Assessment of acid phosphatase enzyme and influence of potassium iodide on its production in the yeast form of Sporothrix schenckii

Background: Sporotrichosis is caused by a dimorphic fungal species, Sporothrix schenckii (S. schenckii). The enzyme acid phosphatase is pervasive among yeast and yeast like fungi. It has been studied in various fungi like Aspergillus oryzae, Candida albicans etc. but in S. schenckii little is known about enzyme acid phosphatase. The present study depicts the in-vitro influence of Potassium Iodide (KI) on the enzyme acid phosphatase produced by the S. schenckii (yeast form).Methods: A master culture was prepared by incorporating the standard strain of S. schenckii in YNB (Yeast Nitrogen Base) medium and was incubated at 37ºC. After preparing the increasing concentrations with KI in YNB medium, 1.0 mL suspension of master culture was inoculated into each bottle and incubated at 37ºC for different time period 6th, 12th, 18th day (early, mid, peak of log period) respectively. After centrifuging, a 5% homogenate was prepared, which was used for acid phosphatase enzyme assay.Results: The mean acid phosphatase level of control specimen was 20.9±2.01, 50.0±2.25, 45.0±5.10 μg and test specimens was ranged from 14.9±4.89 to 20.2±3.49, 10.2±4.19 to 40.0±6.39 and 10.0±1.81 to 34.7±6.08 μg on day 6, 12 and 18 respectively. The mean value was lower significantly for all the test concentrations as compared to control (p<0.05).Conclusions: The low activity of the enzyme acid phosphatase indicates that KI has inhibitory effect on the growth of S. schenckii that has led to decrease in the activity of the enzyme

Evaluation of various culture and staining techniques for the detection of extra pulmonary tuberculosis

Background: Though pulmonary tuberculosis form is the commonest presentation, the extra pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) is also an important emerging clinical problem. The objective of the current study was to compare two staining techniques, Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) stain, fluorescent stain and two-culture medium, solid Löwenstein-Jensen (LJ) medium and liquid 7H9 Middle brook medium in MGIT (Mycobacterium Growth Indicator Tube) 320 system, for detection of Mycobacterium in clinically suspected patients of EPTB.Methods: A total of 100 clinically suspected cases of EPTB samples from various extrapulmonary sites had been collected. All the specimens were stained with ZN stain and fluorescent stain. The culture were processed after decontamination of specimens with NaOH-NALC method and thereafter inoculated on solid and liquid culture medium.Results: Out of the 100 EPTB specimens, 30 were found positive by any of the above techniques used. Out of 30 positive cases 18 showed positivity by ZN staining while 20 showed positivity by fluorescent staining technique. In two culture methods, 27 isolates were grown by any of the culture system. Out of 27, 22 and 26 specimens showed growth of MTB complex on LJ media and MGIT culture system respectively. In AFB smear positive specimens, the average turnaround time was found to be 8.45 days and 22.5 days in MGIT and LJ medium culture assay respectively. While the turnaround times in AFB smear negative cases, it was 16.5 days and 32.3 days in MGIT and LJ medium culture assay respectively.Conclusions: MGIT was a dependable, highly efficient system for recovery of MTB complex for EPTB specimens in combination with LJ media

Extended-spectrum β-lactamase and AmpC β-lactamase Production among Gram-negative Bacilli Isolates Obtained from Urinary Tract Infections and Wound Infections

Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and AmpC β-lactamases continue to be a major problem in healthcare settings. Due to the scarcity of information regarding the antibiotic susceptibility patterns particularly from urinary tract infection (UTI) and wound infections, the current study was carried out to assist the clinicians to prescribe appropriate antibiotics against Gram-negative clinical isolates. In the current study, urine (n = 620) and pus (n = 228) samples were collected from different sites (at various clinical departments) and subjected to direct microscopic examination, culture and antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST). In the AST testings, the isolates that exhibited reduced zone of inhibition to one or more of the antibiotics such as cefotaxime (≤27 mm), ceftriaxone (≤25 mm), ceftazidime (≤22 mm), cefpodoxime (≤17 mm) and aztreonam (≤27 mm) were considered as potential ESBL producers and the ESBL production was confirmed using phenotypic screening test (double-disk synergy test) and phenotypic confirmatory test (combined-disk test). However, isolates showing resistance or decreased sensitivity to cefoxitin, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, ceftazidime, cefpodoxime or aztreonam and sensitive to cefepime were considered as a screen positive AmpC producer and subjected to AmpC disk tests. The current study concluded that 72.41% and 21.76% of ESBL and AmpC producers were detected, respectively in our hospital. It was also observed that the double-disk synergy and combined-disk tests were equally effective for ESBL detection. Further, AmpC disk test is simple, easy to perform and interpret, requiring less expertise for the rapid detection of AmpC isolates

Evaluation of various culture and staining techniques for the detection of extra pulmonary tuberculosis

Background: Though pulmonary tuberculosis form is the commonest presentation, the extra pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) is also an important emerging clinical problem. The objective of the current study was to compare two staining techniques, Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) stain, fluorescent stain and two-culture medium, solid Löwenstein-Jensen (LJ) medium and liquid 7H9 Middle brook medium in MGIT (Mycobacterium Growth Indicator Tube) 320 system, for detection of Mycobacterium in clinically suspected patients of EPTB.Methods: A total of 100 clinically suspected cases of EPTB samples from various extrapulmonary sites had been collected. All the specimens were stained with ZN stain and fluorescent stain. The culture were processed after decontamination of specimens with NaOH-NALC method and thereafter inoculated on solid and liquid culture medium.Results: Out of the 100 EPTB specimens, 30 were found positive by any of the above techniques used. Out of 30 positive cases 18 showed positivity by ZN staining while 20 showed positivity by fluorescent staining technique. In two culture methods, 27 isolates were grown by any of the culture system. Out of 27, 22 and 26 specimens showed growth of MTB complex on LJ media and MGIT culture system respectively. In AFB smear positive specimens, the average turnaround time was found to be 8.45 days and 22.5 days in MGIT and LJ medium culture assay respectively. While the turnaround times in AFB smear negative cases, it was 16.5 days and 32.3 days in MGIT and LJ medium culture assay respectively.Conclusions: MGIT was a dependable, highly efficient system for recovery of MTB complex for EPTB specimens in combination with LJ media

Pulmonary strongyloidiasis: A case report from Western Uttar Pradesh

Infections due to Strongyloides stercoralis are unusual in western Uttar Pradesh. We report a case in which S. stercoralis was isolated from the sputum of an immunocompetent female patient who presented with fever and hemoptysis. No elevation of eosinophils had been shown during peripheral blood smear examination. Microscopic examination of sputum for acid-fast bacilli with light emitted diode (LED) microscope and stool revealed the larval form of S. stercoralis. The patient was treated with ivermectin and recovered gradually

Meteorin-like facilitates skeletal muscle repair through a Stat3/IGF-1 mechanism

The immune system plays a multifunctional role throughout the regenerative process, regulating both pro-/anti-inflammatory phases and progenitor cell function. In the present study, we identify the myokine/cytokine Meteorin-like (Metrnl) as a critical regulator of muscle regeneration. Mice genetically lacking Metrnl have impaired muscle regeneration associated with a reduction in immune cell infiltration and an inability to transition towards an anti-inflammatory phenotype. Isochronic parabiosis, joining wild-type and whole-body Metrnl knock-out (KO) mice, returns Metrnl expression in the injured muscle and improves muscle repair, providing supportive evidence for Metrnl secretion from infiltrating immune cells. Macrophage-specific Metrnl KO mice are also deficient in muscle repair. During muscle regeneration, Metrnl works, in part, through Stat3 activation in macrophages, resulting in differentiation to an anti-inflammatory phenotype. With regard to myogenesis, Metrnl induces macrophage-dependent insulin-like growth factor 1 production, which has a direct effect on primary muscle satellite cell proliferation. Perturbations in this pathway inhibit efficacy of Metrnl in the regenerative process. Together, these studies identify Metrnl as an important regulator of muscle regeneration and a potential therapeutic target to enhance tissue repair

Evaluation of rapid techniques for the detection of mycobacteria in sputum with scanty bacilli or clinically evident, smear negative cases of pulmonary and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis

The objective of the current study was to compare two rapid methods, the BBL Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube (MGIT TM) and Biotec FASTPlaque TB TM (FPTB) assays, with the conventional Löwenstein-Jensen (LJ) media assay to diagnose mycobacterial infections from paucibacillary clinical specimens. For evaluation of the clinical utility of the BBL MGIT TM and FPTB assays, respiratory tract specimens (n = 208), with scanty bacilli or clinically evident, smear negative cases and non-respiratory tract specimens (n = 119) were analyzed and the performance of each assay was compared with LJ media. MGIT and FPTB demonstrated a greater sensitivity (95.92% and 87.68%), specificity (94.59% and 98.78%), positive predictive value (94.91% and 99.16%) and negative predictive value (96.56% and 90.92%), respectively, compared to LJ culture for both respiratory tract and non-respiratory tract specimens. However, the FPTB assay was unable to detect nontuberculous mycobacteria and few Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex cases from paucibacillary clinical specimens. It is likely that the analytical sensitivity of FPTB is moderately low and may not be useful for the direct detection of tuberculosis in paucibacillary specimens. The current study concluded that MGIT was a dependable, highly efficient system for recovery of M. tuberculosis complexes and nontuberculous mycobacteria from both respiratory and non-respiratory tract specimens in combination with LJ media