Comparison of Immunoprotection of Leptospira Recombinant Proteins with conventional vaccine in experimental animals.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira affecting humans and animals. Untreated leptospirosis may result in severe kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure, respiratory distress, and even death. Virulent leptospirosis can rapidly enter kidney fibroblasts and induce a programmed cell death. Thus, it is a challenge for immunologists to develop an effective and safe leptospirosis vaccine.Here, we compared the commercial canine leptospira vaccine and recombinant proteins (OmpL1 and LipL41) with and without adjuvant in terms of immune response and challenge studies in hamsters and immune response studies alone in experimental dogs. The outer membrane proteins viz., lipL41 and OmpL1 of leptospira interrogans serovars icterohaemorrhagiae were amplified. The primers were designed in such a way that amplified products of OmpL1 and lipL41 were ligated and cloned simultaneously into a single vector. The cloned products were expressed in E.coli BL21 cells. The immunoprotection studies were conducted for both recombinant proteins and commercial vaccine. The challenge experiment studies revealed that combination of both rLip41 and rOmpL1 and commercial vaccine gave 83% and 87% protection, respectively. Histopathological investigation revealed mild sub lethal changes were noticed in liver and kidney in commercially vaccinated group alone. The immune responses against recombinant leptospiral proteins were also demonstrated in dogs.

Clinical spectrum of inflammatory myositis in South India--a ten year study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical spectrum of inflammatory myopathies at a referral hospital in South India. METHODS: Patients were assessed for the pattern of muscle involvement, for the presence of arthritis, Raynaud's phenomenon, interstitial lung disease (ILD) and cardiac involvement. Muscle enzymes, electromyogram (EMG) and muscle biopsies were done. RESULTS: Eighty seven patients with inflammatory myopathies were encountered over 10 years. These included 24 with adult polymyositis, 26 with adult dermatomyositis, one with amyopathic dermatomyositis, five with juvenile myositis, one with dermatomysitis following carcinoma breast and 30 with overlap with other connective tissue diseases. There was a female preponderance (M:F = 1:2.35) except in juvenile myosits group (M:F = 1.5:1). The mean age of onset in years was 33.26 in adult polymyositis, 35.03 in adult dermatomyositis, 7.4 in juvenile dermatomyositis, 42 in malignancy-associated dermatomyositis and 25.51 in the overlap group. Proximal muscle weakness was seen in 98.8% patients, dysphagia in 33.3%, distal muscle weakness in 12.5%, respiratory muscle weakness in 9.2% and dysphonia in 4.6%. Other features included arthritis 35.63%, interstitial lung disease (ILD) 9.2%, Raynaud's 5.7%, myocarditis 4.6% and conduction disturbances 1.15%. Eleveated muscle enzymes were seen in 85.1% patients. Eletromyogram was positive in 66.6%. Muscle biopsy was positive in 85.29%. Anti-nuclear antibody was positive in 67.24%. All received steroids, non-responders needed methotrexate (13 patients) or azathioprine (11 patients). Death occurred in 10 (seven with dermatomyositis predominantly due to respiratory involvement and three with overlap). CONCLUSION: There was female preponderance except in juvenile myositis group. Proximal muscle weakness was the commonest feature. ILD was the commonest respiratory problem, while myocarditis was the commonest cardiac problem seen. Response to therapy and prognosis in polymyositis were good with no mortality during the study period. Death in the dermatomyositis group was mainly due to respiratory involvement.

Childhood systemic lupus erythematosus in south India.

Out of 330 adult Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) cases who attended the Rheumatic Care Centre, Government General Hospital, 59 children were analysed. There was no case with onset before the age of 5 years. There were 49 females and 110 males (M:F = 1:4.9). The initial manifestations were fever (67%), arthritis (61%), skin rash (59%) and lymphadenopathy (27.1%). There was no case of Raynaud's phenomenon. Only 10.1% of patients presented with thrombocytopenic purpura. In the cumulative clinical features, arthritis in 86.6%, fever in 79.8%, skin rash in 69.4%, lymphadenopathy in 61% and hepatosplenomegaly in 39.9% were observed. Renal involvement was seen in 49.1%, neuropsychiatric manifestations in 27.1%, pleuropulmonary in 22% and cardiac manifestations in 10.2%. Anaemia was seen in 50.8%, leukopenia in 18.4%, thrombocytopenia in 11.8%, ANA in 100%, anti-dsDNA in 92.3%, anti-Sm in 34.7%, anti-SSA in 38.5%, anti-SSB in 15.4%, ACL in 30.8%, low C3 in 50% and false positive VDRL in 3.3%. Death occurred in 8 children, 3 due to infection, 2 due to renal causes, 1 due to cardiac and 2 due to central nervous system involvement.

Progressive systemic sclerosis in south India.

Seventy eight patients with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) were seen over a period of 14 years. They were analysed after clinical, haematological, biochemical, immunological and radiological investigations for comparison with other Indian and Western studies. Nine of the 78 were cases of childhood PSS. There was a female preponderance (3.9:1) and the peak age of occurrence was the 4th decade (32.1%). Arthralgia (53.8%) and skin thickening (70.5%) were the common presenting symptoms. Raynaud's phenomenon (28.2%) was less common. Involvement of the skin was present in all the patients and skin biopsy was positive in 96% of the cases. Joints were affected in 66.7%; internal organs were involved in 52.6%. Antinuclear antibody was positive in 56.8%. Abnormal echocardiography (37.6%) and barium studies (20.4%) were seen. Restrictive airway pattern by pulmonary function test was present in 55%. Death occurred in 5 patients, of whom 3 died of severe pulmonary hypertension.

Pattern of rheumatic diseases in south India. V. Ankylosing spondylitis. A clinical and radiological study.

One hundred and two patients from South India with primary ankylosing spondylitis (AS) were analysed clinically and radiologically. The mean age of onset was 26 years, with a male to female ratio of 16:1. Eleven patients presented as juvenile ankylosing spondylitis. The mode of presentation of AS included axial involvement in 59, peripheral arthritis in 38, heel pain in 18 and acute anterior uveitis (AAU) in 11. The overall incidence of extra axial features was high (90 patients). These included subjects with peripheral arthritis (49), heel pain (35), AAU (14), rib pain (11), aortic regurgitation (8), apical pulmonary fibrosis (5), mitral regurgitation (2) and conduction defects (2). Peripheral arthritis was characteristically asymmetrical and oligo articular, and involved lower limb joints. No renal involvement was noticed. Radiologically, bilateral sacroilitis was seen in 80% of cases.

Pattern of rheumatic diseases in south India. IV. Clinical profile of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

An analysis of 100 consecutive cases of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis from South India revealed a male preponderance (62%), a lower incidence of the systemic onset variety (10%) and equal incidence of systemic features when compared with the West. Knees and ankles were the joints commonly involved. The incidence of elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C reactive protein, with haemoglobin levels below 10 g/dl was highest in the systemic onset variety. The polyarticular and systemic onset group responded well to aspirin, while the pauciarticular group responded well to indomethacin.