Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a global pathogen with ability to establish a persistent infection in the host for many years. Diseases are more serious in congenitally infected infants and immunocompromised individuals such as AIDS patients and transplant recipients. It rarely causes disease among immunocompetent individuals. The envelope glycoproteins of HCMV (gB, gH and gN) are essential for viral infectivity as they are involved in attachment and penetration of the host cell, cell to cell viral transmission and fusion of infected cells. Also, they are known to be important targets for humoral and cell mediated immune responses against the virus. A hypothesis states that HCMV genotypes are constantly mutating and evolving in immuno-compromised patients especially in congenitally infected infants and transplant patients where virus able to evade the immune system and genotypes become more pathogenic. Some seroprevalence studies have been carried out in Pakistan among individuals at risk of blood donors and pregnant women. However, no study has been conducted previously, to investigate the etiology of Human cytomegalovirus in congenital CMV (cCMV) infection and in kidney transplant and dialytic patients. In routine there is no Laboratory diagnosis in Pakistan due to lack of research data about the consequences of this virus and necessary laboratory facilities. In the present study, a total of 631 samples were collected from pregnant women, cCMV infected infants, kidney transplant patients and renal failure dialytic patients showing symptoms of HCMV disease, and tested by ELISA and nested xxv PCR for the presence of HCMV. Actively infected pregnancies were followed until delivery, to detect the outcome of overt cCMV infection in neonates. PCR positive HCMV samples were screened for glycoproteins (gB, gH and gN) and then glycogenotyped by nested PCR and sequencing. Genetic characterization of CMV strains was performed by sequence analysis of envelope glycoproteins: gB, gN and gH to detect the circulating genotypes. In pregnant women the seroprevalence of anti-CMV IgG and IgM was 97.5% (399 out of 409) and 12.7% (52 out of 409), respectively, while 20% (82/409) pregnant women were found positive for CMV DNA by PCR. Logistic regression analysis showed a significant association of active infection with parity [OR= 2.56, 95% CI=1.82-2.62, p=0.04], febrile illness [OR=1.84, 95% CI=1.76-3.65, p=0.01] and jaundice [OR=22.5, 95% CI=4.5385.02, p=0.002]. We were able to isolate virus in 41 out of 70 neonates; 36.6% (15 out of 41) of them were symptomatic at birth while 63.4% (26 out of 41) were asymptomatic. The most prominent clinical feature observed in symptomatic neonates was hepatosplenomegaly (26.6%; 4 out of 15). CMV strains belonged to gB, gN, gH genotypes, where gB1 genotype was mainly found in 75% infants with hepatic damage. Seroprevalence of kidney transplant patients of this study was IgG 100% and IgM 44.4% while 52.7% found to be positive for HCMV DNA when tested by PCR. Samples from renal failure dialysis patients found to be 98% IgG positive, 35.4% were IgM antibodies positive while 55% CMV DNA positive. Most prevalent genotype among renal patients was gN followed by gH and gB respectively however no significant association have been observed in these patients between genotypes and disease severity. Phylogenetic analysis of Pakistani strains showed 96 to 100% of their prototype strains are available in GenBank. In conclusion, Active CMV infection during pregnancy is a major cause of congenital CMV infection and distribution of gB, gN and gH genotypes was similar in symptomatic and asymptomatic neonates. Our findings emphasize to conduct a comprehensive large scale survey and introduction of country wide routine screening at maternity clinics for early diagnosis of CMV to reduce its associated devastating outcomes. The investigation of different glycoprotein genotypes in different samples has shown no significant correlation between single glycoprotein and disease outcome. Recombination between HCMV strains xxvi may lead to progression of disease. However, studying a large number of isolates positive for HCMV from immunocompromised patients may clarify the correlation between glycoprotein types and disease outcome and lead to improved strategies for treatment and prevention of HCMV associated disease.
مولانا حسرتؔ موہانی افسوس کہ آخر مولانا حسرت موہانی بھی چل بسے۔مولانا کی شخصیت کا پیکر دو چیزوں سے بنا تھاایک شعر وسخن اوردوسری سیاست۔سیاست اس پیکر کے ساتھ جسم کی نسبت رکھتی تھی، اس بناپر جب جسم مٹی میں ملاتوسیاست بھی فناہوگئی لیکن شعر و سخن اس پیکر کی روح تھی جو مرنے کے بعد باقی رہتی ہے اس لیے حسرت کی شاعری اب بھی زندہ ہے اورزندہ رہے گی۔ مرحوم سیاست میں کبھی ایک روش میں قایم نہیں رہے وہ کبھی کسی پارٹی میں شریک ہوئے کبھی کسی میں،ان کی سیاست کاآغاز کانگریس میں شرکت سے ہوا اور اس کاخاتمہ لیگ کے پُرجوش کارکن ہونے پر ہوگیا۔ان دونوں کی درمیانی مدت میں سیاسی اعتبار سے وہ کبھی کسی روپ میں نظر آئے اورکبھی کسی جامہ میں وہ دیکھے گئے لیکن ہرجگہ اورہرمقام پربیباک خلوص ان کا امتیازی وصف رہا۔ یہی وجہ ہے کہ جن لوگوں سے وہ سیاسی اختلاف رائے رکھتے تھے وہ بھی ان کی قدر کرتے اور ان کا احترام ملحوظ رکھتے تھے، وہ خواہ کسی رنگ اورکسی بھیس میں ہوتے ان کا اندازِ قدالگ سے الگ پہچان لیا جاتاتھا۔ ملک کی جدوجہد آزادی میں ان کا اتنا بڑا حصہ ہے کہ اس جدوجہد کی کوئی تاریخ مرحوم کے شاندار تذکرہ کے بغیر کامل نہیں ہوسکتی۔ ایک زمانہ تھا کہ حسرت کانام بچہ بچہ کی زبان پر تھا اورلوگ ان کے ایثار و قربانی،محنت وجفاکشی،برطانوی حکومت سے نفرت اور اس سلسلہ میں ان کی سخت ضداورہٹ کی داستانیں مزے لے لے کر اورجوش ومسرت کے ساتھ بیان کرتے تھے، لیکن مرحوم کے یہ وہ اوصاف وکمالات ہیں جن کو لوگوں نے خود ان کی زندگی میں ہی بھلا دیاتھا اوروہ آخر میں’’یوسف بے کارواں‘‘ہوکررہ گئے تھے۔ حسرت کی شاعری جوانمٹ اورزوال ناآشنا ہے اس کا اصل جوہر حسن تغزل ہے۔ انھوں نے اپنے...
Background: Management of subfertility is influenced by the diagnosis of its causative factor. Combined diagnostic hystero-laparoscopy has emerged as an effective procedure in identifying causative factors of female subfertility. Objectives: This study aimed to identify contributory factors to primary female subfertility by diagnostic hystero-laparoscopy. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Hameed Latif hospital, Lahore, Pakistan from December 2021 to May 2022. Data was collected from 344 women with female primary subfertility, undergoing combined diagnostic hystero-laparascopy. All the demographic data along with identified causative factors (tubal blockade, cervical Os stenosis, endometrial polyp, uterine septum, uterine fibroid, endometriosis, peri tubal adhesions and polycystic ovaries) during the procedure were recorded in predesigned study proforma. Data were analyzed through SPSS software 23. Results: Mean age of the patients was 25±5.0 years and the mean duration of subfertility was 3.8+0.55 years. Two hundred and eighty-four (82.56%) patients had abnormal findings, while sixty (17.44%) had normal findings. Out of 284 patients, 94(34%) had one identified factor, while 190 (66%) patients had two or more identified factors for primary subfertility. Polycystic ovaries were seen in 128(37.21%) patients, followed by tubal blockade in 81(23.54%), peri tubal adhesions/hydrosalpinx in 58(16.86%) patients. Conclusions: Diagnostic hystero-laparoscopy is an effective diagnostic procedure for the evaluation of female factor subfertility and may be helpful to gynecologists in devising further management plans.
Conservation involves sustaining of biological diversity as its main goal. Description of all taxa and their relative abundance are the most important components of biodiversity conservation within an ecosystem. Lepidoptera is one of the largest orders of the class Insecta. They are phytophagous as well as pollinators. Parasitoids are the biological control agents cosmopolitan in nature and keep check on caterpillars, by parasitizing them. Identifying and conserving these biological control agents is important as it allows us to rely less on chemicals, and hence reduce their impacts on ecosystems. The Braconidae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea) is among one of the largest families, being used successfully in biological control programs worldwide. The present study aimed at identifying the relative abundance of some of the braconids and their lepidopteran hosts from the cropland of district Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan. For this purpose, sampling was carried out from four crops, namely wheat, fodder, brassica and vegetables, for one year from June, 2010 to May, 2011. Fodder was the most infested crop, with 37.28% of the total lepidopteran specimens, followed by vegetables (36.25%), brassica (23.08%) and the least being wheat (3.38%). A similar trend was observed for braconids, being 31.90%, 25.38%, 21.63% and 21.08% for fodder, vegetables, brassica and wheat, respectively. Host-parasitoid associations, helpful in designing biological control programs, were assessed by regression analysis. Pieris brassicae showed the best probable association with Heterospilus spp., Cotesia flavipes and Cotesia vestalis, having R 2 values as 0.96, 0.95 and 0.94, respectively. Quantification of foraging of lepidopteran caterpillars was done to understand suitability of different host plants for cultural control measures. P. brassicae was found to be the most destructive species, with maximum larval duration of 17.67±0.47 days on brassica plants, followed by Helicoverpa armigera 17.00±0.82 days on cauliflower. Trichoplusia ni had maximum larval duration of 14.3±0.47 days on cabbage, and those of Spodoptera exigua had 14.00±0.47 days on cauliflower. The average consumption of all food offered by larvae of P. brassicae, H. armigera, T. ni and S. exigua was calculated as 14.67±5.75g, 11.76±5.25g, 10.75±5.25g and 8.99±6.15g respectively. Brassica was the preferred crop for P. brassicae, as maximum larval length (36.45±0.05mm), pupal length (20.00±0.82mm) and adult length (43.00±0.81mm) was observed when larvae fed on this crop. Cauliflower was the preferred diet for S. exigua and H. armigera. Both of the species showed maximum size of larvae (35.4±0.00mm, and 47.00±0.00mm), pupae (18.33±0.47mm and 19.67±0.47mm) and adults (26.00±0.47mm and 35±0.81mm), respectively, when fed on cauliflower. P. brassicae was found to be a potential host for two species of the genus Cotesia, namely C. vestalis and C. flavipes. In the present study Sequence Characterized Amplified Regions (SCARs) could only be developed for species identification of T. ni due to experimental and financial limits. Such types of studies are very helpful in designing biological control programs for assessment and control of economic pests.