Non invasive tests for diagnosis of parasitic infections of CNS.

Central nervous system (CNS) infections are among the most devastating diseases with high mortality and morbidity. In the pre-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) era, the occurrence of CNS infections was very infrequent. However, in the past four decades or so, with a global increase in the immunocompromised population, the incidence of opportunistic infections of the CNS has changed.

The prevalence of enteroviral RNA and protein in mitral valves of chronic rheumatic heart disease.

Introduction: Acute Rheumatic Fever/ Rheumatic Heart Disease (ARF/RHD), a sequel of group A streptococcal (GAS) infection, even today constitutes a public health issue in developing countries including India. Differences in the prevalence of ARF/RHD in countries with a similar prevalence of GAS infections indicate the role of other cofactors in pathogenesis of RHD.

Methodology: We investigated the prevalence of enterovirus (EV) in RHD by probing for both EV RNA and VP1 protein using Nonisotopic In Situ Hybridization (NISH) and Immunohistochemistry (IHC) respectively in 75 valvectomy specimens obtained from RHD cases.

Pro-oncogenic, intra host viral quasispecies in Diffuse large B cell lymphoma patients with occult Hepatitis B Virus infection.

Non Hodgkin lymphoma, predominantly Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) has been reported to have a significant association with Hepatitis B virus (HBV). We investigated the presence of different gene segments of HBV in plasma, B-cells and tumor tissues from DLBCL patients and explored the genetic variability of HBV within and across different compartments in a host using Next Generation Sequencing. Despite all 40 patients being HBV seronegative, 68% showed evidence of occult HBV.

Oestrogen Receptor-α binds the FOXP3 promoter and modulates regulatory T-cell function in human cervical cancer.

Oestrogen controls Foxp3 expression in regulatory T cells (T cells) via a mechanism thought to involve oestrogen receptor alpha (ERα), but the molecular basis and functional impact of ERα signalling in T cells remain unclear. We report that ERα ligand oestradiol (E2) is significantly increased in human cervical cancer (CxCa) tissues and tumour-infiltrating T cells (CD4CD25CD127), whereas blocking ERα with the antagonist ICI 182,780 abolishes FOXP3 expression and impairs the function of CxCa infiltrating T cells. Using a novel approach of co-immunoprecipitation with antibodies to E2 for capture, we identified binding of E2:ERα complexes to FOXP3 protein in CxCa-derived T cells.