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Peripheral blood smear (PBS) changes in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are diverse and have been reported in the literature in the form of case series with relatively smaller sample sizes and with a handful of studies showing the association between PBS and clinical severity. This study aims to highlight the numerical and morphological changes in peripheral blood of COVID-19 patients and to compare the same in intensive care unit (ICU) and non-ICU settings as well as with disease severity and outcome. The study included 80 COVID-19 positive (41 ICU and 39 non-ICU) patients and 32 COVID-19 negative ICU patients. Complete blood counts (CBCs) and PBS findings were studied and scored by two pathologists blindfolded. Absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) and absolute eosinophil count (AEC) were significantly lower in COVID-19 positive cases as compared to the COVID-19 negative group (p = 0.001 and p = 0.001). COVID-19 positive group showed significant left myeloid shift (p = 0.021), Dohle bodies (p = 0.025) with significant prominence of acquired pseudo-Pelger-Huët anomaly, ring-shaped neutrophils, monolobate neutrophils, and plasmacytoid lymphocytes as compared to control group (p = 0.000, p = 0.009, p = 0.046, and p = 0.011, respectively). The overall mean white blood cell (WBC) counts were higher in COVID-19 positive ICU patients as compared to non-ICU COVID patients with significant shift to left, presence of ring-shaped neutrophils, monocyte vacuolation, and large granular lymphocytes (p = 0.017, p = 0.007, p = 0.008, and p = 0.004, respectively). Deceased group showed significantly higher WBC count (p = 0.018) with marked neutrophilia (p = 0.024) and toxic granulation (p = 0.01) with prominence of monocyte vacuolization, ring-shaped neutrophils, large granular lymphocytes, and reactive lymphocytes. Parameters like myeloid left shift, ring-shaped neutrophils, monocyte vacuolation, and large granular lymphocytes emerged as highly sensitive markers of disease severity. Therefore, serial CBC with comprehensive PBS analysis should be done in every newly diagnosed hospitalized COVID-19 patient which potentially predicts the course of the disease.

We report herein the first systematic crystal structural investigation of azaproline incorporated in homo- and heterochiral diprolyl peptides. The X-ray crystallography data of peptides 1-5 illustrates that stereodynamic nitrogen in azaproline adopted the stereochemistry of neighbouring proline residue without depending on its position in the peptide sequence. Natural bond orbital analysis of crystal structures indicates O

The available therapeutic treatment for leishmaniasis is inadequate and toxic due to side effects, expensive and emergence of drug resistance. Affordable and safe antileishmanial agents are urgently needed and toward this objective, we synthesized a series of 32 novel halogen rich salicylanilides including niclosamide and oxyclozanide and investigated their antileishmanial activity against amastigotes of Leishmania donovani. In vitro data showed fifteen compounds inhibited intracellular amastigotes with an IC

Autocrine and paracrine loop involving vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor have been described in haematological malignancies. However, scarce literature is present on angiogenesis in paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with studies showing controversial results. The aim was to study serum levels of VEGF and its receptors in paediatric ALL at the time of diagnosis and at the end of induction phase and to compare these levels with clinico-haematological parameters in these patients. Serum VEGF, VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbant assay at diagnosis (day 0) and at the end of induction phase (day 35) in 30 newly diagnosed paediatric ALL patients and in 10 healthy controls. Median s-VEGF was significantly lower at day 0 as compared to day 35 (196.15 vs. 606.75 pg/ml: p

In continuation of our research to explore new antiproliferative agents, we report herein the synthesis and antiproliferative activity of two new series of N-(substituted phenyl)-5-aryl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-amine (4a–j) and N-{[5-aryl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl]methyl}-substituted aniline (4k–t) analogs. The antiproliferative activity of fifteen compounds (4a–h, and 4n) was tested against nine different panels of nearly 60 NCI human cancer cell lines. N-(2-Methoxyphenyl)-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-amine (4b) and 4-{5-[(2-Methoxyphenyl)amino]-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl}phenol (4c) showed maximum antiproliferative activity among the series with a mean growth percents (GPs) of 45.20 and 56.73, respectively. The compound 4b showed significant percent growth inhibitions (GIs) on nearly 47 cancer cell lines and were found to have higher sensitivity towards HL-60(TB), MDA-MB-435, OVCAR-3, and K-562 with percent GIs (GIs) of 109.62, 105.90, 91.94, and 88.30, respectively. Similarly the compound, 4c showed significant percent GIs on nearly 42 cancer cell lines and were found to have higher sensitivity towards UO-31, MDA-MB-435, KM12, and K-562 with %GIs of 84.31, 80.52, 78.65, and 77.06, respectively. Both the compounds 4b and 4c showed better antiproliferative activity than the standard drug Imatinib while the antiproliferative activity of compound 4b was found to be nearly comparable to the standard drug 5-flurouracil (5-FU). The antiproliferative activity of five compounds (4o-s) was tested against the breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) as per Sulforhodamine B assay (SRB assay). N-{[5-(4-Methoxyphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl]methyl}-4-methylaniline (4p) was found to have significant antiproliferative activity against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 with GI50 of 12.9 and 59.3 µM, respectively. Further, the free radical scavenging activity results were significant for the most active compounds, 4b (IC50 = 21.07 µM) and 4c (IC50 = 15.58 µM). The docking studies was also carried against tubulin enzyme and the most active compound (4b) showed good interaction with the residues Lys254, Ala250, Cys241, Val318, Ala316, Asn258, and Lys352 present in the hydrophobic cavity of tubulin.

Background: In India, the prevalence of primary infertility ranges from 3.9% to 16.8%. Male factor contributes 40-50% of this. Male factor infertility is indicated by decreased sperm concentration, reduced motility, vitality or abnormal sperm morphology. Semen analysis is the single most important investigation to detect male factor infertility. The aim of this study was to analyse the prevalence of abnormal semen parameters among males in infertile couples and their association with contributing factors.Methods: This cross-sectional hospital-based study was carried out in the Department of Pathology at Lady Hardinge Medical College and Smt. Sucheta Kriplani Hospital. A total of 400 cases were analyzed during a period of 6 months. Detailed history of the couple was taken. Semen analysis was done using automated semen analyzer (SQA-vision) after 3 days of abstinence according to the WHO 5th edition 2010 guidelines. The results were analysed using excel sheet and SPSS software.Results: In the present study, 122 cases (30.5%) out of 400 cases had abnormal semen parameters. Most common abnormality detected was asthenozoospermia (14.3%) followed by oligozoospermia (13.8%), azoospermia (10.5%) and teratozoospermia (10.5%). There was significant association of alcohol intake, obesity and trauma with abnormal semen parameters.Conclusions: Asthenozoospermia was the most common abnormality noted in this study. Lifestyle modifications along with timely medical attention in male partners of infertile couples can improve the semen quality.