Journal of Research in Applied and Basic Medical Sciences
Volume:9 Issue: 3, Summer 2023

 Platelet factor 4 (PF4) is considered as a chemokine mainly strode in the granules of platelets. Its important role in heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) was the basis of many investigations about this chemokine. High affinity to heparin was used to extract of PF4 from platelet concentrates (PCs). Despite many advantages of recombinant PF4 (rPF4), some researchers prefer to purify rich proteins of platelets from outdated PCs mainly because of cost effectiveness. The main aim of this study was introducing a home-made method to purify PF4 from PCs in blood banks.

 In this experimental study, we presented a customized procedure based on immunoaffinity chromatography to isolate PF4 that may be useful for laboratory access of PCs from blood bank centers. Briefly, platelet lysate (PL) was extracted from PCs by freeze/thaw cycles and then treated with anti-PF4 antibody to elute PF4 extract in the final product. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 26). Student t-test was used to compare the results. A probability of < 0.05 was accepted as significant statistically.

 Our experiments showed that immunoaffinity chromatography might be considered as an alternative source to provide PF4 particularly in view of cost effectiveness.

 PF4 is one of the most bulk growth factors stored in platelets. It has the versatile applications both in diagnosis of HIT and in the study of platelet biology. A home-made protocol presented in this investigation can be helpful to obtain PF4 from blood bank in a reasonable scale.

 Telfairia occidentalis Hook f. is consumed in different parts of the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria due to its high nutritional and medicinal benefits. This study focused on the restorative potentials of Telfaria occidentalis aqueous leaf extract on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced renal toxicity in wistar rats.

 In this experimental study, five experimental groups of rats were used. One group received distilled water and serve as normal control. Second group received carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) alone for four days. Third and fourth groups received CCl4 for four days prior to treatment with 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg T. occidentalis aqueous extract for six days, respectively. The last group received CCl4 for four days prior to treatment with Silymarin (100 mg/kg) for six days. With exception of normal control rats, all rats received a mixture of freshly prepared CCl4 in olive oil (1 ml/kg, 1:1 intraperitoneally) for 4 days. Activities of renal markers and lipid profile molecules in serum and histopathogical analysis were assessed. Differences between means of groups were determined by One-way ANOVA using SPSS v.20. The mean differences were compared with the Duncan multiple range test. A probability level of less than 5% (P˂0.05) was considered significant.

 Results revealed that CCl4 toxicity caused a significant increase (P < 0.05) in the level of serum kidney function markers (Creatinine and Urea) and in lipid profile molecules (Total Cholesterol and Triglycerides) whereas T. occidentalis administration showed a dose-dependent nephro-protection as it significantly mitigated the effects of CCl4 on the kidney function markers and lipid profile molecules assessed. The observed CCl4 toxicity and renal protection by T. occidentalis were corroborated by the results of histopathological analysis.

 The results showed that T. occidentalis aqueous leaf extract mitigated the exacerbated effect of CCl4 on renal functions which can be attributed to its bioactive agents.

Sarcoidosis is characterized by a various courses and clinical presentation and in this era, some patients may have some symptoms difficult to establish the sarcoidosis diagnosis. Here we report a new case of sarcoidosis with some learning points for the clinicians. We report a 39-year-old male patient attending to the clinic due to productive cough, dyspnea, and skin lesions as papule as well as erythematous plaques in extensor regions of elbows and knees. Regarding the biopsy results of skin lesions, hillar, mediastinal lymphadenopathy, and serum ACE level the sarcoidosis was proposed. Fatigue, spinal pain, and paraplegia plus paraparesis of lower limb, tachycardia, multiple lesions at the lumbar spine, skin lesions, and posterior fossa toxoplasmosis were the findings at later visits, representing a confusing course. Finally, according to the presentation of the case reported in this paper, we concluded that the patients with sarcoidosis may present with multiple extrapulmonary manifestations that would result in some confusing points for diagnosis. Prompt clinical and imaging assessment would result in faster diagnosis and better prognosis to decrease the burden of disease.

 The active site of RdRp-CoV is highly conserved, with two successive and surface-accessible aspartates in a beta-turn structure. Antiviral drugs Remdesivir, Galidesivir, Tenofovir, Sofosbuvir, and Ribavirin are known as inhibitors of RdRps, while lopinavir and rotinavir are known inhibitors of main protease (MPro) of coronavirus. The aim of the present study was to in silico test of the effectiveness of anti-polymerase drugs against SARS-CoV-2 RdRp, including 5 FDA-approved antiviral medications.

 RdRp-CoV (nsp12) plays an important role in virus replication; therefore, it serves as a target to development of antiviral drugs. In this study, the RdRp is modeled, validated, and then targeted using different anti-polymerase drugs that approved for use against various viruses.

 The five approved drugs (Galidesivir, Remdesivir, Tenofovir, Sofosbuvir, and Ribavirin) were able to bind the SARS-CoV-2 RdRp with binding energies of 42.6, 1.7, 38.4, -1.4, and -3.9 kcal/mol, respectively. For the drug ribavirin, the only interactions established upon docking were the 11 H-bonds with F165, N459, R624, P677, N791, L460, N791, T462, N628, and T462 of the SARS-CoV-2 RdRp.

 The results suggest the effectiveness of Ribavirin, Remdesivir, Sofosbuvir, Galidesivir, and Tenofovir as potent drugs against RdRp-CoV since they tightly bind to RdRp. The availability of FDA-approved anti-RdRp drugs can help treat the infection of new variant of SARS-CoV-2 strain specifically.

 The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has become a global public health pandemic, and many deaths occurred in a short period. It is possible for coronaviruses to cause hepatic injury, and the dying patient may complain about it. Aim of this study was to compare the liver function parameters, and demographic, clinical, and laboratory results between survivors and non-survivors of COVID-19.

 This was a retrospective-prospective cohort study conducted at Universal Hospital in Sudan. The Study included 80 cases of coronaviruse infected patients, of them 43 (53.7%) were female and 37 (46.3%) were male. A structured questionnaire was used to collect demographic, clinical, and results of liver function tests on the first day of admission. Patients were divided into survivors (treated and discharged) and non-survivors (died) groups, according to their outcomes. The analysis of the questionnaire was done using SPSS version 25.

 Out of the 80 coronaviruse infected patients, 35 (43.8%) were survivors while the remaining 45 (56.2%) were non-survivors. The results revealed a significant increase in the mean levels of AST (p. value= 0.001), ALT (p. value= 0.047), and decreased levels of Albumin (p. value= 0.009) in the Non-survivor group compared to the survivors' group. The regression analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between AST (p value =0.04) and albumin (p value=0.02) with COVID-19 death. In the Receiver Operation Curve (ROC) analysis, the Area Under the Curve (AUC) value of the AST was 0.70 (p=0.002) with sensitivity and specificity of 73% and 66%, respectively.

 The Study concluded that baseline AST level was significantly correlated with the mortality of COVID-19 patients.

 Road traffic accidents and high-energy injuries are the leading cause of distal tibial metaphyseal fractures. The management of tibial fractures remains controversial despite advances in non-operative and operative care. Plates and intramedullary nails are well-accepted and effective methods, but each has been historically related to complications. The present study compared the results of displaced extra-articular distal metaphyseal tibia fractures.

 This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the department of orthopedics at R. G. Kar medical college and hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India on 27 Locking Plate the 27 Multidirectional Plate patients attending orthopedics and emergency room with a tibia fracture from January 2019 to August 2020. All patients with extra-articular distal tibial fracture without distal neurovascular deficit, closed injury, or Gustillo Anderson type 1 were included. Post-operatively, X-rays were taken of the surgical site, and a series of X-rays were taken at 4, 16, 24, and 36 weeks’ intervals. SPSS v.27 and GraphPad Prism v.5 along with statistical tests were used. P values below 0.05 were considered significant.

 In Locking Plate, 8(29.6%) patients were 21-30 years old, 10(37.0%) patients were 31-40 years old, and 9(33.3%) patients were 41-50 years old. In Multidirectional Nail, 6(22.2%) patients were 21-30 years old, 11(40.7%) patients were 31-40 years old, and 10(37.0%) patients were 41-50 years old. The Association of age with group was not statistically significant (p=0.8245). In Locking Plate, 11(40.7%) patients were female, and 16(59.3%) were male. In Multidirectional Nail, 10(37.0%) patients were female, and 17(63.0%) patients were male. The Association of sex with group was also not statistically significant (p=0.7801).

 We found that Fair outcome was more in Multidirectional Nails compared to Locking Plate for the AAOS Lower limb questionnaire at four weeks, which was not statistically significant. It was found that the excellent outcome was more in Multidirectional Nails compared to Locking Plate for the AAOS Lower limb questionnaire at five weeks, which was not statistically significant.

 Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major global health issue in the modern era. Type 2 DM is the most common form and accounts for 90%. DM is identified to have a prothrombotic tendency, and the causative agent involved in this process might be the hyperactivity of the platelets. This study is intended to assess mean platelet volume in diabetes mellitus patients as well as the correlation between HbA1c and Mean Platelet Volume (MPV) in prediabetic, diabetic, and normoglycemic status.

 This was a prospective study conducted in the department of pathology, Hassan Institute of Medical Science, Hassan, India for a period of 3 months, from May 2022 to July 2022. The total sample size of this study was 600, which included 200 cases of diabetes, 200 patients with prediabetic status, and 200 subjects with normoglycemic levels. Diabetic, prediabetic, and normoglycemic status was confirmed by reviewing the medical records. Cases with abnormal hematocrit, abnormal platelet values, and chemotherapy patients were excluded from the study. Data was compiled and statistically analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2021. 

 The most common age group to have DM was 41 to 50 years, followed by 61 to 70 years. There is gender predilection in DM. The majority of people with diabetes have MPV between 8.01 to 10.00 fL. However, the majority of non-diabetics have MPV below eight fL.

 MPV is found to be higher in the people with diabetes when compared to prediabetics and non-diabetics. Also, HbA1c and MPV are positively correlated. Hence MPV and HbA1c can be used as markers of poor glycemic control and associated complications of diabetes.

 Alpelisib and Ursolic acid are two compounds that have been shown to have potential as anti-cancer agents. Alpelisib is a selective inhibitor of the PI3K pathway, while Ursolic acid is a natural pentacyclic triterpene compound found in various plants that reveals anti-cancer, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics. The hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) is a transcription factor that plays a key role in regulating tumor cell survival, apoptosis, tumorigenesis and growth in low-oxygen environments. This study aims to determine the effects of Ursolic acid and Alpelisib on the expression of HIF1α gene on 4T1 cell line.

 In the current experimental study, IC50 concentrations of both Ursolic acid and Alpelisib were determined on 4T1 cells. Then cells were treated with determined IC50 concentrations of Ursolic acid, Alpelisib and the combination of half of the IC50 concentration of both drugs for 24 hours. After the treatment, viability was assessed with MTT assay and the expression of HIF1α gene was appraised by Real-time PCR. Finally, statistical analysis was accomplished by ANOVA using GraphPad Prism 8.4 software.

 The results of this study showed that the anti-proliferative effect of the drug combination was synergistic and concentration-dependent. The maximum decrease (74.17 % with UA and 64.04 % with Alp) in viability was observed in high doses of treatment with drugs. IC50 values of Ursolic acid and Alpelisib were 168.314 µM and 6.377 µM, respectively. Based on the real-time PCR results, HIF1α gene expression was significantly decreased in both single- treatment and combination groups, compared to the control group (P<0.05).

 The results of this study showed that both Alpelisib and Ursolic acid alone or in combination with each other could have anti-cancer effects by reducing HIF1α gene expression. Further studies are needed to determine the efficacy and safety of these compounds in vivo.

 This study aimed to determine the significance of immunohistochemistry (IHC) and its correlation using HER-2/NEU and cytokeratins in a histopathologic study of GI neoplasms.

 This retrospective- prospective study was conducted on 50 gastric biopsies along with patient details and stained with H and E method for histopathology. Immunohistochemistry with HER-2/NEU, cytokeratin-7 and cytokeratin-20 were also done.

 60% were males among total sample size. Adenocarcinoma prevalence was 76%, followed by mucinous adenocarcinoma in 10%, signet cell ring cell carcinoma in 6%, and mixed adeno-neuroendocrine tumor in 4%. Sarcoma and papillary adenocarcinoma contributed to 2% each. Among study population, 60% were of grade II, 32% were of grade III, and 6% were of grade I. Low-grade sarcoma was present in 2%. Well differentiated tumors were 6%, moderately differentiated tumors were 60%, and poorly differentiated tumors were 32%.  Among study population, 16% were positive for Her 2 neu, 20% were positive for CK7, and CK20 was positive in 28%, respectively. Among the study population, 2.63% of adenocarcinomas, all of mixed adeno-neuroendocrine, 60% of mucinous adenocarcinomas, and 66.66% of signet ring cell carcinomas were positive for Her2neu. 18.42% of adenocarcinomas, 50% of mixed adeno-neuroendocrine and 66.66% of signet ring cell carcinomas were positive for CK7. 21.05% of adenocarcinomas, all of mucinous adenocarcinomas, and 33.33% of signet ring cell carcinomas were positive for CK20.

 16% were positive for Her 2 neu, 20% were positive for CK7, and CK20 was positive among 28%. There was no correlation between the histopathology status and receptor positivity.