Epidemiology and microscopic diagnosis of tuberculosis in pigs and small ruminants slaughtered at Bobo-Dioulasso abattoir, Burkina Faso

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a zoonotic, infectious, chronic and contagious disease, caused by Mycobacterium bovis that mainly affects cattle. This pathology has a negative impact on animals and animal products trade. Unfortunately, in Burkina Faso where agriculture and livestock sectors represent around 80% of the socio-economic activities, the real situation of the disease is not well known especially in small ruminants and swine. Thus, our study focused on both the epidemiology and the microbiological diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) in small ruminants and pigs slaughtered at Bobo-Dioulasso abattoir. A prospective study was conducted between August 2017 and December 2017. Epidemiological data collection was performed during routine meat inspection; moreover, samples were taken and transported to the Bacteriology laboratory of Centre Muraz for microbiological analyses. This diagnosis consisted in search of Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB) using the hot Ziehl–Neelsen staining. Out of a total of 14 648 small ruminants and 2430 pigs slaughtered during the study period, 156 and 17 had lesions suggestive of bTB with prevalence of 1.07% and 0.7%, respectively. Females and those between 2 and 4 years old were mainly infected. The most affected organs were: lungs, liver, spleen and lymph nodes. Finally, microscopy revealed 43.35% (75/173) of positive cases for AFB. These results confirm the presence of bTB in small ruminants and pigs in Burkina Faso. Efforts must still be made in the fight against this zoonosis in order to limit its economic and public health impacts.

Epidemiological, Physiological and Diagnostic Comparison of Plasmodium ovale curtisi and Plasmodium ovale wallikeri

Nowadays, Plasmodium ovale is divided into two non-recombinant sympatric species: Plasmodium ovale wallikeri and Plasmodium ovale curtisi. In this mini review, we summarize the available knowledge on the clinical/biological aspects of P. ovale spp. malaria and current techniques for the diagnosis/characterisation of P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri. P. ovale wallikeri infections are characterized by a deeper thrombocytopenia and shorter latency compared to P. ovale curtisi infections, indicating that P. ovale wallikeri is more pathogenic than P. ovale curtisi. Rapid diagnosis for effective management is difficult for P. ovale spp., since specific rapid diagnostic tests are not available and microscopic diagnosis, which is recognized as the gold standard, requires expert microscopists to differentiate P. ovale spp. from other Plasmodium species. Neglect in addressing these issues in the prevalence of P. ovale spp. represents the existing gap in the fight against malaria.

New record of species Monascus purpureus in Iraq

This study was conducted in the Laboratory of Fungus in the Department of Biology / College of Science / University of Qadisiyah to isolate and diagnose some insulation from fungi isolated from imported dried fruits (raisins) in Qadisiyah province, Iraq. The isolations were diagnosed both morphologically and microscopically using the classification keys and to confirm the appearance and microscopic diagnosis diagnosed using polymerase chain reaction(PCR), And determine the sequence of nitrogen bases (Nucleotide sequence(of compound DNA products using ITS1 and ITS4. The results of the nucleotide sequence analysis of DNA (PCR product) compounding innate isolation and using BLAST to compare with data available at the U.S. National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) have shown that this isolation belongs to the type Monascus purpureus. By comparing the sequence of nitrogen bases of isolated M. purpureus fungus in this study, it was found that there was a 100% similarity to many of the M. purpureus fungus isolates previously registered at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), including those diagnosed in China (MT361825, MK359689, MW581230) and Japan (AB477248).

Low-Temperature Flexible Micro Hydrogen Sensor Embedded in a Proton Battery for Real-Time Microscopic Diagnosis

The proton battery is a very novel emerging research area with practicability. The proton battery has charging and discharging functions. It not only electrolyzes water: the electrolyzed protons can be stored but also released, which are combined with oxygen to generate electricity, and the hydrogen is not required; the hydrogen ions will be released from the battery. According to the latest document, the multiple important physical parameters (e.g., hydrogen, voltage, current, temperature, humidity, and flow) inside the proton battery are unlikely to be obtained accurately and the multiple important physical parameters mutually influence the data; they have critical effects on the performance, life, and health status of the proton battery. At present, the proton battery is measured only from the outside to indirectly diagnose the health status of battery; the actual situation inside the proton battery cannot be obtained instantly and accurately. This study uses micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology to develop a low-temperature micro hydrogen sensor, which is used for monitoring the internal condition of the proton battery and judging whether or not there is hydrogen leakage, so as to enhance the safety.

Quantitative Expression of TYR, CD34, and CALD1 Discriminates Between Canine Oral Malignant Melanomas and Soft Tissue Sarcomas

Canine oral malignant melanomas (OMMs) exhibit a variety of morphologic phenotypes, including a spindloid variant. The microscopic diagnosis of spindloid OMMs is based on junctional activity and/or the presence of melanin pigment. In the absence of these features, spindloid OMMs are difficult to differentiate from soft tissue sarcomas (STS). An antibody cocktail (MDX) that includes Melan-A, PNL2, and tyrosinase-related proteins 1 and 2 (TRP-1 and TRP-2) is the current gold standard for identifying amelanotic OMMs by immunohistochemistry (IHC). However, MDX is less sensitive for diagnosing spindloid amelanotic OMMs. This raises concern for biopsy specimens that lack overlying epithelium, making it potentially difficult to differentiate OMM from STS by IHC. The goal of this study was to identify additional markers to help differentiate between STS and OMMs that lack pigment and junctional activity. SOX-10 has recently been proposed as a sensitive marker for melanocytes in humans but has not been validated in dogs. Similarly, RNA expression for various genes has been analyzed in humans, but not in the context of diagnosing canine melanocytic neoplasms. For this retrospective study, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues from 20 OMMs, 20 STS, and 20 oral spindle cell tumors (OSCTs) that lacked junctional activity and pigmentation were selected. IHC for MDX, SOX-10, and laminin, in parallel with RT-qPCR of TYR, SOX10, CALD1, CD34, DES, and LAMA1, was performed in all cases. TYR, CD34, and CALD1 were the most discriminatory genes in differentiating between OMM and STS, all having 100% specificity and 65, 95, and 60% sensitivity, respectively. While all 20 OMMs were immunohistochemically labeled for SOX-10, two STS were also labeled (100% sensitivity and 90% specificity). MDX IHC labeled all 20 OMMs and no STS. Surprisingly, none of the 20 OSCTs expressed TYR RNA above the cutoff, and 14/20 OSCTs expressed CALD1 or CD34 RNA above the cutoff, thereby confirming them as STS. Four OSCT were suspect STS, and no OSCTs were confirmed as OMMs based on IHC and RNA expression patterns. In conclusion, the RNA levels of TYR, CD34, and CALD1 should be evaluated in suspected amelanotic OMMs that are negative for MDX to accurately differentiate between OMM and STS.

Histopathological span of diseases in patients going through hysterectomies: an audit of 190 consecutive hysterectomy specimens in Multan

Introduction: Gynecological diseases affect women’s lives in numerous manners. They are frequent in all communities but the types of disorders and their presentations differ substantially in various regions and races. However, the studies and researches specifying these disorders in particular regions and communities are very low in number. Hysterectomy is one of the most frequently opted operations worldwide particularly in developing countries and hardly any studies are done about its epidemiology and prevalence in Multan region of Pakistan. Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the variety of histopathological diseases in patients undergoing hysterectomies in Multan region Design: Retrospective study including 190 hysterectomy specimens. Place and duration: Department of Histopathology Bakhtawar Amin Medical & Dental College, Multan from January 2019 to December 2020. Methodology: Histopathology reports of all hysterectomy specimens removed due to gynecological disorders were included. All the relevant data like age, parity, clinical manifestations, indication and type of hysterectomy were recorded along with histopathological microscopic diagnosis of cervix, endometrium, myometrium, fallopian tubes and ovaries. The data was collected from medical track record, histopathological request form and histopathology report files. Results: A total of 190 hysterectomies were received in histopathology department. The mean age was 47.8 years (ranging from 25-75 years). Majority of the ladies were between age groups 41-50 years. The major presenting complaint was menstrual irregularity followed by abdominal pain. Out of 190 specimen, 170 (89.5%) of hysterectomies were done because of non neoplastic/ benign conditions. Chronic cervicitis, adenomyosis and leiomyomata were the most commonly noticed incidental findings. Conclusion: Hysterectomy is an extensively used therapeutic modality, largely for benign non neoplastic disorders to relieve the clinical symptoms and to enhance the living conditions. Presence of incidental diseases in majority of hysterectomy specimens indicates that for conclusive opinion, histopathological examination is must. Key words: Histopathology, hysterectomy, benign gynecological disorders, leiomyoma, adenomyosis

Multicenter prospective in vivo study of an endocytoscope system (ECS) for superficial esophageal cancer

Background Endocytoscope systems (ECS) can visualize cellular nuclei of the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract and are predicted to provide real-time microscopic diagnosis. However, their practical diagnostic performance remains unclear. Therefore, we conducted a multicenter prospective study to evaluate the visualization of superficial esophageal neoplasm in vivo using an ECS, and its diagnostic capability. Methods The study target was histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HGIN). An integrated ECS was used to obtain ECS images. In each patient, three ECS images of cancerous and corresponding noncancerous regions were selected for evaluation. A pathological review board of five certified pathologists made the final diagnosis of the images. The primary endpoint was the sensitivity of ECS diagnosis by pathologists. Results ECS images of 68 patients were assessed: 42 lesions were mucosal SCC, 13 were submucosal SCC, and 13 were HGIN. The rate of assessable images was 96% (95% CI 87.6–99.1). The sensitivity of ECS diagnosis by pathologists was 88% (95% CI 77.2–94.5). Conclusions ECS can provide high-quality images of cancerous lesions and a high diagnostic accuracy by pathologists, and could be useful for real-time endoscopic histological diagnosis of SCC and HGIN. Trial registration The UMIN Clinical Trials Registry Identification Number: 000004218

Histopathological study of cutaneous non-neoplastic lesions in punch biopsies

Skin being the largest organ of the body, is subjected to constant environmental insults through direct and indirect targets. Non-neoplastic lesions of skin comprise a vast array of diseases, which are usually approached by pattern based method in histopathology for microscopic diagnosis. This study was undertaken with an intention to learn such diseases by a simple minimally invasive punch biopsy procedure. A 2 year retro-prospective study of 82 punch biopsies which were documented as non-neoplastic lesions of skin were studied with respect to their demographical and histopathological profile. Simple descriptive statistics was applied in Microsoft Excel software. Out of the 82 cases studied, 46(56%) were males and 36(44%) were females. Maximum number of cases (n=23) were seen in 21-30 years of age. Most prominent site of lesions biopsied were from lower limb (23 cases) with legs being the commonest among them. Cutaneous infections (n=25) was the most common clinical category, with Mycobacterial lesions as the prominent subcategory (n=16). Granulomatous reaction constituted the most common major tissue reaction pattern among other patterns with a total number of 17 cases out of 82. Panniculitis was the most common minor reaction pattern observed. The pattern based approach in routine histopathological analysis proves a valuable descriptive tool for reaching an accurate diagnosis in cutaneous non-neoplastic lesions.

Oncocytic Polyp in a Unicystic Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Palate: A Unique Presentation

We report a palatal mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) with unusual pathological features showing salivary duct cyst-like architecture, varied epithelial linings (excretory duct, mucous goblet cell, and apocrine epithelium phenotypes), scarce luminal tumor plaques, and a large intraluminal oncocytic polyp. To our knowledge, such a unicystic variant of MEC with pedicled oncocytic proliferation in the lumen is unprecedented in the literature. In this particular case, the microscopic diagnosis of MEC is problematic because of the large number of potential mimics.