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Background & objectives: COVID-19 has been a global pandemic since early 2020. It has diverse clinical manifestations, but consistent immunological and metabolic correlates of disease severity and protection are not clear. This study was undertaken to compare seropositivity rate, antibody levels against nucleocapsid and spike proteins, virus neutralization and metabolites between adult and child COVID-19 patients. Methods: Plasma samples from naïve control (n=14) and reverse transcription (RT)-PCR positive COVID-19 participants (n=132) were tested for reactivity with nucleocapsid and spike proteins by ELISA, neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 infectivity in Vero cells and metabolites by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Results: An ELISA platform was developed using nucleocapsid and spike proteins for COVID-19 serosurvey. The participants showed greater seropositivity for nucleocapsid (72%) than spike (55.3%), and males showed higher seropositivity than females for both the proteins. Antibody levels to both the proteins were higher in intensive care unit (ICU) than ward patients. Children showed lower seropositivity and antibody levels than adults. In contrast to ICU adults (81.3%), ICU children (33.3%) showed lower seropositivity for spike. Notably, the neutralization efficiency correlated with levels of anti-nucleocapsid antibodies. The levels of plasma metabolites were perturbed differentially in COVID-19 patients as compared with the naive controls. Interpretation & conclusions: Our results reflect the complexity of human immune response and metabolome to SARS-CoV-2 infection. While innate and cellular immune responses are likely to be a major determinant of disease severity and protection, antibodies to multiple viral proteins likely affect COVID-19 pathogenesis. In children, not adults, lower seropositivity rate for spike was associated with disease severity
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Background: Abdominal injury constitutes a significant portion of all blunt and penetrating body injuries. Computed tomography is an important and fast technique which gives rapid information on the type of abdominal injury and helps in management of the patient accordingly. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the usefulness of Multidetector Computed Tomography (MDCT) in detection of intra-abdominal injury in patients with blunt abdominal trauma and to provide information that could accurately determine choice of management (non- operative versus operative). And to correlate the computed tomography (CT) findings with either clinical observation, follow up CT scan (if required) or surgical findings (wherever applicable).Methods: A total of 50 patients with abdominal trauma who underwent computed tomography (CT) examination were included. CT findings were compared with surgical findings in operated cases, and in the rest CT findings were compared by clinical outcome.Results: Among the 50 cases studied, all 50 had positive CT findings of abdominal trauma, out of which 24 patients underwent surgery and the remaining were managed conservatively. The age group of the patients was ranging from 8 to 66 years with male predominance. In this study the commonest organs affected were liver and spleen accounting for 48% and 44% respectively.Conclusions: Computed tomography is an important and highly sensitive imaging modality for diagnosis of organ injuries in patients with abdominal trauma and accordingly deciding the management of patient.
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Background: Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) is a tumor that shows a predictable spreading pattern. This study showed the characteristic MRI findings and its pattern of spread of JNA for diagnosis.Methods: This study consisted of 6 cases of JNA for diagnosis and pattern of spreading by using MRI as modality of choice.Results: The total patients included in study were 6 with age range from 9-20 years and all were male. The classification system used in the study was Radkowski and Onerci system. The tumor showed isointensity to muscle and hyperintensity on T1 and T2 sequences respectively on MR imaging. All lesions had internal signal void regions and showed intense enhancement after IV contrast administration. Diffusion restriction was not an associated features however high values of ADC were noted. The MR angiography of three patients showed blood supply of tumor was mainly from the internal maxillary branch of external carotid artery. The treatment was surgical excision of tumor which was decided on MRI Diagnosis and pattern of Extension described in Radiological report.Conclusions: MRI is a modality of choice for diagnosis and extension of JNA based on clinical and radiological findings, without performing a biopsy.
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A rapid and sensitive ultra performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS) method is described for determination of letrozole in human plasma. Following solid phase ex-traction (SPE) of letrozole and letrozole-d4 on Orochem DVB-LP cartridges, chromatography was per-formed on Acquity UPLC BEH C18 (50 mm ? 2.1 mm, 1.7 mm) column using methanol-0.1%formic acid in water (85:15, v/v) as the mobile phase. Detection was carried out on a triple quadrupole mass spec-trometer with an electrospray source, operated under positive ionization mode. Quantitation of letrozole and letrozole-d4 was done using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) following the transitions at m/z 286.2-217.0 and m/z 290.2-221.0, respectively. The calibration plots were linear through the con-centration range of 0.10–100 ng/mL (r2Z0.9990) using 100 mL human plasma. The extraction recovery of letrozole ranged from 94.3% to 96.2% and the intra-batch and inter-batch precision was r 5.2%. The method was successfully applied to a bioequivalence study of letrozole after oral administration of 2.5 mg tablet formulation to 16 healthy postmenopausal Indian women. The assay reproducibility was also established through incurred sample reanalysis (ISR) of 74 subject samples.
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Background & objectives: Japanese encephalitis (JE) is one of the most important arboviral diseases of human beings with outbreaks in many parts of Southeast Asia including India. We present the entomological findings of an outbreak occurred in northern part of West Bengal during 2011-2012 with special emphasis on the role of JE vectors in different seasons. Methods: Adult mosquito collections were made with the help of mouth aspirators, aided by flash lights during day time resting inside human and animal habitations as indoor, and resting outside field grasses, bushes, underneath of culverts and bridges as outdoor, and in and around the pig enclosures and cattle sheds during dusk period in JE affected villages from Cooch Behar, Dakshin Dinajpur, Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts in North West Bengal. In all study villages, a long handled with enamel bowl dipper was used to obtain immature stages of mosquitoes from various breeding habitats. Results: A total of 19 different types of mosquito breeding habitats were examined for vectors of JE. From these habitats, 23.7 per cent were positive for breeding during the study period. Overall, nine different species were recorded through emergence, but none was positive for JE virus when subjected for detection of virus. Adult mosquitoes of more than 50 per cent of the potential JE vector species obtained through dusk and the rest through indoor and outdoor collections in all seasons. Altogether, 27 different species were recorded. Most of these were JE vectors. Interpretation & conclusions: Our results showed that in addition to Cx. vishnui subgroup, detection of JE virus antigen in Cx. quinquefasciatus indicated the possible maintenance of JE virus in nature through poor vector mosquitoes throughout the year. Since, all potential vector species reported elsewhere in India were also found in this region and fluctuated in density in different seasons, a proper integrated vector control programme needs to be implemented to control JE transmission.
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National iodine deficiency disorders control program needs to be continuously monitored. Hence, a cross-sectional study was conducted during the period from April-May 2011 to assess the prevalence of goiter, status of urinary iodine excretion (UIE) level and to estimate iodine content of salts at the household level in Darjeeling district, West Bengal. Study subjects were 2400 school children, aged 8-10 years selected through “30 cluster” sampling methodology. Goiter was assessed by standard palpation technique, UIE was estimated by wet digestion method and salt samples were tested by spot iodine testing kit. Overall goiter prevalence rate was 8.7% (95% confidence intervals = 7.6-9.8) and goiter prevalence was significantly different with respect to gender. Median UIE level was 15.6 mcg/dL (normal range: 10-20 mcg/dL). About 92.6% of the salt samples tested had adequate iodine content of ≥15 ppm. Findings of the present study indicate that the district is in a transition phase from iodine-deficiency to iodine sufficiency.
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Doxorubicin [DOX], an anthracycline antibiotic, is a widely used anticancer agent. In spite of its high antitumor efficacy, the use of DOX in clinical chemotherapy is limited due to diverse toxicities, including gonadotoxicity. We investigated the protective effect of nano-zinc oxide [nZnO] as an established antioxidant on DOX-induced testicular disorders. In this experimental study 24 adult male Wistar rats were divided into four groups including one control and three experimentals [6 rats per group]. They received saline [as control], DOX alone [6 mg/kg body weight, i.p.], nZnO alone [5 mg/kg body weight, i.p.], and nZnO followed by DOX. Animals were sacrificed 28 days after treatment and evaluations were made by sperm count and measuring sex hormone levels in plasma. Also total antioxidant power [TAP] and lipid peroxidation [LPO] in plasma were tested. Data was analyzed with SPSS-14 and one way ANOVA test. P<0.05 were considered to be statistically significant. In the DOX-exposed rats significant differences were found compared with the control group [p=0.001] in plasma total antioxidant power [TAP] [425.50 +/- 32.33 vs. 493.33 +/- 18.54 mmol/mL], Lipid peroxidation [LPO] [3.70 +/- 0.44 vs. 2.78 +/- 0.68 micromol/mL], plasma testosterone [3.38 +/- 0.69 vs. 5.40 +/- 0.89 ng/dl], LH [0.26 +/- 0.05 vs. 0.49 +/- 0.18 mlU/mL], sperm count [157.98 +/- 6.29 vs. 171.71 +/- 4.42x10[6]/mL] and DNA damage [11.51 +/- 3.45 vs. 6.04 +/- 2.83%]. Co-administration of nZnO significantly improved DOX-induced changes [p=0.013] in plasma TAP [471.83 +/- 14.51 mmol/mL], LPO [2.83 +/- 0.75 micro mol/mL], plasma testosterone [5.00 +/- 1.07 ng/dl], LH [0.52 +/- 0.08 mlU/mL], sperm count [169.13 +/- 5.01x10[[6]/mL] and DNA damage [7.00 +/- 1.67%]. At the dose designed in the present investigation cytoprotective role of nano-zinc oxide through its antioxidant potential is illuminated in DOX-induced male gonadotoxicity.
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Animals, Laboratory , Zinc Oxide , Oxidative Stress , Rats, Wistar , Doxorubicin , Nanoparticles , Spermatogenesis/drug effectsABSTRACT
With maturing and forming of medical knowledge and the efforts of scholars and scientists such as Avicenna Ishmael Jarjani and Imam Fakhr Razi who contributed greatly to the expansion and development of medical science, some poets also paid great attention to medicine as one of the branches of natural sciences. They studied the principles and basics of medicine to express valuable points regarding the diseases and the properties of medical plants in their poetry. Without doubt, the investigation of these poet's master pieces and a deep, understanding of them can not only make the reader familiar with the ancient understanding of some diseases but also open new horizons in understanding the principles of this science. So, in this article some common eye diseases in the poems of Anvari, Khaghani, Nezami, Saadi and Rumi have been investigated
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The correlative effects of the two sulphydryl inhibitors viz., the mono-and dithiol reagent, alloxan and cobalt chloride, were studied in the fresh water air breathing catfish, Clarias batrachus. Alloxan induced a typical mammalian-like triphasic response and necrobiotic changes in the islet β-cells. Cobalt chloride elicited a discontinuous hyperglycemia with cytopathological changes in β-cells following nearly the same sequence as those induced by alloxan. However, the α-cells of cobalt-treated fish showed, unlike those after alloxanization, specific degranulation, vacuolization and nuclear enlargement. The changes in the hepatic glycogen content of two experimental groups were observed to be equal. Both the drugs appeared to be detrimental to the normal islet function and were, thus, overtly or potentially diabetogenic agents to the fish.