ABSTRACT
The field of cancer immunobiology has been fast expanding.The realms of cervical cancer and immunodeficiency interactingat the molecular level has been actively investigated. The roleof the Human papillomavirus and developement of cervicalcancer admist a background of immunodeficiency is reviewedfor the novelty of the interaction between the HPV inducedoncogenesis and the host cellular responses in HIV positivewomen.The review aims to revisit the subject and generateinterest and research on HPV induced oncogenesis with anultimate aim to prevent cervical cancer. Greater understandingof the molecular pathways that underlie progression of highgrade IN to invasive cancer would be of great importancein the identification of the genetic markers that are able toidentify the women who have a high risk of progression tocancer, and therefore in need of aggressive monitoring andtherapy to prevent the development of cervical cancer.
ABSTRACT
Background: There has been increasing attention paid in recent years to the possibility that oral bacterial infection, particularly periodontal disease may infl uence the initiation and or progression of systemic diseases. These studies confi rm the observation that heart disease is the most commonly found systemic condition in patients with periodontal disease. Moreover, the literature has also highlighted substantial evidence indicating the presence of Gram-negative periodontal pathogens in atheromatous plaques. Aim: This study intends to investigate the possible association between periodontal health and coronary artery disease by evaluating periodontal status, association between the periodontal plaque and coronary atheromatous plaques for presence of micro-organisms such as, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, and Tannerella forsythia. Materials and methods: A case-control study was designed with seven patients who had undergone coronary endarterectomy for cardiovascular disease and 28 controls. The periodontal examination for cases was performed 1 day before vascular surgery and the controls were clinically examined. The atheromatous plaque sample collected during endarterectomy and the intraoral plaque samples were subjected to polymerase chain reaction for identifi cation of A. actinomycetemcomitans, P. gingivalis, P. intermedia and T. forsythia. Results: The presence of periodontal bacteria DNA in coronary atheromatous plaques and sub-gingival plaque samples of the same patients was confi rmed by this study. CONCLUSION A correlation was established between putative bacteria contributing to atheromatous plaques and species associated with periodontal disease. One particularly important study to be carried out is the investigation of a possible clinically meaningful reduction in coronary heart disease resulting from the prevention or treatment of periodontal disease.
ABSTRACT
Context: A total of 350 million individuals are affected by chronic hepatitis B virus infection world-wide. Historically, liver biopsy has been instrumental in adequately assessing patients with chronic liver disease. A number of non-invasive models have been studied world-wide. Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the utility of non-invasive mathematical models of liver fi brosis in chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Indian patients in a resource limited setting using routinely performed non-invasive laboratory investigations. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study carried out at a tertiary care center. Subjects and Methods: A total of 52 consecutive chronic liver disease patients who underwent percutaneous liver biopsy and 25 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Routine laboratory investigations included serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Gama glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), total bilirubin, total cholesterol, prothrombin time and platelet count. Three non-invasive models for namely aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI), Fibrosis 4 (FIB-4) and Forn’s index were calculated. Outcomes were compared for the assessment of best predictor of fi brosis by calculating the sensitivity, specifi city, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of each index. Statistical Analysis Used: Medcalc online software and by Microsoft Excel Worksheet. Chi-square test was used for signifi cance. P value < 0.05 was taken as signifi cant. Results: While the serum levels of AST, ALT and GGT were signifi cantly higher in patients group as compare with the healthy controls (P < 0.01), the platelet counts were signifi cantly lower in patient group as compared to the control group (P < 0.01). Mean value of all 3 indices were signifi cantly higher in patients group as compare with the controls (P < 0.01). Conclusions: Out of the three indices, APRI index with a NPV of 95% appeared to be a better model for excluding signifi cant liver fi brosis while FIB-4 with a PPV of 61% showed fair correlation with signifi cant fi brosis. Thus, these two non-invasive models for predicting of liver fi brosis, namely APRI and FIB-4, can be utilized in combination as screening tools in monitoring of CHB patients, especially in resource limiting settings.
ABSTRACT
While antiretroviral drugs, those approved for clinical use and others under evaluation, attempt in lowering viral load and boost the host immune system, antiretroviral drug resistance acts as a major impediment in the management of human immune deficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) infection. Antiretroviral drug resistance testing has become an important tool in the therapeutic management protocol of HIV-1 infection. The reliability and clinical utilities of genotypic and phenotypic assays have been demonstrated. Understanding of complexities of interpretation of genotyping assay, along with updating of lists of mutation and algorithms and determination of clinically relevant cut-offs for phenotypic assays are of paramount importance. The assay results are to be interpreted and applied by experienced HIV practitioners, after taking into consideration the clinical profile of the patient. This review sums up the methods of assay currently available for measuring resistance to antiretroviral drugs and outlines the clinical utility and limitations of these assays.