Paediatric leptospirosis: A population based case-control study from Chennai, India.

The surveillance in Chennai identified 134 children and 443 adults clinically suspected for leptospirosis. Of these, 35 (26.1%) children and 118 (26.6%) adults had laboratory confirmed diagnosis for leptospirosis. The paediatric leptospirosis exhibited a higher frequency of classic features of Weil's disease. The prevalent serovar encountered was Icterohaemorrhagiae with no difference in the pattern of infecting serovars between the two groups. Further, confirmation of diagnosis was achieved by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with a positivity of 28.4% (specificity 96%). Univariate analysis showed significant association of paediatric leptospirosis with rat infestation (odds ratio 87.4). Thus, PCR facilitates early diagnosis of febrile illness among paediatric cases.

Prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) among college going girls using self collected urine samples from Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu.

PURPOSE: The study aimed to identify the status of HPV infection among young sexually unexposed girls from Tiruchriapalli district, Tamilnadu, India. METHODS: The distribution of HPV genotypes was evaluated by PCR DNA genotyping after self sampling from 246 study subjects. RESULTS: Positivity for HPV DNA was reported among 9.2% of the study subjects. The most frequently detected HPV type was HPV 16 (0.8%) followed by HPV 11 (0.4%). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the age did not seem to be a cofactor for HPV infection and nevertheless, sexual intercourse is an important factor for HPV infection. Moreover, these results demonstrate that HPV detection performed in self collected samples may be important to appraise better preventive strategies and monitor the influence of vaccination programmes within the population.

Viral and bacterial aetiologies of epithelial ovarian cancer.

We sought to analyse the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV), Chlamydia trachomatis and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in women with epithelial ovarian carcinomas. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based detection of microbial infections was carried out. A total of 39 tissue samples were analysed with consensus and type-specific primers for HPV, primers specific for the cryptic plasmid of Chlamydia and primers for glycoprotein B of CMV. The samples analysed showed 40%, 80% and 50% positivity for HPV, Chlamydia and CMV infection, respectively, in cancerous ovarian tissues. The HPV type detected was HPV 6, with its genome integrated to the host genome in case of both invasive and borderline tumours and existed episomally in healthy controls. The patients with Chlamydia (odds ratio [OR] 32; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.33, 307.65) and CMV infection (OR 8; 95% CI 0.888, 72.10) are at significantly higher risk of development of ovarian tumours. The present study validates the theory of chronic infections and inflammation in the pathogenesis of epithelial ovarian cancer. Further seroepidemiological studies and large fresh tissue sampling may represent the real prevalence of infections among ovarian carcinoma patients. This study is the first of its kind in detecting the bacterial and viral aetiologies in the development of ovarian carcinoma among Indian women.

Bilateral ovarian teratoma complicated with carcinosarcoma in a 68 year old woman: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Composing of less than 1% of all ovarian cancers, immature teratoma is a malignancy that mainly affects the young, and they present with advanced disease. The treatment of immature teratoma is conservative primary surgery usually involving unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy followed by combination chemotherapy. CASE PRESENTATION: Here we present a case of a 68 year old woman with bilateral ovarian teratoma complicated with carcinosarcoma. The patient was diagnosed as FIGO stage IIIC. She underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy and interval cytoreduction followed by optimal cytoreduction. The post operative management strategies and gynaecological follow up studies revealed no evidence of regional or distant metastasis. CONCLUSION: Thus the choice of initial treatment should be decided in a selective fashion depending on various prognostic factors in order to increase the survival of the patients.

Optimization, purification, and characterization of extracellular mesophilic alkaline cellulase from sponge-associated Marinobacter sp. MSI032.

Marinobacter sp. (MSI032) isolated from the marine sponge Dendrilla nigra was optimized for the production of extracellular cellulolytic enzyme (CMCase) by submerged fermentation. Initial experiments showed that the culture medium containing 1% maltose as carbon source and 1% peptone and casein as nitrogen source supported maximal enzyme production at 27 degrees C and at a pH of 9.0. Further optimization carried out showed the maximal enzyme production was supported by the presence of 2% NaCl and 10 mM Zn(2+) ions in the production media. The production of enzyme cellulase occurred at 48 h of incubation which proved the importance of this strain for cellulase production in large scale. Further, the enzyme was purified to 12.5-fold with a 37% yield and a specific activity of 2,548.75 U/mg. The purified enzyme displayed maximum activity at mesophilic temperature (27-35 degrees C) and at a broad pH range with optimal activity at pH 9.0. The purified enzyme was stable even at a higher alkaline pH of 12.0 which is greater than the pH stability that has not been reported in any of the cellulolytic isolates studied so far. Thus, from the present study, it is crucial that, instead of exploring the thermophilic resource that is limited in natural environments, the mesophilic bacteria that occurs commonly in nature can be added up to the database of cellulolytic bacteria. Thus, it is possible that a wide diversity of mesophilic bacteria associated with marine sponges opens up a new doorstep for the degradation of cellulosic waste material for the production of liquid fuels. This is the first report elucidating the prospects of sponge-associated marine bacterium for the production of extracellular alkaline cellulase.

Production and characterization of lipopeptide biosurfactant by a sponge-associated marine actinomycetes Nocardiopsis alba MSA10.

A sponge-associated marine actinomycetes Nocardiopsis alba MSA10 was screened and evaluated for the production of biosurfactant. Biosurfactant production was confirmed by conventional screening methods including hemolytic activity, drop collapsing test, oil displacement method, lipase production and emulsification index. The active compound was extracted with three solvents including ethyl acetate, diethyl ether and dichloromethane. The diethyl ether extract was fractionated by TLC and semi-preparative HPLC to isolate the pure compound. In TLC, a single discrete spot was obtained with the R (f) 0.60 and it was extrapolated as valine. Based on the chemical characterization, the active compound was partially confirmed as lipopeptide. The optimum production was attained at pH 7, temperature 30 degrees C, and 1% salinity with glucose and peptone supplementation as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. Considering the biosurfactant production potential of N. alba, the strain could be developed for large-scale production of lipopeptide biosurfactant.

Optimization and production of novel antimicrobial agents from sponge associated marine actinomycetes Nocardiopsis dassonvillei MAD08.

The sponge-associated actinomycetes were isolated from the marine sponge Dendrilla nigra, collected from the southwest coast of India. Eleven actinomycetes were isolated depending upon the heterogeneity and stability in subculturing. Among these, Nocardiopsis dassonvillei MAD08 showed 100% activity against the multidrug resistant pathogens tested. The culture conditions of N. dassonvillei MAD08 was optimized under submerged fermentation conditions for enhanced antimicrobial production. The unique feature of MAD08 includes extracellular amylase, cellulase, lipase, and protease production. These enzymes ultimately increase the scope of optimization using broad range of raw materials which might be efficiently utilized. The extraction of the cell free supernatant with ethyl acetate yielded bioactive crude extract that displayed activity against a panel of pathogens tested. Analysis of the active thin layer chromatography fraction by Fourier transform infrared and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry evidenced 11 compounds with antimicrobial activity. The ammonium sulfate precipitation of the culture supernatant at 80% saturation yielded an anticandidal protein of molecular weight 87.12 kDa. This is the first strain that produces both organic solvent and water soluble antimicrobial compounds. The active extract was non-hemolytic and showed surface active property envisaging its probable role in inhibiting the attachment of pathogens to host tissues, thus, blocking host-pathogen interaction at an earlier stage of pathogenesis.

Optimization of extracellular psychrophilic alkaline lipase produced by marine Pseudomonas sp. (MSI057).

An endosymbiotic Pseudomonas sp. (MSI057), which could produce high yields of lipase, was isolated from marine sponge Dendrilla nigra, collected from the peninsular coast of India. Maximum production of enzyme was obtained in minimal medium supplemented with 1% tributyrin. Catabolite repression was observed when the medium was supplemented with readily available carbon sources. The optimum temperature and pH for the enzyme production was 30 degrees C and 9.0, respectively. The enzyme exhibited maximum activity in pH range of 8-9 with an optimum pH 9.0. The activity of purified enzyme was optimum at 37 degrees C and showed 80% activity at 20 degrees C and the enzyme activity decreased dramatically above 50 degrees C. Based on the present findings, the enzyme was characterized as psychrophilic alkaline lipase, which can be developed for industrial applications.

Optimization of extracellular thermotolerant alkaline protease produced by marine Roseobacter sp. (MMD040).

Marine endosymbiontic Roseobacter sp. (MMD040), which produced high yields of protease, was isolated from marine sponge Fasciospongia cavernosa, collected from the peninsular coast of India. Maximum production of enzyme was obtained in Luria-Bertani broth. Catabolite repression was observed when the medium was supplemented with readily available carbon sources. The optimum temperature and pH for the enzyme production was 37 degrees C and 7.0, respectively. The enzyme exhibited maximum activity in pH range of 6-9 with an optimum pH of 8.0 and retained nearly 92.5% activity at pH 9.0. The enzyme was stable at 40 degrees C and showed 89% activity at 50 degrees C. Based on the present findings, the enzyme was characterized as thermotolerant alkaline protease, which can be developed for industrial applications.