Conectar
by Subash Bhatta, Nayana Pant, Suresh Raj Pant
BackgroundTo study the significance and correlation of choroidal and retinal pigment epithelial changes with disease activity in Central Serous Chorioretinopathy (CSCR) eyes.
MethodsThis was a retrospective analysis of clinical records and optical coherence tomography (OCT) images of CSCR cases presenting to a tertiary eye hospital in Nepal between October 2021 to November 2022. The study included 145 CSCR eyes from 132 cases compared with 290 eyes of 145 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. Chi square test, Paired T-test and Independent sample t-test were used for statistical analysis.
ResultsAverage subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) of the CSCR eyes (453.13 um) and the fellow eyes (403.44 um) was significantly greater (p p p = 0.04 and p = 0.023, respectively). Flat and irregular PEDs were more common in chronic CSCR eyes compared to acute CSCR eyes (p = 0.027).
ConclusionsIncreased SFCT and PED are significant pathophysiological markers in CSCR, exhibiting distinct variations between acute and chronic forms. However, the lack of a direct correlation of SFCT with CST and PED underscores the limitation of relying solely on SFCT to fully characterize choroidal changes in CSCR. Further exploration of additional OCT biomarkers may offer deeper insights into the complex pathophysiology of these changes, paving the way for enhanced understanding and more targeted therapeutic strategies.
by Nayuki Numata, Aisa Ozawa, Motoharu Sakaue
Hair gets its color from melanin produced by melanocytes in the hair matrix. The coloration patterns observed in most terrestrial mammals arise from the diverse color combinations within their fur, which depends on the distribution pattern of melanocyte-containing hair follicles. Albino rats genetically produce no melanin and their coats are thus white, but we speculated that melanocytes differentiate and localize within these rats’ hair matrix. We conducted a reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis, which revealed both the mRNA expressions of two melanocyte markers (dopachrome tautomerase and tyrosinase) in skin of male albino (SD, Wistar, and F344) rats and the differences in the markers’ expression levels among skin areas. Immunohistochemistry using anti-Dct antibody demonstrated that immunopositive cells, i.e., melanocytes, were localized in the rats’ hair matrix, and that melanocytes containing hair bulbs were distributed in head, dorsal thorax, and dorsal midline areas, which is similar to hooded rats. Our results suggest that differences in the melanocyte presence among the skin regions should be considered when the results of gene expression analyses of albino rat skin are interpreted.by Sishir Poudel, Laxman Wagle, Tara Prasad Aryal, Binay Adhikari, Sushan Pokharel, Dipendra Adhikari, Kshitiz Bhandari, Kshitiz Rijal, Jyoti Bastola Paudel
BackgroundMultidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) continues to be a major public health concern, especially in high-burden countries like Nepal. While individual risk factors are known, the cumulative impact of cardiometabolic factors on MDR-TB is not well understood.
MethodsA health-facility-based, age- and sex-matched 1:2 case-control study was conducted at MDR-TB treatment centers in Gandaki Province, Nepal. MDR-TB patients (cases) and drug-sensitive tuberculosis (DS-TB) patients (controls) were enrolled. Cases were defined as adults (≥18 years) with confirmed MDR-TB; controls were adults with sputum-positive DS-TB. Data on sociodemographics, cardiometabolic risk factors (alcohol, tobacco, abnormal body mass index, hypertension, diabetes), TB literacy, and treatment history were collected using a structured, pretested questionnaire by trained medical officers. Data were analyzed using Stata v13.0. Binary logistic regression was used to assess associations between risk factors and MDR-TB. Ethical approval was obtained from the Nepal Health Research Council and written informed consent was obtained from all participants.
ResultsA total of 183 participants (61 cases, 122 controls) were included. Mean age of participants was 42.5 years (SD = 18.5); 73.8% were male. Most participants were from urban areas (74.9%), and 66.7% were unemployed. Cardiometabolic risk factors were present in 79.2% of participants. Alcohol and tobacco use were reported by 59.6% and 45.9%, respectively; 9.8% had diabetes and 7.1% had hypertension. Known TB contact and prior TB history were reported by 26.8% and 31.1% respectively. In multivariate analysis, unemployment (AOR: 5.24, 95% CI: 1.33–20.64), and known TB contact (AOR: 8.89, 95% CI: 2.46–32.15) were significantly associated with MDR-TB. Cardiometabolic risk factors were not significantly associated.
ConclusionKnown TB contact and unemployment were significantly associated with MDR-TB, while the cumulative effect of cardiometabolic risk factors showed no significant impact, indicating that interventions should prioritize established TB-related risk factors.
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