Approach to metabolic syndrome in childhood cancer survivors.

The combined effects of optimized chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, stem cell transplantation regimens, and improved supportive care had drastically increased the survival rate of childhood cancer. Hence, the number of adult survivors of childhood cancer is on the raise and this subset of population is gaining more attention due to the late effects of their cancer therapy. There is growing evidence that pediatric cancer survivors are at a greater risk of developing metabolic syndrome (MS) or the MS component traits than the general population. There is currently no drug therapy to treat MS as a whole disease, as it is a cluster of symptoms that present uniquely among different individuals. Given the recent recognition of MS in adult survivors of childhood cancer, there is a scarcity of long‑term follow‑up studies of this group. Adherence to a healthy lifestyle with both dietary and physical activity is the only most powerful and most useful armor available now against obesity and its metabolic complications.

Mosquitocidal Bacillus amyloliquefaciens: Dynamics of growth & production of novel pupicidal biosurfactant.

Background & objectives: A strain of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (VCRC B483) producing mosquito larvicidal and pupicidal biosurfactant was isolated from mangrove forest soil. The present study was aimed at studying the kinetics of growth and production of the mosquitocidal biosurfactant by this bacterium. Methods: Dynamics of growth, sporulation and production of mosquitocidal biosurfactant were studied by standard microbiological methods. The mosquitocidal biosurfactant was precipitated from the culture supernatant and bioassayed against immature stages of   mosquito vectors to determine lethal dose and lethal time. The activity, biological and biochemical properties of the biosurfactant have also been studied. Results: The pupal stages of mosquitoes were found to be more vulnerable to the biosurfactant produced by this bacterium with Anopheles stephensi being the most vulnerable species. The median lethal time (LT50) was found to be 1.23 h when the pupal stages of the above species were exposed to lethal concentration LC90 (9 μg/ml) dosage of the biosurfactant. Production of biosurfactant was found to increase with incubation time and maximum biomass, maximum quantity of biosurfactant (7.9 mg/ml), maximum biosurfactant activity (6 kBS unit/mg) and maximum mosquitocidal activity (5 μg/ml) were attained by 72 h of growth. The lipopeptide nature of the biosurfactant was confirmed by β-haemolysis, lipase activity, biofilm forming capacity, thermostability and biochemical analysis. Interpretation & conclusions: The mosquitocidal biosurfactant produced by B. amyloliquefaciens (VCRC B483) may be a prospective alternative molecule for use in mosquito control programmes involving bacterial biopesticides.

Spectrum of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis overlaps with that of Wegener's granulomatosis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Mycobacterial infections are known to induce the development of autoantibodies and a few of these antibodies are also known to be diagnostic markers for some other diseases and it is uncertain whether these autoantibodies play a role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disorders. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of autoantibodies like anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA), anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA), anti-double stranded antibodies (anti-dsDNA) and anti-histone antibodies (AHA)in pulmonary Tuberculosis. MATERIALS & METHODS: Seventy consecutive pulmonary TB patients, 30 patients of interstitial lung disease and 100 normal individuals were studied. ANCA and ANA were detected by indirect immunofluorescence test (IIF). Anti-dsDNA and AHA were tested by ELISA. RESULTS: ANCA was detected in 30% cases, and of these 52.4% showed perinuclear pattern (p-ANCA), 38.1% cytoplasmic (c-ANCA) and 9.5% showed an "atypical" pattern. ANCA specificities by ELISA revealed that, 47.6% had anti-Myeloperoxidase (anti-MPO), 28.6% had anti-Proteinase3 (anti-PR3) and 19.1% had anti-Lactoferrin (anti-LF) antibodies. ANA and AHA were present in 24.3% and 21.4% cases respectively whereas anti-ds DNA antibodies were absent. Normal controls showed 4% and 2% positivity for ANA and ANCA whereas disease control group of ILD showed 7% of ANA and ANCA posititivy. CONCLUSION: The presence of autoantibodies in TB patients could have a multifactorial etiology. Clinically relevant is the presence of anti-PR3 antibodies. This finding along with pulmonary and renal manifestations could lead to a false diagnosis of Wegener's granulomatosis or vice versa because these autoantibodies may be present in both diseases.

Primary plasma cell leukemia occuring in the young.

Plasma Cell Leukemia (PCL) is a rare form of plasma cell dyscrasia. Plasma cell leukemia has two variants: the primary form presents de novo in patients with no previous history of multiple myeloma (MM); the secondary form consists of a leukemic transformation in a previously recognized MM. In contrast to myeloma, PCL has an aggressive course. Median age at presentation is usually above 50 years. Here we report a case of primary PCL presenting at age of 21 years, which is extremely rare. She was treated with combination chemotherapy (VAD). Although she had a good response initially, later the disease progressed and she died 6 months after the diagnosis.

Effect of betacarotene on protein glycosylation in alloxan induced diabetic rats.

Free radicals are increasingly formed in diabetes mellitus by the auto oxidation of glucose and glycosylated proteins. Oxidative stress and proteinglycosylation are closely related processes and have been shown to contribute to the development of complications in diabetes mellitus. The extent of protein glycosylation was assessed in alloxan induced diabetic rats after being treated with 50 mg of betacarotene for 40 days. The level of fructosamine and glycosylated haemoglobin was comparison with non treated diabetic rats. The results indicate the beneficial role of betacarotene in reducing diabetic complications like glycosylation in experimental diabetic rats.

Streptogramins: a new class of antibiotics.

Streptogramin antibiotics represent a unique class of antibacterials in the each member of the class consists of at least 2 structurally unrelated molecules: group a streptogramins (macrolactones) and group B streptogramins (cyclic hexadepsipeptides). Both group A and group B streptogramins inhibit protein synthesis at the ribosomal level, and they act synergistically against many isolates their combination generating bactericidal activities and reducing the possibility of emergencies of resistant strains. The mechanisms of acquired resistance to group B streptogramins remain unaffected by target modifications and active efflux. The pharmacokinetic parameters of group A and group B streptogramins in blood are quite similar. In addition, both the A and B group penetrate and accumulate in macrophages and in the bacterial gegetations of experimental endocarditis. Until recently, the complex and irregular composition of naturally occurring pristinamycin and virginiamycin, as well as the unavailability of soluble forms, have limited the clinical development of streptogramins. The synthesis of water soluble derivatives of pristinamycin IA and IIB has now allowed the development of injectable streptogramins with fixed compositions. This unique class of antibacterials will have a significant clinical impact in a world of increasing multidrug resistance affecting the Gram-positive cocci, especially staphylococci and pneumococci. The absence of cross-resistance to macrolides in many of these isolates and the rapid antibacterial killing against these species bright future for this class of antibiotics.