IL1 gene polymorphisms in enthesitis related arthritis category of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (ERA-JIA)

Cytokine gene loci are one of the potential susceptibility factors in immuno-inflammatory diseases. Interleukin1 (IL-1) is a major monocyte derived proinflammatory cytokine that mediates tissue damage and cartilage loss in chronic arthritis. IL-1 locus has been linked to various autoimmune diseases, but data on juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is limited. Ninety-four patients with enthesitis related arthritis (ERA) category of JIA (ILAR criteria) were included in the study. One hundred eighty-five healthy blood donors were used as controls. IL-1Ra VNTR polymorphism was done by PCR using specific primers, and allele assignment was done on product size obtained on 2% agarose gel. IL-1α-889 and IL-β-511 polymorphism was done using PCR-RFLP method. Among 94 patients, 87 were males, and the mean age at onset of disease was 11.8 + 1.8 years; 17 had history of uveitis, and 13 had positive family history. Forty-two had enthesitis, and 51 had inflammatory back pain; all had arthritis. Seventy-six were HLA B27 positive. All three loci genotypes were in the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in controls. There was no difference in genotype frequency among patients and controls for IL-1Ra, IL-1α-889 and IL-β-511. IL1*RN2 homozygosity was more common in patients, whereas carriage rate for IL1*RN1 was less frequent in patients. Haplotype frequencies were also similar in both groups. IL-1 gene cluster is not a susceptibility locus for ERA.

Relationship of severity of depression, anxiety and stress with severity of fibromyalgia

OBJECTIVES

Negative affects like depression, anxiety and stress are frequently observed in patients with fibromyalgia (FMS). Understanding the association between FMS and negative affects is likely to help in deciding the choice of treatment. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between the severity of FMS with the severity of depression, anxiety and stress.

METHODS

Sixty patients with fibromyalgia and 60 healthy controls were included in the study. Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire Revised (FIQR), and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS21) were administered to both the groups. The mean age of study population was 40.4±9.9 and 36±8.7 for FMS and control groups respectively. Most of the patients were females (93.3%).

RESULTS

In subjects without FMS, depression was seen in 5% and was significantly associated with all three components of FIQR (p<0.01), namely pain, symptoms and functional impairment. However, patients with FMS suffered more from all three components assessed in FIQR than those without FMS. In patients with FMS the severity of depression, anxiety and stress were found significantly associated with the severity of all three components of FIQR, namely pain, function and symptoms (p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that FMS is associated with depression, anxiety and stress and in FMS magnitude of negative affects is significantly correlated with FIQR. However, depression alone in absence of FMS can also give rise to all three components of FIQR.

AFOMP Policy Statement No. 3: recommendations for the education and training of medical physicists in AFOMP countries

AFOMP recognizes that clinical medical physicists should demonstrate that they are competent to practice their profession by obtaining appropriate education, training and supervised experience in the specialties of medical physics in which they practice, as well as having a basic knowledge of other specialties. To help its member countries to achieve this, AFOMP has developed this policy to provide guidance when developing medical physicist education and training programs. The policy is compatible with the standards being promoted by the International Organization for Medical Physics and the International Medical Physics Certification Board.

Application of inorganic carrier-based formulations of fluorescent pseudomonads and Piriformospora indica on tomato plants and evaluation of their efficacy

AIMS

Fluorescent pseudomonads are widely used as bioinoculants for improving plant growth and controlling phytopathogenic fungi. Piriformospora indica (Pi), a symbiotic root endophyte, also has beneficial effects on a number of plants. The present study focuses on the improvement of growth yields of tomato plants and control of Fusarium wilt using inorganic carrier-based formulations of two fluorescent pseudomonad strains (R62 and R81) and Pi.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The inorganic carrier-based formulations of pseudomonad strains and Pi were tested for plant growth promotion of tomato plants under glass house and field conditions. In controlled glass house experiments, 8·8-fold increase in dry root weight and 8·6-fold increase in dry shoot weight were observed with talcum powder-based consortium formulation of R81 and Pi. Field trial experiments ascertained the glfass house results with a considerable amount of increase in plant growth responses, and amongst all the treatments, R81 + Pi treatment performed consistently well in field conditions with an increase of 2·6-, 3·1- and 3·9-fold increase in dry root weight, shoot weight and fruit yield, respectively. The fluorescent pseudomonad R81 and Pi also acted as biocontrol agents, as their treatments could control the incidence of wilt disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici in tomato plants under glass house conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

The culture broths of pseudomonads R62, R81 and Pi were successfully used for development of talcum- and vermiculite-based bioinoculant formulations. In controlled glasshouse experiments, the talcum-based bioinoculant formulations performed significantly better over vermiculite-based formulations. In field experiments the talcum-based consortium formulation of pseudomonad R81 and Pi was most effective.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study suggests that the formulations of pseudomonad strains (R62 and R81) and Pi can be used as bioinoculants for improving the productivity of tomato plants. The application of such formulations is a step forward towards sustainable agriculture.

Natural product inspired diversity oriented synthesis of tetrahydroquinoline scaffolds as antitubercular agent

An efficient natural product inspired diversity oriented syn thesis of tetrahydroquinoline analogues has been developed using the natural carbohydrate derived solid acid catalyst via multicomponent aza-Diels-Alder reaction of imine (generated in situ from aromatic amine and aldehyde) with dienophile in acetonitrile in a diastereoselective manner. The use of water as solvent reverses the diastereoselectivity toward the cis isomer. Interestingly, tricyclic pyrano/furano benzopyran with cis diastereoselectivity is obtained when salicylaldehyde is used as an alternative of aromatic aldehyde under the same condition. These synthesized quinolines and benzopyrans analogues have been evaluated for their Antitubercular activity against M. tuberculosis H₃₇Ra, and M. tuberculosis H₃₇Rv, and some of the analogues shows better activity profile than their natural product analogues. The protocol is not only mild, efficient, ecofriendly, but also involves reusable and biodegradable catalyst and provides route for both the diastereoisomer.

The burden of inherited leukodystrophies in children

OBJECTIVES

Leukodystrophies are diseases of the white matter for which data concerning clinical characteristics, incidence, disease burden, and description of outcomes are sparse. The purpose of our study was to determine the incidence and most common types of inherited leukodystrophies in a population, the mortality and time course of deaths, common neurologic features in patients, and health care costs associated with leukodystrophies.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective, hospital- and clinic-based surveillance of inherited leukodystrophies among children younger than 18 years presenting to a regional children's hospital. We enrolled children evaluated from January 1, 1999, through December 31, 2007; clinical information was obtained from medical records. We calculated incidence based on state birth rates.

RESULTS

A total of 122 children with an inherited leukodystrophy were identified; 542 patients were excluded. A total of 49% had epilepsy, 43% required a gastrostomy tube, and 32% had a history of developmental regression. Mortality was 34%; average age at death was 8.2 years. No final diagnosis was reported in 51% of patients. The most common diagnoses were metachromatic leukodystrophy (8.2%), Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (7.4%), mitochondrial diseases (4.9%), and adrenoleukodystrophy (4.1%). Endocrine abnormalities and hypoplastic cerebellum were noted in significant portions of patients (15% and 14%). Average yearly per-patient medical costs were $22,579. Population incidence was 1 in 7,663 live births.

CONCLUSIONS

Inherited leukodystrophies are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality in children. Overall population incidence is higher than generally appreciated (1 in 7,663 live births). Most leukodystrophies remain undiagnosed, but a logical algorithm based on prevalence could aid testing.

Crocus sativus L.: A comprehensive review

Crocus sativus L. belonging to the family Iridaceae (syn - kesar) comprises the dried red stigma and is widely cultivated in Iran and other countries such as India and Greece. Saffron contains more than 150 volatile and aroma-yielding compounds mainly terpenes, terpene alcohol, and their esters. The bitter taste and an iodoform or hay-like fragrance are caused by chemicals picrocrocin and safranal. C. sativus possesses a number of medicinally important activities such as antihypertensive, anticonvulsant, antitussive, antigenototoxic and cytotoxic effects, anxiolytic aphrodisiac, antioxidant, antidepressant, antinociceptive , anti-inflammatory, and relaxant activity. It also improves memory and learning skills, and increases blood flow in retina and choroid. The present review explores the historical background, chemical constituents, pharmacological actions, uses, substitutes and adulterants, and toxicity. It also deals with its evaluation, formulations, and chemical tests in detail.

Polyelectrolyte-coated alginate microspheres as drug delivery carriers for dexamethasone release

Alginate microspheres loaded with dexamethasone were prepared by the droplet generator technique. Important parameters affecting drug release, including initial drug content, the type of polyelectrolyte coating, and a combination of different ratios of coated and uncoated microspheres were investigated to achieve in vitro dexamethasone delivery with approximately zero order release kinetics, releasing up to 100% of entrapped drug within 1 month, wherein dexamethasone released at a steady rate of 4.83 microg/day after an initial burst release period. These findings imply that these polyelectrolyte-coated alginate microspheres show promise as release systems to improve biocompatibility and prolong lifetime of implantable glucose sensors.

In-vitro release kinetics and stability of anticardiovascular drugs-intercalated layered double hydroxide nanohybrids

We report the intercalation and characterization of pravastatin and fluvastatin drugs in Mg(II)/Al(III) layered double hydroxides (LDHs) to form novel nanohybrid hydroxides through the coprecipitation technique. powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermal analysis techniques reveal that the drugs are accommodated within the brucite layers. Structural characterization, computed results, and atomic force microscopy image analysis demonstrate that the fluvastatin anions are attached with the brucite as a monolayer, whereas the pravastatin anions form a multilayer. The shift in the stretching frequency of carboxylate anion of statin drugs provides evidence that the drugs are electrostatically bonded to LDHs. X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis studies performed after keeping the nanohybrid particles at 75 +/- 10% relative humidity atmosphere, indicate their physical stability due to proper confinement of drugs within the layers. In-vitro release study of developed nanohybrid particles suggests that the significant reduction in release rate of fluvastatin anions from fluvastatin intercalated LDHs is due to its hydrophobic nature and it can be further controlled by varying the concentration in physiological medium. After release, the data were fitted to the dissolution-diffusion kinetic model. The mechanism of drugs diffusion in hydrophobic nanohybrid is probably due to heterogeneous diffusion via anion exchange, while in a hydrophilic nanohybrid, it is due to intraparticle diffusion via anion exchange with the anions in the physiological medium.