Rhea Michelle J Khodabux, Shanthi Mariappan, Uma Sekar
Background Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a widely recognized multidrug-resistant bacteria presenting a major therapeutic challenge to clinicians. Staphylococcus aureus possesses a number of pathogenicity factors that attribute to the severity of infections. This study was undertaken to investigate the common virulence genes in clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus , determine their antimicrobial susceptibility profile, and to characterize the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) types among MRSA in a tertiary care center. Materials and Methods A total of 133 clinical isolates were included in this study. Susceptibility to various antibiotics was determined by disc diffusion method. Methicillin resistance was screened using cefoxitin disc; m ecA and mecC genes were detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR was done to detect 12 virulence factors such as hla , hlb , fnbA , fnbB , sea , seb , sec , icaA , clfA , tst , pvl, and eta . SCCmec typing was done by multiplex PCR. Results Of the 133 clinical isolates, 54 (40.6%) were MRSA. The most common virulence gene detected was hlb (61.6%), hla (39%), and fnbA (37%). SCCmec type I was the most predominant. Mortality rate of 6.7% was observed among patients with staphylococcal infections. Univariate analysis of mortality associated virulence genes did not reveal any significant association between virulence genes and mortality. Conclusion The distribution of virulence genes is similar in both MRSA and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus . MRSA belongs to the SCCmec types I to IV. Possession of multiple virulence factors and multidrug resistance profile makes Staphylococcus aureus a formidable pathogen in clinical settings.
{"title":"Spectrum of Virulence Factors in Clinical Isolates of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and Prevalence of SCCmec Types in Methicillin-Resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> in a Tertiary Care Center.","authors":"Rhea Michelle J Khodabux, Shanthi Mariappan, Uma Sekar","doi":"10.1055/s-0043-1764483","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-1764483","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background</b> Methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA) is a widely recognized multidrug-resistant bacteria presenting a major therapeutic challenge to clinicians. <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> possesses a number of pathogenicity factors that attribute to the severity of infections. This study was undertaken to investigate the common virulence genes in clinical isolates of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> , determine their antimicrobial susceptibility profile, and to characterize the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) types among MRSA in a tertiary care center. <b>Materials and Methods</b> A total of 133 clinical isolates were included in this study. Susceptibility to various antibiotics was determined by disc diffusion method. Methicillin resistance was screened using cefoxitin disc; m <i>ecA</i> and <i>mecC</i> genes were detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR was done to detect 12 virulence factors such as <i>hla</i> , <i>hlb</i> , <i>fnbA</i> , <i>fnbB</i> , <i>sea</i> , <i>seb</i> , <i>sec</i> , <i>icaA</i> , <i>clfA</i> , <i>tst</i> , <i>pvl,</i> and <i>eta</i> . SCCmec typing was done by multiplex PCR. <b>Results</b> Of the 133 clinical isolates, 54 (40.6%) were MRSA. The most common virulence gene detected was <i>hlb</i> (61.6%), <i>hla</i> (39%), and <i>fnbA</i> (37%). SCCmec type I was the most predominant. Mortality rate of 6.7% was observed among patients with staphylococcal infections. Univariate analysis of mortality associated virulence genes did not reveal any significant association between virulence genes and mortality. <b>Conclusion</b> The distribution of virulence genes is similar in both MRSA and methicillin-sensitive <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> . MRSA belongs to the SCCmec types I to IV. Possession of multiple virulence factors and multidrug resistance profile makes <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> a formidable pathogen in clinical settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":16149,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Laboratory Physicians","volume":"15 3","pages":"450-461"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/e8/e7/10-1055-s-0043-1764483.PMC10411210.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9969637","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The entire editorial team of Journal of Laboratory Physicians (JLP) is pleased to share our happiness after receiving the maiden impact factor of 1.1 for the years 2020 to 2021, announced by Clarivate on June 29, 2023. I am also happy that the JLP has been put in the third quartile in its first evaluation by the Clarivate, which is very good rank for a journal that is only 13 years old. This encourages me to devote more time on the articles submitted to the journal. The journey of the journal has been smooth in the beginning getting PubMed indexing from very first issue. However, we could not have impact factor for several years, whichwas also due to my other commitments in those years. Nevertheless, we never had dearth of good articles. The journal published some outstanding research articles and a few highly citable reviewarticles in past years. Some of these review articles on hepatitis B virus (HBV), Quorum sensing, and Brucellosis have been cited more than 140 to 235 times.1–4 It is most satisfying that not only review articles but also several original studies carried in India and published in the JLP have been cited extensively, some of them more than 200 to 300 times, for example, work done by Kodiatte et al on mean platelet volume and diabetes5 and pancytopenia.6 The journal continues to receive good-to-very good original articles and some review articles also. Through this editorial we invite senior authors to submit good review articles on timely and relevant topics from any part of the world, which may be significant globally or regionally. The journal will be happy to consider articles submitted from resource-limited countries more sympathetically. A recent systematic review meta-analysis on prevalence of HBV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in β-thalassemia patients from Pakistan presented astonishingly very high (29.79%) prevalence of HCV, as compared with HBV (4.13%) infection.7 During coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic also we had outstanding flow of articles on varied medical specialities. Most of these have attracted attention of readers. In March 2023 issue of JLP we have an excellent review article on prevalence of soil-transmitted helminthic infections in the pediatric population in India by Chopra et al.8 In this review article, authors have estimated the pooled prevalence of soil-transmitted helminthic infections in India in the pediatric age group (<18 years) and assessed the associated risk factors. They found a prevalence of ascariasis ranging from 0.8 to 91% and prevalence of Trichuris trichiura ranging from 0.3 to 72%. As expected, the prevalence of hookworm was low ranging from 0.2 to 80%. Two most important risk factors were open defecation practices and washing hands without soap. The message was clear that intestinal parasitic infections have clear association with personal hygiene and safe drinking water. Another interesting study published in the same issue was on cystic echinococcosis,9 which shows that in
{"title":"Maiden Impact Factor to <i>Journal of Laboratory Physicians</i> : An Encouragement for Editors and Authors.","authors":"Sarman Singh","doi":"10.1055/s-0043-1771389","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-1771389","url":null,"abstract":"The entire editorial team of Journal of Laboratory Physicians (JLP) is pleased to share our happiness after receiving the maiden impact factor of 1.1 for the years 2020 to 2021, announced by Clarivate on June 29, 2023. I am also happy that the JLP has been put in the third quartile in its first evaluation by the Clarivate, which is very good rank for a journal that is only 13 years old. This encourages me to devote more time on the articles submitted to the journal. The journey of the journal has been smooth in the beginning getting PubMed indexing from very first issue. However, we could not have impact factor for several years, whichwas also due to my other commitments in those years. Nevertheless, we never had dearth of good articles. The journal published some outstanding research articles and a few highly citable reviewarticles in past years. Some of these review articles on hepatitis B virus (HBV), Quorum sensing, and Brucellosis have been cited more than 140 to 235 times.1–4 It is most satisfying that not only review articles but also several original studies carried in India and published in the JLP have been cited extensively, some of them more than 200 to 300 times, for example, work done by Kodiatte et al on mean platelet volume and diabetes5 and pancytopenia.6 The journal continues to receive good-to-very good original articles and some review articles also. Through this editorial we invite senior authors to submit good review articles on timely and relevant topics from any part of the world, which may be significant globally or regionally. The journal will be happy to consider articles submitted from resource-limited countries more sympathetically. A recent systematic review meta-analysis on prevalence of HBV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in β-thalassemia patients from Pakistan presented astonishingly very high (29.79%) prevalence of HCV, as compared with HBV (4.13%) infection.7 During coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic also we had outstanding flow of articles on varied medical specialities. Most of these have attracted attention of readers. In March 2023 issue of JLP we have an excellent review article on prevalence of soil-transmitted helminthic infections in the pediatric population in India by Chopra et al.8 In this review article, authors have estimated the pooled prevalence of soil-transmitted helminthic infections in India in the pediatric age group (<18 years) and assessed the associated risk factors. They found a prevalence of ascariasis ranging from 0.8 to 91% and prevalence of Trichuris trichiura ranging from 0.3 to 72%. As expected, the prevalence of hookworm was low ranging from 0.2 to 80%. Two most important risk factors were open defecation practices and washing hands without soap. The message was clear that intestinal parasitic infections have clear association with personal hygiene and safe drinking water. Another interesting study published in the same issue was on cystic echinococcosis,9 which shows that in","PeriodicalId":16149,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Laboratory Physicians","volume":"15 3","pages":"327-328"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/3a/c1/10-1055-s-0043-1771389.PMC10411174.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9978153","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anusha Krishnaraj, Pratima Gupta, Mohit Bhatia, Balram Ji Omar
IntroductionAcinetobacter species has become a leading cause of nosocomial infections in recent years. Objectives The aim of the study was to establish the usefulness of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) for the identification of Acinetobacter species with respect to conventional biochemical methods and MicroScan WalkAway 96 Plus system and to compare the antibiotic susceptibility test results Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method with MicroScan WalkAway 96 Plus automated identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing system. Materials and Methods The study sample comprised 100 clinical isolates of Acinetobacter species. They were all identified using MALDI-TOF MS and compared with other two identification systems. Statistical Analysis Comparison of categorical variables by Fisher's exact test or Pearson's chi-square test was done. All statistical tools were two tailed, and a significant level p < 0.05 was used. All statistical tests were performed using SPSS v22.0 (Armonk IBM Corp., New York, United States). Cohen's kappa coefficients were also calculated and used as applicable. Results MALDI-TOF MS revealed 92 A. baumannii , 2 Acinetobacter nosocomialis , 3 Acinetobacter lwoffii , and 1 each was identified as Acinetobacter junii , Acinetobacter johnsonii , and Acinetobacter tandoii . There was moderate agreement between identification by MicroScan WalkAway and MALDI-TOF, and substantial agreement between conventional biochemical tests and MALDI-TOF. We found that there was a 100% categorical agreement with respect to susceptibility of aminoglycosides (amikacin, gentamicin, tobramycin) and cephalosporins (ceftazidime, cefepime, cefotaxime) between disk diffusion method and MicroScan WalkAway 96 Plus system. Total of 16 errors were observed. Conclusion Although MALDI-TOF MS could be useful to identify A. baumannii but not other species in the genus, it is a rapid, reliable method and can be routinely used in clinical laboratories.
{"title":"Role of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry for Species Identification of <i>Acinetobacter</i> Strains.","authors":"Anusha Krishnaraj, Pratima Gupta, Mohit Bhatia, Balram Ji Omar","doi":"10.1055/s-0042-1760401","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0042-1760401","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Introduction</b> <i>Acinetobacter</i> species has become a leading cause of nosocomial infections in recent years. <b>Objectives</b> The aim of the study was to establish the usefulness of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) for the identification of <i>Acinetobacter</i> species with respect to conventional biochemical methods and MicroScan WalkAway 96 Plus system and to compare the antibiotic susceptibility test results Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method with MicroScan WalkAway 96 Plus automated identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing system. <b>Materials and Methods</b> The study sample comprised 100 clinical isolates of <i>Acinetobacter</i> species. They were all identified using MALDI-TOF MS and compared with other two identification systems. <b>Statistical Analysis</b> Comparison of categorical variables by Fisher's exact test or Pearson's chi-square test was done. All statistical tools were two tailed, and a significant level <i>p</i> < 0.05 was used. All statistical tests were performed using SPSS v22.0 (Armonk IBM Corp., New York, United States). Cohen's kappa coefficients were also calculated and used as applicable. <b>Results</b> MALDI-TOF MS revealed 92 <i>A. baumannii</i> , 2 <i>Acinetobacter nosocomialis</i> , 3 <i>Acinetobacter lwoffii</i> , and 1 each was identified as <i>Acinetobacter junii</i> , <i>Acinetobacter johnsonii</i> , and <i>Acinetobacter tandoii</i> . There was moderate agreement between identification by MicroScan WalkAway and MALDI-TOF, and substantial agreement between conventional biochemical tests and MALDI-TOF. We found that there was a 100% categorical agreement with respect to susceptibility of aminoglycosides (amikacin, gentamicin, tobramycin) and cephalosporins (ceftazidime, cefepime, cefotaxime) between disk diffusion method and MicroScan WalkAway 96 Plus system. Total of 16 errors were observed. <b>Conclusion</b> Although MALDI-TOF MS could be useful to identify <i>A. baumannii</i> but not other species in the genus, it is a rapid, reliable method and can be routinely used in clinical laboratories.</p>","PeriodicalId":16149,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Laboratory Physicians","volume":"15 3","pages":"336-343"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/14/06/10-1055-s-0042-1760401.PMC10411205.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10349978","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract Introduction Asymptomatic microcytosis may be a prelude to microcytic hypochromic anemia of varied causes. Evaluation of red cell indices may help delineate cases needing further investigation like hemoglobin high-performance liquid chromatography (Hb-HPLC). In addition, markers of iron homeostasis will help confirm iron-deficient erythropoiesis (IDE)/iron deficiency anemia (IDA). Materials and Methods This was a single institutional hospital-based study over a period of 18 months. The sample size was 60, which include all age groups, males and females, and values of mean corpuscular volume (MCV) < 80 fL, Hb ≥ 10g/dL were taken as the inclusion criteria. Various derived red cell indices, Hb-HPLC, and iron parameters were assessed. Hb-HPLC and serum ferritin with transferrin saturation (TSAT) values were taken as the gold standard for diagnosis of hemoglobinopathies/thalassemia trait and IDA/IDE, respectively. Results Out of 60 samples, 24 (40%) and 36 (60%) had abnormal and normal proportion of Hb variants, respectively. In total, seven indices were evaluated, which included Mentzer's index, red cell distribution width index, Ehsani's index, Sirdah's formula, Matos–Carvalho index, Shine and Lal index, and Sehgal's index. The Shine and Lal index showed better sensitivity (89%) and specificity (73%) for diagnosing pure thalassemia trait. The Sirdah index showed better sensitivity (78%) and specificity (42%) in diagnosing IDE/IDA. Ferritin showed better sensitivity (74%) and specificity (84%) in diagnosing pure IDA and TSAT showed better results in diagnosing IDA/IDE. Conclusion The Shine and Lal index and Mentzer index can be used as screening tools and help detect subjects who require appropriate follow-up with confirmation by Hb-HPLC. Serum ferritin remains the gold standard for diagnosis of IDA.
{"title":"Utility of Red Blood Cell Parameters and Indices of Iron Homeostasis in Evaluation of Microcytosis without Anemia or with Mild Anemia: A Diagnostic Accuracy Study","authors":"Paruvathavarthini Thambiraj, N. Nanda, R. Kar","doi":"10.1055/s-0043-1774293","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-1774293","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Introduction Asymptomatic microcytosis may be a prelude to microcytic hypochromic anemia of varied causes. Evaluation of red cell indices may help delineate cases needing further investigation like hemoglobin high-performance liquid chromatography (Hb-HPLC). In addition, markers of iron homeostasis will help confirm iron-deficient erythropoiesis (IDE)/iron deficiency anemia (IDA). Materials and Methods This was a single institutional hospital-based study over a period of 18 months. The sample size was 60, which include all age groups, males and females, and values of mean corpuscular volume (MCV) < 80 fL, Hb ≥ 10g/dL were taken as the inclusion criteria. Various derived red cell indices, Hb-HPLC, and iron parameters were assessed. Hb-HPLC and serum ferritin with transferrin saturation (TSAT) values were taken as the gold standard for diagnosis of hemoglobinopathies/thalassemia trait and IDA/IDE, respectively. Results Out of 60 samples, 24 (40%) and 36 (60%) had abnormal and normal proportion of Hb variants, respectively. In total, seven indices were evaluated, which included Mentzer's index, red cell distribution width index, Ehsani's index, Sirdah's formula, Matos–Carvalho index, Shine and Lal index, and Sehgal's index. The Shine and Lal index showed better sensitivity (89%) and specificity (73%) for diagnosing pure thalassemia trait. The Sirdah index showed better sensitivity (78%) and specificity (42%) in diagnosing IDE/IDA. Ferritin showed better sensitivity (74%) and specificity (84%) in diagnosing pure IDA and TSAT showed better results in diagnosing IDA/IDE. Conclusion The Shine and Lal index and Mentzer index can be used as screening tools and help detect subjects who require appropriate follow-up with confirmation by Hb-HPLC. Serum ferritin remains the gold standard for diagnosis of IDA.","PeriodicalId":16149,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Laboratory Physicians","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49223266","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Poonam Sharma, Sarath Krishnan M P, Amit Gupta, Sweety Gupta, R. Saxena, A. Mirza, B. Goyal
Abstract Objectives Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) are proinflammatory cytokines that play a major role in tumorigenesis. These biomarkers are relatively unexplored in gallbladder cancer (GBC) for their diagnostic and prognostic utility. Material and Methods A total of 40 healthy controls and 40 GBC patients were recruited. Serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels were measured, and their diagnostic utility was analyzed using the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. The relationship between clinicopathological variables and serum tumor markers (CEA, CA125, and CA19-9) in identifying GBC patients was also assessed. Results Serum IL-6 and TNF-α expression were significantly higher in the GBC group (for both IL-6 and TNF-α, p = 0.0001) than in healthy controls. ROC analysis revealed that the areas under the curve for serum IL-6 and TNF-α were 0.89 and 0.71, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity for serum IL-6 were 82.5 and 97.5%, respectively, at an optimal cutoff value of 10.34 pg/mL; for TNF-α, they were 40.0 and 100%, respectively, at a cutoff value of 0.24 pg/mL. There was also a significant difference in serum IL-6 levels between the resectable and nonresectable GBC groups. Serum IL-6 showed a positive correlation with CA125 ( r = 0.34, p < 0.05), while no correlation was observed between serum TNF-α and serum tumor markers (CEA, CA125, and CA19-9). Conclusion Serum IL-6 may serve as a diagnostic marker and a predictor of resectability, and it can be used in conjunction with other serum tumor markers in GBC.
{"title":"Serum Levels of Interleukin-6 and Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha in Diagnosis and Prognosis of Gallbladder Cancer: A Pilot Study","authors":"Poonam Sharma, Sarath Krishnan M P, Amit Gupta, Sweety Gupta, R. Saxena, A. Mirza, B. Goyal","doi":"10.1055/s-0043-1772772","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-1772772","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Objectives Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) are proinflammatory cytokines that play a major role in tumorigenesis. These biomarkers are relatively unexplored in gallbladder cancer (GBC) for their diagnostic and prognostic utility. Material and Methods A total of 40 healthy controls and 40 GBC patients were recruited. Serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels were measured, and their diagnostic utility was analyzed using the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. The relationship between clinicopathological variables and serum tumor markers (CEA, CA125, and CA19-9) in identifying GBC patients was also assessed. Results Serum IL-6 and TNF-α expression were significantly higher in the GBC group (for both IL-6 and TNF-α, p = 0.0001) than in healthy controls. ROC analysis revealed that the areas under the curve for serum IL-6 and TNF-α were 0.89 and 0.71, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity for serum IL-6 were 82.5 and 97.5%, respectively, at an optimal cutoff value of 10.34 pg/mL; for TNF-α, they were 40.0 and 100%, respectively, at a cutoff value of 0.24 pg/mL. There was also a significant difference in serum IL-6 levels between the resectable and nonresectable GBC groups. Serum IL-6 showed a positive correlation with CA125 ( r = 0.34, p < 0.05), while no correlation was observed between serum TNF-α and serum tumor markers (CEA, CA125, and CA19-9). Conclusion Serum IL-6 may serve as a diagnostic marker and a predictor of resectability, and it can be used in conjunction with other serum tumor markers in GBC.","PeriodicalId":16149,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Laboratory Physicians","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45457713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract Since the COVID-19 pandemic's onset, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has displayed remarkable mutation abilities, resulting in distinct variants. Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron are major World Health Organization (WHO)-identified variants of concern. The Omicron variant and its sub-lineages dominated globally in 2022. A novel strain, EG.5.1 (Eris), originating from Omicron's XBB sub-lineage, has recently sparked a significant COVID-19 surge across continents. Detected since June 2023, EG.5.1 is linked to increased cases in Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Factors like waning immunity, overcrowding, and poor air quality contributed to its rise. This variant is likely to prevail over other circulating variants and become dominant in UK by September 2023. Surveillance of its global epidemiology and implementing preventive measures have become imperative in light of the current situation.
{"title":"Unveiling the Eris Subvariant: The Next Challenge in the COVID-19 Pandemic?","authors":"A. Kali","doi":"10.1055/s-0043-1774410","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-1774410","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Since the COVID-19 pandemic's onset, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has displayed remarkable mutation abilities, resulting in distinct variants. Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron are major World Health Organization (WHO)-identified variants of concern. The Omicron variant and its sub-lineages dominated globally in 2022. A novel strain, EG.5.1 (Eris), originating from Omicron's XBB sub-lineage, has recently sparked a significant COVID-19 surge across continents. Detected since June 2023, EG.5.1 is linked to increased cases in Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Factors like waning immunity, overcrowding, and poor air quality contributed to its rise. This variant is likely to prevail over other circulating variants and become dominant in UK by September 2023. Surveillance of its global epidemiology and implementing preventive measures have become imperative in light of the current situation.","PeriodicalId":16149,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Laboratory Physicians","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43855748","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shanmugapriya Seshatri, J. Charan, V. Tak, V. Nag, S. Varthya, S. Ambwani
Abstract Purpose Acinetobacter baumannii is a highly virulent bacteria in modern health care, with a high ability to acquire antimicrobial resistance. Carbapenemases production appears to be the most common mechanism involved in drug resistance to carbapenem. As the prevalence of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii was high in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, this study was designed to find the frequency of oxacillinases ( OXA ) genes including OXA-23 , OXA-24 , OXA-51 , and OXA-58 . Materials and Methods A clinical specimen was collected from patients admitted to the adult ICU. DNA was isolated from carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii and amplified using conventional polymerase chain reaction technique and gel electrophoresis for visualization of results. Results The frequency of the OXA-23 gene was high with 87.5%, followed by OXA-51 gene with 73.2%. All 56 isolates were negative for the OXA-24 and OXA-58 genes. We also found that both OXA-23 and OXA-51 genes coexisted in 40 (71.4%) isolates. No significant difference was found between drug-resistant genes ( OXA-23 and OXA-51 ) and clinical outcomes. The relationship between the presence of OXA gene was compared between survivors and nonsurvivors, which was found out to be nonsignificant. The presence of OXA genes showed no significant increase in the length of hospital stay. The significant association between acute physiology and chronic health evaluation IV scores and clinical outcome was calculated, and it was evident in the comparison of the discharged and died groups. Conclusion Early detection of these drug-resistant genes by molecular methods is essential in decreasing the spread of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii .
{"title":"Frequency of OXA-Type Carbapenemases among Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in Clinical Isolates from Adult Intensive Care Unit in India","authors":"Shanmugapriya Seshatri, J. Charan, V. Tak, V. Nag, S. Varthya, S. Ambwani","doi":"10.1055/s-0043-1771243","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-1771243","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Purpose Acinetobacter baumannii is a highly virulent bacteria in modern health care, with a high ability to acquire antimicrobial resistance. Carbapenemases production appears to be the most common mechanism involved in drug resistance to carbapenem. As the prevalence of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii was high in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, this study was designed to find the frequency of oxacillinases ( OXA ) genes including OXA-23 , OXA-24 , OXA-51 , and OXA-58 . Materials and Methods A clinical specimen was collected from patients admitted to the adult ICU. DNA was isolated from carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii and amplified using conventional polymerase chain reaction technique and gel electrophoresis for visualization of results. Results The frequency of the OXA-23 gene was high with 87.5%, followed by OXA-51 gene with 73.2%. All 56 isolates were negative for the OXA-24 and OXA-58 genes. We also found that both OXA-23 and OXA-51 genes coexisted in 40 (71.4%) isolates. No significant difference was found between drug-resistant genes ( OXA-23 and OXA-51 ) and clinical outcomes. The relationship between the presence of OXA gene was compared between survivors and nonsurvivors, which was found out to be nonsignificant. The presence of OXA genes showed no significant increase in the length of hospital stay. The significant association between acute physiology and chronic health evaluation IV scores and clinical outcome was calculated, and it was evident in the comparison of the discharged and died groups. Conclusion Early detection of these drug-resistant genes by molecular methods is essential in decreasing the spread of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii .","PeriodicalId":16149,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Laboratory Physicians","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45740680","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ashutosh Mishra, Anurag Singh, M. Kumar, M. Sagar, Malti Kumari, S. Qayoom, Vijay Kumar
Abstract Objectives Programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression in malignant epithelial neoplasms has been the subject of numerous studies; however, less data on its application to sarcomas are available. This research focused on the expression of PD-L1 and how it correlated with clinicopathological characteristics in soft tissue sarcomas. Materials and Methods The anti-PD-L1 antibody and Ki-67 were stained in 50 cases of sarcoma that had been confirmed by biopsy and immunohistochemistry. The tumor cell percentage with complete or incomplete membrane staining was calculated. Sarcomas were categorized as positive (>1% of tumor cells with complete or incomplete membrane staining) or negative (≤1% of tumor cells with complete or incomplete membrane staining). The data were analyzed using statistical package for Social Sciences version 21.0. Results The soft tissue sarcomas showing marked pleomorphic morphology were significantly linked to positive PD-L1 expression than other subtypes of sarcomas ( p = 0.042). Proliferation index grade III accounts for 62.5% of cases with positive PD-L1 expression, followed by proliferation index grade II with 25% cases and grade I with 12.5% cases. On comparing statistically, this difference was found to be significant ( p = 0.013). A significant association was found between PD-L1 expression and the poor outcome of follow-up ( p = 0.024). Conclusion Our study showed a significant relationship between malignant soft tissue tumor positivity for PD-L1 and pleomorphic morphology, a higher proliferation index grade, and a poorer prognosis.
{"title":"Expression of PD-L1 in Malignant Soft Tissue Neoplasm and Their Correlation with Clinicopathological Parameters","authors":"Ashutosh Mishra, Anurag Singh, M. Kumar, M. Sagar, Malti Kumari, S. Qayoom, Vijay Kumar","doi":"10.1055/s-0043-1771241","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-1771241","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Objectives Programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression in malignant epithelial neoplasms has been the subject of numerous studies; however, less data on its application to sarcomas are available. This research focused on the expression of PD-L1 and how it correlated with clinicopathological characteristics in soft tissue sarcomas. Materials and Methods The anti-PD-L1 antibody and Ki-67 were stained in 50 cases of sarcoma that had been confirmed by biopsy and immunohistochemistry. The tumor cell percentage with complete or incomplete membrane staining was calculated. Sarcomas were categorized as positive (>1% of tumor cells with complete or incomplete membrane staining) or negative (≤1% of tumor cells with complete or incomplete membrane staining). The data were analyzed using statistical package for Social Sciences version 21.0. Results The soft tissue sarcomas showing marked pleomorphic morphology were significantly linked to positive PD-L1 expression than other subtypes of sarcomas ( p = 0.042). Proliferation index grade III accounts for 62.5% of cases with positive PD-L1 expression, followed by proliferation index grade II with 25% cases and grade I with 12.5% cases. On comparing statistically, this difference was found to be significant ( p = 0.013). A significant association was found between PD-L1 expression and the poor outcome of follow-up ( p = 0.024). Conclusion Our study showed a significant relationship between malignant soft tissue tumor positivity for PD-L1 and pleomorphic morphology, a higher proliferation index grade, and a poorer prognosis.","PeriodicalId":16149,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Laboratory Physicians","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47449789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
shown greater genetic diversity among clinical isolates of Burkholderia pseudomallei and BimA Bm were signi fi cantlyassociated with sepsis and mortality
假马利氏伯克氏菌的临床分离株具有更大的遗传多样性，而BimA - Bm与败血症和死亡率显著相关
{"title":"Correlation of Variable Virulence Genes with Variable Clinical Presentations of Burkholderia pseudomallei : A Way Forward","authors":"P. Mohapatra","doi":"10.1055/s-0043-1772741","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-1772741","url":null,"abstract":"shown greater genetic diversity among clinical isolates of Burkholderia pseudomallei and BimA Bm were signi fi cantlyassociated with sepsis and mortality","PeriodicalId":16149,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Laboratory Physicians","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47376203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract A 14-year-old boy presented with left preauricular painless swelling of 10 months' duration. Local examination revealed a 3 × 2-cm, firm, nodular, nonmobile mass in the left preauricular area, just in front of tragus. Fine needle aspiration yielded paucicellular smears comprising singly scattered histiocyte/myofibroblast-like spindle cells and occasional giant cells. It was reported as benign mesenchymal lesion on cytology. Left superficial parotidectomy was performed. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis confirmed the diagnosis of nodular fasciitis (NF). It was an ill-circumscribed cellular neoplasm, abutting and focally infiltrating into otherwise normal parotid gland. The tumor comprised spindle cells arranged in short bundles and storiform pattern with interspersed osteoclast-like giant cells, foam cells, extravasated red blood cells (RBCs), and focal areas of keloidal collagenization. The cells were positive for smooth muscle actin and negative for CD34, beta-catenin, S100, and pan-cytokeratin. Final diagnosis of NF was rendered. NF can rarely involve the parotid gland or present as parotid enlargement and pose diagnostic challenge, especially on cytology. However, in appropriate clinical context, subtle cytomorphological clues such as presence of myofibroblasts and fibrocollagenous stromal fragments can help in ruling out the commonly occurring salivary gland neoplasms and offering a definitive cytodiagnosis of NF which will be helpful in deciding the further course of management.
{"title":"A Rare Case of Nodular Fasciitis Presenting as a Parotid Tumor: Clues to Cytodiagnosis","authors":"S. Palo, C. Gargade","doi":"10.1055/s-0043-1771242","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-1771242","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract A 14-year-old boy presented with left preauricular painless swelling of 10 months' duration. Local examination revealed a 3 × 2-cm, firm, nodular, nonmobile mass in the left preauricular area, just in front of tragus. Fine needle aspiration yielded paucicellular smears comprising singly scattered histiocyte/myofibroblast-like spindle cells and occasional giant cells. It was reported as benign mesenchymal lesion on cytology. Left superficial parotidectomy was performed. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis confirmed the diagnosis of nodular fasciitis (NF). It was an ill-circumscribed cellular neoplasm, abutting and focally infiltrating into otherwise normal parotid gland. The tumor comprised spindle cells arranged in short bundles and storiform pattern with interspersed osteoclast-like giant cells, foam cells, extravasated red blood cells (RBCs), and focal areas of keloidal collagenization. The cells were positive for smooth muscle actin and negative for CD34, beta-catenin, S100, and pan-cytokeratin. Final diagnosis of NF was rendered. NF can rarely involve the parotid gland or present as parotid enlargement and pose diagnostic challenge, especially on cytology. However, in appropriate clinical context, subtle cytomorphological clues such as presence of myofibroblasts and fibrocollagenous stromal fragments can help in ruling out the commonly occurring salivary gland neoplasms and offering a definitive cytodiagnosis of NF which will be helpful in deciding the further course of management.","PeriodicalId":16149,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Laboratory Physicians","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48773176","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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