Cysticercosis, caused by Taenia solium larva is a major public health problem,especially in the developing world and neurocysticercosis (NCC) is considered to be the most common parasitic infestation of the central nervous system. NCC is identified as the single most common cause of community acquired active epilepsy; 26.3% to 53.8% active epilepsy cases in the developing world including India and Latin America are due to NCC.It is also becoming more common in the developed world because of increased migration of people with the disease or Taenia solium carriers and frequent travel to the endemic countries. It is estimated that three quarters of the estimated 50 million people with active epilepsy live in the poor countries of the world. Recent Indian studies using neuroimaging techniques suggest that the disease burden in India surpasses many other developing countries. Hence it is important to know the epidemiology,pathogenesis and diagnostic criteria so as to assess the disease burden and adopt interventional strategies for its control.Literature search was done for this review with special emphasis on Indian studies to create awareness about the disease in India,since cysticercosis is preventable and potentially eradicable.

Unprecedented light-induced oxidant and metal-free tandem radical cyclization–trifluoromethylation and dehydrogenative oxygenation of 1,6-enynes have been achieved using a photoredox catalyst, CF3SO2Na, and water as the oxygen source.

Perilesional inflammation, which varies from symptomatic to asymptomatic subjects, can be quantified using DCE-MRI in calcified cysticercosis and may help distinguish these 2 groups with similar imaging findings. The observed increase in k(ep) with serum MMP-9 levels suggests that the former may serve as a biomarker of MMP-9 levels in these subjects. The significant MMP-9 (R279Q) gene polymorphism in symptomatic subjects might explain the differences in the observed DCE-MRI indices between symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects.

TLR4 Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile were significantly associated with the occurrence of NCC (P < .001 for Asp299Gly; P = .003 for Thr399Ile) and progression to symptomatic NCC, compared with control subjects (P < .001 for Asp299Gly; P < .001 for Thr399Ile) or asymptomatic NCC (P < .001 for Asp299Gly; P = .002 for Thr399Ile). Frequency of haplotype Gly/Thr (P <.001) was observed to be a risk factor for susceptibility to NCC. Gly and Ile carriers had a statistically significant association with NCC (P < .001 for Gly; P = .003 for Ile) and symptomatic NCC (P < .001 for Gly; P

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Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is the most frequent parasitic infection of the central nervous system caused by the larvae of Taenia solium. The prevalence of NCC is obscured due to variations in the methods used for epidemiological studies and often asymptomatic manifestation. The present study was conducted on 595 apparently healthy individuals belonging to the pig farming community of northern India to estimate the prevalence of asymptomatic NCC and to evaluate risk factors based on questionnaires. Diagnosis of NCC was based on neuroimaging, immunological and epidemiological criteria. Asymptomatic NCC was detected in 90 (15.1%) of 595 individuals. The evaluation of risk factors showed that age >15 years (P=0.001), intake of raw vegetables (P=0.025) and undercooked pork (P=0.005), lack of safe drinking water (P=0.003), inadequate drainage system (P=0.049), no separate place for pigs (P≤0.001), NCC related active epilepsy in the family (P≤0.001) were significantly associated with asymptomatic NCC. The present study shows high prevalence of asymptomatic NCC in pig farming community of northern India. Further, asymptomatic NCC is associated with most variables of poor socio-economic parameters.

Innate immune system is crucial in the pathogenesis of neurocysticercosis (NCC) and helminth glycans can induce anti-inflammatory milieu via toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) dependent mechanisms. The association of TLR4 and cytokines is yet to be explored in NCC. Therefore, the present study detected the serum levels of cytokines and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule (sICAM)-1 in asymptomatic and symptomatic NCC and their association with TLR4 expression. Sixty eight patients with NCC (asymptomatic, 36 and symptomatic, 32), and age and gender matched 37 healthy controls were enrolled to determine the levels of different pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, sICAM-1 in the serum by ELISA and expression of TLR4 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) by flow cytometry. In asymptomatic NCC cases, the levels of IL-10 and IL-4 were significantly elevated compared to healthy controls and symptomatic NCC patients whereas the levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-17, IL-23 and sICAM-1 were higher in symptomatic NCC patients compared to healthy controls and asymptomatic NCC individuals. Frequency of TLR4 expressing PBMCs and CD14 positive cells were significantly higher in both groups of NCC. Although the number of TLR4 expressing cells was almost similar in both asymptomatic and symptomatic groups, the median fluorescence intensity was significantly higher in symptomatic group indicating that higher levels of TLR4 expression in symptomatic patients correlated with enhanced pro-inflammatory cytokine production.

A synthetic method has been developed for the preparation of biologically important isoindolinones including indoprofen and DWP205190 drugs from 2-alkylbenzamide substrates by transition metal-free intramolecular selective oxidative coupling of C(sp(3))-H and N-H bonds utilizing iodine, potassium carbonate and di-tert-butyl peroxide in acetonitrile at 110-140 °C.