Pathology Commons^™

Expression Analysis Of Cyclooxygenase-2 In Patients Suffering From Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Shahida Tasneem, Muhammad Tahir Sarwa, Muhammad Rizwan Bashi, Hamid Hussain, Jawad Ahmed, Shahid Pervez

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the aggressive malignancies and mechanisms underlying its pathogenesis remain unclear. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme system plays a crucial role in many gastrointestinal malignancies and is an important regulator of cell growth, proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation and transformation. More precise outcome of COX-2 in ESCC is less investigated. In this study we investigated the risk factors of ESCC and expression of COX-2 in Carcinoma in situ (CIS) and ESCC compared to normal esophageal mucosa. ESCC relationship to clinico-pathological parameters using immunohistochemistry was also part of this investigation. Current study was conducted in the Institute of …

Prospective Evaluation Of Serum Procalcitonin In Critically Ill Patients With Suspected Sepsis- Experience From A Tertiary Care Hospital In Pakistan, Sibtain Ahmed, Imran Siddiqui, Lena Jafri, Madiha Hashmi, Aysha Habib, Farooq Ghani

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background: Sepsis is the leading cause of mortality in critically ill patients. Procalcitonin (PCT) is a promising marker for identification of bacterial sepsis. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of serum PCT concentration in patients with suspected sepsis admitted to mixed medical-surgical Intensive care unit (ICU).
Material and methods: A cross-sectional study conducted at section of Chemical Pathology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and ICU. Patients with suspected sepsis were included, serum PCT cut off ≥0.5 ng/ml was taken for diagnosing sepsis. Diagnostic accuracy was measured in terms of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value …

Microbiological And Clinical Profile Of Infective Endocarditis Patients: An Observational Study Experience From Tertiary Care Center Karachi Pakistan, Uzma Shahid, Hasanat Sharif, Joveria Farooqi, Bushra Jamil, E. Khan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background:
The study analyzed microbiological and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of organisms isolated from patients with infective endocarditis (2015–17) and compared disease outcomes in cohorts of endocarditis patient with history of prior invasive vascular intervention (high risk group) vs those without (native valve group). We hypothesized that high risk group would be more likely to have severe disease outcomes.
Methods:
This was a prospective cohort study (2015–17). All blood and cardiac tissue samples of enrolled patients suspected of endocarditis according to modified Duke’s criteria were followed for microbiological and antimicrobial susceptibility profile. The high risk group was compared with the native …

Low Grade Mullerian Adenosarcoma Of Pouch Of Douglas Recurring As Bilateral Ovarian High Grade Mullerian Adenosarcoma With Rhabdomyosarcomatous Overgrowth After 11 Years, Sandeep Kumar, Muhammad Raza, Muhammad Usman Tariq

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Mullerian adenosarcoma (MA) of ovary with sarcomatous (rhabdomyoblastic) overgrowth is an extremely rare malignant type of female genital tract neoplasm. These tumours are highly aggressive and presence of heterologous elements is associated with worse prognosis. A 44 year old female presented with lower abdominal pain and distension. She had history of removal of tumour from pouch of Douglas in 2006 for which she did not receive any additional treatment nor did she keep continuous follow up. Current preoperative radiological examination revealed bilateral ovarian masses. She underwent abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy. Microscopic examination revealed biphasic tumours exhibiting sarcomatous overgrowth with …

Her2 Basolateral Versus Circumferential Ihc Expression Is Dependent On Polarity And Differentiation Of Epithelial Cells In Gastric/Ge Adenocarcinoma, Shahid Pervez, Sidra Arshad, Brooj Abro

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Aim: Antigenic expression in epithelial cells can be heterogeneous which may pose a problem in immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis of tumor markers, in particular, predictive markers like HER2. Studies have shown that epithelial cells have distinct apical and basolateral domains which are separated by tight junctions. The cell membrane in these two domains has a different composition of macromolecules and hence can have variable antigen expression on immunohistochemistry. In our study, we aimed to investigate this phenomenon of basolateral versus circumferential IHC staining of HER2 in gastric/GE adenocarcinoma.
Methods: We selected 45 cases of gastric/GE adenocarcinoma and evaluated equal number of …

Clinicopathologic Features Of Invasive Metaplastic And Micropapillary Breast Carcinoma: Comparison With Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Of Breast, Atif Ali Hashmi, Saher Aijaz, Raeesa Mahboob, Saadia Mehmood Khan, Muhammad Irfan, Narisa Iftikhar, Mariam Nisar, Maham Siddiqui, Muhammad Muzzammil Edhi, Naveen Faridi, Amir Khan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of metaplastic breast carcinoma and invasive micropapillary carcinoma in our population and also to compare the clinico-pathologic features of metaplastic breast carcinoma and invasive micropapillary carcinoma with invasive ductal carcinoma, not otherwise specified (IDC, NOS).
Result: 86.9% of the cases were identified as ductal carcinoma, NOS, while 2.2% were metaplastic and 0.76% cases were micropapillary carcinoma. Metaplastic carcinomas were found to be of higher grade as compared to IDC, NOS as 81% of metaplastic carcinoma were grade III compared to 35% IDC, NOS. 79% of metaplastic carcinoma were ER …

Global Distribution Of Invasive Serotype 35d Streptococcus Pneumoniae Isolates Following Introduction Of 13-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine, Stephanie W. Lo, Rebecca A. Gladstone, Andries J. Van Tonder, Paulina A. Hawkins, Brenda Kwambana Adams, Jennifer E. Cornick, Shabir A. Madhi, Susan A. Nzenze, Mignon Du Plessis, Rama Kandasamy, Philip E. Carter, Sadia Shakoor

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

A newly recognized pneumococcal serotype 35D, which differs from the 35B polysaccharide in structure and serology by not binding to factor serum 35a, was recently reported. The genetic basis for this distinctive serology is due to the presence of an inactivating mutation in wciG, which encodes an O-acetyltransferase responsible for O-acetylation of a galactofuranose. Here, we assessed the genomic data of a worldwide pneumococcal collection to identify serotype 35D isolates and understand their geographical distribution, genetic background and invasiveness potential. Of 21,980 pneumococcal isolates, 444 were originally typed as serotype 35B by PneumoCaT. Analysis of wciGrevealed 23 isolates …

Role Of Tnf Α, Il-6 And Cxcl10 In Dengue Disease Severity, Kiran I. Masood, Bushra Jamil, Maryam Rahim, Muniba Islam, Muhammad Farhan, Zahra Hasan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background and objective: Dengue virus infections (Dengue) have become increasingly common in Pakistan and can result in case fatalities if not managed appropriately. Patients with Dengue virus infection may be asymptomatic or present with Dengue fever (DF), Dengue with warning signs (DWS) or severe Dengue (SD). Severity in Dengue is coincident with an exacerbated production of lymphocyte-induced cytokines and chemokines which are associated with plasma leakage. We investigated the association of circulating levels of cytokines such as Interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and CXCL-10 in Dengue patients with differing severity of disease.
Material and methods: Dengue infection was confirmed …

Non O1, Non O139 Vibrio Cholerae Bacteraemia In An Infant; Case Report And Literature Review, Mirza Zain Baig, Umme Hani Abdullah, Yusra Shafquat, Khadija Nuzhat Humayun, Afia Zafar

Medical College Documents

Non 01, Non O139 Vibrio cholerae bacteraemia is a rare but potentially fatal occurrence. There have been very few incidents of this infection from around the world. The treatment regimen of antibiotics also varies in literature. We present a case of bacteraemia caused by Non O1, Non O139 Vibrio cholerae along with associated risk factors, disease manifestations, laboratory diagnosis and treatment regimen. This serves to add additional information regarding symptoms and signs of this infection along with management of patient. Knowledge regarding this topic shall be highly useful to professionals if further cases are detected. In the discussion section, a …

Integrating Tuberculosis And Antimicrobial Resistance Control Programmes, Rumina Hasan, Sadia Shakoor, Johanna Hanefeld, Mishal Khan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Many low- and middle-income countries facing high levels of antimicrobial resistance, and the associated morbidity from ineffective treatment, also have a high burden of tuberculosis. Over recent decades many countries have developed effective laboratory and information systems for tuberculosis control. In this paper we describe how existing tuberculosis laboratory systems can be expanded to accommodate antimicrobial resistance functions. We show how such expansion in services may benefit tuberculosis case-finding and laboratory capacity through integration of laboratory services. We further summarize the synergies between high-level strategies on tuberculosis and antimicrobial resistance control. These provide a potential platform for the integration of …

Emergence Of An Extensively Drug-Resistant Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhi Clone Harboring A Promiscuous Plasmid Encoding Resistance To Fluoroquinolones And Third-Generation Cephalosporins, Rumina Hasan, Sadia Shakoor, Farah Naz Qamar, Dania Khalid Saeed, Ghazala Shaheen, Shahida Qureshi, Mohammad Tahir Yousafzai, Muhammad Khalid Salim, Zahra Hasan, Elizabeth J. Klemma, Andrew J. Page, Kim Judge, Vanessa K. Wong, Timothy J. Dallman, Satheesh Nair, Stephen Baker, Gordon Dougan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Antibiotic resistance is a major problem in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, the causative agent of typhoid. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates are prevalent in parts of Asia and Africa and are often associated with the dominant H58 haplotype. Reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolones is also widespread, and sporadic cases of resistance to third-generation cephalosporins or azithromycin have also been reported. Here, we report the first large-scale emergence and spread of a novel S. Typhi clone harboring resistance to three first-line drugs (chloramphenicol, ampicillin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole) as well as fluoroquinolones and third-generation cephalosporins in Sindh, Pakistan, which we classify as extensively drug resistant …

Infection Of A Ventricular Septal Defect Patch With Acremonium Species, Nosheen Nasir, Kauser Jabeen, Joveria Farooqi, Binish Arif Sultan, Afia Zafar, Aamir Hameed Khan, Muneer Amanullah, Farheen Ali

Section of Internal Medicine

A ventricular septal defect (VSD) patch infection with Acremonium species isolated from vegetation and blood culture is described. Antifungal treatment was discontinued after 3 months and patient developed relapse. Surgery with prolonged oral voriconazole was instituted with recovery. We emphasize importance of surgery and prolonged therapy to treat such infections.

Direct Detection Of Shigella In Stool Specimens By Use Of A Metagenomic Approach, Jie Liu, Mathieu Almeida, Furqan Kabir, Sadia Shakoor, Shahida Qureshi, Anita K. M. Zaidi, Shan Li, Boubou Tamboura, Samba O. Sow, Inacio Mandomando

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

The underestimation of Shigella species as a cause of childhood diarrhea disease has become increasingly apparent with quantitative PCR (qPCR)-based diagnostic methods versus culture. We sought to confirm qPCR-based detection of Shigella via a metagenomics approach. Three groups of samples were selected from diarrheal cases from the Global Enteric Multicenter Study: nine Shigella culture-positive and qPCR-positive (culture⁺ qPCR⁺) samples, nine culture-negative but qPCR-positive (culture^- qPCR⁺) samples, and nine culture-negative and qPCR-negative (culture^- qPCR^-) samples. Fecal DNA was sequenced using paired-end Illumina HiSeq, whereby 3.26 × 10⁸ ± 5.6 × 10 …

Lipoblastoma: A Clinicopathologic Review Of 23 Cases From A Major Tertiary Care Center Plus Detailed Review Of Literature, Jamshid Abdul Ghafar, Zubair Ahmad, Muhammad Usman Tariq, Naila Kayani Naila Kayani, Nasir Ud Din

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Objective: Lipoblastoma is a rare neoplasm that occurs mostly in infants and children. Although benign, it has a tendency for local recurrence.
Results: Clinical and pathological features of 23 cases of lipoblastoma described. Patients’ age ranged from 8 months to 18 years with mean and median age 4.1 and 2.5 years, respectively. Male:female ratio was 2.8:1. Most common sites were lower extremities (9 cases), followed by abdominal cavity and retroperitoneum (4 cases), and scrotum/groin (3 cases). Grossly, 22 tumors were well circumscribed and multi nodular. All cases showed lobules composed of adi‑ pocytes and lipoblasts with intervening fbrous septa and …

Methylation In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Is Lineage Specific With Associated Mutations Present Globally, Jody Phelan, Paola Florez De Sessions, Leopold Tientcheu, Joao Perdigao, Diana Machado, Rumina Hasan, Zahra Hasan, Indra L. Bergval, Richard Anthony, Ruth Mcnerney

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification of the genome involved in regulating crucial cellular processes, including transcription and chromosome stability. Advances in PacBio sequencing technologies can be used to robustly reveal methylation sites. The methylome of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex is poorly understood but may be involved in virulence, hypoxic survival and the emergence of drug resistance. In the most extensive study to date, we characterise the methylome across the 4 major lineages of M. tuberculosis and 2 lineages of M. africanum, the leading causes of tuberculosis disease in humans. We reveal lineage-specific methylated motifs and strain-specific mutations that are …

Wdr5 Supports Colon Cancer Cells By Promoting Methylation Of H3k4 And Suppressing Dna Damage, Beth K. Neilsen, Binita Chakraborty, Jamie L. Mccall, Danielle E. Frodyma, Richard L. Sleightholm, Kurt W. Fisher, Robert E. Lewis

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: KMT2/MLL proteins are commonly overexpressed or mutated in cancer and have been shown to support cancer maintenance. These proteins are responsible for methylating histone 3 at lysine 4 and promoting transcription and DNA synthesis; however, they are inactive outside of a multi-protein complex that requires WDR5. WDR5 has been implicated in cancer for its role in the COMPASS complex and its interaction with Myc; however, the role of WDR5 in colon cancer has not yet been elucidated.

Methods: WDR5 expression was evaluated using RT-qPCR and western blot analysis. Cell viability and colony forming assays were utilized to evaluate the …

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy For Analysis Of Kidney Stones, Aysha Habib Khan, Sheharbano Imran, Jamsheer Talati, Lena Jafri

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Purpose:
To compare the results of a chemical method of kidney stone analysis with the results of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy.
Materials and Methods:
Kidney stones collected between June and October 2015 were simultaneously analyzed by chemical and FT-IR methods.
Results:
Kidney stones (n=449) were collected from patients from 1 to 81 years old. Most stones were from adults, with only 11.5% from children (aged 3-16 years) and 1.5% from children aged adults, the calcium oxalate stone type, calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM, n=224), was the most common crystal, followed by uric acid and calcium oxalate dihydrate (COD, n=83). In …

Prospective Comparison Of Point-Of-Care Device And Standard Analyzer For Monitoring Of International Normalized Ratio In Outpatient Oral Anticoagulant Clinic, Bushra Moiz, Ahmed Raheem, Anila Rashid, Muhammad Hasan, Lena Jafri

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Point-of-care testing (POCT) coagulometers are increasingly being used in the hospital setting and patients’ self-testing. We determined the agreement of prothrombin time international normalized ratio (INR) results by POCT coagulometer and laboratory instrument through a comparative analysis and investigated whether the results of POCT coagulometer can reliably be used without being confirmed by standard laboratory analyzer. A total of 200 INR measurements by POCT coagulometer (CoaguChek XS Pro) and laboratory analyzer (Sysmex CS2000i) were compared using Passing-Bablok regression analysis and Bland-Altman plot. Agreement of the INR measurement was further analyzed in relation to dosing decision. The correlation of INR measurements …

Neurological Involvement Associated With Plasmodium Vivax Malaria From Pakistan, Yousaf Abdullah Khan, Usman Hameed Mian, Najia Karim Ghanchi, Ali Bin Sarwar Zubairi, Mohammad Asim Beg

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Plasmodium vivax is the most common specie causing malaria outside Africa with approximately 13.8 million reported cases worldwide. We report case of P. vivax infection with cerebral involvement. A nine year old boy presented with high grade fever accompanied by projectile vomiting and abnormal behavior later he developed seizures, shock, and unconsciousness. P. vivax monoinfection was diagnosed based on peripheral smears and PCR. After antimalarial therapy, patient made full recovery. Current case highlights increasing trend of cerebral complications caused by P. vivax.

High Heterotrophic Counts In Potable Water And Antimicrobial Resistance Among Indicator Organisms In Two Peri-Urban Communities Of Karachi, Pakistan, Sadia Shakoor, Imran Ahmed, Saima Mukhtiar, Israr Ahmed, Farzeen Hirani, Shazia Sultana, Rumina Hasan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Objective: Fecal contamination of potable water leads to unsafe water supply. Although many urban areas of large metropolitan cities receive safe water, peri-urban areas are often not monitored by public health authorities and water supply and quality remain unknown. We assessed microbiological quality and rates of antimicrobial resistance in viable indicator bacteria in two peri-urban communities of Karachi, Pakistan. Water samples were collected over 5 months (October 2015 to February 2016) from these peri-urban communities and samples were processed for microbiological quality as per Standing Committee of Analysts, United Kingdom and World Health Organization guidelines and criteria for drinking water. …

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms In Efflux Pumps Genes In Extensively Drug Resistant Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Isolates From Pakistan, Akbar Kanji, Rumina Hasan, Asho Ali, Ambreen Zaver, Ying Zhang, Kehkashan Imtiaz, Wanliang Shi, Taane G. Clark, Ruth Mcnerney, Jody Phelan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

It is challenging to understand mechanisms of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) due to the large variability in resistance associated genes. Efflux pump genes contribute to drug resistance and thus add to this complexity. Efflux pump gene protein superfamilies have been characterized by genome analysis of drug resistant strains and through invitro transcriptional studies. However, there is limited information regarding efflux pump genes in extensively drug resistant (XDR) tuberculosis (TB) isolates. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) based analysis of 37 extensively drug resistant (XDR) and five drug sensitive (DS) MTB clinical isolates was performed. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in efflux …

Susceptibility Pattern Of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus To Vancomycin And Other Alternate Agents: Report From A Private Sector Hospital Laboratory, Faryal Saleem, Naima Fasih, Afia Zafar

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

With increasing prevalence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in clinical settings and injudicious use of antibiotics, resistance among MRSA against commonly used antibiotics is increasing. To assess the susceptibility pattern of MRSA against vancomycin, linezolid, tigecycline, rifampicin, fosfomycin fusidic acid, clindamycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and teicoplanin, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for given antimicrobials were performed on 234 MRSA clinical isolates using automated VITEK 2 system. Vancomycin, linezolid, rifampicin, clindamycin, co-trimoxazole and teicoplanin susceptibilities were interpreted according to CLSI breakpoints, while tigecycline, fosfomycin and fusidic acid were interpreted according to BSAC breakpoints. All isolates were found susceptible to vancomycin, tigecycline, teicoplanin and linezolid. …

Susceptibility Pattern Of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus To Vancomycin And Other Alternate Agents: Report From A Private Sector Hospital Laboratory, Faryal Saleem, Naima Fasih, Afia Zafar

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

With increasing prevalence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in clinical settings and injudicious use of antibiotics, resistance among MRSA against commonly used antibiotics is increasing. To assess the susceptibility pattern of MRSA against vancomycin, linezolid, tigecycline, rifampicin, fosfomycin fusidic acid, clindamycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and teicoplanin, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for given antimicrobials were performed on 234 MRSA clinical isolates using automated VITEK 2 system. Vancomycin, linezolid, rifampicin, clindamycin, cotrimoxazole and teicoplanin susceptibilities were interpreted according to CLSI breakpoints, while tigecycline, fosfomycin and fusidic acid were interpreted according to BSAC breakpoints. All isolates were found susceptible to ancomycin, tigecycline, teicoplanin and linezolid. …

Frequency Of G6pd Mediterranean In Individuals With And Without Malaria In Southern Pakistan, Bushra Moiz, Haroon Muhammad Arshad, Ahmed Raheem Raheem, Hasan Hayat, Najia Karim Ghanchi, M Asim Beg

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background: Pakistan has an estimated annual burden of 1.5 million malaria cases. The current situation calls for an efective malaria control and eradication programme in this country. Currently, primaquine is an attractive option for eliminating reservoirs of Plasmodium vivax hypnozoites and killing gametocytes of Plasmodium falciparum. However, this drug causes haemolysis in individuals who are glucose-6-phosphate (G6PD) defcient. It is important to map G6PD defciency and malaria distribution in Pakistan to design an efective malaria eradication regimen. Frequency of G6PD defciency (G6PDd) in malaria patients has not been reported from Pakistan in any meaningful way. The purpose of this study …

Differential Roles For Inner Membrane Complex Proteins Across Toxoplasma Gondii And Sarcocystis Neurona Development, Rashmi Dubey, Brooke Harrison, Sriveny Dangoudoubiyam, Giulia Bandini, Katherine Cheng, Aziz Kosber, Carolina Agop-Nersesian, Daniel K. Howe, John Samuelson, David J. P. Ferguson, Marc-Jan Gubbels

Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center Faculty Publications

The inner membrane complex (IMC) of apicomplexan parasites contains a network of intermediate filament-like proteins. The 14 alveolin domain-containing IMC proteins in Toxoplasma gondii fall into different groups defined by their distinct spatiotemporal dynamics during the internal budding process of tachyzoites. Here, we analyzed representatives of different IMC protein groups across all stages of the Toxoplasma life cycle and during Sarcocystis neurona asexual development. We found that across asexually dividing Toxoplasma stages, IMC7 is present exclusively in the mother’s cytoskeleton, whereas IMC1 and IMC3 are both present in mother and daughter cytoskeletons (IMC3 is strongly enriched in daughter buds). In …

Bk Polyomavirus Virus Hemorrhagic Cystitis Following Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplant With Haploidentical Related Donor: Case Reports From Two Patients, Danish Shakeel, Natasha Bahadur Ali, Mohammad Usman Shaikh, Salman Adil

Section of Haematology/Oncology

BK virus is well known to be associated with allograft failure in renal transplant recipients due to polyomavirus-associated nephropathy (PVAN). BK viruses are increasingly recognized an important cause of hemorrhagic cystitis during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Here we describe two patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who received a haplo identical match related donor hematopoietic stem cell transplant after myeloablative conditioning and post-transplant cyclophosphamide. They developed cytology proven BK Virus cystitis. Both were treated with Leflunomide. Treatment was effective in alleviating the symptoms temporarily but eventually the symptoms progressed and resulted in mortality of both patients.

Burden Of Zinc (Zn) Deficiency: A High Volume Clinical Laboratory Data Analysis, Hafsa Majid, Shabnum Khawaja, Aysha Habib Khan, Imran Siddqui, Farooq Ghani, Lena Jafri

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

A cross-sectional survey was done at the Section of Chemical Pathology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, AKUH, Karachi, to determine frequency of Zn deficiency, the second major micronutrient deficiency in developing countries, in subjects coming for investigations. Data of plasma Zn, from Jan 2013 to Dec 2014 was analyzed and deficiency was labeled at <65ug/dl. Total 469 subjects were tested for plasma Zn levels over the period of 24 months and complete information was available for 422 subjects, included in final analysis. Median age of subjects was 13 yrs (IQR 7-35) and 57% were male. Mean plasma Zn levels of the total subjects were 105±42.6ug/dl. Out of the total subjects 13.5% (n=57) had Zn deficiency (mean plasma Zn 52±11 ug/dl), and most of them were of age group 6-16yrs. These findings advocate that diet of Pakistani children should be revised in order to provide sufficient amounts of Zn.

Iron Overload Assessment In Beta Thalassemia Major - Is T2* Magnetic Resonance Imaging The Answer?, Natasha Ali

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Different Molecular Markers For Identification Of Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhi In Pakistani Population, Faizan Muttiullah, Fida Muhammad Khan, Fakhar-I- Abbas, Sabiha Shamim

Journal of Bioresource Management

Typhoid is caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi that is usually diagnosed by using serologic and immuno-chromatographic techniques in developing counties including Pakistan, which is thought to be an unreliable diagnostic method. For accurate diagnosis we used molecular techniques to amplify 204 bp StyR-36 and 498 bp flagellin gene for the identification of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi. This study was done on 58 individuals diagnosed positive of typhoid via serologic tests and 50 healthy individuals as a control group. Success rate of amplification for flagellin gene was 77.58% while that for StyR-36 gene was 68.97% showing that flagellin gene primer …

Evaluation Of Xpert Mtb/Rif Testing For Rapid Diagnosis Of Childhood Pulmonary Tuberculosis In Children By Xpert Mtb/Rif Testing Of Stool Samples In A Low Resource Setting, Zahra Hasan, Sadia Shakoor, Fehmina Arif, Aisha Mehnaz, Alnoor Akber, Marium Haider, Akber Kanji, Rumina Hasan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Objective: Children with tuberculosis (TB) remain underdiagnosed due to difculty in testing for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection. We evaluated the Xpert MTB/RIF assay for respiratory and stool testing in children for pulmonary TB through a cross-sectional study at tertiary care facilities in Karachi, Pakistan. Fifty children aged 0–15 years screened by a modifed Kenneth-Jones (KJ) score were included. Mycobacterial culture of respiratory samples was the microbiological standard against stool Xpert TB results. All positive TB cases were compared against a treatment response standard (TRS).
/="/">Results: Twelve study subjects were diagnosed by Xpert TB and nine by MTB culture. Compared …