We sought to analyse the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV), Chlamydia trachomatis and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in women with epithelial ovarian carcinomas. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based detection of microbial infections was carried out. A total of 39 tissue samples were analysed with consensus and type-specific primers for HPV, primers specific for the cryptic plasmid of Chlamydia and primers for glycoprotein B of CMV. The samples analysed showed 40%, 80% and 50% positivity for HPV, Chlamydia and CMV infection, respectively, in cancerous ovarian tissues. The HPV type detected was HPV 6, with its genome integrated to the host genome in case of both invasive and borderline tumours and existed episomally in healthy controls. The patients with Chlamydia (odds ratio [OR] 32; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.33, 307.65) and CMV infection (OR 8; 95% CI 0.888, 72.10) are at significantly higher risk of development of ovarian tumours. The present study validates the theory of chronic infections and inflammation in the pathogenesis of epithelial ovarian cancer. Further seroepidemiological studies and large fresh tissue sampling may represent the real prevalence of infections among ovarian carcinoma patients. This study is the first of its kind in detecting the bacterial and viral aetiologies in the development of ovarian carcinoma among Indian women.

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Effects of isocaloric changes in dietary fat on plasma lipoproteins and lipids and enzymes of erythrocytes and leucocytes were assessed. Subjects with a higher Brocca index showed increase in total and LDL cholesterol, significant reduction in HDL cholesterol, and increased total cholesterol:HDL cholesterol ratio after high-fat diet consumption. Due to high-fat diet feeding, erythrocyte membrane and leucocyte cholesterol and phospholipid contents were increased, cholesterol:phospholipid molar ratio was elevated, and erythrocyte enzymes (G6PD and 6PGD) and leucocyte enzymes (CEH and CES) were elevated. Erythrocyte membrane glycoprotein components showed marked increase, indicating possible alterations of membrane surfaces. The metabolic alterations were reversed slowly after resumption of the normal (low-fat) diet. Body weight plays an important role in the alterations in major lipoprotein cholesterol contents in response to changes in dietary fat composition. Cellular changes indicate alterations in structure and function of blood cells due to high-fat diet feeding.

ABSTARCT:This study presents the standardization of nutrient concentration, pH and temperature required to decolorize the anerobically treated distillery spent wash using the fungus Cladosporium cladosporioides. Experiments were carried out to measure the decolorization of distillery spent wash effluent and it was found to be effective in acidic environment. From the results it was observed that a maximum color reduction of 52.6 % and Chemichal Oxygen Demand. removal of 62.5 % were achieved. The optimum conditions required for the growth of the fungus was found to be 5 g/L of fructose, 3 g/L of peptone, 5 pH and 35 °C. It was also observed that during the process a maximum of 1.2 g of fungal growth was attained. Decolorizing ability of the fungus was confirmed using spectrophotometer and High Performance Liquid Chromatography analysis. Single factorial experimental design was used to optimize the parameters. Apart from decolorization it was observed that fungus also has the ability to degrade the spent wash efficiently. This investigation could be an approach towards control of environmental pollution and health hazards of people in and around the distillery unit.

Bacterial a amylases, widely used in the desizing of the gray cotton fabrics, convert the starch present in the warp yarns into glucose, a reducing sugar. An attempt has been made to convert the glucose released by amylases in the desizing process into hydrogen peroxide using glucose oxidase enzymes and use the hydrogen peroxide for bleaching of cotton fabrics, in a single step. Conversion of glucose, into hydrogen peroxide, is influenced by aeration of the reaction bath and concentration of the glucose oxidase. Significant improvement in the whiteness and absorbency, reduction in the extractable impurities and clear surface morphology were also observed in the samples obtained from the one-step process.