Awareness and effect of Janani Suraksha Yojana on antenatal care and institutional deliveries in rural, urban & tribal areas of Ahmednagar district

Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) is a centrally sponsored scheme which is being implemented with the objective of reducing maternal and infant mortality by promoting institutional delivery among pregnant women. The Government of India introduced the JSY (safe motherhood program) based on the principles of CCT. Under JSY, cash assistance was given to pregnant women receiving at least three antenatal check-ups (ANCs) and delivering at institutions. The study is undertaken to establish if there is any co-relation of level of awareness about the scheme and its impact on ANC and institutional deliveries in the rural, urban and tribal area of Ahmednagar district. Method: The JSY beneficiaries were asked demographic characteristics, area of residency, educational levels, Category and place of delivery were noted. A set of question (self-designed and pretested) and their responses were noted. Result: Out of 825 JSY beneficiaries, there were total 781 (94.7%) Hindu, Muslim 23(2.8%) and Christian 21 (2.5%) beneficiaries. Majority of Hindu religion JSY beneficiaries. Only few member from BPL JSY beneficiaries have opted for delivery at private hospital. Maximum deliveries taking place in civil hospital are from BPL category. It was observed that the awareness level about JSY is low in tribal area compared to the rural and urban area. It was also seen that 648 (78.54%) JSY beneficiaries availed free transport facility out of which 358 (55.24%) fall in high level of awareness category. There is a positive relation between age group and awareness about JSY. Conclusion: 46.8% women with high awareness about JSY scheme, it is a programme for pregnant women which aims at safe institutional delivery. Other factors such as education of mother, religion, culture, area of residence, family type played important role in utilization of available maternal health scheme

Awareness and effect of Janani Suraksha Yojana on antenatal care and institutional deliveries in rural, urban & tribal areas of Ahmednagar district

Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) is a centrally sponsored scheme which is being implemented with the objective of reducing maternal and infant mortality by promoting institutional delivery among pregnant women. The Government of India introduced the JSY (safe motherhood program) based on the principles of CCT. Under JSY, cash assistance was given to pregnant women receiving at least three antenatal check-ups (ANCs) and delivering at institutions. The study is undertaken to establish if there is any co-relation of level of awareness about the scheme and its impact on ANC and institutional deliveries in the rural, urban and tribal area of Ahmednagar district. Method: The JSY beneficiaries were asked demographic characteristics, area of residency, educational levels, Category and place of delivery were noted. A set of question (self-designed and pretested) and their responses were noted. Result: Out of 825 JSY beneficiaries, there were total 781 (94.7%) Hindu, Muslim 23(2.8%) and Christian 21 (2.5%) beneficiaries. Majority of Hindu religion JSY beneficiaries. Only few member from BPL JSY beneficiaries have opted for delivery at private hospital. Maximum deliveries taking place in civil hospital are from BPL category. It was observed that the awareness level about JSY is low in tribal area compared to the rural and urban area. It was also seen that 648 (78.54%) JSY beneficiaries availed free transport facility out of which 358 (55.24%) fall in high level of awareness category. There is a positive relation between age group and awareness about JSY. Conclusion: 46.8% women with high awareness about JSY scheme, it is a programme for pregnant women which aims at safe institutional delivery. Other factors such as education of mother, religion, culture, area of residence, family type played important role in utilization of available maternal health scheme

Activation status of γδ T cells dictates their effect on osteoclast generation and bone resorption

γδ T cells, a small subset of T cell population (5–10%), forms a bridge between innate and adaptive immunity. Although the role of γδ T cells in infectious diseases and antitumor immunity is well investigated, their role in bone biology needs to be explored. Aminobisphosphonates are used as a standard treatment modality for bone related disorders and are potent activators of γδ T cells. In the present study, we have compared the effect of “activated” and “freshly isolated” γδ T cells on osteoclast generation and function. We have shown that “activated” (αCD3/CD28 + rhIL2 or BrHPP + rhIL2 stimulated) γδ T cells inhibit osteoclastogenesis, while “freshly isolated” γδ T cells enhance osteoclast generation and function. Upon stimulation with phosphoantigen (BrHPP), “freshly isolated” γδ T cells were also able to suppress osteoclast generation and function. Cytokine profiles of these cells revealed that, “freshly isolated” γδ T cells secrete higher amounts of IL6 (pro-osteoclastogenic), while “activated” γδ T cells secrete high IFNγ levels (anti-osteoclastogenic). Neutralization of IFNγ and IL6 reversed the “inhibitory” or “stimulatory” effect of γδ T cells on osteoclastogenesis. In conclusion, we have shown that, activation status and dynamics of IL6 and IFNγ secretion dictate pro and anti-osteoclastogenic role of γδ T cells

Mistletoe-Extract Drugs Stimulate Anti-Cancer Vγ9Vδ2 T Cells.

Human phosphoantigen-reactive Vγ9Vδ2 T cells possess several characteristics, including MHC-independent recognition of tumor cells and potent killing potential, that make them attractive candidates for cancer immunotherapeutic approaches. Injectable preparations from the hemi-parasite plant Viscum album L. (European mistletoe) are commonly prescribed as complementary cancer therapy in European countries such as Germany, but their mechanism of action remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated in-depth the in vitro response of human T cells towards mistletoe-extract drugs by analyzing their functional and T-cell-receptor (TCR) response using flow cytometry and high-throughput sequencing respectively. Non-fermented mistletoe-extract drugs (AbnobaViscum), but not their fermented counterparts (Iscador), induced specific expansion of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells among T cells. Furthermore, AbnobaViscum rapidly induced the release of cytotoxic granules and the production of the cytokines IFNγ and TNFα in Vγ9Vδ2 T cells. This stimulation of anti-cancer Vγ9Vδ2 T cells was mediated by the butyrophilin BTN3A, did not depend on the accumulation of endogenous phosphoantigens and involved the same Vγ9Vδ2 TCR repertoire as those of phosphoantigen-reactive Vγ9Vδ2 T cells. These insights highlight Vγ9Vδ2 T cells as a potential target for mistletoe-extract drugs and their role in cancer patients receiving these herbal drugs needs to be investigated.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

A Distinctive γδ T Cell Repertoire in NOD Mice Weakens Immune Regulation and Favors Diabetic Disease

Previous studies in mice and humans suggesting that γδ T cells play a role in the development of type 1 diabetes have been inconsistent and contradictory. We attempted to resolve this for the type 1 diabetes-prone NOD mice by characterizing their γδ T cell populations, and by investigating the functional contributions of particular γδ T cells subsets, using Vγ-gene targeted NOD mice. We found evidence that NOD Vγ4+ γδ T cells inhibit the development of diabetes, and that the process by which they do so involves IL-17 production and/or promotion of regulatory CD4+ αβ T cells (Tregs) in the pancreatic lymph nodes. In contrast, the NOD Vγ1+ cells promote diabetes development. Enhanced Vγ1+ cell numbers in NOD mice, in particular those biased to produce IFNγ, appear to favor diabetic disease. Within NOD mice deficient in particular γδ T cell subsets, we noted that changes in the abundance of non-targeted T cell types also occurred, which varied depending upon the γδ T cells that were missing. Our results indicate that while certain γδ T cell subsets inhibit the development of spontaneous type 1 diabetes, others exacerbate it, and they may do so via mechanisms that include altering the levels of other T cells

γδ T cells shape memory-phenotype αβ T cell populations in non-immunized mice.

Size and composition of γδ T cell populations change dramatically with tissue location, during development, and in disease. Given the functional differentiation of γδ T cell subsets, such shifts might alter the impact of γδ T cells on the immune system. To test this concept, and to determine if γδ T cells can affect other immune cells prior to an immune response, we examined non-immunized mice derived from strains with different genetically induced deficiencies in γδ T cells, for secondary changes in their immune system. We previously saw extensive changes in pre-immune antibodies and B cell populations. Here, we report effects on αβ T cells. Similarly to the B cells, αβ T cells evidently experience the influence of γδ T cells at late stages of their pre-immune differentiation, as single-positive heat stable antigen-low thymocytes. Changes in these and in mature αβ T cells were most prominent with memory-phenotype cells, including both CD8+ and CD4+ populations. As previously observed with B cells, most of the effects on αβ T cells were dependent on IL-4. Unexpectedly, IL-4 seemed to be produced mainly by αβ T cells in the non-immunized mice, albeit strongly regulated by γδ T cells. Similarly to our findings with B cells, changes of αβ T cells were less pronounced in mice lacking all γδ T cells than in mice lacking only some, suggesting that the composition of the γδ T cell population determines the nature of the γδ-influence on the other pre-immune lymphocytes

γδ T cells shape memory-phenotype αβ T cell populations in non-immunized mice

Size and composition of γδ T cell populations change dramatically with tissue location, during development, and in disease. Given the functional differentiation of γδ T cell subsets, such shifts might alter the impact of γδ T cells on the immune system. To test this concept, and to determine if γδ T cells can affect other immune cells prior to an immune response, we examined non-immunized mice derived from strains with different genetically induced deficiencies in γδ T cells, for secondary changes in their immune system. We previously saw extensive changes in pre-immune antibodies and B cell populations. Here, we report effects on αβ T cells. Similarly to the B cells, αβ T cells evidently experience the influence of γδ T cells at late stages of their pre-immune differentiation, as single-positive heat stable antigen-low thymocytes. Changes in these and in mature αβ T cells were most prominent with memory-phenotype cells, including both CD8+ and CD4+ populations. As previously observed with B cells, most of the effects on αβ T cells were dependent on IL-4. Unexpectedly, IL-4 seemed to be produced mainly by αβ T cells in the non-immunized mice, albeit strongly regulated by γδ T cells. Similarly to our findings with B cells, changes of αβ T cells were less pronounced in mice lacking all γδ T cells than in mice lacking only some, suggesting that the composition of the γδ T cell population determines the nature of the γδ-influence on the other pre-immune lymphocytes.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Efficacy and safety of nivolumab for patients with pre-treated type B3 thymoma and thymic carcinoma: results from the EORTC-ETOP NIVOTHYM phase II trial.

Thymic malignancies are rare intrathoracic tumors, which may be aggressive and difficult to treat. They represent a therapeutic challenge in the advanced/metastatic setting, with limited treatment options after the failure of first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. They are frequently associated with autoimmune disorders that also impact oncological management.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe