Cystic lung tuberculosis in children: A series of five cases.

Frequent imaging manifestations of pulmonary tuberculosis are airspace or interstitial nodules with or without tree-in-bud nodules, consolidation, cavitation, ground glass opacity, miliary nodules, lymphadenopathy and pleural effusion. It is unusual to encounter cystic changes in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, and these findings should be differentiated from other cystic lung diseases. This case series describes five cases of cystic lung disease in children with tuberculosis (TB) with illustrative chest radiography and CT findings. Contribution: The manuscript highlights the need to consider tuberculosis as a possible cause of acquired cystic lung disease in appropriate clinical settings, particularly in endemic regions.

Detecting hypodiploidy with endoreduplication and masked hypodiploidy in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia using multicolor flow cytometry.

BACKGROUND: Multicolor flow cytometry-based DNA-ploidy (MFC-ploidy) analysis is a simple, sensitive, and popular method for ploidy analysis in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). However, the utility of MFC-ploidy in the detection of B-ALL with endoreduplication or masked hypodiploidy has not been reported. Herein, we studied the patterns of MFC-ploidy assessment and its utility to detect B-ALL with hypodiploidy and endoreduplication. METHODS: MFC-ploidy analysis was performed using FxCycle Violet-dye-based method, and cytogenetic ploidy was evaluated using chromosomal-counting and FISH analysis. A total of 20 B-ALL cases with endoreduplication were studied for the patterns of MFC-ploidy analysis and compared with 250 patients with hyperdiploidy and 11 cases with pure hypodiploidy. RESULTS: All B-ALL with endoreduplication revealed two distinct peaks (populations) on MFC-ploidy analysis: the first (hypodiploid) peak (median-DNA-index [DI], 0.82; range, 0.6-0.95) and the second (hyperdiploid) peak with almost twice DI (median-DI, 1.53; range, 1.14-1.75). Cytogenetic findings were available in 19 cases and confirmed hypodiploidy with endoreduplication in 13/19 (68.4%) and only hypodiploidy in 3/19 cases. The remaining three cases showed hyperdiploid blasts in cytogenetic studies. Of these three, two cases had <10% blasts population with hypodiploidy. Thus, masked-hypodiploidy could be diagnosed correctly in 3/19 cases on MFC-ploidy analysis. CONCLUSION: MFC-ploidy analysis shows a characteristic pattern of DNA-ploidy in samples with endoreduplication. It allows the distinction between samples with masked hypodiploidy from true hyperdiploidy. An integrated approach involving cytogenetic and MFC-ploidy detection is very helpful in the risk stratification of B-ALL in routine clinical practice.

Effects of citral on oxidative stress and hepatic key enzymes of glucose metabolism in streptozotocin/high-fat-diet induced diabetic dyslipidemic rats.

OBJECTIVES: Phytochemicals such as polyphenols, alkaloids, and terpenoids, protect against the development of early stages and complications of diabetes mellitus according to various reports. The aim of this study was to measure the anti-dyslipidemic and anti-diabetic effects of Citral on high-fat-diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic dyslipidemic rats and to see also its effect on carbohydrate metabolic regulatory enzymes in the liver. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rats were kept on a high-fat diet for 2 weeks, then diabetes was induced by a single dose of STZ (35 mg/kg/BW, intraperitoneally), Citral was administered orally at a dose of 45 mg/kg/BW for 28 days to diabetic rats. Blood glucose, plasma insulin, and lipid profile in blood were studied. Antioxidant activities were assayed in the liver, pancreas, and adipose tissues. Carbohydrate metabolic enzymes of the liver were also studied in diabetic dyslipidemic rats. RESULTS: The results of this study confirmed that administration of Citral significantly (P<0.05) decreased the blood glucose level and increased plasma insulin in diabetic rats. Citral also improved oxidative markers along with anti-oxidative enzymes of the liver, adipose tissue, and pancreas in the HFD/STZ group. Citral also regulated the activity of the glucose-metabolic enzymes in the liver. The results of the present study were compared to Glibenclamide, which is a standard oral drug for lowering the blood sugar. CONCLUSION: Results may show that Citral possesses anti-dyslipidemic activity as well as anti-diabetic activity and also regulates the enzyme activity of glycolytic and gluconeogenic processes in the liver.

Involvement of mitochondria mediated pathways in hepatoprotection conferred by Fumaria parviflora Lam. extract against nimesulide induced apoptosis in vitro.

Nimesulide, a popular nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, has been associated with serious hepatotoxicity. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial perturbations have been implicated in drug induced hepatotoxicity, although their role in the pathway needs exploration. Study was undertaken to elucidate the effect of Fumaria parviflora Lam. (Fp) on nimesulide induced cell death in primary rat hepatocyte cultures. Fp extract treated cells showed increased viability as compared to nimesulide stressed cells as assessed by MTT assay. LDH leakage increased significantly at 500microM nimesulide, and the data suggested that apoptosis was the predominant mechanism responsible for cell death. Nimesulide induced apoptosis was further confirmed by DNA fragmentation and chromatin condensation. Nimesulide exposure increased intracellular ROS, translocation of Bax and Bcl2 followed by mitochondrial depolarization and cytochrome c (Cyt c) release along with caspase-9/-3 activity confirming involvement of mitochondria in nimesulide induced apoptosis. Events like membrane depolarization of mitochondria, expression of Bax, Bcl2, externalization of phosphatidyl serine are substantially reversed by the pre-treatment of Fp extract. Thus, the study indicates that Fp extract modulates critical events regulating pro and anti-apoptotic proteins in mitochondria dependent apoptosis induced by nimesulide.

Microbiological quality and organochlorine pesticide residue in commercially available ready-to-eat raisins.

Microbiological quality and organochlorine pesticide residual contamination in raisins in a restricted area of Lucknow city, India was assessed in 20 samples. Total bacterial count was found in both open and packed raisin samples within the acceptable range (10(5)-<10(6)). The presence of food pathogens like Salmonella spp. and Enterobacteriaceae was detected more in open samples whereas Staphylococcus spp. and Pseudomonas spp. were absent. Lactobacilli spp. was found in all open samples and two packed samples. Presence of OCP residue was also found below the MRL although low levels of alpha-HCH and gamma-HCH were detected in samples. The study shows presence of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms as well as OCP residue within permissible limits which was more in open samples than in packed ones.