Coronin-1 levels in patients with tuberculosis.

Background & objectives: Despite advances in diagnostics and therapeutics, tuberculosis (TB) is widely prevalent and contributes to a significant burden of illness in both developing and developed nations. The present study was aimed to assess the role of coronin in TB patients and healthy controls. Coronin is a leucocyte-specific protein that is actively recruited in mycobacterial phagolysosomes, where it inhibits lysosomal delivery of Mycobacterium by activating a calcium-dependent phosphatase-calcineurin. Methods: In the study, 100 newly diagnosed cases of TB (pulmonary and extra-pulmonary) and healthy controls were prospectively enrolled over one year and the levels of coronin-1a in these patients and controls were measured by quantitative PCR (qPCR). Results: A total of 100 TB patients and 100 healthy individuals as controls were assessed. There were 59 patients with extra-pulmonary TB (EPTB) and 41 of pulmonary TB (PTB). In 47 per cent of patients, corroborative histopathological evidence of TB was also available. Significantly higher values of coronin-1a were observed in TB patients (19.94±2.61) than in healthy controls (16.09±1.91) (P<0.001). Interpretation & conclusions: Coronin 1a appears to play an important role in the TB disease pathophysiology and agents developed against coronin may have a role in the treatment of TB. Further studies are required to assess if coronin-1a levels are elevated in non-tubercular infective a etiologies and whether these can be a potential drug target in patients with TB.

Multilocus Sequence Typing of Clinical Isolates of Cryptococcus from India.

Cryptococcosis is a life-threatening infection caused by Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii species complex. In the present study, to understand the molecular epidemiology of 208 clinical isolates of Cryptococcus from different parts of India, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) using ISHAM MLST consensus scheme for C. neoformans/C. gattii species complex was used. MLST analysis yielded a total of 10 Sequence Types (STs)-7 STs for C. neoformans and 3 for C. gattii species complex. The majority of isolates identified as C. neoformans belonged to molecular type VNI with predominant STs 31 and 93. Only 3 isolates of C. gattii species complex were obtained, belonging to ST58 and ST215 of VGI and ST69 of VGIV. Phylogenetic analysis revealed less diversity among the clinical Indian isolates compared to the global MLST database. No association between prevalent STs and HIV status, geographical origin or minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) could be established.

Molecular characterization & epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii collected across India.

Background & objectives: Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen responsible for causing nosocomial infections. A. baumannii develops resistance to various antimicrobial agents including carbapenems, thereby complicating the treatment. This study was performed to characterize the isolates for the presence of various ß-lactamases encoding genes and to type the isolates to compare our clones with the existing international clones across five centres in India. Methods: A total 75 non-repetitive clinical isolates of A. baumannii from five different centres were included in this study. All the isolates were confirmed as A. baumannii by bl aOXA-51-likePCR. Multiplex PCR was performed to identify the presence of extended spectrum ß-lactamases (ESBL) and carbapenemases. Multilocus sequence typing was performed to find the sequence type (ST) of the isolates. e-BURST analysis was done to assign each ST into respective clonal complex. Results: blaOXA-51-likewas present in all the 75 isolates. The predominant Class D carbapenemase was blaOXA-23-likefollowed by Class B carbapenemase, blaNDM-like. Class A carbapenemase was not observed. blaPER-likewas the predominant extended spectrum ß-lactamase. ST-848, ST-451 and ST-195 were the most common STs. Eight-novel STs were identified. e-BURST analysis showed that the 75 A. baumannii isolates were clustered into seven clonal complexes and four singletons, of which, clonal complex 208 was the largest. Interpretation & conclusions: Most of the isolates were grouped under clonal complex 208 which belongs to the international clonal lineage 2. High occurrence of ST-848 carrying blaOXA-23-likegene suggested that ST-848 could be an emerging lineage spreading carbapenem resistance in India.

Impact of HIV infection and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on B cell subpopulations in children.

B-cells play an important role in defending children against various infections. In view of scare data, we undertook this prospective cohort study to describe B cell compartment in HIV infected children (<5 years of age) and the effect of HAART on B cell subpopulations. HIV infected children (<5 years) from Pediatric HIV services of the Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, were recruited (April 2012-December 2015). The enrolled HIV-1 infected children (n = 59) were followed up regularly for 12 months; healthy controls (n = 51) included HIV uninfected children with no major illness. Flow cytometry was performed on fresh EDTA-treated blood samples to characterize B cell subpopulations. In HIV-infected children, marked depletion of naive (P = 0.003), non-switched memory (P = 0.02), mature (P = 0.0005), resting memory (P < 0.0001) B cells, and expansion of double negative memory (P < 0.0001), activated memory (P < 0.0001) and tissue like memory (P < 0.0001) B cells were observed as compared to healthy controls. In children started on HAART, at the end of 12 months of therapy, frequencies of non-switched memory (P = 0.04), switched memory (P = 0.01), and resting memory (P = 0.003) B cells were lower; activated memory (P = 0.04), and tissue-like memory (P = 0.0001) B cells were still higher than healthy controls. HIV infection resulted in reduced memory B cells in HIV infected children. Following HAART, there was normalization of some B cell subpopulations. The study emphasizes the need of re-vaccination in HIV infected children to maintain the memory B cell pool and adequate humoral immune response against infections.

Evolution of cross-neutralizing antibodies and mapping epitope specificity in plasma of chronic HIV-1-infected antiretroviral therapy-naïve children from India.

Delineating the factors leading to the development of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) during natural HIV-1 infection and dissecting their epitope specificities generates useful information for vaccine design. This is the first longitudinal study to assess the plasma-neutralizing antibody response and neutralizing determinants in HIV-1-infected children from India. We enrolled 26 and followed up 20 antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naïve, asymptomatic, chronic HIV-1-infected children. Five (19.2 %) baseline and 10 (50 %) follow-up plasma samples neutralized ≥50 % of subtypes A, B and C tier 2 viruses at an ID50 titre ≥150. A modest improvement in neutralization breadth and potency was observed with time. At baseline, subtype C-specific neutralization predominated (P=0.026); interestingly, follow-up samples exhibited cross-neutralizing activity. Epitope mapping revealed V3C reactive antibodies with significantly increased Max50 binding titres in follow-up samples from five infected children; patient #4's plasma antibodies exhibited V3-directed neutralization. A salient observation was the presence of CD4 binding site (CD4bs)-specific NAbs in patient #18 that improved with time (1.76-fold). The RSC3 wild-type (RSC3WT) protein-depleted plasma eluate of patient #18 demonstrated a more than 50% ID50 decrease in neutralization capacity against five HIV-1 pseudoviruses. Further, the presence of CD4bs-neutralizing determinants in patient #18's plasma was confirmed by the neutralizing activity demonstrated by the CD4bs-directed IgG fraction purified from this plasma, and competition with sCD4 against JRFLgp120, identifying this paediatric donor as a potential candidate for the isolation of CD4bs-directed bnAbs. Overall, we observed a relative increase in plasma-neutralizing activity with time in HIV-1-infected children, which suggests that the bnAbs evolve.

Antimicrobial efficacy of eravacycline against emerging extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Acinetobacter baumannii isolates.

PURPOSE: Drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii is an emerging threat. This study has been conducted to observe the efficacy of eravacycline along with the RND-efflux pump system. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was done collecting 48 clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii. MICs of 15 antibiotics were detected along with BMD of tigecycline and eravacycline. PCR products of drug-resistant regulatory genes were sequenced and analyzed. RESULTS: Of the total 48 Isolates, 35 (72.91%) were XDR and 13 (27.08%) were MDR. Out of all, 60.41% of isolates were found to be susceptible to eravacycline by BMD according to both FDA and EUCAST guidelines. A 2-fold decline of MIC50/90 was observed with the use of eravacycline compared to tigecycline. RND-efflux genes like AdeC in 30 (62.5%) isolates and Regulatory gene AdeS in 29 (60.41%) isolates were detected, explaining the existing resistance mechanism. CONCLUSIONS: XDR Acinetobacter poses an escalating threat due to its resistance to multiple antibiotics, raising serious concerns in healthcare settings. Eravacycline is an encouraging new drug for empirical use in severe infection caused due to the same. Molecular investigation and strict antimicrobial stewardship should be followed to control the emergence, and a better understanding of mechanisms of resistance to prevent the spread of drug-resistant isolates.

Prospective study estimating healthcare associated infections in a paediatric hemato-oncology unit of a tertiary care hospital in North India.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Healthcare associated infections (HAIs) are responsible for morbidity and mortality among immunocompromised and critically ill patients. We undertook this study to estimate the burden of HAIs in the paediatric cancer patients in a tertiary care hospital in north India. METHODS: This prospective, observational study, based on active surveillance for a period of 11 months was undertaken in a 4-bedded isolated, cubicle for paediatric cancer patients. Patients who stayed in the cubicle for ≥48 h, were followed prospectively for the development of HAIs. RESULTS: Of the 138 patients, 13 developed 14 episodes of HAIs during the study period. Patient-days calculated were 1273 days. Crude infection rate (CIR) and incidence density (ID) of all HAIs were 9.4/100 patients and 11/1000 patient-days, respectively. Of the 14 episodes of HAIs, seven (50%) were of blood stream infections (HA-BSI), five (36%) of pneumonia (HAP) and two (14%) urinary tract infections (HA-UTI). The CIRs of HA-BSI, HAP and HA-UTI were 5.1, 3.6 and 1.4/100 patients, respectively. The corresponding IDs were 5.5, 3.9 and 1.6/1000 patient-days, respectively. Mean length of stay was significantly higher in patients who developed an HAI [13.8 (range 7-30), median (Interquartile range) 12 (11-14)] vs 7.5 days [range 2-28, median (interquartile range) 7 (5-9); P<0.0001]. Also mortality was significantly higher in patients who developed an HAI [23% (3/13) vs 3% (4/125), P<0.05]. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of HAIs in the paediatric cancer patients in the study was 11/1000 patient days, of which HA-BSIs were the commonest. HAIs were associated with an increase in morbidity and mortality amongst this high risk patient population.

Characterization of nasopharyngeal isolates of type b Haemophilus influenzae from Delhi.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Haemophilus influenzae is an important cause of mortality and morbidity among young children in developing countries. Increasing incidence of antibiotic resistance especially production of extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) has made treatment and management of H. influenzae infection more difficult. Nasopharyngeal H. influenzae isolates are excellent surrogate for determination of antibiotic resistance prevalent among invasive H. influenzae isolates. In this study, we characterized nasopharyngeal H. influenzae isolates obtained from healthy school going children in Delhi. METHODS: Nasopharyngeal H. influenzae isolates were collected from healthy school going children and subjected to serotyping, fimbrial typing and antibiogram profiling. ESBL production was recorded using phenotypic as well as molecular methods. Multi locus sequence typing (MLST) of 13 representative nasopharyngeal H. influenzae isolates was performed as per guidelines. RESULTS: A significant proportion (26 of 80, 32.5%) of nasopharyngeal isolates of H. influenzae were identified as serotype b. Fimbrial gene (hifA) was detected in 23 (28.75%) isolates. Resistance against commonly prescribed antibiotics (Amp, Tet, Chloro, Septran, Cephalexin) were observed to be high among the nasopharyngeal commensal H. influenzae. Extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) production was observed in a five (6.25%) isolates by both double disk diffusion and molecular typing. MLST identified several novel alleles as well as novel sequence types. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed high resistance against common antibiotics and detection of ESBL in nasopharyngeal H. influenzae isolates collected from normal healthy school going children in Delhi. Detection of H. influenzae type b capsular gene and the presence of fimbrial gene (hif A) suggest virulence potential of these isolates. Discovery of novel alleles and presence of new sequence types (STs) among nasopharyngeal H. influenzae isolates may suggest wider genetic diversity.

Clinical use of multiplex-PCR for the diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis.

Background and Objectives: Prompt and accurate diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) is critical for patient management. We designed and evaluated two sets of multiplex-PCR assays for the simultaneous detection of six major etiologies of ABM i.e., Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae type b, and Neisseria meningitidis in one set and Listeria monocytogenes, Streptococcus agalactiae, and Escherichia coli in another set of multiplex-PCR in CSF of patients with suspected ABM. Methods: A total of 113 CSF specimens from patients of all ages having clinical features suggestive of meningitis were tested for bacteriological evidence by Gram's smear, culture, and our designed multiplex-PCR. Results: Multiplex-PCR assay performed excellently by increasing the overall detection rate by 6% when compared to culture as of total 113 samples tested, 17 (15%) were positive by multiplex-PCR whereas only 9% (10/113) were positive by culture. It detected the DNA in eight culture negative samples revealing the presence of S. pneumoniae in three and other possible bacterial pathogens in five of them. Our assay showed a DNA detection limit of 1 pg/µL. Compared to CSF culture, the sensitivity and specificity of the multiplex-PCR were 90% and 92.2%, respectively. Conclusion: This study accentuates the importance of multiplex-PCR assay that is efficiently fast and reliable for the diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis that can substantially improve the diagnosis in culture negative cases, especially in patients who were previously started on antimicrobial therapy.

Decoding intrathecal immunoglobulins and B cells in the CNS: their synthesis, function, and regulation.

The discovery of an active lymphatic system in the meninges (dura mater) has opened up a wide range of possibilities for the role of CNS immunoglobulins in brain development in early fetal life or during infancy. The antibody-dependent and -independent functions of B cells in the immunopathogenesis of multiple sclerosis are not new to immunologists, yet their role in other neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease is incompletely understood. Deep cervical lymph nodes have emerged as a candidate site for autosensitization against CNS antigens and have been shown to provide the right kind of milieu for the dynamic interaction of antigen-presenting cells, B cells, and T cells. The presence of different B cells in the lymph nodes and the production of natural autoantibodies by B-1 cells have definitely unlocked another piece of the puzzle. At a time when CD19 and CD20 monoclonal antibodies have shown remarkable results in ameliorating the relapse and progression of multiple sclerosis, it is imperative to dissect out the diversity in B cell populations inside the CNS to identify new targets to improve current treatment regimens for neurodegenerative diseases. This review highlights the origin, migration, function, and regulation of B cells and the production of intrathecal immunoglobulins considering the previous and current findings and taking into account the differences between a healthy state and the changes that occur during an inflammatory or autoimmune response.

Toll like receptors (TLRs) in response to human gut microbiota of Indian obese and lean individuals.

BACKGROUND: The rising incidence of obesity is one of the most serious public health issues in the developed as well as in developing countries like India. Obesity and overweight are most important risk factors for many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer. In this study the body mass index (BMI) cut off was taken as 18.5-22.9 kg/m2 for normal, 23.0-24.9 kg/m2 for Overweight and >25 kg/m2 for obese as per WHO recommendation for Asian Indians, which is different for developed and developing countries. Role of gut microbiota mediated immune response in the development of obesity has been studied but the literature on Indian population are lacking. Therefore, a study was conducted to determine Toll like receptors (TLRs) in response to human gut microbiota of Indian obese and lean individuals using viable colonocytes in a Non invasive technique and Flowcytometry. METHODS: A total of 20 healthy volunteer (10 obese and 10 lean) were enrolled in the study as per inclusion and exclusion criteria. Viable colonocytes were isolated from fecal samples using a Non invasive technique (SCSR Method). Toll like receptors (TLRs) and immunoglobulin (IgA &IgG) receptor concentration were measured by standard Flowcytometry methods using specific fluorochrome conjugated antibodies. RESULTS: Average TLR2 receptor concentration was significantly higher in obese (6.35 %) as compared to lean (2.9 %) (P = 0.01). TLR4 receptor concentration was 1.4 % in obese and 1.65 % in lean although the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.59). IgA & IgG receptor concentration was 49.6 % & 11.2 % in the obese and 67.15 % & 8.05 % in the lean respectively but the differences among both the group were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study will be helpful for physicians and researchers to find some biomarkers which can determine predisposition of the obesity in Indian population and helps to use alternative therapeutics such as probiotics to maintain gut homeostasis and immune modulation to prevent obesity.

CNS: Not an immunoprivilaged site anymore but a virtual secondary lymphoid organ.

The cardinal dogma of central nervous system (CNS) immunology believed brain is an immune privileged site, but scientific evidences gathered so far have overturned this notion proving that CNS is no longer an immune privileged site, but rather an actively regulated site of immune surveillance. Landmark discovery of lymphatic system surrounding the duramater of the brain, made possible by high resolution live imaging technology has given new dimension to neuro-immunology. Here, we discuss the immune privilege status of CNS in light of the previous and current findings, taking into account the differences between a healthy state and changes that occur during an inflammatory response. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) along with interstitial fluid (ISF) drain activated T cells, natural killer cells, macrophages and dendritic cells from brain to regional lymph nodes present in the head and neck region. To keep an eye on inflammation, this system hosts an army of regulatory T cells (CD25+ FoxP3+) that regulate T cell hyper activation, proliferation and cytokine production. This review is an attempt to fill the gaps in our understanding of neuroimmune interactions, role of innate and adaptive immune system in maintaining homeostasis, interplay of different immune cells, immune tolerance, knowledge of communication pathways between the CNS and the peripheral immune system and lastly how interruption of immune surveillance leads to neurodegenerative diseases. We envisage that discoveries should be made not only to decipher underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of immune trafficking, but should aid in identifying targeted cell populations for therapeutic intervention in neurodegenerative and autoimmune disorders.

Rectal Carriage of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae: A Menace to Highly Vulnerable Patients.

BACKGROUND: Bloodstream infection (BSI) due to carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CRE) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with hematological malignancy. These patients receive chemotherapy during treatment, which lead to severe mucositis of gastrointestinal tract and myelosuppression. It was hypothesized that the gut colonizer translocate into the blood circulation causing BSI. Colonization rate with CRE among these patients in India is unknown. AIM: This study aims to determine the carriage rate of CRE in cancer patients. SETTING AND DESIGN: A prospective study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital of India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rectal swab of 93 patients were collected and processed as per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention protocol for detection of CRE. The isolate CREs were identified by standard phenotypic tests and confirmed for carbapenem resistance by disk diffusion test using carbapenem disk (imipenem, meropenem, doripenem, and ertapenem), Carba-NP test and modified Hodge test. Resistant to any of the carbapenem disc is considered as CRE. RESULTS: A total of 86 isolates were detected from 93 patients. Seventy-six isolates were identified as CRE, and 10 isolates were Gram-positive cocci and other Gram-negative bacilli. Acute myeloid leukemia was the most common clinical presentation followed by acute lymphoid leukemia. Thirty-nine out of 93 patients were on chemotherapy. Sixty-seven out of 76 isolates of CRE were observed positive for carbapenemase production by Carba-NP test. CONCLUSION: This study highlights very high rate of CRE carriage among the hematological malignancy patients; who are highly vulnerable to infection. This confirms the need of infection control prevention activities among the hematological malignancy patients.

Mupirocin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus in an Indian hospital.

Two hundred Staphylococcus aureus strains collected from an Indian hospital were tested for mupirocin susceptibility using disc diffusion method and E-test. High-level and low-level mupirocin resistance was detected in 10 (5%) and 2 (1%) S. aureus strains, respectively. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis of the high-level mupirocin-resistant methicillin-resistant S. aureus isolates revealed the presence of 2 clones with the majority of strains belonging to 1 clone, suggesting clonal dissemination.

Occurrence of TEM & SHV gene in extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) producing Klebsiella sp. isolated from a tertiary care hospital.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) are rapidly evolving group of beta-lactamase enzymes produced by the Gram negative bacteria. These enzymes have been derived from TEM and SHV genes by mutations and have been well described in Klebsiella pneumoniae. Information on molecular types of ESBL positive Klebsiella sp. is lacking from India. We therefore undertook this study to look for the TEM and SHV genes in ESBL positive Klebsiella sp. isolated from the patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital in north India. METHODS: A total of 204 multidrug-resistant isolates of Klebsiellae obtained from clinical samples; blood (n=108), urine (n=15), pus (n=2) and sputum (n=79) were obtained and screened for resistance to 3rd generation cephalosporins (3GC). The ESBL status was determined by double disk diffusion test (DDDT) and further by ESBL E-test. Multiplex PCR specific for TEM and SHV genes was performed to distinguish four different genotypes: TEM-positive, SHV-positive, TEM- and SHV-positive and non-TEM non-SHV ESBL types. RESULTS: Eighty six per cent (175 of 204) of the isolates were found to be resistant to at least one of the 3GCs, of which 97.1 per cent (170) of Klebsiella sp. isolates were confirmed to be positive for ESBL. Of these 170 isolates, 95 were randomly selected for PCR of TEM and SHV genes. Isolates having both TEM and SHV genes were common (67.3%) whereas only 20 per cent isolates possessed TEM gene and 8.4 per cent SHV gene alone. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that the majority of the ESBL positive clinical isolates of Klebsiella sp. carried both TEM and SHV genes followed by TEM alone. Such studies need to be done in various geographical regions of the country to know about the prevalent genotypes for better management of infection.

Bacteriology of parapneumonic pleural effusions in an Indian hospital.

In addition to adequate drainage, successful management of complicated pleural effusions and empyema also requires prompt and aggressive treatment with appropriate antibiotics, for which knowledge of the causative organisms involved is essential. In this study (January 2001 to December 2004), the bacteriological profile of patients with pleural effusion/empyema admitted to our hospital was analysed. A total of 2906 pleural fluid samples were received, of which 459 (15.8%) samples were culture positive. The number of Gram-negative and Gram-positive organisms isolated was 412 (86.4%) and 65 (13.6%), respectively. The most frequent Gram-negative organisms were Acinetobacter spp. (27.7%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (23.9%) and Klebsiella spp. (12.6%). Staphylococcus aureus (9.6%) was the most frequent Gram-positive organism. Most of the pathogens showed resistance to multiple antibiotic agents.

Utility of diffusion weighted imaging in diagnosing subdiaphragmatic endometriosis presenting as shoulder pain.

Extrapelvic endometriosis (EPE) is a rare entity which may potentially occur at any site. Symptomatic EPE is now increasingly being managed laparoscopically. Imaging is imperative in diagnosis as well as extent delineation prior to surgery. In addition to increasing the success rate of diagnostic laparoscopy, prior knowledge of EPE at certain sites may modify the standard surgical technique. We present here an unusual case of chronic pain in the right shoulder in a 26-year-old female caused by subdiaphragmatic endometriosis (SDE). It was noticed on conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences; however, due to the lack of the characteristic signal intensity, imaging findings were noncontributory. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) facilitated its characterization and precisely mapped the extent of involvement. SDE should be suspected in young females presenting with cyclical shoulder pain. Due to nonspecific clinical features, it may remain undiagnosed. MRI is the imaging modality of choice in evaluation of EPE. Including DWI sequence in the MR protocol increases the diagnostic precision besides delineating the extent of involvement noninvasively.

What puts them at risk? A cross-sectional case-control survey of demographic profile and sexual behavior of patients with sexually transmitted infections at a tertiary care center in North India.

BACKGROUND: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a major public health problem in developing nations. Identification of risk factors can help in formulating effective strategies against them. The present study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in North India over 1 year to identify the risk factors associated with STIs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional case-control survey was conducted where participants answered questions on demographic details, sexual behavior, and awareness of STIs. Cases were patients with STIs whereas controls were randomly selected from healthy individuals accompanying patients with nonvenereal complaints attending our hospital. RESULTS: There were 106 cases and 64 controls. STI patients had sexual debut 2 years before controls. A higher proportion of STI cases had lower education, multiple sexual partners, lived separately from their partner, had nonregular partners, had protected sex in the last month, had sex under influence of alcohol/illicit drugs, sex in unstructured settings, and engaged in transactional sex, in comparison to controls (P < 0.05). More cases were aware of the symptoms/preventive measures of STIs (P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, multiple sexual partners, sex under influence of alcohol/illicit drugs with nonregular partner, protected sex in the last month, and knowledge of preventive measures were found to be statistically associated with STIs (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study identifies risk-behavior patterns in patients with STIs, which should be modified to reduce the burden of these diseases. Increasing the knowledge about STIs in these patients can translate into more common condom usage that lends support for strengthening sexual health programs at grass-root levels. LIMITATIONS: The small size of the study population could have led to decreased power of the study to detect differences between cases and controls. The external validity of our results needs to be tested in different population groups involving larger sample sizes.

Emerging resistance to carbapenems in a tertiary care hospital in north India.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Carbapenems are beta-lactam antibiotics, presently considered as most potent agents for treating multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacilli infections. In India carbapenems available for use are meropenem and imipenem, introduced recently. Resistance to these has been reported in a few bacteria especially Pseudomonas spp. We therefore retrospectively evaluated the antibiotic susceptibility pattern to these agents amongst various clinical isolates in a tertiary care hospital in north India. METHODS: In this study Gram-negative bacterial pathogens isolated from clinical samples were tested for extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) production. All ESBL positive bacteria were tested for meropenem and imipenem activity pattern using NCCLS guidelines. A total of 2626 consecutively isolated Gram-negative bacteria, which tested positive for ESBL production by the double disk diffusion method, were included. RESULTS: The different bacteria isolated were Pseudomonas spp. 759, Acinetobacter spp. 676, Escherichia coli 569, Klebsiella spp. 343, Enterobacter spp. 150, Citrobacter spp. 57 and Proteus spp. 72. Overall resistance to meropenem was more (22.16%) than imipenem (17.32%). Maximum resistance was seen in Pseudomonas spp. M(R) 37.6 per cent, I(R) 30 per cent. In isolates from intensive care units (ICU) resistance to carbapenems was significantly higher than non-ICU patients. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSION: Resistance to meropenem and imipenem was seen in various clinical isolates of Gram-negative ESBL-positive bacteria. There is a need to alarm our clinicians for judicious use of antibiotics.

Profile of bacterial isolates from suspected cases of infective endocarditis (IE): a retrospective study in a north Indian tertiary care hospital.

Infective Endocarditis (IE) is an emerging infection of the twenty-first century. This chronic Infection is mainly caused by bacteria, although fungi can also be associated with it. It is Important to know the profile of bacteria causing IE in a given region so as to suggest the empirical therapy for this serious illness. Blood culture isolates of clinically diagnosed or suspected cases of IE admitted to various wards of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences were analyzed retrospectively from January 2000 to June 2004. Standard techniques were used for the isolation and identification of the bacteria. Our study has demonstrated the predominance of Gram-negative bacilli, especially, Acinetobacter species and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which are notorious for antimicrobial resistance, as the aetiological agents of IE. Amongst Gram-positive cocci, Enterococci exhibiting HLAR comprised the predominant species. Methicillin resistance among staphylococcal strains in this Tertiary care hospital is adding to the therapeutic challenge in the management of this serious illness. Although antimicrobial treatment should not be delayed in such cases, we cannot undermine the importance of isolation and identification of the etiological agents and the determination of the antimicrobial susceptibility for the management of these life-threatening conditions as well as for the formulation of guidelines for empirical therapy of these cases.