Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA by Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) on Self-Collected Nasal Swab Compared With Professionally Collected Nasopharyngeal Swab.

Background: Self-collection of nasal swabs for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) would considerably increase the testing capability and decrease the risk of transmission among healthcare workers (HCW) and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the performance of self-collected nasal swabs compared with professionally collected nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs for detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA by RT-PCR.

Materials And Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study where the suspected cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were instructed about the self-collection of nasal swabs from their mid-turbinate.

Therapy Targeting Stem Cell in Patients with Decompensated Cirrhosis of Liver in a Tertiary Treatment Care Center of Bangladesh.

Introduction: Decompensated cirrhosis is associated with significantly high mortality resulting from hepatic failure, and liver transplantation seems to be the only viable indication for its management. The objective of this study is to assess if granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), a stimulatory of stem cell may be of any benefit for patients with decompensated cirrhosis of liver.

Materials And Methods: Seventeen consecutive patients with decompensated cirrhosis of liver were recruited in this prospective study.

A Case of Antimitochondrial Antibody Negative Primary Biliary Cirrhosis from Bangladesh and Review of Literature.

Unlabelled: Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is very closely associated with the presence of antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA). Nevertheless, 5 to 10% of patients with typical features of primary biliary cirrhosis do not have detectable AMA. They are referred to as AMA negative PBC.

Designing immune therapy for chronic hepatitis B.

Presently-available antiviral drugs may not be a satisfactory option for treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). In spite of presence of several antiviral drugs, sustained off-treatment clinical responses are not common in CHB patients treated with antiviral drugs. In addition, antiviral drug treatment may have limited effects on blocking the progression of HBV-related complications.

Epidemiology of Hepatitis E Virus in an Urban Community in Dhaka City.

Introduction: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is endemic in Bangladesh and sporadic and epidemic outbreaks of acute hepatitis E occur in this country almost regularly. Although the real magnitude of HEV prevalence has not been documented in Bangladesh, HEV infections and HEV-related acute hepatitis of Bangladeshi origin have been reported from different parts of the world.

Methods: The study was conducted in Mirpur area of Dhaka city, which is a major residential area of the capital of Bangladesh.

Three cases of acute or fulminant hepatitis E caused by ingestion of pork meat and entrails in Hokkaido, Japan: Zoonotic food-borne transmission of hepatitis E virus and public health concerns.

Aim:   In developed countries including Japan, the transmission route of indigenous hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is obscure. Accordingly, public health implications of indigenous HEV infection have not been well addressed. The aim of this study was to clarify the route of transmission of a small outbreak of acute hepatitis E and assess the public health implications of indigenous zoonotic HEV transmission.

Prevalence and risk factors of asymptomatic hepatitis C virus infection in bangladesh.

Objectives: There are paucity of information about prevalence and risk factor of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Bangladesh.

Methods: Blood was collected from 1018 randomly selected subjects from a semi-urban area of Bangladesh. Anti-HCVs were checked in the blood twice using a third-generation commercial kit.

Induction of anti-HBs in HB vaccine nonresponders in vivo by hepatitis B surface antigen-pulsed blood dendritic cells.

Background/aims: Antigen-pulsed dendritic cells (DCs) are now used for treatment of patients with cancers, however, the efficacy of these DCs has never been evaluated for prophylactic purposes. The aim of this study was (1) to prepare hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-pulsed human blood DCs, (2) to assess immunogenicity of HBsAg-pulsed DCs in vitro and (3) to evaluate the efficacy of HBsAg-pulsed DCs in hepatitis B (HB) vaccine nonresponders.

Methods: Human peripheral blood DCs were cultured with HBsAg to prepare HBsAg-pulsed DCs.

Dendritic cell-based therapy as a multidisciplinary approach to cancer treatment: present limitations and future scopes.

Existence of residual cancers and recurrence of cancers are two major limitations of conventional therapies against cancers. A naturally-occurring defense system against tumor may be established in cancer patients by induction of antitumor immunity. Both polyvalent and tumor antigen-defined vaccines have been administered to cancer patients to accomplish this.

Analysis of the expression of Fas, FasL and Bcl-2 in the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid disorders.

To investigate the expression of apoptosis-related protein (Fas, FasL, and Bcl-2) in the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid disorders (ATDs), immunohistochemical staining was performed on 20 Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), 20 Graves' disease (GD), and 20 thyroid follicular adenoma (TFA, as control). All the cases expressed Fas, mainly on the cell surface and cytoplasm. FasL was found in 17 cases of the TFA.

In vivo immunization by vaccine therapy following virus suppression by lamivudine: a novel approach for treating patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Background: Both the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the immune response of the hosts to HBV play important roles in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Lamivudine is a potent antiviral agent with minimal immune modulator capacity. Moreover, lamivudine causes severe side effects like breakthrough of HBV DNA and breakthrough hepatitis in patients with CHB.

Safety and efficacy of hepatitis B surface antigen-pulsed dendritic cells in human volunteers.

Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-pulsed murine spleen dendritic cells (DCs) have shown tremendous therapeutic potentials in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers however, there has been no study regarding the feasibility of using HBsAg-pulsed DCs in human. Five human healthy volunteers with no apparent concomitant diseases were enrolled in this study. DCs were enriched from peripheral blood of each volunteer in endotoxin-free and sterilized conditions.

Mechanism of action of low recurrence of gastritis caused by Helicobacter pylori with the type II urease B gene.

Background: Low recurrence of gastritis is seen in patients infected with Helicobacter pylori carrying the type II urease B gene, compared with H. pylori carrying types I and III. The underlying mechanism has been studied in terms of the urease activity and interleukin (IL)-8 production capacity of different strains of H.

Diagnosis of drug-induced liver injury in Japanese patients by criteria of Consensus Meetings in Europe.

Eighty-five Japanese patients with drug-induced liver injury were assessed by criteria of Consensus Meetings in Europe on causality assessment of drug-induced liver injury. Histopathological investigation was performed for all patients to confirm the diagnosis. We divided these patients into two groups by the date of disease onset.

Transfer of dendritic cells (DC) ex vivo stimulated with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) down-modulates autoimmune diabetes in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice.

The NOD mouse has been used to explore the many features of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) that is caused by the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in the islets of Langerhans of the pancreas. Self-reactive T cells have been considered to mediate IDDM in the NOD mouse, and antigen-presenting cells like DC and macrophages are expected to be involved in the processes from their role in generating regulatory or effector T cells. The present study shows that transfer of IFN-gamma-stimulated DC of the NOD or ICR mouse into the NOD mouse did not accelerate IDDM onset but afforded long-lasting protection against clinical and histological signs of IDDM in the recipient mice.