2 research outputs found
A multicentric evaluation of dipstick test for serodiagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Ethiopia and Spain
Author Correction: A multicentric evaluation of dipstick test for serodiagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Ethiopia and Spain
PMID: 33574485Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is one of the leading infectious diseases affecting developing countries. Colloidal gold-based diagnostic tests are rapid tools to detect blood/serum antibodies for VL diagnosis. Lack of uniformity in the performance of these tests in different endemic regions is a hurdle in early disease diagnosis. This study is designed to validate a serum-based dipstick test in eight centres of six countries, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Ethiopia and Spain with archived and fresh sera from 1003 subjects. The dipstick detects antibodies against Leishmania donovani membrane antigens (LAg). The overall sensitivity and specificity of the test with 95% confidence intervals were found to be 97.10% and 93.44%, respectively. The test showed good sensitivity and specificity in the Indian subcontinent (>95%). In Brazil, Ethiopia, and Spain the sensitivity and specificity of the dipstick test (83.78-100% and 79.06-100%) were better as compared to the earlier reports of the performance of rK39 rapid test in these regions. Interestingly, less cross-reactivity was found with the cutaneous form of the disease in Spain, Brazil, and Sri Lanka demonstrating 91.58% specificity. This dipstick test can therefore be a useful tool for diagnosing VL from other symptomatically similar diseases and against cutaneous form of leishmaniasis.S
Anticarcinogenic Activity of Nanoencapsulated Quercetin in Combating Diethylnitrosamine-induced Hepatocarcinoma in Rats
Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common primary
hepatic malignancy worldwide. N-Nitroso compounds act
as strong carcinogens in various animals, including
primates. Diethylnitrosamine (DEN) is a well known
carcinogenic substance, which induces hepatic carcinoma.
The theme of the study was to evaluate the therapeutic
efficacy of nanoencapsulated flavonoidal quercetin
(3,5,7,30,40-pentahydroxy flavone, QC) in combating
DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats. DEN induced
a substantial increase in relative liver weights with
proliferation and development of hyperplastic nodules.
A significant increase in hepatocellular and nephrotoxicity
indicated by serum alkaline phosphatase, aspartate
transaminase, alanine transaminase, urea, and creatinine
was observed in DEN-treated animals. Maximum
protection from such toxicity was provided by
nanoparticulated QC. Elevated levels of conjugated
diene in DEN-treated rats were lowered significantly by
nanoparticulated QC. Antioxidant levels in hepatic
cells were reduced significantly by the induction
of DEN. Nanoparticulated QC was found most potent
for complete prevention of DEN-induced reduction
in antioxidant levels in the liver. Upregulation of
glutathione-S-transferase activity by DEN induction
was reduced maximally by nanoencapsulated QC.
Nanoencapsulated QC completely protected the
mitochondrial membrane of the liver from carcinoma
mediated by DEN injection. A significant correlation could
be drawn between DEN-induced tissue reactive oxygen
species generation and cytochrome C expression in the
liver. Nanoencapsulated QC completely prevented the
DEN-induced cytochrome C expression in the liver
significantly