Evaluation of Nephroprotective and Immunomodulatory Activities of Antioxidants in Combination with Cisplatin against Murine Visceral Leishmaniasis

Leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by Leishmania, has been put on the World Health Organization agenda for eradication as a part of their Special Programme for Tropical Diseases Research. Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a life-threatening disease when no treatment is given. Most of the drugs still used to treat VL are often expensive, difficult to administer, have serious side effects, and several are becoming ineffective because of increasing parasite resistance. Cisplatin is a first-generation platinum-containing drug, used in the treatment of various solid tumors. We have for the first time characterized the in vivo effect of cisplatin in murine experimental visceral leishmaniasis, but at higher doses it is nephrotoxic. Considering the above findings, the present study was designed to evaluate the protective efficacy of the drug in combination with various antioxidants to reduce or prevent cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. Drug treatment induces a higher secretion of Th1 cytokines, diminution in parasite burden, and the supplementation of antioxidants which are antagonists of the toxicity helps in reducing the nephrotoxicity

Morphologic, immunphenotypic and clinical discriminators between T-cell/histiocyterich large B-cell lymphoma and lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma

BACKGROUND: Features of T-cell/histiocyte rich large B-cell lymphoma (THRLBCL) overlap with those of lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (LPHL). The two lymphomas may represent a spectrum of the same disease, and differentiation between the two can sometimes be difficult. We looked at histomorphologic, immunophenotypic and clinical information that may help differentiate the two entities. METHODS: Cases of THRLBCL and LPHL were blindly reviewed and studied for histological pattern (nodular vs. diffuse), nuclear features and pattern of expression of CD20, CD30, CD57, epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). A score encompassing diffuse histology, high nuclear grade, CD20 single-cell pattern, CD30+, CD57-, EMA-, and EBV+was estimated for the diagnosis of TCHRLBCL. RESULTS: There were 58 cases, including 30 cases of TCHRLBL and 28 cases of LPHL. The median age was 36 years for TCHRLBCL and 21 years for LPHL (P=0.0001). Three types of nuclei were identified (lymphocytic/histocytic, Reed-Sternberg and centroblast-like). The latter two high-grade nuclei were suggestive of TCHRLBCL. TCHRLBCL and LPHL, respectively, showed diffuse histology, 90% vs. 4% (P=0.001), single CD20+ cells, 93% vs. 3.5% (P=0.00004), CD30+ cells, 30% vs. 0% (P=0.01), CD57+ cells, 41% vs. 93% (P=0.008), EMA+cells, 27% vs. 60% (P=0.113), EBV+cells, 24% vs. 0% (P=0.117), high nuclear grade, 70% vs. 0% (P=0.001), total score 2-7 (mean 4.68) vs. 0-2 (mean 0.72) (P=0.001), high stage, 86% vs. 7% (P=0.0001). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that a combination of multiple parameters can help differentiate between the two diseases. Two cases originally diagnosed as LPHL were re-assigned the diagnosis of THRLBCL