Identifying quantitative sncRNAs signature using global sequencing as a potential biomarker for tuberculosis diagnosis and their role in regulating host response.

Objectives: The study aimed to identify a quantitative signature of circulating small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) as a biomarker for pulmonary tuberculosis disease (active-TB/ATB) and explore their regulatory roles in host-pathogen interactions and disease progression.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study recruiting subjects diagnosed with active-TB (drug-sensitive and drug-resistant) and healthy controls. Sera samples were collected and utilized for preparing small RNA libraries.

Latent Tuberculosis Infection Diagnosis among Household Contacts in a High Tuberculosis-Burden Area: a Comparison between Transcript Signature and Interferon Gamma Release Assay.

Diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) using biomarkers in order to identify the risk of progressing to active TB and therefore predicting a preventive therapy has been the main bottleneck in eradication of tuberculosis. We compared two assays for the diagnosis of LTBI: transcript signatures and interferon gamma release assay (IGRA), among household contacts (HHCs) in a high tuberculosis-burden population. HHCs of active TB cases were recruited for our study; these were confirmed to be clinically negative for active TB disease.

Identification of critical residues in Hepatitis E virus macro domain involved in its interaction with viral methyltransferase and ORF3 proteins.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major cause of hepatitis in normal and organ transplant individuals. HEV open reading frame-1 encodes a polypeptide comprising of the viral nonstructural proteins as well as domains of unknown function such as the macro domain (X-domain), V, DUF3729 and Y. The macro domain proteins are ubiquitously present from prokaryotes to human and in many positive-strand RNA viruses, playing important roles in multiple cellular processes.

Clinical Implications of a Multivariate Stratification Model for the Estimation of Prognosis in Ventricular Septal Defect.

Objectives: To derive and validate a multivariate stratification model for prediction of survival free from intervention (SFFI) in ventricular septal defect (VSD). A secondary aim is for this model to serve as proof of concept for derivation of a more general congenital heart disease prognostic model, of which the VSD model will be the first component.

Study Design: For 12 years, 2334 subjects with congenital heart disease were prospectively and consecutively enrolled.

Main pulmonary artery dilation in association with congenital bicuspid aortic valve in the absence of pulmonary valve abnormality.

Background: Main pulmonary artery (MPA) dilation is reported to occur in association with pulmonary valve (PV) abnormalities and in genetic diseases of connective tissue.

Aim: To determine whether MPA dilation occurs with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) in the absence of PV abnormality.

Methods: MPA and aortic dimensions were investigated in 194 subjects with BAV and 178 controls matched for age, sex and body surface area (BSA) using transthoracic two-dimensional echocardiography.

A novel complication of bariatric surgery.

The incidence of obesity in the US is increasing. This has been associated with an increasing incidence and prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnea. Diet alone has generally been ineffective in attaining significant weight loss.