International Biological and Biomedical Journal
Volume:4 Issue: 2, Spring 2018

It has been shown that nosocomial infections or hospital acquired infections are recurrent problems, identified chiefly in intensive care facilities, surgical, and medical wards. In Trinidad and Tobago information on nosocomial infections are lacking. Within the period 1992-1995, 7,158 nosocomial infections were documented from 72,532 patients (10.0/100 admissions). In Europe, incidences vary from 1% for all types of nosocomial infections and up to 23.6% in pediatric intensive care units. In the United States of America, the center for disease control and prevention calculated approximately 1.7 million nosocomial infections from all types of microorganisms resulting in 99,000 deaths annually. In this literature review we report the latest information on nosocomial infections affecting the skin and soft tissue, the urinary tract, the respiratory tract, bloodstream, and central nervous system. Risk factors, antibiotic resistance, and management of some infections are also discussed.

An increasing number of studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of flagellin (FliC) as an adjuvant. In this study, FliC(s) from Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli were compared. In silico studies were designed to determine physicochemical parameters of FliC from different bacteria. The fliC gene corresponding to best model was amplified, cloned and expressed into pET28a vector. Bioactivity of the protein was determined by measurement of the interleukin 8 in cell culture after interaction of FliC with TLR-5. According to in silico studies, FliC of S. typhimorium has a higher quality of physiochemical properties, and more affinity to TLR-5 than the other FliCs. SDS-PAGE showed an approximately 54 kDa band, and Western blot confirmed the presence of recombinant protein. IL-8 was expressed significantly in cell culture under S. typhimorium FliC induction. Considering side effects, and costs of conventional adjuvants, FliC can be introduced as a potent natural adjuvant in future studies. In silico studies can save time and cost, and screen potent proteins.

Oxidative stress has been suggested to contribute to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Increased oxidative stress is the result of either an increased production of free radicals or a depletion of the endogenous antioxidants. However, whether this imbalance of oxidant-antioxidant status in schizophrenia is integral to disease itself or the effect of antipsychotic drugs is not clearly understood. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of olanzapine and risperidone on oxidative stress, and anti oxidant status. A total of 179 patients were enrolled, and 93 of them completed the study. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) were measured for oxidative stress assessment. Plasma levels of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and α-tocopherol (vitamin E) were measured for anti-oxidant status evaluation. All patients were studied at baseline, and after 3 months treatment with olanzapine or risperidone. 30 apparently healthy people were taken as control. The schizophrenia group presented higher levels of oxidative stress than the control group, as revealed by elevated quantities of the pro-oxidant MDA, and decreased levels of the antioxidants GSH, plasma α-tocopherol and ascorbic acid (P

Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience significant impairments in social interaction, poor planning, decision making, timing and motor skills which impact on their daily activities of living and ability to access the health care services. Early research on ASD primarily focused on children with service provision for adults is still in its infancy. The current treatment for adults with ASD is complex, considering the diverse etiology and characteristics. In this study, a 25-year-old male diagnosed with ASD at the age of 7 years underwent intrathecal autologous bone marrow derived mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) administration, followed by neurorehabilitation. Following six months of cell therapy, the patient showed improvement in concentration, attention, command following, sitting tolerance, social interactions, eye contact, and memory. His Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), Indian Scale of Assessment of Autism (ISAA), Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores improved from 36 to 34, 87 to 78, and 65 to 78, respectively. As compared to pre-intervention, brain 18F-FDG PET/CT scan showed improvement in supramarginal gyrus, thalamus, basal ganglia, medial temporal cortex and cerebellum. This study suggests the efficacy of autologous BMMNCs in addressing the core neurodeficits of adult ASD, and thereby improving the quality of life.

Salivary gland neoplasms account for 0.5-2% of all tumors worldwide, and can display a remarkable range of morphological diversity between different tumor types. The aim of this retrospective study was to present the clinico-pathologic characteristics of salivary gland neoplasms in a tertiary referral hospital in northwest region of Nigeria. Clinical and histopathological records of patients with salivary gland lesions that presented to the department of Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery only, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto, between January 2013 to December 2017, was evaluated. Data concerning age, gender, location and type of salivary gland lesion, and histologic subtypes were collected. A total of 76 cases of salivary gland neoplasms were retrieved and analyzed. There were 35 (46.1%) males and 41 (53.9%) females with M:F of 1.2:1. Mean±SD age of 31.04±18.9, and range 1-73 years was observed. 53 (69.7%) cases were benign while 23 (30.3%) were malignant. Most of the benign and malignant cases were seen in the 4th decade of life. 23 (30.3%) lesions were seen in the parotid gland with 18 (23.7%) benign and 5 (6.6%) malignant. In the minor salivary glands, 15 (19.7%) lesions were observed in the palate with 4 (5.3%) benign and 11 (14.5%) malignant. Of the benign cases, pleomorphic adenoma was the most frequent 41 (53.9%) while mucoepidermoid carcinoma was the most occurring malignant case (12 (15.8%)). A distribution ratio of 1.9:1.3:1:2.2 for parotid, submandibular, sublingual, and minor salivary gland neoplasms was encountered. The peak incidences of benign and malignant tumors were in the 4th decade, which is different from Caucasians.

Earthworms possess antioxidant, antibacterial, antitumor, and hemolytic properties. To recognize the molecules responsible for various biological activities of earthworm’s coelomic fluid, a detailed knowledge about its protein contents is required. The aim of this study was to characterize the proteins present within the coelomic fluid of Eisenia foetida earthworm. Polyacrylamide-gel-electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) were carried out. Several proteins with molecular masses varying from 10 to 150 kDa were further separated from the coelomic fluid of Eisenia Foetida. The biological activities of the coelomic fluid could be mediated by these proteins.

Mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIC (MPSIIIC) is a rare subtype of mucopolysaccharidosis disorder family caused by mutations in heparan-alpha-glucosaminide N-acetyltransferase (HGSNAT) gene. MPSIIIC is subdivided into four subtypes which have overlapping features, and are indistinguishable at clinical level. In populations with high consanguineous marriage rate, homozygosity mapping can be a good choice for finding a disease locus. Herein we report a female patient with a novel mutation in HGSNAT gene in Iranian population. Clinical diagnosis was accomplished based on clinical manifestations, and urine biochemical analysis. Homozygosity mapping was performed using SNP- array technology to narrow down the candidate locus. All coding exons of HGSNAT were scanned by direct DNA sequencing. We found a novel ins/del mutation as c.1357TA>C. This mutation is a frameshift which eventually leads to premature protein truncation. To the best of our knowledge this is the first case report of Sanfilippo type C in Iranian population. This result also supports the applicability of homozygosity mapping to the diagnosis of Sanfilippo subtype.

Recent pre-clinical and clinical studies have revealed the C-reactive protein gene (CRP) is related to the degree of acute rise in plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Moreover, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CRP gene could associate with increased risk of cancer, atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, obstructive pulmonary disease, periodontitis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and cardiovascular (CV) diseases. Less is known about the role of variabilities of circulating levels of CRP due to SNPs as an individual biological marker of CV risk and poor clinical outcomes due to CV reasons. The results of clinical trials and some meat-analysis are controversial in this issue. The short commentary is depicted the possible role of SNPs in CRP gene as a personified biological marker of CV risk. It has concluded that the inconsistent results in determination of the predictive role of SNPs in CRP gene as a biological marker of CV disease and CV events require more investigations.