Epidemiology and Clinical Burden of Malaria in the War-Torn Area,Orakzai Agency in Pakistan

Background

Military conflict has been a major challenge in the detection and control of emerging infectious diseases such as malaria. It poses issues associated with enhancing emergence and transmission of infectious diseases by destroying infrastructure and collapsing healthcare systems. The Orakzai agency in Pakistan has witnessed a series of intense violence and destruction. Military conflicts and instability in Afghanistan have resulted in the migration of refugees into the area and possible introduction of many infectious disease epidemics. Due to the ongoing violence and Talibanization, it has been a challenge to conduct an epidemiological study.

Methodology/Principal Findings

All patients were sampled within the transmission season. After a detailed clinical investigation of patients, data were recorded. Baseline venous blood samples were taken for microscopy and nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) analysis. Plasmodium species were detected using nested PCR (nPCR) and amplification of the small subunit ribosomal ribonucleic acid (ssrRNA) genes using the primer pairs. We report a clinical assessment of the epidemic situation of malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax (86.5%) and Plasmodium falciparum (11.79%) infections with analysis of complications in patients such as decompensated shock (41%), anemia (8.98%), hypoglycaemia (7.3%), multiple convulsions (6.7%), hyperpyrexia (6.17%), jaundice (5%), and hyperparasitaemia (4.49%).

Conclusions/Significance

This overlooked distribution of P. vivax should be considered by malaria control strategy makers in the world and by the Government of Pakistan. In our study, children were the most susceptible population to malaria infection while they were the least expected to use satisfactory prevention strategies in such a war-torn deprived region. Local health authorities should initiate malaria awareness programs in schools and malaria-related education should be further promoted at the local level reaching out to both children and parents.     

Melanoma central nervous system metastases: current approaches,challenges, and opportunities

Melanoma central nervous system metastases are increasing, and the challenges presented by this patient population remain complex. In December 2015, the Melanoma Research Foundation and the Wistar Institute hosted the First Summit on Melanoma Central Nervous System (CNS) Metastases in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Here, we provide a review of the current status of the field of melanoma brain metastasis research; identify key challenges and opportunities for improving the outcomes in patients with melanoma brain metastases; and set a framework to optimize future research in this critical area.     

Mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy are necessary for proper invasive growth in rice blast

Magnaporthe oryzae causes blast disease, which is one of the most devastating infections in rice and several important cereal crops. Magnaporthe oryzae needs to coordinate gene regulation, morphological changes, nutrient acquisition and host evasion in order to invade and proliferate within the plant tissues. Thus far, the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of invasive growth in planta have remained largely unknown. We identified a precise filamentous-punctate-filamentous cycle in mitochondrial morphology during Magnaporthe–rice interaction. Interestingly, disruption of such mitochondrial dynamics by deletion of genes regulating either the mitochondrial fusion (MoFzo1) or fission (MoDnm1) machinery, or inhibition of mitochondrial fission using Mdivi-1 caused significant reduction in M. oryzae pathogenicity. Furthermore, exogenous carbon source(s) but not antioxidant treatment delayed such mitochondrial dynamics/transition during invasive growth. In contrast, carbon starvation induced the breakdown of the mitochondrial network and led to more punctate mitochondria in vitro. Such nutrient-based regulation of organellar dynamics preceded MoAtg24-mediated mitophagy, which was found to be essential for proper biotrophic development and invasive growth in planta. We propose that precise mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy occur during the transition from biotrophy to necrotrophy and are required for proper induction and establishment of the blast disease in rice.     

Immunomodulatory effects of cholera toxin in mice

Immunomodulatory effects of cholera toxin (CT) were investigated in a murine model using various immunological parameters. C3H/HeN mice were injected with 2 micrograms of CT at various intervals (from 6 h to 21 days) before the immunological assays. Thymocytes were markedly decreased in their absolute number, and the phenotypes in such cells were clearly shifted from Thy1.2high+ PNAhigh+ to Thy1.2low+ PNAlow+ 2-4 days after the CT treatment. Spleen T cells were relatively increased, while surface IgM positive B cells were rather decreased. Natural killer activity and in vivo and in vitro cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity were markedly suppressed during the early stages after the CT treatment but recovered completely within 21 days. Mixed lymphocyte reaction was profoundly suppressed at least for the 1st week after the CT treatment. Furthermore, EL-4 tumor of C57BL/6 origin grew progressively and killed the recipient C3H mice when such tumor cells were inoculated 6 h after the CT treatment. On the contrary, a marked augmentation of direct (IgM) and indirect (IgG) plaque-forming cell responses to sheep red blood cells was seen after CT treatment. Delayed footpad reaction to SRBC was also augmented after CT treatment. As the mechanisms, both direct augmentation of CD4+ T cells and direct suppression of CD8+ T cells appeared to occur at a time due to the CT treatment. An indirect effect of CT through the release of the endogenous steroids was dismissed in the present study. Taken together, CT appears to have differential immunomodulatory effects on various immune effector cells through various mechanisms.     

Chromosome aberrations in workers at a storage battery plant in Iraq

The present study deals with the determination of the incidence of chromosome changes in workers at a factory making storage batteries in Baghdad city. Blood samples were collected from 19 workers and 9 employees of the Scientific Research Council as control individuals, and chromosomes prepared from lymphocyte cultures were analyzed by standardized methods. Statistical analysis of the results gave significantly higher frequencies of chromatid and chromosome aberrations, particularly gaps, among the workers. No significant differences were observed in the incidence of chromosome aberrations in cells of smokers and non-smokers in both lead-exposed workers and controls. Therefore the observed increase in these aberrations was found to be associated mainly with exposure to lead oxides during the manufacture of the lead alloy grids and lead smelting.