Utility of Hematological and Biochemical Parameters as a Screening Tool for Assessing Coronavirus Disease 2019 Infection and its Severity.

Background: The rapidly evolving pandemic of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has presented with clinical severity, which varies from asymptomatic cases to being fatal in others. The need of the hour is to find meaningful and cost-effective COVID-19 biomarkers out of conventional hematological and biochemical parameters, which will help in the early identification of patients with a poor prognosis, leading to timely intervention.

Aim: The aim was to analyze different biochemical and hematological parameters in COVID-19 patients and also to study the association of these parameters with disease severity.

Development and Validation of Signature Sequence-Based PCR for Improved Molecular Diagnosis of Tuberculosis.

Reliable, fast, and affordable diagnosis for tuberculosis (TB) remains a challenge to reduce disease incidence in resource-poor countries. Tests based on nucleotide sequences that are signature to Mycobacterium tuberculosis have the potential to make a positive impact on case detection rates, which can eventually help control TB. Using extensive comparative bioinformatics approach, we mined the genome for M.

Elevated urinary IL-36α and IL-18 levels are associated with diabetic nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: Inflammatory cytokines have been reported to be pathogenic factors for the development and progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Interleukin (IL)-36α is a newly discovered member of the IL-1 cytokine family that has been implicated in animal models of renal impairment. However, little is known about the role of IL-36α in DN in humans.

Evaluation of Stress and Associated Biochemical Changes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Obesity.

Purpose: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a metabolic disorder, remains associated with a physiological impairment affecting large populations worldwide. Onset of T2DM is multifactorial where obesity and abnormal basal metabolic rate are considered most critical. Of people diagnosed with T2DM, about 80% are also obese.

Impact of metformin therapy on health-related quality of life outcomes in tuberculosis patients with diabetes mellitus in India: A prospective study.

Objective: To assess the impact of metformin use on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in tuberculosis (TB) patients who are presented with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methodology: In this community-based prospective study, TB patients attending Hakeem Abdul Hameed Centenary Hospital, New Delhi (India) and had comorbidity of T2DM between April 2018 and July 2019 were enrolled. Patients were divided into metformin users and metformin non-users on the basis of the presence of metformin in their routine as antidiabetic drug(s).

Health-related quality of life and sleep quality among North Indian type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: evidence from a cross-sectional study.

Objective: The objective of this study is to measure the relationship between sleep quality and health-related quality of life (HRQOL), in Indian population with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: A cross-sectional study, included a total of 300 patients with T2DM. All participants were responding to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions Questionnaire (EQ-5D).

Trends of Antimicrobial Resistance of Sepsis Pathogens at a University Hospital in New Delhi, India.

Knowledge of the aetiological agents and its susceptibility to antimicrobial agents enables the clinician to initiate appropriate empirical antimicrobial therapy and guides diagnostic procedures. The aims of the study were to identify prevalence of bacterial pathogens causing sepsis and observe their antimicrobial resistance trends in hospitalized patients. A prospective cohort study was conducted on patients of sepsis admitted at a university hospital over a period of six months.

Systematic evidence of health economic evaluation of drugs for postmenopausal osteoporosis: A quality appraisal.

This paper systematically and critically reviewed all published economic evaluations of drugs for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. A systematic search was conducted using relevant databases for economic evaluations to include all relevant English articles published between January 2008 to January 2020. After extracting the key study characteristics, methods and outcomes, we evaluated each article using the Quality of Health Economic Studies (QHES) and the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) instruments.

Potential role of adjuvant drugs on efficacy of first line oral antitubercular therapy: Drug repurposing.

Despite the availability of potent antitubercular drugs, tuberculosis (TB) still remains one of the world's leading causes of death. The current antitubercular therapy (ATT) suffers from a drawback of longer duration that imposes a major challenge of patient non compliance and resistance development. The current scenario necessitates alternative strategies with potential to shorten treatment duration that could pave the way for improved clinical outcomes.

Factors Influencing Participation Of Healthy Volunteers In Clinical Trials: Findings From A Cross-Sectional Study In Delhi, North India.

Purpose: To identify the specific motivations that drive healthy volunteers to consent for their participation in clinical studies. Additionally, the study aimed to document the socio-demographic determinants of participation in the trial related solely to the intention of securing financial gains.

Patients And Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among subjects who participated as healthy volunteers in clinical trials conducted by Contract Research Organizations (CROs) of Delhi.

Periostin as a novel biomarker of cardiovascular disease: A systematic evidence landscape of preclinical and clinical studies.

Background: Periostin is a matricellular protein, expressed in various normal adult and fetal tissues. Recently, elevated periostin levels have been reported in heart failure, coronary artery disease, and stroke. However, there is lack of clinical studies to clarify the prognostic significance of systemic periostin levels in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).

SeeTB: A novel alternative to sputum smear microscopy to diagnose tuberculosis in high burden countries.

Microscopy-based tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis i.e. Ziehl-Neelsen screening still remains the primary diagnostic method in resource poor and high TB burden countries, however this method has poor sensitivity (~60%).

Atherosclerosis risk assessment in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a case-control study.

Purpose: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is considered as a risk factor for atherosclerosis and a leading cause of mortality due to cardiovascular disease (CVD). The study assessed the association of COPD with atherosclerotic risk factors and compared the predictor role of various cardiovascular (CV) risk score calculators in Indian subjects with COPD.

Patients And Methods: Forty subjects with stable COPD and forty age, gender and body mass index (BMI)-matched healthy controls were included in the case-control study conducted in a tertiary care hospital.

Study of Awareness and Practice of Informed Consent Process Among Clinical Trial Participants and Their Motives Behind Participation.

Process to obtain informed consent is an essential component in research involving human subjects. However, much is not known about the level of awareness participants have about optimal consenting process and the motives that drive their participation in the trials. A cross-sectional study was conducted among volunteers who had been participating in clinical trials in contract research organizations of Delhi.

Attenuated serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and vitamin D binding protein associated with cognitive impairment in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Purpose: Clinical studies suggest that 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) deficiency plays a pivotal role in both type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cognitive impairment. However, it is unclear if 25(OH)D deficiency could be a possible cause of cognitive impairment in T2DM. Vitamin-D binding protein (VDBP) acts as a major 25(OH)D transporter.

Adverse drug reaction monitoring during antimicrobial therapy for septicemia patients at a university hospital in New Delhi.

Background/aims: Adverse drug reaction (ADR) is an appreciably harmful or unpleasant reaction, resulting from an intervention related to the use of a medicinal product. The present study was conducted in order to monitor the frequency and severity of ADR during antimicrobial therapy of septicemia.

Methods: A prospective, observational, and noncomparative study was conducted over a period of 6 months on patients of septicemia admitted at a university hospital.

Effect of orlistat on periostin, adiponectin, inflammatory markers and ultrasound grades of fatty liver in obese NAFLD patients.

Orlistat is recommended in the treatment of obesity, which is an independent risk factor for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The reported findings of orlistat in NAFLD are divisive. Recently, periostin is identified as an important regulatory molecule in the pathogenesis of obesity-induced fatty liver.

Antimicrobial sensitivity pattern of bacterial pathogens in urinary tract infections in South Delhi, India.

Seventy-four bacterial proven cases of urinary tract infections were studied, and identified by Mac Conkey agar and blood agar medium separately; all the isolates were subjected to antimicrobial sensitivity testing by Stokes technique. Ninty-six percent of total isolated organisms were found to be gram negative while remaining 4% were gram positive. Among gram negatives, E.

Monitoring of adverse drug reactions associated with antihypertensive medicines at a university teaching hospital in New Delhi.

Aim: To monitor the adverse drug reactions (ADRs) caused by antihypertensive medicines prescribed in a university teaching hospital.

Methods: The present work was an open, non-comparative, observational study conducted on hypertensive patients attending the Medicine OPD of Majeedia Hospital, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India by conducting patient interviews and recording the data on ADR monitoring form as recommended by Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), Government of India.

Results: A total of 21 adverse drug reactions were observed in 192 hypertensive patients.

Resistant patterns of bacteria isolated from bloodstream infections at a university hospital in Delhi.

Background: The choice of antimicrobial therapy for bloodstream infections is often empirical and based on the knowledge of local antimicrobial activity profiles of the most common bacteria causing such infections.

Aims: The present study was aimed to investigate frequency of bacterial pathogens causing septicemia and their antimicrobial resistant pattern in hospital admitted patients.

Settings And Design: It was a prospective study, conducted at Majeedia Hospital, Hamdard University, New Delhi, India.

A pharmacovigilance study in the department of medicine of a university teaching hospital.

Unlabelled: The aim of the present study was to monitor adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in the Medicine out patient department (OPD) of a University Teaching Hospital.

Method: A prospective evaluation of the ADRs reported in the Department of Medicine of our University Teaching Hospital over a period of 4-months was conducted.

Results: During the study period, a total of 600 patients visited the Medicine OPD and 122 ADRs were reported.