Study of IL-6 and vitamin D3 in patients of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis can grow in hostile intracellular environment of macrophages by actively evading macrophage-associated antibacterial activities. The stress response factor contributes this process by releasing inflammatory cytokine Interleukin 6 (IL-6). IL-6 screening of patients with TB may be useful to monitor the progress of infection and to infer the risk of progression to active disease.

Study of inflammatory markers and BODE index in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common preventable and treatable disease characterized by progressive airflow limitation and associated with enhanced chronic inflammatory response of the airways to a variety of noxious stimuli. The current concept of COPD, however, extends beyond the respiratory system to include a variety of extrapulmonary manifestations which includes raised inflammatory markers.

Methods: This was a single, center observational open-labeled case-controlled study which included fifty patients of diagnosed COPD and 50 age- and gender-matched controls.

Nitric oxide, carbonyl protein, lipid peroxidation and correlation between antioxidant vitamins in different categories of pulmonary and extra pulmonary tuberculosis.

Background: Lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide, carbonyl protein, causing production of reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen intermediates that lead to oxidative, nitrosative stress. The stress is found to cause deterioration in the cellular function, mutagenesis, and DNA damage. The oxidative stress is correlated with the antioxidant vitamins status.

The roles of glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and the carbonyl protein in pulmonary and extra pulmonary tuberculosis.

Background: This study determines the protein carbonyls which cause cellular damage and glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase act as antioxidants.

Materials And Methods: This study was carried out in different categories of pulmonary and extra pulmonary tuberculosis cases of newly sputum culture positive diagnosed pulmonary categorie I (n=100), extra pulmonary patients categorie (n=35) before and after the DOTS treatment of 6 months, categorie II (n=100), categorie III (n=100) and in normal control subjects (n=100).

Results: The serum protein carbonyl levels were significantly increased in the pulmonary and extra pulmonary tuberculosis patients.

Point-of-care breath test for biomarkers of active pulmonary tuberculosis.

Rationale: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in breath provide biomarkers of tuberculosis (TB) because Mycobacterium tuberculosis manufactures VOC metabolites that are detectable in the breath of infected patients.

Objectives: We evaluated breath VOC biomarkers in subjects with active pulmonary TB, using an internet-linked rapid point-of-care breath test.

Methods: 279 subjects were studied at four centers in three countries, Philippines, UK, and India, and data was analyzed from 251 (130 active pulmonary TB, 121 controls).