Burden of Hepatitis B Virus at a Tertiary Care Hospital, Doda, Jammu and Kashmir, India: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) causes most frequent chronic liver disease of infectious origin in human beings worldwide, with more than 600,000 deaths caused by end-stage liver disease complications per year. The most used test for identifying acute HBV infections and carriers is the detection of HBsAg. Immunochromatography assays have been suggested for routine use in clinical microbiology laboratories for the detection of HBsAg since they are easy to use, affordable, don’t need specialised equipment, and are straightforward to run. Compared to commercially available HEPA card kit for the detection of the same markers, Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was shown to be more sensitive for the detection of HBsAg. This study is first of its kind in District Doda, Jammu and Kashmir, India. Aim: To know the burden of HBV in a Tertiary Care Hospital, Government Medical College, Doda using HEPA card kit and ELISA method. Materials and Methods: The present hospital-based crosssectional study was carried out in the Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College and Hospital, Doda Jammu and Kashmir, India during the period from January 2020 to December 2020. The study comprised blood samples from all age groups referred by clinical departments for testing HBsAg. Tests were performed using an immunochromatographic technique (HEPA card Diagnostic enterprises) for the qualitative detection of HBsAg, and results were interpreted in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines. The collected data was analysed in Microsoft excel sheet using Chi-square test to know the burden of HBV infection. Results: Among total number of 5,448 samples tested, 50 (0.92%) were positive for HBsAg which comes under low epidemicity (<2%) as per World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines. The number of positive females and males were 30 (0.84%) and 20 (1.07%), respectively. Females were predominate over males and majority of the positive patients (N=29) were younger than 40 years though prevalance (2.1%) was higher in age group above 40 years. All samples which shows positive by rapid test were also shown positive by ELISA test. Conclusion: Overall prevalence of HBV was 0.92% which comes under low epidemicity (<2%) as per WHO guidelines. It can be an alternate option for community based studies and also helps to improve the public health and to prevent the spreading of disease in the local population

Short Communication Clinico-Therapeutic Observations on an Outbreak of Infectious Coryza

ABSTRACT A disease in commercial flock in Arifwala, Punjab (Pakistan) was reported. The birds were showing respiratory signs and their production was dropped from 85 to 60% in three days. Samples from the sick and dead birds were examined. The bacterial growth was only isolated from nasal swab on blood agar, chocolate agar and tryptose agar. The colonies appeared as small (1 mm) dew drops. History, clinical sign, symptoms, and isolation and identification of the causative agent revealed that the bacterium was Haemophilus paragallinarum

Effects of Microwave Radiations on the Morphological and Biochemical Aspects of some Economically Important Herbs

The purpose of present work was to observe the effects of microwave radiation on some economically important herbs  by treating them with microwaved water. Plants studied were Brassica campestris, Lycopersicon esculentum, Pedilanthus tithymaloides, Portulaca grandiflora, Solanum melongena and Zinnia elegans. The results showed that microwave treated water and warm water both inhibited the growth of treated plants as there was significant decrease in the root and shoot length, diameter, fresh and dry weight, reduction in chlorophyll content, leaf area and enzyme activity of peroxidases which was also altered in all the treated plants. It was reported that the microwave radiations were harmful to treated plants and therefore the use of microwave appliances for heating purposes can affect the biochemical nature of food and ultimately can have an affect on human health

Molecular Typing of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus using coa Gene Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: The need for fast, precise diagnostic tests to identify active tuberculosis is essential, mainly in endemic nations such as India. An automated real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method for pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) detection known as the Cartridge Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (CBNAAT) or GeneXpert assay shows great promise as a complement to the TrueNat and conventional sputum microscopy techniques. Aim: To compare sensitivity, specificity, Positive Predictive Value (PPV), and Negative Predictive Value (NPV) of CBNAAT with TrueNat and smear microscopy in the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional comparative study on 175 patients with suspected pulmonary TB was conducted from June 2021 to November 2021 in a tertiary care hospital at Government Medical College, Doda District of Jammu and Kashmir, India. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and diagnostic accuracy for the diagnosis of tuberculosis were calculated for Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB) smear microscopy, TrueNat, and the GeneXpert and compared with each other. Statistical analysis of the data was conducted with Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) version 20.0. Results: Out of the total 175, 168 (96%) patients were TB positive by CBNAAT, 162 (92.6%) by TrueNat, and 148 (84.6%) as per smear microscopy. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy of Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) stain in the detection of pulmonary TB in sputum samples were 86.31%, 57.14%, 97.97%, 14.81%, and 85.14%, respectively. Whereas in the case of the TrueNat technique sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy were 94.05%, 42.86%, 97.53%, 23.08%, and 92.00%, respectively. In the case of CBNAAT sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy in the detection of pulmonary TB in sputum samples were 97.02%, 28.57%, 97.02%, 28.57%, and 94.29%, respectively. Conclusion: In respiratory samples, CBNAAT is more sensitive than ZN smear microscopy and TrueNat. Positive CBNAAT, but TrueNat and AFB microscopy negative results should be read cautiously and be well correlated with the clinical and treatment history of the patien

A first update on mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19

peer reviewe

Sarcomatoid Variant of Urothelial Carcinoma of the Renal Pelvis with Inferior Vena Cava Tumour Thrombus: A Case Report and Literature Review

Sarcomatoid variant of urothelial carcinoma (SVUC) of the renal pelvis is a rare entity. To the best of our knowledge, around 25 cases of this neoplasm have been reported in the literature to date, most of which were of high stage. The inferior vena cava tumour thrombus, which is a hallmark of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), may rarely be found in urothelial carcinoma of renal pelvis. In this report, a case of SVUC associated with tumour extension to inferior vena cava is documented. This association has been encountered in only one previously reported case. The possibility of urothelial carcinoma of the renal pelvis should therefore be included in the differential diagnosis of tumour thrombus of the inferior vena cava

Diagnostic Accuracy between CBNAAT, TrueNat, and Smear Microscopy for Diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Doda District of Jammu and Kashmir- A Comparative Study

Introduction: The need for fast, precise diagnostic tests to identify active tuberculosis is essential, mainly in endemic nations such as India. An automated real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method for pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) detection known as the Cartridge Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (CBNAAT) or GeneXpert assay shows great promise as a complement to the TrueNat and conventional sputum microscopy techniques. Aim: To compare sensitivity, specificity, Positive Predictive Value (PPV), and Negative Predictive Value (NPV) of CBNAAT with TrueNat and smear microscopy in the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional comparative study on 175 patients with suspected pulmonary TB was conducted from June 2021 to November 2021 in a tertiary care hospital at Government Medical College, Doda District of Jammu and Kashmir, India. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and diagnostic accuracy for the diagnosis of tuberculosis were calculated for Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB) smear microscopy, TrueNat, and the GeneXpert and compared with each other. Statistical analysis of the data was conducted with Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) version 20.0. Results: Out of the total 175, 168 (96%) patients were TB positive by CBNAAT, 162 (92.6%) by TrueNat, and 148 (84.6%) as per smear microscopy. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy of Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) stain in the detection of pulmonary TB in sputum samples were 86.31%, 57.14%, 97.97%, 14.81%, and 85.14%, respectively. Whereas in the case of the TrueNat technique sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy were 94.05%, 42.86%, 97.53%, 23.08%, and 92.00%, respectively. In the case of CBNAAT sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy in the detection of pulmonary TB in sputum samples were 97.02%, 28.57%, 97.02%, 28.57%, and 94.29%, respectively. Conclusion: In respiratory samples, CBNAAT is more sensitive than ZN smear microscopy and TrueNat. Positive CBNAAT, but TrueNat and AFB microscopy negative results should be read cautiously and be well correlated with the clinical and treatment history of the patient

CK20 and CK5/6 Immunohistochemical Staining of Urothelial Neoplasms: A Perspective

Cytokeratins belong to the family of intermediate filaments. They are expressed in a highly specific manner in epithelial cells where they play a crucial role in the integrity and mechanical stability of the cells. Several types of cytokeratins have been described in normal as well as neoplastic urothelium. In the case of urothelial neoplasms expression of CK20 and CK5/6 has been shown in several studies to have diagnostic and prognostic implications. Thus, low-grade urothelial carcinoma manifests CK expression limited to the umbrella cells, while high-grade tumors usually have an expression in the entire thickness of the urothelium except for the basal layer. CK5/6 expression on the other hand is expressed in the basal cells in all low-grade and some high-grade urothelial carcinomas. Diffuse CK20 staining accompanied by loss of CK5/6-positive basal layer is usually associated with aggressive clinical behavior. Double staining of the slides for these cytokeratins may facilitate proper interpretation and correlation

Comparative evaluation of factors affecting hemagglutinating activity of avian influenza (H9) virus

WOS: 000368558800001Influenza virus H9 was standardized for hemagglutination assay using different factors such as red blood cell (RBC) types, concentrations, diluent types, and storage times. Avian influenza virus H9 was grown in embryonated chicken eggs and confirmed by spot agglutination. A significant (P 0.05) were found between human blood type O, chicken, and dog RBCs, as well as among rabbit, pigeon, sheep, and parrot. The highest titer (9.00 +/- 0.00) with a nonsignificant difference was found using virus stored at 4 degrees C and -20 degrees C while 37 degrees C showed the lowest significant mean hemagglutinin (HA) titer (11.08 +/- 188.21). Nonsignificant differences were observed in HA titers against H9 virus stored for 3, 4, 5, and 6 months. Nonsignificant differences were found between the use of normal saline and 0.5% peptone water with the lowest HA titers of 7.83 +/- 0.40 and 8.00 +/- 0.00, respectively, while the highest HA titer (9.00 +/- 0.00) with nonsignificant difference was observed by using HA-HI buffer and phosphate buffer saline as diluents. RBCs with 0.5% and 1% concentrations showed nonsignificant difference in HA titer but significant difference with 0.1% RBCs