Lymphatic filariasis is a mosquito borne parasitic infection and can severely affect the normal working ability of an individual. Currently there is no vaccine available to prevent this infection and the development of a potential vaccine could effectively support the on-going mass drug administration program by World Health Organization (WHO). Filarial parasites have complex mechanisms to modulate the host immune responses against them. The glutathione-S-transferases (GST) are the important enzymes effectively involved to counteract the oxidative free radicals produced by the host. In the present study, we have shown that the mastomys which are fully permissible rodents for Brugia malayi when immunized with Wuchereria bancrofti recombinant GST (rWbGST) could induce 65.5 % in situ cytotoxicity against B. malayi infective (L 3 ) larvae. There was a balanced Th1/Th2 immune response in the vaccinated animals, characterized by higher levels of WbGST-specific IgG1 and IgG2a antibodies and pronounced IFN-c, IL-10 and IL-4 cytokines production by the spleen cells.

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Lungs are the only organs which are continuously exposed to external environment through the process of breathing. The cigarette smoking is main leading cause of various morbidities related to lungs. Adenosine deaminase (ADA) and alpha-1 antitrypsin (A1AT) are the two very important parameters of which ADA is required for maintaining proper immunity and A1AT is required for resolving oxidant stress on lungs by various mechanism. In the present study we evaluated the level of these parameters in active cigarette smokers without lung disease and COPD patients, and found that ADA level was significantly high in healthy smokers and COPD patients as compared to healthy controls (P<0.001). Whereas significantly lower levels of alfa-1 antitrypsin (P<0.001) as compared to healthy controls. The present study consist of total 100 subjects as healthy controls, 6o as active smokers and 6o as COPD patients. We also assessed effect of vitamin E supplementation in smokers and COPD patients. It has been found that there is significant recovery in the above mentioned parameters after treatment with vitamin E; confirming protective antioxidant role of vitamin E. Thus the present study confirmed the deliberate overactivity of adenosine deaminase and decreased activity of alpha-1 antitrypsin in COPD patients and smokers leading to oxidative stress and various lung diseases.

Background: Because of the varied presentation and associated high mortality the identification of patients with acute myocardial infarction is very critical for the patient management and has a bearing on the prognosis. Only about 22% patients admitted to cardiac care centers with chest pain having truly myocardial infarction. Aim: The goal of present study was to assess diagnostic value of serum ischemia modified albumin and compare it with sensitive cardiac troponin I and Creatine Kinase-MB in acute myocardial infarction. Methods: A diagnostic case control study was conducted on 102 patients presenting to the Emergency Department within 6 hrs of acute chest pain and 115 healthy age and sex matched volunteers formed the control group. Serum ischemia modified albumin level was estimated by albumin cobalt binding test using digital spectrophotometer, while troponin I was measured by immunofluroscence assay and creatine Kinase-MB was determined by immunoinhibition method.  The sensitivity and specificity of ischemia modified albumin, troponin I and creatine kinase-MB for detection of acute myocardial infarction were analyzed. The results of ischemia modified albumin, troponin I and creatine kinase-MB alone and in combination were correlated. Results: Ischemia modified albumin (p<0.05) and troponin I (p<0.001) concentrations were significantly higher in acute myocardial infarction than healthy controls. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of ischemia modified albumin for detection of acute myocardial infarction was 88.24%, 93.91%, 92.78% and 90.00% compared to 86.27%, 93.04%, 91.67% and 88.43% respectively for the troponin I and 78.43%, 100%, 100%, and 83.94% for creatine kinase-MB. Combined use of ischemia modified albumin, troponin I, creatine kinase-MB significantly enhanced the sensitivity to 96%. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of ischemia modified albumin in acute myocardial infarction was 0.90. Conclusion: Ischemia modified albumin is a new potential diagnostic biomarker used together with other gold standard cardiac biomarkers can improve early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction.

The Nitric oxide (NO.) is an intermediate between molecular oxygen (O2) and nitrogen (N2).  N2 has low solubility and readily diffuse through membranes as easily as through cytoplasm and is a strong oxidant. Molecular oxygen propagates free radical damage and has a central role in oxidative stress and in infectious diseases. In our study nitric oxide and lipid peroxide (MDA) level is measured in 100 healthy controls   and in 60 infectious diseases patients.   Both nitric oxide level (P<0.001) and lipid peroxide (p<0.001) was found significantly high in infectious diseases patient group than normal healthy control. The study concludes that NO· is the effector molecule that initiates the cytotoxic effects by increasing the oxidative stress.