Legionella pneumophila is one of the important pathogen responsible for community -acquired pneumonia attributing for 1-5% of cases. Since early and accurate therapy reduces mortality, rapid and reliable diagnostic methods are needed. A total of 134 samples of blood, urine and respiratory tract fluids were collected. Blood was tested for IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies using commercially available kits. A total of 8 (6%) samples were found to be positive for L. pneumophila by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), compared to conventional PCR where 6 (4.4%) samples were positive. Serology was positive in a total of 32 (23%) cases though only 3 (2.2%) of the PCR-positive cases were positive by serology as well. These results suggest that real-time PCR can detect Legionella infection early in the course of the disease before serological response develops.
Type I signal peptidases are important membrane-bound serine
proteases responsible for the cleavage of the signal peptide of
the proteins. These enzymes are unique serine proteases that
carry out catalysis using a serine/lysine catalytic dyad. In the
present study, we report the isolation of type I signal peptidase
from the malaria parasites Plasmodium falciparum,
Plasmodium knowlesi, and Plasmodium yoelii and
some characterization of type I signal peptidase of
Plasmodium falciparum. We show that these enzymes are
homologous to signal peptidases from various sources and also
contain the conserved boxes present in other type I signal
peptidases. The type I signal peptidase from P falciparum
is an intron-less and a single-copy gene. The results also show
that the enzyme from Plasmodium falciparum is subject to
self-cleavage and it has been demonstrated to possess type I
signal peptidase activity in E coli preprotein processing
in vivo by complementation assay. This study will be helpful in
understanding one of the important metabolic pathways “the
secretory pathway” in the parasite and should make an important
contribution in understanding the complex process of protein
targeting in the parasite.
Background: Soft tissue defects of the plantar foot pose a challenge to the reconstructive surgeon. The plantar region of the foot has a unique skin structure, which helps in its paramount functions of weight-bearing and providing protective sensation. It is best replaced with tissue of its own kind. The medial plantar artery (MPA) flap fulfils all the requirements of an ideal replacement for small-to-medium-sized defects in the mid plantar and heel region. This study describes our experience with MPA-based flaps for small-to-medium-sized defects of the plantar foot. Method: The study was conducted in a tertiary referral hospital between April 2017 and March 2020 on patients who presented with defects on the mid plantar region and heel. MPA perforator (MPAP) flap or island flap were applied. The donor site was covered with split-thickness skin grafts. Results: The study included 21 patients. MPAP flap was applied in nine patients and the island flap was applied in 12 patients. The mean age of the patients was 37.95 years and the mean flap size was 36.6cm2. All flaps survived well. In two patients, venous congestion developed which resolved spontaneously, while three patients had small graft loss which also healed with conservative treatment. All patients regained protective sensation within five months of flap coverage. Conclusion: Based on the MPA, both perforator and island flaps can be raised due to the fairly constant position of the perforators. These flaps have the advantage of robust vascularity with the replacement of identical tissue for weight-bearing functions along with acceptable aesthetic outcomes. Since they also have the added advantage of conferring sensation, they can be used as a primary option in cases of small-to-medium-sized plantar foot defects.
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