Hepatitis C virus core antigen: A diagnostic and treatment monitoring marker of hepatitis C virus in Indian population.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis and treatment monitoring of hepatitis C is quite challenging. The screening test, i.e. antibody assay, is unable to detect acute cases, while the gold standard hepatitis C virus (HCV) reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) assay is not feasible in resource-limited countries such as India due to high cost and infrastructure requirement. European Association for the Study of the Liver and World Health Organization have approved a new marker, i.e. HCV core antigen (HCVcAg) assay, as an alternative to molecular assay. In this study, we have evaluated HCVcAg assay for diagnosis and treatment monitoring follow-up in Indian population infected with hepatitis C. METHODS: Blood specimen of 90 clinically suspected cases of acute hepatitis C were tested simultaneously for anti-HCV antibody assay via ELISA (enzyme-linked immunoassay), HCVcAg assay by chemiluminescence immune assay (CLIA) and HCV RTPCR VL (viral load) assay. Thirty-four HCV RTPCR positive patients were further enrolled in treatment monitoring group whose blood samples were tested at the beginning of treatment, two weeks, four weeks and 12 weeks via HCV core Ag assay and HCV RTPCR Viral Load assay. RESULTS: Considering HCV RTPCR as gold standard, diagnostic performance of HCV core Ag assay and anti-HCV antibody assay was evaluated. The sensitivity and specificity of HCV core Ag assay were higher than that of anti-HCV Antibody assay, i.e. 88.3% and 100% vs. 23.3% and 83.3%, respectively. The overall diagnostic accuracy of HCV core Ag assay was 92.20%. Among treatment follow-up group, HCV core Ag levels correlated well with HCV viral load levels, at the beginning of treatment (baseline) till 12 weeks showing highly significant Spearman rank correlation coefficient of > 0.9 with HCV viral load levels. CONCLUSIONS: HCV core Ag assay is a cost-effective, practically feasible substitute of HCV RTPCR viral load assay for diagnosis as well as long duration treatment monitoring of hepatitis C infection in resource-limited settings.

Utility of "Acanthosis Nigricans" and "Skin Tags" as a screening tool for risk of developing noncommunicable diseases: A cross-sectional study at a health facility in Lucknow (India).

Context: Over the past three decades, there has been a significant rise in the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) globally, accompanied by a relative decline in communicable diseases. Aims: With this background, the research was planned to determine the prevalence of acanthosis nigricans (AN) or skin tags (STs) in the study population and to examine the relationship between the presence of AN and ST with commonly used indicators such as waist-to-height ratio (W/Ht.), Indian Diabetes Risk Score (IDRS), and body mass index for predicting the risk of NCDs. Settings and Design: This cross-sectional study was done at a health facility in Lucknow (India). Methodology: Consecutive sampling was employed to select 152 apparently healthy adults as the participants. Data collection involved administering a questionnaire and conducting anthropometry using standardized methods. Visual inspection was conducted to identify AN or ST on the common sites. Statistical Analysis Used: Data entry was done in Microsoft Office Excel, followed by data analysis using SPSS. To test the association between variables "significance of difference of mean," Chi-square test, logistic regression analysis, and estimation of Kohen's kappa were used. A "P" value was considered statistically significant at <0.05 level. The sensitivity and specificity of AN and ST were also estimated in predicting the risk of NCDs. Results: The prevalence of AN was 19.08% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 12.76%-25.40%), while the prevalence of STs was 28.29% (95% CI = 21.05%-35.53%). AN showed a sensitivity of 22.4% and specificity of 96.3% with W/Ht. ratio as the standard, and a sensitivity of 26.44% and specificity of 90.77% with IDRS as the standard. ST exhibited a sensitivity of 32.0% and specificity of 88.89% with W/Ht. ratio as the standard, and a sensitivity of 37.93% and specificity of 84.62% with IDRS as the standard. Conclusion: AN and ST can be used as simple and time-saving tools in screening protocols for (NCDs). Further research is desirable to validate the findings.

Résumé Contexte: Au cours des trois dernières décennies, il y a eu une augmentation significative de la prévalence des maladies non transmissibles (MNT) à l'échelle mondiale, accompagnée d'un déclin relatif des maladies transmissibles. Objectifs: Dans ce contexte, la recherche était prévue pour déterminer la prévalence de l'acanthose nigricans (AN) ou des acrochordons (ST) dans la population étudiée et pour examiner la relation entre la présence d'AN et de ST avec des indicateurs couramment utilisés tels que la taille. rapport taille (W/Ht.), score de risque de diabète indien (IDRS) et indice de masse corporelle pour prédire le risque de MNT. Paramètres et conception: cette étude transversale a été réalisée dans un établissement de santé à Lucknow (Inde). Méthodologie: Un échantillonnage consécutif a été utilisé pour sélectionner 152 adultes apparemment en bonne santé comme participants. La collecte de données impliquait l'administration d'un questionnaire et la réalisation d'anthropométries à l'aide de méthodes standardisées. Une inspection visuelle a été réalisée pour identifier AN ou ST sur les sites communs. Analyse statistique utilisée: La saisie des données a été effectuée dans Microsoft Office Excel, suivie d'une analyse des données à l'aide de SPSS. Pour tester l'association entre les variables " signification de la différence de moyenne ", le test du chi carré, l'analyse de régression logistique et l'estimation du kappa de Kohen ont été utilisés. Une valeur " P " a été considérée comme statistiquement significative au niveau < 0,05. La sensibilité et la spécificité de l'AN et du ST ont également été estimées pour prédire le risque de MNT. Résultats: La prévalence de l'AN était de 19,08 % (intervalle de confiance à 95 % [IC] = 12,76 % à 25,40 %), tandis que la prévalence des ST était de 28,29 % (IC à 95 % = 21,05 % à 35,53 %). AN a montré une sensibilité de 22,4 % et une spécificité de 96,3 % avec W/Ht. ratio comme standard, et une sensibilité de 26,44 % et une spécificité de 90,77 % avec IDRS comme standard. ST présentait une sensibilité de 32,0 % et une spécificité de 88,89 % avec W/Ht. ratio comme standard, et une sensibilité de 37,93 % et une spécificité de 84,62 % avec IDRS comme standard. Conclusion: AN et ST peuvent être utilisés comme des outils simples et permettant de gagner du temps dans les protocoles de dépistage des (MNT). Des recherches plus approfondies sont souhaitables pour valider les résultats. Mots-clés: diagnostic d'Acanthosis nigricans, dépistage des maladies non transmissibles, diagnostic des acrochordons.

Antibiotic resistance, biofilm formation, and virulence genes of Streptococcus agalactiae serotypes of Indian origin.

BACKGROUND: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a causative agent of various infections in newborns, immunocompromised (especially diabetic) non-pregnant adults, and pregnant women. Antibiotic resistance profiling can provide insights into the use of antibiotic prophylaxis against potential GBS infections. Virulence factors are responsible for host-bacteria interactions, pathogenesis, and biofilm development strategies. The aim of this study was to determine the biofilm formation capacity, presence of virulence genes, and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of clinical GBS isolates. RESULTS: The resistance rate was highest for penicillin (27%; n = 8 strains) among all the tested antibiotics, which indicates the emergence of penicillin resistance among GBS strains. The susceptibility rate was highest for ofloxacin (93%; n = 28), followed by azithromycin (90%; n = 27). Most GBS strains (70%; n = 21) were strong biofilm producers and the rest (30%; n = 9) were moderate biofilm producers. The most common virulence genes were cylE (97%), pavA (97%), cfb (93%), and lmb (90%). There was a negative association between having a strong biofilm formation phenotype and penicillin susceptibility, according to Spearman's rank correlation analysis. CONCLUSION: About a third of GBS strains exhibited penicillin resistance and there was a negative association between having a strong biofilm formation phenotype and penicillin susceptibility. Further, both the strong and moderate biofilm producers carried most of the virulence genes tested for, and the strong biofilm formation phenotype was not associated with the presence of any virulence genes.

Adverse events following COVID-19 immunisation (AEFI) at a COVID-19 vaccination centre: An observational analytical study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) in various age groups after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination and assess the association of comorbidities with AEFI. Methods: An observational analytical study was conducted among the general population who had received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. A total of 389 participants from the 18-44 years age group, 380 participants from the 45-60 years age group and 373 participants from the 60 plus age group were enrolled in the study after verbal and written consent. Simple random sampling was used to select the study participant in each group. Home visits were made to fill out the semi-structured questionnaire for information regarding any adverse event following COVID-19 immunisation. Results: Overall, 31.9%, 19.74% and 15.17% of >60, 45-60 and 18-44 years, respectively, reported any AEFI after COVID-19 immunisation. The severity of AEFI was more among the 18-44 years age group (66.1%) followed by 45-60 years (30.67%) and less among the older one, that is, >60 years. Fever and pain with inflammation at the injection site were the most common AEFI reported after any dose. There was no association of comorbidity with the severity of AEFI. Conclusion: Since the AEFI reported are very less, most of them were of a minor type and were general immunogenic reactions of any vaccine. Hence the COVID-19 vaccines are very safe, and uptake should be high among all the recommended age groups to combat the severity of the COVID-19 disease.

Tagging Efficiency of 99m Tc-SC Radiolabeled Alternative Gastric Emptying Meals: A Quantitative Study.

Objective The aim of this study was to know the tagging efficiencies of technetium-99m labeled sulfur colloid (99mTc-SC) with different meals. Materials and Methods Egg white sandwiches are the gold standard for gastric-emptying scan (GES); thus, an egg white omelet labeled with 99m Tc-SC is taken as a standard meal. For evaluation, we included four meals, bread and butter, instant oatmeal, idli, and chapatti, and all meals were prepared by labeling them with 99m Tc-SC. After preparation, food articles were chopped with the help of a metal fork and mixed in simulated gastric fluid. Four samples were taken simultaneously from each food article and analyzed for 1 to 4hours after agitation within the centrifuge. The samples were filtered and separated from the sediments and supernatants. We analyzed the activity in each sample before and after filtration. Results The mean values of labeling efficiency in per cent of various meals were obtained. There was no significant difference in labeling stability for egg whites, chapatti, and idli meals labeled with 99m Tc-SC from 1 to 4hours as their p -value (p>0.05) was insignificant. Conclusion Radiolabeled chapatti and idli with 99m Tc-SC show higher labeling stability, while oatmeal and bread and butter samples show relatively low stability. Thus, for GES, chapatti and idli labeled with 99m Tc-SC can be used as alternatives to eggs for vegetarian people or for those allergic to eggs.

Bayesian inference: Weibull Poisson model for censored data using the expectation-maximization algorithm and its application to bladder cancer data.

This article focuses on the parameter estimation of experimental items/units from Weibull Poisson Model under progressive type-II censoring with binomial removals (PT-II CBRs). The expectation-maximization algorithm has been used for maximum likelihood estimators (MLEs). The MLEs and Bayes estimators have been obtained under symmetric and asymmetric loss functions. Performance of competitive estimators have been studied through their simulated risks. One sample Bayes prediction and expected experiment time have also been studied. Furthermore, through real bladder cancer data set, suitability of considered model and proposed methodology have been illustrated.

Statistical Inferences: Based on Exponentiated Exponential Model to Assess Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19) Kerala Patient Data.

In this article, we use exponentiated exponential distribution as a suitable statistical lifetime model for novel corona virus (covid-19) Kerala patient data. The suitability of the model has been followed by different statistical tools like the value of logarithm of likelihood, Kolmogorov-Smirnov distance, Akaike information criterion, Bayesian information criterion. Moreover, likelihood ratio test and empirical posterior probability analysis are performed to show its suitability. The maximum-likelihood and asymptotic confidence intervals for the parameters are derived from Fisher information matrix. We use the Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique to generate samples from the posterior density function. Based on generated samples, we can compute the Bayes estimates of the unknown parameters and can also construct highest posterior density credible intervals. Further we discuss the Bayesian prediction for future observation based on the observed sample. The Gibbs sampling technique has been used for estimating the posterior predictive density and also for constructing predictive intervals of the order statistics from the future sample.