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Biomedical subjects

A Ali

Publications and source records attributed to A Ali.

At least 307 records · Page 17Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Otoacoustic emissions, audiometric sensitivity loss, and speech understanding: a case study.

The clinical measurement of otoacoustic emissions can assist in differentiating between peripheral and central explanations for deficits in speech understanding. We present audiometric and distortion-product emission data in a case with sensorineural hearing loss and a deficit in speech understanding. The presence of evoked emissions argues against attributing the speech audiometric loss to cochlear defect.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Portal vein thrombosis following sclerotherapy.

We present the case of a woman with idiopathic portal hypertension who underwent sclerotherapy for bleeding esophageal varices. She had a rebleed 27 months after complete eradication of esophageal varices. Endoscopy showed bleeding gastric varices. Ultrasonography, and later splenoportography, revealed a large thrombus in the right branch of the portal vein causing gross dilation of the portal and splenic vein. A proximal splenorenal shunt was done to decompress the portal system and hence gastric varices. Repeat endoscopy 4 weeks after surgery revealed complete disappearance of the gastric varices, while ultrasonography at 38 weeks showed marked decompression of the portal system with complete disappearance of the thrombus from the right branch of the portal vein. No new thrombus formation was seen.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Benzoyl-CoA ligase activity in the liver and kidney cortex of weanling guinea pigs treated with various inducers: relationship with hippurate synthesis and carnitine levels.

Recent reports have indicated that guinea pig may be a better model for the study of benzoate conjugation in humans because of the presence of a salicylate-activating ligase. We gave intraperitoneal injections of sodium benzoate, sodium salicylate, sodium methylprednisolone and sodium phenobarbital for 4 consecutive days to groups of weanling guinea pigs before sacrifice. A measurement of benzoyl-CoA ligase activity and in vitro hippurate synthesis was done in liver and kidney cortex homogenates from each treated group at 21 days of age, as compared to an untreated (saline) 21-day control group. The results indicate that benzoyl-CoA ligase in guinea pigs is affected by phenobarbital (liver and kidney; p < 0.05-0.01) and methylprednisolone (liver; p < 0.01). Liver hippurate synthesis was also significantly induced by phenobarbital (p < 0.01). Both these treated groups also had reduced levels of free carnitine in plasma taken from 21-day-old guinea pigs as compared to the untreated control. Sodium benzoate did not have any effect on benzoyl-CoA ligase activity or on in vitro hippurate synthesis. However, sodium salicylate did show some effect on the induction of liver and kidney benzoyl-CoA ligase (not significant) and liver (p < 0.05) and kidney hippurate synthesis. It is important that studies on the guinea pig model be extended for application to children receiving therapy of benzoate and other aromatic acids like p-aminobenzoate or salicylate.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Therapeutic alternatives for the hirsute woman.

A retrospective analysis of 21 hirsute women seen at a gynaecological endocrine clinic revealed a high incidence of infertility, menstrual irregularities and abnormal androgen profile. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) was the underlying abnormality in the majority of cases. Cyproterone acetate (CPA) with ethinyl oestradiol in a reverse sequential regime was more effective and better tolerated but much more expensive than the combination of spironolactone and the oral contraceptive pill (OCP).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Incidence & immunological profile of multiple myeloma patients.

Multiple myeloma was diagnosed in 84 residents of Jammu & Kashmir between 1984-1988. The data were analyzed for variations of demographic factors, ethnicity and location of residence (urban/rural). The average annual incidence per 100,000 residents was 1.28. The rates for males and females were 2.02 and 0.71 per 10(5) persons/year respectively. The average incidence rate for Muslims was significantly higher than that for Hindus. Urban residents had significantly higher rates than rural population. Highest incidence rate (14.39) was in the age group of 65 yr and above.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Antibodies against DNA-psoralen crosslink recognize unique conformation.

The DNA-psoralen crosslink induced precipitating antibodies in rabbits with a titer of 1:102,400 by direct binding ELISA. The antiserum showed considerable binding with Z-DNA and calf thymus DNA brominated under high salt concentration which has been shown to attain Z-/analogous conformation. Inhibition experiments substantiated the results of direct binding assay. However, the affinity purified IgG showed high degree of specificity for the immunogen and did not recognize nDNA, Z-DNA and brominated DNA as inhibitor. Poly(dG.dC).poly(dG.dC)-psoralen photoadduct was found to be inhibitory. These results indicate that the antibodies are probably recognizing the unique conformation at the site of psoralen crosslinking. The DNA-psoralen crosslink showed significant binding with SLE sera known to have high levels of anti-native DNA antibodies. Affinity purified SLE-IgG in a competition assay pointed out the autoantibody recognition of altered conformation of DNA-psoralen crosslink.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Reversal of Hartmann's procedure: timing and operative technique.

A review of closure of Hartmann's colostomy was undertaken to establish guidelines for the timing and technique of reversal. Between 1984 and 1990 there were 69 reversals; 48 patients originally had diverticular disease and 21 had carcinoma. One-third underwent reversal before 4 months and two-thirds after this time. The operative mortality rate was 3 per cent and the anastomotic leak rate 4 per cent. Significant morbidity occurred in 30 per cent. There was no advantage in delayed closure. Complications occurred in 24 per cent of patients undergoing reversal before and 35 per cent undergoing reversal after 4 months. Thirty-five anastomoses were hand-sewn and 34 stapled. There were no differences in operating time for the two techniques, but a greater number were stapled after 4 months than before (P less than 0.05), which may reflect increased rectal stump shrinkage with time. There were no differences in complication rates whether the anastomosis was hand-sewn (34 per cent) or stapled (26 per cent). Closure of Hartmann's colostomy is a safe procedure but has a significant morbidity in nearly one-third of cases. On the basis of these results, there is no indication to delay closure after 4 months have elapsed, and earlier reversal, when the rectal stump is most accessible, is recommended.

Anastomosis, Surgical↗
PubMed1991

Recording soccer players' heart rates during matches.

The aim of this study was to examine the possibility of obtaining information about the heart rate and physiological load imposed on soccer players during a game. The study was conducted on 27 soccer players, 9 each from semi-professional, university and recreational soccer teams. Players from all positions (attack, midfield and defence) were selected for the study. Each subject's heart rate was monitored during a match using a short-range radio telemetry (Sport Tester PE3000), and was sampled at 5-s intervals. The results indicate that it is possible to monitor successfully the heart rate of players with such equipment. The mean heart rate and standard deviation for each player during match play were: semi-professional players (172 +/- 12, 176 +/- 9 and 166 +/- 15 for forwards, midfielders and defenders, respectively); university players (171 +/- 13, 173 +/- 10 and 156 +/- 13 for forwards, midfielders and defenders, respectively); and recreational players (173 +/- 13, 170 +/- 12 and 162 +/- 13 for forwards, midfielders and defenders, respectively). Analysis by playing position revealed that midfield and forward players has a greater mean heart rate during a game than defensive players. To examine the suitability and accuracy of the two methods of obtaining objective data on heart rate, comparisons were made between the Sport Tester PE3000 and a standard electrocardiograph (ECG) telemetry technique. The results show that both techniques produce similar results; the former was the more convenient.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Effect of a palm-oil-vitamin E concentrate on the serum and lipoprotein lipids in humans.

The effect of a capsulated palm-oil-vitamin E concentrate (palmvitee) on human serum and lipoprotein lipids was assessed. Each palmvitee capsule contains approximately 18, approximately 42, and approximately 240 mg of tocopherols, tocotrienols, and palm olein, respectively. All volunteers took one palmvitee capsule per day for 30 consecutive days. Overnight fasting blood was taken from each volunteer before and after the experiment. Serum lipids and lipoproteins were analyzed by using the enzymatic CHOD-PAP method. Our results showed that palmvitee lowered both serum total cholesterol (TC) and low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations in all the volunteers. The magnitude of reduction of serum TC ranged from 5.0% to 35.9% whereas the reduction of LDL-C values ranged from 0.9% to 37.0% when compared with their respective starting values. The effect of palmvitee on triglycerides (TGs) and HDL-C was not consistent. Our results show that the palmvitee has a hypocholesterolemic effect.

Body Weight↗
PubMed1991

Basal skull fractures. A prospective study of 100 consecutive admissions.

A prospective study of 100 consecutive patients with basal skull fracture admitted to the University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur between July 1986 and October 1988 was carried out to study its epidemiological pattern, clinical and radiological presentations, mechanisms of injury, time interval between accidents and neurosurgical referrals, complications and outcomes. Two-thirds of the patients were between 20 and 50 years old and 79% were male. Half of the injured were motorcyclists and 22% were pedestrians. Three-quarters of the patients were seen within an hour after injury. Thirty-two patients had intracranial haematomas: 14 subdural, 9 extradural and 9 intracerebral. Three patients developed meningitis (two after operations) and six developed epilepsy. Eighteen patients died, but good recovery resulted in 70 patients at follow-up of 1 to 28 months. A small subgroup of 15 patients with severe ear and nose bleeding as a result of basal venous sinus tear died within a few hours despite aggressive resuscitation, probably due to underlying severe brain stem injury. The implication of the high incidence of basal skull fractures in motorcyclists, despite the enforcement of crash helmets is discussed, with possible mechanisms proposed.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1991

Was that hysterectomy really necessary? Audit of operative justification at the Aga Khan University Medical Centre, Karachi.

Hysterectomy in Pakistan, like in other parts of the world is considered to be overused in a number of cases. As a part of a quality assurance process at the Aga Khan University Medical Centre, Karachi, 376 hysterectomies performed between January, 1987 and December, 1989 were retrospectively analysed and the results are presented. In 250 (66.5%) cases, where pathology was expected to be found, the hysterectomy was considered justified if the preoperative diagnosis was verified by the pathology report of if significant alternate pathology was present. In 126 (33.5%) cases, where no pathology was expected to be found 'validation criteria' were used to ascertain justification of the procedure. The results showed justification rates of 83% for recurrent uterine bleeding, 85% for adenomyosis, 90% for adnexal masses and endometrial carcinoma, 95% for fibroids, 97% for pelvic relaxation and 100% each for pregnancy catastrophe, endometriosis, chronic pelvic inflammatory disease and premalignant disease of uterus and cervix. In general 92.0% of all hysterectomies in this series were justified.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Synthesis, biological evaluation and quantitative structure activity relationship analysis of nuclear-substituted pargylines as competitive inhibitors of MAO-A and MAO-B.

A series of nuclear substituted derivatives of pargyline has been prepared and tested (under controlled conditions designed to measure the competitive component of the inhibition) as competitive inhibitors of MAO-A and -B. Adequate correlation of the biological data with the physiochemical constants of substituent groups was obtained only when the m- and p-substituted derivatives were considered separately. Due to the narrow range of activity displayed by the p-substituted derivates when inhibiting MAO-B, meaningful correlations were not found. However, the inhibition of MAO-B by the m-substituted derivatives required the inclusion of the Verloop L parameter for adequate correlation, suggesting that the inhibitor binding site of MAO-B is present within a cavity of more limited lateral dimensions than that present on the MAO-A surface. Inhibition of both MAO-A and -B demonstrated a parabolic relationship between inhibitory activity and pi. Whereas this parabolic relationship showed a maximal value for inhibition of MAO-A (mean pi o = 0.86), inhibition of MAO-B demonstrated a minimal value of pi (pi min = -0.5) i.e. the optimal value of pi for inhibition of MAO-B has not been achieved for this series of compounds but such would be greater than that demonstrated for MAO-A. The Hammett sigma function was important or significant only in the inhibition of MAO-A by the p-substituted derivatives.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Cultivation and characterization of novel human group A rotaviruses with long RNA electropherotypes, subgroup II specificities, and serotype 2 VP7 genes.

During an epidemiological study of human rotavirus infections in Bangladesh, three group A strains hybridized with a serotype 2 oligonucleotide probe, but they had long RNA electropherotypes. The three strains were collected from 8- to 20-month-old infants with acute diarrhea and moderate malnutrition. By a modified isolation procedure, two strains (T-B and T-C) were adapted in MA104 cell cultures. They were identified to be subgroup II specific by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with subgroup I- and II-specific monoclonal antibodies and were identified by a fluorescent focus reduction neutralization assay with hyperimmune antisera to be serotype 2 specific. Further characterization of these unusual rotavirus strains needs to be carried out.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1991

Aeromonas trota sp. nov., an ampicillin-susceptible species isolated from clinical specimens.

Previous DNA hybridization studies established 12 Aeromonas genospecies, from which nine phenotypic species have been proposed: Aeromonas hydrophila, A. sobria, A. caviae, A. media, A. veronii, A. schubertii, A. salmonicida, A. eucrenophila, and A. jandaei. We have delineated a new Aeromonas genospecies, A. trota, on the basis of 13 strains isolated primarily from fecal specimens from southern and southeastern Asia. All strains were highly related to the proposed type strain, AH2 (ATCC 49657T): 51 to 100% (60 degrees C) and 49 to 99% (75 degrees C), with 0.2 to 2.2 divergence. AH2 was only 16 to 41% (60 degrees C) related to all other Aeromonas type strains and DNA group definition strains. The unique profile of A. trota includes negative reactions for esculin hydrolysis, arabinose fermentation, and the Voges-Proskauer test, positive reactions for cellobiose fermentation, lysine decarboxylation, and citrate utilization, and susceptibility to ampicillin, as determined by the broth microdilution MIC method and the Bauer-Kirby disk diffusion method (10 micrograms). Nine of the A. trota strains were from a single study of 165 geographically diverse aeromonads. This finding questions the efficacy of screening fecal specimens for Aeromonas spp. with ampicillin-containing media and suggests a previously unrecognized prevalence of this new species.

Aeromonas↗
PubMed1991

Multiple sclerosis, tropical spastic paraparesis and HTLV-1 infection in Afro-Caribbean patients in the United Kingdom.

Forty four consecutive patients of Afro-Caribbean origin resident in the United Kingdom (UK) were studied, based on a provisional diagnosis of myelopathy of unknown cause, tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP) or multiple sclerosis (MS). Of 30 patients with progressive paraparesis 27 had serum antibodies to HTLV-1 and were classified as having TSP. Fourteen patients fulfilled the criteria for MS and none of 12 tested had HTLV-1 antibodies. All the TSP patients and nine of those with MS were born in the West Indies. Five of the West Indianborn MS patients had migrated to the UK after adolescence but the duration of residence in the UK before symptoms of MS developed was similar to those born in the UK (average 18 years). The features that differentiated MS from TSP patients, apart from HTLV-1 status, included clinical evidence of cranial nerve involvement, more extensive abnormalities on the brain and cervical cord MRI and asymmetry of the VEP latency increase, all of which were more frequent in the MS group. Of the three patients without a diagnosis one, born in the UK, had marked abnormalities on MRI of the brain indistinguishable from those seen in MS.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Review of the management of duodenal ulcer in Tikur Anbessa Hospital Department of Surgery, 1973-1980.

During the period which comprised this study, September 1973 to August 1980, 346 patients were operated on for duodenal ulcer. 230 patients whose charts could be retrieved were retrospectively analysed. The diagnosis was confirmed by barium meal in 168 patients and endoscopy in 57 cases, and all were operated by the staff of the department. The peak age incidence was 30 to 40 years with male to female ratio of 5:1, a sex proportion more consistent with that usually reported for duodenal ulcer in the west. Although pyloric stenosis was relatively more observed among peasant farmers, no preferential predilection to any other professional group was noticed. The commonest surgical indication was gastroduodenal obstruction. Truncal vagotomy and drainage was performed in 178 (77.4%) patients. Follow up of patients was extremely difficult and therefore only two thirds could be followed for about 24 months. In these, dumping was present in 4 (2.60%) patients; diarrhoea in 2 (1.30%) patients, and a recurrence of ulcer in 5 (3.40%) patients. It is to be concluded that truncal vagotomy and gastric drainage is a satisfactory modality of therapy for chronic duodenal ulcer in general and pyloric stenosis in particular since this can be accomplished with an acceptable morbidity and mortality.

Adult↗