Identification of Helicobacter pylori Membrane Proteins Using Sequence-Based Features

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is the most common risk factor for gastric cancer worldwide. The membrane proteins of the H. pylori are involved in bacterial adherence and play a vital role in the field of drug discovery. Thus, an accurate and cost-effective computational model is needed to predict the uncharacterized membrane proteins of H. pylori. In this study, a reliable benchmark dataset consisted of 114 membrane and 219 nonmembrane proteins was constructed based on UniProt. A support vector machine- (SVM-) based model was developed for discriminating H. pylori membrane proteins from nonmembrane proteins by using sequence information. Cross-validation showed that our method achieved good performance with an accuracy of 91.29%. It is anticipated that the proposed model will be useful for the annotation of H. pylori membrane proteins and the development of new anti-H. pylori agents.

Melioidosis: A Neglected Infection in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is an example of a highly populous, agricultural country where melioidosis may be a significantly under diagnosed cause of infection and death. A recent regression model predicted 16,931 cases annually in Bangladesh with a mortality rate of 56%. However, we only manage to confirm (culture) around 80 cases in last 60 years. A lack of awareness among microbiologists and clinicians and a lack of diagnostic microbiology infrastructure are factors that are likely to lead to the underreporting of melioidosis. Melioidosis transmits through inoculation, inhalation and ingestion. Diabetes mellitus is the most common risk factor (12 times higher chance of getting the infection) predisposing individuals to melioidosis and is present in >50% of all patients. The clinical presentation is widely varied and can be mistaken for other diseases such as tuberculosis or more common forms of pneumonia giving rise to its nickname as the “great mimicker”. Disease manifestations vary from pneumonia or localized abscess to acute septicemias, or may present as a chronic infection. Culture is considered the current gold-standard for diagnosis and culture-confirmation should always be sought in patients where disease is suspected. It is strongly recommended that any non–Pseudomonas aeruginosa, oxidase-positive, Gram-negative bacillus isolated from any clinical specimen from a patient in an endemic area should be suspected to be Burkholderia pseudomallei (BP). In addition, based on antibiogram, any Gramnegative bacilli that are oxidase-positive, typically resistant to aminoglycosides (e.g., gentamicin), colistin, and polymyxin but sensitive to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid should be considered as BP. This bacteria is inherently resistant to penicillin, ampicillin, first generation and second-generation cephalosporins, gentamicin, tobramycin, streptomycin, and polymyxin. For intensive phase (10 to 14 days), ceftazidime or carbapenem is the drug of choice. For eradication phase (3 to 6 months), oral trimethoprim/ sulfamethoxazole is the drug of choice. Surgery (drainage of abscess) has an important role in the management of melioidosis. Preventive measures through protective gears could be useful particularly for the risk groups. J MEDICINE 2021; 22: 139-145

COVID-19 and chronic diabetes: the perfect storm for reactivation tuberculosis?: a case series

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic is predicted to have a net negative effect on tuberculosis control, with an estimated excess of 6.3 million tuberculosis cases and 1.4 million deaths by 2025. Programmatic issues such as the lockdown of tuberculosis services affect all patients, while biosocial factors have a differential impact on an individual’s risk for tuberculosis or adverse tuberculosis outcomes. Case presentation We report three Hispanic cases of incident tuberculosis (two males, 43 and 44 years old; one female, 49 years old) after resolution of coronavirus disease episodes. Coincidentally, all cases shared a common risk factor: a chronic history poorly controlled diabetes. Conclusions Our findings alert to the threat posed by the synergy between coronavirus disease and diabetes, on tuberculosis reactivation. In medium- to high-risk settings for tuberculosis, we recommend implementation of routine screening for latent tuberculosis infection in these cases, and preventive tuberculosis treatment in those who are positive.

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE OCCURRENCE OF SKIN TUMORS AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

BACKGROUND: . The skin is a complex organ in which a wide range of neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases can develop Exposure to sun is the most common risk factor but genetic and environmental factors , also play an important role. All ages . can be affected, however, the frequency of neoplasms increases with age Also there is an alarming increase among fair-skinned people. MATERIAL & METHODS: All the biopsies and excision specimens submitted from may 2018 to june 2020. RESULTS;Ttotal 51 specimens are studied, out of which 15 are benign and 36 are malignant. Epidermal lesions are34,adnexal lesions13,melanocytic lesions are four. CONCLUSION; females are more commonly affected than males and squamous cell carcinoma is the commonest malignancy followed by basal cell carcinoma

Obstetric hysterectomy: a retrospective study

Background: Obstetric hysterectomy (OH) is last resort usually opted to save life of a mother in critical obstetric conditions compromising her reproductive potential. With increasing caesarean deliveries incidence of morbidly adhered placenta is increasing, thus increasing need of OH. We aimed to study socio-demographic factors, incidence, indications, complications and feto-maternal outcomes associated with obstetric hysterectomy. Also, we aimed to study factors which affect the maternal and fetal outcome in obstetric hysterectomy case so as to minimize maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity.Methods: We conducted a retrospective analytical study of 2 years 6 months in Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at a tertiary and teaching institute of western Maharashtra.Results: The incidence of obstetric hysterectomy was 0.4%. Majority of women were between 25-35 years age group and parity two or more. Most common indication was postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) (41.1%) followed by uterine rupture (29.4%) and adhered placenta (23.5%). Most common risk factor found was previous caesarean delivery. Most common complication was need of intensive care unit (ICU) and vasopressor support.Conclusions: Proper antenatal care, screening for high-risk obstetric cases and registration of those patients at a well-equipped hospital and early referral and delivery at tertiary hospital by expert surgeon with timely decision, timely and adequate transfusions can prevent maternal and fetal complications.

The Influence of Preoperative Hematocrit Levels on Early Outcomes in Patients undergoing Cardiac Surgery

Background: Anemia is a common risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The impact of preoperative anaemia is unclear in cardiac surgery. Preoperative anaemia affects early findings in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Aim and Objective: The main objective of current research was to investigate the impact of preoperative anaemia on early outcomes in heart surgery patients. Material and Methods: A prospective randomized clinical research was undertaken after obtaining written informed consent from patients for cardiac surgery at the PIC, Lahore between Apr 2020 and Feb 2021. A total of 120 individuals between the ages of 20 and 60 were chosen for the research. Preoperative anaemia was described as Hb levels of <13 g/dl for males and <12 g/dl in female patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Results: Total 120 patients were enrolled and stratified into two groups (60 patients each) with average age 5 ± 5.75 years. Early outcomes after surgery such as postoperative stroke (6.67 % versus 1.6 %), AF (37 % versus32 %), and duration of hospital stay > 7 days (50 % vs 41.67 %) were found to be different between anaemic and normal Hb groups. Conclusion: Preoperative anaemia can be increased risk of morbidity and mortality in patients after surgery. Low preoperative Hb found as advanced risk factor for death, renal impairment, stroke, AF and long hospital stay in our research. Keywords: Anemia, CABG, AF, MI, IABP, CPB

The Impact of Obesity on SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic Mortality Risk

The COVID-19 pandemic has uncovered the increased susceptibility of individuals with obesity to infection and severe disease leading to hospitalization and death. Studies in New York City demonstrated that after advanced age, obesity was the most common risk factor leading to severe disease and death from COVID-19. While the connection has been recognized, there has not been a general recognition of the potential mechanisms for this link between excess body fat and mortality from this viral pandemic including respiratory complications and sequelae of increased activation of the immune system. Despite plans for vaccination of the global population, the risk community spread of COVID-19 and future pandemics will be linked in part to obesity and immunity. This review will detail a number of potential mechanisms through which obesity may contribute to the lethality of this viral infection. These insights will hopefully lead to a greater emphasis on obesity prevention and treatment as part of the global response to this and future pandemic threats.

Variants Affecting the C-Terminal Tail of UNC93B1 Are Not a Common Risk Factor for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous multifactorial disease. Upregulated TLR7 signaling is a known risk factor for SLE. Recently, it was shown that specific genetic variants in UNC93B1 affect the physiological regulation of TLR7 signaling and cause characteristic autoimmune phenotypes with monogenic autosomal recessive inheritance in mutant mice and dogs. We therefore hypothesized that homologous variants in the human UNC93B1 gene might be responsible for a fraction of human SLE patients. We analyzed 536 patients of the Swiss SLE Cohort Study for the presence of genetic variants affecting the C-terminal tail of UNC93B1. None of the investigated patients carried bi-allelic UNC93B1 variants that were likely to explain their SLE phenotypes. We conclude that genetic variants affecting the C-terminal tail of UNC93B1 are not a common risk factor for SLE. It cannot be excluded that such variants might contribute to other heritable autoimmune diseases.