Low circulatory Fe and Se levels with a higher IL-6/IL-10 ratio provide nutritional immunity in tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis (TB) patients show dysregulated immunity, iron metabolism, and anemia. In this study, circulatory cytokines, trace metals, and iron-related proteins (hepcidin, ferroportin, transferrin, Dmt1, Nramp1, ferritin, ceruloplasmin, hemojuvelin, aconitase, and transferrin receptor) were monitored in case (active tuberculosis patients: ATB) and control (non-tuberculosis: NTB and healthy) study populations (n = 72, male: 100%, mean age, 42.94 years; range, 17-83 years). Using serum elemental and cytokine levels, a partial least square discriminate analysis model (PLS-DA) was built, which clustered ATB patients away from NTB and healthy controls. Based on the PLS-DA variable importance in projection (VIP) score and analysis of variance (ANOVA), 13 variables were selected as important biosignatures [IL-18, IL-10, IL-13, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-5, IL-12 (p70), IL-1ß, copper, zinc, selenium, iron, and aluminum]. Interestingly, low iron and selenium levels and high copper and aluminum levels were observed in ATB subjects. Low circulatory levels of transferrin, ferroportin, and hemojuvelin with higher ferritin and ceruloplasmin levels observed in ATB subjects demonstrate an altered iron metabolism, which partially resolved upon 6 months of anti-TB therapy. The identified biosignature in TB patients demonstrated perturbed iron homeostasis with anemia of inflammation, which could be useful targets for the development of host-directed adjunct therapeutics.

Whole-Genome Sequence of Drug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Strain S7, Isolated from a Patient with Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

Over the past decades, drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains have presented a significant challenge, with inadequate diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) cases. Here, we report the draft whole-genome sequence of drug-resistant M. tuberculosis strain S7, which was isolated from a patient from Tripura, India, who was diagnosed with pulmonary TB.

Hydatid cyst of liver: a case with an unusual clinical presentation.

Hydatid cyst caused by the parasite Echinococcus most commonly involve liver and usually presented with right hypochondrial pain which may be associated with jaundice, urticarial skin rashes, pruritus etc., We report here a case of 32 years old young lady who clinically presented with acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma of recent onset. Her chest x-ray was unremarkable except slightly pushed up diaphragm on right side. Ultrasonography of abdomen revealed a cyst in the right lobe of liver, suggestive of hydatid cyst. Following confirmation of diagnosis by computed tomography (CT)-guided Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) surgical resection of the cystic lesion was done. On subsequent follow up for one year she was found to be cured of bronchial asthma. This case of hepatic hydatid cyst is reported here for its unique clinical presentation exclusively with bronchial asthma which completely subsided with resection of the cyst.