Browsing by Author "Sanjana Mehrotra"

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Advances and Challenges in the Diagnosis of Leishmaniasis
(Adis, 2025) Sanjana Mehrotra; Rahul Tiwari; Rajiv Kumar; Santhanam Sundar
Leishmaniasis remains a significant public health challenge, particularly in endemic regions with limited resources. Traditional diagnostic methods, including microscopy, culture, and serology, though widely utilized, often suffer from limitations such as variable sensitivity, time delays, and the need for specialized infrastructure. Some of these limitations have been addressed with the emergence of molecular diagnostic techniques. Quantitative PCR (q-PCR), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), and recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assays have improved the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, enabling species identification and detection of asymptomatic infections. Further, nanodiagnostics and portable sequencing technologies such as the MinION™, along with lab-on-chip platforms, are revolutionizing the diagnostic landscape of leishmaniasis by offering point-of-care (POC) options for remote settings and field-based diagnosis. This review provides an in-depth analysis of these cutting-edge advances, discusses their application in resource-constrained settings, and evaluates their potential to reshape the future of leishmaniasis diagnosis and management. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.
Common variants in the HLA-DRB1-HLA-DQA1 HLA class II region are associated with susceptibility to visceral leishmaniasis
(2013) Michaela Fakiola; Amy Strange; Heather J. Cordell; E Nancy Miller; Matti Pirinen; Zhan Su; Anshuman Mishra; Sanjana Mehrotra; Gloria R. Monteiro; Gavin Band; Céline Bellenguez; Serge Dronov; Sarah Edkins; Colin Freeman; Eleni Giannoulatou; Emma Gray; Sarah E. Hunt; Henio G. Lacerda; Cordelia Langford; Richard Pearson; Núbia N. Pontes; Madhukar Rai; Shri P. Singh; Linda Smith; Olivia Sousa; Damjan Vukcevic; Elvira Bramon; Matthew A. Brown; Juan P. Casas; Aiden Corvin; Audrey Duncanson; Janusz Jankowski; Hugh S. Markus; Christopher G. Mathew; Colin N. A. Palmer; Robert Plomin; Anna Rautanen; Stephen J. Sawcer; Richard C. Trembath; Ananth C. Viswanathan; Nicholas W. Wood; Mary E. Wilson; Panos Deloukas; Leena Peltonen; Frank Christiansen; Campbell Witt; Selma M. B. Jeronimo; Shyam Sundar; Chris C. A. Spencer; Jenefer M. Blackwell; Peter Donnelly
To identify susceptibility loci for visceral leishmaniasis, we undertook genome-wide association studies in two populations: 989 cases and 1,089 controls from India and 357 cases in 308 Brazilian families (1,970 individuals). The HLA-DRB1-HLA-DQA1 locus was the only region to show strong evidence of association in both populations. Replication at this region was undertaken in a second Indian population comprising 941 cases and 990 controls, and combined analysis across the three cohorts for rs9271858 at this locus showed P combined = 2.76 × 10 -17 and odds ratio (OR) = 1.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.30-1.52. A conditional analysis provided evidence for multiple associations within the HLA-DRB1-HLA-DQA1 region, and a model in which risk differed between three groups of haplotypes better explained the signal and was significant in the Indian discovery and replication cohorts. In conclusion, the HLA-DRB1-HLA-DQA1 HLA class II region contributes to visceral leishmaniasis susceptibility in India and Brazil, suggesting shared genetic risk factors for visceral leishmaniasis that cross the epidemiological divides of geography and parasite species. © 2013 Nature America, Inc. All rights reserved.
Diagnosis of indian visceral leishmaniasis by nucleic acid detection using pcr
(2011) Pankaj Srivastava; Sanjana Mehrotra; Puja Tiwary; Jaya Chakravarty; Shyam Sundar
Background: PCR based diagnosis for Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL), despite numerous published primers, remains far from being applied in the field. The present study was planned to design a Leishmania specific diagnostic assay and to evaluate its sensitivity and specificity on a sample size, which to the best of our knowledge is the largest ever screened in one study. Methods: Leishmania specific primers were developed using 18S rRNA gene and their sensitivity was evaluated on 500 parasitologically confirmed patients with VL and 25 Post Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL) patients. Specificity was calculated on 250 healthy endemic controls, 250 healthy non endemic controls and 250 non leishmanial diseases like malaria. Results: Our PCR assay had a sensitivity of 87.8% (95%CI: 84.1-89.8) using 200 μL of patient's peripheral-blood. Specificity was absolute in non-endemic healthy controls and in subjects with different diseases while in endemic controls it was 84% (95%CI: 78.9-88.0). Its overall specificity was 94.6% (95%CI-92.8-96.1). Conclusions: The PCR assay developed is sensitive enough to detect the 18S rRNA gene in an amount equivalent to a single parasite or less in a one million human cell environment. The high sensitivity of this PCR diagnostic test with relatively non-invasive peripheral blood sampling method opens up the possibility of its deployment in field for the routine diagnosis of VL. © 2011 Srivastava et al.
Diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis
(2011) Pankaj Srivastava; Anand Dayama; Sanjana Mehrotra; Shyam Sundar
Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease with up to 350 million people at risk of infection worldwide. Among its different clinical manifestations, visceral is the most severe form. Since clinical features of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) mimic several other common diseases, accurate diagnosis is crucial as the treatment is associated with significant toxicity. Invasive and risky techniques involving demonstration of the parasites in stained preparations from splenic and bone marrow aspirate is still the gold standard for VL diagnosis. Serological tests using rK39 in ELISA or rapid immunochromatographic format, Direct Agglutination Test (DAT), immunoblotting have issues related to a significant proportion of asymptomatic individuals being positive with these tests and their inability to diagnose relapses as these remain positive for several months to years after cure. PCR is the most common molecular technique successfully used for diagnosis and differentiation of species. Through this review we focus extensively on the comparative utilities of the various diagnostic tools currently available for VL, describing in depth their advantages and disadvantages, addressing the recent advances attained in the field. A simple, rapid, non invasive, accurate and cost effective marker of active VL, which can be used in field conditions, is necessary to improve diagnosis of VL. © 2010 Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
Evaluation of blood agar microtiter plates for culturing Leishmania parasites to titrate parasite burden in spleen and peripheral blood of patients with visceral leishmaniasis
(2010) Radheshyam Maurya; Sanjana Mehrotra; Vijay Kumar Prajapati; Susanne Nylén; David Sacks; Shyam Sundar
Serial dilution of blood and spleen biopsy specimens, plated on Novy-MacNeal-Nicolle (NNN) blood agar using microtiter culture plates, is a sensitive and reproducible method for detection and growth of Leishmania parasites. Plates could be easily monitored, and growth could be rapidly detected. Moreover, parasite number may be estimated using this technique. Copyright © 2010, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Evaluation of blood based quantitative PCR as a molecular diagnostic tool for post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL)
(Springer Science and Business Media B.V., 2024) Awnish Kumar; Vishal K. Singh; Prasoon Madhukar; Rahul Tiwari; Ritirupa Roy; Rajneesh; Sanjana Mehrotra; Shyam Sundar; Rajiv Kumar
Background: Post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a consequential dermal manifestation of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), serving as a parasite reservoir. The traditional diagnostic approach, which requires an invasive skin biopsy is associated with inherent risks and necessitates skilled healthcare practitioners in sterile settings. There is a critical need for a rapid, less invasive method for Leishmania detection. The main objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the diagnostic efficacy of PCR and qPCR in detecting PKDL, utilizing both skin and blood samples and to assess the utility of blood samples for molecular diagnosis. Methods and results: 73 individuals exhibiting clinical symptoms of PKDL and who had tested positive for rK39 rapid diagnostic test (RDT) were enrolled in this study. For the diagnosis of PKDL, both PCR and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR), employing SYBR Green and TaqMan assays, were performed on blood and skin matched samples. qPCR results using both TaqMan and SYBR Green assay, indicated higher parasite loads in the skin compared to blood, as evident by the Ct values. Importantly, when blood samples were used for PKDL diagnosis by qPCR, an encouraging sensitivity of 69.35% (TaqMan assay) and 79.36% (SYBR Green) were obtained, compared to 8.2% with conventional PCR. Conclusion: The findings of the study suggest the potential utility of blood for molecular diagnosis by qPCR, offering a less invasive alternative to skin biopsies in field setting for the early detection of parasitaemia in PKDL patients and effective management and control of the disease. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2024.
Exploring Metabolic and Immunological Biomarkers for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Potential Targets for Precision Therapy
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2025) Rajneesh; Rahul Tiwari; Vishal K. Singh; Awnish Kumar; Sanjana Mehrotra; Vibhav Gautam; J. F. Neville; Vyomika Bansal; Rajiv Pathak; Akhilesh Kumar Singh; Rajiv Kumar
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a malignant neoplasm of the oral epithelium that constitutes majority of oral cancers and is strongly associated with risk factors such as tobacco use and genetic alterations. Mortality rates for OSCC are high because many cases are misdiagnosed or identified at later stages, and treatment options are limited with high recurrence. Therefore, there is an urgent need for improved diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. OSCC tumor cells, like those in other solid malignancies, exhibit significant alterations in metabolic pathways and the immune microenvironment. These changes can serve as valuable biomarkers for early detection and as targets for innovative treatment strategies. This review summarizes the current understanding of metabolic and immunological biomarkers that are either currently in use for OSCC or are in different phases of clinical trials. © 2025 by the authors.
Genetic and functional evaluation of the role of CXCR1 and CXCR2 in susceptibility to visceral leishmaniasis in north-east India
(2011) Sanjana Mehrotra; Michaela Fakiola; Joyce Oommen; Sarra E. Jamieson; Anshuman Mishra; Medhavi Sudarshan; Puja Tiwary; Deepa S. Rani; Kumarasamy Thangaraj; Madhukar Rai; Shyam Sundar; Jenefer M. Blackwell
Background: IL8RA and IL8RB, encoded by CXCR1 and CXCR2, are receptors for interleukin (IL)-8 and other CXC chemokines involved in chemotaxis and activation of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN). Variants at CXCR1 and CXCR2 have been associated with susceptibility to cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis in Brazil. Here we investigate the role of CXCR1/CXCR2 in visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in India.Methods: Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs4674259, rs2234671, rs3138060) that tag linkage disequilibrium blocks across CXCR1/CXCR2 were genotyped in primary family-based (313 cases; 176 nuclear families; 836 individuals) and replication (941 cases; 992 controls) samples. Family- and population-based analyses were performed to look for association between CXCR1/CXCR2 variants and VL. Quantitative RT/PCR was used to compare CXCR1/CXCR2 expression in mRNA from paired splenic aspirates taken before and after treatment from 19 VL patients.Results: Family-based analysis using FBAT showed association between VL and SNPs CXCR1_rs2234671 (Z-score = 2.935, P = 0.003) and CXCR1_rs3138060 (Z-score = 2.22, P = 0.026), but not with CXCR2_rs4674259. Logistic regression analysis of the case-control data under an additive model of inheritance showed association between VL and SNPs CXCR2_rs4674259 (OR = 1.15, 95%CI = 1.01-1.31, P = 0.027) and CXCR1_rs3138060 (OR = 1.25, 95%CI = 1.02-1.53, P = 0.028), but not with CXCR1_rs2234671. The 3-locus haplotype T_G_C across these SNPs was shown to be the risk haplotype in both family- (TRANSMIT; P = 0.014) and population- (OR = 1.16, P = 0.028) samples (combined P = 0.002). CXCR2, but not CXCR1, expression was down regulated in pre-treatment compared to post-treatment splenic aspirates (P = 0.021).Conclusions: This well-powered primary and replication genetic study, together with functional analysis of gene expression, implicate CXCR2 in determining outcome of VL in India. © 2011 Mehrotra et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
Genetic and functional evaluation of the role of DLL1 in susceptibility to visceral leishmaniasis in India
(2012) Sanjana Mehrotra; Michaela Fakiola; Anshuman Mishra; Medhavi Sudarshan; Puja Tiwary; Deepa Selvi Rani; Kumarasamy Thangaraj; Madhukar Rai; Shyam Sundar; Jenefer M. Blackwell
Chromosome 6q26-27 is linked to susceptibility to visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Brazil and Sudan. DLL1 encoding the Delta-like 1 ligand for Notch 3 was implicated as the etiological gene. DLL1 belongs to the family of Notch ligands known to selectively drive antigen-specific CD4 T helper 1 cell responses, which are important in protective immune response in leishmaniasis. Here we provide further genetic and functional evidence that supports a role for DLL1 in a well-powered population-based study centred in the largest global focus of VL in India. Twenty-one single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at . PHF10/C6orf70/DLL1. /FAM120B/PSMB1/TBP were genotyped in 941 cases and 992 controls. Logistic regression analysis under an additive model showed association between VL and variants at DLL1 and . FAM120B, with top associations (rs9460106, OR. =. 1.17, 95%CI 1.01-1.35, . P=. 0.033; rs2103816, OR. =. 1.16, 95%CI 1.01-1.34, . P=. 0.039) robust to analysis using caste as a covariate to take account of population substructure. Haplotype analysis taking population substructure into account identified a common 2-SNP risk haplotype (frequency 0.43; . P=. 0.028) at . FAM120B, while the most significant protective haplotype (frequency 0.18; . P=. 0.007) was a 5-SNP haplotype across the interval 5' of both DLL1 (negative strand) and . FAM120B (positive strand) and extending to intron 4 of DLL1. Quantitative RT/PCR was used to compare expression of 6q27 genes in paired pre- and post-treatment splenic aspirates from VL patients (. N=. 19). DLL1 was the only gene to show differential expression that was higher (. P<. 0.0001) in pre- compared to post-treatment samples, suggesting that regulation of gene expression was important in disease pathogenesis. This well-powered genetic and functional study in an Indian population provides evidence supporting DLL1 as the etiological gene contributing to susceptibility to VL at Chromosome 6q27, confirming the potential for polymorphism at DLL1 to act as a genetic risk factor across the epidemiological divides of geography and parasite species. © 2012 .
Host directed immunotherapy for chronic infections and cancer
(Academic Press Inc., 2025) Rahul Tiwari; Vishal K. Singh; Vibhav Gautam; Sanjana Mehrotra; Rajiv Kumar
Host-directed immunotherapy (HDI) is emerging as a transformative strategy in managing chronic diseases by leveraging the host's immune system to combat disease. This innovative approach has shown promise in a range of conditions, including cancer and parasitic infections. In oncology, HDI aims to enhance the body's natural immune response against cancer cells through mechanisms such as immune checkpoint inhibition, monoclonal antibodies, and cytokine therapies. These strategies are designed to boost the immune system's ability to recognize and destroy tumors, improving patient outcomes and offering alternatives to traditional cancer treatments. Similarly, in parasitic infections, HDI focuses on strengthening the host's immune defenses to control and eradicate those infections. For diseases like malaria, leishmaniasis, and Chagas disease, HDI strategies may involve adjuvants or immune modulators that amplify the body's ability to target and eliminate parasites. By optimizing immune responses and reducing reliance on conventional treatments, HDI holds the potential to revolutionize therapeutic approaches across various chronic diseases. This chapter highlights the flexibility and potential of HDI in advancing treatments, offering novel ways for improving patient care and disease management. © 2025
Host-Directed Therapy for Protozoan Parasitic Diseases
(Elsevier, 2025) Christian R. Engwerda; Luzia Bukali; Sanjana Mehrotra; Rajiv Kumar
Protozoan parasites pose a significant challenge to human health, with their impact felt across many populations. Current methods for preventing and treating parasite-related diseases are insufficient. This stems from the fact that parasites have co-evolved with humans over millennia, sharing physiological pathways that complicate drug treatment. Additionally, they can alter gene expression or mutate to evade the host’s immune responses. To effectively combat the protozoan parasites that cause human diseases, we need a diverse array of control and treatment strategies. One promising avenue is to target human physiological pathways, either to prevent infections or to enhance the host immune response for greater effectiveness and longevity. © 2026 Elsevier Ltd. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.
IL-10 and TGF-β Induced Arginase Expression Contributes to Deficient Nitric Oxide Response in Human Visceral Leishmaniasis
(Frontiers Media S.A., 2021) Manu Kupani; Smriti Sharma; Rajeev Kumar Pandey; Rajiv Kumar; Shyam Sundar; Sanjana Mehrotra
Nitric oxide (NO) is an anti-microbial effector of the innate immune system which plays major role in non-specific killing of various pathogens including protozoan parasites. However, due to subversion of the host’s immune processes by pathogens, suboptimal production of NO is frequently found in many infection models. Previous studies have shown suppressed NO production during Leishmania donovani infection, the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Availability of L-Arginine, a semi-essential amino acid is required for inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mediated NO production. However, arginase is another enzyme, which if expressed concomitantly, may strongly compete for L-Arginine, and suppress NO production by iNOS. In the present study, plasma nitrite and arginase levels were measured in VL patients before and after successful drug treatment, endemic and non-endemic healthy donors. We observed significantly lower NO levels in the plasma of VL patients as compared to endemic controls, which improved significantly post-treatment. Significantly elevated arginase activity was also observed in the plasma of VL patients, which may be associated with NO deficiency. VL patients also showed significantly higher levels of IL-10 and TGF-β, which are known to regulate expression of arginase in various immune cells. In vitro studies with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) further corroborated the role of IL-10 and TGF-β in arginase mediated suppression of NO production. © Copyright © 2021 Kupani, Sharma, Pandey, Kumar, Sundar and Mehrotra.
In vitro antileishmanial drug susceptibility of clinical isolates from patients with indian visceral Leishmaniasis - Status of newly introduced drugs
(2012) Vijay Kumar Prajapati; Sanjana Mehrotra; Shalini Gautam; Madhukar Rai; Shyam Sundar
Regional variations in susceptibility of Leishmania donovani clinical isolates have been reported to antimonials but not other antileishmanial drugs. Therefore, we evaluated the susceptibility of four antileishmanial drugs in clinical use in 28 clinical isolates from endemic and non-endemic regions in the J774A.1 macrophage cell line, and we found increased tolerance of miltefosine and paromomycin in isolates from a patient from a high endemic region. Effective dose for 90% killing (ED90) values were significantly higher for miltefosine (P = 0.005) and paromomycin (P = 0.02) in isolates from the high endemic region, although there were no significant differences between ED 50 values for paromomycin, miltefosine, and amphotericin B in the non-versus endemic region isolates. This report is the first of higher ED 90 values for miltefosine and paromomycin indicating susceptibility difference between regions for these newly introduced drugs by the parasite, and their use should be carefully monitored through directly observed therapy or multidrug treatment to preserve their efficacy for longer periods. Copyright © 2012 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
Leishmania donovani-induced increase in macrophage Bcl-2 favors parasite survival
(Frontiers Media S.A., 2016) Rajeev Kumar Pandey; Sanjana Mehrotra; Smriti Sharma; Ramachandra Subbaraya Gudde; Shyam Sundar; Chandrima Shaha
Members of the Bcl-2 family are major regulators of apoptosis in mammalian cells, and hence infection-induced perturbations in their expression could result into elimination of the parasites or creation of a niche favoring survival. In this investigation, we uncover a novel role of host Bcl-2 in sustaining Leishmania donovani infection. A rapid twofold increase in Bcl-2 expression occurred in response to parasite challenge. Downregulation of post infection Bcl-2 increase using siRNA or functional inhibition using Bcl-2 small molecule inhibitors interfered with intracellular parasite survival confirming the necessity of elevated Bcl-2 during infection. An increased nitric oxide (NO) response and reduced parasitic burden was observed upon Bcl-2 inhibition, where restitution of the NO response accounted for parasite mortality. Mechanistic insights revealed a major role of elevated Th2 cytokine IL-13 in parasite-induced Bcl-2 expression via the transcription factor STAT-3, where blocking at the level of IL-13 receptor or downstream kinase JAK-2 dampened Bcl-2 induction. Increase in Bcl-2 was orchestrated through Toll like receptor (TLR)-2-MEK-ERK signaling, and changes in TLR-2 levels affected parasite uptake. In a mouse model of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), Bcl-2 inhibitors partially restored the antimicrobial NO response by at least a twofold increase that resulted in significantly reduced parasite burden. Interestingly, monocytes derived from the peripheral blood of six out of nine human VL subjects demonstrated Bcl-2 expression at significantly higher levels, and sera from these patients showed only marginally quantifiable nitrites. Collectively, our study for the first time reveals a pro-parasitic role of host Bcl-2 and the capacity of host-derived IL-13 to modulate NO levels during infection via Bcl-2. Here, we propose Bcl-2 inhibition as a possible therapeutic intervention for VL. © 2016 Pandey, Mehrotra, Sharma, Gudde, Sundar and Shaha.
Navigating the Roadblocks: Progress and Challenges in Cell-Based Therapies for Human Immunodeficiency Virus
(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2025) Lakshay Chhabra; Rajeev Kumar Pandey; Rajiv Kumar; Santhanam Sundar; Sanjana Mehrotra
Cell-based therapies represent a major advancement in the treatment and management of HIV/AIDS, with a goal to overcome the limitations of traditional antiretroviral therapy (ART). These innovative approaches not only promise a functional cure by reconstructing the immune landscape but also address the persistent viral reservoirs. For example, stem cell therapies have emerged from the foundational success of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in curing HIV infection in a limited number of cases. B cell therapies make use of genetically modified B cells constitutively expressing broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) against target viral particles and infected cells. Adoptive cell transfer (ACT), including TCR-T therapy, CAR-T cells, NK-CAR cells, and DC-based therapy, is adapted from cancer immunotherapy and repurposed for HIV eradication. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms through which these engineered cells recognize and destroy HIV-infected cells, the modification strategies, and their role in sustaining remission in the absence of ART. The review also addresses the challenges to cell-based therapies against HIV and discusses the recent advancements aimed at overcoming them. © 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
No evidence for association between SLC11A1 and visceral leishmaniasis in India
(2011) Sanjana Mehrotra; Joyce Oommen; Anshuman Mishra; Medhavi Sudharshan; Puja Tiwary; Sarra E. Jamieson; Michaela Fakiola; Deepa S. Rani; Kumarasamy Thangaraj; Madhukar Rai; Shyam Sundar; Jenefer M. Blackwell
Background: SLC11A1 has pleiotropic effects on macrophage function and remains a strong candidate for infectious disease susceptibility. 5' and/or 3' polymorphisms have been associated with tuberculosis, leprosy, and visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Most studies undertaken to date were under-powered, and none has been replicated within a population. Association with tuberculosis has replicated variably across populations. Here we investigate SLC11A1 and VL in India.Methods: Nine polymorphisms (rs34448891, rs7573065, rs2276631, rs3731865, rs17221959, rs2279015, rs17235409, rs17235416, rs17229009) that tag linkage disequilibrium blocks across SLC11A1 were genotyped in primary family-based (313 cases; 176 families) and replication (941 cases; 992 controls) samples. Family- and population-based analyses were performed to look for association between SLC11A1 variants and VL. Quantitative RT/PCR was used to compare SLC11A1 expression in mRNA from paired splenic aspirates taken before and after treatment from 24 VL patients carrying different genotypes at the functional promoter GTn polymorphism (rs34448891).Results: No associations were observed between VL and polymorphisms at SLC11A1 that were either robust to correction for multiple testing or replicated across primary and replication samples. No differences in expression of SLC11A1 were observed when comparing pre- and post-treatment samples, or between individuals carrying different genotypes at the GTn repeat.Conclusions: This is the first well-powered study of SLC11A1 as a candidate for VL, which we conclude does not have a major role in regulating VL susceptibility in India. © 2011 Mehrotra et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
Noninvasive molecular diagnosis of human visceral leishmaniasis
(2011) Manisha Vaish; Sanjana Mehrotra; Jaya Chakravarty; Shyam Sundar
Previously developed methods for noninvasive PCR diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) have significant limitations. Diagnosis of VL using PCR and buccal swabs was evaluated in 307 subjects, including 148 patients confirmed to have VL. This method is simple and well tolerated and has good potential for development, showing 83% sensitivity with 90.56% specificity in control groups. Copyright © 2011, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Urinary miRNAs in bladder cancer
(Elsevier B.V., 2025) Amrit Chattopadhaya; Sukhad Kural; Ashish Verma; Priyamvada K. Gupta; Harshita Tiwari; Swati Singh; Anuja Thakur; Rajiv Kumar; Satya Narayan Sankhwar; Santosh Kumar Singh; Sakshi Agarwal; Sanjana Mehrotra; Vibhav Gautam; Lalit Kumar
Urinary bladder cancer (UBC) is a prominent malignancy with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Addressing this public health challenge requires the development of effective diagnostic and prognostic indicators. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, non-coding sequences of nucleic acid that modulate gene expression. Due to their high stability in biofluids such as serum, blood and urine, they have become a viable source for non-invasive diagnosis of pathologic processes in general and UBC specifically. This review comprehensively explores the role of urinary miRNAs, both free and exosomal, in the diagnosis, progression, staging, grading, metastasis, recurrence, survival, and treatment of UBC that includes chemo and immunotherapy. Specific miRNAs such as miR-21, miR-126, miR-143, and miR-145 have shown potential as diagnostic markers, whereas others like miR-200 family, miR-34a, miR-125b, and miR-221 are valuable for prognostic and predictive assessment. The review also discusses mechanistic insights into miRNA function and addresses the challenges of translating these findings into clinical practice. It aims to bridge the knowledge gap between academicians, researchers, and medical practitioners by providing a platform to understand, exchange, research, and infer information that could lead to novel therapeutic strategies for UBC. Integration of urinary miRNAs into routine clinical practice could significantly enhance the management of UBC, offering a pathway to personalized medicine and improved patient outcomes, particularly in India, where UBC incidence is increasing. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.