Four-year overall survival update from the phase III HIMALAYA study of tremelimumab plus durvalumab in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

In the phase III HIMALAYA study (NCT03298451) in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC), STRIDE (Single Tremelimumab Regular Interval Durvalumab) significantly improved overall survival (OS) versus sorafenib; durvalumab monotherapy was noninferior to sorafenib for OS. Results reported herein are from a 4-year updated OS analysis of HIMALAYA.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Participants with uHCC and no previous systemic treatment were randomized to STRIDE (n = 393), durvalumab (n = 389), or sorafenib (n = 389). The updated data cut-off was 23 January 2023. OS and serious adverse events (AEs) were assessed. Additionally, baseline characteristics and subsequent therapies were analyzed in long-term survivors (≥36 months beyond randomization).

RESULTS

For STRIDE, durvalumab, and sorafenib, median [95% confidence interval (CI)] follow-up was 49.12 months (46.95-50.17 months), 48.46 months (46.82-49.81 months), and 47.31 months (45.08-49.15 months), respectively. OS hazard ratio (95% CI) for STRIDE versus sorafenib was 0.78 (0.67-0.92). The 36-month OS rate for STRIDE was 30.7% versus 19.8% for sorafenib. The 48-month OS rate remained higher for STRIDE at 25.2%, versus 15.1% for sorafenib. The long-term OS benefit of STRIDE was observed across clinically relevant subgroups and was further improved in participants who achieved disease control. Long-term survivors with STRIDE (n = 103) included participants across clinically relevant subgroups, and 57.3% (59/103) had no reported subsequent anticancer therapy. No new serious treatment-related AEs occurred with STRIDE from the primary analysis (17.5%; 68/388). Durvalumab maintained OS noninferiority to sorafenib and no late-onset safety signals were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

These data represent the longest follow-up to date in phase III studies in uHCC. The unprecedented 3- and 4-year OS rates reinforce the sustained long-term OS benefit of STRIDE versus sorafenib. STRIDE maintained a tolerable yet differentiated safety profile from other current uHCC therapies. Results continue to support the long-term benefits of STRIDE in a diverse population, reflective of uHCC globally.

Undernutrition and associated factors among lactating mothers in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India

Undernutrition was one of the most widespread public health problems that affected both developed and developing countries. In India, it was one of the factors which lead to unacceptably high morbidity and mortality among women. However, little was documented on undernutrition among lactating women, particularly in the urban community. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional status and its related factors among lactating mothers in the urban areas of the Dehradun region, Uttarakhand, India. A structured, pre-tested, and validated questionnaire was used to capture the sociodemographic information including the economical and medical conditions of 150 lactating women in Dehradun, India. Pearson correlation coefficient and association of various factors determined that 31.33% of women were in the age bracket of 20-25 years and the low-income group (72%). The prevalence of underweight was 7.33%, and the mean and standard deviation of the body mass index of mothers were 20.59±2.96 and 21.70±3.18 for sedentary and moderate workers respectively. There were significant correlations found between BMI, energy, carbohydrates, and fat intake (p<0.05). A multivariate regression model was used to associate the nutritional status of the participant’s income group, education, type of work, age of mothers, and frequency of meals. Based on the results, intervention programs for dietary correction and the effect of nutrition on the body were emphasized to lactating mothers for better health and nutritional outcomes.

Utility of serum Galactomannan in diagnosing COVID-19 patients with suspected IPA: an observational study in resource limited settings

OBJECTIVE

To study the utility of Galactomannan (GM) antigen as a screening marker for diagnosing invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The serum samples from patients with severe COVID-19 diseases admitted to the Critical Care Unit were collected on the 5th day of admission for GM screening. The samples were analysed by enzyme linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) and GM index of more than 1 was considered as positive. All GM positive patients were serially followed until discharge or death.

RESULTS

The GM was raised in serum of 12 out of 38 patients, indicating an incidence of possible COVID-19 associated IPA (CAPA) in 31.57% of patients. The median age of these CAPA patients was 56.5 years, males were significantly more affected than females. The inflammatory marker serum ferritin was raised in all 12 patients (median value of 713.74 ng/ml), while IL-6 was raised in 9 patients (median value of 54.13 ng/ml). None of these patients received antifungals. Their median length of hospital stay was 20 days (IQR: 12, 34 days). All these patients succumbed to the illness.

CONCLUSIONS

The serum GM appears to be sensitive diagnostic tool to identify early IPA in COVID-19 patients and pre-emptive antifungal therapy could play a role in salvaging these patients.

Towards automated extraction of 2D standard fetal head planes from 3D ultrasound acquisitions: A clinical evaluation and quality assessment comparison

Introduction

Clinical evaluation of deep learning (DL) tools is essential to compliment technical accuracy metrics. This study assessed the image quality of standard fetal head planes automatically-extracted from three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound fetal head volumes using a customised DL-algorithm.

Methods

Two observers retrospectively reviewed standard fetal head planes against pre-defined image quality criteria. Forty-eight images (29 transventricular, 19 transcerebellar) were selected from 91 transabdominal fetal scans (mean gestational age = 26 completed weeks, range = 20⁺⁵–32⁺³ weeks). Each had two-dimensional (2D) manually-acquired (2D-MA), 3D operator-selected (3D-OS) and 3D-DL automatically-acquired (3D-DL) images. The proportion of adequate images from each plane and modality, and the number of inadequate images per plane was compared for each method. Inter and intra-observer agreement of overall image quality was calculated.

Results

Sixty-seven percent of 3D-OS and 3D-DL transventricular planes were adequate quality. Forty-five percent of 3D-OS and 55% of 3D-DL transcerebellar planes were adequate.

Seventy-one percent of 3D-OS and 86% of 3D-DL transventricular planes failed with poor visualisation of intra-cranial structures. Eighty-six percent of 3D-OS and 80% of 3D-DL transcerebellar planes failed due to inadequate visualisation of cerebellar hemispheres. Image quality was significantly different between 2D and 3D, however, no significant difference between 3D-modalities was demonstrated (p < 0.005). Inter-observer agreement of transventricular plane adequacy was moderate for both 3D-modalities, and weak for transcerebellar planes.

Conclusion

The 3D-DL algorithm can automatically extract standard fetal head planes from 3D-head volumes of comparable quality to operator-selected planes. Image quality in 3D is inferior to corresponding 2D planes, likely due to limitations with 3D-technology and acquisition technique.

Implications for practice

Automated image extraction of standard planes from US-volumes could facilitate use of 3DUS in clinical practice, however image quality is dependent on the volume acquisition technique.

The relationship between alertness and spatial attention under simulated shiftwork

Higher and lower levels of alertness typically lead to a leftward and rightward bias in attention, respectively. This relationship between alertness and spatial attention potentially has major implications for health and safety. The current study examined alertness and spatial attention under simulated shiftworking conditions. Nineteen healthy right-handed participants (M = 24.6 ± 5.3 years, 11 males) completed a seven-day laboratory based simulated shiftwork study. Measures of alertness (Stanford Sleepiness Scale and Psychomotor Vigilance Task) and spatial attention (Landmark Task and Detection Task) were assessed across the protocol. Detection Task performance revealed slower reaction times and higher omissions of peripheral (compared to central) stimuli, with lowered alertness; suggesting narrowed visuospatial attention and a slight left-sided neglect. There were no associations between alertness and spatial bias on the Landmark Task. Our findings provide tentative evidence for a slight neglect of the left side and a narrowing of attention with lowered alertness. The possibility that one’s ability to sufficiently react to information in the periphery and the left-side may be compromised under conditions of lowered alertness highlights the need for future research to better understand the relationship between spatial attention and alertness under shiftworking conditions.

Adiponectin in onset and progression of T2DM with cardiac dysfunction in rats

Cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients have low level of adiponectin, however, till now the role of adiponectin in progression of ‘T2DM with cardiac dysfunction’ in animal model has not been characterized. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to develop and characterize T2DM animal model with cardiac dysfunction and to study the role of cardiac adiponectin expression in cardiac dysfunction. For this, Wistar rats (M/F) were fed a high-fat diet for different time periods: 3, 4 and 5 weeks and given a single, low-dose streptozotocin (25mg/kg), intraperitoneal injection 1 week prior to the experiments. Rats in T2DM group (3 weeks) developed hyperglycaemia, hyperlipidaemia, oxidative stress with normoinsulinaemia and mild cardiac dysfunction suggesting onset of T2DM with cardiac dysfunction. Extended high-fat feeding, that is, 4 and 5 weeks induced insulin resistance accompanied with cardiac hypertrophy, cardiac dysfunction and reduced baroreflex sensitivity indicating development of T2DM with cardiac dysfunction. Cardiac adiponectin expression did not change in rats of T2DM group (3 weeks), however, it significantly decreased in rats of two T2DM groups (4 and 5 weeks) along with increased intracellular adhesion molecule-1 levels. Thus, the present study for the first time indicates that in the present T2DM animal model, as T2DM progresses cardiac adiponectin expression also decreases which might be the precipitating factor for cardiac hypertrophy and decrease in baroreflex sensitivity, which induces cardiac dysfunction.

Challenges in culture-negative cases of Madurella mycetomatis: A case report re-accentuating PCR as an essential diagnostic tool

Identification of dematiaceous fungi responsible for black-grain mycetoma has remained cumbersome and time consuming for years leading to delayed diagnosis and thereby increased agony to patients. Moreover, difficult morphology of some of these fungi demanding enough expertise for species identification in addition to culture-negativity has often led to misdiagnosis and hence inapt treatment to the patients. We report the identification of Madurella mycetomatis from culture-negative black granules discharged from foot nodular lesions of a 27 years old male using PCR followed by sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region. The patient's lesions were successfully treated using a combination of itraconazole (200mg) and terbinafine (250mg), confirming our diagnosis. Our case study proves the clinical value of PCR as the best, rapid and accurate diagnostic method for the identification of Madurella mycetomatis and related fungi, particularly in culture-negative cases.

MP-4 Contributes to Snake Venom Neutralization by Mucuna pruriens Seeds through an Indirect Antibody-mediated Mechanism

Mortality due to snakebite is a serious public health problem, and available therapeutics are known to induce debilitating side effects. Traditional medicine suggests that seeds of Mucuna pruriens can provide protection against the effects of snakebite. Our aim is to identify the protein(s) that may be important for snake venom neutralization and elucidate its mechanism of action. To this end, we have identified and purified a protein from M. pruriens, which we have named MP-4. The full-length polypeptide sequence of MP-4 was obtained through N-terminal sequencing of peptide fragments. Sequence analysis suggested that the protein may belong to the Kunitz-type protease inhibitor family and therefore may potentially neutralize the proteases present in snake venom. Using various structural and biochemical tools coupled with in vivo assays, we are able to show that MP-4 does not afford direct protection against snake venom because it is actually a poor inhibitor of serine proteases. Further experiments showed that antibodies generated against MP-4 cross-react with the whole venom and provide protection to mice against Echis carinatus snake venom. This study shows that the MP-4 contributes significantly to the snake venom neutralization activity of M. pruriens seeds through an indirect antibody-mediated mechanism.

Subcutaneous mycoses caused by Rhytidhysteron species in an immunocompetent patient

Subcutaneous mycoses are chronic fungal infections of the skin and subcutaneous tissues caused by variety of fungal agents and usually occur following trauma with vegetative matter. We report a case of subcutaneous mycoses caused by rare fungus belonging to the genus Rhytidhysteron, in an immunocompetent male who presented with a subcutaneous nodule on left foot. This unusual species was identified and confirmed by molecular methods.

Depletion of cells and abundant proteins from biological samples by enhanced dielectrophoresis

Platforms that are sensitive and specific enough to assay low-abundance protein biomarkers, in a high throughput multiplex format, within a complex biological fluid specimen, are necessary to enable protein biomarker based diagnostics for diseases such as cancer. The signal from an assay for a low-abundance protein biomarker in a biological fluid sample like blood is typically buried in a background that arises from the presence of blood cells and from high-abundance proteins that make up 90% of the assayed protein mass. We present an automated on-chip platform for the depletion of cells and highly abundant serum proteins in blood. Our platform consists of two components, the first of which is a microfluidic mixer that mixes beads containing antibodies against the highly abundant proteins in the whole blood. This complex mixture (consisting of beads, cells, and serum proteins) is then injected into the second component of our microfluidic platform, which comprises a filter trench to capture all the cells and the beads. The size-based trapping of the cells and beads into the filter trench is significantly enhanced by leveraging additional negative dielectrophoretic forces to push the micron sized particles (cells and beads which have captured the highly abundant proteins) down into the trench, allowing the serum proteins of lower abundance to flow through. In general, dielectrophoresis using bare electrodes is incapable of producing forces beyond the low piconewton range that tend to be insufficient for separation applications. However, by using electrodes passivated with atomic layer deposition, we demonstrate the application of enhanced negative DEP electrodes together with size-based flltration induced by the filter trench, to deplete 100% of the micron sized particles in the mixture.

DNA translocation through short nanofluidic channels under asymmetric pulsed electric field

Investigation of single molecule DNA dynamics in confined environments has led to important applications in DNA analysis, separation, and sequencing. Here, we studied the electrophoretic transport of DNA molecules through nanochannels shorter than the DNA contour length and calculated the associated translocation time curves. We found that the longer T4 DNA molecules required a longer time to traverse a fixed length nanochannel than shorter λ DNA molecules and that the translocation time decreased with increasing electric field which agreed with theoretical predictions. We applied this knowledge to design an asymmetric electric pulse and demonstrate the different responses of λ and T4 DNA to the pulses. We used Brownian dynamics simulations to corroborate our experimental results on DNA translocation behaviour. This work contributes to the fundamental understanding of polymer transport through nanochannels and may help in designing better separation techniques in the future.

Adenomatoid tumor of testis: A rare cytological diagnosis

Adenomatoid tumor is a benign neoplasm of the male and female genital tracts arising from mesothelial cells. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) plays a pivotal role in its preoperative diagnosis. Therefore, it is imperative that pathologists should be well aware of its cytological features so as to avoid erroneous diagnosis and hence prevent unnecessary surgical interventions. We hereby, present a case of adenomatoid tumor of testis in a 41 year male diagnosed by FNAC and later confirmed by histopathological examination.

Efficacy of three drugs for protecting against gentamicin-induced hair cell and hearing losses

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Exposure to an ototoxic level of an aminoglycoside can result in hearing loss. In this we study investigated the otoprotective efficacy of dexamethasone (DXM), melatonin (MLT) and tacrolimus (TCR) in gentamicin (GM)-treated animals and cultures. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Wistar rats were divided into controls (treated with saline); exposed to GM only (GM); and three GM-exposed groups treated with either DXM, MLT or TCR. Auditory function and cochlear surface preparations were studied. In vitro studies of oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNA levels, the MAPK pathway and caspase-3 activation were performed in organ of Corti explants from 3-day-old rats. KEY RESULTS DXM, MLT and TCR decreased levels of reactive oxygen species in GM-exposed explants. The mRNA levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and TNF-receptor type 1 were significantly reduced in GM + DXM and GM + MLT groups. Phospho-p38 MAPK levels decreased in GM + MLT and GM + TCR groups, while JNK phosphorylation was reduced in GM + DXM and GM + MLT groups. Caspase-3 activation decreased in GM + DXM, GM + MLT and GM + TCR groups. These results were consistent with in vivo results. Local treatment of GM-exposed rat cochleae with either DXM, MLT or TCR preserved auditory function and prevented auditory hair cell loss. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS In organ of Corti explants, GM increased oxidative stress and initiated an inflammatory response that led to the activation of MAPKs and apoptosis of hair cells. The three compounds tested demonstrated otoprotective properties that could be beneficial in the treatment of ototoxicity-induced hearing loss.

Cloud computing approaches to accelerate drug discovery value chain

Continued advancements in the area of technology have helped high throughput screening (HTS) evolve from a linear to parallel approach by performing system level screening. Advanced experimental methods used for HTS at various steps of drug discovery (i.e. target identification, target validation, lead identification and lead validation) can generate data of the order of terabytes. As a consequence, there is pressing need to store, manage, mine and analyze this data to identify informational tags. This need is again posing challenges to computer scientists to offer the matching hardware and software infrastructure, while managing the varying degree of desired computational power. Therefore, the potential of "On-Demand Hardware" and "Software as a Service (SAAS)" delivery mechanisms cannot be denied. This on-demand computing, largely referred to as Cloud Computing, is now transforming the drug discovery research. Also, integration of Cloud computing with parallel computing is certainly expanding its footprint in the life sciences community. The speed, efficiency and cost effectiveness have made cloud computing a 'good to have tool' for researchers, providing them significant flexibility, allowing them to focus on the 'what' of science and not the 'how'. Once reached to its maturity, Discovery-Cloud would fit best to manage drug discovery and clinical development data, generated using advanced HTS techniques, hence supporting the vision of personalized medicine.

A morphological study of variations in the branching pattern and termination of the radial artery

INTRODUCTION

Coronary artery bypass grafting is an established means of treating advanced coronary artery disease. In recent years, there has been an increased interest in the radial artery as an entry route during coronary angiography. Accurate knowledge of the branching pattern of this artery and its relation to surrounding structures is of great importance in the care of surgical patients.

METHODS

This study was conducted on 75 formalin-fixed upper limbs in order to note the variations in the branching pattern and termination of the radial artery.

RESULTS

The radial artery divided into three branches in 2.7% of cases and into two branches in 52.0% of cases. The radial recurrent artery originated from the brachial artery instead of the radial artery in 12.0% of cases. The radial recurrent artery, palmar carpal artery, first dorsal metacarpal artery and superficial palmar artery were absent in 1.3%, 26.7%, 9.3% and 5.3% of cases, respectively. 6.7% of cases had a high origin of the superficial palmar artery.

CONCLUSION

The rich photographic documentation of the variation of branching pattern and termination of radial artery is not only of academic interest but also useful to surgeons and radiologists working in the same area.

Clinically oriented morphometric study of medial and lateral menisci of the knee joint in adult cadavers

PURPOSE

The objective was to analyze the peripheral and inner border lengths of the medial and lateral menisci and the distance between anterior and posterior horns.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The menisci from 23 adult knee joints (46 menisci) of the formalin fixed cadaver lower limbs were used. The peripheral and inner borer lengths of the menisci were measured with a non elastic cotton thread and the distance between the horns were measured with the vernier caliper of 0.02 mm accuracy.

RESULTS

The mean peripheral lengths of the medial and lateral menisci were 99.06 +/- 11.21 and 90.25 +/- 9.36 mm respectively. The inner border lengths for the same were determined as 55.44 +/- 8.37 and 50.63 +/- 5.33 mm respectively. The distances between the anterior and posterior horns were 24.13 +/- 4.19 and 11.31 +/- 3.86 mm for the same. The peripheral length and inter horn distance of the medial meniscus was more than the lateral, the statistically significance was observed (*p<0.05). The other parameters obtained were statistically not significant.

CONCLUSION

The present study had determined some important anatomical data which may be of importance to the orthopaedic literature. The findings are also enlightening for the anthropologists and clinical anatomists.

Kidney transplantation outcomes in African-, Hispanic- and Caucasian-Americans with lupus

African-American recipients of kidney transplants with lupus have high allograft failure risk. We studied their risk adjusting for: (1) socio-demographic factors: donor age, gender and race-ethnicity; recipient age, gender, education and insurance; donor–recipient race-ethnicity match; (2) immunologic factors: donor type, panel reactive antibodies, HLA mismatch, ABO blood type compatibility, pre-transplant dialysis, cytomegalovirus risk and delayed graft function (DGF); (3) rejection and recurrent lupus nephritis (RLN). Two thousand four hundred and six African-, 1132 Hispanic-, and 2878 Caucasian-Americans were followed for 12 years after transplantation. African- versus Hispanic- and Caucasian-Americans received more kidneys from deceased donors (71.6%, 57.3% and 55.1%) with higher two HLA loci mismatches for HLA-A (50%, 39.6% and 32.4%), HLA-B (52%, 42.8% and 35.6%) and HLA-DR (30%, 24.5% and 21.1%). They developed more DGF (19.5%, 13.6% and 13.4%). More African- versus Hispanic- and Caucasian-Americans developed rejection (41.7%, 27.6% and 35.9%) and RLN (3.2, 1.8 and 1.8%). 852 African-, 265 Hispanic-, and 747 Caucasian-Americans had allograft failure ( p < 0.0001). After adjusting for transplant era, socio-demographic-immunologic differences, rejection and RLN, the increased hazard ratio for allograft failure of African- compared with Caucasian-Americans became non-significant (1.26 [95% confidence interval 0.78–2.04]). African-Americans with lupus have high prevalence of risk factors for allograft failure that can explain poor outcomes.

Quercetin inhibits diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatic preneoplastic lesions in rats

Quercetin is an antioxidant flavonoid, found ubiquitously in nature and extensively used in herbal medicines and food additives. This study aimed to investigate the effect of quercetin on diethylnitrosamine-induced preneoplastic lesions, using the medium-term rat liver bioassay. The γ-benzene hexachloride was used as promoter at the doses of 0.1, 1.0, and 10.0 mg/kg against a single dose of diethylnitrosamine (200 mg/kg) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. All the rats were subjected to 70% partial hepatectomy at Week 4. The protective effect of quercetin (5 and 25 mg/kg) was examined against the highest dose of γ-benzene hexachloride (10 mg/kg). A significant increase in the number as well as the mean area of glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P) positive foci, p53 positive hepatocytes, and the percentage of apoptotic cells were observed in the diethylnitrosamine-treated group. In the present investigation, both doses of QC (5 and 25 mg/kg) led to a significant decrease in the number as well as the mean area of GST-P positive foci, TUNEL positive apoptotic cells, p53 positive hepatocytes, and restoration of cellular morphology. These results clearly indicate that quercetin inhibits diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatic preneoplastic lesions in medium-term rat liver bioassay.

Morphological and morphometric features of scaphoid bone in north eastern population, India

A study was performed to analyse the morphometry and morphological variants of adult scaphoid bone in Sikkimese population of North Eastern India. The study included 100 dry human scaphoid bones. The bones which had previous signs of fracture were excluded. The morphometric parameters were measured with vernier caliper of 0.02 mm accuracy; the circumferences were measured by placing a thread around them and measuring its length. A magnifying lens was used to observe the number of foramina. From our observations, 22 (44%) of the left scaphoid were having conical shape and 28 (56%) were pyramidal in shape. On the right side, 36 (72%) had conical shape and 14 (28%) were pyramidal. All the bones had waist, except one right sided scaphoid (2%) in which the waist was absent. The scaphoid had main dorsal sulcus in 63% of cases, 29% had two dorsal sulci and 6% had Y shaped sulci. The dorsal sulcus was absent in 3 cases (1 on left side and 2 on the right side). All the scaphoids had a minimum of one foramen in the main dorsal sulcus and 92% had more than one foramen. The present study has provided the additional information on morphology and morphometry of adult human scaphoid bones in north eastern population, India. We believe that the data obtained from the present study are important for the hand surgeons and radiologists. The details obtained will also be helpful for the morphologists and clinical anatomists.

Antioxidant and antimutagenic effect of quercetin against DEN induced hepatotoxicity in rat

Diethylnitrosamine (DEN), a potent hepatocarcinogen, is found in tobacco smoke, processed meat as well as in different food products. Quercetin (QC), a naturally occurring flavonoid has excellent antioxidant properties. The present study was aimed to investigate the chemoprotective potential of QC against DEN induced hepatotoxicity in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Quercetin was administered (10, 30 and 100 mg/kg) for 5 consecutive days after DEN (200 mg/kg) treatment. The animals were killed 24 h after the last dose of QC/saline treatment. The DEN induced hepatotoxicity was evident by elevated malondialdehyde (MDA) and decreased glutathione (GSH) levels in the liver. A significant increase in the levels of plasma aspartate transaminase (AST) and plasma alanine transaminase (ALT) was observed in the DEN treated group. The DEN induced DNA damage was evaluated using a single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assay. A significant increase in the number of TUNEL positive cells was observed in the DEN treated group. Quercetin restored AST, ALT and GSH levels at all the tested doses. Restoration of the MDA level and cellular morphology was observed at doses of 10 and 30 mg/kg of QC. Further, DEN induced DNA damage and apoptosis was ameliorated by QC. The results indicate that QC ameliorates the DEN induced hepatotoxicity in rats and can be a candidate for a good chemoprotectant.

Tumoral calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition disease: a rare diagnosis by fine-needle aspiration

Calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition disease (CPPD) is a well-recognized inflammatory joint disorder characterized by presence of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystals in intraarticular and periarticular tissue. We report here a case of a 48-year-old male who presented with painless right hand swelling. Clinical suspicion was that of malignant soft tissue tumor. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) yielded chalky white gritty material. Microscopic examination showed large areas of basophilic calcified material, histiocytes, giant cells and characteristic rhomboid shaped crystals. At places, chondroid material was also identified, hence, diagnosis of CPPD was made. This was confirmed on histopathological examination. Tophaceous/ tumoral pseudogout is a rare form of CPPD and it is important to recognize that this form can be diagnosed in FNA cytology (FNAC) and misdiagnosis of benign or malignant cartilaginous lesions can be avoided.

Case report. Schwannoma of both intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts: a rare case

Schwannoma of the biliary tree is extremely uncommon, with only a few cases having been reported so far. They commonly present with obstructive jaundice. Although involvement of the extrahepatic duct is common, occurrence in the intrahepatic ducts has not been reported. We report a case of combined intrahepatic and extrahepatic schwannoma in a 46-year-old man presenting with obstructive jaundice.

A Fatal Neonatal Presentation of Medium-chain Acyl Coenzyme a Dehydrogenase Deficiency

Medium-chain acyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency is the most common of the inborn errors of mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation. A male infant was born at 39 weeks of gestation following an uneventful pregnancy. He was discharged at age 28 h after a normal first-day check, but was subsequently re-admitted and died aged 44 h. Post-mortem blood and bile spot carnitine analysis revealed a profile consistent with MCAD deficiency. MCAD genotyping revealed 985 A to G (K329E) homozygosity. This is the first confirmed case of neonatal death due to MCAD deficiency in the UK.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis secretory proteins CFP‐10, ESAT‐6 and the CFP10:ESAT6 complex inhibit lipopolysaccharide‐induced NF‐κB transactivation by downregulation of reactive oxidative species (ROS) production

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) causes death of 2-3 million people annually and is considered one of the most successful intracellular pathogens to persist inside the host macrophage. Recent studies have implicated the role of RD-1 region of Mtb genome in the mycobacterial pathogenesis. The role of RD-1-encoded secretory proteins of Mtb in modulation of macrophage function has not been investigated in detail. Here we show that RD-1 encoded two major secretory proteins, namely, culture filtrate protein-10 kDa (CFP-10) and early secreted antigenic target-6 kDa (ESAT-6), and their 1:1 CFP-10:ESAT6 complex inhibit production of reactive oxidative species (ROS) in RAW264.7 cells. These proteins also downregulated the bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ROS production, which, in turn, downregulated LPS-induced nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) p65 DNA-binding activity, as well as inhibited the NF-kappaB-dependent reporter gene (chloramphenicol acetyl transferase) expression in the treated macrophages. Moreover, addition of N-acetyl cysteine, which is a scavenger of ROS, also inhibited LPS-induced reporter gene expression by scavenging the ROS, thereby preventing NF-kappaB transactivation. These studies indicate that the secretory proteins CFP-10, ESAT-6 and the CFP10:ESAT6 complex of Mtb can inhibit LPS-induced NF-kappaB-dependent gene expression via downregulation of ROS production.