The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of HCV, HBV, and HIV infections among the patients with hemophilia. Patients with Hemophilia A and B were evaluated who visited hospital for factor replacement therapy. The viral markers tested in these patients included anti-HCV-Ab, HBsAg, and anti-HIV-Ab. Seroprevalence was compared from 5717 exchange healthy blood donors for same markers. A total of 173 multitransfused male hemophiliacs showed prevalence of 51.4% for HCV, 1.73% for HBV, and nil for HIV. In blood donors seroprevalence was 1.9% for HCV, 1.81% for HBV, while no HIV-positive case was detected. Prevalence of anti-HCV-Ab was significantly high in patients with hemophilia than normal donors (P = .0005). This study showed that HCV infection was more frequently identified than HBV and HIV infections in multitransfused hemophiliacs. The frequency of hepatitis C among blood donors is also higher than that of hepatitis B which is showing downward trend.

Cancer is the second foremost cause of mortality in the world, and THP‐1 cells play an important role in cancer progression. Alantolactone (ALT), a sesquiterpene lactone compound derived from Inula helenium, has a number of biological activities including antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer. The current study was conducted to investigate the effects of ALT on THP‐1 cells and its underlying molecular mechanisms. THP‐1 cells were cultured and treated with ALT (20, 40 µM) for 12 hr, and 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide, cell morphology, live/dead, and apoptosis assays were performed. The gene expressions at the protein level were checked through Western blot. Results show that ALT decreased cell viability and increased cell death and apoptosis. We found that ALT inhibited STAT3 and survivin expression. Furthermore, ALT induced mitochondrial‐dependent apoptosis through a decrease in B‐cell lymphoma‐2 (Bcl‐2) and Bcl‐xL and increase in Bax expression, resulting in the release of cytochrome c (Cyt‐c) from mitochondria. Cyt‐c release from mitochondria further increased cleaved (cl) caspase‐3 and cl‐PARP expression and led the cells to apoptosis. Therefore, ALT might be a good therapy for the progression due to THP‐1 cells.

Vasculogenic mimicry (VM), a micro vessel-like structure formed by the cancer cells, plays a pivotal role in cancer malignancy and progression. Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) is an active pro-inflammatory cytokine and elevated in many tumor types, including breast cancer. However, the effect of IL-1β on the VM of breast cancer has not been clearly elucidated. In this study, breast cancer cells (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) were used to study the effect of IL-1β on the changes that can promote VM. The evidence for VM stimulated by IL-1β was acquired by analyzing the expression of VM-associated biomarkers (VE-cadherin, VEGFR-1, MMP-9, MMP-2, c-Fos, and c-Jun) via western blot, immunofluorescent staining, and Immunohistochemistry (IHC). Additionally, morphological evidence was collected via Matrigel-based cord formation assay under normoxic/hypoxic conditions and microvessel examination through Hematoxylin and Eosin staining (H&E). Furthermore, the STRING and Gene Ontology database was also used to analyze the VM-associated interacting molecules stimulated by IL-β. The results showed that the expression of VM biomarkers was increased in both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells after IL-1β treatment. The increase in VM response was observed in IL-1β treated cells under both normoxia and hypoxia. IL-1β also increased the activation of transcription factor AP-1 complex (c-Fos/c-Jun). The bioinformatics data indicated that p38/MAPK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways were involved in the IL-1β stimulation. It was further confirmed by the downregulated expression of VM biomarkers and reduced formation of the intersections upon the addition of the signaling pathway inhibitors. The study suggests that IL-1β stimulates the VM and its associated events in breast cancer cells via p38/MAPK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. Aiming the VM-associated molecular targets promoted by IL-1β may offer a novel anti-angiogenic therapeutic strategy to control the aggressiveness of breast cancer cells.

Microbiology study can predict tight CNLDO and helps in choosing the most successful treatment option. CNLDO with Staphylococcus infection and Serratia marcescens were likely to have tight NLD obstruction and silastic intubation had better outcomes.

Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality worldwide. Conventional therapies, including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, have limited success because of secondary resistance. Therefore, safe, non-resistant, less toxic, and convenient drugs are urgently required. Natural products (NPs), primarily sourced from medicinal plants, are ideal for cancer treatment because of their low toxicity and high success. NPs cure cancer by regulating different pathways, such as PI3K/AKT/mTOR, ER stress, JNK, Wnt, STAT3, MAPKs, NF-kB, MEK-ERK, inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, autophagy, mitophagy, and necroptosis. Among the NPs, steroid saponins, including polyphyllins (I, II, D, VI, and VII), have potent pharmacological, analgesic, and anticancer activities for the induction of cytotoxicity. Recent research has demonstrated that polyphyllins (PPs) possess potent effects against different cancers through apoptosis, autophagy, inflammation, and necroptosis. This review summarizes the available studies on PPs against cancer to provide a basis for future research.

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Cancer is the leading cause of mortality in the world. The major therapies for cancer treatment are chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy. All these therapies expensive, toxic and show resistance. The plant-derived compounds are considered safe, cost-effective and target cancer through different pathways. In these pathways include oxidative stress, mitochondrial dependent and independent, STAT3, NF-kB, MAPKs, cell cycle, and autophagy pathways. One of the new plants derived compounds is Polyphyllin VII (PPVII), which target cancer through different molecular mechanisms. In literature, there is a review gap of studies on PPVII; therefore in the current review, we summarized the available studies on PPVII to provide a base for future research.

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