Indian J Med Res
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Pre-eclampsia (PE), a multifactorial de novo hypertensive pregnancy disorder, is one of the leading causes of foeto-maternal morbidity and mortality. Currently, antihypertensive drugs are the first-line therapy for PE and evidence suggests that low-dose aspirin initiated early in high risk pregnancies may reduce the risk of development or severity of PE. However, an early prediction of this disorder remains an unmet clinical challenge. ⋯ Therefore, monitoring changes in pEXO expression profiles could provide new insights into the prediction, diagnosis and treatment of PE. This narrative review comprehensively summarizes the available literature on the candidate predictive circulating biomarkers evaluated for PE to date. In particular, the review elucidates the current knowledge of distinct molecular signatures emanating from pEXO in pre-eclamptic women to support the discovery of novel early predictive biomarkers for effective intervention and management of the disease.
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Microvessel density (MVD) is a surrogate measure of tumour angiogenesis, and is well known for over two decades to identify individuals with a high risk of recurrence with greater prevision than traditional markers. This study aims to assess the utility of MVD and its correlation with the Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI) and other routine histopathological parameters in carcinoma breast. ⋯ A positive linear correlation of the microvessel counts and the NPI scores suggest that with an increase in tumour angiogenesis, there was increased proliferative potential. Based on the significant correlation between the microvessel counts and the vascular invasion of the tumour masses in this study, it can be assumed that there will be vascular invasion if the microvessel count is higher and vice-versa. Although it is established that angiogenesis and neovascularization are required for the expansion of the solid tumour tissue, the heterogeneous nature of this entity makes it difficult for obtaining a linear correlation. Hence, it is suggested that though neovascularization permits advanced tumour spread it, however, does not guarantee it.
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A new indigenously developed technology, coronavirus disease (COVID) Kavach, an IgG immunoglobulin-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit, was developed in 2020 by the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV), Pune, India. The primary objective of this study was to determine the total cost of development of COVID Kavach IgG ELISA and estimate the unit cost (UC) as well. ⋯ The estimates from this study can be useful for conducting economic evaluations, which will help in deciding upon the subsidy in government health facilities. The data may be useful to set up laboratory facilities analogous to the National Reference Laboratory located at the ICMR-NIV, Pune and for allotting sufficient budget to develop such assays in government-funded laboratories.
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Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as a nosocomial pathogen with a tendency of high antibiotic resistance and biofilm production. This study aimed to determine the occurrence of A. baumannii from different clinical specimens of suspected bacterial infections and furthermore to see the association of biofilm production with multidrug resistance and expression of virulence factor genes in A. baumannii. ⋯ The majority of isolates studied were from lower respiratory tract specimens. The high MDR rate and its positive association with biofilm formation indicate the nosocomial distribution of A. baumannii. The biofilm formation and the presence of Bap were not interrelated, indicating that biofilm formation was not regulated by a single factor. The MDR rate and the presence of OmpA and Bap showed a positive association (P<0.05). The isolates co-harbouring different carbapenem resistance genes were the predominant biofilm producers, which will seriously limit the therapeutic options suggesting the need for strict antimicrobial stewardship and molecular surveillance in hospitals.
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Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by chronic ovulatory dysfunction, hyperandrogenism and polycystic ovary morphology (PCOM). Although hyperandrogenism is one of the major features of PCOS, it is rarely observed in southeast Asia. Recently, however, there has been growing evidence on association of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) with PCOS. The objective of this study was to investigate the diagnostic potentials of AMH in PCOS individuals. ⋯ The results of this study suggest that AMH can be considered as the most promising biomarker in PCOS women, particularly with phenotype A and phenotype D.