Assessment of incidence of post-operative wound infection in women undergoing caesarean section: a retrospective study

Background: The surgical site infection is the second most common infectious complication occurring after caesarean section. Infections occurring after caesarean section represent a considerable burden to the healthcare systems and preventing these complications is a priority of healthcare systems especially in developing countries. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of SSI in patients undergoing a LSCS at a RIMS teaching hospital, Raichur, and to identify risk factors, common bacterial pathogens and antibiotic sensitivity.Methods: The present retrospective study was conducted in RIMS Institute, during a period of 3 years i.e. from 2013-2016. In this study a total of 50 cases were collected from MRD department. They were divided into two groups- cases and controls, each having 50 subjects each. Wound infection was defined as inflammation or sepsis with or without positive bacterial cultures. With SSI, there may be fever, redness, swelling and/or pain in the area around the incision site. Complete information regarding demographic data, the type and indication for caesarean section, duration of labour, duration of surgery and rupture of membrane were recorded. Wound infections occuring after 30 days of LSCS & other gynaecological surgeries were excluded. All the results were analyzed by SPSS software 16.0. Chi-square test and student t test were used for the assessment of level of significance. Probability value of less than 0.05 was considered significant.Results: A total of 100 subjects were included in the present study, out of which, 50 were cases and the remaining 50 were controls. The mean age of the subjects was 37.45 years. There were 7 cases and 13 controls who were aged between 20-24 years. There was no significant difference amongst cases and controls regarding age. There was a significant difference in the haemoglobin levels amongst cases and controls. The third criterion that was assessed was duration of labour. Majority of the cases had prolonged labour whereas in majority of the controls, the duration of labour of labour was less than 6 hours. There was a significant difference in duration of labour amongst cases and controls (p<0.05). Elective c section was done in 2 cases and 6 controls. C section was performed in an emergency in 48 cases and 44 controls. There was a significant difference in the operation time between cases and controls (p<0.05). E.coli infection occurred in 15 cases in the present study followed by Actinobacter species which occurred in 13 cases. Absence of growth was seen in 5 cases.Conclusions: The risk factors associated with SSI in our study were, haemoglobin levels, prolonged labour, duration of operation. The most common organisms isolated were E. coli and Actinobacter species

Evidence for transcription attenuation rendering cryptic a sigmaS- dependent promoter of the osmotically regulated proU operon of Salmonella typhimurium

The osmotically regulated proU locus in Escherichia coli has two promoters, P1 and P2, that are recognized, respectively, by the &#963; S- and &#963; 70-bearing RNA polymerase holoenzymes. However, the equivalent of the P1 promoter does not appear to exist in Salmonella typhimurium. We demonstrate in this study that wild-type S. typhimurium has a cryptic P1 promoter that is recognized by &#963; S RNA polymerase in vitro and that a 22-bp deletion from +63 to +84 (relative to the start site of transcription) confers &#963; S-dependent in vivo expression of a reporter gene fusion to P1. Primer extension analysis of RNA isolated from cells carrying the wild-type and mutant S. typhimurium proU constructs indicated that a primer which hybridizes proximal to +60 is able to detect P1-initiated transcripts from both constructs but a primer which hybridizes distal to +85 is able to do so only from the latter. Our results suggest that the &#963; S-controlled proU P1 promoter in S. typhimurium may be rendered cryptic because of factor-dependent transcription attenuation within a short distance downstream of the promoter start site

PHARMACOVIGILANCE STUDY OF ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY IN HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS/ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME PATIENTS AT ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY CENTRE, JABALPUR

Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of antiretroviral therapy along with its causality, severity, and preventability.Method: A prospective as well as a retrospective observational study with a sample size of 260, jointly conducted in the Department of Pharmacology and antiretroviral therapy (ART) center of N.S.C.B. Medical College Jabalpur, India, from March 2016 to July 2017. We observed various ADRs to ART in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients and assessed causality, severity, and preventability of the reported ADRs as per the standard scales.Results: A total of 260 patients were enrolled of which 220 (84.6%) patients developed a total of 425 ADRs. Maximum 51.7% of ADRs were caused by TLE followed by 37% with ZLN regimen. Most common ADRs were dizziness 18.6%, rashes 14.6%, anemia 10.6%, and vomiting 6.6%. Dizziness and rashes are mainly caused by TLE and ZLN regimen, respectively. Management of ADRs with a change in the regimen was applied as an interventional tool in 40% of the patients. Causality assessment as per the WHO-UMC scale showed that 55.5% of ADR were probable and 45.5% were possible. 84.5% of ADR was not preventable, while 15.5% of ADRs were probably preventable. 38% of ADRs were mild, 56% were moderate, and 6% were severe in nature.Conclusion: Antiretrovirals, however, the milestone for the treatment of HIV/AIDS have very high potential for developing ADRs. Hence, active pharmacovigilance is needed for not only safety of the patients but also compliance to the treatment which is necessary for optimal therapeutic outcomes and to improve quality of life

Effects of H-NS and potassium glutamate on &#963;<SUP>S</SUP>- and &#963;<SUP>70</SUP>-directed transcription in vitro from osmotically regulated P1 and P2 promoters of proU in Escherichia coli

We have used supercoiled DNA templates in this study to demonstrate that transcription in vitro from the P1 and P2 promoters of the osmoresponsive proU operon of Escherichia coli is preferentially mediated by the &#963;s and &#963;70-bearing RNA polymerase holoenzymes, respectively. Addition of potassium glutamate resulted in the activation of transcription from both P1 and P2 and also led to a pronounced enhancement of &#963;s selectivity at the P1 promoter. Transcription from P2, and to a lesser extent from P1, was inhibited by the nucleoid protein H-NS but only in the absence of potassium glutamate. This study validates the existence of dual promoters with dual specificities for proU transcription. Our results also support the proposals that potassium, which is known to accumulate in cells grown at high osmolarity, is at least partially responsible for effecting the in vivo induction of proU transcription and that it does so through two mechanisms, directly by the activation of RNA polymerase and indirectly by the relief of repression imposed by H-NS

Otkrivanje i karakterizacija rotavirusa genogrupe 5 povezanog s proljevom prasadi u sjeveroistočnoj Indiji

Rotaviruses have been recognized as an important etiological agent of non-bacterial acute gastroenteritis in young children and animals of several species worldwide, including diarrhoea in weaning and post-weaning piglets. In this study, we report the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of rotaviruses detected from piglets in different regions of the north-eastern hilly region of India. A total of 457 faecal samples (339 diarrhoeal and 118 non-diarrhoeal) were collected from piglets from local (n = 130) and cross breed (n = 327) piglets between July 2013 to June 2015 in different seasons of the year. All the samples were subjected to RNA-PAGE and RTPCR analysis. Rotaviruses were detected in 4.81% animals by RNA-PAGE and 7.43% animals by RT-PCR, with the highest prevalence (9.67%) from Meghalaya state. All the isolates were recorded as GARV and genogroup 5. The prevalence was higher in unorganized farms (10.77%) compared to organized farms (4.0%) with higher detection from diarrhoeic (9.14%) compared to non-diarrhoeic animals (2.54%). A higher prevalence was also recorded during the summer (12.5%) and winter (9.09%) seasons. On the basis of the sequence analysis, all the isolates were placed in a unique single cluster, different from other Indian isolates from humans and animals, which were in close proximity with human isolates. This is the first report of the detection of G5 Rotavirus associated with piglet diarrhoea in India.Rotavirusi su prepoznati kao važan etiološki čimbenik nebakterijskog akutnog gastroenteritisa kod male djece i različitih vrsta životinja. Kod prasadi to uključuje i proljev koji se pojavljuje pri odbiću i nakon odbića. U ovom je radu prikazana prevalencija i molekularna epidemiologija rotavirusa otkrivenih kod prasadi iz različitih dijelova sjeveroistočnog, brdovitog područja Indije. U razdoblju od srpnja 2013. do lipnja 2015. godine, tijekom različitih sezona, prikupljeno je ukupno 457 uzoraka fecesa (339 proljevastih i 118 neproljevastih). Uzorci su potjecali od prasadi lokalnih (n = 130) i križnih pasmina (n = 327). Svi su uzorci podvrgnuti RNA-PAGE i RT-PCR analizama. Rotavirusi su otkriveni u 4,81 % životinja pomoću RNA-PAGE i 7,43 % životinja pomoću RT-PCR analize. Najveća prevalencija (9,67 %) utvrđena je u državi Meghalaya. Svi su izolati registrirani kao GARV i genogrupa 5. Prevalencija je bila viša u slabo organiziranim farmama (10,77 %) u usporedbi s dobro organiziranim farmama (4,0 %), s većom učestalošću otkrivanja kod životinja koje su imale proljev (9,14 %) u odnosu na životinje bez proljeva (2,54 %). Također, veća je prevalencija utvrđena tijekom ljetnih (12,5 %) i zimskih (9,09 %) sezona. Na temelju analize sekvencija svi su izolati smješteni u jedinstveni pojedinačni skup (klaster). Taj je skup različit od drugih indijskih izolata ljudi i životinja u kojima je bio u neposrednoj blizini izolata ljudi. Ovo je prvo izvješće o otkrivanju rotavirusa G5 povezanih s proljevom prasadi u Indiji

Evaluation of medicinal potential and antibacterial activity of selected plants against Streptococcus mutans

Article Details: Received: 2020-06-15 | Accepted: 2020-09-28 | Available online: 2021-03-31 https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2021.24.01.9-15The aim of the study is to screen the bioactive compounds (saponin, tannin, phenolic compounds, terpenoid & steroid) present in selected ethnomedicinal plants, Terminalia bellirica (fruits), Smilax zeylanica (leaves) and Dioscorea oppositifolia (fruits) from Odisha state, India. The single formulation was prepared using the selected plants parts in the ratio 1 : 6 : 3 respectively for quantitative analysis of tannin & total phenol, antioxidant activity and analysis of MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) against Streptococcus mutans causing bacteria of tooth decay. Results revealed that selected plant parts are rich source of bioactive compounds like tannin, phenolic compounds and saponin. The quantitative analysis of secondary metabolites showed highest concentration of tannin. It was noted that antioxidant activity is highest in methanol extract as compared to aqueous and acetone. MIC analysis also revealed that formulated powder had excellent antibacterial activity against S. mutans and it was observed the lowest values (450 µg ml-1) showed aqueous & methanol followed by acetone. The herbal formulation might be used to formulate new herbal products against tooth decay in near future.Keywords: antibacterial activity, antioxidant activity, ethnomedicinal plants, secondary metabolites, tooth decay ReferencesANDERSON, T. (2004). Dental treatment in medieval England. British Dental Journal, 197(7), 419–425.DESHMUKH, M.A. and THENG, M.A. (2018). Phytochemical screening, quantitative analysis of primary secondary metabolites of Acacia aeabica bark. International Journal of Current Pharmaceutical Research, 10(2), 35–37.DHANYA, S.V.S., et al. (2018). Preliminary phytochemical activity of Smilax zeylanica L. (Smilaceaceae). 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Mycobacterium tuberculosis nucleoid-associated DNA-binding protein H-NS binds with high-affinity to the Holliday junction and inhibits strand exchange promoted by RecA protein

A number of studies have shown that the structure and composition of bacterial nucleoid influences many a processes related to DNA metabolism. The nucleoid-associated proteins modulate not only the DNA conformation but also regulate the DNA metabolic processes such as replication, recombination, repair and transcription. Understanding of how these processes occur in the context of Mycobacterium tuberculosis nucleoid is of considerable medical importance because the nucleoid structure may be constantly remodeled in response to environmental signals and/or growth conditions. Many studies have concluded that Escherichia coli H-NS binds to DNA in a sequence-independent manner, with a preference for A-/T-rich tracts in curved DNA; however, recent studies have identified the existence of medium- and low-affinity binding sites in the vicinity of the curved DNA. Here, we show that the M. tuberculosis H-NS protein binds in a more structure-specific manner to DNA replication and repair intermediates, but displays lower affinity for double-stranded DNA with relatively higher GC content. Notably, M. tuberculosis H-NS was able to bind Holliday junction (HJ), the central recombination intermediate, with substantially higher affinity and inhibited the three-strand exchange promoted by its cognate RecA. Likewise, E. coli H-NS was able to bind the HJ and suppress DNA strand exchange promoted by E. coli RecA, although much less efficiently compared to M. tuberculosis H-NS. Our results provide new insights into a previously unrecognized function of H-NS protein, with implications for blocking the genome integration of horizontally transferred genes by homologous and/or homeologous recombination

An N-Terminally Truncated RpoS (σ(S)) Protein in Escherichia coli Is Active In Vivo and Exhibits Normal Environmental Regulation Even in the Absence of rpoS Transcriptional and Translational Control Signals

RpoS (σ(S)) in Escherichia coli is a stationary-phase-specific primary sigma factor of RNA polymerase which is 330 amino acids long and belongs to the eubacterial σ(70) family of proteins. Conserved domain 1.1 at the N-terminal end of σ(70) has been shown to be essential for RNA polymerase function, and its deletion has been shown to result in a dominant-lethal phenotype. We now report that a σ(S) variant with a deletion of its N-terminal 50 amino acids (σ(S)Δ1-50), when expressed in vivo either from a chromosomal rpoS::IS10 allele (in rho mutant strains) or from a plasmid-borne arabinose-inducible promoter, is as proficient as the wild type in directing transcription from the proU P1 promoter; at three other σ(S)-dependent promoters that were tested (osmY, katE, and csiD), the truncated protein exhibited a three- to sevenfold reduced range of activities. Catabolite repression at the csiD promoter (which requires both σ(S) and cyclic AMP [cAMP]-cAMP receptor protein for its activity) was also preserved in the strain expressing σ(S)Δ1-50. The intracellular content of σ(S)Δ1-50 was regulated by culture variables such as growth phase, osmolarity, and temperature in the same manner as that described earlier for σ(S), even when the truncated protein was expressed from a template that possessed neither the transcriptional nor the translational control elements of wild-type rpoS. Our results indicate that, unlike that in σ(70), the N-terminal domain in σ(S) may not be essential for the protein to function as a sigma factor in vivo. Furthermore, our results suggest that the induction of σ(S)-specific promoters in stationary phase and during growth under conditions of high osmolarity or low temperature is mediated primarily through the regulation of σ(S) protein degradation