67, P: 0 002, R2: 0 45) and inversely related to estimated glomer

67, P: 0.002, R2: 0.45) and inversely related to estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (Pearson

Caspase inhibitor r: -0.47, P: 0.0003, R2: 0.22). Stiffness values of patients with an eGFR > 50 ml/min were significantly lower than in patients with an eGFR < 50 ml/min (22.2 +/- 11.0 vs. 37.1 +/- 14.2 kPa, P: 0.0005). The stiffness values of CAI Banff grades 0-1 differed significantly from grade 2 (P: 0.008) and grade 3 (P: 0.046). Parenchymal stiffness measured by TE reflects interstitial fibrosis in kidney allografts. A longitudinal assessment of parenchymal stiffness might be a powerful tool to identify patients with CAI who benefit from biopsy and consequent adaptation of the immunosuppressive regime.”
“To examine the influence of translation when measuring and comparing self-rated health (SRH)

measured with five response categories (excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor), across racial/ethnic groups.

Using data from the California Health Interview Survey, which were administered in five languages, we analyzed variations in the five-category SRH across five racial/ethnic groups: non-Hispanic white, Latino, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean. Logistic regression was used to estimate independent effects of race/ethnicity, culture, and translation BX-795 cell line on SRH, after controlling for risk factors and other measures of health status.

Latinos, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Koreans were less likely than non-Hispanic whites to rate their health as excellent or very good and more likely to rate it as good, fair, or poor. This racial/ethnic difference diminished when adjusting for acculturation. Independently of race/ethnicity, respondents using non-English surveys were less likely to answer excellent (OR = 0.24-0.55) and very good (OR = 0.30-0.34) and were more likely to answer fair (OR

= 2.48-4.10) or poor (OR = 2.87-3.51), even after controlling for other measures of SRH.

Responses to the five-category SRH question depend on interview language. When responding in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, or Vietnamese, respondents are more likely to choose a lower level SRH category, “”fair”" in particular. If each SRH category measured in different languages is treated as equivalent, racial/ethnic disparities in SRH among Latinos ACY-738 and Asian subgroups, as compared to non-Hispanic whites, may be exaggerated.”
“Study Design. Retrospective clinical study.

Objective. The purpose of this study was to examine the changes in spinopelvic alignment after interspinous soft stabilization (ISS) with a tension band system and to identify the lumbosacral parameters related to those changes and to determine their impact on the clinical outcomes compared with posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) in patients with low-grade degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS).

Summary of Background Data. The sacropelvic morphometric changes after fusion surgery have received much research attention.

Conclusion There was a significant correlation between CSF [NOx]

Conclusion. There was a significant correlation between CSF [NOx] at the pathologic early subacute stage (approximately 5-14 days) and neurologic severity and recovery in SCI.”
“Several 2-[1-(1,2-dihydroinden-3-ylidene) hydrazone]-5-aryldiazo-4-methyl-1,3-thiazoles

were synthesized by reaction of 1-(1,2-Dihydroinden-3-ylidene) thiosemicarbazide with different hydrazonyl chlorides. The products are water insoluble and UV absorbers, expressed UPF-rating values, and their H(2)O/DMF Solutions were used in simultaneous dyeing and resin finishing of cotton fabrics. Results obtained show that finishing of cotton samples in presence of any of that dyes, irrespective check details of dye concentration, brings about an improvement in percent nitrogen, wrinkle recovery angle (WRA), dyeability, and UV protection rating values along with slight decrease of tensile strength (TS) compared with the untreated samples. Irrespective of dye structure, increasing the dye concentration from 0.5 and up to 1.7%, results in all improvement in the percent nitrogen, TS and a remarkable improvement in both the dyeability, UPF-rating Napabucasin inhibitor values along with,light decrease in WRA and lower fastness properties of the treated fabrics. The treated fabrics was characterized Using energy dispersive X-ray analysis indicating the entrapped dye within the fabric structure. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

J Appl Polm Sci 112: 2221-2228, 2009″
“Study Design. A case report of a spinal subarachnoid hematoma (SSAH) associated with hyperextension AZD3965 in vivo fractures complicating diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH).

Objective. To report the first case of a SSAH complicating spinal fracture in DISH.

Summary of Background Data. A SSAH is very rare condition. And there had been several reports on spinal fractures in DISH through fused spinal segments, but no report

related with SSAH associated with spinal fracture in DISH patient.

Methods. A 78-year-old female patient was admitted for pain in the back and lower limbs and paraparesis after being fall on her back. On simple radiographs, DISH with anterior cortical bone deficit and increased height were presented at the level of L1. MR and Myelography computed tomography images revealed an extension type of fracture with an irregular shaped subarachnoid hematoma within the dura. Differential diagnosis from infection or tumorous condition was required.

Results. Durotomy and 1 to 2 laminectomy was performed to improve neurologic symptoms. The posterior yellow ligament was seen partially ossified and adhered to dura without dura tear. The hematoma was found adherent to the nerve roots of the cauda equina and pia mater. After posterior segmental screw instrumentation and fusion from T10 to L3, anterior interbody fusion was performed with extrapleural approach after dissected the 11th rib, using L1 corpectomy and titanium mesh cages. There was no evidence of infection or tumor.

Chemiluminescence was used to as a tool to assess the increase in

Chemiluminescence was used to as a tool to assess the increase in the polypropylene stability to thermo-oxidative degradation. A significant increase in the value of oxygen induction time with the initial concentration of natural antioxidants tested under isothermal conditions at 140, 150 and 160 degrees C was observed. A comparison at the same concentration level (0.1 wt %) between the three antioxidants showed an order of stabilizing efficiency as: alpha-tocopherol > Irganox

(R) 1076 > hydroxytyrosol, but all them showed clearly their stabilization performance in polypropylene. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 121: 3393-3399, 2011″
“In this study, full coincidence between impedance spectroscopy and transient photovoltage techniques in measuring recombination LY3039478 ic50 kinetics of photogenerated charge carriers in inverted polymer: fullerene organic solar cells with ZnO hole-blocking layer is reported. Carrier lifetime exhibits values at illumination intensities near 1 sun within the microseconds time scale. Photogenerated

charge carrier density attains values within 10(15)-10(16) cm(-3). Decay kinetics is analyzed by means of a bimolecular recombination law with a recombination coefficient slightly dependent on the charge density, which lies within the order of k similar to 10(-12) cm(3) s(-1). It is also demonstrated that inverted-processed cells exhibit capacitance, recombination resistance, and lifetime parameters comparable to those extracted from Fedratinib in vivo regular cells, despite the great differences between the contact structures of these kinds of devices. (C) 2011 American Institute

of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3561437]“
“Purpose: To estimate the correlation between the negative appendectomy FK228 rate (NAR) and the rate of preoperative computed tomography (CT) in patients suspected of having acute appendicitis who presented to the emergency department during an 18-year period.

Materials and Methods: This retrospective institutional review board-approved, HIPAA-compliant study was performed in a 719-bed tertiary care adult teaching hospital with 58 000 annual emergency department visits. The authors obtained a waiver of informed consent and used the medical records system to compare patients suspected of having appendicitis who presented to the emergency department between 2003 and 2007 to those who presented between 1990 and 1994, the period just before CT became commonly used at the authors’ institution for the evaluation of appendicitis. Surgical and pathology reports were reviewed to determine the NAR, and the authors queried the radiology databases to determine the proportion of appendectomy patients who underwent preoperative imaging. Outcome measures included the NAR, the proportion of appendectomy patients who underwent preoperative CT, and the annual number of appendectomies performed.

RDW is higher in prehypertensive and hypertensive patients compar

RDW is higher in prehypertensive and hypertensive patients compared with healthy controls independently of age, inflammatory status and anemia. Higher RDW values are strongly correlated with higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures.”
“This study aimed to evaluate the time course of perioperative blood glucose levels of children undergoing cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease in relation to endogenous stress hormones, inflammatory mediators, and exogenous ALK inhibitor factors such as caloric intake and glucocorticoid use. The study prospectively included 49 children undergoing cardiac surgery. Blood glucose levels, hormonal alterations, and inflammatory responses were investigated before and at the end of surgery, then

12 and 24 h afterward. In general, blood glucose levels were highest at the end of surgery. Hyperglycemia, defined as a glucose level higher than 8.3 mmol/l (> 150 mg/dl) was present in 52% of the children at the end of surgery. Spontaneous normalization of blood glucose occurred in 94% of the children within AC220 datasheet 24 h. During surgery, glucocorticoids were administered to 65% of the children, and this was the main factor associated with hyperglycemia at the end of surgery (determined by univariate analysis of variance). Hyperglycemia disappeared

spontaneously without insulin therapy after 12-24 h for the majority of the children. Postoperative morbidity was low in the study group, so the presumed positive effects of glucocorticoids seemed to outweigh the adverse

effects of iatrogenic hyperglycemia.”
“Preliminary data suggest that patients with actively treated depression should expect the same outcomes after surgery. The objective of this study was to compare weight loss 12 months after gastric bypass surgery in patients taking antidepressants before surgery (AD) versus those who were not (non-AD).

IRB approval was obtained. All patients gave informed consent prior to participating in the study. Medication and weight loss histories were retrospectively reviewed in adult patients who were followed at 12 Flavopiridol in vivo months post-surgery.

145 of 364 patients were taking antidepressants at baseline. There was no significant difference in weight loss between the AD and non-AD groups at 12 months (p > 0.05).

Taking antidepressant medication prior to gastric bypass surgery did not affect weight loss outcomes at 12 months.”
“Although neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is known to be a more severe disease than relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), few studies comparing both conditions in a single center have been done. Methods: Comparison of our previously published cohort of 41 NMO patients with 177 RRMS patients followed in the same center, from 1994 to 2007. Results: Mean age of onset was 32.6 for NMO and 30.2 for RRMS (p=0.2062) with mean disease duration of 7.4 years for NMO and 10.3 years for RRMS. Patients with NMO had a higher annualized relapse rate (1.0 versus 0.8, p=0.0013) and progression index (0.9 versus 0.6, p<0.

Various degrees of brown pigments

Various degrees of brown pigments Ricolinostat manufacturer are observed in various organs, and it is possible to distinguish the material of the pigments by its :morphological features and site. A focal/segmental glomerular lesion is occasionally seen in a section of the kidney, and the minimal lesion has no influence on the urinalysis. We showed the common glomerular lesions in HE-stained sections, as well as in PAM- or PAS-stained sections, for understanding the details. Young and pubertal monkeys

are usually used in toxicity studies; therefore, understanding various maturation stages of the genital system is important. In particular, the female genital system needs to be understood in the morphology, because their cyclic changes are different from other laboratory https://www.selleckchem.com/products/ag-120-Ivosidenib.html animals. Thus, we present the normal features of the cyclic changes of the female genital organs. Furthermore, we provide more information on spontaneous findings in cynomolgus monkeys for exact diagnoses in toxicity studies. (DOI: 10.1293/tox.25.63;

J Toxicol Pathol 2012; 25: 63-101)”
“Five organic acids (acetic, ferulic, 4-hydroxybenzoic, formic and levulinic acids) typically associated in the hemicellulose hydrolysate were selected to study their effects on the xylitol fermentation. The effects of individual and combined additions were independently evaluated on the following parameters: inhibitory concentration; initial cell concentration; pH value; and membrane integrity. The results showed that the toxicities of organic acids were related to their hydrophobility and

significantly affected by the fermentative pH value. In addition, it was revealed that the paired combinations of organic acids did not impose synergetic inhibition. Moreover, it was found that the fermentation inhibition could be alleviated with the simple manipulations by increasing the initial cell concentration, raising the initial pH value and minimizing furfural levels by evaporation during the concentration of hydrolysates. The proposed strategies for minimizing the negative effects could be adopted to improve the xylitol fermentation in the industrial applications.”
“Background Nodal status is one of the most important prognostic factors in gastric adenocarcinoma (GC). GSK1838705A As such, it is important to assess an appropriate number of lymph nodes (LNs) in order to accurately stage patients. However, the number of LNs assessed in each GC case varies, and in many cases the number examined per gastric specimen is less than current recommendations.

Purpose We aimed to identify and synthesize findings from all articles evaluating the association of clinicopathological features and long-term outcomes with the number of LNs assessed among GC patients. Methods Systematic electronic literature searches were conducted using Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from 1998 to 2009.

Results Twenty-five articles were included in this review.

We observed that the rotavirus peak shifted gradually from Januar

We observed that the rotavirus peak shifted gradually from January to April (winter to early spring)

during 17 seasons and the GIP[8] combination was the most predominant genotype in the last 28 years in Japan.”
“Background: Assessment exposure and immunity to malaria is an important step in the fight against the disease. Increased malaria infection in non-immune travellers under anti-malarial chemoprophylaxis, as well as the implementation of malaria elimination programmes in endemic countries, raises new issues that pertain to these processes. Notably, monitoring malaria immunity has become more difficult in individuals showing low antibody (Ab) responses or taking medications against the Plasmodium falciparum blood stages. Commonly available techniques in malaria seroepidemiology have limited sensitivity, both against Dinaciclib pre-erythrocytic, as against blood stages of the parasite. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop a sensitive tool to assess the exposure to malaria or to bites from the vector Anopheles gambiae, despite anti-malarial prophylactic treatment.

Methods:

Ab responses to 13 pre-erythrocytic P. falciparum-specific peptides derived from the proteins Lsa1, Lsa3, Glurp, Salsa, Trap, Starp, CSP and Pf11.1, and AZD2014 in vitro to 2 peptides specific for the Anopheles gambiae saliva protein gSG6 were tested. In this study, 253 individuals from three Senegalese areas with different transmission intensities and 124 European travellers exposed to malaria during a short period of time were included.

Results: The multiplex assay was optimized for most but not all of the antigens. It was rapid, reproducible and required a small volume of serum. Proportions of Ab-positive individuals, Ab levels

and the mean number of antigens (Ags) recognized by each individual increased significantly with increases in the level of malaria exposure.

Conclusion: The multiplex assay developed here provides a useful tool to evaluate immune responses to multiple Ags in large populations, even when only small amounts of serum are available, or Ab titres are low, as in case of travellers. Finally, the relationship of Ab responses with malaria endemicity levels provides a way to monitor exposure in differentially exposed autochthonous individuals GW3965 order from various endemicity areas, as well as in travellers who are not immune, thus indirectly assessing the parasite transmission and malaria risk in the new eradication era.”
“The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between the estimated adherence of HIV-1 infected patients with antiretroviral (ARV) therapy failure and drug-resistant mutations. We studied 40 patients with virological and immunological ARV-therapy failure. In order to assess the adherence of patients we used the SERAD questionnaire. Genomic sequencing of the HIV-1 pol gene was performed. 100% adherence was reported by 27 patients (67.5%) (adherent patients).

While T-C increases with increasing x (T-C = 118 K for x = 0 and

While T-C increases with increasing x (T-C = 118 K for x = 0 and T-C 363 K for x = 0.6), T* increases from

30 K (x 0) to 120 K (x = 0.4) and then decreases to 105 K (x = 0.5). The Delta S-m is negative around T-C and it decreases from Delta S-m = -6.2 Jkg(-1)K(-1) for x = 0 to -4.2 Jkg(-1)K(-1) for x = 0.6 for Delta H = 5 T. The inverse MCE occurs below T* and shows a maximum value of Delta S-m = +1.07 Jkg(-1)K(-1) at T = 10 K for Delta H = 5 T at x = 0.4. This composition also shows a significant normal MCE (Delta S-m = 4 Jkg(-1)K(-1)) around T-C = 320 K, along learn more with a high refrigeration capacity of 214 Jkg(-1), which makes it an interesting compound for room temperature magnetic refrigeration. The inverse MCE has been suggested to be caused by the antiferromagnetic coupling between Sm 4f and Mn 3d moments. The coexistence NOV120101 of normal and inverse MCEs in a single material is interesting because the sample can be cooled by adiabatic magnetization and demagnetization in different temperature regions, which will enhance the refrigeration capacity. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3631074]“
“A new electromechanical mechanism for spinning

core electrospun nanoyarn is researched, designed, and implemented. SEM images have shown that the deposited nanofibers were wrapped helically around the core filament resulting in a core electrospun nanoyarn. The parameters of this mechanism such as feed-in angles, twist rates, and take-up speeds are analytically investigated. Twist rates of 500 to 750 revolutions per minute, core feed-in angle of 0 degrees, and take-up speed of 1.5 cm/s were found optimum for successfully producing core electrospun nanoyarn. This nanoyarn is expected to find many applications in industrial and medical textiles. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012″
“Accurate diagnosis of cerebral malaria (CM) is important for patient management, epidemiological and end point surveillance, and enrolling patients with CM in studies of pathogenesis or therapeutic

trials. In malaria-endemic areas, where asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum parasitemia is common, a positive blood film in a comatose individual does not prove that the coma is due to malaria. A retinopathy consisting Cilengitide molecular weight of two unique features patchy retinal whitening and focal changes of vessel color – is highly specific for encephalopathy of malarial etiology. White-centered retinal hemorrhages are a common but less specific feature. Either indirect or direct ophthalmoscopy can be used to identify the changes, and both procedures can be learned and practiced by nonspecialist clinicians. In view of its important contributions to both clinical care and research, examination of the retina should become a routine component of the assessment of a comatose child or adult when CM is a possible diagnosis.

(C) 2010 American Institute of Physics [doi: 10 1063/1 3525622]“

(C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3525622]“
“Background and aim: The Mediterranean diet is considered a model for healthy eating. However, prospective evidence in Mediterranean countries evaluating the relationship between this dietary pattern and non-fatal cardiovascular events is scarce. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between

the adherence to the Mediterranean diet and the incidence of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events among initially healthy middle-aged adults from the Mediterranean area.

Methods and results: We followed-up 13,609 participants (60 percent women, mean age: 38 years) initially selleck chemical free of cardiovascular disease (CVD) during 4.9 years. Participants were part of a prospective cohort study of university graduates from all regions of Spain. Baseline diet was assessed using a validated 136-item food-frequency questionnaire. A 9-point score was used to appraise adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Incident clinical events were confirmed by a review of medical records. We observed 100 incident cases of CVD. In multivariate analyses, participants with the highest adherence to the Mediterranean diet (score > 6) exhibited a lower

cardiovascular risk (hazard ratio = 0.41, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.18-0.95) compared to those with the lowest score (<3). For each 2-point increment in the score, the adjusted hazard ratios were 0.80 (95% CI: 0.62-1.02) for total CVD and 0.74 (0.55-0.99) for coronary heart disease.

Conclusions: There is an inverse association between adherence to C59 the Mediterranean diet and the incidence of fatal and non-fatal CVD in initially healthy middle-aged adults. (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.”
“This article selleck compound describes the clinical features of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) in people in

southwest China. Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of pure PNES by video/EEG monitoring were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 64 patients with PNES were included, 32 (50%) of whom were male. Twenty (31.3%) patients had previously been misdiagnosed and treated for epilepsy. Psychological trauma and head injuries were considered antecedent traumatic factors. A history of abuse was rare. The PNES cases were divided into three subtypes: psychogenic minor motor seizures, psychogenic major motor seizures, and unresponsive seizures. Age at onset was identified as a predictor of prognosis. The results of this study demonstrated a higher prevalence of PNES in males compared with previous studies. The semiology of PNES in China is similar to that in Western countries. Classification of semiology may be helpful in the differential diagnosis of PNES. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“The effect of 2.245 GeV Au-ion irradiation/postannealing processes on the electron field emission (EFE) properties of ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) films was investigated. Au-ion irradiation with a fluence of around 8.

039)

Conclusion: After 12 months, both diets reduced

039).

Conclusion: After 12 months, both diets reduced body weight and the metabolic disturbances similarly, but the LGL diet appeared more suitable for subjects with metabolic syndrome, and was less effective in those without it. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“The aim of this study was to investigate the

effect of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on cavernous nerve (CN) regeneration and functional status in a nerve-crush rat model. Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly divided into three equal groups: eight had a sham operation, eight underwent bilateral nerve crushing with no further intervention and eight underwent bilateral nerve crushing with an immediate application of PRP on the site of injury. Erectile function was assessed by CN electrostimulation at

3 months and nerve regeneration GSK2879552 price was assessed by toluidine blue staining of CN and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate www.selleckchem.com/products/su5402.html (NADPH)-diaphorase staining of penile tissue. Three months after surgery, in the group that underwent bilateral nerve crushing with no further intervention, the functional evaluation showed a lower mean maximal intracavernous pressure (ICP) and maximal ICP per mean arterial pressure ( MAP) with CN stimulation than those in the sham group. In the group with an immediate application of PRP, the mean maximal ICP and maximal ICP/MAP were significantly higher than those in the injured control group. Histologically, the group with the application of PRP had more myelinated axons of CNs URMC-099 concentration and more NADPH-diaphorase-positive nerve fibres than the injured control group but fewer than the sham group. These results show that the application of PRP to the site of CN-crush injury facilitates nerve regeneration and recovery of erectile function. Our research indicates that clinical application of PRP has potential repairing effect on CN and peripheral nerves.”
“We detail a mathematical framework for photoconductive gain applied to the detection of single photons. Because photoconductive gain is derived from the ability to measure current change for an extended period, its magnitude is reduced as

detection speed is increased. We theoretically show that high-speed detection is still possible as long as the noise spectrum of the device is 1/f in nature. Using signal analysis techniques, we develop tools to apply to device noise spectra to determine the performance of single-photon detectors that utilize photoconductive gain. We show that there is no speed penalty when one considers the signal-to-noise ratio for the fundamental 1/f noise typical of high electron mobility transistors. We outline a technique for quickly characterizing a detector’s sensitivity and speed through purely electrical measurements of the device’s noise spectra. Consequently, the performance of the detector can be determined and optimized without conducting optical measurements.

A total of 1,088 valid patients were recruited: 62 % male, 19-89

A total of 1,088 valid patients were recruited: 62 % male, 19-89 (median = 59) years old. Patients had chronic hepatitis from HCV (31.8 %) or HBV infections (29.3 %) or other causes (7.8 %), 20.4 % had cirrhosis, 11.9 % underwent liver transplantation, and 7.8 % had hepatic carcinoma. Less than 1 % of EQ-5D-5L were returned blank, and 1.6 % or less of missing values were selleck products calculated on the dimensions of the partially completed questionnaires. The proportion and weight

of inconsistent responses (i.e., 3L responses that were at least two levels away from the 5L responses) was 2.9 % and 1.2 on average, respectively. Regarding redistribution, 57-65 % of the patients answering level 2 with the 3L version redistributed selleck screening library their responses to levels 2 or 4 with the 5L version. A relative 7 % reduction of the ceiling effect was found. Furthermore, the absolute informativity increased but the relative informativity slightly decreased in every domain, and the convergent validity with the VAS improved.

In a clinical setting involving CHD patients, the EQ-5D-5L was shown to be feasible and with promising levels of performance. Our findings suggest that the 5L performs better in at least

some of the properties analyzed, and encourage further research to also test other psychometric properties of this new version of the EQ-5D.”
“Background: Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum are buy LDN-193189 the major causative agents of malaria. While knowledge of the genetic structure of malaria parasites is useful for understanding the evolution of parasite virulence, designing anti-malarial vaccines and assessing the impact of malaria control measures, there is a paucity of information on genetic diversity of these two malaria parasites in Pakistan. This study sought to shed some light on the genetic structure of P. vivax and P. falciparum in this understudied region.

Methods: The genetic diversities of P. vivax and P. falciparum populations from the densely populated, malaria-endemic Bannu district of Pakistan were evaluated by analysis

of their merozoite surface protein (msp) genes by PCR-RFLP. Specifically, the Pvmsp-3 alpha and Pvmsp-3 beta genes of P. vivax and the Pfmsp-1 and Pfmsp-2 genes of P. falciparum were analysed.

Results: In P. vivax, genotyping of Pvmsp-3 alpha and Pvmsp-3 beta genes showed a high level of diversity at these loci. Four distinct allele groups: A (1.9 kb), B (1.5 kb), C (1.2 kb), and D (0.3 kb) were detected for Pvmsp-3 alpha, type A being the most prevalent (82%). Conversely, amplification of the P. vivax msp-3 alpha locus produced two allele groups: A (1.7-2.2 kb, 62%) and B (1.4-1.5 kb, 33%), with 5% mixed-strain infections. Restriction analysis of Pvmsp-3 alpha and Pvmsp-3 beta yielded 12 and 8 distinct alleles, respectively, with a combined mixed genotype prevalence of 20%. In P.