Distribution of intestinal parasitic infections in selected areas in District Puri, Orissa (India).
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Kumar.
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Platelet count, platelet serotonin uptake and platelet serotonin content were analysed in 21 subjects consisting of 11 patients of evolving acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and 10 matched healthy controls before and after administration of streptokinase. Platelet counts were significantly reduced in AMI with a subsequent rise following thrombolysis. Platelet 5-HT uptake was also significantly increased in AMI and following thrombolysis, it showed a trend towards normalization. Platelet 5-HT content was significantly increased in AMI with no further significant change following thrombolysis. The results suggest that platelet activation as revealed by reduced platelet count and altered platelet serotonin kinetics, occurs in AMI and this activation is inhibited following thrombolysis. Further, it is also apparent that it is not the reperfusion but the thrombolytic agent that is responsible for inhibition of platelet activation.
The protection of Plasmodium vivax-parasitized red blood cells (PRBCs) against activated forms of oxygen was examined in relation to the non-parasitized and chloroquine-treated red blood cells. Increased parasitaemia was found to be accompanied with a decrease in the activities of enzymes of the glutathione system, namely glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GRx) and glutathione S-transferase (GTr) in the red blood cells (RBC) lysates. In contrast, however, the total amount of reduced glutathione (GSH) and the content of water-soluble antioxidant vitamin C was increased 2-3 fold over those of control RBCs. Chloroquine-treated red cells contained enzyme activities and antioxidant contents (GSH, vitamin C) comparable to those of control and non-parasitized red cells. Our results therefore indicate the oxidative stress experienced by RBCs during P. vivax infection and that this infection is accompanied with changes in the antioxidant defence system of the host, which are restored to near normal levels after treatment with chloroquine.
MyoD is one of the regulatory genes that causes activation of the expression of muscle specific genes in fibroblasts through interaction with a cis-acting DNA element CANNTG (E-box). We show here that forced expression of MyoD in mouse fibroblast C3H10T1/2 cells induces the expression of the liver specific rat angiotensinogen gene promoter. In the absence of MyoD, the angiotensinogen promoter is not expressed in C3H10T1/2 fibroblasts. Cotransfection of MyoD has no significant effect on the angiotensinogen promoter activity in the liver-derived HepG2 cells, suggesting that the regulatory programs of HepG2 and C3H10T1/2 cells are different, at least in terms of the requirement for MyoD-mediated transactivation of the target angiotensinogen promoter.
Blood glucose level was estimated in 18 h fasted albino rabbits following acute feeding of graded doses of mianserin. Mianserin (6.0 mg/kg) produced a gradually increasing hyperglycemic effect which became significant (P < 0.01) at 10 h and onwards. This appears to be due to increased turnover and release of noradrenaline by the drug. The same dose of mianserin also produced glucose intolerance during early hours probably by interfering with gastrin functions.
BACKGROUND: Patch aortoplasty (PA) for coarctation of aorta (COA) can lead to aneurysm formation at the repair site. X-ray, echocardiogram and computed tomography are unreliable for diagnosis of this complication. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate prospectively patients with PA for COA by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect presence of aneurysm at the repair site. DESIGN: All patients who underwent PA at the authors' institution were identified. MRI was performed in transverse and long axis oblique views on all patients except those who had, or were going to have, aortic angiography for other reasons. Details of the surgical procedure were obtained from the hospital records. RESULTS: Of the 18 patients studied, 15 had MRI and three had aortic angiography. Age at PA ranged from one week to 13.3 years (mean 6.3 years). The interval from PA to MRI or angiography was 9.5 years (range four to 12.5). No aneurysm was detected in any patient. Recoarctation was diagnosed in two patients not previously suspected but discovered on MRI. At PA the intimal shelf causing coarctation was either not excised or only minimally trimmed in 14 of 15 instances. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of late aneurysm formation following PA for COA is low in the authors' patients, possibly due to minimal intimal damage at repair, although these patients should be followed longer. MRI was useful for assessment of aneurysm and restenosis.
Studies utilizing advanced scanning technologies suggest that brain imaging may have a role in the differential diagnosis of some common neuropsychiatric disorders. In subjects with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT), widespread cortical reductions in glucose metabolism and blood flow have been described, with predominant involvement of the temporal and parietal lobes. The primary sensory areas and subcortical regions are relatively spared. When a "patchy" pattern of reductions in cerebral blood flow and metabolism is associated with clinical dementia, a vascular etiology should be suspected. Major depression in the elderly is associated with reductions in whole brain glucose metabolic rates comparable in magnitude with those described in DAT. Relatively distinctive patterns of flow and metabolism also are seen in frontal-temporal dementia and Parkinson's disease with dementia.
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Two hundred and three multi-transfused children with thalassemia attending the Thalassemia Clinic of the Charak Palika Hospital, New Delhi were screened for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibodies by ELISA and all positive cases were confirmed by Western Blot. Of the 203 children screened, 18 (8.9%) were HIV positive, and in these children a detailed immunological work up was done and compared to 18 age-matched HIV negative thalassemics as controls. The tests included absolute lymphocyte counts (ALC), absolute and percentages of CD4+ and CD8+ cells and their ratios (CD4/CD8), immunoglobulin levels (IgG, IgM and IgA) and delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity (DCH) test by Multitest CMI in all the cases and the controls. Of the 18 HIV positive children, 6 were diagnosed to have clinical AIDS as per the WHO criteria. After immunological testing, the children were further classified according to the CDC criteria. By these criteria, 11 children were classified as P1 A (asymptomatic infection, normal immune function), 1 child as P1 B (asymptomatic infection, abnormal immune function), 2 children as P2 A (symptomatic infection with non-specific findings), 1 child as P2 C (lymphocytic interstitial pneumonitis), 1 child as P2 D1 (Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia) and 2 children as P2 D2 (symptomatic infection with infections). In this paper, the clinical features of the children with AIDS is described, and the immunologic functions of these children are compared with the HIV positive asymptomatic children and with controls. These are the first cases of AIDS in the pediatric age group from India.
A posterior chamber intraocular lens (PC-IOL) dislocated into the subconjunctival space following a concussion injury in a 24-year-old man who had gained good visual acuity following extracapsular cataract extraction and PC-IOL implantation for a steroid-induced cataract. Except for long-term use of topical steroid therapy for vernal catarrh, the patient had no systemic or ocular predisposing factors for wound dehiscence. Given the risk of endophthalmitis, the PC-IOL was removed and anterior vitrectomy was performed on an emergency basis. To our knowledge, this is the second documented case of a subconjunctivally dislocated PC-IOL.
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Thirty one patients with significant esophageal variceal bleed were allocated alternately to receive endoscopic sclerotherapy along with ranitidine 300 mg daily or endoscopic sclerotherapy alone till eradication of varices. The mean sclerotherapy sessions, time and volume of sclerosant required for obliteration of varices were similar for the two groups. The esophageal varices were eradicated in all the patients except three in sclerotherapy alone group. There was statistically significant reduction in frequency of post sclerotherapy mucosal ulcers (P < 0.05) after addition of ranitidine to sclerotherapy. Rebleeding was not only significantly reduced (P < 0.05) in the sclerotherapy with ranitidine group but was minor and did not even require blood transfusion. In sclerotherapy alone group rebleeding was controlled by surgery in two patients and one died due to massive bleeding. The results of this study suggest a beneficial role of ranitidine in reducing post sclerotherapy mucosal ulcers and rebleeding. This effect of ranitidine emphasises the role of acid-pepsin in pathogenesis of these ulcers and its associated morbidity.
Sixty eyes--30 with severe nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and 30 with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR)--underwent argon laser panretinal photocoagulation (PRP). Static perimetry (Humphrey automated visual field analyzer 630, Threshold Prog Central 30-1 and Peri 30/60-1) was done 1 day before and 6 weeks after the initial laser treatment. One day before treatment, the fields of the NPDR and PDR eyes differed mainly in the central field affection: the PDR eyes had more localized areas of markedly decreased retinal sensitivity and, therefore, a higher initial mean deviation value and higher corrected pattern standard deviation values. However, peripheral retinal sensitivity was equally depressed in the NPDR and PDR eyes. Six weeks after treatment, central retinal sensitivity had significantly improved in all of the eyes, although more so in the eyes with severe NPDR. This study suggests that static-perimetry-guided PRP is an effective treatment for diabetic retinopathy, especially severe NPDR.
Hepatobiliary ascariasis is an uncommon condition outside the Kashmir valley. We report here a patient with this disease from the eastern part of India.
In 43 rural patients, all survivors of acute Myocardial infarction, left ventricular function was studied by 2-D echocardiography and evaluated in relation to 18 clinical predictors of left ventricular function. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 41.53 +/- 12.92% as compared to 70.02 +/- 7.02% in 506 healthy controls. LVEF was dichotomised at < 40% (n = 24) and > 40% (n = 19). Out of various clinical variables analysed following were found to be strong predictors of low LVEF. S3 gallop (p < 0.001) pulmonary rates (p < 0.001); Creatine phosphokinase > 200 I.U. (p < 0.001); Cardiomegaly on X-ray (p < 0.001); pulmonary congestion on chest X-ray (p < 0.001); and proportional pulse pressure (p < 0.001). There was a stepwise decline in the LVEF for each additional clinical variable. The over all predictive accuracy was 90%. It is concluded that readily obtainable clinical variables provide a useful bedside method of estimating LVEF after acute myocardial infarction.