Unresolving pericarditis: suspect filariasis in the tropics.

Filariasis, a mosquito-borne disease, is wide spread in India. While laboratory diagnosis has been conventionally done by demonstrating microfilaria in peripheral blood smears, occasionally they are reported in various body fluids including pericardial fluid. We report the case of 33-year-old man with severe dyspnoea and chest pain, referred from a private nursing home with a provisional diagnosis of unresolving pericarditis. Pericardial tap revealed massive pericardial effusion with actively motile microfilariae. No microfilariae (Mf) were seen in the peripheral blood. Haemorrhagic effusion resolved completely with DEC. Though relatively uncommon, tropical diseases must always be considered in the etiological diagnosis of pericardial effusion.

Molecular characterisation of Cryptosporidium: an emerging parasite.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of Crytposporidium in local population and to understand its epidemiology by molecular methods. METHODS: Faecal samples from 681 children and 804 adults, admitted to tertiary care hospitals in twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad with complaints of diarrhoea; and six calves with diarrhoea, were screened for Cryptosporidium oocysts by microscopy and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR RFLP) based identification of Cryptosporidium species in positive specimens was done to elucidate epidemiology of Cryptosporidium. RESULTS: Cryptosporidium was found in 52 (7.6%) children and 7(0.9%) adults and 1(16.6%) calf with diarrhoea. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium in children below five years of age was 8.2% and 14.3% in children in the age group of six months to one year. Of the 42 samples genotyped 29 (69%) were C. hominis and 8 (19%) were C. parvum and 5 (11.9%) were mixed infection with the two species. CONCLUSIONS: Children in the age group of six months to one year were found to be the most vulnerable. The occurrence of C. parvum, in nearly one third of cases in the present series indicates that the zoonotic transmission is of considerable significance in the epidemiology of Cryptosporidiosis in the study area.

Efficacy of fluorochrome stain in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis co-infected with HIV.

UNLABELLED: The resurgence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in association with HIV infection has focussed much attention in the rapid diagnosis of high risk cases. Infection with HIV is known to alter the presentation of pulmonary tuberculosis. The present study was under taken to compare the efficacy of fluorochrome stain (Fl) with conventional Ziehl Neelsen (ZN) stain in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. Two hundred cases of pulmonary tuberculosis were included in the study. Sputum smears were screened for acid fast bacilli (AFB) by ZN and Fl methods and blood samples were screened for HIV. Sputum positive cases detected by Fl stain were higher in number (69%) when compared to ZN stain (50%). Of the total cases studied 15.5% were HIV seropositive. CONCLUSIONS: Fluorochrome staining was found to be more efficient (45%) when compared to ZN staining (29%) in detecting cases associated with HIV seropositivity, especially paucibacillary cases.

Morphological and biochemical perturbations in rat erythrocytes following in vitro exposure to Fenvalerate and its metabolite.

Erythrocytes are a convenient model to understand the membrane oxidative damage induced by various xenobiotic-prooxidants. In this investigation, we have examined the potency of Fenvalerate (FEN) and its metabolite, p-chlorophenyl isovaleric acid (p-CPIA) to induce oxidative stress response in rat erythrocytes in vitro in terms of lipid peroxidation and effects on selected antioxidant enzymes. Susceptibility of erythrocytes to FEN exposure was further investigated in terms of morphological alterations by scanning electron microscopy and protein damage by gel electrophoresis of erythrocyte ghosts. Following in vitro exposure, FEN caused a significant induction of oxidative damage in erythrocytes at concentrations beyond 0.1 mM as evidenced by increased thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels. The response was both concentration and time dependent. At higher concentrations, significant decreases in the activities of vital antioxidant enzymes viz., catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione transferase and glutathione reductase were also discernible clearly suggesting the potency of both, parent compound and its metabolite to induce oxidative stress in erythrocytes. Scanning electron micrographs of erythrocytes following FEN exposure at higher concentrations revealed various degrees of distortion in shape and ruptured membranes. Furthermore, gel electrophoresis studies revealed consistent and significant aggregation of only band 3 protein in erythrocyte membranes exposed to either FEN or p-CPIA at higher concentrations. These in vitro findings show that FEN and its metabolite have the propensity to cause significant oxidative damage in rat erythrocytes, which is associated with marked damage to membrane proteins. These data suggest that both structural and functional perturbations may ensue in erythrocytes following exposure to FEN at higher concentrations under in vivo situations.