Fluconazole and boric acid for treatment of vaginal candidiasis- New words about old issue

Objective: To compare boric acid as an effective treatment for VVC  compared to fluconazole. We also studied the efficiency of these drugs in preventing recurrence of VVC.Design: A cross sectional, randomized, double-blind study.Settings: Gynaecology clinic of Imam Reza hospital, Tehran - IranSubjects: Women with signs and symptoms related to Vulvo Vaginal Candidiasis.Results: Seventy five patients out of total 150 patients with signs and symptoms related to Vulvo Vaginal Candidiasis were treated with boric acid powder every night for a week and the remaining 75 patients received Fluconazole. The cure rate in first group was 46.7% but the cure rate in second group was 37.3%. The difference was not statistically significant (P>0.3). Difference between the efficacy of the two drugs was not  significant either (P=0.47). The recurrence rate among patients in first group was 35% while it was 32% in second group. Their difference was not statistically significant (P=0.54).Conclusion: According to our findings, treatment of vaginal candidiasis with boric acid is as effective as fluconazole. The availability of boric acid and its relatively low cost suggests it as a safe and effective drug for treatment of candidiasis

Evaluation of Specific and Non-Specific Cellular Immune Responses in Amoebiasis Patients

Specific and non- specific cellular immune responses were studied in 20 amoebiasis cases and 10 controls. All the study cases and controls were Indians living in Varanasi, India. Ten amoebic liver abscess cases were patients admitted to University hospital. Ten non-invasive intestinal amoebiasis cases constituted the second study group. Non-specific immune responses were studied using E-rosette technique. Specific cellular immune response was evaluated by measuring tritiated thymidine uptake by transformed lymphocytes using crude amoebic extract prepared from axenically grown Entamoeba histolytica NIH: 200 and two of its chromatographed fractions, i.e. fraction I (FI) & fraction II (FII) as well as a mitogen, i.e. Phyto Haemagglutinin-A (PHA). Results show those crude antigens followed by FI & FII are able to induce blastoid transformation of lymphocytes prepared from different cases. Moreover, it was shown that specific cellular immune response was greatly depressed in amoebic liver abscess cases (P<0.001). While the CPM (count per minute) of different groups on using PHA for stimulation did not vary significantly

Immunogenicity of Entamoeba histolytica Crude and Fractionated Antigens in Animal Model

Introduction: The immunogenicity of crude amoebic antigen and its fractions preparedfrom Entamoeba histolytica (NIH:200) was evaluated in experimental animals. Material and Methods: Forty two guinea pigs of either sex free from Entamoebainfection and aged around 3 to 4 weeks were randomly divided into 5 groups. The treatedgroups consisted of 8, 10, 6, and 8 animals and 10 animals served as controls. Crude amoebicextract and its chromatographed fractions were used to immunize the treated animals. All theanimals were assessed for immunity status, challenged with Entamoeba trophozoites andsubsequently examined for lesions of the caecum and liver. Results: Of the 8 animals immunized with crude antigen, one had liver abscess and 5 hadcaecal lesions. None of the 10 animals immunized with fraction I (FI) had hepatic lesions and one had caecal lesions. Both caecal and hepatic lesions were observed in animals immunizedwith FII & FIII. Conclusion: Results show that vaccination with the F1 fraction of Entamoeba histolyticaprovided up to 90% protection against infection. The other fractions and the crude extractprovided less protection

"Study of Antiamoebic Antibody in Amoebiasis Using ELISA and RID Techniques"

To study the humoral immune response to Entamoeba histolytica infection, sera prepared from different cases of amoebiasis from gastroenterology ward of B.H.U hospital, including15 cases with amoebic liver abscess (ALA), 10 cases with acute amoebic dysentery (AD) and 10 controls were examined by Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA), using crude amoebic antigen prepared from Entamoeba histolytica NIH: 200 grown axenically and its three chromatographed fractions, i.e.fraction I (FI), fraction II (FII) and fraction III (FIII). Efficacies of different antigens in detecting anti amoebic antibodies were compared. Estimation of immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels were also carried out employing Single Radial Immuno Diffusion (RID) technique. The results indicated that crude amoebic antigen and fraction I (FI) were more efficient in antibody detection while, potencies of fraction II (FII) and fraction III (FIII) were lower as antigens for serodiagnoses. On estimating different immunoglobulin levels, it was found out that there was significant increase in IgG level in amoebiasis group while, no significant increase was observed in IgA level. IgM level was increased only in amoebic liver abscess cases compared to negative controls

Incorporation of Nanoalumina Improves Mechanical Properties and Osteogenesis of Hydroxyapatite Bioceramics

© 2018 American Chemical Society. A handful of work focused on improving the intrinsic low mechanical properties of hydroxyapatite (HA) by various reinforcing agents. However, the big challenge regarding improving mechanical properties is maintaining bioactivity. To address this issue, we report fabrication of apatite-based composites by incorporation of alumina nanoparticles (n-Al2O3). Although numerous studies have used micron or submicron alumina for reinforcing hydroxyapatite, only few reports are available about the use of n-Al2O3. In this study, spark plasma sintering (SPS) method was utilized to develop HA-nAl2O3 dense bodies. Compared to the conventional sintering, decomposition of HA and formation of calcium aluminates phases are restricted using SPS. Moreover, n-Al2O3 acts as a bioactive agent while its conventional form is an inert bioceramics. The addition of n-Al2O3 resulted in 40% improvement in hardness along with a 110% increase in fracture toughness, while attaining nearly full dense bodies. The in vitro characterization of nanocomposite demonstrated improved bone-specific cell function markers as evidenced by cell attachment and proliferation, alkaline phosphatase activity, calcium and collagen detection and nitric oxide production. Specifically, gene expression analysis demonstrated that introduction of n-Al2O3 in HA matrix resulted in accelerated osteogenic differentiation of osteoblast and mesenchymal stem cells, as expression of Runx-2 and OSP showed 2.5 and 19.6 fold increase after 2 weeks (p < 0.05). Moreover, protein adsorption analysis showed enhanced adsorption of plasma proteins to HA-nAl2O3 sample compared to HA. These findings suggest that HA-nAl2O3 could be a prospective candidate for orthopedic applications due to its improved mechanical and osteogenic properties

Efficacy of single dose of gentamicin in combination with metronidazole versus multiple doses for prevention of post-caesarean infection: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Caesarean section is a commonly performed operation worldwide. It has been found to increase rates of maternal infectious morbidities more than five times when compared to vaginal delivery. Provision of intravenous prophylactic antibiotics 30 to 60 minutes prior to caesarean section has been found to reduce post-caesarean infection tremendously. Many centers recommend provision of a single dose of antibiotics, as repeated doses offer no benefit over a single dose.</p> <p>At Bugando Medical Centre post caesarean infection is among the top five causes of admission at the post-natal ward. Unfortunately, there is no consistent protocol for the administration of antibiotic prophylaxis to patients who are designated for caesarean section. Common practice and generally the clinician’s preference are to provide repeated dosages of antibiotic prophylaxis after caesarean section to most of the patients. This study aims to determine the comparative efficacy of a single dose of gentamicin in combination with metronidazole versus multiple doses for prevention of post caesarean infection.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>The study is an interventional, open-label, two-armed, randomized, single-center study conducted at Bugando Medical Centre Mwanza, Tanzania. It is an ongoing trial for the period of seven months; 490 eligible candidates will be enrolled in the study. Study subjects will be randomly allocated into two study arms; “A” and “B”. Candidates in “A” will receive a single dose of gentamicin in combination with metronidazole 30 to 60 minutes prior to the operation and candidates in “B” will receive the same drugs prior to the operation and continue with gentamicin and metronidazole for 24 hours. The two groups will be followed up for a period of one month and assessed for signs and symptoms of surgical site infection.</p> <p>Data will be extracted from a case record form and entered into Epi data3.1 software before being transferred to SPSS version 17.0 for analysis. The absolute difference in proportion of women who develop surgical site infection in the two study arms will be the effectiveness of one regime over the other.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Current Controlled TrialsISRCTN44462542.</p