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Biomedical subjects

B K Girdhar

Publications and source records attributed to B K Girdhar.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

'Pulsed' rifampicin therapy in leprosy. A clinical study.

A trial of monthly administration of Rifampicin in 2 doses of 900 mg each on successive days for 3 months along with DDS 100 mg daily has been undertaken. The results have been compared with 2 groups of controls, one, which was administered 300 mg Rifampicin daily for 3 months followed by DDS, and the other which received 100 mg DDS alone. The findings show that the efficacy of this pulsed regimen is almost similar to continuous rifampicin administration and better than DDS alone. No significant adverse effects were encountered in the trial. The regimen thus merits large scale trials in the field.

Adolescent↗

Effect of ascorbic acid on blood levels of DDS.

A study was undertaken to probe into the influence of ascorbic acid on the absorption and metabolism of administered DDS in leprosy patients. Vit 'C' supplementation did not generally exhibit any effect on blood levels DDS except in cases of BB and LL where only 8 hrs DDS values showed a statistically significant increase.

Ascorbic Acid↗

Primary sulphone resistance. A preliminary report.

A case of lepromatous leprosy proven to be a primary sulphone resistant one, has been reported. Bacilli from the case were found to be resistant as checked by their continued growth in the foot pads of mice receiving diet containing 0.001% D.D.S. A study to identify such cases is being systematically persued.

Animals↗

Introductory rifampicin therapy in lepromatous leprosy: a six month follow-up study.

A double-blind comparative trial of 300 mg of Rifampicin given daily as against 50 mg D.D.S. administered likewise for an initial period of 3 months has been undertaken on 24 untreated cases of lepromatous leprosy. All the patients have been followed up for 6 months. The results revealed that patients in the former group became non-infective, as concluded from M.I. and mouse foot-pad results, within 3-4 weeks and their nasal ulcers healed faster. Clinical improvement was slightly better in the former group while no bacteriological differences were noticed in the two groups. E.N.L. was milder and slightly less common in the Rifampicin group.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

A comparative and combinatorial study on two serological assays for detection of Mycobacterium leprae infection.

The performances of two Mycobacterium leprae specific serological assays namely: phenolicglycolipid-l-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (PGL-ELISA) and a monoclonal antibody-based inhibition test (MAIT) were studied for there efficiency to detect M. leprae infection. As usual, both the tests were more sensitive to detect lepromatous leprosy patients than tuberculoid type of leprosy patients. Considering the efficiency to detect leprosy patients, the MAIT was slightly more sensitive and specific than PGL-ELISA. When the results of both assays are considered together, a better sensitivity (over the sensitivity of individual assay) was obtained while maintaining good enough specificity. These findings point out that a combinatorial approach for detection of M. leprae infection would be a better strategy to detect M. leprae infection. Hence, it may act as a better tool for measurement of bacterial load in the patients.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗

Pulsed corticosteroid therapy in patients with chronic recurrent ENL: a pilot study.

A pilot study has been undertaken to compare the efficacy of small dose pulsed betamethasone therapy with need based oral steroids in chronic recurrent erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) patients. Though this mode of therapy was well tolerated, no advantage with intermittent steroid administration was observed. This could have been on account of small dose of steroid given monthly. Treatment of chronic recurrent erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) patients continues to be unsatisfactory, particularly, because of nonavailability of thalidomide. Though corticosteroids are effective in suppressing all the manifestations and even restoring partially or fully the functional impairment, their side effects and dependence are equally troublesome. Based on (a) the reported efficacy and safety of intermittent use of corticosteroids in several immune complex mediated disorders (Cathcart et al 1976, Kimberly et al 1979), Liebling et al 1981 and Pasricha & Gupta 1984) and (b) ENL (type II) reactions having similar pathology, a pilot study has been undertaken to see the efficacy and the tolerance of pulsed steroids in chronic ENL patients.

Administration, Oral↗

Leprosy situation in the slums of Agra City--epidemiological findings.

The present article is the result of a study of the leprosy caseload in Agra City and is based on a house-to-house survey conducted during April-July 2003 in 5 areas. During the survey 198,150 persons were examined, and 287 cases were detected, giving a prevalence rate of 14.5/10,000. A majority of them (92%) were new cases, detected and diagnosed for the first time. The patient load was found to be unevenly distributed with comparatively more number of patients in areas such as Jamuna Kinara, Shah Ganj and Lohamandi. Among the 264 newly detected cases, 14.8% were of MB type. Overall deformity of grade > or = 2 was seen in 2.8% of patients--0.4% in PB and significantly high at 18% in MB leprosy. The observations reveal that leprosy is endemic in slum areas of Agra City.

Adolescent↗

Calcification of nerves in leprosy--report of three cases.

Three cases of leprosy who showed evidence of calcification of nerve trunks on radiological examination are reported. Two of these had calcified ulnar nerve at elbow and in one lateral popliteal nerve was calcified at the knee level.

Adult↗

Effect of supernatants of dermal leprosy granulomas on lymphocyte morphology and function.

A comparison has been made of the characteristics of dermal granulomas of tuberculoid and lepromatous leprosy by culturing them in vitro. The granulomas were derived from lesions of untreated patients and their effect was assessed on the morphology and function of lymphocytes derived from peripheral blood of normal individuals. The concentration of proteins released in the supernatants was similar in both the type of granulomas. However, the supernatants from the lepromatous granulomas markedly diminished the viability of lymphocytes when compared with supernatants derived from the tuberculoid granulomas. The supernatants from both the tuberculoid and lepromatous granulomas, contained soluble factors which depressed the 14C-leucine and 3H-thymidine incorporation by lymphocytes. The depression in 3H-thymidine uptake was more pronounced with the supernatants from the lepromatous granulomas while the diminution of 14C-leucine incorporation was more marked with supernatants from the tuberculoid granulomas. The supernatants did not show any migratory inhibitory activity in vitro. When the cells from the granulomas were dispersed and cultured in vitro, only very low concentration of proteins was detectable.

Carbon Radioisotopes↗