Infectious disorders drug targets最新文献

Bee venoms are well-known for their important biological activities. More specifically, the venom of Apis mellifera syriaca was shown to exhibit various biological effects, including antimicrobial effects. It is suggested that the anti-microbial effect of venom could be accompanied by an immunomodulatory response in the host favoring anti-inflammatory responses. Thus, in this work, we investigated, for the first time, the immunomodulatory effects of A. mellifera syriaca venom in mice. Firstly, it was found that this venom exhibited mild toxicity in BALB/c mice after intraperitoneal injection with an LD50 of 3.8 mg/kg. We then investigated its immunomodulatory effects by evaluating the splenic levels of both pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in mice by ELISA. Interestingly, at 1 mg/kg, A. mellifera syriaca venom induced a decrease in IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-4, and IL-10 at 24h postinjection. At a higher dose (3 mg/kg), an increase in IFN-γ and IL-4 levels was observed, while the levels of TNF-α and IL-10 remained low compared to the control. Altogether, these preliminary data suggest that A. mellifera syriaca venom exhibits anti-inflammatory effects at a sublethal dose (1 mg/kg), while at a higher dose (3 mg/kg), it induces inflammatory effects.

Background: Genital tuberculosis (GTB) is a common form of extra-pulmonary TB with cervical TB being a rare entity accounting for 0.1-0.65% of all TB cases globally. It is usually asymptomatic but may present with infertility, menstrual irregularities, dyspareunia, dysmenorrhoea, or vaginal discharge.

Case presentation: The present case report briefs about a 39 years old nulliparous infertile woman who presented with complaints of irregular menstrual cycles and amenorrhea with an erosive papillary growth over the cervix simulating invasive cervical carcinoma. Her Pap smear report revealed the presence of granulomas. On cervical punch biopsy also a large number of granulomas were seen and on Ziehl Nielsen staining the diagnosis of TB was further confirmed by the presence of acid-fast rodlike bacilli. The patient responded well to anti-tubercular drugs.

Discussion: GTB in most of the cases remains asymptomatic with infertility being the most common presenting complaint. Other symptoms include menstrual irregularities, amenorrhoea, dysmenorrhoea, dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain, and occasionally abnormal vaginal discharge. Tuberculous cervicitis is difficult to diagnose clinically and many times mimics cervical malignancy.

Result and conclusion: Hence, cervical tuberculosis should be kept in the differential diagnosis of cervical cancer especially in an infertile woman from a developing country.

The monkeypox virus (MPXV), belonging to the genus Orthopoxvirus, is responsible for causing the zoonotic illness known as Monkeypox. The virus was initially identified during an outbreak at a Danish Zoo in 1958 and has since been found to infect various mammal species worldwide. While African squirrels and other rodents are believed to be the primary hosts, determining the natural host has proven challenging. While MPXV can be studied using different animal models in laboratory settings, understanding its natural transmission routes remains complex and species-dependent. Recent developments have elevated the global health concern surrounding Monkeypox, leading to its designation as a Global Health Emergency of International Concern on 23 July 2022. Enhancing surveillance and case detection is crucial in navigating the unpredictable epidemiology of this re-emerging disease. Human infections with the monkeypox virus are becoming less frequent due to population growth and economic improvements. Monkeypox, similar to smallpox, can potentially be controlled and eradicated in the future through vaccines, appropriate treatment, and personal protective equipment.

Shigella infection is commonly related to diarrhea and has been a noteworthy source of morbidity and mortality worldwide. There is a wide range of symptoms associated with these contagious microorganisms, from watery diarrhea to fulminant dysentery manifesting with recurrent bloody stools, fever, and prostration. While the mortality rate from Shigellosis has decreased significantly during the past three decades, it remains a principal cause of death in the world. The use of antibiotics in Shigella treatment remarkably lowers the mortality rates and even the prevalence of the infection. However, strains are becoming increasingly resistant, while antibiotics are becoming increasingly ineffective. Shigella species, which were previously susceptible to common antibiotics such as nalidixic acid, co-trimoxazole, chloramphenicol, and ampicillin, have become resistant to cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones and macrolides like azithromycin. These strains have caused many Shigellosis outbreaks. Men who have had sex with men (MSM) and travelers have contributed to the spreading of multiresistant Shigella strains across continents, which has prompted new antibiotic recommendations. People should be informed about the threat of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, so a periodic report of antibiotic susceptibility after analysis is essential for antibiotic treatment guidance. The present study provides a brief overview of the pathogenicity of Shigella spp., and the antibiotic resistance patterns of two common Shigella species during the last seven years in Iran were evaluated.

Positive strides have been achieved in developing vaccines to combat the coronavirus-2019 infection (COVID-19) pandemic. Still, the outline of variations, particularly the most current delta divergent, has posed significant health encounters for people. Therefore, developing strong treatment strategies, such as an anti-COVID-19 medicine plan, may help deal with the pandemic more effectively. During the COVID-19 pandemic, some drug design techniques were effectively used to develop and substantiate relevant critical medications. Extensive research, both experimental and computational, has been dedicated to comprehending and characterizing the devastating COVID-19 disease. The urgency of the situation has led to the publication of over 130,000 COVID-19-related research papers in peer-reviewed journals and preprint servers. A significant focus of these efforts has been the identification of novel drug candidates and the repurposing of existing drugs to combat the virus. Many projects have utilized computational or computer-aided approaches to facilitate their studies. In this overview, we will explore the key computational methods and their applications in the discovery of small-molecule therapeutics for COVID-19, as reported in the research literature. We believe that the true effectiveness of computational tools lies in their ability to provide actionable and experimentally testable hypotheses, which in turn facilitate the discovery of new drugs and combinations thereof. Additionally, we recognize that open science and the rapid sharing of research findings are vital in expediting the development of much-needed therapeutics for COVID-19.

Background: Few studies investigated the relationship between toxoplasmosis and sleep disorders. Sleep disorders can lead to suicidal behavior and traffic accidents. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to collect information and investigate the possible relationship between Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) and sleep disorders.

Methods: To achieve the goal of the present study, five English databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest) were systematically searched for related studies from their inception until October 18, 2022. The obtained articles were screened based on the title, abstract and full text. Then, the quality of the papers investigating the relationship between toxoplasmosis and sleep disorders was evaluated, and finally, the data from the relevant studies were extracted in a Microsoft Excel data sheet.

Results: Eight articles (4 case-control and 4 cross-sectional studies) were entered in this systematic review containing 926 patients with sleep disorders and 1877 people without sleep disorders in casecontrol studies, out of which 212 (22.89%) and 392 (20.88%) individuals were positive for anti-T. gondii IgG antibody using different serological methods. Also, 2885 people with sleep disorders were investigated for anti-T. gondii IgG antibody in cross-sectional studies, out of which 1559 (54.03%) cases were positive.

Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that T. gondii infection may be a risk factor for sleep disorders. However, the number of related studies is small, and there are contradictions in the findings of these articles. Therefore, further studies are necessary to clarify the possible association between T. gondii infections and sleep disorders.

Severe antifungal infections, especially opportunistic fungal infections, are increasing tremendously in immunocompromised patients. This is basically because more patients enduring neoplastic diseases lead to the wide use of chemotherapy, thus causing immunosuppression. Patients with HIV infection, burns, pancreatitis and neutropenia are also amenable to fungal infections. Out of a plethora of antifungal drugs applied, Amphotericin B, being a broad-spectrum antimicrobial drug, has been the gold standard treatment for a diverse variety of fungal infections since the 1950s and visceral leishmaniasis since the 1960s. However, Amphotericin B has major constraints of poor bioavailability and kidney toxicity, due to which newer antifungal compounds are being used. This article discusses fungal and parasitic diseases and formulations for treating these ailments.

Introduction This study focused on estimating the probability of survival and the specific time to survival from COVID-19 among patients who had COVID-19 in Osun state, Nigeria. Also, we examined some factors associated with the time to survival among COVID-19 patients in Osun state, Nigeria. Methods The retrospective data of 2596 records of COVID-19 patients in Osun state were analysed in this study. The outcome variable was the "COVID-19 treatment outcome (survived=1, dead=0)". The time date used in the survival analysis was treatment duration (in days). The explanatory variables were demographic characteristics, type of health facility, vaccination status, symptoms, and mode of admission. The descriptive statistics was computed and presented. Kaplan Meier was used to estimate the median time to survival. Bivariate analysis and multivariate analysis were done using the Log-Rank test and Cox regression, respectively. P values were set at P<0.05. Results The mean age was observed to be 40 (SD=17.51) years, ranging from mostly, 2 months to 98 years old. More (56.1%) of the participants were males. Most (99.5%) of them were Nigerians. Only 1.4% were vaccinated. The survival rate from COVID-19 was 98.1% in Osun State. The median time for survival was 14 (IQR= 14- 16) days. COVID-19 reduces as the number of days for being on treatment increases. Unvaccinated (HR=0.93, 95%CI: 0.43-2.03) and those whose vaccination status was unknown (HR=0.52, 95%CI: 0.37-0.74) were less likely to survive COVID-19 diseases. Conclusion The Survival rate was high, the observed median time to survival was 14 days, and the probability of survival reduces as the number of days of being on treatment for COVID-19 increases. Also, gender, vaccination, type of care, and ethnicity were associated with survival time. Similarly, unvaccinated and inpatients were less likely to rapidly survive COVID-19. This study recommends that the COVID-19 vaccine should be encouraged among patients who have the COVID-19 virus. Also, home care may be further explored to assess its effectiveness in caring for COVID-19 patients. In the same vein, COVID-19 data capturing, and databases need strengthening in Nigeria.