Anemia in Parasitic Infections in Patients Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital

This study showed the importance of intestinal parasitic infections in developing countries, the present study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in general population attending the hospital. Methods: A total of 194 individuals of different age groups were included. The study was conducted in the department of Pathology & Microbiology at G.C.R.G. Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow. The duration of study was over a period of one year. Results: In our study, 194 total numbers of cases were included and 117 cases had parasitic infections. Conclusion: The study showed that, most of the affected individuals are generally poor, thus malnutrition may be secondary to poverty, and both in turn play a significant role in the prevalence of parasites causing infection and anemia.

CRP Levels in Patients Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital

It is an acute phase protein, which rises due to inflammation, infection and injury. It is synthesized by liver in response to IL-6 secreted by activated macrophages and T cells in acute and chronic inflammatory conditions. Changes in serum CRP concentration occur more quickly than ESR and therefore CRP may be a better reflection of current inflammation. Methods: Blood was collected by vene-puncture from the patients and separated sera were obtained from individuals elderly as well as young person’s were tested by quantitative & qualitative method. Results: In our study, two groups were included in this study, i.e. elderly group & young group.108 & 40 total cases were included in elderly group & young group respectively. In the elderly group out of 108 cases 35.2% were positive rest were negative for C - reactive protein as well as in young group 35% positive & 65% were negative found in the present study. Conclusion: In cases of joint pains CRP tests can give a better picture before going for higher and more expensive investigations.

Drugs impact on CYP-450 enzyme family: A pharmacogenetical study of response variation.

Pharmacogenetics is the study of genetic basis in the individual response to drugs. A thorough knowledge of this will lead to a future where tailor-made drugs, suiting an individual, can be used. Scandinavian countries have been known for wide usage of pharmacogenetics and the most widely used application is for genotyping CYP2D6 in treating psychiatric illness. The CYP-450 enzyme, a super family of microsomal drug-metabolizing enzymes, is the most important of enzymes that catalyzes phase-I drug metabolism reaction. CYP2D6 is a member of this family and it has been most intensively studied and the best example of pharmacogenetics variation in drug metabolism. Neuro-transmitter and drug acting CNS viz. codeine, dextromethorphan, metoprolol and tryptyline etc. are well metabolized by this enzyme. Thus, CYP2D6 is one of the most important and responsible enzymes which regulates bioavailability and metabolism of drug. Presently 75 alleles of CYP2D6 have been described which are responsible for variance of metabolism and toxicity of drugs. Thus, by determining variance of CYP2D6 using molecular approaches viz., PCR, real-time PCR, DNA micro-array and molecular docking can determine the adverse effects, drug toxicity, bioavailability and therapeutic potential of new drug.