Post-donation health-related quality of life, mood and life satisfaction in livingkidney donors; an explorative study from kidney transplant centre, Lahore Pakistan.

Objective: To explore post-donation life satisfaction, quality of life and mood status among kidney donors. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted from February 5 to July 10, 2021, at the Department of Kidney Transplant Surgery, Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan, and comprised living kidney donors who had donated a kidney at least 6 months before the interview date. Data was collected through telephonic interviews, and, in addition to demographics, the questionnaire comprised the World Health Organisation Quality of Life Brief Version scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Patient Health Questionnaire and General Anxiety Disorder. Data was analysed using SPSS 20. RESULTS: Of the 41 subjects, 22(53.7%) were females and 19(46.3%) were males. The overall mean age was 41.10±9.648 years (range: 19-62 years). The most common donor-recipient relationship was brother-sister 10(34.1%) and wife-husband 10(24.4%). Among the donors, there was a significant positive correlation between quality of life and satisfaction with life (r=0.381, p=0.014). Quality of life had a negative correlation with anxiety (r=-0.429, p=0.005), and a negative but non-significant association with depression (r=-0.283, p=0.073). Anxiety and depression were highly positively correlated (r=0.681, p=0.000). Quality of life was significantly associated with donor age (p=0.029) with a negative effect (Beta=-0.588), while satisfaction with life had a positive relationship with age (Beta=0.147). Conclusion: Higher life satisfaction among living kidney donors was associated with an improved quality of life, while increased anxiety levels were linked to a lower quality of life. Age was a critical determinant, with older donors reporting a lower quality of life.

High frequency of simultaneous presence of ESBL and carbapenemase producers among nosocomial coliform isolates in Faisalabad, Pakistan.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the current study was to find prevalence of relevant ESBL and carbapenemase producing genes in nosocomial E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates and to check phenotypic susceptibility of all ESBL positive isolates to carbapenems. METHODS: Forty ESBL producing clinical isolates of Escherichia coli (n=33) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (n=7) were examined for the presence of ß-lactamase genes (CTX-M, CTX-M-1, 2, 3, 4 and TEM). Carbapenem resistance was checked phenotypically and by presence of blaNDM-1 gene. RESULTS: Nine (27%) were positive for CTX-M genes, and 10 (30%) for TEM among E. coli isolates. Importantly, six isolates showed co-existence of CTX-M and TEM genes. In K. pneumoniae, two (28%) isolates were positive for CTX-M and one (14%) for TEM genes. Eight (24%) E. coli and one (14%) K. pneumoniae isolates were positive for CTX-M-1. Respective figures for CTX-M-4 were three (10%) and one (14%). CTX-M-2 and CTX-M-3 groups were not represented. Twenty (50%) isolates were resistant to both imipenem and meropenem out of which only four isolates expressed blaNDM-1 gene. CONCLUSIONS: The significant presence of both ESBL and carbapenemase producers and co-existence of ESBL and carbapenemases in the same isolates is worrisome.

Evaluation of Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Some Common Herbs.

The study was designed to evaluate the phenolic, flavonoid contents and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of onion (Allium cepa), garlic (Allium sativum), mint (Mentha spicata), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), oak (Quercus), aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller), and ginger (Zingiber officinale). All extracts showed a wide range of total phenolic contents, that is, 4.96 to 98.37 mg/100 g gallic acid equivalents, and total flavonoid contents, that is, 0.41 to 17.64 mg/100 g catechin equivalents. Antioxidant activity (AA) was determined by measuring reducing power, inhibition of peroxidation using linoleic acid system, and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) scavenging activity. Different extracts inhibited oxidation of linoleic acid by 16.6-84.2% while DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50 values) ranged from 17.8% to 79.1 µg/mL. Reducing power at 10 mg/mL extract concentration ranged from 0.11 to 0.84 nm. Furthermore the extracts of these medicinal herbs in 80% methanol, 80% ethanol, 80% acetone, and 100% water were screened for antimicrobial activity by disc diffusion method against selected bacterial strains, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Pasteurella multocida, and fungal strains, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Rhizopus solani, and Alternaria alternata. The extracts show better antimicrobial activity against bacterial strains as compared to fungal strains. Results of various assays were analyzed statistically by applying appropriate statistical methods.