Background: Mono-infections of Plasmodium spp., hepatitis B virus (HBV), and Mycobacterium tuberculosis could elicit activation of complements for innate immunity leading to inflammatory responses. Objective: This work was designed to determine host immune responses to mono-infections of Plasmodium spp., HBV, and M. tuberculosis in blood complement 3 (C3), complement 5 (C5), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin 10 (IL-10). Materials and Methods: Of 200 volunteers 66 Plasmodium spp., mono-infected, 28 HBV mono-infected, 12 M. tuberculosis mono-infected and 62 noninfected volunteers were studied as test and controls. ELISA was used to determine HBV, hepatitis C virus (HCV), HIV, plasma C3, C5, IL-10, and TNF-α while Plasmodium spp., was identified by Geimsha thick-film microscopy and M. tuberculosis by immunofluorescence microscopy. Results: The results obtained in the 200 volunteers showed. 69% (138) were infected with one or more of Plasmodium, HBV, HCV, HIV, and M. tuberculosis; 31% (62) were not infected; 16% (32) had co-infections of at least two of Plasmodium, HBV, HCV, HIV, and M. tuberculosis; 33% (66) were Plasmodium spp., mono-infected 14% (28) were HBV mono-infected while 6% (12) were M. tuberculosis. mono-infected. There was a significant increase in the plasma C3 in M. tuberculosis mono-infection compared with Plasmodium mono-infection; HBV mono-infection and control (P < 0.05). There was a significant increase in the plasma C3 in Plasmodium mono-infection compared with HBV mono-infection and control (P < 0.05) There was a significant decrease in the plasma C3 in the results obtained in HBV mono-infection compared with the control (P < 0.05). There was a significant increase in the plasma C5 in M. tuberculosis mono-infection compared with Plasmodium mono-infection; HBV mono-infection and control (P < 0.05). There was a significant increase in the plasma C5 in Plasmodium mono-infection compared with HBV mono-infection (P < 0.05). There was a significant decrease in plasma IL-10 and increased plasma TNF-α in Plasmodium, M. tuberculosis, and HBV mono-infections compared with the control (P < 0.05). There was also a significant increase in plasma TNF-α in M. tuberculosis mono-infection compared with Plasmodium mono-infection (P < 0.05). Conclusion: There was an evidence of host immune responses as evidenced by a significant increase in plasma C3, C5, and TNF-α including a decrease in IL-10 in mono-infections of Plasmodium spp., HBV and M. tuberculosis.

Background and Objectives: The first pandemic of the 21 ^st century was caused in 2009 by influenza A(H1N1). An increase in the number of cases caused by influenza A(H1N1) pdm09 was observed in 2013. The aim was to describe the number of influenza cases observed during 2013 in a general hospital of Argentina. Materials and Methods: A prospective, observational cohort of adult patients with influenza was confirmed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Results: We analyzed 428 patients between epidemiological weeks 21 and 31, resulting in 134 (31%) patients who were positive for influenza A. Of these patients, 78% were infected with H1N1 (2009), 17% with H3, and 5% with a subtype that could not be determined. The mean patients' age was 53 ± 18 years. Eighty-three percent of patients had not been vaccinated, and no differences between vaccinated and nonvaccinated patients were observed. Seventy-five percent of patients had underlying conditions. Twenty-eight patients were treated as outpatients, and 86 required admission to the general ward, and 20 to the Intensive Care Unit. A significant difference in patient's age was observed between individuals infected with influenza H1N1 and those infected with other non-H1N1 subtypes. The mortality rate was 11%. In the multivariable analysis, mechanical ventilation (odds ratio: 27.66; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.43-119; P < 0.001) and cancer (odds ratio: 6.81; 95% CI: 1.25-37.13; P = 0.02) were predictors of mortality. Conclusions: We report a new wave of influenza A(H1N1). Most patients had underlying conditions, and a significant number of patients had not been vaccinated. Mortality was high; the only predictors of mortality were cancer and the need for mechanical ventilation.

Background and Aims: Human Immunodeficiency Virus infections have developed into a global pandemic with cases reported from virtually every country. Manipur has also shown an increase in the incidence of HIV/AIDS since the past decade. Thus far, very little data is available in this part of the country about the effect of 1 ^st and 2 ^nd line antiretroviral therapy (ART) on the glycemic status of the patients. Hence, this study was undertaken to assess and compare the effect of 1 ^st line and 2 ^nd line ART on glycemic status of HIV patients. Subjects and Methods: The study was carried out in the ART centre in Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal. It was a cross-sectional comparative observational study carried out from October 2010 to September 2012. A total of 292 patients were included in the study, of which 211 patients were receiving ART 1 ^st line and 81 patients receiving ART 2 ^nd line. HIV patients receiving ART were investigated for fasting, 2 hours post-prandial glucose, CD4 cell count, total cholesterol, and serum triglyceride levels. Chi-square and Student's t tests were used to find the significance between the two groups. Pearson's correlation between clinical variable and sugar and lipid parameters was performed to find the effect of relationship. Results: The difference between the two groups was statistically significant in Random Blood Sugar (RBS), Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) and Post Prandial Blood sugar (PPBS) values (P = 0.022; P = 0.004 and P < 0.001 respectively). Patients in Group II had significantly higher values of TC and TG compared to Group I patients with a P value of <0.001. Conclusions: The glucose and lipid parameters were significantly high receiving ART 2 ^nd line patients in comparison with ART 1 ^st line patients.