Background:   Antibiotic resistance among pathogenic bacteria has become a global health concern, prompting the search for alternative antimicrobial agents. Native medicinal plants such as Dorema aucheri, Allium rotundum, and Falcaria vulgaris, long used in traditional Iranian medicine, are underexplored despite their potential bioactivity. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the antibacterial effects of ethanolic extracts from these plants, collected from Kermanshah Province (Dallahoo mountains), Iran, against five clinically relevant bacterial strains.

Methods:   Ethanolic extracts of tree native medicinal plants were prepared via percolation and concentrated using rotary evaporation. Antibacterial activity against five standard strains (S. aureus, E. faecalis, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and K. pneumoniae) was assessed using two complementary in vitro techniques: the well diffusion assay to evaluate inhibition zones, and broth microdilution to determine minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). Statistical analyses including Kruskal-Wallis and ANOVA were applied to identify significant differences among plant extracts and bacterial responses.

Results:   D. aucheri exhibited the most potent MIC values against Gram-positive bacteria, particularly E. faecalis (0.46 mg/mL), while A. rotundum demonstrated broad-spectrum activity in the well diffusion assay, effectively inhibiting all five bacteria, including K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa. F. vulgaris showed selective activity, most notably against S. aureus (20 mm zone; MIC = 2.87 mg/mL). Notably, E. faecalis was the most susceptible strain overall, with significantly larger inhibition zones across extracts compared to K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa (p < 0.001).

Conclusion:   This study offers novel comparative data on the antibacterial properties of three ethnobotanically significant Iranian plants. The promising activity, especially of extracts from D. aucheri and A. rotundum, underscores the potential of Iran’s phytodiversity in addressing antibiotic resistance. Future studies should further explore regional phytochemical variability and isolate active constituents for therapeutic development.

Background:   Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are a major cause of hospital-acquired infections, driven by biofilm-forming pathogens. Silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles offer synergistic antimicrobial effects. This study assesses a novel Ag-ZnO nanocomposite-coated catheter to improve efficacy, reduce cytotoxicity, and offer a cost-effective, locally-produced solution to combat CAUTIs.

Methods:   Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) were synthesized via chemical reduction and sol-gel methods, respectively, and combined in a 2:8 ratio to form an antimicrobial nanocomposite. Foley catheters were functionalized through dip-coating and radiation-assisted drying. Nanostructures were characterized using DLS and TEM. Antibacterial activity was assessed through disk diffusion, microplate dilution (MIC/MBC), and log reduction assays against E. coli, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa. Coated catheter efficacy was evaluated over 72 hours. Cytotoxicity was analyzed on L929 fibroblasts using the MTT assay.

Results:   Silver-zinc oxide nanocomposites demonstrated moderate antibacterial activity, achieving a 0.65 log reduction in Staphylococcus aureus and 0.63 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Foley catheters coated with the nanocomposite showed complete inhibition of E. coli and S. aureus growth over 72 hours. Cytotoxicity assays revealed that ZnO nanostructures were non-toxic up to 1:16 dilution, while Ag nanoparticles exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxicity. The Ag-ZnO composite showed acceptable biocompatibility, maintaining over 70% L929 cell viability at 1:32 and 1:64 dilutions. These results support the potential of Ag-ZnO-coated catheters as antimicrobial devices with controlled cytotoxicity and broad-spectrum efficacy against common uropathogens.

Conclusion:   The silver-zinc oxide nanocomposite demonstrated strong antibacterial activity against P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and E. coli, with no cytotoxicity to L929 fibroblasts. These findings support its potential as a safe and effective antimicrobial coating for foley catheters, paving the way for future commercial production and clinical application.

Background:   Toxoplasmosis as a frequent parasitic infection is caused by Toxoplasma gondii, transmitted through contaminated food or water. Maternal infection during pregnancy can lead to serious complications including miscarriage and congenital defects, requiring accurate diagnosis for proper management.

Methods:   This study analyzed 120 women with spontaneous abortion (ages 18-45, gestational age 6-20 weeks) who were referred to Baqiyatallah Hospital in Tehran from February 2021 to February 2022. Blood samples were collected and assessed using ELISA for IgG/IgM antibodies and real-time PCR for T. gondii B1 gene detection, with statistical analysis performed using Stata software to evaluate diagnostic accuracy and associations.

Results:   This study investigated Toxoplasma gondii infection in 120 females with abortion, revealing a 1.67% prevalence rate. Diagnostic performance analysis showed that both IgG and IgM antibodies demonstrated excellent sensitivity (100%) when compared to PCR as the gold standard, with IgG showing 83.90% specificity and IgM achieving 100% specificity. Clinical symptoms were significantly higher in infected women, and age-stratified analysis revealed 0% prevalence in women under 30 years versus 2.99% in older women.

Conclusion:   This study revealed a low prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection (1.67%) among females with abortion, with higher rates in women over 30 years (2.99%). Clinical symptoms were significantly more common in infected women, and both IgG and IgM serology demonstrated excellent sensitivity (100%) compared to PCR, highlighting their reliability for initial screening despite low positive predictive values.

Background:   The most significant genital lesion caused by HPV infection is genital warts, which are benign. The importance of genital warts relates to cervical cancer risk factors. In fact, this virus has been identified as the cause of 99% of cervical cancers worldwide, necessitating non-invasive methods for disease management. Identifying an appropriate, accurate, and highly sensitive screening method is crucial. Therefore, we investigated the diagnosis of papillomavirus in women with genital warts using Pap smear and PCR.

Methods:   From September 2019 to August 2020, 41 vaginal swab and cervical samples from females with genital warts were assessed for HPV DNA detection by PCR and Pap smear.

Results:   Among 41 vaginal swab specimens from those with genital warts, 5 cases (12.12%) were detected by molecular method, while Pap smear analysis of the same 41 samples revealed 8 cases (19.5%) of abnormal findings, including 2 cases of ASC (4.9%), 6 cases (14.6%) of metaplastic cells, and 33 cases (80.4%) normal results, comprising 11 inflammatory cases (26.8%) and 22 normal cases (53.7%).

Conclusion:   The incidence of HPV infection in females with genital warts was 12.12% by PCR. However, conventional Pap smear screening detected 19.5% cervical dysplasia cases attributable to papillomavirus infection. The discrepancy between PCR and Pap smear results stems from the specificity and low sensitivity of the Pap smear method. Therefore, it is recommended to use the PCR diagnostic method alongside Pap smear to enhance screening quality in individuals with genital warts.

Background:    Central nervous system (CNS) infections are life-threatening medical emergencies requiring rapid and accurate diagnosis. This prospective study compared the BioFire Meningitis/Encephalitis (ME) Panel with conventional diagnostics in suspected cases.

Methods:   We conducted a single-center, prospective study at GB Pant Hospital from January to December 2024, enrolling 100 consecutive patients with clinical suspicion of meningitis or encephalitis. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were simultaneously analysed using the BioFire ME Panel and conventional diagnostic methods (culture, Gram stain, cytology). Clinical data including demographics, risk factors, prior antimicrobial therapy, and outcomes were recorded.

Results:   The BioFire ME Panel detected pathogens in 7% (7/100) of cases, comprising Streptococcus pneumoniae (n=2), Haemophilus influenzae (n=1), Escherichia coli K1 (n=1), herpes simplex virus (n=2), and cytomegalovirus (n=1). In two culture-negative cases with prior antibiotic exposure, the panel successfully identified bacterial pathogens despite negative Gram stain results. The panel demonstrated excellent diagnostic performance (sensitivity 100%, specificity 98.9%, PPV 87.5%, NPV 100%) with a median time-to-result of 65 minutes versus 72 hours for conventional cultures. Implementation of the panel led to therapy modifications in 71.4% (5/7) of positive cases, including de-escalation of empiric therapy in 3 cases and targeted antiviral initiation in 2 cases.

Conclusion:   The BioFire ME Panel demonstrates superior diagnostic utility in CNS infection diagnosis, particularly in culture-negative cases with prior antimicrobial exposure. Its rapid turnaround time facilitates prompt clinical decision-making and appropriate antimicrobial stewardship, suggesting significant value as a complementary diagnostic tool in the management of suspected meningitis and encephalitis.

Background:   The increasing application of Escherichia coli as a model organism in microbiological quality control highlights importance of E. coli due to their wide range of applications. However, rising antimicrobial resistance in E. coli produced a serious concern with respect to public health globally which eventually generated the need of screening of pathogens for their sensitivity and resistance profile against different antibiotics.

Methods:   The present study isolated a bacterial strain of E. coli, SA-01 from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradhesh, India which was then characterized based on morphology, microscopy, biochemical testing in comparison with standard reference strains of E. coli (ATCC 8739, ATCC 10536 and MTCC 448). The identity of the isolated strain was further confirmed by MALDI-TOF analysis. The antibiotic susceptibility of the isolated strain of E. coli (SA-01) was then assessed in comparison with E. coli ATCC 10536 by cup plate method using different antibiotic doses of colistimethate sodium (1, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 100 and 461 µg/mL).

Results:    Based on phenotypic and biochemical characteristics, isolated bacterial strain, SA-01 was identified as E. coli and was further authenticated by MALDI-TOF analysis. In the antibiotic susceptibility testing, the indigenous strain of E. coli (SA-01) has shown zone of inhibition similar to E. coli ATCC 10536.

Conclusion: Similar zone of inhibition compared to E. coli ATCC 10536 in the antibiotic susceptibility testing, revealed sensitivity profile of the indigenous strain of E. coli (SA-01) to Colistimethate sodium suggesting its potential use in microbiological quality control methods.

Background:   The study aims to identify bacterial agents and study the prevalence of pathogenic bacteria isolated from patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit, as well as recognize factors affecting nosocomial infection that can lead to control and treatment of these infections.

Methods:   This study was conducted in the Intensive Care Unit of Baqiyatallah Hospital in Tehran. Totally 738 samples were obtained from patients with a bacterial infection were included in this study. Patient information, including age, gender, type of clinical sample, susceptibility testing, year of hospitalization in to the Intensive Care Unit, and the prevalence of isolated bacteria, was analyzed. Results:   The findings of this study revealed that Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus had the highest and Escherichia coli, Enterobacter, and Streptococci had the lowest prevalence in the to the Intensive Care Unit isolates. Gram-negative bacteria were responsible for most nosocomial infections in the Intensive Care Unit. The rate of nosocomial infections in the Intensive Care Unit had a constant incidence in the recorded years. The rate of nosocomial infections was higher in the male patients than female, with a higher average year of age. Also, the results showed that most isolates were multiple drug resistant.

Conclusion:   The high rate of nosocomial infections in to the Intensive Care Unit belonged to respiratory infections. Factors such as intubation and elderly age are associated with the type of infection. Bacterial isolates had a high level of resistance to most antibiotics. Therefore, periodic antibacterial sensitivity assessment could help optimize empirical antibiotic therapy against to the Intensive Care Unit acquired infections.  

Background:   Helicobacter pylori infection, particularly with cagA-positive strains, is strongly associated with severe gastrointestinal outcomes such as peptic ulcer and gastric cancer, though the strength of this association varies across populations. This study investigates the link between cagA positivity and clinical diagnoses in Iranian patients to evaluate its potential as a predictor of disease severity in a high-prevalence region.

Methods:   This cross-sectional study included 125 patients with gastrointestinal symptoms, of whom 36 H. pylori-positive individuals were analyzed for cagA status using PCR on gastric biopsy specimens. The association between cagA positivity and clinical diagnoses (gastritis, peptic ulcer, gastric cancer) was assessed using chi-square and logistic regression analyses in SPSS v26.

Results:   Of 36 H. pylori-positive patients, 63.89% were infected with cagA-positive strains. A significant association was found between cagA positivity and disease severity, with higher prevalence in peptic ulcer (78.3%) and gastric cancer (80.0%) compared to chronic gastritis (42.9%) (p < 0.05).

Conclusion:   cagA-positive H. pylori strains are significantly associated with peptic ulcer and gastric cancer, highlighting their role in disease severity. cagA detection may serve as a valuable biomarker for risk stratification and targeted management in high-prevalence regions.

Background:   Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that impacts a significant portion of the population. It results in joint damage, pain, and functional impairment, alongside chronic synovitis. This study aimed to elucidate the Clinical and Laboratory Profile of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients at a Tertiary Care Institute in Delhi.

Methods:   This study involved a retrospective analysis of rheumatoid factor measurements performed on 17,130 serum samples at the Serology and Immunology laboratory from June 2021 to July 2024. The SPECTRUM RF Test Kit (Spectrum Medical Industries, Delhi, India) and the SPECTRUM Automatic Analyzer were employed.

Results:   Immunoturbidimetry is an uncomplicated and highly sensitive method for the determination of rheumatoid factor. The quantification of rheumatoid factor via immunoturbidimetry is evidently appropriate for routine diagnostic laboratories. Of 17,130 samples, 1,727 tested positive for rheumatoid factor, exhibiting a slight female predominance. A statistically significant relationship (P value < 0.05) with rheumatoid arthritis was identified in all age groups except for 0-10 years. The highest number of positive cases in our study originated from the Department of Orthopedics, followed by Medicine, Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Surgery.

Conclusion:   Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a major burden in North India, particularly in Delhi, with gaps in understanding genetic-environmental interactions (e.g., pollution, diet) and the role of rheumatoid factor in asymptomatic/elderly people. Multidisciplinary research is required to create precise diagnostics, risk models, and targeted therapies for this unique situation. Longitudinal studies and region-specific guidelines are critical for improving outcomes and mitigating RA's socioeconomic impact in this population.

Background:   Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus, particularly methicillin-resistant strains, poses significant risks for healthcare-associated infections in surgical wards. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA nasal carriage among patients in cardiothoracic and neurosurgery units.

Methods:   This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from January to July 2025 in cardiothoracic and neurosurgery wards of a tertiary care hospital. Nasal swab samples were collected from 100 patients and processed for bacterial identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing using standard microbiological methods.

Results:   Among 100 nasal swab samples, 36 (36%) yielded Staphylococcus aureus growth, while 64 (64%) showed coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) or gram-negative bacteria. Of the 36 S. aureus isolates, antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed varying resistance patterns, with implications for infection control protocols in surgical settings.

Conclusion:   The study provides baseline data on S. aureus nasal carriage rates in high-risk surgical wards, emphasizing the need for targeted screening and decolonization protocols to prevent healthcare-associated infections.

Background:   Meningitis considered as one of the life-threatening diseases in humans which mainly caused by Neisseria meningitides. The onset of this bacterium can occur rapidly, and the disease progresses are quickly. Also, clinical symptoms of this disease emerge relatively late. For these reason, detection of this infection is difficult. This report explores using genosensors as a novel solution for the rapid diagnosis and detection of Neisseria meningitides.

Conclusion:   Newly, for bacterial detection genosensors has been designed and used for diagnosis of some disease. Due to their simplicity, specificity, sensitivity, easy and convenient way to use, high accuracy, low detection time, use on site, and low cost it has been converted to a suitable way for rapid and accurate detection method for bacterial infection.

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis remains one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) globally, often asymptomatic but capable of causing serious reproductive complications if left untreated. While azithromycin and doxycycline have traditionally been highly effective first-line treatments, recent evidence suggests a growing concern over reduced antibiotic efficacy and potential resistance.

Conclusion:  This commentary highlights emerging clinical patterns, the need for surveillance, and the importance of reassessing treatment strategies to mitigate a future public health challenge.