The use of medicinal plants to cure human illness has been practiced from time immemorial. Nowadays, the vast majority of people still rely on their traditional materia medica for their daily health care needs. The use of plant species for treatment of various human ailments has been mentioned in Ayurveda and other Indian literature. Some of these drugs are believed to enhance the natural resistance of body to infection. So there are many plants having immunostimulatory activity. This paper reviews plants which have shown reported immunostimulatory activity.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate a possible association between the anti-tissue transglutaminase antibody (anti-tTG) titer and stage of duodenal mucosal damage and assess a possible cut-off value of anti-tTG at which celiac disease (CD) may be diagnosed in children in conjunction with clinical judgment. METHODS: This observational study was conducted at a gastroenterology clinic in a tertiary hospital from April 2012 to May 2013. Seventy children between 6-months and 18-years-old with suspected CD underwent celiac serology and duodenal biopsy. Statistical analyses were done using SPSS 16. Diagnostic test values were determined for comparing the anti-tTG titer with duodenal biopsy. An analysis of variance and Tukey-Kramer tests were performed for comparing the means between groups. A receiver operating characteristics curve was plotted to determine various cut-off values of anti-tTG. RESULTS: The mean antibody titer increased with severity of Marsh staging (p<0.001). An immunoglobulin (Ig) A-tTG value at 115 AU/mL had 76% sensitivity and 100% specificity with a 100% positive predictive value (PPV) and 17% negative predictive value (NPV) for diagnosis of CD (p<0.001, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.75–1). CONCLUSION: There is an association between the anti-tTG titer and stage of duodenal mucosal injury in children with CD. An anti-tTG value of 115 AU/mL (6.4 times the upper normal limit) had 76% sensitivity, 100% specificity, with a 100% PPV, and 17% NPV for diagnosing CD (95% CI, 0.75–1). This cut-off may be used in combination with clinical judgment to diagnose CD.
Antibodies ; Biopsy ; Celiac Disease ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Duodenitis ; Gastroenterology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Judgment ; Observational Study ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Wetlands

Objective: To assess the psychological impact of suspension/postponement of various fertility treatments on infertile women during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted as an online survey among infertile women consulting either through teleconsultation or physical consultation at a fertility clinic of a tertiary care referral unit. A validated questionnaire was given as a WhatsApp link to the women who were consulting for the resumption of services. Questions asked were based on their socio-demographic parameters, fertility treatment at the time of suspension, anxiety (self-reported) and stress (perceived stress scale-4, PSS-4) due to delay in treatment, psychosocial effect of pandemic, and wishes regarding the resumption of fertility services. Results: Of 430 patients who received the questionnaire, 250 completed the survey (response rate: 58%). The mean age of participants was 29.26±4.18 years and the majority (70.4%) had lower socioeconomic status. The average PSS-4 score was 7.8±0.71, and the prevalence of self-reported anxiety was 72%. Those who suffered migration during the pandemic had significantly higher PSS-4 scores, and increasing age was associated with increased self-reported anxiety due to the suspension of fertility services. The top three priorities reported were infertility and treatment delay (48.4%), job loss (19.2%), and the risk of contracting COVID-19 infection (16%). The degree of spousal support was significantly correlated with lower PSS-4 scores (r=-0.30, P<0.01). On multivariate logistic analysis, duration of infertility, delay in treatment due to suspension of services, and fear of COVID-19 infection were significant predictors of stress and anxiety. Conclusion This study emphasizes the need to investigate psychosocial health and to provide psychological support to this vulnerable population in addition to triaging fertility treatments in a phased manner.

Objective: To describe a rare case of lipofibromatosis presenting as a head and neck mass in a 6-year-old child. Method: Design: Case Report Setting: Tertiary Public General Hospital Patient: One Result: A six-year-old male child admitted with a large right head and neck region mass underwent complete excision of a possible soft tissue neoplasm following investigations which included Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology, Ultrasonography and Computed Tomography. Histopathological examination yielded lipofibromatosis, a very rare lesion with a distinctive fibrofatty pattern. The patient was well with no recurrence after three months of follow up. Conclusion Although lipofibromatosis is a rare lesion in children and has a predilection for distal extremities, it may also present as a mass in the head and neck area. Complete surgical excision is feasible and is the only treatment option available for this rare lesion