Visceral and post-Kala-Azar dermal leishmaniasis isolates show significant difference in their in vitro drug susceptibility pattern

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) remains a major health problem in old world, and India accounts for half of the world burden. The widespread emergence of resistance to standard drug in India poses a major obstacle in the control of leishmaniasis. Post-Kala-Azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is considered as main source of drug resistance. Experimental data indicate that resistance against newer drugs is also imminent. Therefore, in vitro studies were carried out to test minimum parasiticidal concentration of five conventional and newly introduced anti-leishmanial drugs against 20 field isolates of Leishmania donovani obtained from visceral and post-Kala-Azar dermal leishmaniasis patients of India. Study revealed wide range of variation in minimum inhibitory concentration of sodium antimony gluconate (SAG). PKDL isolates displayed significantly lower susceptibility to SAG and miltefosine than VL isolates with P value of 0.0006 and 0.0243, respectively. All clinical isolates had higher IC₅₀ value for paromomycin and miltefosine as compared to reference strain indicating their vulnerability to develop unresponsiveness. However, isolates were uniformly susceptible to pentamidine and amphotericin B. The results of gene expression analysis of AQP1 were largely in agreement with phenotypic drug sensitivity results. Interestingly, significant down-regulation of AQP1 was observed in PKDL isolates as compared to VL isolates indicating their increased propensity for drug unresponsiveness. However, no significant difference in mRNA expression of LdMT and LdRos3 gene was found for two groups. The present study unravels valuable baseline scientific data showing variation in the drug susceptibility pattern in the L. donovani isolates. The information might have impact on the management and control of Indian visceral leishmaniasis.     

Gastric neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia and type 1 tumours occurring within gastric hyperplastic polyps

We wish to highlight the unusual occurrence of gastric neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia and type I neuroendocrine tumours within three hyperplastic polyps. In all cases, the neuroendocrine component was present within and between the hyperplastic foveolar glands of the polyps and overall formed the minor part of the polyps. Two of the patients presented with epigastric pain and the other with fatigue from anaemia, and on endoscopy, all three were found to have superficially ulcerated gastric polyps in the body (cases 1 and 2) and fundus (case 3). Two of the cases had serologically proven autoimmune atrophic gastritis, while the third case had histological evidence of an atrophic gastritis, most likely also autoimmune in aetiology. Cases 1 and 3 had single hyperplastic polyps, while case 2 had three polyps. All polyps showed linear neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia within hyperplastic foveolar epithelium both at the surface and within deeper-situated glands. Neuroendocrine immunohistochemistry highlighted the neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia. The bulk of the neuroendocrine component was restricted to hyperplastic mucosa forming the polyps. Non-hyperplastic adjacent mucosa showed less prominent neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia. It is unclear whether the two pathologies occurred simultaneously or independently. The common feature and causal link is atrophic gastritis, which predisposed the gastric mucosa to the development of both neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia and tumours, and hyperplastic polyps.     

Symptoms of psychological distress reported by women from indigenous communities in South India: implications for methodology and future studies

Archives of Women's Mental Health - ‘Indigenous peoples’ across the globe suffer a disproportionate burden of mental illness. However, this burden is not fully explored in India...     

Relationship between reduced folate carrier gene polymorphism and non-syndromic cleft lip and palate in Indian population

Objective: Folate metabolism involves absorption, transport, modifications and interconversions of folates. The reduced folate carrier does not participate directly in folate metabolism but plays a major role in intracellular transport of metabolically active 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and maintains the intracellular concentrations of folate. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of reduced folate carrier 1 (RFC1) A80G polymorphism and to further delineate its association with non-syndromic cleft lip and palate (NSCLP) in a south Indian population.

Methods: In the present case-control study, we studied RFC1 gene A80G polymorphism to evaluate its impact on NSCLP risk in south Indian population. Blood samples of 142 cases with NSCLP and 141 controls were collected and genotyped using PCR-RFLP.

Results: The genotype distribution in the control group followed Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (p?=?0.633). The G allele frequency of cases was 64.8% (184/284) and was significantly lower than that found in the control group 56.4% (160/282). The genotype distributions between NSCLP cases and controls was not significantly different (p?=?0.131). The allelic model significantly increased the risk of NSCLP (G versus A; OR?=?1.40; 95% CI: 1.00–1.97; p?=?0.050). In subgroup analysis, the A80G variant showed significant association for the CLP group in dominant and allelic models.

Conclusions: Altogether, our findings support the hypothesis that RFC1 A80G variant may contribute to NSCLP susceptibility in a south Indian population.     

Characterization of microsatellite loci for Cypripedium kentuckiense (Orchidaceae)

Cypripedium kentuckiense is one of the 15 Cypripedium species found in North America. Its populations are threatened by illegal collection and land conversion. Assessing the level of genetic variation within-and-among populations employing species-specific and variable co-dominant molecular markers such as microsatellite can assist in developing appropriate conservation strategies. For the first time, we report eight polymorphic nuclear microsatellite markers for C. kentuckiense. Number of alleles per locus ranged from two to eight and the mean number of alleles across eight loci was 4.13. Mean observed (H _o ) and expected heterozygosity (H _e ) values were 0.514 and 0.522, respectively. The eight markers reported in this study can be used to estimate genetic diversity, genetic structure, gene flow, and mating system of the species.     

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of female breast: A case report

INTRODUCTIONAdenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the breast is a rare neoplasm accounting for 0.1% of breast carcinomas.PRESENTATION OF CASEA 30 year old female patient presented with multiple lumps in the right breast. Excision biopsy of a lump in the lower outer quadrant revealed adenoid cystic carcinoma. A right sided modified radical mastectomy (MRM) was performed, with axillary clearance. Histopathology revealed a fibroadenoma accounting for one mass and adenoid cystic carcinoma in another, confirmed on Periodic acid Schiff (PAS) staining. Three out of the eight excised axillary lymph nodes contained malignancy. There was no evidence of recurrence or distant spread at follow-up 6 months postoperatively.DISCUSSIONACC of the breast is a rare neoplasm accounting for 0.1% of breast carcinomas and is of special interest because of its favourable prognosis and distinctive histological appearance. This tumor occurs predominantly in women in their sixth decade and usually presents as a tender breast mass, often in the subareolar area though in our case it was not tender and presented as multiple lumps in the right breast. The diagnosis can be made on fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), but in our case FNAC was inconclusive. We performed MRM with axillary clearance, and three out eight lymph nodes proved positive for malignancy.CONCLUSIONACC is a rare malignant neoplasm. Surgical treatment is the mainstay with little role for radiotherapy and chemotherapy according to the published literature.