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Purpose: To describe the outcomes of eyes with calcium carbide (CaC2)?related thermo?chemical injury. Methods: This study included 28 eyes of 23 patients who presented with calcium carbide?related ocular burns. Only patients with more than three months of follow?up were included. Group A included 16 eyes with Dua抯 Grade I朓II burns, while Group B included 12 eyes with Grade IV朧I burns. Electronic medical records were reviewed to provide data on the etiology of burn, presenting clinical signs and visual acuity, sequelae, and surgical interventions performed, both in the acute and chronic phases. Results: The overall mean age was 28.48 � 11.8 years. Fifteen patients were injured while using carbide to create an explosion to scare away animals on farms. The median presenting BCVA (best?corrected visual acuity) in Group A (20/160) was significantly better than in Group B [(20/2000) (P = 0.002)]. Five eyes in Group A and one eye in Group B underwent medical management. There was no difference in the duration of follow?up for both groups (P = 0.24). The median final BCVA in Group A (20/32) was significantly better than in Group B [(20/200) (P = 0.02)]. Two eyes in Group A and nine eyes in Group B developed LSCD. Two eyes in Group B were phthisical at the last visit. Conclusion: Calcium carbide?related ocular injuries can result in significant visual morbidity in young adults. Early presentation and management may improve outcomes. Prevention of these injuries by increasing awareness and increasing advocacy efforts is necessary.
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Purpose: To observe the trends of various types of keratoplasties in different etiologies over a period of 10 years (2011?2020) in a tertiary eye care center of eastern India. Methods: A retrospective review of patients undergoing keratoplasties from 2011 to 2020 was performed in a tertiary eye care hospital situated in eastern part of India. Apart from demographic data, primary indication for each surgery and type of procedure carried out was recorded. For comparison, data were divided into two time periods: Group I: Jan 2011 to Dec 2015 and Group II: Jan 2016 to Dec 2020. Results: Over a period of 10 years, a total of 2365 (Group I: 902, Group II: 1463) keratoplasties were performed. The average age of patients was 45.8 � 19.9 and 46.9 � 20.9 years in Group I and Group II, respectively. Among all the corneal grafts, 1747 (74%) surgeries were full?thickness. Although optical penetrating keratoplasty (OPK) was most the common indication for full?thickness keratoplasties, Descemet抯 stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK) remained most performed lamellar keratoplasty. Keratitis, corneal scars, and bullous keratopathies remain to be most common indications in both groups. Number of lamellar keratoplasties increased significantly from Group I to Group II for corneal scars (P = 0.02), bullous keratopathies (P = 0.01), and endothelial dystrophies (P = 0.00). Conclusion: With change in time, the indication and technique of keratoplasty has witnessed a changing trend from full?thickness keratoplasty to lamellar keratoplasty. There is rise in trend of lamellar keratoplasties over the period
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Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare complication in pregnancy but is more commonly found in the patients of preeclampsia and eclampsia. The purpose of study is to evaluate incidence of peripartum cardiomyopathy among cases of preeclampsia and eclampsia. This is a prospective observational study. A total of 190 cases of preeclampsia and eclampsia were studied for features of PPCM and subjected to echocardiography. Out of 190 subjects, 3.7% had ?ndings suggestive of PPCM. Incidence of PPCM was 0.009 per year among cases of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia and the incidence of PPCM among 6028 deliveries was 0.001 per year.
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Background: Malaria is a major health issue in tropical and subtropical areas. Out of all subtypes, Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) is the most dangerous form accounting for high mortality and morbidity. It is transmitted by infected female anopheles mosquitoes and infected blood transfusions. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study is to establish correct diagnosis by direct microscopy, Immunochromatographic test (ICT), and molecular studies. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was conducted in the PG Department of Microbiology, SCB Medical College, Cuttack. Thick blood smears were drawn and then stained with Leishman’s stain to visualize falciparum rings. DNA was extracted from infected blood samples by phenol chloroform method with some modification as described by Sambrook and Russel for molecular analysis. Results: In the present study, 150 cases of malaria were analyzed. The male: female ratio was 1.7:1 and age ranged from 0 to 56 years. The Plasmodium vivax positivity was compared with thin smear to 21 (84%) in ICT, 100% both polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and loop mediated isothermal amplification assay (LAMP) assays followed by the Pf positivity as 76 (92.7%) in ICT, 82 (100%) both PCR and LAMP assays, respectively. The results obtained were statistically significant with P < 0.001. The PCR and LAMP showed 100% response to specificity and positive predictive value. Conclusion: The present study established the role of molecular tests such as PCR and LAMP are highly specific for diagnosis of Plasmodium species whereas they are more or less similar in sensitivity as compared to other diagnostic methods such as ICT and microscopy.
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Purpose: This study was performed to determine the demographic profile and clinical characteristics in patients with Fuchs’ endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) reporting to a tertiary eye care center in India. It is a retrospective, single?center, observational study. Methods: The study included 280 patients (559 eyes) diagnosed with FECD presenting between January 2013 and December 2020. The data was collected from the electronic medical record system of the institute. Patient data included demographic features, clinical characteristics, investigations, and surgical interventions. Results: The mean age of the patients was 62 years. Late?onset FECD (95.7%) was more common than early?onset FECD (4.3%). Male: female ratio for late?onset FECD and early?onset FECD was 1:1.65 and 3:1, respectively. More than one?third of the patients had associated systemic history. Preexisting ocular diseases were seen in 5.9% of eyes. Blurring of vision was seen in 383 eyes (68.5%), 13 eyes (2.1%) had glare, and 163 eyes (29.2%) were asymptomatic. A total of 113 surgical interventions were done in 108 eyes (including repeat transplants). Only cataract surgery was done in 40 (7.2%) eyes, whereas penetrating keratoplasty, Descemet stripping endothelial keratoplasty, and Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty without or with cataract surgery (sequential or triple procedure) were done in 12 (2.1%), 47 (8.4%), and 14 (2.5%) eyes, respectively. Conclusion: Patients with FECD present mostly during the sixth decade. Posterior lamellar keratoplasty is the most common transplant procedure being performed on FECD patients
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Purpose: To evaluate various factors affecting the integrity of human donor corneal epithelium. Methods: Donor corneal buttons were evaluated for epithelial defect (ED) and exposure. The slit?lamp photographs were taken on day 01, and the data such as age and gender of the donor, cause of death, refrigeration of cadavers, death?to?preservation time (DPT), experience of technician, and distance from site of collection to eye bank were collected. Results: A total of 100 consecutive corneal buttons belonging to 56 donors were evaluated. The median age of donors was 50 years. Males constituted 45 (80.4%). The mean DPT was 9.7 ± 5.3 hours. After death, 34 donors (60.7%) were refrigerated before the collection/retrieval. Most of the corneas (80%) were recovered by technicians having an experience of 0–5 years. Thirty?one donors (55.3%) were located at 1–50 km from the eye bank. The mean area of exposure was 15 ± 4.3 mm2. The mean area of ED was 28.7 ± 5.9 mm2. ED was significantly associated with refrigeration of cadavers and longer DPT. On multivariate analysis, only DPT was found to be significantly associated (P = 0.006; odds ratio [OR] = 1.54 ± 0.24) with the presence of ED. After transplantation, only two corneas had persistent epithelial defects and were treated successfully using various interventions. Conclusion: Integrity of donor corneal epithelium is mainly influenced by the refrigeration of cadavers and DPT.
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Purpose: Management of allergic eye disease is seldom straightforward and often challenging. We conducted an online survey to elicit opinions on the preferred practice pattern in the treatment of allergic eye disease. Methods: An online survey questionnaire was sent to all practicing ophthalmologists using social media platforms. The respondents were asked about their clinical experience and preferred treatment in various scenarios such as mild?moderate vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC), chronic VKC, refractory VKC, steroid responders, giant papillae, and shield ulcer. Respondents were asked about the newer molecule (alcaftadine) and reservations regarding systemic immuno?suppressants and ordering allergy tests in their practice. Results: Ninety ? one participants responded to the survey. About 57.1% of ophthalmologists reported coming across more than 10 cases per week in their practice. The most common age group was 5–10 years (61.1%), but adult onset VKC was also reported at 41.6% (1–2 per month), 37.1% (3–5 per month), and 13.5% (more than 10 per month). The disease is perennially present (36.7%), and a mixed form has been reported by 47.8% of ophthalmologists. Dual?acting agents were preferred by 40% in mild?moderate clinical variants. Topical steroids in slow tapering dosage were preferred by 86.7% in their prescription. Tacrolimus 0.03% was preferred by 65.9% and given for at least 3 months of continuous usage by 47.6% of ophthalmologists. High?dose topical steroids were preferred for giant papillae (67.8%) and Shields ulcers (68.3%) in our survey. Supratarsal steroid injection was preferred by 50% in treating refractory VKC in our survey. Conclusion: Allergic eye disease is a common yet annoying disease. The signs and symptoms can vary from subtle, innocuous forms to devastating variants affecting vision and day?to?day work. This survey aims to elicit responses from clinicians spreading across different geographical areas and compares responses based on experience in practice
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Purpose: To determine the presence of SARS?CoV?2 virus in the tear secretion of conjunctivitis patients during the COVID?19 pandemic. Methods: This observational, cross?sectional study was conducted in clinically diagnosed patients with conjunctivitis attending the outpatient services of our institute from July 2021 to December 2021. The tear samples were collected from patients using Schirmer’s strips or capillary tubes to detect the presence of SARS?CoV?2 by real?time PCR assay. COVID?19 vaccination and infection status, visual acuity, and clinical features were documented in all cases. Results: A total of 111 patients with symptoms of conjunctivitis were included during the study period. The mean age was 41.1 ± 13.1 years, and the mean duration of symptoms was 7.1 ± 4.4 days, with 74% males. Conjunctival congestion was mild in 69 (62.1%) patients, moderate in 30 (27%) patients, and severe in 12 (10.8%) patients. All except four had superficial punctate keratitis (SPK). Five (4.3%) patients were positive for SARS?CoV?2 RNA in their tear samples. All had mild–moderate conjunctival congestions with variable papiliofollicular reaction and SPKs, superficial hemorrhages were seen in three and pseudomembrane in one patient. They were followed up with telemedicine and three of them developed mild COVID?19?related symptoms and recovered after in?home quarantine. None of them had a previous history of COVID?19 infection and all had received COVID?19 vaccination within 2 weeks to 2 months. Conclusion: SARS?CoV?2 transmission through ocular secretion of conjunctivitis patients cannot be ignored and appropriate COVID?19?preventive behavior should be followed in ocular settings.
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There is a lack of evidence regarding the use of betel quid (BQ) and its potential contribution to oral cancer. Limited attention has been directed towards investigating the involvement of BQ-derived organic acids in the modulation of metabolic-epigenomic pathways associated with oral cancer initiation and progression. We employed novel protocol for preparing saliva-amalgamated BQ filtrate (SABFI) that mimics the oral cavity environment. SABFI and saliva control were further purified by an in-house developed vertical tube gel electrophoresis tool. The purified SABFI was then subjected to liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry analysis to identify the presence of organic acids. Profiling of SABFI showed a pool of prominent organic acids such as citric acid. malic acid, fumaric acid, 2-methylcitric acid, 2-hydroxyglutarate, cis-aconitic acid, succinic acid, 2-hydroxyglutaric acid lactone, tartaric acid and β-ketoglutaric acid. SABFI showed anti-proliferative and early apoptosis effects in oral cancer cells. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations predicted that SABFI-derived organic acids as potential inhibitors of the epigenetic demethylase enzyme, Ten-Eleven Translocation-2 (TET2). By binding to the active site of α-ketoglutarate, a known substrate of TET2, these organic acids are likely to act as competitive inhibitors. This study reports a novel approach to study SABFI-derived organic acids that could mimic the chemical composition of BQ in the oral cavity. These SABFI-derived organic acids projected as inhibitors of TET2 and could be explored for their role oral cancer.
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Aim: Evaluation of the status of uncontrolled hypertension in diagnosed hypertensives who had been advised drug treatment in the rural areas of 6 districts in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and also the risk factors associated with it. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional observational study conducted between August 2020 to July 2021 in the form of health camps in six government health centres in 6 different rural districts. The camps were focussed on patients with hypertension, diabetes with or without heart disease. The areas included Machil in Kupwara, Khan Sahib in Budgam, Rajpora and Hawal in Pulwama, Rainawari in the Srinagar, Banihal in Ramban, and Jagti in Jammu. Enrolled patients were examined for body weight, blood pressure (BP), random blood sugar and serum lipid profile. The definition of hypertension was as per the eighth Joint National Committee (JNC-8) guidelines. Results: A total of 600 patients (50.1% males) were evaluated. Of these 335 (55%) had history of being diagnosed hypertension and had been recommended drugs for BP control Male: Female ratio 1:0.8.211(63.5%) of these had un controlled blood pressures on measurement. Two or more drugs had been prescribed in 65 (30.8%) patients, 34 (16%) were taking only single drug and 112(53%) were not on any drug. Uncontrolled hypertension was seen more often in age group of 40e60 years (49%), subjects more than 60 years had it in 40%. The comparison of risk factors between patients with diagnosed hypertension with those without it revealed use of tobacco, consumption of salted tea, presence of diabetes, dyslipidaemia as significant factors for the presence of uncontrolled hypertension. Conclusion: Uncontrolled hypertension in known patients prescribed drugs is highly prevalent in the rural population of J&K. Steps to mitigate this problem are needed on top priority.
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Purpose: To study the risk factors, clinical presentation, management options, and outcomes in cases of culture?proven Acremonium keratitis. Methods: Medical and microbiology records of culture?proven Acremonium keratitis from Jan 2007 to Dec 2019 at a tertiary eye care center were reviewed. Details of clinical findings on each visit and operating notes were reviewed from the medical records. All cases were subjected to corneal scraping at the first visit for microbiological investigation consisting of direct smear examination and culture. Topical natamycin 5% was the mainstay of medical treatment. Surgical treatment was considered for nonresponding patients. Results: During the 13?year study period, 65 cases of culture?proven Acremonium keratitis were identified out of 1605 cases of fungal keratitis. Trauma was the most common predisposing factor in 32 cases (49.2%). The average area of the corneal stromal infiltrate was 24.8 mm2 at the initial presentation. Hypopyon at the time of presentation was evident in 28 (43.1%) cases. Staphylococcus spp. was the most common (n = 22, 33.8%) organism coexistent with Acremonium. Direct microscopy of corneal scraping was positive for fungal filaments in 57/65 (87.6%) cases. Medical management alone was given in 44 patients (67.6%). Age (>50 years) and treatment delay (>15 days) were found to be independent risk factors for the poor final visual outcome (VA <20/60). Conclusion: When treated early, Acremonium keratitis responds well to medical therapy with currently available topical antifungals. However, advanced and nonresponding cases require surgical intervention for resolution of the infection
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Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has association with many comorbidities. Based on the postulated hypothesis from few studies, the primary objective of this study was to assess the occurrence of subclinical interstitial lung disease in moderate-to-severe OSA patients. Materials and methods: It was a prospective observational study, conducted at a tertiary care chest institute of India, 43 moderate-to-severe OSA patients diagnosed by level-I polysomnography were enrolled. All the patients underwent detailed clinical examination with high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) chest, pulmonary function test (PFT), and serum markers MMP-1,7, SP-A, and Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6). Subclinical interstitial lung disease (ILD) was identified based on the two validated measures: high-attenuation areas (HAA), defined as the percentage of imaged lung volume having computed tomography (CT) attenuation between ?600 and ?250 HU and interstitial lung abnormalities (ILA), defined as the presence of ground-glass, reticular abnormality, diffuse centrilobular nodularity, honeycombing, traction bronchiectasis, nonemphysematous cysts, or architectural distortion in at least 5% of nondependent portions of the lung in HRCT chest without respiratory symptoms with preserved lung function. Results: The mean age was 54.33 � 11.5 years with 22 (51%) males. The mean apnea?hypopnea index (AHI) was 42.38 � 27.6 with BMI >30 kg/m2 in 18 (42%) patients. The subclinical ILD was diagnosed in 12 patients. The HRCT finding of ILA was seen in 12 and high-attenuation areas (HAA) in 5 patients. The serum markers were higher in subclinical ILD compared with non-ILD OSA patients, however, only the level of MMP-7 was significantly higher in subclinical ILD patients. Conclusion: It was concluded that subclinical ILD is quite common among OSA patients with HRCT findings seen in nearly 30% of cases. This supports the hypothesis that OSA may be considered as a risk factor of subclinical ILD.
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Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) is systemic immune reactions (type IV hypersensitivity) that are usually present by blistering and erosions of skin and mucous membranes with involvement of multiple organ systems. The incidence of SJS is rare, with the common comorbidities are diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, hypertension, and stroke. This condition is associated with systemic proinflammatory state. Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder that is characterized by abnormally elevated levels of blood glucose due to glucose intolerance, hyperglycemia, and impaired insulin secretion. Nowadays, pathogenesis of diabetes is considered to be dysregulation of immune factors that are recognized as important etiological components in the development of insulin resistance. We report a case of a 30-years-old man with fever and sore throat, who had type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and used carbamazepine and amitriptyline for diabetic neuropathy, then followed by redness and blistering on his lips, palates, face, and trunk which subsequently diagnosed with SJS.
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Purpose: To evaluate the role of McCarey-Kaufman (MK) medium in maintaining the integrity of donor corneal epithelium. Methods: Nineteen corneal buttons were harvested and stored in MK media at 2°C–8°C for four days. Serial photographs were done every day till the 3rd day, and images were then analyzed with ImageJ software (LOCI, University of Wisconsin, USA). The area of exposure and epithelial defect (ED) was calculated every day for each corneal button. Results: The average age of the donors was 56.5 ± 22.7 years and mean time from death to preservation of the corneal buttons was 7.7 ± 3.1 hours. The average corneal area was 145.6 ± 18.8 mm2. The total mean area of exposure was 3.6 ± 4.8, 7.2 ± 9.2, and 9.0 ± 11.9 mm2, and ED was 1.7 ± 4.6, 2.8 ± 5.3, and 3.3 ± 5.9 mm2 on days 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The percentage of increase in the area of exposure and ED in MK media was 3.71% and 1.1% from day 1 to day 3, respectively. Six out of 19 corneal buttons (31.57%) were utilized for keratoplasties, of which two were utilized in house and four were distributed outside. Of the two utilized corneas, none had epithelial defect on postoperative day 1. Rest 13 corneas were either used for training and research purposes, stored in glycerol media, or discarded. Conclusion: Since the percentage change in area of exposure/ED is not much at the end of day 3, corneas stored in MK media can be safely used even after three days of storage. Hence, MK medium serves as an excellent medium in maintaining the integrity of donor corneal epithelium
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The population of the world is increasing nearly exponentially over time. To feed this population following the environment conservation protocol, it is essential to enhance the agricultural productivity even in the synchronizing agrarian land use pattern. To enhance the quality and productivity in agriculture sector, introducing the cutting edge technology is need of the hour.From ancient times, traditional approaches like selective breeding, adoption of agronomic management practices and application of indigenous technical knowledge have been used to attain resilience against various abiotic and biotic stresses. However, these traditional approaches are not sufficient to tackle the increasing repercussions of climate change and feed quality food to the expanding population. Therefore, in order to address these issues of climate change, population explosion and malnutrition, biotechnological interventions can be a promising approach. In the past, biotechnology based approaches have given successful products like Herbicide-resistant Soybean, Pusa Basmati 1, Bt Cotton, Bt Brinjal, Flavr-Savr tomato, a therapeutically significant product of Lithospermum erythrorhizon and Panax ginseng. Besides that many more need based products are in pipeline which is under scrutiny of regulatory bodies, policymakers and environmentalists. It is profoundly expected that in the coming day’s agricultural biotechnology applications will bring revolutionary changes to existing agricultural scenario. Therefore, in this review, we have summarized the achievement of agricultural biotechnology that is assisting to enhance the agricultural produce to double the income of farmers. However, this much is not enough; hence full utilization of all the sustainable agricultural biotechnological tools must come into the existence that definitely will boost the agricultural productivity.
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Purpose: To compare the functional outcome of retropupillary iris claw lenses (RPIC?IOL) and scleral fixated intraocular lenses (SFIOL) in children with large lens subluxations. Methods: Sixty eyes of patients between 6 and 18 years of age having ?7 clock hour lens subluxation were included and equally divided into group A (RPIC?IOL implantation) and group B (Gore?Tex sutured SFIOL implantation). Cases with anterior and posterior segment abnormalities, trauma and glaucoma were excluded. Primary outcome was improvement in best?corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at 1.5 years. Secondary outcomes were assessment of intraocular lens (IOL) tilt, mean change in astigmatism at 1.5 years, and median operating time. All surgeries were performed by the same surgeon. Results: The mean improvement in BCVA in group A was 0.28 ± 0.41 logMAR and group B was 0.44 ± 0.45 logMAR (P = 0.3). Significant IOL tilt was seen in 4 eyes in group A (13.33%) and 5 eyes in group B (16.66%) (P = 0.120). Mean change in astigmatism was 4.38 ± 5.9D in group A and 4.91 ± 4.4D in group B (P = 0.299). The median operating time was 40 min in group A and 90 min in group B (P < 0.001). No significant posterior segment complications were seen in either technique. Conclusion: Both procedures had comparable visual outcomes. RPIC?IOL implantation was relatively quick and comparatively easier; it may be preferred in cases with high risk of retinal detachment.
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Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has disrupted the antenatal care in low? and middle?income countries such as India. Telemedicine was introduced for the first time in India for continuing antenatal care. Hence, a questionnaire?based descriptive cross?sectional study is done to assess the outcomes of teleconsultation services, factors influencing it, and patient’s perceived satisfaction. Three hundred and fifty?five women who delivered the following teleconsultation from July 2020 to October 2020 were included in the study. Thirty?two percent were high?risk pregnancies and 15% of the babies required neonatal intensive care unit admission. Ninety?eight percent could convey their health concerns, 18% had a referral to other departments, and 25% had visited casualty. Sixty?three percent procured medicine through e?prescription. Seventy?six percent were happy with teleconsultation overcrowded clinic, 82% were happy about saving travel expenditure, whereas overall satisfaction was 50%. Fourteen percent did not have access to smartphone and 9% did not receive the call at scheduled time. Telemedicine has a vital role in managing pregnancy concerns during this pandemic.
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Introduction: Oral Leukoplakia is the second most common oral potentially malignant disorder encountered in day-to-day clinical practice, with an overall global prevalence of 4.11%. The rate of its malignant transformation varies worldwide. Aims & Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess CD 138 and CD43 immunoreactivity in oral epithelial dysplasia. Materials & Methods: Immunohistochemistry was performed on fifteen formalin-fixed oral epithelial dysplasia tissues for CD 43 (n=15) and CD 138 (n=15) which were obtained from archives at Oral cancer research and coordinating centre, Malaysia. Results: The expression of CD 43 in non-hematopoietic tissues was negative in all cases, but epithelium with dysplastic alterations had low or weak CD 138 expression between dysplastic tissue and non-dysplastic epithelium, there was a substantial difference in staining intensity. Conclusion: Oral carcinogenesis is a multistep process, and cancer driver genes have been shown to have vastly diverse effects in various tissues. CD 138 expression was shown to be lower in tissues undergoing dysplastic alterations, which could be a sign of oral epithelial dysplasia with a high risk of malignancy.
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Background: In both waves of COVID-19 infections, loss of taste was noted in a disproportionately high number of individuals. However, there is a considerable risk of dental disease during and after COVID -19 infections. Aim: Our aim here is to study the oral manifestation of the COVID -19 infections and make a comparison of the severity of presentation in the second wave with the first wave among the general population in Bhubaneswar, city of Odisha, India. Methods: A detailed online questionnaire was developed focusing on the oral manifestation during both the waves using Google forms. Results: Out of a total of 380 RT PCR positive cases, 91/169 and 167/211 cases with oral manifestation were obtained in the first and second waves, respectively. We found 41 (24.26 %) in the first wave and 63 (29.85 %) in the second wave of patients with oral manifestations over the age of 50. Patients receiving oxygen or using a ventilator were found to be 15 (8.9 %) in the first wave and 59 (28%) in the second wave. Conclusion: This is the first study to evaluate the correlation of oral infection with COVID 19 in different waves. This difference could be correlated with the virulence of viruses with mutated strains.
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PCOS is a common endocrinopathy among premenopausal women, characterized by hyperandrogenism, anovulation, hirsutism. We evaluated credence of noscapine; in RU486 induced PCOS rat and compared with flutamide, a conventional drug. For 13 days, an oral dose of RU486 [20 mg/kg/day] was administered to Wistar rats exhibiting regular estrous cycle. Varying dosage of noscapine was given to PCOS rats and compared with rats administered flutamide. Cytology of estrous cycle and serum hormone levels (LH, FSH, PRL, estradiol, and testosterone) were measured. Histomorpho-metrical changes, events of apoptosis in theca and granulosa cells were observed using flow cytometry and the mode of cellular death was examined by TUNEL staining. Our findings suggested, normal folliculogenesis in PCOS rats, post noscapine administration (120 mg/kg) in 3-4 days with normal hormonal profile. Theca and granulosa cells undergo massive and marginal cellular degeneration respectively with no G2/M arrest. TUNEL staining confirms the granulosa cells in follicles are major cell type undergo apoptosis in RU486 administered rats. However, low apoptotic DNA fragmentations were found in theca cells. We conclude that the RU486 model is suitable for studies of the metabolic features of PCOS and noscapine appears to be promising therapeutic modality for amelioration of PCOS induced condition.