CASP8 promoter polymorphism is associated with high-risk HPV types and abnormal cytology but not with cervical cancer

Only a small fraction of women infected with human papillomavirus (HPV) progress to cervical cancer pointing to additional risk factors including host genetics that might play a role in development of cervical cancer. Caspase-8 (encoded by CASP8 gene) is crucial in generating cell death signals to eliminate potentially malignant cells. Genetic variation in CASP8 might influence the susceptibility to cancer. CASP8 -652 6N ins/del polymorphism has been previously reported to influence the progression to several cancers including cervical cancer. This polymorphism was investigated in 445 women of black African and Mixed Ancestry origin with invasive cervical cancer and 1,221 controls matched (1:3) by age, ethnicity, and domicile status. Genotyping for CASP8 -652 6N ins/del was done by PCR-RFLP. In the control women cervical disease was detected by cervical cytology. The CASP8 -652 6N del/del genotype did not show any significant association (P=0.948) with cervical cancer. Further analysis within the controls showed a weak association (P=0.048) of this polymorphism with abnormal cytology in both ethnicities and high-risk HPV infection (P=0.030) only in the black Africans. This is the first study of the role of CASP8 -652 6N ins/del polymorphism in cervical cancer in an African population. These results show that CASP8 -652 6N del/del genotype increases the risk of abnormal cytology and high-risk HPV infection but does not show an association with cervical cancer. This result points towards an important role of CASP8 in HPV infection and in the development of pre-cancers.     

Meconium peritonitis presenting as abdominal calcification: three cases with different pathology

Intra-abdominal calcification is uncommon in newborns and has several causes of which meconium peritonitis is the most frequent. Three neonates with intra-abdominal calcification as a complication of meconium peritonitis are presented. The types of meconium peritonitis were cystic, meconium pseudocyst and meconium ascites. Two required surgical intervention. Meconium peritonitis should be considered in newborns with intra-abdominal calcification.     

Role of laser therapy in post herpetic neuralgia

The efficacy of combi laser therpay was evaluated in fifty cases of post neuralgia (PHN) of different age groups (31 to 81 years) and with varying duration of illness from 2 months to 4 and a half years in the present study. The affected areas were irradiated from a distance of 5 cms. using the probe of 12x70 watts at a frequency of 1000 Hz. each area being exposed for a time period of 5 minutes and 6 seconds. In each case the combi laser therapy was given for 15 consecutive days and therapeutic effect of the therapy was evaluated after 5th, 10th and 15th laser application during the treatment with the help of visual analouge scale (VAS). Patients started responding to the therapy after an average of 3.28 laser applications and VAS steadily decreased as the therapy progressed. After completion of therapy, 43 (86%) out of 50 cases showed excellent relief (76-100%) and remaining 7 (14%) cases showed partial relief, 4(8%) cases with good relief (51-75%), 2 (4%) cases with fair relief (26-50%) and 1(2%) case with poor relief (1-25%). Partial relief in our 7 cases could be due to multiple factors like prolonged duration of illness, involvement of ophthalmic division of trigeminal nerve and formation of scarring and keloids. No side effects were observed during the treatment as well as duing the follow up period of 8 weeks.     

Landfill leachate: A study of its anaerobic mineralization and toxicity to methanogenesis

Leachate from municipal landfills represents a potential health risk to both surrounding ecosystems and human populations. Landfill leachate collected from a site in New Jersey was evaluated for its anaerobic biodegradability and toxicity to methanogenesis using two anaerobic bioassays. Chemical characterization of the leachate yielded the following results (mg/L): chemical oxygen demand (COD)=6478; dissolved oxygen (DO)=1.8–2.0; oil and grease=4.8; suspended solids=5.6; total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN)=215; total phosphorus=1.53; biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)=73 and pH=7.0–7.4. Anaerobic biodegradation of leachate as the sole source of carbon yielded methane production values greater than background over extended incubation periods with increasing concentration. However, increased concentrations of leachate produced a decrease in recovery of methane per kg COD amended. In a second assay, leachate toxicity was assessed by monitoring the suppression of methanogenesis in acetate and propionate amended cultures. Results of these assays indicate that concentrations of leachate greater than 10% produced a significant irreversible suppression of methanogenesis, while concentrations less than 10% showed enhanced methane production above background and active control. These results suggest that the leachate from this site contains a biodegradable fraction which can be partially mineralized under methanogenic conditions over extended periods of incubation. However, high concentrations in excess of 10% may be inhibitory to anaerobic methanogenic processes.