Nasopharyngeal carcinoma with spinal secondaries

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma has been reported to have a higher incidence of distant metastases as compared to other head and neck cancers. Distant metastases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma has been reported in the bones, lungs, liver, distant lymph nodes, brain and porta hepatis. This report presents a case of nasopharyngeal carcinoma with secondaries in the extradural space at the thoracic level of the spinal cord which hitherto has been an unreported site.     

Cytogenetic studies in Down syndrome.

Cytogenetic studies were carried out in 645 patients with Down syndrome. Free trisomy of chromosome 21 was present in 600 cases (93%). Translocation karyotypes were observed in 26 cases (4%). Seventeen patients (2.6%) had mosaicism. Two (0.3%) patients had additional karyotypic abnormalities along with trisomy 21.     

Detection of Microcalcification Clusters Using Hessian Matrix and Foveal Segmentation Method on Multiscale Analysis in Digital Mammograms

Mammography is the most efficient technique for detecting and diagnosing breast cancer. Clusters of microcalcifications have been mainly targeted as a reliable early sign of breast cancer and their earliest detection is essential to reduce the probability of mortality rate. Since the size of microcalcifications is very tiny and may be overlooked by the observing radiologist, we have developed a Computer Aided Diagnosis system for automatic and accurate cluster detection. A three-phased novel approach is presented in this paper. Firstly, regions of interest that corresponds to microcalcifications are identified. This can be achieved by analyzing the bandpass coefficients of the mammogram image. The suspicious regions are passed to the second phase, in which the nodular structured microcalcifications are detected based on eigenvalues of second order partial derivatives of the image and microcalcification pixels are segmented out by exploiting the foveal segmentation in multiscale analysis. Finally, by combining the responses coming out from the second order partial derivatives and the foveal method, potential microcalcifications are detected. The detection performance of the proposed method has been evaluated by using 370 mammograms. The detection method has a TP ratio of 97.76 % with 0.68 false positives per image. We have examined the performance of our computerized scheme using free-response operating characteristics curve.     

Association of IL17 and IL23R gene polymorphisms with rheumatic heart disease in South Indian population

ABSTRACT

Background: IL-23/Th17 signaling pathway plays a crucial role in the cell-mediated immune response against bacterial infections and also in the pathogenesis of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Recent studies indicate that Th17 cell-associated cytokines are involved in the progression and maintenance of valvular lesions in rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Variants in the genes of cytokines that are potentially involved in Th17 response may influence interindividual differences in their expression levels, thereby contributing to the pathogenesis of immune-mediated diseases such as RHD.

Objective: The aim of the study is to investigate the association of IL17A, IL17F, and IL23R gene variants with the risk perception of RHD.

Methods: A total of 225 individuals (99 RHD patients and 126 healthy siblings) were recruited for the study. The IL17A (rs2275913), IL17F (rs763780), and IL23R (rs10889677) polymorphisms were determined by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphisms and amplification-refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction methods, respectively.

Results: The frequency of IL17A (rs2275913) A/A genotype was significantly high in pooled RHD patients (odds ratio [OR] = 2.76; p_c = 0.021), rheumatic fever (RF) patients (OR = 14.5; p_c = 0.0001), and mitral valvular lesions patients (OR = 2.74; p_c = 0.039) when compared to healthy siblings. However, the IL17F (rs763780) and IL23R (rs10889677) polymorphisms did not show any association with RHD.

Conclusions: The results suggest that IL17A (rs2275913) polymorphism is associated with the development of RF/RHD in South Indian population. Further studies are required to substantiate the association of these genes with the disease risk.     

Laboratory study on larvicidal activity of indigenous plant extracts against <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anopheles subpictus</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Culex tritaeniorhynchus</Emphasis>

Anopheles subpictus and Culex tritaeniorhynchus have developed resistance to various synthetic insecticides, making its control increasingly difficult. Insecticides of botanical origin may serve as suitable alternative biocontrol techniques in the future. The leaf acetone, chloroform, ethyl acetate, hexane, and methanol extracts of Aegle marmelos (Linn.) Correa ex Roxb, Andrographis lineata Wallich ex Nees., Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Wall. ex Nees., Cocculus hirsutus (L.) Diels, Eclipta prostrata L., and Tagetes erecta L. were tested against fourth-instar larvae of malaria vector, A. subpictus Grassi and Japanese encephalitis vector, C. tritaeniorhynchus Giles (Diptera: Culicidae). All plant extracts showed moderate larvicidal effects after 24 h of exposure at 1,000 ppm; however, the highest larval mortality was found in leaf ethyl acetate of A. marmelos, E. prostrata, hexane, methanol of A. paniculata and C. hirsutus against the larvae of A. subpictus (LC₅₀ = 167.00, 78.28, 67.24, 142.83 ppm; LC₉₀ = 588.31, 360.75, 371.91, and 830.01 ppm) and against the larvae of C. tritaeniorhynchus (LC₅₀ = 99.03, 119.89, 88.50, 105.19 ppm; LC₉₀ = 479.23, 564.85, 416.39, and 507.86 ppm), respectively. These results suggest that the leaf hexane extract of A. paniculata and ethyl acetate extract of E. prostrata have the potential to be used as an ideal eco-friendly approach for the control of the A. subpictus and C. tritaeniorhynchus. Therefore, this study provides first report on the mosquito larvicidal activity of plant extracts against vectors from Southern India.     

Efficacy of larvicidal botanical extracts against <Emphasis Type="Italic">Culex quinquefasciatus</Emphasis> Say (Diptera: Culicidae)

The present study explored the effects of crude leaf acetone, chloroform, hot water, methanol, petroleum ether (60–80°C), and water extracts of Calotropis procera (Ait) R. Br., Canna indica L., Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Linn., Ipomoea carnea Jacq. spp. fistulosa Choisy, and Sarcostemma brevistigma Wight that were selected for investigating larvicidal potential against second and fourth instar larvae of the laboratory-reared mosquito species, Culex quinquefasciatus Say, in which the major lymphatic filariasis was used. All plant extracts showed moderate larvicidal effects after 24 h of exposure at 1,000 ppm; however, the highest larval mortality was found in leaf acetone, chloroform, methanol, and petroleum ether of C. indica (LC₅₀ = 29.62, 59.18, 40.77, and 44.38 ppm; LC₉₀ = 148.55, 267.87, 165.00, and 171.91 ppm) against second instar larvae (LC₅₀ = 121.88, 118.25, 69.76, and 56.31 ppm; LC₉₀ = 624.35, 573.93, 304.27, and 248.24 ppm) and against fourth instar larvae and acetone, hot water, methanol, and petroleum ether extracts of I. carnea (LC₅₀ = 61.17, 41.07, 41.82, and 39.32 ppm; LC₉₀ = 252.91, 142.67, 423.76, and 176.39 ppm) against second instar larvae (LC₅₀ = 145.37, 58.00, 163.81, and 41.75 ppm; LC₉₀ = 573.30, 181.10, 627.38, and 162.63 ppm) and against fourth instar larvae of C. quinquefasciatus, respectively. These results suggest that the acetone, methanol extracts of C. indica and hot water, petroleum ether extracts of I. carnea have the potential to be used as an ideal eco-friendly approach for the control of the major lymphatic filariasis vector, C. quinquefasciatus.     

Laboratory determination of efficacy of indigenous plant extracts for parasites control

The present study was based on assessments of the antiparasitic activities to determine the efficacies of acetone, chloroform, ethyl acetate, hexane, and methanol dried leaf, flower, and seed extracts of Achyranthes aspera L., Anisomeles malabarica (L.) R. Br., Gloriosa superba L., Psidium guajava L., Ricinus communis L., and Solanum trilobatum L. tested against the larvae of cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini 1887) (Acari: Ixodidae), sheep internal parasite Paramphistomum cervi (Zeder 1790) (Digenea: Paramphistomatidae) at 2,000 ppm and fourth instar larvae of Anopheles subpictus Grassi and Culex tritaeniorhynchus Giles (Diptera: Culicidae) at 1,000 ppm. All plant extracts showed moderate effects after 24 h of exposure; however, the highest parasite mortality was found in the leaf ethyl acetate extract of A. aspera, leaf methanol extract of A. malabarica, flower methanol extract of G. superba, and leaf methanol extract of R. communis against the larvae of R. microplus (LC₅₀ = 265.33, 95.97, 153.73, and 181.49 ppm; LC₉₀ = 1,130.18, 393.88, 1,794.25, and 1,829.94 ppm); leaf acetone and chloroform of A. malabarica, flower acetone extract of G. superba, and leaf chloroform and methanol of R. communis against the adult of P. cervi (LC₅₀ = 108.07, 106.69, 157.61, 69.44, and 168.24 ppm; LC₉₀ = 521.77, 463.94, 747.02, 256.52, and 809.45 ppm); leaf ethyl acetate extract of A. aspera, leaf chloroform extract of A. malabarica, flower methanol of G. superba, and leaf methanol extract of R. communis against the larvae of A. subpictus (LC₅₀ = 48.83, 135.36, 106.77, and 102.71 ppm; LC₉₀ = 225.36, 527.24, 471.90, and 483.04 ppm); and leaf ethyl acetate extract of A. aspera, leaf chloroform extract of A. malabarica, flower methanol extract of G. superba, and leaf methanol extract of R. communis against the larvae of C. tritaeniorhynchus (LC₅₀ = 68.27, 95.98, 59.51, and 93.94 ppm; LC₉₀ = 306.88, 393.83, 278.99, and 413.27 ppm), respectively. These results suggest that the leaf ethyl acetate extract of A. aspera, leaf acetone and chloroform extract of A. malabarica, flower methanol extract of G. superba, and leaf methanol extract of R. communis have the potential to be used as an ideal eco-friendly approach for the control of the R. microplus, P. cervi, A. subpictus, and C. tritaeniorhynchus. Therefore, this study provides the first report on the larvae and adult parasitic activity of crude solvent extracts, indigenous plants consumed by the natives in southern India.     

Screening for Lrrk2 G2019S and clinical comparison of Tunisian and North American Caucasian Parkinson's disease families.

Mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase-2 gene (LRRK2) are responsible for some forms of familial as well as sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD). The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency of a single pathogenic mutation (6055G > A) in the kinase domain of this gene in United States and Tunisian familial PD and to compare clinical characteristics between patients with and without the mutation. Standardized case report forms were used for clinical and demographic data collection. We investigated the frequency of the most common substitution of LRRK2 (G2019S, 6055G>A) and its impact on epidemiological and phenotypic features. The frequency of mutations in Tunisian families was 42% (38/91) and in U.S. families 2.6% (1/39), with the unique opportunity to compare homozygous (n = 23) and heterozygous (n = 109) Tunisian carriers of G2019S substitutions. Individuals with G2019S substitutions had an older age at onset but few other differences compared with families negative for the substitution. Patients with LRRK2 mutations had typical clinical features of PD. Comparisons between individuals with heterozygous and homozygous LRRK2 mutations suggested that gene dosage was not correlated with phenotypic differences; however, the estimated penetrance was greater in homozygotes across all age groups.