This study was carried to identify the causes of pancytopenia and to fi nd out the bone marrowmorphology in cases of pancytopenia.It was a cross sectional study conducted over a period of two years in the Department of Pathology,Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital. Bone marrow aspiration smears of patients fulfi lling thecriteria of pancytopenia were examined. The data obtained were analyzed using measures of centraltendency.One hundred and forty eight cases underwent bone marrow aspiration and it constituted 15.74% oftotal cases. Mean age was 30 years (range, 1-79 years). 42 cases were children (28.37%). Male: femaleratio was 1.5:1. The commonest cause was hypoplastic bone marrow seen in 43 cases (29%) followedby megaloblastic anemia in 35 cases (23.64%), and hematological malignancy in 32 cases (21.62%).Erythroid hyperplasia was seen in 29 cases (19.6%) and normal bone marrow was seen in 5 cases(3.38%). There was one case each of Niemann-Pick disease and metastatic neuroblastoma in childrenand chronic pure red cell aplasia and leishmaniasis in adults. Acute leukemia was the commonesthematological malignancy. In children, commonest fi nding was hypoplastic bone marrow (38.1%)while in adults megaloblastic anemia (30.18%) was commonest fi nding followed by hypoplasticanemia (25.47%).In present study bone marrow examination was able to establish diagnosis in 77% of cases. Hypoplasticmarrow was the commonest diagnosis, followed by megaloblastic anemia, and hematologicalmalignancies.Key Words: Bone marrow aspiration, hypoplastic anemia, leukemia, megaloblastic anemia,pancytopenia

Background: Pancytopenia is a common hematological finding resulting from varieties of disease processes that require evaluation of bone marrow. This study was carried out to evaluate bone marrow findings in patients presenting with pancytopenia. Materials and Method:This was a prospective cross sectional study carried out to identify the causes of pancytopenia based on bone marrow examination. Bone marrow examinations were performed in 503 cases for different indications over a period of one year. Results:One hundred and two (20.27%) cases fulfilled the criteria of pancytopenia. Trephine biopsy was possible only in 48 cases. In 75% cases aspiration findings were similar to biopsy. Mean age of patients was 38.8 years. Maximum number of cases was seen in age group of 15-30 years. Hypoplastic anemia was the commonest cause followed by hematological malignancies, megaloblastic anemia, leishmaniasis and Gaucher disease. Bone marrow examination alone was able to establish the diagnosis in 76.5% cases. In rest marrow findings were nonspecific and in 4.9% cases findings were normal. Conclusion:Bone marrow aspiration coupled with trephine biopsy can diagnose majority but not all the cases of pancytopenia. Hypoplastic anemia, hematological malignancies and megaloblastic anemia are the commonest causes of pancytopenia. Maximum diagnostic yield can be achieved by correlation with clinical findings, peripheral blood findings and with other laboratory and radiological parameters.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) rate is accelerating with the increasing aging of the world’s population. The World Health Organization (WHO) stated AD as a global health priority. According to the WHO report, around 82 million people in 2030 and 152 million in 2050 will develop dementia (AD contributes 60% to 70% of cases), considering the current scenario. AD is the most common neurodegenerative disease, intensifying impairments in cognition, behavior, and memory. Histopathological AD variations include extracellular senile plaques’ formation, tangling of intracellular neurofibrils, and synaptic and neuronal loss in the brain. Multiple evidence directly indicates that oxidative stress participates in an early phase of AD before cytopathology. Moreover, oxidative stress is induced by almost all misfolded protein lumps like α-synuclein, amyloid-β, and others. Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in activating and causing various cell signaling pathways that result in lesion formations of toxic substances, which foster the development of the disease. Antioxidants are widely preferred to combat oxidative stress, and those derived from natural sources, which are often incorporated into dietary habits, can play an important role in delaying the onset as well as reducing the progression of AD. However, this approach has not been extensively explored yet. Moreover, there has been growing evidence that a combination of antioxidants in conjugation with a nutrient-rich diet might be more effective in tackling AD pathogenesis. Thus, considering the above-stated fact, this comprehensive review aims to elaborate the basics of AD and antioxidants, including the vitality of antioxidants in AD. Moreover, this review may help researchers to develop effectively and potentially improved antioxidant therapeutic strategies for this disease as it also deals with the clinical trials in the stated field.

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The hallmarks of carcinogenesis are characterized by alterations in the expression of multiple genes that occur via genetic and epigenetic alterations, leading to genome rearrangements and instability. The reversible process of epigenetic regulation, which includes changes in DNA methylation, histone modifications, and alteration in microRNA (miRNA) expression that alter phenotype without any change in the DNA sequence, is recognized as a key mechanism in cancer cell metabolism. Recent advancements in the rapidly evolving field of cancer epigenetics have shown the anticarcinogenic potential of natural compounds targeting epigenetic mechanism as a common molecular approach for cancer treatment. This review summarizes the potential of natural chemopreventive agents to reverse cancer-related epigenetic aberrations by regulating the activity of histone deacetylases, histone acetyltransferases, DNA methyltransferase I, and miRNAs. Furthermore, there is impetus for determining novel and effective chemopreventive strategies, either alone or in combination with other anticancer agents that exhibit similar properties, for improving the therapeutic aspects of cancer.