Re-emergence of polio in Pakistan: Can the nation achieve the WPV1 eradication goal?

Background And Aims: Poliomyelitis is an acute neurologic condition that causes muscle weakness, permanent flaccid paralysis, and even death. The world has seen a drastic fall in the number of poliovirus cases owing to effective immunization programs and preventive measures. Pakistan and Afghanistan still remain the two endemic countries for poliovirus, particularly, the WPV1 strain.

The effect of race on clinical presentation and outcomes in neurosarcoidosis.

Background: Nervous system is affected in 25% of patients with sarcoidosis. Current literature is largely limited to case reports with disproportionate Caucasian population. We aim to evaluate differences in presentation, management and outcomes by race in neurosarcoidosis.

Cerebral aspergillosis and pulmonary tuberculosis in a child with chronic granulomatous disease.

Background: Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is an immune disorder that affects phagocytes. It is characterized by recurrent or persistent bacterial and fungal infections. Reports of tuberculosis (TB) in patients with CGD are rare.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin T induces potent cytotoxicity against a variety of murine and human cancer cell lines.

In patients with malignancy, the major barrier to achieving complete response is emergence of resistance to current chemotherapeutic agents. One of the major mechanisms by which tumour cells become resistant to therapies is by altering cellular drug targets through mutations and/or deletions. Resistance by this mechanism is achieved more easily if the drug has limited cellular targets and/or processes.

Chronic alcohol exposure renders epithelial cells vulnerable to bacterial infection.

Despite two centuries of reports linking alcohol consumption with enhanced susceptibility to bacterial infections and in particular gut-derived bacteria, there have been no studies or model systems to assess the impact of long-term alcohol exposure on the ability of the epithelial barrier to withstand bacterial infection. It is well established that acute alcohol exposure leads to reduction in tight and adherens junctions, which in turn leads to increases in epithelial cellular permeability to bacterial products, leading to endotoxemia and a variety of deleterious effects in both rodents and human. We hypothesized that reduced fortification at junctional structures should also reduce the epithelial barrier's capacity to maintain its integrity in the face of bacterial challenge thus rendering epithelial cells more vulnerable to infection.

A novel human antimicrobial factor targets Pseudomonas aeruginosa through its type III secretion system.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important opportunistic bacterial pathogen. Despite its metabolic and virulence versatility, it has not been shown to infect articular joints, which are areas that are rarely infected with bacteria in general. We hypothesized that articular joints possess antimicrobial activity that limits bacterial survival in these environments.