Quality of Life Outcomes and Determining Factors in Breast Cancer Patients Reporting to a Tertiary Care Centre in the Sub-Himalayan Region of India.

Purpose: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women worldwide. This study was conducted to determine the quality of life (QOL) outcomes among breast cancer patients in the sub-Himalayan region and, secondly, to identify factors affecting them.

Method: The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 and BR-45 questionnaires in English and Hindi translations were used.

Identification of Lipoxygenase gene repertoire of Cannabis sativa and functional characterization of CsLOX13 gene.

Lipoxygenase (LOX) enzymes play a pivotal role in the biosynthesis of oxylipins. The phyto-oxilipins have been implicated in diverse aspects of plant biology, from regulating plant growth and development to providing tolerance against biotic and abiotic stresses. C.

Approaches for in vitro propagation and production of plumbagin in Plumbago spp.

The genus Plumbago (family Plumbaginaceae), commonly known as leadwort, is a sub-tropical shrub that produces secondary metabolite plumbagin, which is employed by pharmaceutical companies and in clinical research. Plumbagin is a potent pharmaceutical because of its anti-microbial, anti-malarial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-fertility, anti-plasmodium, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and other effects. This review documents the biotechnological innovations used to produce plumbagin.

Factors Impacting Quality of Life of Caregivers of Cancer Patients in the Sub-Himalayan Region: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Caregivers of cancer patients experience excessive emotional and financial stress. Objective To determine the quality of life (QOL) of caregivers of cancer patients and factors affecting it in caregivers attending the OPD of a governmental tertiary care cancer center in the sub-Himalayan region. Methods A cross-sectional observational study was used.

Cost-effectiveness of incorporating vaccine to multidrug therapy in newly diagnosed leprosy cases for better treatment outcomes & immunoprophylaxis in contacts as leprosy control measures for National Leprosy Eradication Programme in India.

Background & Objectives: The elimination goal for leprosy as a public health problem at the national level was achieved in 2005 in India. However, the number of new cases reporting annually remained nearly the same during the last 10-15 years. Moreover, a substantial number of these new cases reported disabilities for the first time.

Sub-national TB prevalence surveys in India, 2006-2012: Results of uniformly conducted data analysis.

Setting: Community based tuberculosis (TB) prevalence surveys in ten sites across India during 2006-2012.

Objective: To re-analyze data of recent sub-national surveys using uniform statistical methods and obtain a pooled national level estimate of prevalence of TB.

Methods: Individuals ≥15 years old were screened by interview for symptoms suggestive of Pulmonary TB (PTB) and history of anti-TB treatment; additional screening by chest radiography was undertaken in five sites.

Potential of adjunctive Mycobacterium w (MIP) immunotherapy in reducing the duration of standard chemotherapy against tuberculosis.

Introduction: The need to shorten the treatment duration in tuberculosis has always been felt. Immunotherapy in combination with chemotherapy has been considered a promising approach for this purpose into tuberculosis. We studied the adjuvant immunotherapeutic activity of Mycobacterium indicus pranii (MIP or Mw) in combination with conventional chemotherapy using guinea pig of pulmonary tuberculosis infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv via aerosol.

Rapid detection of ethambutol-resistant in clinical specimens by real-time polymerase chain reaction hybridisation probe method.

Background: Early diagnosis of drug resistance (DR) to ethambutol (EMB) in tuberculosis (TB) remains a challenge. Simple and reliable method (s) are needed for rapid detection of DR Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in clinical specimens.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to design fluorescence resonance energy transfer hybridisation probe-based real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for the early detection of EMB-resistant MTB direct from clinical sputa.

Autoimmunity to Tropomyosin-Specific Peptides Induced by in Leprosy Patients: Identification of Mimicking Proteins.

Background: It has been shown earlier that there is a rise in the levels of autoantibodies and T cell response to cytoskeletal proteins in leprosy. Our group recently demonstrated a rise in both T and B cell responses to keratin and myelin basic protein in all types of leprosy patients and their associations in type 1 reaction (T1R) group of leprosy.

Objectives: In this study, we investigated the association of levels of autoantibodies and lymphoproliferation against myosin in leprosy patients across the spectrum and tried to find out the mimicking proteins or epitopes between host protein and protein/s of .

Expression profile of CXCL12 chemokine during M. tuberculosis infection with different therapeutic interventions in guinea pig.

Mycobacterium indicus pranii (MIP) already established as an immune-modulator in mycobacterial infections generates immune response by acting on CXC chemokines. In the present study, the immunomodulatory effect of MIP in conjunction with chemotherapy against M.tb infection was evaluated by colony forming units (CFUs) following aerosol infection to guinea pig and by measuring CXCL12 chemokine expression using q-PCR and in situ RT-PCR.

National sample survey to assess the new case disease burden of leprosy in India.

A national sample survey of leprosy was undertaken in partnership with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) institutions, National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP), Panchayati Raj members, and treated leprosy patients to detect new cases of leprosy in India. The objectives of the survey were to estimate the new leprosy case load; record both Grade 1 and Grade 2 disabilities in the new cases; and to assess the magnitude of stigma and discrimination prevalent in the society. A cluster based, cross-sectional survey involving all States was used for the door-to-door survey using inverse sampling methodology.

Predominance of Central Asian and European families among Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates in Kashmir Valley, India.

Background: As there are no data available regarding the strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis circulating in Kashmir Valley, India, the current study aimed at describing the genetic diversity of M. tuberculosis strains in this region, by spoligotyping and 12-locus-based MIRU-VNTR typing (Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive Unit-Variable Number Tandem Repeat).

Methods: Sputa from 207 smear positive cases with newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis were subjected to culture for M.

Efficacy and Safety of Mycobacterium indicus pranii as an adjunct therapy in Category II pulmonary tuberculosis in a randomized trial.

Prolonged treatment of tuberculosis (TB) often leads to poor compliance, default and relapse, converting primary TB patients into category II TB (Cat IITB) cases, many of whom may convert to multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB). We have evaluated the immunotherapeutic potential of Mycobacterium indicus pranii (MIP) as an adjunct to Anti-Tubercular Treatment (ATT) in Cat II pulmonary TB (PTB) patients in a prospective, randomized, double blind, placebo controlled, multicentric clinical trial. 890 sputum smear positive Cat II PTB patients were randomized to receive either six intra-dermal injections (2 + 4) of heat-killed MIP at a dose of 5 × 10 bacilli or placebo once in 2 weeks for 2 months.

Comparative study of genotypes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from a Northern Indian setting with strains reported from other parts of India and neighboring countries.

This study was carried out to characterize Mycobacterium tuberculosis population in Ghatampur, Kanpur, North India, by spoligotyping and Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive Units-Variable Number of Tandem Repeats (MIRU-VNTRs) typing. A total of 335 isolates were genotyped by spoligotyping and Central Asian (CAS) sub-lineage was the most prevalent, comprising 59.1% of all isolates.

Genetic diversity & drug sensitivity profiles of isolates from two slums of Jaipur city, Rajasthan, India.

Background & Objectives: Slums are considered as hotspots of tuberculosis (TB). The study of genetic diversity and drug susceptibility profile of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) will help understand the transmission dynamics and can be used for better prevention and control of the disease. The aim of this study was to determine the drug susceptibility profiles and genetic diversity using the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units-variable number of tandem repeats (MIRU VNTR) of MTB isolates from sputum samples of pulmonary TB patients residing in the two slums of Jaipur city in Rajasthan, India.

Development of a potent invigorator of immune responses endowed with both preventive and therapeutic properties.

This article reviews briefly the making of an immunoprophylactic-cum-immunotherapeutic vaccine against leprosy. The vaccine is based on cultivable, heat-killed atypical mycobacteria, whose gene sequence is now known. It has been named .

IL-10 down-regulates the expression of survival associated gene hspX of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in murine macrophage.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) adopts a special survival strategy to overcome the killing mechanism(s) of host immune system. Amongst the many known factors, small heat shock protein 16.3 (sHSP16.

International open trial of uniform multidrug therapy regimen for leprosy patients: Findings & implications for national leprosy programmes.

Background & Objectives: Uniform therapy for all leprosy patients will simplify leprosy treatment. In this context, we evaluated six-month multidrug therapy (MDT) currently recommended for multibacillary (MB) patients as uniform MDT (U-MDT) in a single-arm open trial under programme conditions. Primary objective was to determine efficacy to prevent five-year cumulative five per cent relapse.

TlyA protein of Mycobacterium leprae: a probable bio-marker of active infection.

The extent of pathogenicity of the mycobacterial infections depends on virulence factors that mediate survival inside macrophages. Virulence factors are generally believed to be specific for pathogenic species and mutated/non-functional in nonpathogenic strains. Mycobacterial TlyA can modulate the phagolysosome maturation pathway, immediately after entry into macrophages.

Early detection of multidrug resistant (MDR) Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a single tube with in-house designed fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) probes using real-time PCR.

Rapid and correct diagnosis is crucial for the management of multidrug resistance (MDR) in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). The present study aims at rapid diagnosis for identification of multidrug resistance tuberculosis (MDR-TB) using real-time PCR. FRET hybridization probes targeting most prominent four selected codons for rpoB526 and 531 and for katG314 and 315 genes were designed and evaluated on 143 clinical MTB isolates and paired sputa for rapid detection of MDR-TB.

Viability of Mycobacterium leprae in the environment and its role in leprosy dissemination.

Background: Leprosy, a chronic disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, is a public health concern in certain countries, including India. Although the prevalence of the disease has fallen drastically over time, new cases continue to occur at nearly the same rate in many regions. Several endemic pockets have been observed in India and elsewhere.

Human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B virus co-infections among tuberculosis patients attending a Model Rural Health Research Unit in Ghatampur, North India.

Introduction: This prospective cross-sectional hospital-based study was carried out in order to assess the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections among patients with active tuberculosis (TB) disease attending an Outpatient Department (OPD) at the Model Rural Health Research Unit in Ghatampur, a rural village in Kanpur district.

Materials And Methods: The socio-demographic features and clinical profile of the TB patients were analysed in the context of symptoms at the time of testing. The HIV and HBV status were determined and correlated with clinical features at the time of testing.

Comparative whole-genome analysis of clinical isolates reveals characteristic architecture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis pangenome.

The tubercle complex consists of closely related mycobacterium species which appear to be variants of a single species. Comparative genome analysis of different strains could provide useful clues and insights into the genetic diversity of the species. We integrated genome assemblies of 96 strains from Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC), which included 8 Indian clinical isolates sequenced and assembled in this study, to understand its pangenome architecture.