Management of acid and alkaline phosphatase, dehydrogenase activities by sugarcane industry waste under lead contamination- A case study of Indian Vertisol.

Soil fertility management and crop productivity both are inter-related need extensive attention for sustainability. Industries are being built, which over time produces a lot of effluents containing heavy metal(s), which is then dumped on healthy soils and water bodies. Long-term discharge of lead (Pb)-containing wastewater resulted in significant Pb buildup as well as a decrease in soil biological activity. In this experiment, graded dose of Pb, i.e. 0, 100, 150 and 300 mg/kg and pressmud (PM) (0, 2.5, 5, 10 g/kg) were applied to monitor the Pb toxic effect on soil acid and alkaline phosphatase, dehydrogenase activity. Different treatment combinations were formulated and the experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. In this experiment, spinach crop was used as a test crop. According to the findings, increased Pb levels in the soil lowered dehydrogenase activity (DHA), acid and alkaline phosphatase. The addition of PM enhanced enzymatic activities by decreasing the labile fraction of Pb in the soil. Incorporation of PM improved the soil enzymatic activities as alkaline phosphatase activity > DHA > acid phosphatase activity in the study. This study suggested that the addition of 10 g/kg PM reduced Pb toxicity (contamination level 300 mg/kg) and improved the soil microbial properties in black soil. These findings are very useful for the remediation of Pb contaminated soil with the help of PM, particularly in peri-urban Pb effluent irrigated areas.

The Significance of Topoisomerase II Alpha in Invasive Breast Carcinoma.

Background Topoisomerase II alpha (Top 2 A) protein has been shown to be a proliferation marker associated with tumour grade. The current study evaluated the prognostic impact of Top 2 A protein on luminal breast cancer and its utility as an independent prognostic marker. Immunohistochemical expression of Top 2 A in breast cancer and its correlation with the tumour type, size, lymph node metastases, grade and ER/PR positivity. Methodology Ethics committee approval was taken and 65 cases of Invasive breast carcinoma presenting to the Department of Pathology at a tertiary care centre in South India were studied. Patient details including age, tumour type, tumour size, tumour grading, estrogen receptor (ER)/progesterone receptor (PR)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/neu) status and pathologic stage was studied. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) work-up for Top 2 A expression was done and evaluated. Results Of the 65 histological sections of breast cancers, 29/65 showed nuclear positivity for Top 2 A. Node positive tumours 17/65 stained positive for Top 2 A. Stage I tumours 2/65, stage II tumours 12/65 and stage III 14/65 stained positive for Top 2 A. Among the HER2/neu-positive tumours, 22/65 stained for Top 2 A and among ER/PR-positive 9/65 cases were positive for Top 2 A. Triple-negative tumours 5/65 stained for Top 2 A. Conclusion Higher Top 2 A expression was seen in higher stage tumours. HER2/neu-positive tumours significantly showed a correlation with Top 2 A positivity. Therefore, Top 2 A expression can be considered an individual prognostic factor in breast carcinoma.

Detection of Human Leukocyte Antigen B27 by Flowcytometry in Patients With Suspected Ankylosing Spondylitis in a Tertiary Care Centre.

Introduction Human leukocyte antigen B27 (HLA-B27) is strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Hence, HLA-B27 testing is routinely used in the diagnosis of AS. Objectives We aimed to establish the frequency of HLA-B27 in AS patients by flow cytometry and relate the differences between B27+ and B27- cases to the serum concentrations of rheumatoid arthritis factor (RA), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP). Methods  The study population included a total of 210 patients who visited the tertiary health care center. The peripheral blood samples obtained from AS patients were subjected to a qualitative two-color direct immunofluorescence method using the HLA-B27/CD3 antibody for the rapid detection of HLA-B27 antigen expression in erythrocyte-lysed whole blood in FACSCalibur flow cytometer (Becton Dickinson, USA). Results Out of 210 AS patients, the distribution of HLA-B27 positivity was observed only in 46 (22%) patients. The remaining 164 patients (78.1%) were negative for HLA-B27. Of the 46 HLA positive patients, 39 (25.34%) were males and only seven (12.5%) were females. In both sexes, HLA-B27 frequency was significantly higher in the age group 21-30 years, followed by 41-50 years. The current study also revealed a significant association between sex and age of onset of HLA­B27 detection in patients with suspected AS. Disease activity was not significantly correlated with RA, ESR, and CRP. Conclusions The detection of HLA-B27 by flow cytometry proved to be a reliable test in the screening of AS in the Indian population.

Therapeutic Benefit of Placentrex in the Management of Acute Chemo Radiation Induced Mucositis in Oral Cancer Patients

Background: A troublesome and usually unavoidable consequence of Head and Neck chemo radiation is oral mucositis which decreases patients' compliance and negatively influences the outcome of therapy by increasing overall treatment time. Currently, no single effective recommended treatment exists for this problem and a variety of supportive care measures have been practiced with limited benefits. This study was done to evaluate the therapeutic benefit of Placentrex in the management of oral mucositis seen in oral cancer patients undergoing treatment with concurrent chemoradiation. Methodology: This study was carried out, as a retrospective analysis, on oral cancer patients undergoing concurrent chemoradiation with weekly Cisplatin regimen treated between Oct 2015 and July 2017. All the patients received 2ml of Inj Placentrex, once daily administered intramuscularly for 4 weeks, NSAIDs, topical analgesics, and mouth wash as treatment for oral mucositis. The results were compared with a historical control group of 40 oral cancer patients who had received treatment prior to the study period without receiving Inj Placentrex as a part of oral mucositis management. Results: Over 60% of the patients in both groups were older than 60 years of age. Buccal mucosa was the predominant sub site of the investigated cancer type. The addition of placentrex resulted in delay in the progression of mucositis, reduction of treatment breaks, regression of pain, and improvement of dysphagia while leading to no adverse effects (p<0.05). Conclusion: Placentrex appears to be a beneficial therapeutic option for the management of concurrent chemo-radiation induced acute oral mucositis in oral cancer patients.