Short-Chain Fatty Acid (SCFA) as a Connecting Link between Microbiota and Gut-Lung Axis-A Potential Therapeutic Intervention to Improve Lung Health.

The microbiome is an integral part of the human gut, and it plays a crucial role in the development of the immune system and homeostasis. Apart from the gut microbiome, the airway microbial community also forms a distinct and crucial part of the human microbiota. Furthermore, several studies indicate the existence of communication between the gut microbiome and their metabolites with the lung airways, called "gut-lung axis". Perturbations in gut microbiota composition, termed dysbiosis, can have acute and chronic effects on the pathophysiology of lung diseases. Microbes and their metabolites in lung stimulate various innate immune pathways, which modulate the expression of the inflammatory genes in pulmonary leukocytes. For instance, gut microbiota-derived metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids can suppress lung inflammation through the activation of G protein-coupled receptors (free fatty acid receptors) and can also inhibit histone deacetylase, which in turn influences the severity of acute and chronic respiratory diseases. Thus, modulation of the gut microbiome composition through probiotic/prebiotic usage and fecal microbiota transplantation can lead to alterations in lung homeostasis and immunity. The resulting manipulation of immune cells function through microbiota and their key metabolites paves the way for the development of novel therapeutic strategies in improving the lung health of individuals affected with various lung diseases including SARS-CoV-2. This review will shed light upon the mechanistic aspect of immune system programming through gut and lung microbiota and exploration of the relationship between gut-lung microbiome and also highlight the therapeutic potential of gut microbiota-derived metabolites in the management of respiratory diseases.

IMPETUS Stroke: Assessment of hospital infrastructure and workflow for implementation of uniform stroke care pathway in India.

BACKGROUND: India accounts for 13.3% of global disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost due to stroke with a relatively younger age of onset compared to the Western population. In India's public healthcare system, many stroke patients seek care at tertiary-level government-funded medical colleges where an optimal level of stroke care is expected. However, there are no studies from India that have assessed the quality of stroke care, including infrastructure, imaging facilities, or the availability of stroke care units in medical colleges. AIM: This study aimed to understand the existing protocols and management of acute stroke care across 22 medical colleges in India, as part of the baseline assessment of the ongoing IMPETUS stroke study. METHODS: A semi-structured quantitative pre-tested questionnaire, developed based on review of literature and expert discussion, was mailed to 22 participating sites of the IMPETUS stroke study. The questionnaire assessed comprehensively all components of stroke care, including human resources, emergency system, in-hospital care, and secondary prevention. A descriptive analysis of their status was undertaken. RESULTS: In the emergency services, limited stroke helpline numbers, 3/22 (14%); prenotification system, 5/22 (23%); and stroke-trained physicians were available, 6/22 (27%). One-third of hospitals did not have on-call neurologists. Although non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) was always available, 39% of hospitals were not doing computed tomography (CT) angiography and 13/22 (59%) were not doing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after routine working hours. Intravenous thrombolysis was being done in 20/22 (91%) hospitals, but 36% of hospitals did not provide it free of cost. Endovascular therapy was available only in 6/22 (27%) hospitals. The study highlighted the scarcity of multidisciplinary stroke teams, 8/22 (36%), and stroke units, 7/22 (32%). Lifesaving surgeries like hematoma evacuation, 11/22 (50%), and decompressive craniectomy, 9/22 (41%), were performed in limited numbers. The availability of occupational therapists, speech therapists, and cognitive rehabilitation was minimal. CONCLUSION: This study highlighted the current status of acute stroke management in publicly funded tertiary care hospitals. Lack of prenotification, limited number of stroke-trained physicians and neurosurgeons, relatively lesser provision of free thrombolytic agents, limited stroke units, and lack of rehabilitation services are areas needing urgent attention by policymakers and creation of sustainable education models for uniform stroke care by medical professionals across the country.

Impact of Dental Treatment on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life of Patients.

OBJECTIVE: It is crucial to understand how individuals perceive the impact of oral disorders and the treatment associated with or received for those disorders on their quality of life. A relatively new but quickly spreading concept of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) that notably affects three fields, clinical dental practice, dental research, and dental education makes it feasible to figure out the relationship between oral health and its impact on the quality of life of an individual. OHRQoL can be measured in various ways; the most well-liked method uses a multiple-item questionnaire. There haven't been any prior attempts to compare the effects of various invasive and non-invasive dental therapies on OHRQoL, even though few studies have been conducted to evaluate the OHRQoL among patients undergoing independent dental procedures. Such a comparison would aid in our understanding of not only how various dental conditions affect OHRQoL, but also whether or not a patient's OHRQoL has improved as a result of various therapies for these diseases. METHOD: A longitudinal study was conducted on patients receiving invasive and non-invasive dental treatment at Teerthanker Mahaveer Dental College and Research Centre, Moradabad. A two-part questionnaire, the first part of which consists of questions related to the demographic details of the patient and the second part consisting of a set of 14 questions of the oral health impact profile (OHIP)-14 for assessing the OHRQoL, was used in the study. Patients' baseline OHRQoL was assessed before the commencement of any treatment by the interview method and follow-up OHRQoL was assessed three days, seven days, one month, and six months post-treatment telephonically. The OHIP-14 contains 14 items on the frequency of adverse impacts caused by oral conditions and the patients were asked to rate each item on a 5-point Likert scale as 0=never; 1=hardly ever; 2=occasionally; 3=fairly often; 4=very often. RESULTS: The results obtained after compiling and analyzing the data from a total sample of 400 indicate that the mean difference in the OHIP score at different time intervals between the groups who undertook invasive and non-invasive treatment was significant as the p-value was less than 0.05. In addition, it was observed that the mean difference at baseline was statistically significant in the invasive and non-invasive groups as the p-value is less than 0.05. At the domain level, the mean score at each domain was higher in the invasive group as compared to the non-invasive treatment group after three days and seven days of treatment. The mean difference between the group treated with invasive treatment on day three and the group treated with non-invasive treatment on day seven was statistically significant as the p-value is less than 0.05. The mean score was high in the invasive group as compared to the non-invasive group after one month and six months of treatment. CONCLUSION: The present study was conducted to assess dental treatment's impact on oral health-related quality of life in patients attending Teerthanker Mahaveer Dental College and Research Centre, Moradabad. Results from this study indicated that both types of treatments either invasive or non-invasive have significantly influenced the OHRQoL. Post-treatment OHRQoL improved at different intervals after receiving either treatment.

Hemorrhagic Stroke and Cerebral Venous Thrombosis: Rare Neurological Sequelae of Chickenpox Infection.

Chickenpox (varicella) is primarily a disease of childhood which occurs due to infection with varicella-zoster virus (VZV). Primary VZV infection is rare in adults due to exposure in early childhood in our country. In adults, it is associated with some serious systemic and neurological complications which can follow both primary infection and reactivation of VZV. Neurological sequelae caused by primary VZV infection are rare and include encephalitis, aseptic meningitis, myelitis, acute cerebellar ataxia, Reye syndrome, Ramsay Hunt syndrome, and rarely stroke and cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT). VZV infection of cerebral vessels produces vasculopathy and hypercoagulable state, leading to complications such as stroke and CVT. We hereby report cases of two immunocompetent young adults who developed acute hemorrhagic infarction in the brain and CVT following chickenpox infection.

Study of Pulmonary function tests in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and their correlation with glycemic control and systemic inflammation.

Background - Reduced lung function in diabetes has been described for long but its clinical importance is not yet clear. Also, limited literature is available regarding its association with sugar control, and its correlation with inflammatory markers. Thus, we aimed to study the pulmonary function test abnormalities and systemic inflammation in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods 100 patients of type 2 diabetes were divided into two groups depending on control of diabetes (group A-HbA1C≤7% and group B-HbA1C >7%). All the subjects selected underwent detailed evaluation including testing for HbA1C, HsCRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein), serum ferritin and serum fibrinogen, along with pulmonary function testing. Results Percentage predicted FVC (forced vital capacity), FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in 1 second) and SVC (slow vital capacity) were significantly reduced, while mean values of inflammatory markers [fibrinogen (p <0.001) and hsCRP (p 0.002)] were significantly higher in uncontrolled diabetes group. There was a significant negative correlation between FEV1 (r = -0.739, p<0.001), FVC ( r = -0.370, p<0.001), SVC (r = -0.635, p< 0.001) with HbA1C. HbA1C had a positive correlation with hsCRP (r = -0.308, p 0.002) and fibrinogen (r = 0.388 ,p 0.001). Conclusion Pulmonary functions were decreased and inflammatory markers like hsCRP, fibrinogen, and ferritin significantly increased in uncontrolled diabetics. Also, a potential association was seen between higher values of inflammatory markers like hsCRP and fibrinogen and decrease in lung function. This information, requiring confirmation with larger multicentre studies, remains important because of potential epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic implications.

Disseminated Emmonsia pasteuriana infection in India: a case report and a review.

We report here the first case of disseminated Emmonsia pasteuriana infection in a patient with AIDS in India. The patient presented with weight loss, dyspnoea, left-sided chest pain and multiple non-tender skin lesions over face and body for 3 months. Disseminated emmonsiosis was diagnosed on microscopic examination and fungal culture of skin biopsy and needle aspirate of lung consolidation. It was confirmed by sequencing internal transcribed spacer region of rDNA, beta tubulin, actin, and intein PRP8. The patient responded to amphotericin B and itraconazole therapy.

Dengue encephalopathy - still an enigma?

Dengue encephalopathy or dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) with neurological involvement was once considered to be one of the rarer presentations of this infectious agent. In recent years, many such clinical cases have been reported, though they still remain isolated. We hereby report a case of confirmed dengue fever with features of encephalopathy with previously unreported cranial magnetic resonance imaging findings suggestive of extensive involvement of the bilateral cerebellar region, brainstem, and thalami along with peculiar rim enhancement but normal cerebrospinal fluid analysis.