Cryptococcus neoformans infection can occur in a wide range of hosts ranging from those who are severely immunosuppressed to those who are apparently immunocompetent. Two apparently immunocompetent HIV-seronegative patients with cryptococcal meningitis and multiple skin lesions, both due to C. neoformans var. grubii, are reported. Pregnancy was found as an associated factor in cryptococcal meningitis in a 20-year-old female patient from Arunachal Pradesh. Multiple skin lesions were the presenting feature of an 18-year-old male patient from Dibrugarh, eastern Assam. The organism was identified both phenotypically and by sequencing of ITS1 and ITS2 regions of rRNA gene. The cases are reported because of rarity of this infection in non-HIV-infected patients.

Aims and Objectives: To find out the presence of Sst I polymorphism in APOC3 gene in patients of diabetes mellitus with Hypertriglyceridemia. To find out the correlation between serum triglyceride levels and Sst I polymorphism. To find out the correlation between serum levels of various lipoprotein fractions and Sst I polymorphism. Methods: The present study is a hospital-based observational case-control study, carried out in 300 patients of diabetes mellitus. Of these 300 subjects, 150 were hypertriglyceridemic and served as cases, while the other 150 who were normotriglyceridemic served as controls. PCR for APOC3 gene was done in all subjects. Result: In a total of 300 subjects, 26.33% (n=79) had shown presence of Sst I polymorphism in APOC3 gene. Polymorphic gene was present in 35.33% of cases while only in 17.33% of controls. The mean cholesterol level in the group with Sst I polymorphism was significantly higher than in group with S1 allele only. The mean triglyceride in the group with S1 allele only was 152.97±45.86 mg/dl and that in the group with Sst I polymorphism was 212.84±103.07 mg/dl, and this increased mean triglyceride level was statistically significant as determined by chi-square test. Mean HDL level was also significantly lower in the group with Sst I polymorphism as compared to that with S1 allele only. The odds ratio of developing hypertriglyceridemia was 2.6059 in those carrying the Sst I polymorphism as compared to those with only S1 allele. The association between increasing levels of triglyceride and the increasing percentage of Sst I polymorphism was also statistically significant. Conclusion: This is the first study from North-East India to determine the Sst I polymorphism in APOC3 gene, and demonstrate a clear association between the polymorphism and serum levels of various lipoprotein fractions, including triglycerides. A prospective study comprising of a wide population group will help us in forming a definite conclusion. Disclosure B.C. Kalita: None. R.K. Kotokey: None. S. Das: None. A. Chakravorty: None. H. Soni: None.