Förster resonance energy transfer among a structural isomer of adenine and various Coumarins inside a nanosized reverse micelle.

In this article we have studied Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) using 2-aminopurine (2-AP), a structural isomer of adenine as donor and various Coumarins as acceptors inside AROSOL-OT (AOT)-water reverse micelles (RM) using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopies. We have used three sets of FRET and all the pairs except 2-AP-Coumarin-480 exhibited quite efficient FRET. For the efficient pairs, overlap integral J(λ) and Förster distance (R0) are of high values but the rate constant of energy transfer (kET) are quite low. The rate is gradually amplified with increase in water content for the 2-AP-Coumarin-440 pair while the reverse is observed for 2-AP-Coumarin-460. In future our FRET pair can be used in more modified and sophisticated confined media such as biomembranes of varying size, physical properties and chemical compositions etc.

Anticyclic citrullinated peptide autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease with protean manifestation. Arthritis is one of the most common manifestations seen in SLE. Anti-CCP Ab is a recently described autoantibody that has been claimed as a most sensitive and specific marker for the diagnosis of RA. Study was performed to see whether anti-CCP2 Ab is positive in lupus arthritis or not. Anti-CCP Ab, ANA, ds DNA, and APLA were estimated by ELISA. Anti-CCP2 Ab was positive in 22 cases (37.93%) of SLE. Mean value of anti-CCP (18.08±16.95 U/ml) was statistically significant (P<0.001) when compared to control (5.07±U/ml). A total of 44 (75.86%) patients with SLE had arthritis. In 29 (50.00%) cases, arthritis resembled RA along with classical features of SLE, while 15 cases (25.86%) had nonspecific lupus arthritis. In 13 cases (44.82%) of RA type lupus arthritis, anti-CCP2 Ab was positive, while only three (20%) nonspecific lupus arthritis cases had elevated anti-CCP. In 14 (24.13) patients with SLE, there was no arthritis, but in this group also (6/14) 42.85% cases had elevated anti-CCP. A total of 11 (50%) patients with duration less than 1 year had more anti-CCP 2 positivity when compared to disease duration between 1 and 3 years (27.27%) and disease duration more than 3 years (22.72%), but specifically, it was not significant. Our study concludes that anti-CCP2 is not a specific antibody for RA, but it is present in autoimmune diseases.

Is rheumatoid factor still a superior test for the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis?

The diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is based primarily on the 1987 revised American College of Rheumatology criteria for RA, which considers mainly the clinical symptoms. But typical clinical symptoms of RA are not manifested completely in early disease course. On the other hand, appreciable advantages have been made in the therapeutic strategy of RA in the last decade and highly effective disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs are available now for the control of RA. The treatment strategy for the control of early RA is aggressive. Thus, a highly specific and early diagnostic marker is needed for the detection of RA. Our study is an attempt to see the role of anti-CCP2 antibody (claimed to be highly specific and early diagnostic tool) in the diagnosis of RA. We studied 119 cases of RA in terms of clinical symptoms, disease duration and various autoantibody [including rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-CCP2 antibody, antinuclear antibody, anti-dsDNA] and C-reactive protein status. All the tests were also performed in 26 age and sex-matched healthy controls. Estimation of antibodies was done by quantitative ELISA. IgM RF was positive in 47.89% cases (p value = 0.000), followed by IgG RF (42.01%, p = 0.000) and IgA RF (36.97%, p = 0.000). RF was positive in 64.7% RA cases (p value = 0.000) when all three isotypes were tested together. RF was also detected in one healthy control. In 92 cases, anti-CCP2 Ab was done, hence other data were analyzed further in 92 cases only. Anti-CCP2 Ab was positive (cut-off = 15.0 U/ml) in only 50% RA patients but none of the healthy controls was positive for it. Swelling of joints was seen in 82.6% anti-CCP2 Ab positive cases (p value = 0.092) when compared with anti-CCP2 Ab negative cases (67.4%) while among RF positive cases, only 65.4% ((p value = 0.010) cases had swelling of joints. Out of 39 RA cases presenting with disease duration less than 1 year, only 48.71% patients were anti-CCP2 Ab positive while RF was positive in 61.53% patients. Utility of various combined autoantibody tests revealed that if one does all isotypes of RF (IgG, IgA and IgM) only, then 64.7% RA cases can be diagnosed and if anti-CCP2 Ab is added to it, the sensitivity increases to 75.56%. Thus, our study concludes that anti-CCP2 Ab is not a sensitive test for the diagnosis of RA neither it is useful in early diagnosis of RA, but it increases the sensitivity if added with all RF isotypes.

A molecular magnet confined in the nanocage of a globular protein.

The effect of confinement and energy transfer on the dynamics of a molecular magnet, known as a model system to study quantum coherence, is investigated. For this purpose the well-known polyoxovanadate [V(15)As(6)O(42)(H(2)O)](6-) (V(15)) is incorporated into a protein (human serum albumin, HSA) cavity. Due to a huge overlap of the optical absorption spectrum of V(15) with the emission spectrum of a fluorescence center of HSA (containing a single tryptophan residue), energy transfer is induced and probed by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence. The geometrical coordination and the distance of the confined V(15) to the tryptophan moiety of HSA are investigated at various temperatures. This effect is used as a local probe for the thermal denaturation of the protein at elevated temperatures.

Prevalence and pattern of congenital heart disease in school children of eastern Uttar Pradesh.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The prevalence of congenital heart disease (CHD) is not known in our country. The aim of present study was to find out the prevalence of CHD in school children of eastern Uttar Pradesh. METHOD: A team consisting of a cardiologist, physicians and junior residents visited schools in the area. All the children were examined for presence of cardiac murmur or history of heart disease or any intervention. Those with murmurs or previous history of heart disease were called to the Medical College Hospital for evaluation by ECG, chest X-ray and echocardiography for confirmation of the lesion. RESULTS: Out of 118,212 children examined, 142 were found to have CHD. The prevalence was 1.3 per 1000 children and the commonest lesions were ventricular and atrial septal defects, aortic stenosis with or without regurgitation, and pulmonary stenosis. CONCLUSION: CHD prevalence is 1.3 per 1000 school children that is nearly two and a half times more than that of RHD. Knowing it is important for development of facilities for CHD care in our setup.