Association between allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis or Aspergillus sensitization and tuberculosis: A systematic review of 607 cases.

Introduction: Although allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is classically described in asthma and cystic fibrosis, pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) with post-tubercular lung disease (PTLD) has been reported as a likely predisposing factor. It, however, has not been reviewed systematically, which we aimed to achieve in the current systematic review.

Methods: We screened the available literature from PubMed, Embase, SCOPUS and Web of Science databases for studies reporting association between ABPA and PTB from the beginning of time to June 30, 2023 and collated the data on association of ABPA and tuberculosis.

Epidemiology of Triazole Resistant Aspergillus fumigatus in Asia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Triazoles are the cornerstone of therapy for various forms of aspergillosis. However, the emergence of triazole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus (TRAF) isolates poses a growing global threat. Although Asia harbours the largest at-risk population, the burden of azole resistance in this region has yet to be systematically evaluated.

Genome resource announcement of a sp. fungus isolated from roots of broadleaf plants in Wisconsin, USA.

We report whole genome sequences of a plant root-associated fungus sp., consisting of 21 contigs representing 75.14 mega-base pairs genome encoding 19,447 proteins, with 98.

Red Blood Cell-Derived Exosomes as Mediators of Age-Related Neurodegeneration.

Age-associated neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, are marked by progressive degeneration of the nervous system. Current diagnostic approaches, such as neuroimaging and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, are invasive, costly, and lack early diagnostic reliability. Recent studies highlight the potential of extracellular vesicles, particularly exosomes, derived from erythrocytes or red blood cells (RBCs), as emerging indicators of aging and age-associated diseases.

Biophysics of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein's receptor-binding domain interaction with ACE2 and neutralizing antibodies: from computation to functional insights.

The spike protein encoded by the SARS-CoV-2 has become one of the most studied macromolecules in recent years due to its central role in COVID-19 pathogenesis. The spike protein's receptor-binding domain (RBD) directly interacts with the host-encoded receptor protein, ACE2. This review critically examines computational insights into RBD's interaction with ACE2 and with therapeutic antibodies designed to interfere with this interaction.

Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis in Patients With Prior Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Study on the Burden, Clinic-Radiological Features, Treatment Outcomes and Comparison With Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis and Post-Tubercular Lung Disease Patients.

Background: Post-tuberculosis lung disease (PTLD) is a precursor to Aspergillus-related lung diseases. While Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis (CPA) has been extensively studied in the background of tuberculosis, Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA) has been reported sporadically with limited information on its prevalence, clinical-radiological features, and treatment outcomes.

Objective: This study, conducted in a high TB burden setting, aimed to address this knowledge gap by systematically evaluating ABPA in PTLD patients.

Healthcare worker views on antimicrobial resistance in chronic respiratory disease.

Background And Objective: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global crisis, however, relatively little is known regarding its impact in chronic respiratory disease and the specific challenges faced by healthcare workers across the world in this field. We aimed to assess global healthcare worker views on the challenges they face regarding AMR in chronic respiratory disease.

Methods: An online survey was sent to healthcare workers globally working in chronic respiratory disease through a European Respiratory Society clinical research collaboration (AMR-Lung) focussed on AMR in chronic lung disease.

Mortality in chronic pulmonary aspergillosis: a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis.

Background: Despite antifungal treatment, chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate rates of mortality and its predictors in CPA.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted across MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science to identify studies in English, reporting mortality in CPA, from database inception to Aug 15, 2023.

Metagenomic insights into fungal community composition of the nasopharyngeal region of COVID-19 associated mucormycosis patients from India.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) associated mucormycosis (CAM) was reported predominantly from India during the second wave of COVID-19  and has a high mortality rate. The present study aims to understand the fungal community composition of the nasopharyngeal region of CAM-infected individuals and compare it with severe COVID-19 patients and healthy controls. The fungal community composition was decoded by analyzing the sequence homology of the internal transcribed spacer-2-(ITS-2) region of metagenomic DNA extracted from the upper respiratory samples.

Vaccination coverage against COVID-19 among rural population in Haryana, India: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Conducting a study in rural pre-dominant areas will help to understand the penetration of the vaccination campaign during the COVID-19 health crisis. This study aimed to investigate vaccination coverage against COVID-19 among the rural adult population in India and to identify factors associated with vaccination coverage.

Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted among the rural population in one district of north India from January to February 2023.

Effect of volume of instillate on the diagnostic utility of bronchoalveolar lavage galactomannan in patients with suspected chronic pulmonary aspergillosis-A pilot study.

Background: Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) galactomannan (GM) is commonly used to diagnose Aspergillus-related lung diseases. However, unlike serum GM, which is measured in undiluted blood, BAL-GM is estimated using variable aliquots and cumulative volume of instillates during bronchoscopy.

Objective: Since different studies have reported varying diagnostic accuracy and cut-offs for BAL-GM in CPA, we hypothesized that the total volume of instillate and 'order/label' of aliquots significantly affects the BAL-GM values, which was evaluated as part of this study.

miRNA-211 maintains metabolic homeostasis in medulloblastoma through its target gene long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 4.

The prognosis of childhood medulloblastoma (MB) is often poor, and it usually requires aggressive therapy that adversely affects quality of life. microRNA-211 (miR-211) was previously identified as an important regulator of cells that descend from neural cells. Since medulloblastomas primarily affect cells with similar ontogeny, we investigated the role and mechanism of miR-211 in MB.

Evaluation of kit-based loop-mediated isothermal amplification (TB-LAMP) assay in the diagnosis of tubercular lymphadenitis.

Background: The rapid and accurate diagnosis of tubercular lymphadenitis remains a challenging task today. The World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed the LoopAMP MTBC kit (TB-LAMP) as a replacement for sputum smear microscopy in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). However, no prospective diagnostic accuracy study of TB-LAMP for tubercular lymphadenitis in adults has been performed yet.

The Utility of Galactomannan and Polymerase Chain Reaction Assays in Bronchoalveolar Lavage for Diagnosis of Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis.

The diagnosis of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is established by combined clinic-radio-microbiological criteria. Out of the different microbiological criteria, a positive serology for Aspergillus-specific IgG levels is the cornerstone of diagnosis. Alternatively, other microbiological evidence are sometimes sought viz.

Role of ApneaGraph® in the Surgery for Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.

Aim: To evaluate the utility of ApneaGraph® AG 200 in diagnosing Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) as compared to Polysomnography, localization of the site of upper airway obstruction, and the success rate of surgery.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted including fifteen patients of OSA undergoing surgical treatment. All patients underwent sequential overnight ApneaGraph (AG) and Polysomnogram (PSG) before and after 3 months following surgery.

Study on Effects of Probiotics on Gut Microbiome and Clinical Course in Patients with Critical Care Illnesses.

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a nosocomial infection contracted by ventilator patients in which bacteria colonize the upper digestive tract and contaminated secretions are released into the lower airway. This nosocomial infection increases the morbidity and mortality of the patients as well as the cost of treatment. Probiotic formulations have recently been proposed to prevent the colonization of these pathogenic bacteria.

Burden of Serious Fungal Infections in India.

Background: Fungal disease is frequent in India, but its incidence and prevalence are unclear. This review aims at defining the frequency or burden of various fungal infections in India.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature on the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science (WOS) databases was conducted using appropriate search strings.

New estimation of the prevalence of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) related to pulmonary TB - a revised burden for India.

Background: Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) may be confused with, or a coinfection of, pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), or may manifest itself after completion of antituberculous therapy (ATT).

Methods: Literature searches were conducted on PubMed. The selected studies stated the timing of CPA diagnosis with respect to PTB.