Diagnosis of viral central nervous system infections using antipeptide antibody against viral antigen by ELISA.

Viral infections of the central nervous system (CNS) occur sporadically and have been extensively studied because of the potential for permanent neurological damage or death. The neurotropic viruses have been reported to lead to various CNS infections. The objective of the present study is to develop an antigen detection ELISA protocol for detection and quantification of viral antigen in CNS infections by assessing the usefulness of antipeptide antibodies against potential peptides of cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), varicella zoster virus (VZV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), dengue (DENV), West Nile virus (WNV) and Chandipura virus (CHPV). A total of 182 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from confirmed, suspected and non-viral infections of the CNS were evaluated using panels of antipeptide antibodies against synthetic peptides of viral proteins. The cases of confirmed and suspected viral infections of the CNS showed 77% and 11% positivity, respectively, for the detection of viral antigen using antipeptide against synthetic peptides of CMV, EBV, VZV and JEV. The concentration of viral antigen was also obtained by using antipeptide of respective viruses in CSF from both the groups. The viral antigen concentration was also correlated with viral load in confirmed cases of viral infection of the CNS. This study demonstrates the use of antipeptide against synthetic peptide derived from CMV, EBV, VZV and JEV in diagnostics of viral infections of the CNS using patients' CSF samples. Keywords: viral infection of the CNS; synthetic peptide; antipeptide antibody; viral load; antigen concentration.

Polyols Have Unique Ability to Refold Protein as Compared to Other Osmolyte Types.

Effects of solvent environments on protein refolding have gained significant attention due to their biotechnological and pharmaceutical applications. Recent advances have shown that a number of organic osmolytes have the unique ability to induce proper folding of several misfolded proteins and simultaneously inhibit aggregation during the process. In the present study, we investigated the effects of polyol osmolytes on the refolding of guanidinium chloride-denatured ribonuclease-A (RNase-A) and compared it with that of other osmolyte types. Measurements of enzymatic activity parameters (Km and kcat) clearly indicate that polyol-induced RNase-A folding enhanced its catalytic efficiency as compared to folding in the absence of osmolytes or in the presence of osmolytes of other types. Furthermore, structural characterization revealed that the increase in catalytic efficiency stems from conformational alterations of the polyol-induced folded protein molecules as compared to other types of osmolytes.

Subcutaneous nocardial abscess in a post-renal transplant patient.

A case of nocardiosis in a post-renal transplant patient is being reported for the first time from Eastern India. The patient had multiple abscesses on the right thigh and chest. Direct examination of the aspirated pus by Gram stain and modified Ziehl Neelsen stain revealed gram-positive beaded, partially acid-fast, branching filaments. Culture of the pus yielded Nocardia asteroides. The patient responded to surgical drainage and sulphamethoxazole therapy.

Fibroadenoma with squamous metaplasia.

Fibroadenoma is the most common benign breast tumour in adolescent and young women. Squamous metaplasia in fibroadenoma is not a common finding and has not yet been reported in northeast India. Squamous metaplasia in fibroadenoma probably arises from the myoepithelial cells. A case of fibroadenoma with squamous metaplasia in a 20-year-old unmarried woman is reported.

Emergence of sporotrichosis in Manipur.

A retrospective analysis of all cases of sporotrichosis was conducted to examine the pattern and frequency of sporotrichosis cases in Manipur over a period of six year from July 1999 to June 2005. Seventy-three (73) cases of sporotrichosis were detected of which 30 were confirmed by culture and 43 were diagnosed by aspiration cytology only. Most of the patients belonged to the age group of 21 to 40 years (n = 23; 31.5%). There were 39 females (53.4%) and 34 males (46.5%). Commonest site of infection was upper limbs (n = 39; 53.4%) followed by lower limbs (n = 17; 23.2%). Commonest type of infection was lymphocutaneous form (n = 46; 63.1%) followed by fixed cutaneous form (n = 27; 36.9%). Among these 73 cases, 2 male patients (2.7%) were found to be HIV positive. In our experience, collection of material by aspiration of pus or infected tissue was found to be a better method compared to scraping or exudate. This study revealed Manipur as a new endemic area for sporotrichosis.

Effects of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism on serum glycoproteins in experimental rats.

Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism were induced in adult female Sprague Dawley rats by feeding 0.05% propylthiouracil and 0.0012% L-thyroxine in drinking water. Contents of protein-bound hexose, fucose, hexosamine and sialic acid in serum were estimated in experimental rats. The results showed an increase in the protein bound hexose, fucose, hexosamine and sialic acid levels in hypothyroid rats and decrease in hyperthyroid rats. The increased content of serum glycoproteins in hypothyroid rats might possibly have come from disruptions of membranes. Depleted glycoproteins in hyperthyroid animals might be due to increase in depolymerisations of glycoproteins and accelerated secretion of glycoproteins with urine.

Blood and hepatic glutathione in linamarin fed rats.

Female Sprague Dawley rats were fed 5 mg linamarin daily for 10 days. Reduced glutathione (GSH) levels in blood and liver of experimental rats were analysed. The results showed an increase of 45% and 33% glutathione levels in blood and liver respectively in experimental rats. This alteration in glutathione levels could be most likely either due to increased hepatic biosynthesis or as a consequence of decreased peripheral utilization which might be appreciated due to hypothyroidal status induced by linamarin feeding.

Effect of substrates and coenzymes on the molecular symmetry-related properties of horse liver and yeast alcohol dehydrogenases.

Thermal inactivation of horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase (LADH) exhibits the following biphasic kinetics A = Afast.e-Kfast.t + Aslow.e-Kslow.t Where A is the per cent residual activity at time t,Afast and Aslow are amplitudes (expressed as % of initial activity) and kfast and kslow first-order rate constants of the fast and slow phases, respectively. For apoenzyme, Afast = Aslow = 50% of the initial activity under all conditions of temperature and pH. On the addition of a substrate or coenzyme ligand, there is a ligand concentration-dependent increase in per cent Aslow and a decrease in kslow. At sufficiently high ligand concentration, the entire time-course of inactivation can be described as a single exponential decay. The variations of per cent Aslow and of kslow with ligand concentration are consistent with the existence of two binding sites of different ligand affinities. Inactivation of LADH by excess EDTA also exhibits a similar biphasic kinetics with Afast = Aslow = 50% of the initial activity. Addition of ethanol or NAD+ brings about a concentration-dependent decrease in kfast and kslow without affecting amplitudes of the two phases. The NAD+ concentration-dependence of this decrease is consistent with a single dissociation constant for the coenzyme. Inactivation of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase by heat or excess EDTA can be represented as a single exponential decay of activity under all conditions of temperature and pH in the absence as well as presence of ethanol or NAD+. Implications of these results for the molecular symmetry of the two oligomeric enzymes in solution are discussed.

Effect of whole body gamma-radiation on glutathione reductase of rat tissues.

Adult female Sprague Dawley rats approximate ten months old were exposed to whole body gamma radiation of sublethal (4 Gy) and lethal (10 Gy) doses of radiation. Serum glutathione reductase enzyme values of 4 Gy exposed rats did not show any change on first and fourth day but significantly decreased on eighth day, while enzyme values in 10 Gy exposed group remained unaltered throughout. Heart glutathione reductase activities of sublethal group did not show any change on first and eighth day but significantly decreased on fourth day. Rats exposed to lethal doses of radiation, enzyme activities remained unchanged throughout. Liver glutathione reductase enzyme values of 4 Gy exposed group showed significant decrease on first and fourth day but arrived at control values on eighth day while the same in 10 Gy exposed group showed significant decrease from first day till the eighth day. An appreciable diminution was observed in spleen glutathione reductase enzyme activities of sublethal and lethal exposed rats from first day till eighth day.

Demographic development in a developing economy: a case study of Uttar Pradesh.

"Patterns of and trends in demographic development in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh have been analysed in this paper. Indices of urbanisation, literacy and occupational structure were used for this purpose. Their aggregate index represented the level of demographic development." The data are for 242 subdivisions of Uttar Pradesh for the census years 1971 and 1981. Particular attention is given to regional differentials in demographic indicators. The relationships among economic development and the measurements of literacy, urbanization, and occupational status are explored

Effect of ionizing radiation on tissue cyclic AMP and GMP in experimental rats.

Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to whole-body gamma radiation of 4 Gy and 10 Gy and cyclic AMP and GMP of several tissues were studied 4 hours, 24 hours and 72 hours after irradiation. Animals exposed to 4 Gy exhibited initial increase and subsequent decrease of plasma cyclic AMP, while opposite effects were noted in plasma cyclic GMP. Both groups of irradiated rats showed significant decrease of spleen cyclic AMP with variable responses in cyclic GMP. Initial increase with subsequent decrease of liver cyclic AMP was observed in irradiated animals with unaltered cyclic GMP values. It was interesting to note variable responses of myocardial cyclic AMP in both groups of experimental rats with a significant increase in heart cyclic GMP in rats exposed to 10 Gy only. In contrast, myocardial cyclic GMP was significantly decreased in rats exposed to 4 Gy groups.

Effect of sexual cycle on red cell membrane permeability as revealed by influx of Rubidium-86 and adenosinetriphosphatase in female rats.

Red cell membrane permeability, as revealed by influx of Rubidium-86 and ATPase activity, was studied in different phases of sexual cycle in female rats and no significant changes have been found.

Molecular asymmetry in alkaline phosphatase of Escherichia coli.

Thermal inactivation of alkaline phosphatase of Escherichia coli has been studied at different temperatures (45 to 70 degrees C) and pHs (7.5, 9.0, and 10.0) for the commercial, buffer-dialyzed (pH 9.0) and EDTA-dialyzed (pH 9.0) enzymes. In each case, the inactivation exhibits biphasic kinetics consistent with the rate equation, (formula; see text) where A0 and A are activities at time zero and t, and k1 and k2 are first-order rate constants for the fast and slow phase, respectively. Values of k1 and k2 change independently with temperature, pH, and pretreatment (dialysis) of the enzyme. Time course of inactivation of the enzyme with excess EDTA and effect of Zn2+ ion concentration on the activity of EDTA-dialyzed enzyme have been investigated. The data suggest that the dimeric enzyme protein has two types of catalytic sites which have equal catalytic efficiency (or specific activity) but differ in several other properties. Structural implications of these results have been discussed.

Effect of whole body gamma radiation on reduced glutathione contents of rat tissues.

Reduced glutathione (GSH) contents of blood, heart, liver and spleen were studied after one, four and seven days of irradiation in rats. Blood GSH in rats exposed to 4 Gy remained unaltered throughout, while animals exposed to 8 Gy showed significant decrease of blood GSH on the 8th day after exposure. Diminution of liver and heart GSH contents was observed initially in both groups of irradiated rats, while the reverse was noted in spleen GSH contents of experimental animals.