Filarial Epididymitis: A Diagnostic Challenge in Pediatric Acute Scrotum.

Genital lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a condition that can present both acutely and chronically, complicating its diagnosis due to nonspecific symptoms. This case report describes an 11-year-old boy who presented with symptoms of acute scrotum. Initial Doppler ultrasound suggested acute epididymo-orchitis; however, despite conservative management, the symptoms persisted, prompting surgical exploration.

Awareness of Diabetic Retinopathy Among Patients With Diabetes Mellitus in the Ernakulam District, South India: A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction India is currently experiencing a significant burden of diabetes mellitus, characterized by its high prevalence and associated complications. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major microvascular complication of diabetes, leading to blindness. Awareness regarding this ocular complication of diabetes can help prevent vision loss due to early screening and diagnosis.

Sleep Quality, Daytime Sleepiness and Sleep Hygiene Among Youth in a Rural District in South India: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Adequate sleep is crucial for youth cognitive function, academic performance, and mental health. However, various factors, including academic pressure, technology use, and socio-cultural norms can significantly impact sleep patterns, particularly in rural settings. This cross-sectional study assessed sleep quality, daytime sleepiness prevalence, and sleep hygiene practices among youth in a rural South Indian district.

Lysine succinylation precisely controls normal erythropoiesis.

Lysine succinylation (Ksu) has recently emerged as a protein modification that regulates diverse functions in various biological processes. However, the systemically and precise role of lysine succinylation in erythropoiesis remains to be fully elucidated. In this study, we noted a prominent increase of succinyl-CoA and lysine succinylation during human erythroid differentiation.

Adenosine Triphosphate Inhibits Cold-Responsive Aggregation.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP), ubiquitous in all living organisms, is conventionally recognized as a fundamental energy currency essential for a myriad of cellular processes. While its traditional role in energy metabolism requires only micromolar concentrations, the cellular content of ATP has been found to be significantly higher at the millimolar level. Recent studies have attempted to correlate this higher concentration of ATP with its nonenergetic role in maintaining protein homeostasis, leaving the investigation of ATP's nontrivial activities in biology an open question.

Healthcare service utilisation among adults with coronary artery disease in rural Aluva, South India: a community-based cross-sectional study.

Objectives: To assess the pattern and determinants of healthcare service utilisation among adults with coronary artery disease (CAD) in a rural setting in Kerala, India.

Design: A community-based cross-sectional analysis conducted within a study cohort.

Setting: The study was conducted from January 2022 to March 2022 within the ENDIRA Cohort (Epidemiology of Non-communicable Diseases In Rural Areas) in the rural part of Aluva municipality of Ernakulam district, Kerala, India, which comprises five adjacent panchayats with a population of approximately 100, 000 individuals.

Nrf2 Plays a Key Role in Erythropoiesis during Aging.

Aging is characterized by increased oxidation and reduced efficiency of cytoprotective mechanisms. Nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor (Nrf2) is a key transcription factor, controlling the expression of multiple antioxidant proteins. Here, we show that Nrf2 mice displayed an age-dependent anemia, due to the combined contributions of reduced red cell lifespan and ineffective erythropoiesis, suggesting a role of Nrf2 in erythroid biology during aging.

Variations and Associated Factors in Symptom-to-Balloon (STB) Time and Door-to-Balloon (DTB) Time Before and After the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: During the COVID-19 lockdown, India saw a major restriction in the movement of people. Patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) required early interventions and follow-up of independent predictors like symptom-to-balloon (STB) time and door-to-balloon (DTB) time. This study aimed to determine changes in STB and DTB time before and after the COVID-19 lockdown and its associated risk factors.

Phenotypic and proteomic characterization of the human erythroid progenitor continuum reveal dynamic changes in cell cycle and in metabolic pathways.

Human erythropoiesis is a complex process leading to the production of 2.5 million red blood cells per second. Following commitment of hematopoietic stem cells to the erythroid lineage, this process can be divided into three distinct stages: erythroid progenitor differentiation, terminal erythropoiesis, and reticulocyte maturation.

HEXIM1 is an essential transcription regulator during human erythropoiesis.

Regulation of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) activity is an essential process that governs gene expression; however, its contribution to the fundamental process of erythropoiesis remains unclear. hexamethylene bis-acetamide inducible 1 (HEXIM1) regulates RNAPII activity by controlling the location and activity of positive transcription factor β. We identified a key role for HEXIM1 in controlling erythroid gene expression and function, with overexpression of HEXIM1 promoting erythroid proliferation and fetal globin expression.

Mitapivat reprograms the RBC metabolome and improves anemia in a mouse model of hereditary spherocytosis.

Hereditary spherocytosis (HS) is the most common, nonimmune, hereditary, chronic hemolytic anemia after hemoglobinopathies. The genetic defects in membrane function causing HS lead to perturbation of the RBC metabolome, with altered glycolysis. In mice genetically lacking protein 4.

Assessment of stored red blood cells through lab-on-a-chip technologies for precision transfusion medicine.

Transfusion of red blood cells (RBCs) is one of the most valuable and widespread treatments in modern medicine. Lifesaving RBC transfusions are facilitated by the cold storage of RBC units in blood banks worldwide. Currently, RBC storage and subsequent transfusion practices are performed using simplistic workflows.

New ASH initiatives to improve patient care in the long-overlooked sickle cell disease.

Because of the unique biology of sickle cell disease (SCD) as well as the societal disadvantages and racial inequities suffered by these patients, individuals with SCD have not benefited from the same remarkable advances in care and therapeutics as those with other hematologic disorders. Life expectancy of individuals with SCD is shortened by ∼20 years even with optimal clinical care, and infant mortality continues to be a major concern in low-income countries. As hematologists, we must do more.

Simultaneous adjunctive treatment of malaria and its coevolved genetic disorder sickle cell anemia.

Effective treatments for genetic disorders that coevolved with pathogens require simultaneous betterment of both conditions. Hydroxyurea (HU) offers safe and efficacious treatment for sickle cell anemia (SCA) by reducing clinical complications, transfusions, and death rates. Despite concerns that the HU treatment for SCA would increase infection risk by the human malaria Plasmodium falciparum, (the genetic driver of the sickle mutation), HU instead reduced clinical malaria.

The novel GATA1-interacting protein HES6 is an essential transcriptional cofactor for human erythropoiesis.

Normal erythropoiesis requires the precise regulation of gene expression patterns, and transcription cofactors play a vital role in this process. Deregulation of cofactors has emerged as a key mechanism contributing to erythroid disorders. Through gene expression profiling, we found HES6 as an abundant cofactor expressed at gene level during human erythropoiesis.

Biotinylation of reducing and non-reducing termini to create plug-and-play polysaccharides.

Single-molecule studies continue to grow in popularity. In cases where biopolymer samples of interest exhibit variations in fine-structure between individual chains such single-molecule studies uniquely offer the promise of revealing deep structure-function relationships. Polysaccharides are typically studied in bulk and, as such, their study could greatly benefit from the application of single-molecule techniques.

Arginine metabolism regulates human erythroid differentiation through hypusination of eIF5A.

Metabolic programs contribute to hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) fate, but it is not known whether the metabolic regulation of protein synthesis controls HSPC differentiation. Here, we show that SLC7A1/cationic amino acid transporter 1-dependent arginine uptake and its catabolism to the polyamine spermidine control human erythroid specification of HSPCs via the activation of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A). eIF5A activity is dependent on its hypusination, a posttranslational modification resulting from the conjugation of the aminobutyl moiety of spermidine to lysine.

Lack of the human choline transporter-like protein SLC44A2 causes hearing impairment and a rare red blood phenotype.

Blood phenotypes are defined by the presence or absence of specific blood group antigens at the red blood cell (RBC) surface, due to genetic polymorphisms among individuals. The recent development of genomic and proteomic approaches enabled the characterization of several enigmatic antigens. The choline transporter-like protein CTL2 encoded by the SLC44A2 gene plays an important role in platelet aggregation and neutrophil activation.