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Background: Vibrio cholera is an important agent causing cholera in human. The expression of Flagellum and the movement of the bacterium are critical in the colonization and virulence of Vibrio cholera. FlaA gene is one the five genes encoding Flagellin which plays an important role in the activity and movement of the bacterium and its colonization which has a significant role in its immunogenicity. The aim of this study was to express and produce the recombinant FlaA protein in E.coli using Western blot method. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, FlaA gene was proliferated by PCR method using the specific primers and cloned with BamHI and Xhol in pTz57R/T. Then it was proliferated and sequenced in DH5a vector of E.coli. The cloned FlaA gene was inserted into pGEX-4T-1 vector. The cloned vector was transformed to BL21-DE3 of E. coli and successfully expressed by induction of IPTG. The expressed protein was purified by GST affinity resin. For preparation of the primary antibody, the purified recombinant protein was injected to rats. Western blot assay method was used for determining the antigenicity of the recombinant FlaA. Results: Determination of gene sequencing showed that this gene has been proliferated properly and the antibody used in Western blot verified the production of the recombinant protein. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that FlaA protein is immunogenic and can be evaluated in vaccine designing and as a diagnostic tool for detection of cholera infection.

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Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), also known as atypical mycobacteria or mycobacteria other than tuberculosis are environmental organisms that are normally found in soil and water. Many of the mycobacterial species that have been described in the past decade are involved in human diseases, especially in patients with AIDS and immunocompromised HIV-negative patients. In this study, pathogenicity and clinical significance of new species of mycobacteria were evaluated. A total of 63 new species of non-tuberculosis mycobacteria, recognized in the past ten years (2003-2013), were classified in different Runyon groups. Approximately, 40 isolates were reported to infect human. Of these, 27 (67.5%) were non-chromogenic and 13 (32.5%) were scotochromogenic. The majority of the 40 isolates belong to the slow grower group. Photochromogenic species were not pathogenic to human. The most frequent infections included respiratory infections in elderly people and cervical lymphadenitis in children caused by Mycobacterium kyorinense and Mycobacterium mantenii, respectively. NTM also causes disseminated infections, the most frequent agents of which are M. boenickei, M. houstonense, M. neworleansense, and M. brisbanense in immunocompromised HIV-negative persons. Some of the NTMs, such as Mycobacterium riyadhense, are considered the primary pathogens for human. Considering the progressive spread of HIV co-infected mycobacteria in recent years, accurate identification of these agents’ pathogenicity, drug resistance, and appropriate treatment in epidemic regions, such as Iran, is essential.

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Background: Parvovirus 4 (PARV4) was first discovered in 2005, in a hepatitis B virus–infected injecting drug user (IDU). To date, the best evidence about PARV4 transmission is parenteral roots and comes from IDU individuals. It seems that the prevalence of the virus in the normal population is very low. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of PARV4 virus among patients with chronic HCV infection compared with healthy controls and related risk factors among these groups.

Materials and Methods: A total of 206 patients, including 103 patients with chronic HCV infection and 103 healthy controls, were studied by use of nested-PCR and also real-time PCR techniques.

Results: AST enzyme levels with a mean of 40.45+34.84 and 18.58+5.9 in patients and healthy group respectively and the amount of enzyme ALT among patients with a mean of 40.45+35.75 and 21.50+11.35 in patients and healthy group respectively, were reported. Finally, after screening all DNA samples from patients and controls, we discovered that none of these people are infected with the PARV4 virus.

Conclusion: This study is the first to investigate the occurrence of PARV4 among HCV patients in Iran. The results show that, the virus is not important in Iranian population, even in patients with blood born infections such as HCV and further studies in other areas and various groups are required.