Shaping subcellular tubes through vesicle trafficking: Common and distinct pathways.

Cells with subcellular lumens form some of the most miniature tubes in the tubular organs of animals. These are often crucial components of the system, executing functions at remote body locations. Unlike tubes formed by intercellular or autocellular junctions, the cells with junctionless subcellular lumens face unique challenges in modifying the cell shape and plasma membrane organization to incorporate a membrane-bound tube within, often associated with dramatic cellular growth and extensions. Results in the recent years have shown that membrane dynamics, including both the primary delivery and recycling, is crucial in providing the cell with the flexibility to face these challenges. A significant portion of this information has come from two in vivo invertebrate models; the Drosophila tracheal terminal cells and the C. elegans excretory cell. This review focuses on the data obtained from these systems in the recent past about how trafficking pathways influence subcellular tube and branching morphogenesis. Given that such tubes occur in vertebrate vasculature, these insights are relevant to human health, and we contrast our conclusions with the less understood subcellular tubes of angiogenesis.

N-terminal or signal peptide sequence engineering prevents truncation of human monoclonal antibody light chains.

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) contain short N-terminal signal peptides on each individual polypeptide that comprises the mature antibody, targeting them for export from the cell in which they are produced. The signal peptide is cleaved from each heavy chain (Hc) and light chain (Lc) polypeptide after translocation to the ER and prior to secretion. This process is generally highly efficient, producing a high proportion of correctly cleaved Hc and Lc polypeptides. However, mis-cleavage of the signal peptide can occur, resulting in truncation or elongation at the N-terminus of the Hc or Lc. This is undesirable for antibody manufacturing as it can impact efficacy and can result in product heterogeneity. Here, we describe a truncated variant of the Lc that was detected during a routine developability assessment of the recombinant human IgG1 MEDI8490 in Chinese hamster ovary cells. We found that the truncation of the Lc was caused due to the use of the murine Hc signal peptide together with a lambda Lc containing an SYE amino acid motif at the N-terminus. This truncation was not caused by mis-processing of the mRNA encoding the Lc and was not dependent on expression platform (transient or stable), the scale of the fed-batch culture or clonal lineage. We further show that using alternative signal peptides or engineering the Lc SYE N-terminal motif prevented the truncation and that this strategy will improve Lc homogeneity of other SYE lambda Lc-containing mAbs. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 1970-1977. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of ethyl oleate and microwave blanching on drying kinetics of bitter gourd.

In the present study effects of pre-treatments such as blanching with hot water and microwave, ethyl oleate dipping, and combinations of these treatments on drying characteristics of the bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) at various temperature were studied. The overall drying time was reduced significantly in the ethyl oleate treated and microwave blanched samples. The minimum diffusivity (2.65 × 10-8 m2/s) was observed in control samples whereas the maximum diffusivity (3.86 × 10-8 m2/s) was observed in ethyl oleate treated and microwave blanched samples at 50 °C. Ethyl oleate treated and microwave blanched samples dried at lowest temperature (50 °C) showed the lowermost shrinkage ratio (46.04%). The rehydration ratio increased from 3.49 to 4.90 as the temperature increased from 50 to 70 °C for control samples. Combined pre-treatment of ethyl oleate and microwave blanching had resulted in most acceptable drying characteristics and quality of bitter gourd. Drying of the samples were mathematically modelled. The drying characteristics of bitter gourd could be explained suitably by Page drying model.

Effect of Sildenafil Citrate on Pulmonary Arterial Systolic Pressure and Sub-maximal Exercise Capacity in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background Pulmonary hypertension (PH) often complicates Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Sildenafil reduces pulmonary arterial pressure associated with multitude of diseases. Objective To evaluate the use of Sildenafil in Pulmonary Hypertension associated with COPD. Method This randomized control study enrolled 72 patients: 61 completed the study. Thirtypatients with COPD received Sildenafil 25 mg thrice daily and 31 patients with COPD received optimal medical therapy for four weeks. Symptom assessment and dyspnoea grading was done with modified Borg scale and Modified Medical Research Council (MMRC) grade. The functional assessment was done with WHO functional classification. The estimation of pulmonary arterial systolic pressure and six minute walking distance was done before and after four weeks of the administration of therapy in both groups. Adverse reaction profiling was done for Sildenafil. The primary outcomes were the changes in pulmonary arterial systolic pressure and six minute walk test. The secondary outcomes were change in modified Borg scale for dyspnoea, MMRC grading and WHO functional class. Result The mean decrease in pulmonary arterial systolic pressure in Sildenafil group was significant as compared to controls (9.87+7.84 mmHg Vs 5.93+7.44 mmHg, P=0.048). The mean increase in six minute walk distance was significantly more in cases as compared to controls (48.13+25.79 m Vs 32.59+32.96 m,P=0.047). The changes in modified Borg scale was not significant (1.20+1.92 to 1.55+1.23; P=0.401). There was significant changes in MMRC grade (p=0.037). There was no significant change in WHO functional class after four weeks (p=0.071). Conclusion Sildenafil marginally decreased pulmonary arterial systolic pressure and increased six minute walk distance in COPD patients. It improved MMRC grading without affecting modified Borg's Scale and WHO functional class.

Evaluation of Anterolateral Plating of Distal Third Tibial Fractures.

Background Distal one-third tibial fractures with or without articular involvement can be difficult to manage. Variety of treatment methods have been suggested for these injuries, including conservative treatment, external fixation with or without limited internal fixation, intramedullary nailing, plate fixation (medial or anterolateral) and more recently minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis (MIPO). All of these techniques have advantages and disadvantages. None of these techniques can be considered the "gold standard" for these injuries. Objective The objective of this prospective study was to evaluate the results of anterolateral plating of these fractures. Method Forty-five fractures of distal third of tibia were treated with open reduction and internal fixation with anterolateral tibial plate from December 2011 to December 2016. All the patients were followed up at least for nine months for the study. Radiological union was finally assessed in nine months. Result All the fractures united within nine months of plating without angulation in sagittal or coronal plane. One patient (2%) had limb length shortening of more than one cm. Full range of motion of ankle and knee joint was achieved compared to the normal side by nine months follow up. 17 (38%) patients developed marginal skin necrosis. Three (7%) patients developed superficial wound infection. These complications were seen more in patients in whom posterior below knee slab was used for pre-operative splintage (as compared to calcaneal traction). Conclusion Hence distal one-third tibial fractures with or without articular involvement can be treated with anterolateral tibial plate.

A Case Report of Post Rabipur (Purified Chick Embryo Rabies Vaccine) Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis.

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease that typically occurs following a viral infection or vaccination. The incidence of ADEM following vaccination has become very low since introduction of non-neural rabies vaccine and only few cases had been reported due to pure chick embryo derived rabies vaccine (PCERV). Here we are reporting a rare case of delayed post vaccinal ADEM.

Effect of rifampin on the pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability of navitoclax (ABT-263), a dual inhibitor of Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL , in patients with cancer.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Navitoclax, a first-in-class small molecule Bcl-2 family inhibitor, is metabolized in vitro by the hepatic microsomal cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes CYP3A4. Drugs that affect CYP3A4 may therefore have an impact on the pharmacological profile of navitoclax. This study evaluated the effects of co-administration of a potent CYP3A4 inducer rifampin on the pharmacokinetic and safety profiles of navitoclax. METHODS: This open-label, fixed-sequence, 2-period study was performed in twelve subjects with non-haematologic or haematologic malignancy that was relapsed or refractory to standard therapy. A 7-day washout period separated the two treatment periods. On Study Day 1 and Day 8, subjects received a single 250 mg oral dose of navitoclax. Rifampin 600 mg was administrated once daily (QD) on Study Day 4 through Day 10. Blood samples for navitoclax assay were collected prior to dosing (0 h) and at a series of time points through 72 h after dosing on Study Day 1 and Day 8. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Co-administration of a single 250 mg dose of navitoclax with 600 mg QD doses of rifampin had a negligible effect on the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax ) of navitoclax [ratio of geometric least square means: 0·84 (90% CI: 0·61-1·16)] but moderately decreased the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) of navitoclax [ratio of geometric least square means: 0·59 (90% CI: 0·44-0·80)]. Rifampin did not affect the half-life of navitoclax. Co-administration of rifampin did not appear to significantly change the safety profile of navitoclax in the limited number of patients evaluated in this study. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: Co-administration navitoclax with rifampin moderately decreased navitoclax AUC, which could be partly due to the induction effect of rifampin on CYP3A4. Further assessment on the mechanism of drug interaction is warranted.

Haemophilus influenzae type b carriage and novel bacterial population structure among children in urban Kathmandu, Nepal.

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) is a major cause of invasive bacterial infection in children that can be prevented by a vaccine, but there is still uncertainty about its relative importance in Asia. This study investigated the age-specific prevalence of Hib carriage and its molecular epidemiology in carriage and disease in Nepal. Oropharyngeal swabs were collected from children in Kathmandu, Nepal, from 3 different settings: a hospital outpatient department (OPD), schools, and children's homes. Hib was isolated using Hib antiserum agar plates, and serotyping was performed with latex agglutination. Hib isolates from children with invasive disease were obtained during active microbiological surveillance at Patan Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal. Genotyping of disease and carriage isolates was undertaken using multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Swabs were taken from 2,195 children, including 1,311 children at an OPD, 647 children attending schools, and 237 children in homes. Overall, Hib was identified in 5.0% (110/2,195; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 3.9% to 6.4%). MLST was performed on 108 Hib isolates from children carrying Hib isolates and 15 isolates from children with invasive disease. Thirty-one sequence types (STs) were identified, and 20 of these were novel STs. The most common ST isolates were sequence type 6 (ST6) and the novel ST722. There was marked heterogeneity among the STs from children with disease and children carrying Hib. STs identified from invasive infections were those commonly identified in carriage. This study provides evidence of Hib carriage among children in urban Nepal with genetically diverse strains prior to introduction of universal vaccination. The Hib carriage rate in Nepal was similar to the rates observed in other populations with documented high disease rates prior to vaccination, supporting implementation of Hib vaccine in Nepal in 2009.

Clinical profile of invasive pneumococcal diseases in Patan Hospital, Nepal.

BACKGROUND: Pneumococcal infection is one of the leading causes of pneumonia, meningitis and septicemia in developing countries. It accounts for one million deaths each year in children. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to see the clinical profile of invasive pneumococcal disease, antibiotics sensitivity pattern and prevalent serotypes in children admitted at Patan Hospital. METHODS: This is a retrospective analytical study conducted in the department of Paediatrics, Patan hospital. The lab data of those children who grew pneumococci in their blood, cerebrospinal fluid or body fluids over a period of 3 years (January 2007 to Dec 2009) were collected and the case files were then studied. RESULTS: Out of 42 cases of invasive pneumococcal diseases studied admitted diagnoses included pneumonia, febrile seizure, bacteremia or septicemia, meningitis, acute gastroenteritis and glomerulonephritis. Twenty seven of them were children under five. The male to female ratio was 1.7:1. On investigation 64%, 52% and 5% of the patients had leucocytosis, anaemia, and leucopenia respectively. Twenty six of them had radiological changes suggestive of pneumonia. Streptococcus pneumoniae grew in 38 blood samples, 5 cerebrospinal fluid and 3 pleural fluids. Almost all of these isolates were sensitive to penicillin, cefotaxime, amoxycillin, choloramphenicol, erythromycin and ofloxacin and resistant to cotrimoxazole and gentamicin. Pneumococcal serotypes found in our study were 1, 14, 5, 23B, 6B, 8, 9A, 9V, 10A, 15 and 23F (11 serotypes). CONCLUSIONS: Penicillin is still the most effective antibiotic for streptococcal infection in our study. Of the pneumococcal serotypes identified; 36% were covered by the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, 54% each by PCV-10 and PCV-13, and 72% by the e 23 valent vaccines.

Functional outcome of operatively treated displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures using two parallel contoured reconstruction plates.

INTRODUCTION: The treatment of displaced intra-articular calcaneal fracture is controversial. Conventionally, they were treated non-operatively. However, some surgeons are now operatively treating these fractures because of continuing dissatisfaction with the outcome of conservative treatment of these fractures and improvements that have occurred in surgical techniques and complication rates. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the functional outcome of operatively treated displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures using two parallel contoured reconstruction plates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 12 patients with 14 displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures involving the subtalar joint were included in the study conducted between July 2005 and December 2008. The fracture site was exposed using extended lateral approach. Internal fixation was done by two nearly parallel 3.5mm reconstruction plates and screws contoured to form a gentle curve in all cases with the fi rst plate fixed just below the articular surface. At the end of follow up, the patients' foot function was assessed by Calcaneal Fracture Scoring System of Kerr et al. Patients were also inquired about their satisfaction with their treatment outcome. RESULTS: The patients were followed up for duration of 12 to 24 months (mean 15.64 months). The outcome score as measured by Calcaneal Fracture Scoring System ranged from 48 to 94 (mean 83.64). 11 of 12 patients (91.6 %) were satisfied with the treatment. CONCLUSION: Displaced intra-articular fractures treated by open reduction and internal fixation, using two nearly parallel, contoured reconstruction plates through an extensile lateral approach and following the principles of treatment of intraarticular fractures, have good functional results with high patient satisfaction rate.

Osteosynthesis of intercondylar humerus fracture using Bryan and Morrey approach.

BACKGROUND: The olecranon approach has been the gold standard for surgical approaches to fracture fixation of distal articular surface of humerus. Although it provides a good exposure, it also has disadvantages of delayed union, nonunion and implant related complications at the osteotomy site. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the functional outcome of displaced intra-articular distal humerus fracture fixation using an alternative approach: the Bryan and Morrey approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty patients with twenty AO type C1 and C2 intercondylar fractures of the distal humerus had bicolumnar fixation of the distal humerus with two contoured reconstruction plates and screws on the dorsal surface or various combinations of a single reconstruction plate, screws and K-wires using a Bryan and Morrey approach. Twelve of the patients were male and eight were female. The average age of the patients was 44.8 years. Eleven patients had sustained the injury as result of fall and nine of the patients had sustained it in road traffic accidents. Right elbow was involved in fifteen patients and left in five. All patients were followed up for 12 months post operatively. RESULTS: All twenty fractures had united at 4 months follow-up. The mean fixed flexion deformity was 9.0º (range 0º-15º) and the mean arc of motion was 115.0 º (range 85 º- 130º). All patients had grade 4 triceps strength and stable elbows at the end of 12 months follow up. One patient had deep seated wound infection resulting in necrosis of the triceps tendon requiring a second operative procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Bryan and Morrey approach is a simpler, easier and better approach as compared to the other posterior approaches to the elbow joint, and therefore, can be used as the approach of choice for fixation of fractures of the distal articular surface of humerus.

External and internal fixation for comminuted intra-articular fractures of distal radius.

BACKGROUND: Distal radius fractures are a common injury and without proper treatment leads to high functional impairment and frequent complications. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to see the functional outcome in patients with comminuted distal radius fractures treated with combined external fixation and open reduction and volar plating. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All comminuted distal radius fractures classified as type C in AO/OTA classification were enrolled for the study from 2005 till 2008. The clinical scoring chart modified by Cooney was used to evaluate the functional outcome. RESULTS: There were twenty-two patients with the average age of 42.18 years (range 19-60) with 15 male and 7 females. The follow-up period was from 14 to 46 months. Accordingly, there were 11 (50%) excellent, 7 (31%) good, 2 (9%) fair and 2 (9%) poor results. There were very few complications in our series. In three patients additional K-wire supplementation was necessary along with external and open internal fixation. CONCLUSIONS: Comminuted intra-articular fractures of distal radius should be treated by open reduction and combined internal and external fixation to achieve a high rate of patient satisfaction and satisfactory functional outcome.

Single Sitting Surgery for Concomitant Hydatid Cyst of Lung and Liver: A Case Report.

Hydatid disease is one of the diseases that have been discovered in the ancient times. Liver and lung are the most commonly affected organs, though it can involve any organs. Hydatid disease involving both the liver and the lung is reported about 10% of the cases. Here we report a case of 34 year old male presented with upper abdominal pain and intermittent fever for 3 months admitted in October 2016. His chest radiograph and computed tomography scan revealed large cystic lesion at right lung and another similar large lesion in the right lobe of liver. Echinococcus antibody was found positive. We treated him surgically. Histopathology reports confirmed concomitant hydatid cyst of both the lung and the liver.

Solid Pseudopapillary Tumor of the Pancreas: A Case Report.

Solid pseudopapillary tumors (SPT) of the pancreas are rare neoplasms of the pancreas accounting for only 1-2% of all pancreatic neoplasms, often detected initially on imaging. Its histogenesis is still uncertain and it has a low-grade malignant potential but excellent post-surgical curative rates and rare metastasis. Pathological and/or cytological evaluation still remains the gold standard in reaching a definitive diagnosis. It occurs most commonly in young females. We report a case of solid pseudopapillary tumor in the head of the pancreas in a 20 years old female admitted in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh on 5th December 2015. Whipple's operation was done as a definitive treatment.

The RD1-encoded antigen Rv3872 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis as a potential candidate for serodiagnosis of tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis (TB) infections in India account for one-third of the global burden, making it important to develop speedy, cost-effective diagnostic tools. This study evaluated recombinant RD1-encoded antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis as tools for serodiagnosis by determining the immunological reactivity of these proteins against sera from healthy, bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-vaccinated and TB-infected individuals from Kolkata. Rv3872, Rv3875 (ESAT-6) and Rv3878 were able to discriminate healthy BCG-vaccinated controls from TB patients. Rv3872 showed the highest level of antibody response in comparison with other antigens, and also showed statistically significant differences between pulmonary (p <0.0001) or extra-pulmonary (p <0.001) TB patients and healthy BCG-vaccinated individuals. The levels of antibody were measured using 20-mer overlapping peptides spanning the entire Rv3872 sequence. The immunological reactivity against a mixture of two peptides (P8 and P9) encompassing amino-acids 57-84 correlated well with that obtained using full-length Rv3872. This result was explained by the fact that two of the predicted regions of high antigenicity lie within amino-acid residues 57-85 of Rv3872. The high sensitivity and specificity of Rv3872, as well as the mixture of two synthetic overlapping peptides derived from Rv3872, highlight their potential and argue in favour of their use in serodiagnosis of both pulmonary and extra-pulmonary TB.

Percutaneous extensor tenotomy for chronic tennis elbow using an 18G needle.

INTRODUCTION: Tennis elbow is a common orthopaedic problem presenting in office orthopaedics, but its exact patho-aetiology has not been identified to date. It is treated operatively when conservative measures including multiple local steroid injections are not helpful to the patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This was a retrospective study to assess the outcome of tennis elbow patients on whom percutaneous release of the common extensor origin was performed using an 18 gauge hypodermic needle. 17 patients with 21 elbows were included in the study. Data was collected by going through the patients' medical records, and follow -up by questionnaire mailed to the patient's home, to assess the outcome and patient satisfaction with the procedure. RESULTS: 14 of the 21 (66.7%) elbows became completely pain free. The time taken to achieve a completely pain free elbow ranged from 1 day to 3 months (average 60.3 days). Those that did not achieve a pain free elbow had a residual pain of 1.5 to 8.5 on the VAS (average 2.64). 9 elbows (42.9%) had an excellent outcome, 7(33.3%) had good, 4(19%) had satisfactory and 1(4.8%) had poor outcomes. CONCLUSION: Tennis elbow probably results from degenerative tear of common extensor origin and a percutaneous tenotomy using an 18 gauge hypodermic needle is a simple, safe, patient friendly, effective and easily reproducible method of treating it in those who require surgery and can be done as an office procedure.

Ultrasound: an extension of clinical examination.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To study the impact the use of portable ultrasound can have for the benefit of the patients when used by doctors other than radiologist, in this case surgeons. METHODS: Ultrasound performed by surgeons in the pre-operative, operative and post-operative period was studied. Patients presenting to the Hospital with acute abdomen was subjected to ultrasound. They were either pre-operative or post-operative patients. Five patients were scanned intraoperatively. The impact of these scans to the patients as well as the clinicians was studied. RESULTS: This is an ongoing study and preliminary results of the scans show two pre-operative diagnosis of acute appendicular collection and one acute hydronephrosis. In the operation room, ultrasound was done on 5 cases. On three occasions, it was to locate renal stones so that it could be extracted with ease. On two of the case, it was t to confirm the adequacy of common bile duct exploration thereby allowing primary closure of the common bile duct. Post-operatively, it was used in four cases of which in two cases post-operative hemorrhage were detected timely within hours. In the other two cases, the surgical team was assured that the patient's complaint was not surgically related. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound should be an extension of the clinical examination when indicated and all clinicians should be proficient in its use in their respective fields.

A systems perspective on brown adipogenesis and metabolic activation.

Brown adipocytes regulate energy expenditure via mitochondrial uncoupling. This makes these fat cells attractive therapeutic targets to tackle the burgeoning issue of obesity, which itself is coupled to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular and fatty liver disease. Recent research has revealed a complex network underlying brown fat cell differentiation and thermogenic activation, involving secreted factors, signal transduction, metabolic pathways and gene regulatory components. Given that brown fat is now reported to be present in adult humans, it is desirable to harness the knowledge from each network module to design effective therapeutic strategies. In this review, we will present a systems perspective on brown adipogenesis and the subsequent metabolic activation of brown adipocytes by integrating signaling, metabolic and gene regulatory modules with a specific focus on known 'druggable' targets within each module.

Hormonal Changes in Intracranial Hemorrhage.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes of serum ACTH and Thyroid hormone level in the acute phase of ICH. METHODS: Sixty patients with spontaneous ICH were assessed regarding hormonal changes by measuring ACTH and Thyroid hormone level. The relationships of hormone concentrations to clinical and radiological parameters were evaluated at hospital admission (t0), 5 days (t1) and 10 days (t2). The results were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: ACTH, TSH, Thyroxine, and free Thyroxine were not significantly different among the three time periods (P > 0.05), while Triiodothyronine (T3) and free Triiodothyronine (FT3) were significantly different (P < 0.05). T3 and FT3 were not significantly different among patients with hemorrhage of different locations (P>0.05). There were significant negative correlations between T3 and FT3 with volume of ICH (r=-0.63 and r=-0.25) and there were positive correlations between T3 and FT3 with GCS (r=0.63 and r=0.37) respectively on admission day (p <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Hormonal secretion patterns is associated with the severity of ICH. This is an important index to evaluate the disease severity and prognosis.

CDK4 in lung, and head and neck cancers in old age: evaluation as a biomarker.

BACKGROUND: Cyclin dependent kinases (CDK) are key factors in promoting the initiation and development of tumors. These kinases are important for maintenance of mitochondrial biogenesis and imbalance in their expression in old age may lead to the oxidative stress. Lung cancer (LC), and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are two very prominent cancers in older Indians. Both the cancers are showing increasing trend in older population. The present study assessed serum concentration of one of the kinases; CDK4 in older LC and HNSCC patients. METHODS: The study included 100 subjects each of LC and HNSCC; and older subjects without cancer or any major health problems as controls. Serum CDK4 concentration was estimated using real-time label-free Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and was verified by western blot. RESULTS: Significant elevation in serum CDK4 was observed in cases with LC and HNSCC compared to controls. HNSCC patients with higher CDK4 expression had distinctly shorter survival than patients with comparatively lower CDK4 expression. No such difference was observed in LC patients. The germ line mutation study of this gene in Exon-2 was performed and none was observed among cases and controls. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that older patients with HNSCC and lung cancer have raised serums CDK4 levels, which has the potential to emerge as a biomarker in clinical practice.