Household drug-resistant TB contact tracing in Tajikistan.

BACKGROUND: Tajikistan has a high burden of rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB), with 2,700 new cases estimated for 2021 (28/100,000 population). TB is spread among household members through close interaction and children exposed through household contact progress to disease rapidly and frequently.METHODS: We retrospectively analysed programmatic data from household contact tracing in Dushanbe over 50 months. We calculated person-years of follow-up, contact tracing yield, number needed to screen (NNS) and number needed to test (NNT) to find one new case, and time to diagnosis.RESULTS: We screened 6,654 household contacts of 830 RR-TB index cases; 47 new RR-TB cases were detected, 43 in Year 1 and 4 in Years 2 or 3. Ten were aged <5 years; 46/47 had TB symptoms, 34/45 had chest radiographs consistent with TB, 11/35 were Xpert Ultra-positive, 29/32 were tuberculin skin test-positive and 28/47 had positive TB culture and phenotypic drug susceptibility results. The NNS to find one RR-TB case was 141.57 and the NNT was 34.49. The yields for different types of contacts were as follows: 0.7% for screened contacts, 2.9% for tested contacts, 17.0% for symptomatic contacts and 12.1% for symptomatic contacts aged below 5 years.CONCLUSION: RR-TB household contact tracing was feasible and productive in Tajikistan, a low middle-income country with an inefficient healthcare delivery system.

Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ)-based quantitative analysis of the salivary proteome during healthy pregnancy and pregnancy gingivitis.

AIM: The present study aimed to investigate the salivary proteome profiles of pregnant women with gingivitis (PG) or without gingivitis (HP) and non-pregnant healthy controls (HC) by employing iTRAQ-based proteomics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Saliva samples were collected from 30 Chinese women comprising 10 subjects in each of the three groups (PG, HP, and HC). The samples were subjected to iTRAQ-based proteomics analysis, and ELISA was performed to validate the results. The subsequent observations were validated in a cohort of 48 subjects. RESULTS: Pathways associated with neutrophil-mediated immune response and antioxidant defence mechanism were significantly higher in PG than HC. The abundance of salivary cystatins (S, SA, and SN) and antimicrobials were significantly decreased in PG and HP, while cystatin C and D were additionally decreased in PG. Cystatin C was mapped to all the major catabolic pathways and was the most re-wired protein in pregnancy gingivitis. Further validation demonstrated cystatin C to be significantly lower in PG than HC. CONCLUSIONS: While the decrease in levels of salivary cystatins and antimicrobial proteins may predispose healthy pregnant women to pregnancy gingivitis, it may cause persistence of inflammation in pregnant women with gingivitis.

Piper sarmentosum Roxb. Attenuates Beta Amyloid (Aß)-Induced Neurotoxicity Via the Inhibition of Amyloidogenesis and Tau Hyperphosphorylation in SH-SY5Y Cells.

BACKGROUND: In Alzheimer's disease, accumulation of beta amyloid (Aß) triggers amyloidogenesis and hyperphosphorylation of tau protein leading to neuronal cell death. Piper sarmentosum Roxb. (PS) is a traditional medicinal herb used by Malay to treat rheumatism, headache and boost memory. It possesses various biological effects, such as anti-cholinergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-depressant-like effects. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to investigate neuroprotective properties of PS against Aß-induced neurotoxicity and to evaluate its potential mechanism of action. METHODS: Neuroprotective effects of hexane (HXN), dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate (EA) and methanol (MEOH) extracts from leaves (L) and roots (R) of PS against Aß-induced neurotoxicity were investigated in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. Cells were pre-treated with PS for 24 h followed by 24 h of induction with Aß. The neuroprotective effects of PS were studied using cell viability and cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) assays. The levels of extracellular Aß and tau proteins phosphorylated at threonine 231 (pT231) were determined. Gene and protein expressions were assessed using qRT-PCR analyses and western blot analyses, respectively. RESULTS: Hexane extracts of PS (LHXN and RHXN) protected SH-SY5Y cells against Aß-induced neurotoxicity, and decreased levels of extracellular Aß and phosphorylated tau (pT231). Although extracts of PS inhibited Aß-induced ROS production, it was unlikely that neuroprotective effects were simply due to the anti-oxidant capacity of PS. Further, mechanistic study suggested that the neuroprotective effects of PS might be due to its capability to regulate amyloidogenesis through the downregulation of BACE and APP. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that hexane extracts of PS confer neuroprotection against Aß- induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells by attenuating amyloidogenesis and tau hyperphosphorylation. Due to its neuroprotective properties, PS might be a potential therapeutic agent for Alzheimer's disease.

Bioinformatics Analysis on Molecular Mechanism of Green Tea Compound Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Against Ovarian Cancer.

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the most abundant and biologically active catechin in green tea, and it exerts multiple effects in humans through mechanisms that remain to be clarified. The present study used bioinformatics to identify possible mechanisms by which EGCG reduces the risk of ovarian cancer. Possible human protein targets of EGCG were identified in the PubChem database, possible human gene targets were identified in the National Center for Biotechnology Information database, and then both sets of targets were analyzed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). The results suggest that signaling proteins affected by EGCG in ovarian cancer, which include JUN, FADD, NFKB1, Bcl-2, HIF1α, and MMP, are involved primarily in cell cycle, cellular assembly and organization, DNA replication, etc. These results identify several specific proteins and pathways that may be affected by EGCG in ovarian cancer, and they illustrate the power of integrative informatics and chemical fragment analysis for focusing mechanistic studies.

An evaluation of the quality of a chemotherapy administration service established by nurses in an oncology day care centre.

Traditionally, chemotherapy administration has been a medical role in Hong Kong. In 1998, two chemotherapy nurses took over part of this role within a major oncology day care centre after completing a course in chemotherapy administration and patient care. The aim of this study was to measure and evaluate the quality of care by using a self-developed audit form and the Worthing Chemotherapy Satisfaction Questionnaire (WSCQ). All records of patients who had had i.v. cannulas inserted by nurses over a period of one year were audited for the accuracy of the i.v. cannulation (n=2217). Also, patient satisfaction was assessed in 50 patients. The results showed that the accuracy of i.v. cannulation was kept constantly above 80% from the eighth month of auditing onwards. It was also found that patients preferred the use of a butterfly needle for the administration of chemotherapy. The study revealed that the level of information received regarding treatment (r=0.36, P=0.011) and satisfaction of practical advice on caring for side effects (r=0.35, P=0.012) were determinants of patients' overall satisfaction. Furthermore, anxiety when patients received chemotherapy could also be associated with overall satisfaction (r=-0.27), although the P value was of borderline significance only (P=0.58). In conclusion, the study reflected a high level of quality of care in relation to this element of nurse-led practice.

[Specifics of surgical approach in purulent cholangitis]. / Osobennosti khirurgicheskoi taktiki pri gnoinom kholangite.

When analysing the results of examination of 773 patients with obstructive jaundice (OJ) of benign genesis, purulent cholangitis (PC) was revealed in 323. In PC diagnosis, the ultrasound study is a valuable adjunctive method. In presence of the clinical signs of PC in patients and absence of the effect from conservative therapy, and as well in preservation of the high indices of bilirubinemia, the early operative treatment performed, as a rule, no later than 48 h after hospitalization is indicated. PC in patients with OJ is most frequently caused by choledocholithiasis. The causative agents of PC are represented by aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms, requiring the use of broad spectrum antibiotics before the operation and 6-12 h after it. Adequate restoration of bile passage and pathogenetically substantiated local influencing upon the inflammatory process in the bile ducts are tasks of operative intervention. Direct administration into the bile ducts of antibiotics and antiinflammatory preparations, in particular of quercitrol, via the external drain of the common bile duct is expedient.

[Ruptured echinococcal cysts of the lungs]. / Vskryvsshiesia ekhinokokkovye kisty legkogo.

In 10 of 102 patients with Echinococcosis of the lung the cysts were opened in to the bronchus or pleural cavity. Diagnostics and treatment are described.