Biomedical subjects
B Kumar
Publications and source records attributed to B Kumar.
Childhood psoriasis: an epidemiologic survey of 112 patients.
One hundred and twelve cases of childhood psoriasis, constituting 5% of all psoriasis patients registered in our clinic, were studied over a period of nine years (January 1980 to December 1988). There were 57 male and 55 female patients. Age of onset ranged from 1 month to 13 years, with a mean and median age of 7 years. A positive family history of psoriasis was elicited from 9.8% of patients. The commonest form of psoriasis found was plaque (69.6%), followed by guttate (25.9%). Infection was the most common triggering factor, occurring in 15.2% of cases. Many of these findings are at variance with observations reported elsewhere for this age group.
Sulphaphenazole, streptomycin and sulphaphenazole combination, trimethoprim, and erythromycin in the treatment of chancroid.
One hundred and thirty six patients with chancroid were treated with four different treatment regimens; (A) Sulphaphenazole 1 g 12 hourly by mouth x 10 days (B) Inj streptomycin 1 g intramuscularly daily with sulphaphenazole 1 g 12 hourly orally x 10 days; (C) trimethoprim 200 mg 12 hourly by mouth x 7-10 days, and (D) erythromycin 500 mg 6 hourly orally x 7-10 days. Cure rates of 9% with sulphaphenazole alone, 48% with streptomycin and sulphaphenazole combination, 93% with trimethoprim and 100% with erythromycin were obtained. Sulphaphenazole alone or in combination with streptomycin were thus inferior in the treatment of chancroid. There is need for modification of treatment regimens recommended for chancroid in the textbooks of dermatology and venereology. Trimethoprim can be recommended as first line of treatment for chancroid in developing countries like India where resistance to trimethoprim is uncommon and erythromycin is suggested as a second line of therapy because by that time syphilis can be easily ruled out.
Penile condylomata acuminata in a male child: a case report.
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Syphilis serology and human immunodeficiency virus positivity in Chandigarh.
AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases are interlinked. VDRL positivity may indicate that the individual has an increased risk of being HIV positive as the epidemiological risk factors for developing syphilis and AIDS are similar. We analysed 323 (5.8%) VDRL positive serum samples (out of 5592 screened) for HIV positivity. All were HIV negative. While syphilitic infection in India at present is not commonly associated with HIV infection, experience in other countries indicates caution.
HIV-I antibodies in health and disease.
Antibodies to human immune deficiency (HIV) virus were studied in 2000 individuals including cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), leprosy, chronic renal failure on haemodialysis and patients attending STD clinics. A group of blood donors was also screened, ELISA kits provided by Wellcome Diagnostics were used. Results indicate that the ELISA values were far above the cut off figure in all except in a couple where the husband who had stayed in Uganda for several years, and had features of full blown AIDS died 4 months after the diagnosis. The spouse contacted AIDS within a relatively short incubation period and died within 6 months of diagnosis. The North Indian population thus appears to be free of this virus so far. This observation will be an important lead mark in the future epidemiology of HIV infection in India.
Impalement injuries.
Impalement injuries are still seen today and constitute a challenging form of trauma. Our experience with four cases is presented. The management of each case has to be individualised. It may not be necessary to lay open the tract taken by the impaling object in every case.
Disseminated cutaneous leishmaniasis.
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Condylomata lata of the eyelids.
A patient with secondary syphilis and extensive condylomata lata on the face, neck, axillae, groins, and genitalia is described. His facial condylomata lata affected the eyelids, medial canthus, nasolabial folds, angles of the mouth, and chin. Condylomata lata of the eyelids has not been described previously.
Bilateral sabre-like tibial deformity in secondary syphilis: case report.
A girl aged 12 years having early acquired syphilis with a rare bilateral sabre-like tibial deformity is reported.
Injury Severity Score (ISS) as a yardstick in assessing the severity and mortality of various abdomino-pelvic trauma hospitalized victims--a clinical vis-à-vis autopsy study.
A summary of 51 cases of vehicular accident showing abdomino-pelvic trauma, along with associated other regional injuries, were studied at the Department of Forensic Medicine at MAM College and Associated Hospitals in New Delhi during 1986. A detailed Injury Severity Score (ISS) was done in all the cases and the relationship of ISS during their clinical treatment phase and after death was studied, keeping in mind factors such as age, survival periods, etc.
Effect of suppressor cells on antibody producing cells in mice infected with Mycobacterium leprae.
Swiss albino mice were transfused with suppressor cells obtained after in vivo stimulation of mice with Con A (NS group). Some of the animals were infected with Mycobacterium leprae (NSI-group). Half of these animals were treated with dapsone (NSIT group). Adequate normal (NC) and infected (NI) controls were included. A plaque assay was carried out at different time periods to elucidate the effect of suppressor cells on antibody producing cells. No significant difference was seen in the number of plaque forming cells (PFC) in infected and dapsone treated animals (NSIT) when these were compared with controls. However significant increase seen in the number of IgM plaque forming cells at 6 months in NI and NSI groups and IgG PFC in NI group could be due to the peak footpad infection during this period. The significant decrease in the number of IgG PFC in NS and NSIT group compared to NC at 0 month is probably due to the suppressor cell activity in these groups.
Mutilating keratoderma--a case report.
A 19 year old girl had mutilating palmoplantar keratoderma with generalised ichthyosiform dermatosis and linear verrucous plaques in popliteal fossae. Her mother had similar disorder.
Chlamydiazyme test for rapid detection of Chlamydia trachomatis.
Endocervical (120) and endourethral (104) swabs collected from patients attending the Gynaecological OPD and STD Clinic of a Hospital, in north India were subjected to the chlamydiazyme test to detect C. trachomatis antigen. This antigen was detected in 25 per cent (30 of 120) of cervical and 20.19 per cent (21 of 104) of urethral specimens. Of the 51 antigen positive cases, 30 (58.8%) presented with the clinical picture of cervicitis, 11 (21.5%) with urethritis, 6 (11.7%) were cases of primary infertility and 4 (7.8%) were healthy controls. The association of C. trachomatis and other sexually manifested microorganisms (Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum and Gardnerella vaginalis) was found more commonly in patients of cervicitis, especially those who were C. trachomatis antigen positive.
Primary dapsone resistance as assessed by uptake of labelled thymidine by the macrophage resident Mycobacterium leprae.
12 untreated lepromatous leprosy patients were screened for primary dapsone resistance by the uptake of labelled thymidine by macrophage resident M. leprae. There were found to harbour primary dapsone resistant strains of M. leprae and another three partially resistant strains to the drug. This rapid, simple and reliable method should be used routinely to screen leprosy patients, for drug resistance.
Leprosy and hepatitis B surface antigen.
An ELISA technique has been developed to detect HBsAg in the sera of leprosy patients. Out of ninety-two serum samples taken from untreated leprosy patients, 10 samples were positive for HBsAg. The ELISA used in the present investigation is a low cost, reliable and sensitive marker of HBsAg. It is better than lesser sensitive (haemagglutination and counterimmunoelectrophoresis), costly and hazardous (radioimmunoassay) techniques and is therefore recommended for routine use.
Histopathological study of skin, nose, ear and tail in experimental leprosy.
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Dapsone drug compliance study among leprosy patients: a comparison between qualitative and quantitative methods.
The methods currently employed to monitor self-administration of dapsone have been evaluated by comparing the results of the qualitative spot test and quantitative DDS/creatinine ratio test. Random urine samples of 242 leprosy patients, periodically attending the Leprosy Clinic were tested. Although a good correlation between the results of the two tests was evident, the DDS/creatinine ratio technique appeared to be more sensitive than the spot test. The concentration of DDS and its metabolites in urine specimens found to be negative by the spot test, ranged from 3.32-12.37 micrograms of DDS/mg creatinine. The spot test was found to be more specific and stays to be the method of choice, when rapidity and reproducibility are the prime objectives, and sensitivity can be marginally compromised. Acidification of urine prior to the spot test was found to be desirable to rule out false negative and false positive reactions.