ABSTRACT
Only few epidemiological studies have examined the rate of active H. pylori infection in the symptomatic population in Pakistan. This retrospective study presents the laboratory data collected during the past 13 years (2002 to 2015) from 2315 symptomatic patients referred to the BreathMAT Lab, Nuclear Medicine, Oncology and Radiotherapy Institute, Islamabad for the diagnosis of active H. pylori infection using the 13C Urea Breath Test. Rate of infection and its association with gender and age were evaluated. The overall rate of active H. pylori infection was 49.5% and there was no association of this rate of infection with gender. An increase in rate of infection was observed with increasing age with significant difference (p < 0.05). The patients that tested negative for this infection might be having symptoms due to stress and indiscriminate use of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in this community. The fact that half of the symptomatic patients were negative needs to be highlighted and further suggests that symptomatic patients should be tested by the 13C UBT before prescribing antibiotic treatment for H. pylori eradication. In addition, there is a need to educate this community about the harmful and side effects of self medication and overuse of NSAIDs.
ABSTRACT
The accessory gene regulator [agr] locus in Staphylococcus aureus [S. aureus] is a global regulator of quorum sensing and controls the production of virulence factors. This study was carried out to investigate the agr specific groups both in methicillin resistant and sensitive Staphylococcus aureus [MRSA and MSSA] and their relation with antibiotic resistance. A total of 90 clinical S. aureus isolates were studied from two tertiary care hospitals. The isolates were identified by standard biochemical tests. Methicillin resistance was confirmed by oxacillin and cefoxitin resistance. Multiplex PCR was used to determine the agr groups. MRSA prevalence was found to be 53.3%.The agr groups' distribution in MRSA was as follows: 22 [45.8%] belonged to group I, 14 [29.1%] belonged to group III and 2 [4.1%] belonged to group II. agrIV was not detected in MRSA. For 17 isolates, the agr group was not detected.agr III isolates showed higher antibiotic resistance than agrI isolates except in case of oxacillin and linezolid. Strict infection control policy and antibiotic guidelines should be adopted to control the problem of MRSA. Higher prevalence of agr I and agr III shows that they are dominant agr groups of our area
ABSTRACT
Prevalence of H. pylori infection is higher in developing countries including Pakistan. The basic purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of H. pylori infection and determination of possible risk factors. A prospective epidemiologic survey of H. pylori infection was accomplished in 2008 and 2009 involving 516 asymptomatic individuals of Barakaho, Islamabad, Pakistan. Data were obtained by questionnaire and H. pylori positivity was checked by 13C UBT. A total of 516 individuals participated in the study of which 384 [74.4%] were positive for H. pylori infection. The prevalence was 73.5% in males and 75.4% in females [p = 0.622] and increased with increasing age [p < 0.001]. Presence of household animals [p = 0.004] and more family members [p = 0.025] were significantly correlated with H. pylori prevalence while no association was seen with other risk factors such as education level, drinking water source, number of rooms in house and monthly family income. High prevalence of H. pylori infection in Pakistani population is comparable to the data of developing countries. H. pylori infection was significantly associated with presence of household animals and more family members
ABSTRACT
The vacuolating cytotoxin VacA and cytotoxin associated gene product CagA, encoded by vacA and cagA are major virulence determinants associated with pathogenesis of Helicobacter pylori. The presence and prevalence of two major H. pylori virulence associated genes among gastric biopsies of Pakistani children were investigated in the current study. Fifty one gastric biopsy specimens of children were analysed for 16S rRNA, vacA and cagA genes using PCR. The results showed that 21 (41.2%) biopsies were positive for H. pylori as determined by 16S rRNA PCR. In the 21 H. pylori positive gastric biopsies, 19 (90.5%) showed vacA s1a, 1 (4.75%) was vacA s1b and 1 (4.75%) was vacA s2 whereas, 5 (23.8%) were vacA m1 and 16 (76.2%) were vacA m2. None of the H. pylori positive biopsies carried vacA s1c subtype. The cagA gene was found in 13 (61.9%) of H. pylori infected biopsies and different vacA combinations were found with or without cagA gene. H. pylori was detected with high frequency of cagA while vacA s1a and vacA m2 regions with vacA s1a/m2 genotype were predominant in H. pylori infected gastric biopsies of children.
ABSTRACT
Background: A refractive error is an error in the focusing of light by the eye and a frequent reason for reduced visual acuity. The burden of uncorrected refractive errors among our population is large and as effective interventions are available, prompt identification can improve quality of life
Objective: To determine association between duration of playing video games and different types of refractive errors among children between age 06 to 15 Years
Patients and Methods: In this cross sectional study 100 children [95 Male and 05 Female] were registered and vision of all the subjects were checked using a distance Snellens visual acuity chart. Retinoscopy and subjective refraction were done in the subjects having visual acuity less than 06/12 in one or both eyes. Questions regarding their habits of playing video games along with its duration were asked, with demographic features of each study subject
Results: Out of the 100 subjects, 18 were found to have refractive errors, mainly; myopia [72.22%], hyperopia [16.7%] and astigmatism [11.1%]. Our study showed no significant relation of refractive error with their habit of playing different types of video games. However, there was significant relation between refractive error and duration of playing video games
Conclusion: It is concluded that there is a significant association between refractive errors and duration of playing video games in children, and this relation needs to be further explored on large scale