ABSTRACT
Background: Interferon therapy is an expensive treatment for hepatitis C virus [HCV] which may results in undesirable side effects. About 50% of chronic HCV patients do not respond to interferon [IFN] therapy for unknown reasons. It is important to determine the association of clinical parameters with IFNAR-2 in HCV patients, resistant to IFN therapy
Methods: HCV genotype 3 patients were included in study [n=20, between 30-60 age group] and categorized into two groups, the experimental group including patients responding to interferon treatment and the control group consisting of interferon resistant patients. Blood samples and Liver biopsy specimens were collected from all HCV patients. Clinical parameters included in the study were [i] pre-biopsy tests [platelet count, bleeding time, prothrombin time] [ii] HCV viral genotype 3 [iii] HCV-RNA and [iv] liver functions [ALT, ALP, and bilirubin]. Molecular investigations were carried out by using PCR and gel electrophoresis to identify IFNAR-2 in all HCV genotype 3 patients
Results: Experimental results from clinical testing of non-responder [resistant] group, showed significantly increased ALT level [64.13+/-17.48 U/L] as compared to responder group [46+/-6.3 U/L]. Hemoglobin [Hb] level was also found significantly increased in non-responder group [12.9+/-1.8 g/dL] in comparison with responder group [10.3+/-0.48 g/dL]. Further molecular testing revealed that all interferon resistant patients showed the presence of IFNAR-2
Conclusion: Experimental observations revealed that non-responder HCV genotype 3 patients showed elevated ALT and Hb levels and presence of IFNAR-2 protein. Therefore, experimental results of this study signify the importance of monitoring clinical parameters in parallel with IFN therapy in non-responder HCV patients
ABSTRACT
Background: Structural analysis of human interferon alpha receptor 2 [IFNAR-2] protein is important to determine its structure and function because that information is needed to understand the role and mechanism of IFNAR-2 protein in human immune system. Therefore, this study was conducted to find out composition of amino acids contributing in primary and secondary structure of IFNAR-2 protein
Methods: Protein sequences of human IFNAR-2 were retrieved from The Universal Protein Resource [UniProt]'s and National Center for Biotechnology Information [NCBI]'s databases. The Basic Local Alignment Search Tool [BLAST] was used to search for every IFNAR-2 protein sequence in NCBI database. Human IFNAR-2 protein sequences were further refined according to set criteria for experimental analysis. All retrieved IFNAR-2 protein sequences were aligned by using computational tool Clustal Omega Consensus protein sequence was obtained from aligned protein dataset. Furthermore, consensus protein sequence of IFNAR-2 was subjected for secondary structure prediction analysis. Protein topology was predicted by using Expert Protein Analysis System [ExPASy] server and Transmembrane Helices; Hidden Markov Model
Results: Alignment data set revealed that IFNAR-2 protein consisted of 515 amino acids long chain, having total 37 identical positions with 6.446% identity. Protein topology analysis predicted that human IFNAR-2 protein consists of verities of secondary structures such as alpha-helix, turn and beta sheets. Alpha-helixes mainly form three topological domains [i] inner [1-6 amino acids], [ii] outer [7-29 amino acids] and [iii] trans-membrane domain [30-515 amino acids]
Conclusion: Human IFNAR-2 protein consists of 515 amino acids having hydrophobic, polar and aromatic characteristics. Alpha-helixes, turn, beta sheets and three topological domains constitute secondary structure and predicted topological domains contribute in the subcellular compartmentalization
ABSTRACT
Objective: To assess the effects of anastrozole use as hormonal treatment of breast cancer on the serum estrogen level in an animal model
Study Design: Laboratory based randomized controlled trial
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Anatomy, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi in collaboration with National Institute of Health, Islamabad, 7 months from Jun 2012 to Nov 2012
Material and Methods: Thirty adult female rabbits [New Zealand] average weight 1.2 to 2 kg and age between 6 months to 2 years were selected. Ten were kept in control group A and 10 were kept in experimental groups B and C each. Group B was given anastrozole in the dose parallel to normal human dose and group C was given a dose 10 times higher than the normal dose for six months. After the completion of the study blood estrogen levels were taken to evaluate serum estrogen level of the groups. The results were compared among the groups for statistical significance by using SPSS version 21
Result: After maintaining a steady dose of anastrozole in both experimental groups for six months, blood samples were taken to calculate the mean serum level of estrogen in each group the normal level was 186.1 +/- 63.59 pmol/L in group A and 116.4 +/- 48.58 pmol/L and 108.2 +/- 20.40 pmol/L in experimental groups B and C respectively. The p-value was 0.008 which was statistically significant. The p-value between the control and experimental group C was 0.003 which is also highly significant. The comparison of the serum estrogen levels of both the experimental groups B and C was found to be statistically insignificant
Conclusion: Adminstration of normal dose of anastrazoledecreases serum estrogen levels. This decrease is significant statistically. Increasing the dose of anastrozole decreases the serum estrogen levels but this decrease is not significant statistically
ABSTRACT
To explore the learning preferences of the preclinical students. Department of Anatomy, Army Medical College from April 2015 to June 2015A descriptive study. Undergraduate students belonging to first and second-year were invited to participate in the exercise. Self-perceived learning style preference was identified. Version 7.8 of the VARK questionnaire in a printed form was used. It consisted of 16 questions with 4 options each. The score for each VARK component of the entire study sample was added up and divided by the total number of study participants to obtain mean scores. A p-value of less than 0.05 was taken as statistically significant. Among 294 students, 153 [52%] unimodal learning style preference was the largest one. Among the unimodal group 34% of the students were auditory learners and 35.9% were kinesthetic learners. Mean scores of individual VARK components based on gender showed no significant difference in terms of unimodal or multimodal learning preferences. More female students compared with male students preferred the A mode [5.32 +/- 2.277 versus 5.21 +/- 2.767] and the K mode [6.10 +/- 2.504 versus 6.05 +/- 2]. The largest percentage of students with trimodal preferences showed preferences for the auditory and kinesthetic learning strategies
ABSTRACT
Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the role of time management skills among academic and administrative staff in an institute
Study Design: Descriptive Study
Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at a Army Medical College, Rawalpindi from July 2015 to September 2015
Materials and Methods: Fifty participants were selected through random sampling. After the informed consent the questionnaire was given to the administration and faculty staff of the public sector medical college. Questionnaire based survey was conducted to collect data regarding demographic, awareness about time management and practices to manage time effectively at the institution. Does their organization observe active time management? Has time execution effectively been useful in the accomplishment of their set objectives? Does interaction with the difficult people, role of procrastination and appropriate scheduling effects the effective time management
Results: Twenty-eight [fifty six percent] males and twenty-two [forty four percent] females with mean age of 43.54 +/- 7.58 participated in the study. Four [eight percent] were not married and 46[ninety two percent] weremarried. Mean job experience of the participants was17.55 +/- 7.36
Conclusion: The awareness and perception of the both the genders regarding the effectivetime managementfactors is important to plan and execute institutemanagement