Genetic variability was studied on Mazandaran and Isfahan native chicken populations based on twenty microsatellite markers (MCWOOI4, MCW0081, MCWOI83, MCW0067, MCWOI04, MCWOI23, MCW0330, MCWOI65, MCW0069, MCW0020, MCW0222, LEI0094, MCW0295, MCW0034, MCW0216, ADL0268, ADLO 112, ADL0278 and LEIO 166). Blood samples of 90 and 150 individuals were randomly collected from Mazandaran and Isfahan native chicken populations, respectively. Genomic DNA was isolated using optimized and modified salting-out procedure. The number of ALLELEs varied from I to 6. One locus (MCW0216) in Mazandaran population and three loci (MCW0216, MCW67 and MCW222) in Isfahan population were monomorphic. The other loci were shown appropriate polymorph isms. All microsatellite loci were in Hardy- Weinberg equilibrium except for MCW222 and MCWI65 loci in Mazandaran population (p<0.005). The observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.7437 (LEI0094) to 0.2472 (MCWI65) in Isfahan and Mazandaran populations, respectively. The least EFFECTIVE ALLELE value belongs to locus MCW216, in both of the populations, and the highest belongs to LEI009410cus in Isfahan chickens. The large stand the lowest PIC values were observed in MCWO 104 locus in Isfahan and in MCW 165 locus in Mazandaran populations, respectively. Loci with two ALLELEs were showed the least amount of Shannon index in both populations. Loci with more ALLELEs had more Shannon index. Generally, polymorphisms in the studied experimental populations were relatively low.

Background: Genetic polymorphism of CYP2A6 gene is a major causal factor in the large interindividual differences in nicotine metabolism. It may have an impact on smoking behavior and smoke-related cancer susceptibility. Until now, there are no reports of CYP2A6 ALLELE frequencies in Iranian population.Methods: In the present study, we investigated the frequencies of CYP2A6 ALLELEs in 250 male Iranians. CYP2A6*2, CYP2A6*4, CYP2A6*9, and CYP2A6*12 were determined by ALLELE-specific polymerase chain reaction.Results: Frequencies of *2, *4, *9, and *12 ALLELEs were 2.2%, 0.95%, 12.4%, and 1.34%, respectively.Conclusion: These results showed that the distribution of CYP2A6 ALLELEs in Iranian population was different from those reported previously for other ethnic groups. This highlights the importance of conducting further studies to investigate the implications on smoking dependence and cancer in Iranians.

Background and purpose: Alopecia areata (AA)، also known as spot baldness، is an autoimmune disease in which hair is lost from some or all areas of the body. Genetic factors are known to play a role in the onset of this disease. The HLA complex genes are primarily involved in AA. In present study، effect of HLA-DQA2 ALLELE frequency was analyzed in Iranian AA patients and control samples. Materials and methods The study group comprised 30 patients with Alopecia areata and 15 healthy controls. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood using DNG plus method. Polymerase chain reaction with sequence specific primers technique (PCR-SSP) was performed to detect HLA-DQA2. The association between HLA-DQA2 ALLELE and some risk factors such as family history، anemia، and the onset of the disease was analyzed. Results Patients included 13 females and 17 males (mean age 26. 3 ± 12. 5 years) and the controls were five females and 10 males (mean age 30. 1± 5. 8 years). The frequency of HLA-DQA2 ALLELE in AA patients (93. 33%) was not significant compared to that of the controls (76. 66%) (OR 0. 94، 95% CI =0. 018-1. 018، p>0. 05). No association was found between the disease and family history of AA (OR=0. 09; 95% CI=0. 01-0. 119، P= 0)، and onset of disease (OR =1. 015; 95% CI=0. 95-1. 07، p=0. 607). But significant correlation was observed between AA disease and anemia (OR =0. 017; 95% CI=0. 02-0. 179، p=0. 001). Conclusion This study did not show strong correlation between HLA-DQA2 ALLELE and developing Alopecia areata. The HLA-DQA2 ALLELE was associated with anemia، but not related to family history and the onset of disease.

Background: Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are clonal malignant diseases that represent a group of conditions including polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET) and primary myelofibrosis (PMF). The aim of this study was to evaluate possible correlations between JAK2V617F ALLELE burden and clinicohematologic characteristics in Iranian patients with MPNs. We also aimed at determining the correlation between JAK2V617F ALLELE burden and use of cyto reductive treatment (hydroxyurea). Materials and Methods: We performed ARMS-PCR for all MPNs samples and subsequently performed real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) for JAK2V617F ALLELE burden measurement using DNA from peripheral blood leukocytes. Results: Two distinct groups of patients were examined at a single time point: group A (n=40; 20 PV, 20 ET) was examined at the time of diagnosis; group B (n=85; 40 PV, 30 ET and 15 PMF) while under treatment with hydroxyurea (HU). The median ALLELE burden of the JAK2 V617F was 72% for PV and 49% for ET patients at the time of diagnosis (p=0.01). For patients with HU treatment, we determined the median JAK2V617F ALLELE burden to be 43%, 40%, and 46.5 % in PV, ET and PMF patients; respectively. HU-treated PV patients had a significant lower %JAK2V617F than PV patients at the time of diagnosis (43% vs. 72%, p=0.005). In ET group, the relationship between the JAK2 V617F ALLELE burden and leukocyte count was significant (p=0.02 and p=0.01 in untreated and treated patients, respectively). Conclusions: Our results showed that patients with PV have a higher JAK2V617F ALLELE burden. Moreover, our study demonstrated that the JAK2V617F ALLELE burden correlates with clinical features in ET group. We also showed hydroxyurea can affect the JAK2V617F ALLELE burden in PV patients.

The objective of this study was to estimate the EFFECTIVE number of breeders in Sarabi cattle population using heterozygote-excess method based on single nucleotide polymorphism markers. Data consisted of 20 Sarabi cows. SNP genotyping was performed using Illumina High-density Bovine BeadChip designed to genotype 777, 962 SNPs. Average observed heterozygosity, expected heterozygosity, minor ALLELE frequencies and percentage of deviation from Hardy-Weinberg test were estimated. EFFECTIVE number of breeders was estimated per each chromosome using NEESTIMATOR (v2) software based on heterozygote-excess method. Average chromosome-wise EFFECTIVE number of breeders was equal to 28 and corresponding average confidence interval was between 17.3 and 40.2. Results of this study indicated that Sarabi breed is on serious risk of extinction. Design of appropriate programs is necessary to conserve remaining purebred cattles.

Background: Bovine tuberculosis is a chronic bacterial disease of cattle that occasionally affects human.A unique mutation at position 169 (C®G) in Mycobacterium bovis differentiates it from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. For the first time, PCR-RFLP method was used in this study to separate the two organisms.Methods: In this study, 98 tuberculosis patients were assessed using microscopic evaluations, culture and antibiogram. Then, nucleotide changes in position 169 were investigated using ALLELE-specific PCR and PCR-RFLP methods. Finally, the results were compared with spoligotyping results.Findings: Antibiogram revealed 28 subjects (28.57%) to be resistant and 54 (55.1%) to be sensitive to pyrazinamide while and 16 cases (16.23%) showed no growth. Of 28 resistant patients, 3 (3.1%) were diagnosed with M. Bovis using the classical methods. Using molecular methods, 95 (96.93%) out of 98 subjects were diagnosed with M. tuberculosis and 3 (3.06%) with M. bovis. ALLELE-specific PCR and PCR-RFLP matched with spoligotyping results.Conclusion: Our result showed the incidence of M. bovis infection to be higher in Iranian population (3.1%) than other studied cases (0.5-1%). In addition, we showed that ALLELE-specific PCR is the method of choice because it is faster and cheaper than PCR-RFLP. However, PCR-RFLP could be a proper alternative to prevent probable mismatches in ALLELE-specific PCR.

HLA-DRB1 ALLELE frequencies of 28 myasthenia gravis (MG) patients, residents of southern Iranian provinces, were studied using PCR-SSP method. The control group consisted of 100 healthy individuals of the same ethnic group. The ALLELE HLA-DRB1*16 (RR=2.04, p=0.028) was found to be significantly increased in MG patients compared to the control group, whereas HLADRB1* 15 (RR=0.17, p=0.043) and HLA-DRB1*07 (p=0.036) were found to be significantly increased in the control group compared to the patients, and seem to be negatively associated with the disease.