Drought priming-induced stress memory improves subsequent drought or heat tolerance via activation of γ-aminobutyric acid-regulated pathways in creeping bentgrass

Recurrent drought can induce stress memory in plants to induce tolerance to subsequent stress, such as high temperature or drought. Drought priming (DP) is an effective approach to improve tolerance to various stresses; however, the potential mechanism of DP-induced stress memory has not been fully resoved. We examined DP-regulated subsequent drought tolerance or thermotolerance associated with changes in physiological responses, GABA and NO metabolism, heat shock factor (HSF) and dehydrin (DHN) pathways in perennial creeping bentgrass. Plants can recover after two cycle of DP, and DP-treated plants had significantly higher tolerance to subsequent drought or heat stress, with higher leaf RWC, Chl content, photochemical efficiency, and cell membrane stability. DP significantly alleviated oxidative damage through enhancing total antioxidant capacity in response to subsequent drought or heat stress. Endogenous GABA was significantly increased by DP through activating glutamic acid decarboxylase activity and inhibiting GABA transaminase activity. DP also enhanced accumulation of NO, depending on NOS activity, under subsequent drought or heat stress. Transcript levels of multiple transcription factors, heat shock proteins, and DHNs in the HSF and DHN pathways were up-regulated by DP under drought or heat stress, but there were differences between DP-regulated heat tolerance and drought tolerance in these pathways. The findings indicate that under recurrent moderate drought, DP improves subsequent tolerance to drought or heat stress in relation to GABA-regulated pathways, providing new insight into understanding of the role of stress memory in plant adaptation to complex environmental stresses.

An analysis of NESTROFT and Red cell indices in evaluating antenatal mothers for Beta Thalassemia trait

Background: The frequency of thalassemia trait is about 3% worldwide, while in developing countries like India, it is a major cause of burden on the health care system. Naked eye single tube red cell osmotic fragility test (NESTROFT) used in population screening for beta thalassemia trait. It is a simple, low cost, reliable and most suitable screening test for β BTT, with a sensitivity of 99.8% in regions with high prevalence rates.Material &Methods: The present study was conducted in the Department of Pathology and included a total of 174 antenatal cases, attending the Out Patient Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of a tertiary health care center in New Delhi between June 2011 to January 2012. The aim of the study was to screen mothers antenatally for early detection of BTT and to test the validity of NESTROFT in detection of thalassemic carriers of this area.Results: 174 pregnant women attending antenatal clinics were screened for detecting hemoglobinopathy with the help of NESTROFT, red cell indices, haemoglobin electrophoresis and HPLC It was seen that only four cases were BTT while ten were of microcytic anaemia and two had normal red cell indices.Conclusion: antenatal diagnosis of BTT is an important screening programme to reduce the burden of birth of children suffering from thalassemia and other hemoglobinopathies.Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.17(3) 2018 p.411-416

Adnexal Tumors of Skin: An Experience at a Tertiary Care Center at Delhi

Background:

Adnexal skin tumors are a heterogeneous group of uncommon tumors usually misdiagnosed clinically due to a huge variety of types and their variants. Histopathology usually helps in establishing the diagnosis.

Aims:

The study was undertaken to analyze the morphological, clinical, and histological features of adnexal tumors (ATs) of the skin at our center over a period of 4 years.

Subjects and Methods:

retrospective study was conducted over a period of 4 years (April 2010–March 2014), comprising 25 ATs of skin diagnosed in the Department of Pathology, Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi. All the consecutively reported AT cases were reviewed and reclassified as AT arising from sebaceous glands, hair follicles, or sweat glands. The concordance of clinical and histopathological diagnosis was also assessed.

Results:

Most of the ATs were benign (24/25) with head and neck being the most common location (72%). Nearly 56% of the tumors exhibited sweat gland differentiation, 28% hair follicle differentiation, and sebaceous gland tumors accounted for 16%. The most common varieties of tumors encountered in the present study included hidradenoma papilliferum and pilomatricoma. The concordance between clinical and histopathological diagnosis was found to be 50% approximately.

Conclusions:

ATs of the skin are rare neoplasms with benign tumors being far more common. They are often misdiagnosed clinically, so histopathology remains the gold standard for establishing an accurate diagnosis of skin ATs.

Association between tumour necrosis-α gene polymorphisms and acne vulgaris in a Pakistani population

BACKGROUND

The cytokine tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α is a well-studied potent candidate mediator that is systemically involved in a variety of inflammatory diseases. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the TNF-α gene have been studied with regard the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris, but the results have been inconclusive.

AIM

This case-control study investigated the association of the TNF -308 G>A and -238 G>A SNPs with acne vulgaris in a high-risk Pakistani population.

METHODS

In total, 160 healthy controls and 140 patients with acne were enrolled in this study. Polymorphisms were determined by PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.

RESULTS

Our data showed that the TNF -308 G>A and TNF -238 G>A SNPs were present at a significantly higher rate in cases than in controls (P < 0.01 and P < 0.02; respectively). There was a significant difference between the G and A alleles from patients with acne and controls for -308 G>A (OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.07-2.19, P < 0.02) and -238 G>A (OR=1.6, 95% CI = 1.06-2.44, P = 0.02) genotype. Moreover, the severity of acne was significantly associated with TNF genotype (TNF -308 G>A: χ² = 34.6, P < 0.001; TNF -238 G>AL χ² = 12.9, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest that the TNF -308 G>A and TNF -238 G>A SNPs may contribute to the pathogenesis of acne in the study population. Furthermore, patients with severe acne showed an increased frequency of mutant TNF genotypes at -308 and -238 compared with patients with less severe acne.

Bone marrow negative visceral leishmaniasis in an adolescent male

Visceral Leishmaniasis or Kala Azar is endemic in certain regions of India. In endemic areas, the constellation of fever, progressive weight loss, weakness, pronounced splenomegaly, anemia, leukopenia, and hypergammaglobulinemia is highly suggestive of visceral leishmaniasis. Demonstration of the parasite in liver, splenic or bone marrow aspirates is confirmatory. We present a case in which Leishmania donovani (LD) bodies were demonstrated on splenic aspirate. We were unable to demonstrate LD bodies on bone marrow aspiration.

Leiomyoma of scrotum

Leiomyoma is a benign tumor of smooth muscles. Leiomyoma originating from the scrotum is a rare entity. We report here a case of 50-year-old male who presented with a 4-cm lump in the left side of scrotum. Clinically, it was provisionally diagnosed as sebaceous cyst and was excised. The histopathology showed findings consistent with leiomyoma. There was no cytological atypia or mitosis. The final diagnosis of solitary leiomyoma of scrotum was given. The patient was followed up regularly and is doing fine for last 4 months.

Ectodermal dysplasia of hair and nail type: mapping of a novel locus to chromosome 17p12-q21.2

BACKGROUND

Ectodermal dysplasias (EDs) describe a large and complex group of disorders characterized by abnormal development of the skin and appendages (hair, nails, teeth and sweat glands). Of the approximately 200 different EDs, about 30 have been studied at the molecular level. In an effort to understand the molecular bases of ED of hair and nail type, we studied a Pakistani consanguineous family with multiple affected individuals.

OBJECTIVES

To localize the gene responsible for the autosomal recessive form of ED of hair and nail type.

METHODS

Genotyping of nine members of the family, including five affected and four normal individuals was performed using microsatellite markers mapping to candidate regions, harbouring genes involved in related phenotypes. Five epithelial keratin genes located in the candidate region were sequenced to identify the pathogenic mutation.

RESULTS

We mapped the disease locus to a 24.2-cM interval flanked by markers D17S839 and D17S1299 on chromosome 17p12-q21.2 (Z(max) = 4.4). DNA sequencing of five epithelial keratin candidate genes, present in the disease locus, did not reveal any pathogenic mutation in the affected individuals.

CONCLUSIONS

The gene for ED of hair and nail type has been mapped to chromosome 17p12-q21.2 in a Pakistani consanguineous family. Failure to detect mutations in epithelial keratin genes suggests that the mutation may lie either in regulatory regions of one of the epithelial keratin genes or in another unknown gene, located in the linkage interval, with a possible role in the development of ectodermal appendages.

A novel locus for alopecia with mental retardation syndrome (APMR2) maps to chromosome 3q26.2-q26.31

Congenital alopecia may occur either alone or in association with ectodermal and other abnormalities. On the bases of such associations, several different syndromes featuring congenital alopecia can be distinguished. Alopecia with mental retardation syndrome (APMR) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder, clinically characterized by total or partial hair loss and mental retardation. In the present study, a five-generation Pakistani family with multiple affected individuals with APMR was ascertained. Patients in this family exhibited typical features of APMR syndrome. The disease locus was mapped to chromosome 3q26.2-q26.31 by carrying out a genome scan followed by fine mapping. A maximum two-point logarithm of odds (LOD) score of 2.93 at theta=0.0 was obtained at markers D3S3053 and D3S2309. Multipoint linkage analysis resulted in a maximum LOD score of 4.57 with several markers, which supports the linkage. The disease locus was flanked by markers D3S1564 and D3S2427, which corresponds to 9.6-cM region according to the Rutgers combined linkage-physical map of the human genome (build 35) and contains 5.6 Mb. The linkage interval of the APMR locus identified here does not overlap with the one described previously; therefore, this locus has been designated as APMR2.