Background:Blood transfusion is a life-saving measure in various medical and surgical emergencies. Transfusion medicine, apart from being important for the medical treatment of each patient, also has great public health importance.Objectives:The present study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of transfusion transmitted infections in voluntary blood donors at a rural tertiary care teaching hospital in western Maharashtra, India.Materials and Methods:All voluntary donors reporting to the blood bank were screened for HBsAg, Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), HIV and Syphilis by using the appropriate enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. HIV infection was confirmed using a standard immunoblotting technique. Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) was tested for surface antigen (HBsAg) and HCV by the immunechromatographic method. The Venereal Disease Reference Laboratory (VDRL) test was used for estimation of syphilis infection. The study was designed for a duration of two years between January 2009 to December 2010. Medical reports of the donors were accessed from the hospital records and analyzed.Results:A total of 5661 voluntary blood donors were screened, of which 5394 (95.28%) were males and 267 (4.72%) were females. The overall seroprevalence of HBV and HCV were 1.09% and 0.74% respectively; for HIV and syphilis the seroprevalence was estimated to be 0.07% for each.Conclusion:Blood is still one of the main sources of transmission of infections. HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C viruses and syphilis are prevalent among voluntary donors in rural India.
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a scientific technique in molecular biology to amplify a single or a few copies of a piece of DNA across several orders of magnitude, generating thousands to millions of copies of a particular DNA sequence. PCR is now a common and often indispensable technique used in medical and biological research labs for a variety of applications. There are three major steps involved in the PCR technique: denaturation, annealing, and extension. PCR is useful in the investigation and diagnosis of a growing number of diseases. Qualitative PCR can be used to detect not only human genes but also genes of bacteria and viruses. PCR is also used in forensics laboratories and is especially useful because only a tiny amount of original DNA is required. PCR can identify genes that have been implicated in the development of cancer. Molecular cloning has benefited from the emergence of PCR as a technique. The present paper is an attempt to review basics of PCR.
Background:Tuberculosis (TB) is the most common serious opportunistic infection in HIV positive patients and is the manifestation of AIDS in more than 50% of cases in developing countries. TB can occur at any time during the course of HIV infection.Aim:To describe the socio-demographic profile and prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis (HIV/TB co-infection) among HIV positive patients been attended at the antiretroviral therapy clinic (ART) clinic at tertiary care teaching hospital of western Maharashtra, India.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was carried out at the ART clinic of Pravara Rural Hospital, Loni, from June 2011 to May 2012. A total of 1012 HIV positive patients, who attended ART clinic, receiving ART treatment during the study period, were included in the analysis. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software (Version 17.0).Results:This study showed 1012/172 (17%) prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis among HIV positive patients, of which 87 (50.58%) were males and 85 (48.42%) were females. Low CD4 count (< 50/μl) had statistically significant association with HIV/TB co-infection as compared to HIV infection only (P < 0.0001).Conclusion:The study showed that 17% of HIV infected persons had tuberculosis co-infection. More strategic preventive measures that enhance body immunity among HIV patients are highly needed as early as possible before they develop active tuberculosis.
Zinc is an essential element whose significance to health is increasingly appreciated. In 1961 essentiality of zinc for humans was recognized. A systematic literature search was done to identify relevant studies investigating the role of zinc in human health. This review concerns the importance of zinc in health and the consequences of its deficiency. Zinc deficiency leads to complications of pregnancy and childbirth, low birth weight and poor growth in childhood, reduced immunocompetence, and increased infectious disease morbidity. Pregnant women with zinc deficiency are at risk of premature labour and miscarriages, inefficient labour and delivery, stillbirths, lower mental ability of the child, retarded foetal growth and low immunity of both mother and baby. Zinc can reduce the duration, severity and incidence of diarrhoea in children. Zinc deficiency was indicated as a risk factor for immune deficiency and susceptibility to infection in the elderly. Zinc is used in preventive trials and treatment of diarrhoea, pneumonia, common cold, respiratory infections and malaria. Sufficient zinc is essential in maintaining immune system function. Supplementation of zinc and with other micronutrients may be beneficial during periods of greatest vulnerability such as early childhood, pregnancy and elderly. Ensuring adequate levels of zinc intake should be a key component in efforts to reduce illness.
HIV infection represents a major public health problem for both developing and developed countries as it has grown to pandemic proportions worldwide. Spectrum of clinical presentation of HIV can vary with geographical distribution, socioeconomic and cultural environment. The aim of this study was to examine the socio-demographic characteristics, clinical presentations of HIV/AIDS patients, opportunistic infections and the possible risk factors for acquiring HIV infection. A cross sectional study was conducted from March to September, 2011 at an antiretroviral therapy (ART) centre of a rural tertiary care hospital, situated in Maharashtra state of India. History and physical examination was done and recorded on a pre-designed schedule which included the socio-demographic and clinical profile of the patients. More than half of the subjects were in economically productive age group and male patients 166 (53.4%) outnumbered the female patients 145 (46.6%). There was a predominance of patients from rural locations nearby the present ART centre. The patients were having low level of literacy and were from the lower middle and lower socio-economic classes. Among the spouses of male patients, 65 (44.8%) were HIV positive and among the spouses of female patients, 52 (35.7%) were HIV positive. Commonest mode of acquiring the infection was through heterosexual contact. Tuberculosis (62%) was the most common opportunistic infection. As per the WHO staging, 132 (42.5%) patients were in stage 3. Combination of behavioral risk factors and unawareness is responsible for rapid spread of HIV/AIDS. People with high-risk behavior and spouses of affected patients need to be educated for primary and secondary prevention.
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