Risk factors for delayed graft function and their impact on graft outcomes in live donor kidney transplantation

International Urology and Nephrology - Delayed graft function (DGF) is a manifestation of acute kidney injury uniquely framed within the transplant process and a predictor of poor long-term graft...     

A breast lump that scares a doctor and the patient equally: unexpected and complicated surgical consequences of long-standing diabetes

Journal of Public Health - This study analyzes a number of diabetic mastopathy cases in long-standing type 1 diabetes to obtain a detailed history and examination findings from these patients and...     

Lateral flow assay for rapid serodiagnosis of bovine leptospirosis

Background:Leptospirosis is considered to be an economically important disease in bovine. The disease burden is not appropriately monitored due to cumbersome serological tests that could be performed only in established laboratories. This warrants the development of a field level rapid diagnostic test. Aims:The study aimed to develop a lateral flow assay (LFA)-based pen-side diagnostic test to detect antibodies to Leptospira. Methods:LFA strip was prepared with the heat extracted antigen from L. interrogans serovar Pomona. To assess the performance of the developed LFA, a total of 300 bovine serum samples with their clinical histories were used and the initial screening for Leptospira antibodies was performed by the standard microscopic agglutination test (MAT). The sensitivity, specificity, and agreement (kappa value) were calculated between developed LFA and MAT. The stability of LFA was evaluated on days 30, 60, 90, and 120. Results:Out of 300 samples tested, 225 were positive, and 75 were negative on MAT and 208 were positive, and 92 were negative on LFA. The developed LFA had a sensitivity of 90.7% and a specificity of 94.7%. The results of the assay were substantially in agreement with MAT, with a kappa value of 0.79. The LFA strips were stable for 120 days at 4°C. Conclusion:A Lateral flow assay-based rapid pen-side test was developed and its utility to diagnose bovine leptospirosis was evaluated.Key Words: Bovine, Immunochromatography, Lateral flow assay, Leptospirosis     

Normative data of retinal arteriolar and venular calibre measurements determined using confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy system – Importance and implications for study of cardiometabolic disorders

Purpose:To determine and validate retinal vascular caliber measurements by using the confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy system. Retinal vasculature changes are often regarded as clinical markers for systemic disease.Methods:It was a prospective observational study conducted on 600 eyes of 300 normal subjects with no systemic or ocular illness from January 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017 in a tertiary referral eye center. Non-mydriatic infrared reflectance, blue reflectance, and blue peak blue autofluorescence fundus imaging were done on the confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy system. The dimensions of the retinal vessels were measured using inbuilt calipers at 1800 mm from the center of the optic disc. Internal and external dimensions were measured. Observer variation and its comparison using Image J software were assessed.Results:The median age was 29 years (18–50 years). Mean internal and external diameters for arterioles were 85.1 ± 12.4 mm and 105.0 ± 12.0 mm, and for venules were 133.8 ± 16.6 mm and 145.4 ± 16.1 mm, respectively. The mean internal and external wall thicknesses were 19.7 ± 8.0 mm and 11.0 ± 5.6 mm, and wall thickness-to-lumen ratios were 0.3 ± 0.1 and 0.1 ± 0.1, respectively. Arteriolar-to-venular ratio for lumen and vessel was 0.66 ± 0.1 and 0.74 ± 0.1, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between age groups. Both inter- and intra-observer reproducibility was >95%. The Bland–Altman plot showed that the difference between measurements using both confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy and Image J software lies within the limits of agreement approximately 95% of the time.Conclusion:This is the first effort to develop a normative database by using a simple non-invasive confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy system with high observer reproducibility.     

Natural killer cells as a promising tool to tackle cancer—A review of sources,methodologies, and potentials

Immune cell-based therapies are emerging as a promising tool to tackle malignancies, both solid tumors and selected hematological tumors. Vast experiences in literature have documented their safety and added survival benefits when such cell-based therapies are combined with the existing treatment options. Numerous methodologies of processing and in vitro expansion protocols of immune cells, such as the dendritic cells, natural killer (NK) cells, NKT cells, αβ T cells, so-called activated T lymphocytes, γδ T cells, cytotoxic T lymphocytes, and lymphokine-activated killer cells, have been reported for use in cell-based therapies. Among this handful of immune cells of significance, the NK cells stand apart from the rest for not only their direct cytotoxic ability against cancer cells but also their added advantage, which includes their capability of (i) action through both innate and adaptive immune mechanism, (ii) tackling viruses too, giving benefits in conditions where viral infections culminate in cancer, and (iii) destroying cancer stem cells, thereby preventing resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This review thoroughly analyses the sources of such NK cells, methods for expansion, and the future potentials of taking the in vitro expanded allogeneic NK cells with good cytotoxic ability as a drug for treating cancer and/or viral infection and even as a prophylactic tool for prevention of cancer after initial remission.     

Evaluation of Hybridization Capture Versus Amplicon‐Based Methods for Whole‐Exome Sequencing

Next‐generation sequencing has aided characterization of genomic variation. While whole‐genome sequencing may capture all possible mutations, whole‐exome sequencing remains cost‐effective and captures most phenotype‐altering mutations. Initial strategies for exome enrichment utilized a hybridization‐based capture approach. Recently, amplicon‐based methods were designed to simplify preparation and utilize smaller DNA inputs. We evaluated two hybridization capture‐based and two amplicon‐based whole‐exome sequencing approaches, utilizing both Illumina and Ion Torrent sequencers, comparing on‐target alignment, uniformity, and variant calling. While the amplicon methods had higher on‐target rates, the hybridization capture‐based approaches demonstrated better uniformity. All methods identified many of the same single‐nucleotide variants, but each amplicon‐based method missed variants detected by the other three methods and reported additional variants discordant with all three other technologies. Many of these potential false positives or negatives appear to result from limited coverage, low variant frequency, vicinity to read starts/ends, or the need for platform‐specific variant calling algorithms. All methods demonstrated effective copy‐number variant calling when evaluated against a single‐nucleotide polymorphism array. This study illustrates some differences between whole‐exome sequencing approaches, highlights the need for selecting appropriate variant calling based on capture method, and will aid laboratories in selecting their preferred approach.     

Bioactive nano‐fibrous scaffold for vascularized craniofacial bone regeneration

There has been a growing demand for bone grafts for correction of bone defects in complicated fractures or tumours in the craniofacial region. Soft flexible membrane like material that could be inserted into defect by less invasive approaches; promote osteoconductivity and act as a barrier to soft tissue in growth while promoting bone formation is an attractive option for this region. Electrospinning has recently emerged as one of the most promising techniques for fabrication of extracellular matrix such as nano‐fibrous scaffolds that can serve as a template for bone formation. To overcome the limitation of cell penetration of electrospun scaffolds and improve on its osteoconductive nature, in this study, we fabricated a novel electrospun composite scaffold of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)‐poly (ε) caprolactone (PCL)‐Hydroxyapatite based bioceramic (HAB), namely, PVA‐PCL‐HAB. The scaffold prepared by dual electrospinning of PVA and PCL with HAB overcomes reduced cell attachment associated with hydrophobic PCL by combination with a hydrophilic PVA and the HAB can contribute to enhance osteoconductivity. We characterized the physicochemical and biocompatibility properties of the new scaffold material. Our results indicate PVA‐PCL‐HAB scaffolds support attachment and growth of stromal stem cells; [human bone marrow skeletal (mesenchymal) stem cells and dental pulp stem cells]. In addition, the scaffold supported in vitro osteogenic differentiation and in vivo vascularized bone formation. Thus, PVA‐PCL‐HAB scaffold is a suitable potential material for therapeutic bone regeneration in dentistry and orthopaedics.     

Utility of urinary progranulin in patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy and its correlation with renal function

International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries - Urinary progranulin is an inflammatory marker that may indicate renal damage at an early stage of diabetic nephropathy. To determine...     

Statistical Optimization of Bioprocess Parameters for Improved Production of L-Asparaginase from Lactobacillus plantarum

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences - L-asparaginase (ASNase), a tetrameric enzyme, holds comprehensive applications in food industries as a...