Prevalence of Human Herpes Virus 6 (HHV-6) in Patients with Hemodialysis

Human Herpes Virus 6 (HHV-6) is a virus which especially causes infection in CD4+ T lymphocytes and ranks among the herpes group that is widely seen all over the world. It is reported that more than half of the adults in developed countries and 80-100% of the population in developing countries is infected with this virus. HHV-6 infection is generally asymptomatic in healthy individuals. 

While it may cause infectious mononucleosis-like syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome in adults, it is the causative agent of sixth disease (exanthema subitum) in children. As it can stay in the latent phase, reactivation may cause severe diseases with primary or secondary infections in immunocompromised patients. The virus especially causes infection in CD4+ T lymphocytes and staysin the latent phase in the lymphoid tissue. 

The main modes of transmission of HHV-6 are body secretions such as infected saliva but it can be transmitted with blood and blood products that are infected with the virus. Therefore, it is thought that immunocompromised hemodialysis patients who have multiple blood transfusions due to various reasons and who collectively use devices like hemodialysis machines are in the risk group for HHV-6 infection. Read more.........................

How to find anti-microbial peptides that are potential therapeutic agents against HIV?

Recently scientists developed an In Silico mathematical algorithm and Profile Hidden Markov Models (HMMER)method for identification of peptides that can be a potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of HIV. By these methods we can identify the peptides that can inhibit HIV replication.Since the discovery of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) more than 30 years ago, the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is considered as one of the major clinical diseases and a health problem around the globe, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

The driving force behind the development of High Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) for HIV treatment hasbeen inevitable due to the emergence of HIV progression. This demand has continuously been met by the pharmaceutical industry by developing new drugs or by modifying the existing medication in a timely fashion. Notwithstanding these advancements, the rapid emergence of resistance to current treatment regimens is even a greater problem for life-threatening HIV infections due to single class of HAART treatment and non-adherence to medication, therefore a daunting clinical problem.  Read more..............

Nodal donovanosis, a signal to HIV infection

Donovanosis [granuloma inguinale] is caused by Calymmatobacterium granulomatis, a Gram-negative, facultative, obligate, intracellular, pleomorphic bacterium that is phylogenetically most closely related to and placed within the Klebsiella genus. Categorized as a cause of genital ulcer disease, it typically forms painless, beefy red genital ulcers with raised margins and a friable clean base.

Auto-inoculation, hematogenous spread and oral sex have been implicated in the pathogenesis of extragenital donovanosis that occurs in 3-6% of patients,mainly in the lip, gums, cheek, palate, pharynx, neck, nose, larynx, chest,bone and liver. Lymph node involvement by C. granulomatosis is documented rarely in the literature, mainly as case reports in the pre-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) era. Notwithstanding these contributions to the global literature, to date, extragenital donovanosis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients is documented very rarely. Read more..................

Empyema Caused by Unusual Pathogen Capnocytophaga

Empyema is a collection of pus in the pleural space. It is typically a serious complication of pneumonia with high morbidity and mortality rates.The most common organisms causing empyema are gram positive organisms such as Staphylococcus and Streptococcus. Management of empyema includes drainage by chest tube or surgery and use of appropriate antibiotics. Capnocytophagaempyemais extremely rare and to our knowledge there is only few cases that have been reported. Capnocytophaga is a group of long, thin, fusiform, slowly growing, facultative anaerobic, Gram-negative rods with gliding motility whose growth is optimal in a CO2-enriched atmosphere; hence the name Capnocytophaga (consumption of CO2). 

Capnocytophagaspecies are part of the normal oral flora in dogs, cats, and humans and were once associated with periodontal disease but are now considered commensals in dental plaque of humans. Capnocytophagainfections can have varied clinical presentations, such as periodontal disease, respiratory tract infections, ophthalmic lesions, traumatic pericarditis, mediastinal abscess, brain abscess, meningitis, and peritonitis. Read more................

The Health Significance of Families Seen through the Recent Measles Outbreak

Earlier this year, at least 95 measles cases were linked to Disneyland, the fabled family destination. In this commentary, I leverage the recent rise of U.S. measles cases to illuminate the ways in which families’ social traits matter for individual and public health. I conclude with suggestions for increasing scholarship in this exciting field within social epidemiology.

Current medical care and research tends to focus on individual risk and protective factors, often overlooking how family ties and experiences influence health. Even when we implicitly realize that families influence health, our conceptual models and data structures often reduce families to individual traits and, thus, obscure their importance. 

This is exemplified in measles patients’ medical charts. Of the 159 documented measles cases presenting during the first half of 2013 in the U.S., 63% were children and 81% were unvaccinated. Five percent of the unvaccinated, pediatric patients missed their vaccination opportunities; 13% were too young for vaccination; and 79% had philosophical objections. Yet it is important to recognize who had the philosophical objections and missed the vaccination opportunities: it was the parents, not the children. This expedient recording of the parents’ behavior as a trait of the patient erases the family unit entirely, masking the ways in which familial ties influence health. Read more.................

The Expanding Potential for Cohort Studies to Inform Priorities for Cancer Prevention

A lead series of cohorts has been run by the American Cancer Society (ACS) which has led U.S. prospective studies documenting the link between smoking cigarettes and lung cancer from the first study of over 188,000 men, to the Cancer Prevention Study 1, follow-up of 1 million men and women and also documenting the benefits of stopping smoking where after more than one year the risk waslower than current smokers and took more than 10 years to return to the risk of never smokers. Subsequent follow-up data informed the estimates of tobacco smoking to cancer mortality in the USA providing essential input to the report by Doll and Peto on the potential to prevent cancer. 

Further updates of the ACS cohorts refined our understanding of the burden of tobacco across decades . The Cancer Prevention Study cohorts have also contributed leadership to documenting the burden due to overweight and obesity setting the stage for the International Agency for Research on Cancer report on this topic and global estimates . Like other cohorts studying lifestyle and diet data , the ACS also contributed major data on mortality due to alcohol. Read more...............

CHECK OUT THESE COMMON FOOD ITEMS WITH HIGH ANTIMICROBIAL POTENTIAL

The chemical based synthetic or semi-synthetic antimicrobials are lifesaving from several microbial infections following the discovery of penicillin; however, in the current antibiotic ages, there is an increasing emergence of multidrug-, extensively drug- and pan-drug- resistances among themicrobial pathogens including bacteria , due to the growing demands as well as the indiscriminate usage of such antimicrobial agents . 

This condition, along with the unnecessary side effects of the agents because of their rampant and non-judicious application, necessitated the discovery of new alternative therapeutics against various pathogenic infections. Considering the fact, the researchers focused their studies on the antibacterial property ovarious indigenous plants , in order to get remedy from lifethreatening infection with multidrug resistant bacteria including Escherichia coli (E. Coli), Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. Pneumoniae ) and Staphylococcus aureus (Staph. aureus ). Read more.................

Alternative Therapy of Skin Diseases in Cattle

Skin disease is very common in cattle globally. Greatly affect the economy by reduced production and performance. There is no specific, economical and successful treatment regimen. Resolving such problems an alternative medicinal regimen is tried successfully and recommended.

Material and Method:  In Tamil Nadu, India, over four months period fifty two cattle of different breed, age and sex, clinically presented for severe rubbing of body against hard objects and hair loss in bunches. Clinical examinationrevealed pruritus, restlessness, multi-focal alopecia, folliculitis, udder impetigo, suppurative lesions, weeping surface, reduced feed intake and yield, and with or without polypnea. 

Cutaneous samples collected include swab, scrapings, biopsy and tissue fluids and scotch tape impression. Collected specimens were inoculated in Blood agar, Mac Conkey agar and incubated at 37ºC for 48 hours. This revealed mostly Staphylococcus sp and other microorganisms. Atypical Malassezia sp. were also identified.Most of the specimen showed fungal species, Aspergillus niger, Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Candida albicans . Ectoparaites, Rhipicephalus sp, Boophilus sp, Hyalomma sp and Ornithodorus sp were detected. Read more........

Evaluation of Patients with Hepatitis Delta Virus Infection at First Admission in Izmir, Turkey

Hepatitis Delta Virus (HDV) infections always occur in association with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections because of their dependence upon the HBV. The hepatitis delta virion is composed of an outer lipoprotein envelope made of the surface antigen of HBV (HBsAg) and an inner ribonucleoprotein structure in which the HDV genome resides . Due to the dependence of HDV on HBV, the presence of HBsAg is necessary for the diagnosis of HDV infection.HDV causes both acute and chronic infections. Asymptomatic and non-progressive illnesses are seen in a minority of cases, but a severe and progressive route to cirrhosis is present in most. Available data suggest that approximately 5% of HBV carriers worldwide may beinfected with HDV; it is estimated that there are 18-20 million people chronically infected with HDV worldwide. However, the epidemiologic distribution of HDV infection does not parallel that of HBV, because areas endemic for HBV may be almost HDV free. The level of HDV endemicity is partly related to the route of transmission.

HDV infections are common in Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and South American countries; however, it is seldom found in the United States of America and parts of Europe . Nevertheless, after a dramatic decrease in the seroprevalence of HDV infections in Europe, studies have shown that the seroprevalence of anti-HD in Italy among HBsAg carriers is again similar to that found in 1997 (9.7%). The virus has remained endemic in the Middle East, Central Africa, Mongolia, Tajikistan, and northern parts of South America, but data are lacking from many areas where hepatitis B is highly prevalent. Read more.............

Association of G. Vaginalis with Female UTI

Gardnerella vaginalis is a fastidious, beta-hemolytic, nonmotile, unencapsulated, rod-shaped bacterium. Originally named Haemophilus vaginalis by Gardner and Dukes, the organism was renamed Corynebacterium vaginale by Zinnemann and Turner in 1963, on the basis of a Gram stain reaction and cell morphology. Subsequent extensive taxonomic studies using biochemical, DNA hybridization assays, and electron microscopy and 16S rRNA gene sequences supported the current taxonomic designation of G. vaginalis and indicated that this bacteriumis closely related to the genus Bifidobacterium. It secretes a toxin vaginolysin as a major virulence factor of G. vaginalis. 

Vaginolysin (VLY), a proteinaceous toxin that lyses human red blood cells and vaginal epithelial cells, is a member of the cholesterol-dependent cytolysins (CDCs) family of pore-forming toxins which is found in five different genera of Gram-positive bacteria. CDC or VLY toxin monomers bind to cholesterol-rich membranes and form oligomeric transmembrane pores causing lysis of the eukaryotic cells. Immunoglobulin A-mediated immune responses to the VLY occur during BV and are useful as a marker of the disease .G. vaginalis association has also been implicated detected in intraamniotic and chorioamniotic infections, pelvic inflammatory disease and bladder infection. Some reports have indicated its co-occurance with vertebral osteomyelitis and discitis, retinal vasculitis, acute hip arthritis and bacteraemia. Read more...................

Recruiting Black Men Who Have Sex with Men and Women (BMSMW) in an Urban Setting for HIV Prevention Research

Starting from the premise that obtaining reliable and generalizable research findings requires effective recruitment and retention of the target population, low minority participation rates in health-related research can reduce study applicability and efficiency. Fear and distrust towards medical research has been fostered by studies in which minorities were deceived or taken advantage of, and by individual and community experiences of poor or discriminatory healthcare encounters. This distrust, together with lack of reading level appropriate and language-specific information, complex informed consent processes,  and limited access to healthcare and transportation has contributed to low research participation rates.

The situation becomes even more challenging when research is focused on sensitive and traditionally stigmatized sexual behaviors in minorities.In response to the Federal requirements designed to foster equitable selection of research participants, many researchers have implemented culturally, linguistically and socially relevant recruitment strategies . Despite these efforts, recruitingspecific subgroups such as minorities from large metropolitan areas remainschallenging. For example, low-income urban neighborhoods present additional challenges of increased resident turnover and reduced interest in prevention interventions, particularly when individuals lead a day-to-day existence with regard to food and shelter. Read more..............

Predictors of Persistent Waterpipe Smoking Among University Students in The United States

Smoking continues to be a significant public health problem causing 443,000 premature deaths annually in the United States and 5.4 million worldwide. It is currently the leading preventable cause of premature death both in the United States (US) and worldwide, and is projected to remain as such in 2020. Smoking annually coststhe US society approximately $193 billion with $96 billion in direct medicalcosts.

Waterpipe smoking is a recent form of tobacco use in the US and is growing in popularity especially among the adolescents and young adults with a misconception of relative safety  and variety of sweetened flavors. Waterpipe smoking is common in the Middle East, India, and segments of Asia, and increasingly becoming more prevalent in Western countries . Waterpipes have been referred to as the following names: Shishah, hookah , argeela, Goza, hubble-bubble , and narghile .

The American Lung Association (ALA), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the American Cancer Society (ACS) have warned against health risks associated with waterpipe smoking. Similar to cigarettes, it can increase the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, and poor fetal outcomes. Furthermore, using the same mouthpieces in social groups can also spread communicable diseases .Previous studies have also demonstrated that smoking tobacco using a waterpipe causes exposure to carbon monoxide (CO), smoke  nicotine, as well as carcinogens including hydrocarbon and heavy metals and tar and can result in nicotine dependence. Read more..............

Local Food Resources to Fight Children Malnutrition and Infectious Diseases in Mozambique

Pediatric malnutrition is defined by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition as “an imbalance between nutrient requirements and intake that results in cumulative deficits of energy, protein or micronutrients that may negatively affect growth, development and other relevant outcomes”. It represents a serious public health issue linked to an increased mortality and morbidity risk and children under 5 years old have a higher risk due to growth speed and brain development.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the annual infant mortality rate is about 6.3 million and 42% of these takes place in the African region. Just six causes are considered responsible of 73% of deaths in children under the age of five: respiratory infections (19%), diarrhea (18%), malaria (8%), pneumonia and neonatal sepsis (10%), pre-term birth (10%) and birth asphyxia (8%). Malnutrition is obviously an additional risk for all of these conditions, worsening the course of the infectious diseases and slowing the healing, and it is considered the underlying cause of 53% of pediatric deaths up to 5 years. In fact, an inadequate diet leads to weight loss, decrease of the immune response and damage of the mucosa, allowing invasion of pathogens, which finally worsens the overall nutritional status. In addition, these conditions lead to decreased efficacy of vaccines and increased exposure to infectious agents. Read more...........

Killer Cell Immunoglobulin like Receptors (KIR) Gene Variations in Rheumatic Fever

Rheumatic fever (RF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) are the post infection autoimmune disease sequelae of pharyngitis caused by Group A streptococcus (GAS) or Streptococcus pyogenes. The annual incidence of GAS infection reaches to 700 million worldwide. A total of 470000 RF cases are diagnosed with 233000reported deaths due to complications of RHD .The underlying mechanism of the development of RF/RHD is poorly understood. However, the proposed hypothesis in the development of RF/RHD is the autoimmune reaction due to molecular mimicry between different GAS and host proteins . Host adaptive and innate immune systems actively participate in the regulation of autoimmune diseases and adjunct the progression of RF/RHD pathogenesis.

An important component of the innate immune system is NK (Natural killer) cells comprising 10-15% of total peripheral blood lymphocytes. NK cells are instrumental in playing a decisive role in immune activation and regulation. Upon activation, NK cells trigger subsets of T-cells followed by releasing cytokines and chemokines for the clearance of pathogens. During the initial stages of infection, NK cells secrete interferon-γ (IFN-γ), which triggers expression of MHC class I and class II on antigen presenting cells and initiates differentiation of CD4+ T cells to Th1 cells. 

They sequentially produce IL-2 and IFN-γ, which induce the synthesis cytokines and promote the proliferation of NK cells. NK cells expresses KIR (killer cell immunoglobulin like receptor) on their surface and are divided into activating, inhibitory, pseudo and framework genes. KIR molecules target class-I human leukocyte antigen (HLAs) during the time of NK cell inhibition. Continuous expression of inhibitory and activating genes interacts with HLA class- II molecule and subsequently generates signals to eliminate the cells lacking ligands for the KIR inhibitory receptor. HLA class-II molecules, which have been found to be associated with RHD, are targeted by the KIR and subsequently regulate the function of NK cells. Read more.............

Exhuming Skeletal Remains: How Cholera Deaths of the Past Could Shine a Blue- Light of Hope

Cholera remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is currently in its seventh official pandemic, as recognised by the World Health Organization. Whilst the disease remains a scourge of the present, studying its paleopathology could help further with understanding the nature of the disease and its evolution, as well as presenting a potential opportunity for finding a cure or improving current treatment regimes. Cholera is one of a number ofdiseases that has a presence in the archaeological record.

In terms of human osteopathology an important discovery was recently made within the grounds of a cemetery located in an old church in Tuscany, Italy. The exhumation of bodies in this area may provide key information concerning the bacterium responsible for cholera. This article assesses the significance of the on-going excavation.Cholera is an infection of the small intestine. It is one of the world’s oldest diseases and it is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.  Read more.................

V. cholerae is a Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, comma-shaped bacterium. The basis of the infection is through V. cholerae secreting choleragen (known as “the cholera toxin”). Structurally, the toxin is similar to heat-labile enterotoxins associated with enteric bacteria. Two serogroups of V. cholerae termed O1 and O139 cause outbreaks. V. cholerae O1 causes the majority of outbreaks, while O139, a more recently discovered serotype identified in Bangladesh in 1992, is, thus far, of less global reach, being confined to South-East Asia.

Pathogenesis in Ebola virus disease

Ebola virus disease (EVD) caused by Ebola viruses (EBOV) is one of the most dangerous infection with mortality rates up to 90%. Pathogenesis of Ebola is not through cell division; instead they insert their genetic information into DNA of the host cell and eventually hijack all cellular processes.As new viral capsules are formed and bud out from the host cell and act against host immune system. Symptoms of EVD include fever, headache, life-threatening bleeding and multi-organ failure.Till now there are no approved treatments or vaccines available for EVD. However bunch of therapies are available for prevention and control.

Ebola virus disease (formerly called Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever) is a severe, often fatal, disease in humans and nonhuman primates, which is caused by the Ebola virus. Between 1976 and 2014 twenty-fourepidemics of Ebola virus disease (EVD) were verified, mostly caused by Zaire Ebola virus (ZEBOV) in Equatorial Africa. Most outbreaks have been small, but the virus captured the attention of the world due to death rates that can be as high as 90% as well as the visceral manner in which it kills.

In March 2014, World Health Organization (WHO) reported a major Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, western African nations. The 2014 EVD outbreak in West Africa caused by ZEBOV is the longest, largest, deadliest, and the most complex in history. As of 11 February 2015, there were 22,859 EVD cases and a total of 9,162 deaths. Compared to the cumulative sum of past episodes in 36 years (1976-2012), 2,232 infected people and 1,503 deaths there are now over ten times the total number infection cases and over six times the total number of fatalities. The Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa affected impoverished post-conflict countries with weak health systems and no experience with Ebola. Read more....................

Genetic imbalances of KIR are associated with auto immune regulation

The autoimmune sequel of rheumatic heart disease(RHD) and rheumatic fever(RH) are due to partially treated pharyngitis. Killer cell immunoglobulin like receptors (KIR) of natural killer cell is susceptible to various autoimmune diseases. A study was conducted in 29 patients (pharyngitis, RHD andRF) and one control, to know the association of different KIR genes indevelopment of RHD/RF. The study reported that the frequency of activating KIR2DS4A and inhibitory KIR2DL5B were less in RHD compared to control but higher than pharyngitis.From the study it is clear that genetic imbalance between activating and inhibitory receptors of KIR are associated with autoimmune regulation of RHD/RH.

A significant difference in the frequency of KIR2DS2A and KIR3DL1B were found in pharyngitis compared to control. Interestingly, the overall data revealed a marked decrease of activating genes in pharyngitis and an increase in RHD. However, in the study, the framework genes were comparatively conserved and pseudo genes did not show any significant change. Thus, the study suggests an association of KIR in the pathogenesis of RF/RHD by demonstrating the variations in specific genotypes. This can be correlated to the prolonged activation of NK cells which may be accountable for regulation of adaptive immune response and self-tolerance. Further study in large cohort may unveil more information regarding the role of KIR in the development of the disease. Read more...............