Objective: Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Macrophages play an important role in the immunopathogenesis of tuberculosis. Extracellular ATP induces macrophage bactericidal activity through activation of the purinergic P2X7 receptor. This case- control study assesses the association of −762 T/C, 1513A/C and 1729T/A P2X7 polymorphisms in patients with PTB and healthy controls to establish association if any with risk of developing the disease. Materials and methods: The genotyping for P2X7 was carried out using PCR and RFLP analysis in 256 individuals, which included 156 active PTB patients and 100 age and sex, matched healthy volunteers with no clinical symptoms or family history of PTB as controls. Results: A chi square test showed a significant difference between the PTB patient and controls for −762 C allele; p=0.0051 (OR 1.6972, CI 95% 1.1839 to 2.4332) and1729 T allele was found to be positively associated with the PTB; p < 0.0005 (OR-2.4623, CI 95% 1.6376 to 3.7022). 1513A/C polymorphism did not show any significant difference between the two groups. Significance: The study revealed a significant association of P2X7-762C allele and P2X7 1729T allele receptor polymorphisms with PTB in Asian Indian population. The use of these alleles as biomarkers for identifying individuals at high risk of developing TB needs to be ascertained.

No abstract

Flatfoot, pes planus, or fallen arch is a common disorder that arises from a decrease of the medial longitudinal arch and it is commonly observed in clinical practice which causes pain and difficulty during physical activities. It is the result of the weakness of intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles. In particular, the tibialis posterior muscle plays an essential role in maintaining the Medial Longitudinal Arch during dynamic weight bearing and balance. In addition, this muscle acts longer than other supination muscles during the stance phase in the gait cycle. So, the strengthening exercises of the tibialis posterior and cryotherapy improves pain and foot function among young adults with flat foot.