Hyperandrogenism.

Hyperandrogenism is a common condition encountered by pediatric and adolescent physicians. Most girls with hyperandrogenism represent physiological pubertal variation; pathology may be present in a substantial minority. Systematic evaluation is essential to avoid unnecessary work-up in physiological causes while not missing pathological causes. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), unexplained, persistent hyperandrogenism of ovarian origin, is the most common form in adolescent girls. The high prevalence of physiological peripubertal hirsutism, anovulation, and polycystic ovarian morphology results in mislabeling many girls as having the polycystic ovarian syndrome, a disorder with lifelong implications. The use of strict criteria of age-specific anovulation, hyperandrogenism, and duration is essential to reduce their stigmatization. The exclusion of secondary causes by screening tests (cortisol, thyroid profile, prolactin, and 17OHP) is essential before undertaking treatment for PCOS. Lifestyle measures, estrogen-progesterone preparations, antiandrogens, and metformin are the cornerstone of managing the disorder.

Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) aquarium: Diving in to learn DMEK surgical concepts.

A novel simulation model (without using human corneas) has been described for understanding the surgical concepts and developing tactile reflexes of Descemet membrane (DM) endothelium scroll manipulation and orientation in the anterior chamber, which are necessary for performing Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK). Termed the "DMEK aquarium," this model helps facilitate the understanding of different maneuvers of the DM graft needed inside the fluid-filled anterior chamber, like unrolling or unfolding, flipping or inversion, and checking orientation and centration in the host cornea. A stepwise plan for surgeons starting to learn DMEK utilizing various available resources is also suggested.

Partial-thickness compression sutures without descemetopexy for management of acute hydrops in keratoconus: A novel surgical technique.

This article reports a novel surgical technique of partial-thickness compression sutures without descemetopexy with air or gas for the management of acute hydrops in keratoconus. Two patients presented with localized corneal edema with a Descemet membrane (DM) tear in the left eye. Tomography of the right eye revealed localized steepening with increased maximum keratometry and decreased central pachymetry. They were diagnosed with keratoconus in the right eye and acute corneal hydrops (ACH) in the left eye. Compression sutures were passed through the stroma without touching the DM. The anterior chamber was not entered at all at any point during the surgery. Resolution of edema was noted intraoperatively itself. Further resolution of edema was noted from the first postoperative day which markedly reduced within the first week. A corneal scar with no edema was seen at six weeks. In both the patients, vision at presentation was counting fingers close to face which improved to 20/60 and 20/50, respectively, at the last visit.

Double-stranded RNA reduction by chaotropic agents during in vitro transcription of messenger RNA.

In-vitro-transcribed messenger RNA (mRNA) has recently shown increasing significance in the development of vaccines and therapeutics. Immunogenic double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is an undesired byproduct formed during in vitro transcription (IVT), and it is challenging to reduce dsRNA byproduct from mRNA due to their similar sizes and intrinsic characteristics. Removal of dsRNA relies heavily on post-IVT chromatography purifications, such as reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography, which increase manufacturing costs, reduce yield, and often decrease integrity, especially for long mRNA. Thus, it would be ideal to reduce and control the level of dsRNA during IVT. We herein present a simple, scalable, and controllable method to reduce the formation of dsRNA byproducts during IVT. Selected chaotropic agents at optimized concentrations are included during IVT to create a mild denaturing environment to prevent the undesired intermolecular or intramolecular base-pairing that is thought to promote RNA-templated dsRNA formation by RNA polymerase. Compared with regular IVT, our improved method produces mRNA with significantly less dsRNA, much lower immuno-stimulation, and more efficient protein expression. Therefore, this method potentially eliminates dsRNA removal purification steps and does not require reduced magnesium concentration, elevated temperature, or custom reagents, enabling a straightforward, high-yield, and cost-effective scale-up approach for mRNA manufacturing.

Practice pattern of cataract surgeons when operating on seropositive patients.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to know practice pattern of cataract surgeons when operating on patients, positive for blood-borne viral infections (BBVIs), namely, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and human immunodeficiency virus. We also studied their awareness, knowledge, and attitude toward universal precautions and guidelines. Methods: The telephonic survey enrolled practicing cataract surgeons, who were interviewed to record responses pertaining to their practice using an open-ended questionnaire. We studied statistical significance of difference of frequency of prick injuries in topical versus peribulbar anesthesia, and phacoemulsification versus manual small incision cataract surgery by employing Chi-square test. Significance of proportion was calculated using z-test. For all statistical calculations, significance level was set at 0.05%. Results: Of 623 ophthalmologists contacted, responses of 479 (79%) ophthalmologists were analyzed. Maximum participants were in private practice (48%). During whole practicing carrier, 313 (65%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 61-70) participants admitted having suffered injury with needle or sharp instruments; of these, 204 (65%; 95% CI: 60-70) participants did not report their injury. Wearing "double gloves" during cataract surgery was the most common barrier adopted by participants. Conclusion: We found high prevalence of occupational-related sharp injuries among ophthalmologists in this survey. Majority of them were aware of universal precautions, but adherence to postexposure prophylaxis was lacking.

Influenza infection modulates vesicular trafficking and induces Golgi complex disruption.

Influenza A virus (IFV) replicates its genome in the nucleus of infected cells and uses the cellular protein transport system for genome trafficking from the nucleus to the plasma membrane. However, many details of the mechanism of this process, and its relationship to subsequent cytoplasmic virus trafficking, have not been elucidated. We examined the effect of nuclear transport inhibitors Leptomycin B (LB), 5,6 dichloro-1-ß-d-ribofuranosyl-benzimidazole (DRB), the vesicular transport inhibitor Brefeldin A (BFA), the caspase inhibitor ZWEHD, and microtubule inhibitor Nocodazole (NOC) on virus replication and intracellular trafficking of viral nucleoprotein (NP) from the nucleus to the ER and Golgi. Also, we carried out complementary studies to determine the effect of IFV on intracellular membranes. Inhibition of the CRM1 and TAP-P15 nuclear transport pathways by DRB and LB blocked completely the export of virus. Inhibition of vesicular trafficking by BFA, NOC, and ZWEHD also affected influenza infection. Interestingly, IFV infection induced fragmentation of the Golgi complex resulting in diffuse distribution of large and small vesicles throughout the cytoplasm. Live-cell microscopy revealed expansion of Golgi localization signals indicating progressive dispersion of Golgi positive structures, resulting in the disassembly of the Golgi ribbon structure. Other vesicular components (Rab1b, ARF1 and GBF1) were also found to be required for IFV infection. Furthermore, the exact step at which IFV infection disrupts vesicle trafficking was identified as the ER-Golgi intermediate compartment. These findings suggest that IFV NP is trafficked from the nucleus via the CRM1 and TAP pathways. IFV modulates vesicular trafficking inducing disruption of the Golgi complex. These studies provide insight on the ways in which IFV affects intracellular trafficking of different host proteins and will facilitate identification of useful pharmaceutical targets to abrogate virus replication.

Combinatorial effect of TIMP-1 and α1AT gene polymorphisms on development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

OBJECTIVE: To study the role of α(1)AT and TIMP-1 gene polymorphisms in development of COPD. DESIGN AND METHODS: Blood samples from total 408 subjects (217 COPD patients and 191 controls) were used for genotyping and estimating biolevels of α(1)AT, TIMP-1 and inflammatory cytokines. Data was analyzed to determine the role of interaction of TIMP-1 and α(1)AT genes; and interplay between various genotypes and biolevels of α(1)AT, TIMP-1 and inflammatory cytokines in development of COPD. RESULTS: Significantly low levels of α(1)AT and TIMP-1 were observed in COPD patients as compared to controls (P = 0.001), where as the inflammatory cytokines were found to be increased in patients. PIM3 allele of α(1)AT gene in COPD patients was found to be associated with low levels of α(1)AT (P = 0.001), the effect being more pronounced when PIM3 combined with rs6609533 of TIMP-1 gene (P = 0.0001). Combination of genotypes rs6609533 of TIMP-1 and PIM3 of α(1)AT containing the risk alleles was over-represented in patients (P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: The SNP rs6609533 of TIMP-1 gene interacted with PIM3 of α(1)AT to make a possible risk combination for development of COPD.

Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of 3-arylamino-1-chloropropan-2-ols.

A series of nine 3-arylamino-1-chloropropan-2-ols 2a-2i were synthesized and their anti-fungal activity against pathogenic strains of Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans, and antibacterial activity against four pathogenic bacterial strains of Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pneumonae and Staphylococcus aureus were evaluated using different assay systems. 1-Chloro-3-(4'-chlorophenylamino)-propan-2-ol was found to be the most active anti-fungal compound against three pathogenic strains under study, i.e., A. fumigatus, A. flavus and A. niger; the compound showed more than 90% inhibition of growth of A. fumigatus at a concentration of 5.85 microg/ml in disc diffusion assay. Interestingly, 1-chloro-3-(4'-chlorophenylamino)-propan-2-ol did not show any toxicity up to a concentration of 4000 microg/ml. Although 1-chloro-3-(4'-chlorophenylamino)-propan-2-ol was about 8 times less active than the standard compound amphotericin B, its toxicity was many more fold less than the toxicity of amphotericin B. Further, 1-chloro-3-(2',6'-dichlorophenylamino)-propan-2-ol and 1-chloro-3-(3',5'-dichlorophenylamino)-propan-2-ol were found to be the most active compounds against C. albicans. In the anti-microbial assay, 1-chloro-3-(2',4'-dichlorophenylamino)-propan-2-ol and 1-chloro-3-(3',5'-dichlorophenylamino)-propan-2-ol were found to be the most active compounds against Salmonella typhi and 1-chloro-3-(3',4'-dichlorophenylamino)-propan-2-ol was found to be the most active compound against P. aeruginosa. Although, the activities of 1-chloro-3-(2',4'-dichlorophenylamino)-propan-2-ol and 1-chloro-3-(3',5'-dichlorophenylamino)-propan-2-ol are about half the activity of the standard anti-bacterial compound tetracycline, these compounds also were many fold less toxic than the standard drug.

Microwave-assisted synthesis of antimicrobial dihydropyridines and tetrahydropyrimidin-2-ones: novel compounds against aspergillosis.

Ten 4-aryl-1,4-dihydropyridine and three 4-aryl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidin-2-one derivatives have been synthesized and examined for their activity against pathogenic strains of Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida albicans. Although none of the three compounds belonging to pyrimidin-2-one series showed any activity against two pathogens, two of the compounds of the dihydropyridine series, that is, diethyl 4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2,6-dimethyl-1,4-dihydropyridin-3,5-dicarboxylate and dimethyl 4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2,6-dimethyl-1,4-dihydropyridin-3,5-dicarboxylate, exhibited significant activity against A. fumigatus in disc diffusion, microbroth dilution and percent spore germination inhibition assays. The most active diethyl dihydropyridine derivative exhibited a MIC value of 2.92 microg/disc in disc diffusion and 15.62 microg/ml in microbroth dilution assays. The MIC(90) value of the most active compound by percent germination inhibition assay was found to be 15.62 microg/ml. The diethyl dicarboxylate derivative of dihydropyridine also exhibited appreciable activity against C. albicans. The in vitro toxicity of the most active diethyl dihydropyridine derivative was evaluated using haemolytic assay, in which the compound was found to be non-toxic to human erythrocytes even at a concentration of 625 microg/ml. The standard drug amphotericin B exhibited 100% lysis of erythrocytes at a concentration almost 16 times less than the safer concentration of the most active dihydropyridine derivative.

Synthesis and antibacterial activity of substituted 1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrazino [1,2-a] indoles.

A series of substituted 1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrazino [1,2-a] indole derivatives have been synthesized and tested against the Gram positive and Gram negative strains of bacteria namely Staphylococcus aureus (MTCCB 737), Salmonella typhi (MTCCB 733), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCCB 741), Streptomyces thermonitrificans (MTCCB 1824) and Escherichia coli (MTCCB 1652). All synthesized compounds showed mild to moderate activity. However, compounds 4d-f were found to have potent activity against pathogenic bacteria used in the study. Their MIC ranged from 3.75 to 60 microg/disc. In vitro toxicity tests demonstrated that toxicity of 4d-f was not significantly different than that of gentamycin. However, at higher concentration (1000-4000 microg/ml) difference was highly significant.

Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of N-alkyl and N-aryl piperazine derivatives.

A series of substituted piperazine derivatives have been synthesized and tested for antimicrobial activity. The antibacterial activity was tested against Staphylococcus aureus (MTCCB 737), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCCB 741), Streptomyces epidermidis (MTCCB 1824) and Escherichia coli (MTCCB 1652), and antifungal activity against Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger. All synthesized compounds showed significant activity against bacterial strains but were found to be less active against tested fungi. In vitro toxicity tests demonstrated that compounds 4d and 6a showed very less toxicity against human erythrocytes.

Synthesis and antifungal activity of substituted-10-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrazino[1,2-a]indoles.

Series of substituted-10-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrazino[1,2-a]indoles derivatives have been synthesized and examined for their activity against pathogenic strains of Aspergillus fumigatus (ITCC 4517), Aspergillus flavus (ITCC 5192) Aspergillus niger (ITCC 5405) and Candida albicans (ITCC No 4718). All synthesized compounds showed mild to moderate activity, except for 2-substituted-10-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrazino[1,2-a]indoles 6a-d. The most active 1-(4-chlorophenyl)-10-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrazino[1,2-a]indole 4c exhibited a MIC value of 5.85 microg/disc against A. fumigatus and 11.71 microg/disc against A. flavus and A. niger in disc diffusion assay. Anti-Aspergillus activity of active compound 4c by microbroth dilution assay was found to be 15.62 microg/ml in case of A. fumigatus and 31.25 microg/ml with A. flavus and A. niger. The MIC90 value of the most active compound by percent germination inhibition assay was found to be 15.62 microg/ml against A. fumigatus. The MIC90 values of substituted-10-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrazino[1,2-a]indoles against C. albicans ranged from 15.62 to 250 microg/ml. The in vitro toxicity of the most active 1-(4-chlorophenyl)-10-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrazino[1,2-a]indole 4c was evaluated using haemolytic assay, in which the compound was found to be non-toxic to human erythrocytes up to a concentration of 312.50 microg/ml. The standard drug amphotericin B exhibited 100% lysis at a concentration of 37.5 microg/ml.

Different antioxidants status, total antioxidant power and free radicals in essential hypertension.

Hypertension is a multi-factorial process, prevalent in developed as well as in developing countries. Different antioxidants and free radicals play an important role in cardiovascular system. In present study, total antioxidant power in terms of FRAP (ferric reducing activity of plasma), free radicals and different antioxidants have been studied in essential hypertensives (n = 50) and normal subjects (n = 50). Levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipids-cholesterol, malonialdehyde, very low-density lipids (VLDL), uric acid, plasma homocysteine and low-density lipids (LDL), were significantly higher in hypertensives as compared to normotensive. HDL-cholesterol, SOD, GPx, reduced glutahione, total glutathione, oxidized glutathione, total thiols, protein thiols, non protein thiols, RNI, total antioxidant power, vitamin A, ascorbic acid and glutahione-S-transferase (GST) were decreased significantly in normotensive. We observed significantly low nitric oxide levels in hypertensive patients. No correlation was observed between severity of disease and plasma nitric oxide levels. There was a significant decrease in plasma FRAP value in essential hypertensives as compared to normotensive controls, which showed a negative correlation with diastolic blood pressure. In conclusion, our study revealed that there was a consistent significant difference between essential hypertensives versus controls with respect to most of the parameters. These complex changes are consistent in the view that essential hypertension is associated with an abnormal level of antioxidant status compared to normal response to oxidative stress or both.