Objectives: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with a broad spectrum of clinical conditions. However, real-world data on EBV DNA testing patterns and positivity across clinical settings remain limited. We evaluated testing trends, clinical indications, EBV-DNA positivity rates, and viral load distribution across major clinical groups in a tertiary-care setting. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed EBV DNA testing data from 404 patients tested using whole blood at a tertiary-care center in North India between 2024 and 2025. Viral loads were quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Testing indications, detection rates, and viral load distributions were evaluated across clinical subgroups. Statistical analysis: Categorical variables were compared using the χ 2 test or Fisher’s exact test. Normality was assessed using the Shapiro-Wilk test, followed by the Kruskal-Wallis test for multiple comparisons of viral load data. Results: EBV DNA was detected in 25.50% of cases. The highest positivity rate (36.84%) was observed among patients with secondary immunodeficiency, all of whom were human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive. Lymphoproliferative disorders constituted the largest referral group (26.48%), followed by renal transplant recipients (12.62%). Median viral loads were highest among HIV-positive patients (1.67 × 10 5 copies/mL) and renal transplant recipients (1.26 × 10 5 copies/mL). Conclusion: EBV-DNA testing was requested across diverse clinical settings, extending beyond traditionally recognized high-risk populations such as transplant recipients and patients with immunodeficiency. HIV-positive individuals showed the highest observed positivity rate and median viral load. These findings provide a real-world overview of EBV-DNA testing patterns and EBV DNAemia across diverse clinical populations.
Recent studies highlight the role of Hippo signaling pathway molecules, particularly yes-associated protein (YAP) and kidney and brain expressed protein (KIBRA), in regulating podocyte homeostasis. The main objective of the study is to study the immunohistochemical expression of phosphorylated YAP (p-YAP) and KIBRA in podocytopathies and to correlate it with different clinico-pathological factors. The study included all histologically proven cases of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and minimal change disease (MCD) from January 2022 to September 2024. Clinical and pathological parameters were recorded. All cases were subjected to immunohistochemical staining for p-YAP. KIBRA immunostaining was performed in a subset of cases. Data were summarized using Microsoft Excel 2020. Comparisons between groups were made using the Mann-Whitney U Test. Pearson Chi-Square test was used to compare categorical variables. The study included 66 cases of FSGS and six cases of MCD. p-YAP immunohistochemistry was interpreted in 68 cases: 62 FSGS cases and six MCD cases. Among the FSGS cases, 42 cases had positive staining for p-YAP. No association of p-YAP staining was observed with different clinical and pathological features. KIBRA expression was observed in six of the eight cases tested. The presence of p-YAP staining in a significant proportion of FSGS cases raises a possible role of the Hippo signaling pathway, which was further strengthened by demonstration of KIBRA staining in a subset of such cases. Future studies should be planned to study a large cohort of proteinuric patients and explore the potential implications of the Hippo signaling pathway in such cases.
Objectives: The objective of the study is to determine the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and characterize major ESBL and carbapenemase resistance genes in HWW from Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. Materials and Methods: Wastewater samples were collected quarterly from six tertiary-care hospitals between May 2022 and February 2023. A total of 164 bacterial isolates were recovered and identified by conventional microbiological methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method. Thirty-eight multidrug-resistant isolates representing different bacterial species, hospital sites, and resistance profiles were selected for molecular analysis. Genomic DNA was extracted by the salting-out method, and polymerase chain reaction was used to detect blaTEM, blaCTX-M, blaSHV, blaOXA, blaKPC , and blaNDM genes. Statistical Analysis: Categorical data were summarized using frequencies and percentages. Results: Among the 164 isolates, Klebsiella pneumoniae (62%) was the predominant species, followed by Escherichia coli (25%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (10%), and Enterococcus spp. (3%). High resistance rates were observed against cefuroxime (100%), piperacillin/tazobactam (99%), ofloxacin (99%), norfloxacin (98%), and nitrofurantoin (97%). Molecular analysis showed that blaTEM (34%) was the most prevalent gene, followed by blaCTX-M (26%), blaOXA (18%), and blaSHV (13%), whereas blaKPC and blaNDM were not detected. Conclusion: HWW in eastern Odisha harbors multidrug-resistant bacteria and ESBL-associated resistance genes, emphasizing the need for continuous environmental surveillance and improved wastewater management.
Objectives: Nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal (NP/OP) swabs, the gold standard for COVID-19 diagnosis, pose challenges including patient discomfort, need for trained personnel, and biosafety risks. This study evaluated the diagnostic performance of saliva as a less invasive alternative compared to the gold standard. Materials and Methods: Paired NP/OP and saliva samples were collected from 515 suspected COVID-19 patients. NP/OP swabs underwent standard RNA extraction and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR). Saliva samples were analyzed by RT-PCR, either directly (saliva-direct [SD]) or after RNA extraction (saliva-RNA [SR]). A subset of discordant samples (saliva-positive, NP/OP-negative), with cycle threshold values ≤32, was investigated using Nanopore sequencing. Statistical analysis: Sensitivity, specificity, and Cohen’s Kappa were used to assess agreement between NP/OP and each saliva protocol. McNemar’s test compared detection rates between methods, and paired t-tests/Wilcoxon signed-rank tests compared Ct values between NP/OP and saliva-RNA assays. Results: Of 515 participants, NP/OP swabs yielded 114 positives (reference standard), SR yielded 117, and SD yielded 147. SR sensitivity/specificity was 61.4%/88.28% compared to NP/OP. SD sensitivity/specificity was 70.17%/83.29%. Cohen’s Kappa was 0.50 (0.399–0.581) for SR and 0.48 (0.395–0.569) for SD. 16.69% of saliva-positive samples were NP/OP negative. Nanopore sequencing confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in 78.26% of discordant saliva samples. Conclusions: Saliva shows promise as a complementary, adjunct specimen for COVID-19 diagnosis, potentially enhancing case detection. While sensitivity was lower than NP/OP, the direct saliva method demonstrated improved detection. The simplified collection and reduced biosafety risks associated with saliva offer significant advantages.
Objectives: This study compared the basophil counts (BC) on the automated analyzer Sysmex XN1000 (XN 1000) with manual differential count (DC). Materials and Methods: The study was conducted over a period of 2 years and included 77 diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cases. We compared the basophil percentages provided by XN 1000 with those of manual DC on peripheral blood smear (PBS). Manual DC was done by two hematopathologists on 200 cells, and the mean values were taken. Manual DC was considered the gold standard for comparison. Statistical analysis: Statistical analysis was done on R statistical software, version 4.1. Results: Seventy-seven patients of CML were included in the study. Mean basophil percentage (%) by XN1000 was 3.96% while the mean basophil % by manual DC was 7.07%. Pearson correlation between the two values was 0.249 with a significant p value (0.03). It was evident that the basophil percentage by automated analyzer was significantly lower compared to that obtained by manual counts. There was a mean difference (bias) of −3.11, suggesting that Sysmex XN 1000 can underestimate by ~3.1% when compared with the manual method. Conclusions: Automated analyzers (Sysmex XN 1000) underestimate the percentage of basophils in CML. The BC should be done manually on PBS for all cases of suspected CML since BC has a significant role in deciding the clinical management in CML patients.
