fenofibrate for 10 min significantly increased insulin secretion in low glucose conditions. Pemafibrate failed to increase insulin secretion in all of the conditions experimented in this study. The KATP channel activity was measured by using whole-cell patch clamp technique. Although fenofibrate (100 µM) reduced the KATP channel current, the same concentration of pemafibrate had no effect. Both fenofibrate and pemafibrate had no effect on insulin mRNA expression.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the biofilm production, and the presence of virulence genes and biochemical characteristics among the S. saprophyticus clinical isolates. A total of 35 clinical isolates of S. saprophyticus were collected from patients referred to several hospitals. By the crystal violet staining method, the capability of biofilm formation was performed. The genes associated with surface of S. saprophyticus were investigated by the PCR-sequencing techniques. Hemagglutination and lipase activity assays were also performed. RESULTS: The results of crystal violet staining assay showed that 32 isolates (91%) form biofilm. Moreover, seven (20%), 13 (37%), and 12(34%) isolates were categorized as weak, moderate, and strong biofilm producers, respectively. virulence genes including UafA, Aas and Ssp had an overall prevalence of 88%, 91% and 80%, respectively. None of the isolates exhibited lipolytic activities. Regarding hemagglutination properties, only 11 (31%) isolates demonstrated hemagglutination of sheep erythrocytes. The results of this study indicate a high prevalence of UafA and Aas genes that can enhance the pathogenicity of S. saprophyticus, and Identification and better understanding of the functions of these genes can be used for therapeutic purposes. Maybe in the future we will be switch to anti-adhesion therapy because of drug resistance.