Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Ghosh.
Acute pancreatitis is a very uncommon presenting feature of multiple myeloma. We report an elderly non-alcoholic man presenting with acute abdominal pain and rapidly progressing renal failure. Investigations revealed lytic lesions in the vertebrae and skull, M band on urine electrophoresis, and radiological and biochemical evidence of acute pancreatitis. The patient died despite conservative management of the pancreatitis.
BACKGROUND: Available seroprevalence studies of hepatitis B in Indian population has limitations. A community based door to door epidemiological study was conducted between December 1997 and January 1988 to look for the dynamics of hepatitis B exposure in a single village of West Bengal. METHODS: In all, 960 inhabitants out of 1261 (according to 91 census) in a village of Birbhum district in West Bengal were interviewed and their blood were tested by ELISA for HBV exposure. Odds ratio was calculated to estimate the relative risks for each potential factor facilitating virus transmission. RESULTS: Participation rate in the present study was 76.1%. Over all HBsAg carrier rate was found to be 5.3%. Only 2/51 (3.9%) carriers were HBeAg positive. Injection by glass syringe (odds ratio = 3.01), age < 20 years (odds ratio = 1.41) and male sex (odds ratio = 1.57) were significant risk factor. CONCLUSION: The results of this rural, predominantly poor, agrarian worker based community data reveals a fairly large reservoir of infection (5.3%). It is mainly built-up early in life. Injection practices need to be safer in addition to HBV vaccination to fight this menace.
AIM: This randomized controlled study was carried out to evaluate the role of H2 receptor antagonists after simple closure of perforated duodenal ulcer. METHODS: A total of 192 patients who underwent simple closure for perforated duodenal ulcer were divided into two groups (A: study group and B: control group). Group A patients were treated with H2 receptor antagonists, while the patients in group B received placebo. Only 174 patients were available for endoscopic follow up. RESULTS: At the end of 24 weeks, only 6 patients out of 90 (6.6%) in group A as compared to 18 patients out of 84 (21.4%) in group B had persistent symptoms of ulcer disease as well as endoscopically proven ulcer (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that H2 receptor antagonists have a definite role and endoscopic follow up is mandatory to define those cases who actually need definitive surgery.
OBJECTIVE: The excretory-secretory (ES) antigens of Ascaris suum are known to cause hepatic damage in animals. The present study was aimed at developing an animal model of hepatic fibrosis with these antigens. METHODS: Three doses of ES antigens of A. suum were injected into 24 golden hamsters on days 0, 10 and 20. Batches of 8 animals each were sacrificed at 3 days, 45 days and 90 days after the third injection, after collection of blood. Three groups of 6 control animals each were injected with normal saline and were sacrificed similarly. Liver biochemistry, leukocyte migration inhibition test on cells separated from spleen, and liver histology were carried out. RESULTS: Serum ALT levels in experimental animals were significantly higher than those in control animals at days 3, 45 and 90 after the last antigen dose; AST levels were elevated 45 and 90 days after the last dose of ES antigen. Leukocyte migration inhibition in experimental animals was 58.2 (8.5)%, 51.6 (11.2)% and 50.5 (12.8)% at days 3, 45 and 90 after the last antigen dose. Marked centrivenular degeneration and necrosis were observed in liver tissue in all the experimental animals sacrificed 72 h after the last antigen dose. Condensation of reticulin around the portal zone with extension into the liver lobule was observed in 4 of 8 and 7 of 8 experimental animals sacrificed 45 and 90 days, respectively, after the last dose. Control animals did not have such lesions. CONCLUSION: An animal model of hepatic fibrosis could be produced by repeated injection of ES antigens of A. suum.
We have analyzed the set of inter and intra base pair parameters for each dinucleotide step in single crystal structures of dodecamers, solved at high and medium resolution and all crystallized in P2(1)2(1)2(1) space group. The objective was to identify whether all the structures which have either the Drew-Dickerson (DD) sequence d[CGCGAATTCGCG] with some base modification or related sequence (non-DD), would display the same sequence dependent structural variability about its palindromic sequence, despite the molecule being bent at one end because of similar crystal lattice packing effect. Most of the local doublet parameters for base pairs steps G2-C3 and G10-C11 positions, symmetrically situated about the lateral two-fold, were significantly correlated between themselves. In non-DD sequences, significant correlations between these positional parameters were absent. The different range of local step parameter values at each sequence position contributed to the gross feature of smooth helix axis bending in all structures. The base pair parameters in some of the positions, for medium resolution DD sequence, were quite unlike the high-resolution set and encompassed a higher range of values. Twist and slide are the two main parameters that show wider conformational range for the middle region of non-DD sequence structures in comparison to DD sequence structures. On the contrary, the minor and major groove features bear good resemblance between DD and non-DD sequence crystal structure datasets. The sugar-phosphate backbone torsion angles are similar in all structures, in sharp contrast to base pair parameter variation for high and low resolution DD and non-DD sequence structures, consisting of unusual (epsilon = g-, xi = t) BII conformation at the 10th position of the dodecamer sequence. Thus examining DD and non-DD sequence structures packed in the same crystal lattice arrangement, we infer that inter and intra base pair parameters are as symmetrically equivalent in its value as the symmetry related step for the palindromic DD sequence about lateral two-fold axis. This feature would lead us to agree with the conclusion that DNA conformation is not substantially affected by end-to-end or lateral inter-molecular interaction due to crystal lattice packing effect. Non-DD sequence structures acquire step parameter values which reflect the altered sequence at each of the dodecamer sequence position in the orthorhombic lattice while showing similar gross features of DD sequence structures.
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Understanding the changes in body composition with passage of time and factors associated with them will help to improve our knowledge and understanding about these processes and could guide in the prevention of functional limitations and formulation of better health care among the elderly. The present cross-sectional work was under taken to study the effect of age, menopause, age at first conception, educational level and physical activity in explaining body composition among 200 elderly (55 years and above) Bengalee Hindu women of Calcutta, India. Body composition measures namely percentage of body fat (PBF), fat mass index (FMI), and fat free mass index (FFMI) were calculated from skinfolds thickness using standard equations. Multiple regression analyses of body composition variables by covariate factors revealed that Age, age of onset of menopause, age at first conception, educational level and frequency of walking cumulative explains 35%, 28% and 21% of PBF, FMI and FFMI respectively. Present study revealed that beside age, both biosocial (age of onset of menopause, age at first conception, education level) and physical activity as measured by brisk walking have significant contribution in explaining body composition among elderly females. Significant negative impact of physical activity on PBF, FMI and positive impact on FFMI in the present study were also evident. Therefore, brisk walking could be useful to increase body's fat free mass.
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