Seven clinical cases of cutaneous papillomatosis in yaks were studied in Arunachal Pradesh, India. Sporadic, single or a chain of multiple varying size warts appeared around the eyes or on the body. Predominant site of warts was around eyes. Histopathologically, these cases were diagnosed as fibropapilloma. It was confirmed by the detection of BPV-1 and BPV-2 or their mixed infection by PCR and sequencing. Quantitative SYBR Green real-time PCR detected comparatively lower viral DNA copy number in cutaneous warts (CWs). Cases of CWs and its causative agent as bovine papillomavirus (BPVs) are reported for the first time in yaks.

The present study aimed to evaluate the molecular epidemiology of HBV in chronic HBV infected cases from northeast India (NEI), since scanty data are available from the region which has a predominant ethnically distinct tribal population. A total of 523 clinically diagnosed index chronic HBV infected cases and 172 asymptomatic patients (based on family screening) were enrolled with informed consent. Patients were stratified based on serology, imaging, pathology, and clinical data and grouped as chronic HBV and cirrhotic cohorts. Analysis for serum HBV DNA levels and HBV genotyping was performed, and was statistically co-related with disease severity. Males were more prone to chronic HBV infection. Majority of the patients who had Chronic HBV infection based on family screening were females (59.88%), majorly wives of index patients. Mean viral load in Chronic HBV patients was almost 4.5-folds higher than cirrhosis patients, and was significantly associated with e-antigen positive status(P < 0.001) in both groups. HBV genotype D was the most prevalent genotype (62.30%) in NEI. Mixed genotype infection of A + D was found from Assam, along with C + D cases (1.29%) cumulatively. There is a high prevalence of HBV genotype C (13.96%) in our studied cohort which was found to be associated with higher viral load(P = 0.018), e-antigen positivity(P = 0.043), and increased cirrhosis risk compared to Chronic HBV cases [OR = 1.670]. Family contacts in NEI are prone to infection with HBV and development of Chronic HBV. Higher presence of e-positive cases and genotype C along with the mixed genotypes in NEI is unique and of significance with reference to predisposition to disease severity and even response to antiviral therapy.

Summary Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex, multifactorial, systemic autoimmune disease. Reports are suggestive of the role of HLA especially HLA‐DRB1 alterations in RA pathogenesis. Existing data involving different geographical populations on the role of alterations in specific locus of HLA‐DRB1 in RA susceptibility and severity are equivocal, with no data available from ethnically distinct North‐east Indian population, where RA cases are alarmingly increasing. This study aimed to evaluate the association of HLA‐DRB1 gene SNPs (rs13192471, rs660895 and rs6457617) with susceptibility and severity of RA in an ethnically distinct North‐east Indian population. Whole blood was collected from clinically characterized RA cases (satisfying the American College of Rheumatology 1987 criteria) (n = 123) and community‐based age and sex‐matched healthy controls (n = 156) with informed consent. The HLA‐DRB1 SNP analysis was performed for all the RA and control cases using ARMS‐PCR using case and control genomic DNA as template. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSSv13.0 software. The HLA‐DRB1 rs660895 showed both wild (AA) and heterozygote (AG) genotype but the heterozygote allele was found to be associated with reduced risk of RA compared to controls [OR = 0.531, p = .024]. The difference in distribution of rs6457617 polymorphism between RA and control cases was comparable [OR = 0.525, p = .079]. Significantly higher distribution of variant rs13192471 genotype was observed in RA cases (69.92%) compared to controls (46.75%) (p < .001) and was associated with increased risk of susceptibility to RA [OR = 2.576, p < .001] compared to controls, as well as progression to severity in RA cases [OR = 2.404, p = .048]. Combinatorially also, the presence of rs13192471 variant genotype was associated with increased risk of RA susceptibility [OR = 8.267, p = .026] and RA severity [OR = 3.647, p = .280]. Alterations in HLA‐DRB1 are associated with RA susceptibility. HLA‐DRB1 rs13192471 SNP plays a critical role in RA susceptibility and severity in North‐east Indian cases and has prognostic significance in RA.

No abstract

No abstract