Oxidative stress and serum α<Subscript>1</Subscript> — Antitrypsin in smokers

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the levels of serum lipid peroxide, nitric oxide end poducts, erythrocytic superoxide dismutase activity and serum α ₁-antitrypsin in smokers. Total 90 active cigarette smokers were subdivided into Group I (subjects with smoking habit of less than 10 cigarettes per day) and Group II (with smoking habit of more than 10 cigarettes per day). In both groups lipid peroxide and nitric oxide end products were significantly increased with significantly decrease in erythrocytic superoxide dismutase activity and serum α ₁-antitrypsin as compared to controls. Our findings show enhanced oxidative stress and reduced α ₁-antitrypsin in cigarette smokers. Further increase in number of cigarettes per day exacerbates the oxidative stress with decrease in α ₁-antitrypsin.     

中间球海胆（♀）&#215;光棘球海胆（♂）F1代的生殖腺特征

对中间球海胆（♀）与光棘球海胆（♂）杂交F1代的生殖腺特征进行了研究．并与母本中间球海胆进行了比较．试验结果表明．中间球海胆的生殖腺颜色一般呈橙色或橘黄色（不同发育时期有所不同）．结构致密;杂交海胆中有约90％表现为橙色和橘黄色．约10％呈黄色和浅棕色,约20％的个体生殖腺结构疏松,且和发育周期及色泽无关,杂交海胆的生殖腺指数与中间球海胆的变化基本一致．并且雌雄个体差别不明显．杂交海胆在生殖腺发育的整个过程中．生殖腺指数虽然也出现周期性的变化．但组织切片观察发现杂交海胆生殖腺发育不能象母本一样有明显分期．只有个别雌性个体能产生成熟卵细胞．雄性个体未见成熟精子．     

Plasma Neutrophil Elastase, α<Subscript>1</Subscript>-Antitrypsin, α<Subscript>2</Subscript>-Macroglobulin and Neutrophil Elastase–α<Subscript>1</Subscript>-Antitrypsin Complex Levels in patients with Dengue Fever

Dengue fever (DF) is characterized by systemic inflammatory response including neutrophil activation leading to uncontrolled elastase activity. This study was aimed to measure the activity of plasma neutrophil elastase (NE), its endogenous inhibitors α₁-antitrypsin (α₁-AT) and α₂-macroglobulin (α₂-MG) and elastase in complex with α₁-AT (NE–α₁-AT complex) in DF. 50 dengue patients [39 DF and 11 dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF)] and 52 healthy subjects were included in the study. NE was measured using N-succinyl-tri-alanine-p-nitroanilide as substrate. α₁-AT, α₂-MG and NE–α₁-AT complex were estimated by ELISA. The result analysis indicated that the dengue patients had significantly higher elastase activity with significantly reduced inhibitor levels compared to controls. Between DF and DHF patients, DHF group had significantly higher elastase activity. In conclusion, significantly elevated NE and reduced inhibitors level in dengue fever indicate these parameters could be of significance in DF particularly for the assessment of progression of inflammatory processes.     

“Silent Hypoxemia” Leads to Vicious Cycle of Infection,Coagulopathy and Cytokine Storm in COVID-19: Can Prophylactic Oxygen Therapy Prevent It?

Humankind is facing its worst pandemic of the twenty-first century, due to infection of a novel coronavirus named as SARS-CoV2, started from Wuhan in China. Till now, 15 million people are infected, causing more than 600,000 deaths. The disease, commonly known as, COVID-19, was initially thought to be associated with ARDS only, but later on revealed to have many unexplained and atypical clinical features like coagulopathy and cytokinemia, leading to multi-organ involvements. The patients also suffer from ‘Silent Hypoxemia’, where there is no immediate respiratory signs and symptoms even though alarmingly low SpO₂ level. We hypothesize that this covert hypoxemia may lead to molecular changes exacerbating coagulopathy and cytokine storm in COVID19 patients, which again, in turn, causes a vicious cycle of more hypoxemia/hypoxia and progression of the infection to more severe stages through HIF-1α dependent pathway. Although molecular mechanisms are yet to be substantiated by scientific evidence, hypoxemia remains an independent worsening factor in serious COVID 19 patients. Keeping all in mind, we propose that even in the early and asymptomatic cases, prophylactic oxygen therapy to be initiated to break the vicious cycle and to reduce the mortality in COVID 19 to save precious human lives.     

Construction of chimeric immunogens: Bioactive fragment of human IL-1β or polytuftsin (PT) capable of eliciting immune responses to HIV peptides

In this study, we have examined the effect of linking of bloactive fragment of human IL-1β (163–171) or polytuftsin (PT, a synthetic polymer of natural immunomodulator “tuftsin”) with synthetic peptides of HIV on the induction of immune response to the synthetic peptides. A panel of synthetic peptides representing defined region of gp41, gp120 and gag were used as antigens. Immunomodulators linked peptides (i.e. peptide-IL-1β or peptide-PT) or peptide dimers were employed for immunization in Balb/c mice. Mice immunized with the peptide-immunomodulator develop effective T-cell proliferation,in vitro cytokine release and higher antibody production, but not with peptide dimers. We also found that peptide-immunomodulators induced high level of IgG2a antibody production. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between the levels of cytokine (IL-2 & IFN-γ) and IgG isotype production. Thus it would appear that incorporation of IL-1β fragment or PT selectively enhances the Th1 type response to these peptides and may therefore be important for virus neutralization and clearance. However, the effect of IL-1β fragment was found to be more pronounced than polytuftsin. Such an approach may provide effective vaccination against other infectious diseases.     

Characterization of a Double Heterozygote HbE/β+ Thalassemia IVS 1-1 [G>T] in a Juvenile Diabetic

The present case report describes the molecular and proteomic based study of Hb variant HbE associated with β⁺ thalassemia IVS 1-1 G>T, in a juvenile diabetic patient. Given the ethnic origin and mobility of the variant hemoglobin at alkaline pH, HbE would be suspected. But hematologically and clinically abnormality being detected, HPLC and Electrophoresis not being able to characterize due to retention time and band being in region of HbA2, respectively, further characterization of hemoglobinopathy was made using MALDI and IVS 1-1 G>T being validated by reverse dot blot hybridization. Capillary electrophoresis was also employed in order to separate HbE and HbA2 bands. This case report being first of its kind, wherein a HbE/β⁺ thalassemia has been characterized using multiple techniques.     

Association of Estrogen Receptor-α Gene &; Metallothionein-1 Gene Polymorphisms in Type 2 Diabetic Women of Andhra Pradesh

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is a multifactorial disease where both genetic and environmental factors contribute to its pathogenesis. Estrogen plays an important role in type 2 DM pathogenesis. A number of polymorphisms have been reported in the estrogen receptor (ESR1), including the XbaI and PvuII restriction enzyme polymorphisms of ESR1,which may be involved in disease pathogenesis. Metallothioneins (MT) act as potent antioxidants against various oxidative damages. Very few studies have indicated the association between Estrogen Receptor-α, MT1 gene polymorphisms with type2 DM. A total of 100 type 2 diabetic women and 100 age, sex matched controls were recruited. Using the PCR based RFLP method, the PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms of ESR1 and in MT1A (rs8052394 and rs11076161) gene polymorphisms were analysed. The genotype distribution and frequency of mutated allele showed no significant differences between diabetic and non-diabetic groups in PvuII (χ2 = 2.443; P = 0.1181) or XbaI (χ2 = 1.789; P = 0.1812) and rs8052394 (χ2 = 1.154; P = 0.2840) or rs11076161 (χ2 = 0.4141; P = 0.5199), polymorphisms. This is the first Indian study to conclude that ESR1 and MT1 gene polymorphisms are not associated with increased susceptibility to type 2 diabetes in Indian women.     

Co-inheritance of HbD Iran/Beta Thalassemia IVS1–5 (G?>?C) Trait in a Punjabi Lady with Diabetes

The present report describes the molecular study of HbD ^Iran (beta) 22 Glu → Gln associated with β-Thalassemia IVS1–5 (G > C) found in India, and the first case in which mutation has been identified using mass spectrometry. Given the apparent ethnic origin and the mobility of the variant hemoglobin at alkaline pH, hemoglobin D-Punjab would be suspected, but HPLC excluded this possibility. Further characterization of hemoglobinopathy was made by using nondenaturing gel electrophoresis and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry and IVS1–5 being validated by reverse dot blot hybridization followed by sequencing of the β-globin gene.     

Algebraic methods in statistical mechanics and quantum field theory : by G. G. Emch. Diagrams, 6 x 9 in. New York,John Wiley & Sons, 1972. Price, $19.95 (approx. £7·50).

The Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope which is presently under construction in central New Mexico is considered the highest priority new astronomical facility in the U.S.A. during the next decade. The instrument will consist of 27 separate parabolic antennas each of which will be movable along the arms of a Y-configuration. The technique of earth-rotation aperture synthesis will allow an aperture of 25 miles dia. to be synthesized. When the VLA is completed in 1981 it will be better than any other radio telescope, by one or two orders of magnitude, in terms of resolution, sensitivity and speed.