Protein Thiols and Butryrylcholinestrase in Saliva of Oral Cancer Patients

Oral squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most common malignancies recognized. Biomarkers which can predict presence of cancer and its progression can help in better management of these disorders. Over production of lipid peroxidation byproducts and disturbances in antioxidant defense system have been implicated in the pathogenesis of several diseases including oral cancer. Studies have shown a correlation of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), with tumourigenesis, cell proliferation and cell differentiation. Earlier we have observed a significant elevation in plasma BChE and protein thiols in oral cancer patients which correlated well with stages of cancer. As it was not clear whether the above markers will be altered in saliva of oral cancer patients this study was undertaken. Institutional Ethics Committee gave permission to carry out this study. Total of 55 subjects comprising healthy controls (n = 30) and biopsy proven oral cancer patients (n = 25) consented to participate in this study. Salivary samples from cases were taken before any definitive treatment. Protein thiols and BChE were estimated in salivary samples using validated assay methods. Oral cancer patients had a significant increase in pre-treatment salivary BChE levels (p ≤ 0.001) and a significant decrease (p ≤ 0.001) in salivary thiols as compared to respective values in controls. Salivary protein thiols and BChE may have a role in pathophysiology of oral cancer. Saliva can be used as a potential non-invasive screening tool in oral cancer patients.     

Electrospinning jets and nanofibrous structures

Electrospinning is a process that creates nanofibers through an electrically charged jet of polymer solution or melt. This technique is applicable to virtually every soluble or fusible polymer and is capable of spinning fibers in a variety of shapes and sizes with a wide range of properties to be used in a broad range of biomedical and industrial applications. Electrospinning requires a very simple and economical setup but is an intricate process that depends on several molecular, processing, and technical parameters. This article reviews information on the three stages of the electrospinning process (i.e., jet initiation, elongation, and solidification). Some of the unique properties of the electrospun structures have also been highlighted. This article also illustrates some recent innovations to modify the electrospinning process. The use of electrospun scaffolds in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine has also been described.     

Bibliometrics of global malaria vaccine research

Objectives: This study evaluates malaria vaccine research carried out in different parts of the world during 1972–2004 using different bibliometric indicators. Method: Data have been downloaded from PubMed for the period 1972–2004 using the keywords (malaria* or plasmodium or falciparum) and (vaccine*) in the title and abstract fields. The study examined the pattern of growth of the output, its geographical distribution, profile of different countries in different subfields and pattern of citations using GOOGLE Scholar. Results: Malaria vaccine research output is gradually increasing. The USA, followed by the UK and Australia contributed the highest number of papers. Publication activity has decreased in Switzerland and Sweden, but has increased in Brazil and China. The majority of the countries have focused on the development of asexual blood stage malaria. Citations per paper and incidence of high‐quality papers for the USA, the UK, Papua New Guinea and Denmark are more than the average. The majority of the prolific institutions are located in the USA, the UK, France and Australia. Conclusion: The last two decades have witnessed considerable growth in research output in this field, while a successful malaria vaccine still remains elusive. Interestingly, the countries like the USA, the UK and Australia that lead in the quantity, quality and citation of this output are often not those directly affected by malaria.     

Xanthine oxidase as a marker of myocardial infarction

In the present communication, we report remarkably elevated levels of xanthine oxidase activity in the blood of the patients with myocardial infarction when compared to age and sex matched healthy persons. Highly significant increase of malondialdehyde, serving as an index of lipid peroxidation and thus free radical mediated damage, has also been found in the patients. We propose the measurement of the blood levels of xanthine oxidase, a very simple, reliable and less time consuming method as an indicator of myocardial infarction.     

Serum creatine phosphokinase in thyroid disorders

The decreased serum levels of triiodothyroinine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) in hypothyroid patients is well established but whether there is any correlation of creatinephosphokinase (CPK) with hypothyroidism is not well established. There is a paucity of reference on this study. Therefore a study of serum CPK and thyroid profile was carried out in thyroid diseases. In hypothyroid patients T3, T4 levels in serum were found to be lowered with an increase level of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) associated with marked rise in serum CPK level. In hyperthyroid patients serum levels of T3, T4 were found to be increased with decrease in TSh with significant decrease in creatine phosphokinase level. Serum creatine phosphokinase levels thus show an inverse relation with serum T3, T4 levels.     

Comparing age-wise reference intervals for serum creatinine concentration in a “Reality check” of the recommended cut-off

An increase in the communication within the healthcare services, both nationally and internationally, has strengthened the need for harmonization of measurements and reference intervals in laboratory medicine. In the present report, the calculated reference interval for serum creatinine (sCr) levels of healthy normal individuals (n=1121) in different sex and age groups are compared with the established interval. The calculated reference interval for sCr level was 0.4–1.3 mg/dL and 0.6 to 1.3 mg/dL in the age groups of 21–40 and 41–60 years respectively. The difference between the mean sCr values in total males and total females (age range 21–60 years) was statistically significant (p<0.0001); When male and female subjects were analyzed age-group wise, the data showed a significant difference in mean sCr values (p<0.0001) in three age groups (21–30, 31–40 and 41–50 years) however, in older age group (51–60 years), the difference was non-significant (p=0.07). The reference ranges were 0.7–1.3 and 0.4–1.0 mg/dL for males and females respectively where the lower limit was 0.1–0.2 units less than that of standard limits. An increase in the mean value of sCr was observed particularly in females with an increase in age. Hence it is of interest to validate an age specific reference ranges for sCr in our population.     

Antioxidants: Basis concepts in relation to the eye

Antioxidants are a small group of substances that protect living cells from the destructive consequences of powerful oxidizing intermediates that can be formed from oxygen. Situations in which pro-oxidant mechanisms within the body are more active than the antioxidant mechanisms (oxidative stress) predispose and contribute to the pathogenesis of several ailments in various organs of the body. In the eye, pro-oxidant factors have been blamed for the causation of diseases such as age related macular degeneration and senile cataract. The role of pro-oxidants in the genesis of certain diseases is well established however, the effectivity of antioxidants provided to the body by dietary supplementation is inconclusive. In this article we provide a review on the basic concepts of antioxidant-pro-oxidant interaction in relation to its effects on the eye.     

Blood lipid peroxidation products and antioxidants in senile cataract

Lipid peroxidation products and antioxidants were estimated in either blood, serum or erythrocytes of 25 cases of early and 25 of advanced senile (50–60 years) cataract and 30 persons of age matched healthy controls. Serum lipid peroxidation products (as malondialdehyde) were significantly higher in patients with early senile (0.25±0.05 μm/dl, P<0.05) and advanced senile cataract (0.29±0.05 μm/dl, P<0.001) as compared to healthy controls (0.22±0.07 μm/dl). Erythrocyte superoxide dismutase levels were lower in patients with early senile (730±60.5 units/gm Hb) and significantly lower in advanced senile (712±50.2 units/gm Hb, P<0.05) cataract than those in healthy controls (767±59.5 units/gm Hb). Serum α-tocopherol was significantly lower (P<0.05) in only advanced senile cataract (0.69±0.08 mg/dl) but not in early senile cataract (0.75±0.08 mg/dl) when compared with healthy controls (0.75±0.09 mg/dl). There was no significant difference in the erythrocyte concentration of reduced glutathione and serum levels of total proteins, β-carotene, vitamin A, ascorbic acid, calcium, magnesium and zinc.     

Blockchain-based online education content ranking

Education and Information Technologies - Nowadays, internet technology plays a vital role in all the fields of our daily lives ranging from the world economy, professional careers, higher...     

Comparative Study of Two ELISA Kits for Estimation of Antibodies to Hepatitis B Virus in Human Normal Immunoglobulin and Specific Immunoglobulin Intended for Intravenous or Intramuscular Use

Current study is conducted to evaluate method verification of two locally available kits manufactured by DSI & BIORAD for quantitative estimation of Hepatitis B virus antibodies in human normal immunoglobulin by using International standard of National Institute of Biological Standards and Control. Four analyst perform five sets of test in duplicate analysing accuracy, precision, and limit of detection, sensitivity and specificity. Our results suggest that both DSI and BIORAD kits fulfil the validation criteria and are sensitive to detect up to 10 mIU concentration precisely and accurately. DSI kit is more precise at concentration 100 mIU and economically 4–5 times cheaper in local market; on the other hand, BIORAD kits provide larger detection range up to 1000 mIU.