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Biomedical subjects

B K Das

Publications and source records attributed to B K Das.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Role of captopril renography in the diagnosis of renovascular hypertension.

Eighty-six hypertensive patients with clinical suspicion of renovascular hypertension (RVH) were evaluated by captopril renal scintigraphy (CRS) and intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography (IADSA) to determine the usefulness of CRS in the diagnosis of RVH and to predict the outcome of revascularization procedures. Technetium 99m-diethlenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) renal scintigraphy was performed on 2 consecutive days before and after captopril administration. Captopril renal scintigraphy was considered positive if there were changes in the time activity curve according to the criteria specified by the American Society of Hypertension working group. Captopril renal scintigraphy data were compared with presence or absence of anatomic renal artery stenosis (RAS). Of 86 hypertensive patients investigated, 45 had RAS. Aortoarteritis was the cause of RAS in 40 (89%) patients. Revascularization was done in 25 patients, and response to revascularization was compared with that of captopril renography. Compared with IADSA, CRS showed a sensitivity of 82.8% and a specificity of 98.2%. Fourteen patients had bilateral RAS on IADSA. In these patients, CRS was suggestive of bilateral disease in seven patients, unilateral in four, and negative in three. Comparison of CRS with the results of revascularization showed a sensitivity and specificity in detecting curable RAS (RVH) of 95% and 100%, respectively (positive predictive value, 100%; negative predictive value, 85%). In conclusion, we found CRS to be useful in the diagnosis of RVH due to aortoarteritis.

Adolescent↗

A role for tumour necrosis factor-alpha in acute lymphatic filariasis.

A spectrum of clinical manifestations is a feature of human lymphatic filariasis. The acute disease is characterized by periodic and self limiting episodes of adenolymphangitis, fever and associated constitutional symptoms, while the chronic disease includes long lasting manifestations such as lymphoedema and/or hydrocoele. The microfilariae carriers are generally free of clinical symptoms. In the present study circulating Tumour Necrosis Factor (TNF-alpha) was measured in human bancroftian filariasis with different clinical manifestations. Significantly elevated levels were observed only in patients with acute disease and not in microfilariae carriers or in patients with chronic manifestations. A detailed analysis of the acute cases indicated an absence of correlation between TNF-alpha levels and duration of the episodes. However, a significant positive correlation was observed between the severity of the disease and the TNF-alpha levels. About 85% of the acute cases with severe manifestations showed raised levels of TNF-alpha while only 6.5% of mild cases showed such levels. Manifestation of fever was also significantly associated with higher levels of TNF-alpha-while 80% of acute cases with fever had significant levels only 24% of acute cases without fever had high levels of TNF-alpha. Based on these observations we propose a mediatory role for TNF-alpha in acute filariasis and the possible use of TNF-alpha inhibitors for clinical management of the disease.

Acute Disease↗

Review of G and P typing results from a global collection of rotavirus strains: implications for vaccine development.

Candidate rotavirus vaccines have been prepared with reassortant strains specifically to protect against the 4 major rotavirus G serotypes (G1 -4). Many studies using P (VP4) genotyping methods have indicated that, worldwide, rotavirus strains of the 4 common G serotypes are each associated with 1 P genotype: GI, G3, and G4 are associated with P[8], and G2 is associated with P[4]. In contrast, G and P genotyping of rotavirus in specimens from India revealed that a high percentage of the childhood diarrhea strains belong to genotype P[6], and the most common strain had an unusual G serotype, G9. Similarly, in all regions surveyed in Brazil, apparent reassortants of genotype P[8], G5 were found in children with gastroenteritis. These studies indicate that while rotavirus strains have limited diversity in many settings, reassortment between common and uncommon serotypes or animal strains can arise in some settings and, thus, lead to unusual diversity.

Child↗

Pattern of gastric emptying in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Gastric emptying studies, using an indigenously prepared radiolabeled solid food marker in the form of Indian bread called Chapati, were performed on 13 patients with systemic sclerosis. Six patients had limited cutaneous disease and seven had diffuse cutaneous disease. Earlier, the procedure was standardized in 30 healthy volunteers. Seven of the 13 (54%) patients (five with diffuse and two with limited cutaneous disease) had delayed gastric emptying. Most of these patients had gastric symptoms. This pattern of gastric emptying may be clinically significant, particularly in patients with diffuse cutaneous disease.

Adult↗

A prognostic role for anti-phosphatidyl choline antibodies in human cerebral malaria.

Anti-phosphatidyl choline antibodies (alphaPC) have been measured in adult patients from Orissa, India with Plasmodium falciparum infection of varying clinical severity. Significantly raised levels of alphaPC were observed in infected individuals in comparison with controls. The IgG alphaPC were found to be generally more than IgM alphaPC in most cases. The IgG alphaPC levels were significantly more in those cases of cerebral malaria who recovered fully after quinine administration in comparison with fatal cases not responding to quinine therapy, indicating a role for alphaPC in prognosis of adult cerebral malaria. There was no significant difference in levels of alphaPC IgG between non-cerebral and fatal cerebral malaria patients, indicating an absence of a direct protective role in the development of cerebral manifestations. Subgroup typing of IgG with alphaPC activity indicated IgG3 to be the predominant type, followed by IgG2, IgG1 and IgG4. A significant inverse relationship between serum tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels and IgG1 antibodies with alphaPC activity was found, emphasizing the importance of alphaPC in modifying disease severity. These observations appear to give credence to recent reports in the literature indicating that toxic malarial antigens consist of phospholipids and that antibodies to phospholipids (alphaPL) inhibit such antigens in experimental systems.

Adult↗

Unusual diversity of human rotavirus G and P genotypes in India.

Between April and December 1993, we determined P and G genotypes of group A rotavirus strains obtained from children admitted to diarrhea treatment centers in five Indian cities. From a total of 63 rotavirus-positive specimens, we identified 10 different strains with five different G genotypes and four distinct P types by using reverse transcription-PCR. The common worldwide strains G1P8, G2P4, G3P8, and G4P8 were underrepresented among Indian children (33%), whereas strains of P type 6 (G1P6, G2P6, G3P6, G4P6, and G9P6), which primarily infect asymptomatic newborns but are rare in children with diarrhea were common in India (43%). Of these, G9P6, a strain not previously reported to be found in children with diarrhea, was the most prevalent (22%). Eleven percent of the strains were nontypeable, and another 11% of the specimens had mixed infections. Using digoxigenin-labeled, genotype-specific hybridization probes, we confirmed all G9 strains and mixed infections tested and identified three nontypeable strains (one G9 and two P8). The epidemiological significance of G9 rotavirus strains, if confirmed in other settings, may have important implications for vaccine development.

Base Sequence↗

Variation of serum potassium and creatinine phosphokinase levels in suxamethonium-induced muscle relaxation.

Popular depolarising muscle relaxant, suxamethonium (succinylcholine chloride), produces fasciculation in group of muscles and 'after pain'. Mode of its action is neuromuscular blockage. It also may be associated with muscle fibre injury and altered membrane permeability. These may cause rise of serum K+ and creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) levels. But use of diazepam either during or as pretreatment may reduce the fasciculation, 'after pain' and rise of K+ and CPK levels. Present study was undertaken to show whether any correlation of the degree of fasciculation and postsuxamethonium myalgia is present or not and whether diazepam has any role in reducing muscle injury and in turn reducing the levels of serum K+ and CPK.

Adult↗

Characterization of a urea induced molten globule intermediate state of glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase from Escherichia coli.

The urea-induced unfolding of glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase, a multidomain protein, has been studied by equilibrium and kinetic methods, using chemical modification, fluorescence, and CD spectroscopy. The far-UV CD, fluorescence, and sulfhydryl reactivity clearly demonstrated the existence of a stable intermediate state at around 2 M urea. The intermediate showed higher binding of 1-anilino-8-naphthalenesulfonic acid. Furthermore, near-UV CD study of the intermediate showed significantly disrupted tertiary structure with only a small change in the secondary structure, which is a characteristic of molten globule states. The activation energies (delta G++) calculated from unfolding kinetics monitored by CD and fluorescence suggest that the intermediate state may be separated from the native and the unfolded state by high activation energy barriers.

Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases↗

Effect of potassium permanganate, cobalt chloride and vitamin B complex on the haematological parameters of cadmium treated common carp, Cyprinus carpio.

Effect of potassium permanganate, cobalt chloride and vitamin B complex on the haematological parameters of common carp Cyprinus carpio were markedly influenced by a treatment of 2.5 mg/l Cd in the laboratory for 96 hours. Hb% and ESR values were increased but the RBC and PCV values were reduced. Treatment of KMnO4 (1 mg/l) or CoCl2 (2 mg/l) induced a further reduction of RBC of the Cd treated fish. But parameters like PCV, MCV and MCH of Cd treated fish were not affected by the treatment of KMnO4 and CoCl2. Intramuscular injection of vitamin B complex did not produce any impact on ESR and MCV values of the Cd treated exposed fish but most of the other parameters of such fish were found comparable to control indicating that vitamin B complex could counteract Cd to reduce its ill effect.

Analysis of Variance↗

Cerebrospinal fluid adenosine deaminase activity and C-reactive protein in tuberculous and partially treated bacterial meningitis.

Adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity measurement and C-reactive protein (C-RP) detection were done in CSF of 27 tuberculous meningitis (TBM) and 8 patients of partially treated bacterial meningitis, apart from routine biochemical tests. Both the groups had comparable CSF cell count, protein and sugar concentrations. The mean CSF ADA activity was significantly raised in TBM as compared to partially treated bacterial meningitis patients (p < 0.05). A cut-off ADA level < or = 5 IU/L and C-RP positively were used for differentiation of partially treated bacterial from TBM cases. Based on this, the sensitivity and specificity of ADA and C-RP were 62.5%, 88.9% and 75%, 100%, respectively. Since both the tests are simple and take lesser time to perform, they can be used as rapid diagnostic tests to remove diagnostic dilemma between the two diseases.

Adenosine Deaminase↗

Tear glucose estimation--an alternative to blood glucose estimation.

Dextrostix, being very sensitive to measure glucose level by glucose oxidase method, was chosen to measure tear glucose level to evaluate the relationship of tear glucose to blood glucose level in 94 cases. It was found that in our population the measurement of tear glucose has definite value in interpretation of glucose status of individual. So, it was suggested to use this simple method of detection of tear glucose to interpret hyperglycaemic state of the patients. The present study was undertaken (1) to sort out a definite relationship between tear and plasma glucose concentration and (2) to devise a rapid method for detection of tear glucose level semiquantitatively with glucose oxidase impregnated strips and to evaluate its role as indicator of plasma glucose level.

Blood Glucose↗

Comparative evaluation of scintigraphy and upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy for detection of duodenogastric reflux.

Duodenogastric reflux, the reflux of duodenal bile into stomach, when suspected clinically requires an objective evaluation for proper management. In this study hepatobiliary scintigraphy in 91 patients of different clinical conditions was evaluated for presence of duodenogastric reflux. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was also performed in 44 of these patients. On scintigraphy duodenogastric reflux was present in 26 (29%) of 91 patients. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed presence of refluxed bile in the stomach in 12 (27%) of 44 patients. In the same groups of patients scintigraphy detected reflux in 18 (41%) of 44 patients. This shows that hepatobiliary scintigraphy is superior to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in detection of duodenogastric reflux and also has the advantage of being non-invasive and physiological.

Cholecystectomy↗