Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Biography

Biography: Samir Mashelkar

Abstract

Pneumonia  is   the  leading  infectious  killer  disease  worldwide ,  killing  1 child  every  3  minutes  in  India. There  is  excessive   polymorphonuclear  leucocytes   recruitment   during   pneumonia . Polymorphonuclear   leucocytes   are   phagocytes   which   undergo  respiratory burst .  Glucose – 6 - phosphate  dehydrogenase  is  a   cytoplasmic  enzyme   which  catalysis  first  reaction  of   the   pentose   phosphate  pathway  providing  reducing   equivalent  for  several  reactions . It  is  closely  associated  with   polymorphonuclear  leucocytes   phagocytic    capacity    and  is   essential  for   the  cell   capacity  to  withstand  oxidative  stress  .  Therefore  we   have  undertaken   this  study  to   assess   the  role  of   glucose –  6 - phosphate  dehydrogenase  from  polymorphonuclear   leucocytes  in  pneumonia . Blood  was  collected  from  freshly  diagnosed  cases  of  pneumonia (n = 50)  along with  age matched  controls  ( n= 50 ) . Polymorphonuclear  leucocytes   were separated  and  lysed . Glucose - 6 - phosphate  dehydrogenase   from  polymorphonuclear  leucocytes  lysate  was   measured   spectrophotometrically . Glucose – 6 - phosphate dehydrogenase  activity  was  found  to  be   decreased  in   polymorphonuclear   neutrophils  in  peumonia  with   p < 0.001 . We  conclude  that  this  result  will  provide  us  a   clue   which  will  aid   in  proper   diagnosis  of   the  patients  with  pneumonia.