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Background: This study aims to investigate the levels of interleukin6(IL6), interleukin 10(IL10), the IL6:IL10 ratio, and various anthropometric measurements in different stages of sarcopenia among older individuals. Methodology: Conducted as a one-year cross-sectional study using purposive sampling, involving individuals aged 58–85 years, screened for sarcopenia based on the AWGS-2019 criteria. Case-finding methods included the SARCCalF questionnaire, handgrip strength(HGS), and chair-stand tests(CST). Anthropometric measurementswere recorded for all participants, allowing for the calculation of body mass index(BMI), waist-to-hip ratio(WHR), and appendicular skeletal muscle mass index(ASMI). Additionally, IL6 and IL10levels were estimated using Sandwich-ELISA. Results: Among the 130participants, 33 were free from sarcopenia, 35 exhibited pre-sarcopenia, 29 had sarcopenia, and 33 presented severe-sarcopenia. A majority (63 %) of the participants were male, and a substantial portion (77 %) had both diabetes and sarcopenia. The study's findings revealed that the SARCCalF questionnaire demonstrated a lower mean score in the non-sarcopenia group, with an increasing trend from pre-sarcopenia to severe-sarcopenia groups. HGS, CST results, and ASMI exhibited a reverse trend. Post-Hoc Tukey's tests revealed that IL6, IL10, IL6:IL10, and Calf Circumference(CC) exhibited significant differences between the study groups. Furthermore, ROC analysis demonstrated that IL6, IL10, IL6:IL10, and CC possessed an AUC ranging between 0.7 and 0.9, showcasing good sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing between non-sarcopenia and pre-sarcopenia. Conclusion: This study highlights the utility of IL6, IL10, IL6:IL10, and CC in the early identification of pre-sarcopenia among older individuals, offering valuable insights for clinicians to intervene promptly and enhance their quality of life.

Background and aimsAngiogenesis is a key factor in the growth and metastasis of hepatic tumors and thus a potential therapeutic target in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we aim to identify the key role of apoptosis antagonizing transcription factor (AATF) in tumor angiogenesis and its underlying mechanisms in HCC.MethodsHCC tissues were analyzed for AATF expression by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Stable clones of control and AATF knockdown (KD) were established in human HCC cells. The effect of AATF inhibition on the angiogenic processes was determined by proliferation, invasion, migration, chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay, zymography, and immunoblotting techniques.ResultsWe identified high levels of AATF in human HCC tissues compared to adjacent normal liver tissues, and the expression was found to be correlated with the stages and tumor grades of HCC. Inhibiting AATF in QGY-7703 cells resulted in higher levels of pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) than controls due to decreased matric metalloproteinase activity. Conditioned media from AATF KD cells inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of human umbilical vein endothelial cells as well as the vascularization of the chick chorioallantoic membrane. Furthermore, the VEGF-mediated downstream signaling pathway responsible for endothelial cell survival and vascular permeability, cell proliferation, and migration favoring angiogenesis was suppressed by AATF inhibition. Notably, PEDF inhibition effectively reversed the anti-angiogenic effect of AATF KD.ConclusionOur study reports the first evidence that the therapeutic strategy based on the inhibition of AATF to disrupt tumor angiogenesis may serve as a promising approach for HCC treatment.

Percutaneous coronary intervention for anomalous right coronary artery arising from the left sinus of Valsalva poses technical challenges in cannulation due to its unusual location, non-circular orifice and course. We describe a series of cases here with the novel use of Ikari Left guide catheter (ILGC).

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is known to be associated with both cervical and oropharyngeal cancers, yet little are known about the co-occurrence of similar HPV subtypes in these subsites. With the changing sexual behaviour it is necessary to evaluate the risk of a woman with abnormal cervix developing cancer of the oropharynx. A study evaluating HPV infection in both oral mucosa and the cervix is therefore needed to understand the co-occurrence of HPV infection in 2 different sites Methods: Oral mucosa and cervical wash specimens were collected from a total of 100 women aged 20-60 years who visited for routine Pap test. DNA was extracted and then subjected to an in house real-time PCR and conventional nested PCR for the detection high risk HPV 16/18 subtypes. A limit of detection was established using serially diluted HPV positive DNA from cell lines and the sensitivity and specificity of both the assays were evaluated Results: The prevalence of HPV-16/18 in the cervical samples (19.7% vs 6.2%) and the oral mucosa (16.6% vs nil) were higher as detected by our in house real-time PCR in comparison to the conventional nested PCR. Oral HPV infection was found in 25% of the women with SCC of the cervix Conclusion: Due to the changing sexual behaviour there is a possibility that women with HPV-related cervical lesions can easily transfer the virus to the partner or even self-inoculate which might lead to the development of lesions in the head & neck turning into cancer.

β-thalassemia is a significant health issue worldwide, with approximately 7% of the world’s population having defective hemoglobin genes. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short noncoding RNAs regulating gene expression at the post-transcriptional level by targeting multiple gene transcripts. The levels of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) can be increased by regulating the expression of the γ-globin gene using the suppressive effects of miRNAs on several transcription factors such as MYB, BCL11A, GATA1, and KLF. An early step in discovering miRNA:mRNA target interactions is the computational prediction of miRNA targets that can be later validated with wet-lab investigations. This review highlights some commonly employed computational tools such as miRBase, Target scan, DIANA-microT-CDS, miRwalk, miRDB, and micro-TarBase that can be used to predict miRNA targets. Upon comparing the miRNA target prediction tools, 4 main aspects of the miRNA:mRNA target interaction are shown to include a few common features on which most target prediction is based: conservation sites, seed match, free energy, and site accessibility. Understanding these prediction tools’ usage will help users select the appropriate tool and interpret the results accurately. This review will, therefore, be helpful to peers to quickly choose a list of the best miRNAs associated with HbF induction. Researchers will obtain significant results using these bioinformatics tools to establish a new important concept in managing β-thalassemia and delivering therapeutic strategies for improving their quality of life.

Simple Summary: Inhibition of human cancers has previously been linked to the administration of vitamin D. Studies have shown that increased cancer incidence is associated with decreased vitamin D. The anticancer activity of vitamin D has been confirmed by several in vitro and in vivo studies. Vitamin D inhibits the growth of cancer cells by (a) the induction of apoptosis, (b) decreasing the metastatic spread, (c) arresting the cells at the G0/G1 (or) G2/M phase in the cell cycle, and (d) downregulating proliferation signals. Supplementation of vitamin D slows down the growth of xenografted tumors in mice. Hence, vitamin D could be considered a potential cancer chemotherapeutic agent. Background: Inhibition of human carcinomas has previously been linked to vitamin D due to its effects on cancer cell proliferation, migration, angiogenesis, and apoptosis induction. The anticancer activity of vitamin D has been confirmed by several studies, which have shown that increased cancer incidence is associated with decreased vitamin D and that dietary supplementation of vitamin D slows down the growth of xenografted tumors in mice. Vitamin D inhibits the growth of cancer cells by the induction of apoptosis as well as by arresting the cells at the G0/G1 (or) G2/M phase of the cell cycle. Aim and Key Scientific Concepts of the Review: The purpose of this article is to thoroughly review the existing information and discuss and debate to conclude whether vitamin D could be used as an agent to prevent/treat cancers. The existing empirical data have demonstrated that vitamin D can also work in the absence of vitamin D receptors (VDRs), indicating the presence of multiple mechanisms of action for this sunshine vitamin. Polymorphism in the VDR is known to play a key role in tumor cell metastasis and drug resistance. Although there is evidence that vitamin D has both therapeutic and cancer-preventive properties, numerous uncertainties and concerns regarding its use in cancer treatment still exist. These include (a) increased calcium levels in individuals receiving therapeutic doses of vitamin D to suppress the growth of cancer cells; (b) hyperglycemia induction in certain vitamin D-treated study participants; (c) a dearth of evidence showing preventive or therapeutic benefits of cancer in clinical trials; (d) very weak support from proof-of-principle studies; and (e) the inability of vitamin D alone to treat advanced cancers. Addressing these concerns, more potent and less toxic vitamin D analogs have been created, and these are presently undergoing clinical trial evaluation. To provide key information regarding the functions of vitamin D and VDRs, this review provided details of significant advancements in the functional analysis of vitamin D and its analogs and VDR polymorphisms associated with cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is associated with half a dozen of cancers of various sites. Although HPV vaccines have a great potential to prevent HPV-related illness, due to the lack of knowledge and absence of effective immunization schemes, HPV-associated diseases continue to rise. It is important that the students and healthcare workers are well informed about the risks of HPV infection and its prevention. Methods: A questionnaire-based survey was conducted on 242 participants involving students from medical and non-medical backgrounds and healthcare workers within a university setting. The participant's knowledge on general awareness of HPV, HPV infection and associated diseases, and HPV vaccines were tested. As an exploratory study, an oral rinse of the participants was collected to assess the prevalence of HPV infection in the general population. Results: The response rate was 96.8 % with the majority of the participants being female (68 %). There was no significant difference in the mean knowledge scores between the genders. Medical students and healthcare workers had significantly higher mean knowledge scores when compared to non-medical students (8.97 and 9.33 vs 7.08). Only one-third of the participants identified that HPV does not cause AIDS and Herpes. More than 50 % of the participants did not know that if HPV vaccines were available in India. The majority of the participants agreed to provide their oral rinse for HPV testing. PCR analysis did not detect any HPV-DNA. Conclusion: Overall results emphasize that education about HPV is urgently needed to address some worrying gaps in knowledge.

The majority of malignant pleural effusions are caused by adenocarcinomas, with the most common primary sites being the lung and breast in men and women, respectively. Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma in serous effusions is rare, accounting for less than 3% of all malignant effusions. The most common primary site of origin for metastatic squamous cell carcinoma involving serous effusions is the lung, followed by the head and neck, oesophagus, and cervix. Well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma in pleural effusion, characterised by keratinised cells with hyperchromatic nuclei, tadpole cells, and fiber cells, is exceedingly rare. Poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinomas often present a diagnostic challenge and can be mistaken for poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, malignant mesothelioma, or reactive mesothelial hyperplasia. Immunohistochemistry is often required for a definitive diagnosis. Making an accurate diagnosis is crucial for providing optimal treatment to the patient. In this series, four cases (56 years old male, 69 years old male, 60 years old female and 81 years old male) of malignant pleural effusion caused by metastatic squamous cell carcinoma arising from the lung, oropharynx, cervix, and oesophagus were examined. While one of the cases involved a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma with characteristic cellular morphology that allowed for a straightforward diagnosis, the other three cases were poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinomas that required cell block preparation and immunohistochemistry for confirmation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]