Plasma Vitamin D levels in correlation with circulatory proteins could be a potential biomarker tool for pulmonary tuberculosis and treatment monitoring.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB), a life-threatening immune challenging disease to the global human community has to be diagnosed earlier and eliminated in the upcoming era. Vitamin D, a fat-soluble micronutrient, mainly from epidermal cells of the skin and a few dietary sources, is associated with the immune system in various disease management. Therefore, a better understanding of vitamin D metabolism and immune function in tuberculosis should be studied for the consideration of biomarkers.

Effect of BCG vaccination on proinflammatory responses in elderly individuals.

We investigated the influence of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination on the unstimulated plasma levels of a wide panel of cytokines, chemokines, acute-phase proteins (APPs), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and growth factors in a group of healthy elderly individuals (age, 60 to 80 years) at baseline (before vaccination) and 1 month after vaccination as part of our clinical study to examine the effect of BCG on COVID-19. Our results demonstrated that BCG vaccination resulted in diminished plasma levels of types 1, 2, and 17 and other proinflammatory cytokines and type 1 interferons. BCG vaccination also resulted in decreased plasma levels of CC, CXC chemokines, APPs, MMPs, and growth factors.

Knowledge, attitude and practices towards COVID-19 among higher education students in India: a cross sectional study.

Aim: This study explored the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of higher education students towards COVID-19. In addition, this study analysed the association of socio-demographic variables with KAP apart from finding the relationship between KAP.

Subject And Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in India.

Distribution and growth rate of COVID-19 outbreak in Tamil Nadu: A log-linear regression approach.

Background: Most of the countries are affected with the pandemic outbreak of the coronavirus infection. Understanding the severity and distribution in various regions will help in planning the controlling measures.

Objectives: The objective was to assess the distribution and growth rate of COVID-19 infection in Tamil Nadu, India.

Diagnostic and Prognostic Significance of Various Histopathological Features in Extrahepatic Biliary Atresia.

Introduction: Extrahepatic biliary atresia is a progressive disorder characterised by fibroinflammatory obliteration or stenosis of the extrahepatic biliary tree leading to obstruction of bile flow and cholestatic jaundice. It is the most common cause for cholestasis in newborn. Histopathological criteria for diagnosing biliary atresia from liver biopsy have not been clearly defined.