Immunochemistry & Immunopathology

The paranasal sinuses are rare sites for origination of primary Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). Most often, primary paranasal lymphomas are diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) associated with a poor prognosis. This paper describes an uncommon case of ethmoid sinus lymphoma with lateral displacement of the left orbit and involvement of the nasal vault, skull base, and frontal sinuses. Excisional biopsy and flow cytometry findings favored the diagnosis of DLBCL, non-germinal center type. Moreover, CT showed an epigastric mass and enlarged lymph nodes along the left iliac chain and spleen. Radiation therapy was immediately started and the patient achieved significant symptomatic relief after four treatments. Accurate diagnosis of extranodal NHL lymphomas through a thorough history, physical exam, imaging, and immunopathology is necessary to initiate prompt treatment of this rare, aggressive disease.

Long-term intake of alcohol affects virtually every organ in the body including the immune system. The relation between alcohol abuse and immunoglobulin production has not been studied in Indian population. Serum levels of immunoglobulins (total IgE, IgG, IgM, and IgA) therefore, were analyzed in adult chronic alcoholics and were correlated with different epidemiological and alcohol-related parameters. The results showed that 98% of alcoholics had abnormal immunoglobulin levels and 92% showed high or very high total serum IgE levels compared to 24% of the control group. Long term and moderate consumption of alcohol were also associated with frequent infections. Serum immunoglobulin assay including total IgE may be helpful in screening and assessment of chronicity of alcohol abuse.

Protein samples can be challenging to analyze due to the presence of high-abundance proteins masking lowabundance proteins of interest, such as biomarkers and novel physiological mediators. Cyclophilins are chaperones involved in the cis/trans isomerization of peptidyl-prolyl bonds in peptides or proteins and have been found in every organism sequenced to date. Although considerable progress has been made in the characterization of some cyclophilins expressed in diverse parasites invading humans, the main aspects of low-abundance members of this family remain unknown. In the present work, we present that the combined strategy of using more specific antibodies and increasing the presence of subcellular proteins in the sample, allowed us to confirm the expression of a 21.1 kDa cyclophilin for the first time in Trypanosoma cruzi.

Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) is a plant growth hormone used to improve the formation of roots during the culture of cuttings in the greenhouse. According to new EC regulations, IBA levels should approach zero at the time the plantlets are entering the market (30 days). In order to be able to measure IBA in soil samples, polyclonal antibodies and corresponding ELISA was developed. Both chicken (IgY) and rabbit (IgG) were raised and used to evaluate direct and indirect ELISAs. It appeared that rabbit antibody in the indirect ELISA showed the best performance. Due to matrix effects, the standard curve was made in blank soil extract in a range of 0-500 μg/mL. The detection limit at 3SD from zero standard varied from 0.35-3.1 μg/mL. The antibody was highly specific for IBA and showed a mean recovery of 74.5% after two consecutive extraction steps of spiked blank samples. This ELISA was used to monitor IBA in cutting soils extracts from 0-30 days after application (Day 0-1-3-8-30). It appeared that at day 8 IBA was already undetectable. The results were confirmed with HPLC. It may be concluded that the ELISA for IBA developed was suitable to analyze IBA in soil samples and that plantlets in cutting soil treated with IBA are allowed to market according to EC regulations.

An arthropod borne dengue viral infection is caused by dengue virus that gains entry into the human body via mosquito bites. Since dengue is a viral disease, there is no definitive drug or vaccine that can treat it, though research is going on around the world. As per the World Health Organization’s estimation, nearly 2.5 billion people around the globe are at risk of this infection. In resource-limited settings, these risks are compounded by inadequate or absent diagnostic methods. With a rapid upsurge and reemergence of dengue fever and other deadly diseases, especially in undeveloped regions, a key point in avoiding the high mortality rate and reducing disease burden is diagnosing the disease at its initial stages with the help of robust, cheap and sustainable diagnostics. Complications of dengue can be well prevented with early detection followed by accurate diagnosis. This review focus on challenges, opportunities and future prospects associated with dengue infection diagnosis.