Quantitative analysis of Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) cytokines and TLR expression to eyeworm (Oxyspirura petrowi) and caecal worm (Aulonocephalus pennula) glycoproteins

Helminth parasites have been a popular research topic due to their global prevalence and adverse effects on livestock and game species. The Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), a popular game bird in the USA, is one species subject to helminth infection and has been experiencing a decline of > 4% annually over recent decades. In the Rolling Plains Ecoregion of Texas, the eyeworm (Oxyspirura petrowi) and caecal worm (Aulonocephalus pennula) helminths are found to be highly prevalent in bobwhite. While there have been increasing studies on the prevalence, pathology, and phylogeny of the eyeworm and caecal worm, there is still a need to investigate the bobwhite immune response to infection. This study utilizes previously sequenced bobwhite cytokines and toll-like receptors to develop and optimize qPCR primers and measure gene expression in bobwhite intramuscularly challenged with eyeworm and caecal worm glycoproteins. For the challenge experiments, separate treatments of eyeworm and caecal worm glycoproteins were administered to bobwhite on day 1 and day 21. Measurements of primary and secondary immune responses were taken at day 7 and day 28, respectively. Using the successfully optimized qPCR primers for TLR7, IL1β, IL6, IFNα, IFNγ, IL10, and β-actin, the gene expression analysis from the challenge experiments revealed that there was a measurable immune reaction in bobwhite in response to the intramuscular challenge of eyeworm and caecal worm glycoproteins.

     

Liver adenomatosis.

A 27-year-old man presented with 2 months' history of right hypochondrial pain, fever and mild transient pruritus. On examination, he had firm, nontender and nodular hepatomegaly. Imaging modalities showed multiple heterogeneous lesions of varying size in the liver. Liver biopsy was consistent with hepatocellular adenoma.     

Hepatobiliary phaeohyphomycosis with secondary biliary cirrhosis.

We report a case of systemic phaeohyphomycosis in a 13-year old girl. The clinical presentation was with fever, weight loss, cholestatic jaundice with hepatosplenomegaly and generalized lymphadenopathy. The patient was diagnosed initially as tuberculous adenitis and was on antituberculous therapy, but with worsening of symptoms. Lymph node and liver biopsy showed granuloma with fungal hyphae suggestive of phaeohyphomycosis. The patient responded to antifungal therapy. Later she developed secondary biliary cirrhosis with cholangitis due to long stricture of the common bile duct and common hepatic duct requiring biliary stenting. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on phaeohyphomycosis causing biliary cirrhosis in the English lilterature.     

Predictors of Mortality in Acute Renal Failure in a Developing Country: A Prospective Study

Acute renal failure (ARF) occurs in wide range of conditions, making the evaluation of its prognosis a difficult task. Data regarding prognostic factors in ARF in a general population in developing countries are scarce. The objective of the study was to describe predictors of mortality in ARF that are relevant in the developing world. This prospective study was carried out over a one-year period; all hospitalized adults with ARF were included in the study. Predictors of mortality studied included causes of ARF, pre-existing diseases, and severity as well as complications of ARF. Of 33,301 patients admitted during the study period, 294 (0.88%) were either admitted with or developed ARF after hospitalization. Mean age was 43.9 ± 16.9 (18–86 yrs). Sepsis was the most common cause (63.26%). Pre-existing diseases like cardiovascular disease (CVSD), respiratory system disease (RSD), central nervous system disease (CNSD), hypertension, diabetet mellitus (DM), and malignancy were significantly higher in elderly as compared to younger patients. On univariate analysis sepsis, hypoperfusion as a cause of ARF and hospital-acquired ARF were associated with higher mortality. Pre-existing diseases viz. RSD, CVSD, CNSD, and DM had higher mortality. Among the severity and complications of ARF, oliguria, bleeding and infection during the course of ARF and critical illness were predictors of poor outcome. Age >60 yrs was associated with significantly higher mortality. However, on multivariate analysis, only critical illness (odds ratio 37.3), age > 60 years (odds ratio of 5.6), and sepsis as cause of ARF (odds ratio of 2.6) were found to be independent predictors of mortality.