Interplay between hippocampal TACR3 and systemic testosterone in regulating anxiety-associated synaptic plasticity.

Tachykinin receptor 3 (TACR3) is a member of the tachykinin receptor family and falls within the rhodopsin subfamily. As a G protein-coupled receptor, it responds to neurokinin B (NKB), its high-affinity ligand. Dysfunctional TACR3 has been associated with pubertal failure and anxiety, yet the mechanisms underlying this remain unclear. Hence, we have investigated the relationship between TACR3 expression, anxiety, sex hormones, and synaptic plasticity in a rat model, which indicated that severe anxiety is linked to dampened TACR3 expression in the ventral hippocampus. TACR3 expression in female rats fluctuates during the estrous cycle, reflecting sensitivity to sex hormones. Indeed, in males, sexual development is associated with a substantial increase in hippocampal TACR3 expression, coinciding with elevated serum testosterone and a significant reduction in anxiety. TACR3 is predominantly expressed in the cell membrane, including the presynaptic compartment, and its modulation significantly influences synaptic activity. Inhibition of TACR3 activity provokes hyperactivation of CaMKII and enhanced AMPA receptor phosphorylation, associated with an increase in spine density. Using a multielectrode array, stronger cross-correlation of firing was evident among neurons following TACR3 inhibition, indicating enhanced connectivity. Deficient TACR3 activity in rats led to lower serum testosterone levels, as well as increased spine density and impaired long-term potentiation (LTP) in the dentate gyrus. Remarkably, aberrant expression of functional TACR3 in spines results in spine shrinkage and pruning, while expression of defective TACR3 increases spine density, size, and the magnitude of cross-correlation. The firing pattern in response to LTP induction was inadequate in neurons expressing defective TACR3, which could be rectified by treatment with testosterone. In conclusion, our study provides valuable insights into the intricate interplay between TACR3, sex hormones, anxiety, and synaptic plasticity. These findings highlight potential targets for therapeutic interventions to alleviate anxiety in individuals with TACR3 dysfunction and the implications of TACR3 in anxiety-related neural changes provide an avenue for future research in the field.

Decay-Associated Fluorescence for Boron Determination in Uranium-Based Nuclear Fuels.

Herein is reported a novel as well as simple, sensitive, and cost-effective method for determination of boron by time-resolved fluorescence spectrometry in uranium-based nuclear fuels. Boron is complexed with fluorescent ligand chromotropic acid, and the complex formed is a measure of boron. Since the steady-state fluorescence spectra of excess ligand and complex are overlapping, the developed method emphasizes the power of time resolution. The signatory fluorescence decay times of ligand and complex are employed to derive their decay-associated spectra (DAS) and, thereby, spectroscopically eliminate the high background of ligand fluorescence. The calibration plot has a wide linear dynamic range of 5-100 ppb with r2 better than 0.998. Precision is better than 5% at the 10 ppb level and 4% at the 50 ppb level (n = 9). The detection limit is 1.5 ppb, and recovery of spiked boron (25 ppb) from the uranium samples was better than 94%. The developed method was validated by analyzing U3O8-based ILCE Standards and applied to enriched uranium fuel samples. The main advantage of the developed method is a reduction in sample size requirement due to better sensitivity and selectivity. This in turn reduces the load of uranium recovery from analytical waste, especially in the case of enriched uranium samples. Additionally, it eliminates the need of organic solvents/medium.

Caregivers' knowledge and medication adherence in children with thyroid disorders: an exploratory study.

OBJECTIVES: Many thyroid disorders in children demand long-term therapy. The parent's understanding of the child's condition is of utmost importance for adherence to treatment. The study objective was to assess the knowledge, medication adherence, reasons for non-adherence, and their relationship with various clinical parameters. METHODS: An exploratory, cross-sectional study with a total enumeration sampling technique was conducted between July 2022 and September 2022. Children and young adults aged ≤18 years who were diagnosed with a thyroid disorder and taking medications for at least 3 months were included. Data were collected by interviewing parents using the Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale (ARMS) and structured knowledge questionnaire. RESULTS: Parents of 102 children were interviewed. The mean age of the children was 9.2 ± 0.4 years; 58 (57 %) were girls. The mean duration of treatment was 5.5 ± 0.3 years. Many (66 %) informants were mothers. Three-fourths (75.5 %) of parents were educated up to senior secondary and above. Most (91.2 %) of parents had poor knowledge about the disease and its management. Poor disease knowledge was significantly linked to lower education (p<0.001). Nonetheless, strong adherence (>80 %) was noted on the ARMS scale. No significant correlation was found between physical growth, thyroid function, and adherence/knowledge (p-values 0.20-0.71). CONCLUSIONS: The caregivers' knowledge of thyroid disorders was poor and related to their educational level. There is a need to use clear language and ensure that parents have an adequate understanding of their child's condition. Healthcare professionals should assess and address gaps in parental knowledge and adherence.

Validation of secretory Immunoglobulin A (IgA) for early and efficient diagnosis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram-negative bacterium that is considered to be a major causal organism of nosocomial infection. This study brought data-specific evidence to reveal the efficacy of secretory Immunoglobulin A (IgA) measurement in diagnosing pulmonary P. aeruginosa infection and claims its validation as a diagnostic marker. This study has included controls and patients of Pseudomonas and grouped them into four, namely, controls, chronic cases, intermittent cases, and negative group. The last group, that is, the "Negative" group, is the ones who had a history of infection but currently showed negative blood culture. The level of sIgA was quantified in all the patients and the controls and then their status of pulmonary infection was determined by their blood culture. ANOVA and Pearson Chi-Square were employed for showing the association between sIgA and pulmonary infection. The mean value of salivary sIgA has been found the highest in chronic cases followed by Intermittent cases and Negative Infections. The boxplot diagram showed several parameters of sIgA quantification in each group and control. ANOVA and Pearson Chi-square (P<0.005) tests showed a significant association between sIgA level in saliva and pulmonary infection of P. aeruginosa. The ROC curve was plotted to determine the cut-off value of sIgA (sIgA≧13.09 U/ml) for efficient clinical diagnosis of pulmonary P. aeruginosa infection. The study has validated statistically that quantification of salivary sIgA can be used in clinical practice for early diagnosis of pulmonary infection of P. aeruginosa.

Serum Expression Level of MicroRNA-122 and its Significance in different Stages of Hepatitis B Virus Infection.

This study aims to determine the serum expression level of miRNA-122 and its significance in the different stages of Hepatitis B virus infection. The study subjects were recruited and grouped for Hepatitis B associated with Chronic Hepatitis B infection, hepatic sclerosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and healthy controls were also considered. Venous blood was collected from the participants including the controls and routine blood tests and quantification of miRNA-122 were done and analyzed in each case of hepatitis B infection and compared with that of healthy controls. The miRNA-122 was determined, which came to be highest in patients with Chronic Hepatitis B while patients with hepatic sclerosis and patients with hepatocellular carcinoma showed a subsequent number of copies. The number of copies of miRNA-122 in the CHB, hepatic sclerosis, and HCC group was significantly higher than in the healthy control. The quantification of miRNA-122 and subsequently plotting the ROC curve has shown that miRNA-122 can be considered as a biomarker of hepatitis B for screening and diagnosis purposes.

Evaluation of a nurse-led counselling intervention on selected outcome variables for parents of children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

OBJECTIVES: Long-term care of children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) has psycho-social implications for parents. Experts recommend a customized educational program for parents to facilitate their psychological adaptation and improve disease management. Such educational programs often provided by nurse counsellors are well evaluated in developed countries. There is a dearth of data on nurse-led counselling in the context of less developed countries. We aimed to evaluate the effect of a nurse-led counselling intervention on various psycho-social outcomes among parents of children with CAH. METHODS: Fifty consecutive parents of children with CAH attending an outpatient clinic at a tertiary-care teaching hospital were enrolled. Parents' stress level, stigma, knowledge, practices, and treatment adherence were assessed by using Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), DSD Stigma scale, and HILL-Bon Medication Adherence Scale (HB-MAS). Three educational counselling sessions were conducted within a month's gap, using PowerPoint presentations and a booklet. Assessment of outcomes was done at baseline and at the end of the third session. RESULTS: At baseline, the majority (90%) of the parents had moderate stress. Half of the parents had mild and the rest had moderate stigma. After the intervention, the majority (94%) of parents had shifted to mild levels of stress and stigma. At baseline, 86% of the parents had poor knowledge about the disease whereas post-intervention, 80% were having good knowledge. Disease management practices and treatment adherence also improved after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Nurse-led counselling was effective in reducing psycho-social problems, increasing knowledge, as well as improving practices and treatment adherence.

Restoration of Altered Oncogenic and Tumor Suppressor microRNA Expression in Breast Cancer and Colorectal Cancer Cell using Epicatechin.

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNA) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate the function of mRNA post-transcriptionally in a tissue-specific manner. miRNA expressions are heavily dysregulated in human cancer cells through various mechanisms, including epigenetic changes, karyotype abnormalities, and miRNA biogenesis defects. miRNAs may act as either oncogenes or tumor suppressors under different conditions. Epicatechin is a natural compound found in green tea which possesses antioxidant and antitumor properties. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of epicatechin treatment on the expression level of several oncogenic and tumor suppressor miRNAs in breast and colorectal cancer cell lines (MCF7 and HT-29) and identify its mechanism of action. METHODS: The MCF-7 and HT29 cells were treated with epicatechin for 24 hours and untreated cells were considered control cultures. miRNA was isolated and qRT-PCR was used to measure the expression profile changes of different oncogenic and tumor suppressor miRNAs. Furthermore, the mRNA expression profile was also screened at different concentrations of epicatechin. RESULTS: Our results showed several-fold changes in miRNAs expression level, which is cell line specific. Also, epicatechin at different concentrations induces biphasic changes in mRNA expression levels in both cell lines. CONCLUSION: Our findings first time demonstrated that epicatechin can reverse the expression of these miRNAs and may trigger the cytostatic effect at a lower concentration.

Identification of Candidate Immune System MicroRNAs Differentially Found in Colostrum and Milk Exosomes.

BACKGROUND: The fetus grows in a sterile womb environment. After birth, the newborn immune system has two immediate hurdles to clear. First immediate suppression of the womb compatible immune system and turn on the immune system of the newborn that can counter the antigenic world. The underlying mechanism of immune fluctuation by milk microRNAs (miRNAs) can be crucial for the treatment of critical or premature newborn. METHODS: We collected fourteen samples of each colostrum and mature milk from lactating mothers, four samples of each were used for microarray analysis, and the other ten were used for miRNA expression profiling by real-time PCR. RESULTS: From the microarray, 154 differentially expressed miRNAs were identified, whereas 49 miRNAs were revealed as immune-related miRNAs based on a literature study. Among the 49 miRNAs, 33 were already shown as strongly validated immune-related miRNAs (validated by qPCR, Western Blot, and Luciferase assay) and were considered for further analysis. Twenty-two miRNA expressions were analysed by real-time PCR as their Ct values were within considerable limits. Twelve numbers of miRNAs were significantly downregulated in mature milk compared to colostrum, which were again subjected to bioinformatics analysis to predict the biological mechanisms behind the differentially expressed miRNAs. CONCLUSION: This study shed light on the human milk exosome miRNA expression dynamics during lactation and their possible role in the gradual skewing of the newborns' immune system. The information is crucial for the development and onset of sepsis in premature newborns in the NICU.

Rapid diagnostic methods for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) detection: an evidence-based report.

Since December 2019, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been a global health concern. The transmission method is human-to-human. Since this second wave of SARS-CoV-2 is more aggressive than the first wave, rapid testing is warranted to use practical diagnostics to break the transfer chain. Currently, various techniques are used to diagnose SARS-CoV-2 infection, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. A full review of online databases such as PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar was analyzed to identify relevant articles focusing on SARS-CoV-2 and diagnosis and therapeutics. The most recent article search was on May 10, 2021. We summarize promising methods for detecting the novel Coronavirus using sensor-based diagnostic technologies that are sensitive, cost-effective, and simple to use at the point of care. This includes loop-mediated isothermal amplification and several laboratory protocols for confirming suspected 2019-nCoV cases, as well as studies with non-commercial laboratory protocols based on real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and a field-effect transistor-based bio-sensing device. We discuss a potential discovery that could lead to the mass and targeted SARS-CoV-2 detection needed to manage the COVID-19 pandemic through infection succession and timely therapy.

Comparison of different optimizers implemented on the deep learning architectures for COVID-19 classification.

COVID-19 is the present-day pandemic around the globe. WHO has estimated that approx 15% of the world's population may have been infected with coronavirus with a large number of population on the verge of being infected. It is quite difficult to break the virus chain since asymptomatic patients can result in the spreading of the infection apart from the seriously infected patients. COVID-19 has many similar symptoms to SARS-D however, the symptoms can worsen depending on the immunity power of the patients. It is necessary to be able to find the infected patients even with no symptoms to be able to break the spread of the chain. In this paper, the comparison table describes the accuracy of deep learning architectures by the implementation of different optimizers with different learning rates. In order to remove the overfitting issue, different learning rate has been experimented. Further in this paper, we have proposed the classification of the COVID-19 images using the ensemble of 2 layered Convolutional Neural Network with the Transfer learning method which consumed lesser time for classification and attained an accuracy of nearly 90.45%.

Current updates on the European and WHO registered clinical trials of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a major public health concern currently. To date, there are no approved antiviral drugs or vaccines against this transmissible disease. This report sheds light on available information for a better understanding of clinical trials and pharmacotherapy related to COVID-19. MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus databases, Web of Science, WHO, and EU clinical trial sites were used to perform comparative analysis. Information was collected on the use of therapeutic agents for human therapy in patients with COVID-19 up to May 2020. We have extracted data from 60 clinical trials. Amongst these trials, 34 were from the European Union database of clinical trials and 26 from the National Institute of Health. The data selection procedure includes active, completed, and recruitment in progress status. Most of the clinical trials are ongoing and hence, there is a lack of precise results for the treatment.There is a lack of high-quality clinical evidence. The protocol to be developed requires large randomized clinical trials with a combination of available drugs and prospective therapies. We propose the usage of a large number of cases and different statistical analyses to conduct systematic clinical trials. This could provide comprehensive information about the clinical trial and potential therapeutic progress.

Lauric Acid Modulates Cancer-Associated microRNA Expression and Inhibits the Growth of the Cancer Cell.

BACKGROUND: microRNAs are known to regulate various protein-coding gene expression posttranscriptionally. Fatty acids are cell membrane constituents and are also known to influence the biological activities of the cells like signal transduction, growth and differentiation of the cells, apoptosis induction, and other physiological functions. In our experiments, we used lauric acid to analyse its effects on human cancerous cell lines. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to speculate the miRNA expression profile in lauric acid treated and untreated cancerous cell lines and further study the metabolic pathways of the targeted tumour suppressor and oncogenes. METHODS: The KB cells and HepG2 cells were treated with lauric acid and miRNA was isolated and the expression of tumour suppressor and oncogenic miRNA was measured by quantitative PCR. The untreated cells were used as control. The metabolic pathways of the target tumour suppressor and oncogenes were examined by GeneMANIA software. RESULTS: Interestingly, the lauric acid treatment suppresses the expression of oncogenic miRNA and significantly upregulated the expression of some tumour suppressor miRNAs. GeneMANIA metabolic pathway revealed that the upregulated tumour suppressor miRNAs regulate several cancer-associated pathways such as DNA damage, signal transduction p53 class mediator, stem cell differentiation, cell growth, cell cycle phase transition, apoptotic signalling pathway, cellular response to stress and radiation, etc. whereas oncogenic miRNAs regulate the cancer-associated pathway like cell cycle phase transition, apoptotic signalling pathway, cell growth, response to oxidative stress, immune response activating cell surface protein signalling pathway, cyclin-dependent protein kinase activity, epidermal growth factor receptor signalling pathways, etc. Conclusion: In our study, we found that lauric acid works as an anticancer agent by altering the expression of miRNAs.

In Vitro Anticancer Activity of Virgin Coconut Oil and its Fractions in Liver and Oral Cancer Cells.

BACKGROUND: Coconut oil is an edible oil obtained from fresh, mature coconut kernels. Few studies have reported the anticancer role of coconut oil. The fatty acid component of coconut oil directly targets the liver by portal circulation and as chylomicron via lymph. However, the anti-cancer activity of coconut oil against liver cancer cells and oral cancer cells is yet to be tested. The active component of coconut oil, that is responsible for the anticancer activity is not well understood. In this study, three different coconut oils, Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO), Processed Coconut Oil (PCO) and Fractionated Coconut Oil (FCO), were used. OBJECTIVE: Based on previous studies, it can be hypothesized that fatty acids in coconut oil may have anticancer potential and may trigger cell death in cancer cell lines. METHODS: Each cell line was treated with different concentrations of Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO), Processed Coconut Oil (PCO) and Fractionated Coconut Oil (FCO). The treated cells were assayed by MTT after 72 hr of incubation. The fatty acid composition of different coconut oils was analyzed by gas chromatography. RESULT: Different concentrations of coconut oils were used to treat the cells. Interestingly, the anticancer efficacy of VCO, PCO and FCO was not uniform, rather the efficacy varied from cell line to cell line. Only 20% VCO showed significant anticancer activity in HepG2 cells in comparison to 80% PCO against the KB cell line. Remarkably, 20% of PCO and 5% of FCO showed potential growth inhibition in the KB cell line as compared to 80% PCO in HepG2 cells. Moreover, there was a difference in the efficacy of VCO, PCO and FCO, which might be due to their fatty acid composition. Comparing the anticancer efficacy of VCO, PCO and FCO in this study helped to predict which class of fatty acids and which fatty acid might be associated with the anticancer activity of VCO. CONCLUSION: This study shows that VCO, PCO and FCO have anticancer efficacy and may be used for the treatment of cancer, especially liver and oral cancer.

Impact of Cardiovascular Factors on Pulse Wave Velocity and T otal Vascular Resistance in Different Age Group Patients with Cardiovascular Disorders.

BACKGROUND: Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) is the propagation speed of the wave-induced along the aorta and arterial tree, each time the heart beats. PWV increases with increased arterial stiffness, thus establishing it as a reliable prognostic marker for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. On the other hand, Total Vascular Resistance (TVR) is the overall resistance offered by systemic circulation and pulmonary circulation. This resistance needs to be overcome in order to create the flow of blood through the circulatory system. The goal of this study was to investigate the influence of different cardiovascular factors on arterial stiffness and vascular resistance in CVD patient from eastern India population. METHODS: Total of 782 patients with Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) like hypertension, Ischemic heart disease, Congestive cardiac failure and peripheral arterial disease were included to evaluate the cardiovascular hemodynamic and non-hemodynamic parameter by oscillometric method and investigated those factors on PWV and TVR in subjects of both sexes aged between 15 to 87 years. RESULTS: The old age (> 55 years) was found to have greatest impact on PWV as compared with younger age group. Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP), Heart Rate (HR), augmentation pressure and Body Surface Area (BSA) had a positive association with the PWV. Augmentation Index and Body Mass Index (BMI) had a negative impact on the PWV. CONCLUSION: Despite the limitations, like unequal number of male and female participants, wide variation of the age of the subjects and analyzing association of many factors at a time, our large and community-based study show individual blood pressure and pulse pressure depending on complex interaction between large arteries and arterioles. This study sheds light on the relationship between proximal and distal part (PWV and TVR) of the arterial tree as well as their association with different hemodynamic and non-hemodynamic parameters.

Nimodipine attenuates the parkinsonian neurotoxin, MPTP-induced changes in the calcium binding proteins, calpain and calbindin.

We have recently demonstrated neuroprotective abilities of nimodipine, an L-type voltage dependent calcium channel (VDCC) blocker in cellular and animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD). To understand the calcium regulatory mechanisms in the disease pathogenesis, the present study examined calcium regulatory proteins calbindin and calpain mRNA and protein levels employing quantitative PCR and western blot in 1-methyl-4-phenyl pyridinium ion (MPP+)-treated SH-SY5Y cell lines and in the striatum of mice treated with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). mRNA and protein levels of calbindin were lower, while that of calpain were higher in MPP+-treated SH-SY5Y cells and MPTP-treated mouse striatum as compared to their respective controls. Nimodipine pretreatment significantly attenuated these effects in the parkinsonian neurotoxin-treated SH-SY5Y cell line and in the mouse striatum. The activities of the apoptotic mediator, caspase-3 and calpain were increased in the neurotoxin-treated groups as compared to their respective controls, which was ameliorated by nimodipine pretreatment. These results suggest that parkinsonian neurotoxin-mediated dopaminergic neuronal death might involve defects in calcium regulatory proteins that control intracellular calcium homeostasis, and these could be corrected by inhibiting L-type VDCC activity. These findings support the notion that hypertensive patients who are on long-term intake of dihydropyridine have reduced risk for PD.

Preparation of Sliver and Selenium Nanoparticles and Its Characterization by Dynamic Light Scattering and Scanning Electron Microscopy.

AIM: In our study, two different methods were used to determine the size and size distribution of the sliver and selenium nanoparticles via dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). BACKGROUND: Nanotechnology dealing with metal and metalloid nanoparticles has been usually applied in nearly each field of science, engineering, and technology including biology and medicine etc due to presence of size and shape dependent unusual physical and chemical properties. In the most recent decade, numerous groups including appreciably developed metal and metalloid nanoparticles based theranostic approaches for the treatment of almost human diseases. Amongst many nanoparticles, recently silver and selenium nanoparticles have been broadly used in the antimicrobial coatings, textiles, paints, keyboards, engineering, food industry, electronics, cosmetics, bio-sensing, wound dressings, and even in biomedical devices. METHODS: In our study, silver nanoparticles were prepared by using the chemical reduction method. Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) were synthesized by the chemical reduction of sodium selenite by glutathione (reduced form) and stabilized by bovine serum albumin (BSA). Characterization of silver and selenium nanoparticles samples were analyzed by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). CONCLUSIONS: Due to characterization by DLS technique, nanoparticles size was found the range of 79.22 nm and 178 nm for Sliver and Selenium Nanoparticles respectively. Sliver nanoparticles shown morphological average size and shape with SEM reveals spherical shape particles with the size of 80.32 nm whereas Selenium nanoparticles shown rod shape particles with the size of 74.29 nm.

Congenital Epidermal Inclusion Cyst On the Breast: A Case Series of a Rare Entity.

Epidermal inclusion cysts (EICs) are the most common cutaneous cysts, occurring anywhere in the body but infrequently on the breast. It is usually seen in the third and fourth decades of life and very rarely seen in children. They can be either congenital or posttraumatic. Most of the EICs described in children were secondary to trauma. Congenital EIC on the breast is quite a rare entity. Thus, we herein describe two cases of congenital EIC on the breast in two infants of 3 months and 9 months of age, which to the best of our knowledge has not been reported previously.

Polymorphism of glutathione S-transferase M1 and T1 genes and susceptibility to psoriasis disease: A study from North India.

BACKGROUND: Increased oxidative stress and resulting inflammation has been emphasized as a factor in the pathogenesis of many diseases including psoriasis. Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) protect against oxidative stress, inflammation, and genotoxicity. Polymorphisms in the GST genes may lead to an imbalance in pro- and antioxidant systems resulting in the increased production of reactive oxygen species that could influence the pathogenesis of psoriasis. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between GSTs (GSTM1 and GSTT1) gene polymorphism in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis as a factor in the susceptibility and development of psoriasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We assessed 128 patients with psoriasis and 250 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood by the phenol chloroform method. The null GSTT1 and GSTM1 genotypes were identified by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. RESULTS: The null genotype of GSTM1 and GSTT1 was seen in 45.3% and 40.6% in psoriasis patients whereas in the controls it was 34.4% and 20.0%, respectively. A significant association was seen between the null alleles of the GSTT1 (OR = 2.74) and GSTM1 (OR = 1.58) alone or in combination with tobacco use (P < 0.001) and psoriasis risk. The presence of both null genotypes of GSTM1 and GSTT1 further increased the risk of psoriasis (OR = 3.52) when compared with the positive genotypes of GSTM1 and GSTT1. LIMITATIONS: A major limitation of this study was the small sample size. A large epidemiological study is necessary to confirm these findings. CONCLUSIONS: The null genotype of GSTT1 is a strong predisposing factor for psoriasis in North India.

Intra-articular injection in the knee of adipose derived stromal cells (stromal vascular fraction) and platelet rich plasma for osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND: Stromal vascular fraction (SVF) can easily be obtained from a mini-lipoaspirate procedure of fat tissue and platelet rich plasma (PRP) can be obtained from peripheral blood. We evaluated the safety and preliminary efficacy of administering SVF and PRP intra-articularly into patients with osteoarthritis grade 1 and 2. METHODS: A total of ten patients underwent a local tumescent liposuction procedure to remove approximately 100 ml of fat tissue from the abdomen. SVF was isolated using an enzyme digestion and resuspended in PRP for intra-articular injection in the knee. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score and six-minute walk distance (6MWD) were used to evaluate clinical effects and included measure of patient's subjective assessment of pain, joint mobility, and physical disability. WOMAC score, 6MWD and laboratory tests were repeated at 3 and 6 months and 1, 1.5 and 2 years. XRAY and MRI were completed at 1 year. RESULTS: The average total WOMAC score was 64 at baseline and significantly reduced to 52 at 3 months, 46 at 6 months, 42 at 1 year, 38 at 1.5 years, and 41 at 2 years. Patients walked an average of 1310 feet at baseline and demonstrated a statistically significant improvement at 3 and 6 months and 1, 1.5, and 2 years post treatment. Cartilage thickness as determined by MRI improved by at least 0.2 mm in six patients, was unchanged in two patients and decreased by at least 0.2 mm in two patients. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, all of the patients were pleased with the treatment results. They reported a reduction in pain levels, especially after 3 months. More importantly, the procedure demonstrated a strong safety profile with no severe adverse events or complications reported. Trial registration NCT03089762; Name of registry: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov.