THE STUDY OF SERO-PREVALENCE AND TRENDS OF HIV VIRAL MARKERS AMONG BLOOD DONORS IN NORTHERN INDIA

Transfusion of blood and blood components could be responsible for saving millions of life each year throughout the world. However, on the other hand , an improperly screened donated blood can be a source of transfusion transmitted infections (TTIs). Some important prevalent infections are caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), Treponema pallidum and malaria parasite. To study the sero-prevalence and trends of HIV viral markers amidst blood donors in Northern India.The study was carried out in the blood bank section of Department of Pathology, Era's Lucknow Medical College, Era University, Lucknow. The present study was conducted as a retrospective & prospective observational study. Retrospective data of past eight years before commencement of study (2008 to 2015) and prospective data of one and a half years (2016 and 2017) was used in the study. Data of 22192 blood donors was explored for the present study. Only 10 donors were found to be positive for HIV viral markers. Prevalence of HIV positivity was relatively much lower than that reported in contemporary studies. Nevertheless, the present study underscored the need to carry out screening of viral markers and their periodic audit in order to understand the changing trends of sero-positivity among blood donors.

Malignant hemangiopericytoma in the gluteal region: a rare entity.

We present here a case of malignant hemangiopericytoma in a 40-year-old female who presented with a history of slowly growing mass in left gluteal region for about 1.5 years. She was evaluated and a mass of 10 x 7.5 x 5.5 cm 3 was found on computed tomography. The tumor was resected and was sent for histopathological evaluation. Grossly the tumor was encapsulated and on cut section it was nodular. Microscopy showed spindle cells forming cords and sheets separated by thin delicate stroma consisting largely of thin-walled vessels revealed by reticulin stain. Pleomorphism and mitotic figures were seen. It was diagnosed as a case of malignant hemangiopericytoma of gluteal region. The patient underwent radiotherapy and did apparently well. She is on regular follow-up because long-term follow-up is essential in all cases as recurrence can occur several years after treatment.

Isolation, purification and properties of cathepsin B from buffalo liver.

Cathepsin B was isolated from buffalo liver by salt fractionation, ion-exchange resin treatment, gel filtration and repeated ion-exchange chromatography using a linear salt gradient. The enzyme showed activity, against denatured hemoglobin (or ovalbumin), alpha-N-benzoyl-DL-arginine p-nitroanilide (BAPNA), and alpha-benzoyl-DL-arginine-naphthylamine (BANA). It inactivated buffalo muscle aldolase with a half life period of 21 min. The pH-activity profiles obtained for the digestion of hemoglobin (or ovalbumin) and aldolase inactivation by the enzyme were found to be different. The enzyme (mol wt 27,800 by SDS-PAGE) eluted in gel filtration with a molecular weight of 27,000 and a Stokes radius of 2.31 nm. The results showed buffalo cathepsin B to be a single-chain molecule. The N- and C-terminal amino acids of the enzyme were found to be leucine and aspartic acid, respectively. It contained 0.7% concanavalin A reactive neutral carbohydrate. The amino acid composition of buffalo cathepsin B was found to be similar to that of human liver cathepsin B. The optical properties of the buffalo enzyme were found consistent with its aromatic amino acid content. The isoionic pH of the enzyme was found to be 5.70 and the intrinsic viscosity was 3.48 ml/g whence the frictional ratio, f/f0 was computed to be 1.10 suggesting that the native enzyme conformation is compact and is globular in solution.