MicroRNA: A Tiny Molecule Yields Big Insights Into Disease States

Regular readers of this column will know that there are two main categories of nucleic acids—DNA and RNA. They’ll also know that while for living organisms DNA acts as the genetic data repository, RNA has a messenger role (mRNAs, transcribed from DNA to direct protein synthesis). Most will also recall that there are other classes of RNA molecules, particularly tRNAs (used to tag and identify amino acids for protein synthesis) and rRNAs (structural components of the ribosome, the cellular “machinery” for protein synthesis). In addition to these, there’s increasing interest in the molecular diagnostics community in a less widely known but no less common RNA form, the microRNA or miRNA.

Read more: MicroRNA: A Tiny Molecule Yields Big Insights Into Disease States

Source: MedicalLaboratoryObserver

Why Is My Urine Bright Yellow? Colors Changes and Causes

Normal urine should be a pale yellow color. It should be clear, without cloudiness or particle deposits.

"Why is my urine bright yellow?" is a question that can be answered if the meaning of bright yellow is clear.

This page will explain the full range of possible colors of urine and why they change. If bright yellow means neon yellow, this has a specific cause.

Read more: Why Is My Urine Bright Yellow? Colors Changes and Causes

If anyone has concerns about urine, it is recommended that they visit a doctor. Some drugs may turn

the urine orange, brown, or green. Urine color may be used to work out hydration levels.

Source: MedicalNewsToday

How to Get Rid of a Stuffy Nose: Eight Possible Treatments

Nasal congestion is a very common condition. In fact, most people get a stuffy nose from time to time.

Nasal congestion can develop when the blood vessels inside the nose become inflamed and the nasal tissues swell. Excess mucus drainage may also occur with a stuffy nose.

This article will look at eight possible treatments for a stuffy nose.

Read more: How to Get Rid of a Stuffy Nose: Eight Possible Treatments

Nasal congestion is very common and can be treated in a variety of ways. A neti pot is of Indian origin
and is used to flush the sinuses. A stuffy nose should clear after 10 days. If symptoms persist, a doctor
should be consulted.

Source: MedicalNewsToday

Hepatitis C: Signs and Symptoms

When the liver becomes inflamed due to infection, disease, drugs, poisons, or excessive alcohol, it is referred to as hepatitis. Infectious hepatitis commonly includes hepatitis A, B, or C. All of these forms are caused by viral infections.

The liver is a two-lobed organ found in the upper-right part of the torso. It is responsible for many functions and substances within the body,

Read more: Hepatitis C: Signs and Symptoms

Hepatitis occurs when the liver becomes inflamed due to infection, disease, drugs, poisons, or
excessive alcohol. HCV can spread through needle sharing. Testing for HCV is important if a
patient is experiencing any of the symptoms.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Sepsis And The Hematology Laboratory

An affordable, widely available test can impact today`s biggest healthcare challenge.

Sepsis, the inflammatory response to infection, is quickly becoming one of the biggest healthcare problems worldwide. No matter the perspective one takes, the numbers are staggering. Currently the number of diagnosed cases per year in the United States is at least 750,000; some estimates surpass one million. Worldwide mortality estimates are as high as 20 percent, and thus we are dealing with one of the biggest drivers of mortality in modern medicine. Sepsis kills nearly as many people as heart attack, HIV, and breast cancer combined.

Viewed from the perspective of health economics, the average in-hospital cost per case is approximately $20,000 dollars, and yearly estimates of sepsis-related expenses in the U.S. alone exceed $20 billion.

Read more: Sepsis And The Hematology Laboratory

Source: MedicalLaboratoryObserver

All You Need to Know About Nephritis

To understand kidney problems such as nephritis, it's helpful to start with some background on what the kidneys are, and what they do.

The kidneys are two bean-shaped, fist-sized organs found just under the ribs on the left and right sides of the spine. They remove impurities and extra water from the blood, filtering 120-150 quarts of blood a day, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Each kidney consists of thousands of structures called nephrons, where the actual blood filtering takes place. In the nephron, a two-step cleaning process separates what the body needs to keep from what it can get rid of.

A filter called the glomerulus catches blood cells and protein, sending water and waste to a second filter, called a tubule. The tubule captures minerals. After that, what remains leaves the body as urine.

Read more: All You Need to Know About Nephritis

Nephritis can lead to kidney failure if not treated. There are various ways of preventing kidney damage
if someone has symptoms of nephritis. Monitoring blood pressure is important if kidney problems
develop.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Bacterial Pneumonia - Get the Facts

Bacterial pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs due to some form of bacteria. There are different types of bacteria that may lead to the infection.

The lungs are made up of different sections or lobes. There are three lobes on the right and two on the left. Bacterial pneumonia can affect both lungs, one lung, or even just one section of a lung.

The lobes of the lungs are made up of small air sacs called alveoli. Normally, the air sacs fill with air. Oxygen is inhaled and carbon dioxide in exhaled.

When a person develops pneumonia, the air sacs become inflamed, which can cause them to fill with fluid. If the air sacs are filled with fluid instead of air, it can make breathing difficult. In some cases, the lungs may not get enough oxygen.

Read more: Bacterial Pneumonia - Get the Facts

Bacteria that cause pneumonia are spread through coughing. Doctors will carry out a chest X-ray to

assess fluid buildup in the lungs. An annual flu vaccine can help prevent pneumonia.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Test That Differentiates Between Bacterial, Viral Infections in Development

An international team of scientists - led by researchers at Imperial College London - has discovered two genes that are switched on when a child has a bacterial infection. This revelation could allow the team to develop a rapid test for doctors' surgeries and hospitals to identify infections such as meningitis, and assist with the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.

The study, published in JAMA, found that the two genes, called IFI44L and FAM89A, only shifted to an "on" state when a bacterial infection was present. This knowledge could enable doctors to distinguish between bacterial and viral infections, and identify early cases of severe infections that could be deadly.

While viral infections are more common than bacterial infections, bacterial infections are often more serious.

Meningitis, septicemia, and pneumonia all occur as a result of a bacterial infection. Differentiating between these potentially life-threatening conditions and viruses can allow health providers to provide quicker, more accurate treatments.

Read more: Test That Differentiates Between Bacterial, Viral Infections in Development

Doctors usually have to send samples away to diagnose bacterial or viral infections. The new test
could provide a rapid way for doctors to test patients immediately.

Source: medicalnewstoday

HIV: Newly Discovered Component Could Lead to More Effective Drugs

Scientists from the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge and University College London - both in the United Kingdom - have uncovered key components of HIV, which they believe could lead to new approaches for drugs to fight the infection.

HIV weakens a person's immune system by destroying important cells that fight disease and infection. Only certain body fluids - blood, semen, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids, and breast milk - from a person who has HIV can transmit HIV.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 1.2 million people are living with HIV in the United States. Although there is no cure for HIV infection, improved treatments allow people living with HIV to slow the virus' progression and stay relatively healthy for several years.

HIV is a part of a subtype of viruses called retroviruses, which means that the virus is composed of RNA - instead of normal DNA - and has the unique property of transcribing RNA into DNA after entering a cell.

Read more: HIV: Newly Discovered Component Could Lead to More Effective Drugs

Findings from the research could lead to future drugs that can enter human cells and block the pores
from within.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Appendicitis: Warning Signs and Early Symptoms

Appendicitis is a condition in which the appendix becomes inflamed. Its symptoms can become very uncomfortable, painful, and potentially life-threatening if left untreated.

Sudden appendicitis is the most common cause of acute abdominal pain requiring surgery in the United States. Additionally, more than 5 percent of the population develops appendicitis at some point.

Though it most commonly occurs between the ages of 10 and 30, appendicitis can develop at any age.

Read more: Appendicitis: Warning Signs and Early Symptoms

The appendix is a tube-shaped piece of tissue attached to part of the long intestine and severe pain is
often the first symptom of appendicitis. In most cases, it will begin near the belly button and surgery
may be needed to treat a case of appendicitis.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Clinical Case Study: Red Brown Urine in a Patient with Chronic HIV Infection and Quadriparesis

A 42-year-old woman with chronic HIV infection presented with sudden onset of progressive limb weakness, leading to immobility within 4 days. This was preceded by severe abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting for 2 days and episodes of confusion and agitation.

Six weeks prior, she had commenced highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), consisting of efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir and cotrimoxazole for opportunistic infection prophylaxis. Additional history included constipation for 4 weeks and an admission for psychiatric symptoms 1 week before starting HAART. She had declined HAART when HIV infection was diagnosed 6 years earlier, but was successfully treated for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

Read more: Red Brown Urine in a Patient with Chronic HIV Infection and Quadriparesis

Source: clinchem

Antibiotic Resistance Raising the Specter of 'Untreatable Gonorrhea'

A new federal health surveillance study says gonorrhea is becoming resistant to azithromycin - one of the duo of antibiotics recommended for treating the sexually transmitted disease in the United States.

The study, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is published in the agency's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a bacterium called Neisseria gonorrhoeae that infects the genitals, rectum, and throat.

Gonorrhea occurs in both men and women, and is one of the most common STDs in the U.S. It is especially common among young people of 15-24 years of age.

Read more: Antibiotic Resistance Raising the Specter of 'Untreatable Gonorrhea'

The CDC say the growing threat of untreatable gonorrhea, together with rising rates of disease,
means preventing new infections is more important than ever.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Colon Cancer Susceptibility May Vary With Gut Microbes

There is mounting evidence that interactions between our genes and environment can give rise to cancer. Plus, more recently, it has become clear that the environment is not just around us, but also within us, in the form of the trillions of microbes that inhabit our bodies and outnumber our own cells. Now, a new study of rats supports a growing body of evidence that the microbes in our gut do more than help us digest food, they may also affect our susceptibility to colon cancer.

The study, from the University of Missouri in Columbia, features at The Allied Genetic Conference 2016 (TAGC) in Orlando, FL, July 13-17, 2016.

Increasingly, researchers are discovering that cancer is linked to changes in the gut microbes living in our intestines - what is known as the gut microbiota, and commonly referred to as gut bacteria.

For instance, a study published recently suggests gut bacteria may have a role in bile duct cancer.

Read more: Colon Cancer Susceptibility May Vary With Gut Microbes

The study, which was done in rats, suggests the type of microbiota in the gut may
influence susceptibility to colon cancer.

Source: medicalnewstoday

H. Pylori: Know the Facts

Helicobacter pylori, commonly called H. pylori, is a type of bacteria that can infect the stomach and small bowel. It was discovered in 1982 by two Australian researchers who found that it causes peptic ulcer disease.

Peptic ulcers are open sores in the lining of the stomach or the upper part of the small intestine. Peptic ulcers are often called "ulcers" or "stomach ulcers."

For years, medical experts believed that peptic ulcers were caused by stress or certain foods. After the discovery of H. pylori, however, this belief was put to rest. A study in Digestive and Liver Disease suggests that 60 to nearly 100 percent of peptic ulcers are associated with H. pylori.

Read more: H. Pylori: Know the Facts

H. pylori bacteria attack the protective lining of the stomach, causing ulcer, that can be diagnosed
with an endoscopy.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Viral Hepatitis Has Become a Leading Global Killer

Compared with most other communicable diseases, hepatitis has risen in global importance since the 1990s. It is now a leading cause of death and disability worldwide and kills at least as many people as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, or malaria.

This is the main finding of an international study - led by Imperial College London in the United Kingdom and the University of Washington in Seattle - published in The Lancet.

The study - which analyzes data from 1990-2013 on 183 countries - is timely, as the World Health Organization (WHO) launch a major new effort to tackle viral hepatitis.

The findings should prove of "crucial importance to global health policy," note the authors.

Read more: Viral Hepatitis Has Become a Leading Global Killer

At 1.45 million deaths a year, viral hepatitis now ranks among the world'sleading
infectious diseases - such as TB, AIDS/HIV, and malaria.

Source: medicalnewstoday

The Current State of Diagnostics for Meningitis and Encephalitis

Infections of the central nervous system (CNS) such as meningitis or encephalitis can be caused by myriad microorganisms and may be life-threatening. Patients with acute CNS infections generally present with similar findings of fever, headache, and neurological changes. Given the similarity in symptomology, it is often difficult to distinguish bacterial and viral infection based on clinical presentation alone. As a result, obtaining a rapid and accurate diagnosis is important for proper patient management. Indeed, rapid identification of CNS pathogens is critical for antimicrobial treatment in cases of bacterial or herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection. Any delays in appropriate therapy can lead to poor patient outcomes, including death.

The aim of this Continuing Education article is to review the current landscape for diagnostic testing of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in acute CNS infections, present the potential impact of rapid identification, and discuss methods to increase the diagnostic yield in uncertain cases. It is anticipated that new technologies will aid in providing rapid and accurate pathogen identification, potentially leading to better patient outcomes, improved antimicrobial stewardship, and decreased hospital costs.

Read more: The Current State of Diagnostics for Meningitis and Encephalitis

Source: pbs.twimg

What's the Connection Between Multiple Sclerosis and the JC Virus?

The John Cunningham Virus, also known as the JC virus, is a typically harmless virus.

It is found in the blood samples of 70 to 90 percent of people worldwide.

Children with JC virus often show no symptoms. The JC virus can also be found in the body much later in life without complications. It is commonly found in the kidneys, bone marrow, and some body tissues.

Read more:  What's the Connection Between Multiple Sclerosis and the JC Virus?

The risk of PML is higher in people who take certain medications to treat multiple sclerosis.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Measles: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

Measles, also known as Rubeola or morbilli, is a highly infectious illness caused by a virus - a viral infection caused by the rubeola virus.

Measles is an endemic disease; meaning it is continually present in a community and many people develop resistance. If measles enters an area where the people have never been exposed the result can be devastating.

A measles outbreak in 1592 in the island of Cuba killed approximately two-thirds of the native population who had previously survived smallpox. A couple of years later half the indigenous population of Honduras died.

Read more: Measles: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

Measles symptoms can often include a reddish-brown spotty rash.

Source: medicalnewstoday

How a single blood test could identify your entire viral infection history

Researchers have created what they say is a "one-stop shop" for diagnosing infections - a test that can determine an individual's complete viral history just by scanning a single drop of blood.

The test, called VirScan, was created by Stephen Elledge and colleagues from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI).

"We've developed a screening methodology to basically look back in time in people's [blood] sera and see what viruses they have experienced," explains Elledge. "Instead of testing for one individual virus at a time, which is labor intensive, we can assay all of these at once. It's one-stop shopping."

Read more: How a single blood test could identify your entire viral infection history

VirScan can pinpoint past and present viruses in a person's blood by identifying the peptides antiviral
antibodies bind to.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Novel blood test could diagnose diseases with no known antigens

It may one day be possible to identify cancer, autoimmune diseases, and a wealth of other conditions from a single drop of blood, after a team from the University of Pittsburgh reveals the creation of a test that holds promise for such a feat.

In the Journal of Immunological Methods, the researchers explain how they developed a test that may be able to identify diseases for which there are no known microbial causes.

Antigens are substances - such as bacteria, viruses, or chemicals - that induce an immune response in the body, causing the immune system to produce antibodies that target and destroy these foreign invaders.

Read more: Novel blood test could diagnose diseases with no known antigens

Researchers have created a blood test that they say could diagnose a number of diseases with no
known microbial causes.

Source: medicalnewstoday