Molecular detection of Salmonella isolated from commercial chicken.

Background: Salmonella in chicken, specially, the motile salmonellae, causes the food chain unsafe from farm to table and is considered a significant global threat to public health. Aims: The present study was carried out for molecular detection of Salmonellae in commercial poultry using PCR. Methods: The study was conducted for eight months, from July 2019 to February 2020, and a total of 26 poultry farms, including 15 broiler and 11-layer farms, were visited individually. Pooled faecal samples were obtained from the sheds. A total of 189 necropsy cases were examined for gastrointestinal lesions. Isolation and identification of the organism were done using microbe culture method, and the molecular characterization was performed via PCR targeting invA and ent genes. Results: The prevalence of salmonellosis in the broiler and layer farms was recorded at 20.0% and 45.4%, respectively, through the traditional gold standard culture method. From 189 necropsy birds, salmonellosis was recorded at 1.58% dead cases. Molecular detection of Salmonella isolates by PCR targeting invA gene was confirmed in 13.33% of the broiler farms and 36.3% of the layer farms. Further detection of Salmonella enteritidis was performed by PCR targeting ent gene by which 11.11% positivity was determined. Conclusion: This study, focused on the Salmonella prevalence, highlighted the zoonotic importance of the bacterium in the commercial poultry farms, which can subsequently be dispersed into the human food chain causing harmful health effects.

Glabrous lesional stem cells differentiated into functional melanocytes: new hope for repigmentation.

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo is characterized by the loss of pigment-producing cells, melanocytes and one of the important goals of treatment is replenishing the melanocytes from existing reservoirs. Reservoir for melanocyte stem cell has been reported to be present in the skin hair follicles, but glabrous skin does not have hair follicles. Therefore, repigmentation of glabrous lesional skin is very difficult and almost rare. There is no explanation for melanocyte reservoir in the glabrous lesional skin of vitiligo patients. OBJECTIVE: This study is designed to check the glabrous lesional skin for the presence of stem cells as source of melanocytes for repigmentation. METHODS: Skin grafts were collected from glabrous lesional skin of vitiligo patients. Immunohistochemistry of glabrous lesional skin was performed to check for the presence of stem cells. These glabrous lesional stem cells were isolated, cultured and characterized. After characterization, glabrous lesional stem cells were differentiated into melanocytes. RESULTS: Our results demonstrate that NGFRp75-positive stem cells are present in the glabrous lesional skin of vitiligo patients and can be differentiated into melanocytes. These dermal stem cells showed self-renewal capacity and were capable of differentiating into melanocytes which are required for the repigmentation. CONCLUSION: Presence of stem cells in the glabrous lesional skin which are capable of self-renewal and differentiating into melanocytes gives new hope for vitiligo patients having lesion on the glabrous skin. However, still repigmentation of glabrous lesional skin is very difficult and rare with current available treatments. This clearly means that treatments available till date are not effective enough to activate these dermal stem cells differentiation and their migration to the lesional epidermis. Stimulating these stem cells to differentiate into melanocytes and migrate to lesional epidermis can be ideal for repigmentation of the glabrous lesions.

Coexistent acute pyogenic and tubercular petrous apicitis: a diagnostic dilemma.

We report the case of a 16-year-old boy who presented to us with acute otitis media, facial weakness and retro-orbital pain. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the head and temporal bone revealed otitis media with petrous apicitis. The patient responded to broad-spectrum, parenteral antibiotics, with disappearance of facial weakness and reduction in pain. One month following the completion of treatment, the patient continued to have dull retro-orbital pain and developed ear discharge. A repeat MRI of the temporal bone revealed a persistent inflammatory lesion in the petrous apex, with a nodular, ring-enhancing lesion in the cerebellum, strongly suggestive of tuberculosis. The ear discharge stained positive for acid-fast bacilli and the patient's serum enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for tuberculosis was reactive. The patient responded well to anti-tubercular treatment and was disease free eight months following the completion of treatment.

A study of serum bilirubin in neonates in relation to the maternal age.

A comparative study of neonatal serum bilirubin levels was done in neonates of different age groups of mothers. A total 122 healthy, new borns were selected for the study, born at Queen Mary's Hospital, Lucknow. Mothers were divided into two groups i.e. < 30 years and > 30 years of age. Samples of blood were collected thrice, first on day 1 from cord blood, 2nd and 3rd on days three and five of life from neonates by heel prick method, using small bore capillaries for blood collection, serum bilirubin estimation were done by the method of Malloy & Evelyn and Mean +/- SD were calculated. P-Value was observed between different age groups. In both the groups of mothers i.e. < 30 years and > 30 years serum bilirubin levels in their neonates raised to highly significant levels on day 3 (P-Value < 0.001) as compared to their cord blood serum bilirubin levels. On comparing serum bilirubin levels in neonates of both the maternal groups, it was observed that there is no significant difference between two groups on day of birth and day day 5 but statistically significant difference was observed on day 3 (P < 0.05), serum bilirubin levels were higher in neonates of younger age group mothers.