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Biomedical subjects

D Pal

Publications and source records attributed to D Pal.

108 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1974

Leber's disease.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of estrogen on tight junctional resistance in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of estrogen on transendothelial paracellular permeability in women. METHODS: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) obtained from women were grown on filters. The paracellular permeability characteristics were determined in terms of changes in the permeability to the polar acid pyranine (Ppyr) and as changes in the transendothelial electrical resistance (RTE). Tight junctional resistance characteristics were assayed by lowering luminal NaCl and measuring the dilution potential, and were expressed as the ratio of monoion mobility uCl/uNa (cation selectivity). RESULTS: Low extracellular calcium and hyperosmolarity increased Ppyr and decreased RTE. The former but not the latter condition abolished the endothelium-specific cation selectivity. Treatment with 10 nM of estradiol-17 beta had no effect on RTE, but it increased the cation selectivity. The effect of estradiol required 1-6 hours' incubation with the hormone; it was dose dependent and saturable, with a median effective concentration of estradiol of 1 nM. Diethylstilbestrol, but not estriol, could mimic the effect of estradiol, and the estrogen receptor antagonist ICI-182, 780 blocked it. CONCLUSION: Cultured HUVEC cells form patent tight junctions. Estrogens increase the cation selectivity across HUVEC cultures. The effect of estrogen may be mediated by an estrogen receptor. These effects may be important for vasculoprotection in cases of sudden changes in ions levels across the capillary wall, such as ischemia or reperfusion.

Calcium↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sterility testing of disposable syringes and needles marketed in Calcutta.

Presterilized (disposable) syringes and needles were subjected to sterility testing for aerobic cultures. It was found that 56.3% of the samples were contaminated indicating failure of the sterilisation process. The implications of this could be far reaching and is discussed alongwith.

Bacteria, Aerobic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A community based study on health impact of flood in a vulnerable district of West Bengal.

In order to ascertain the disaster vulnerability and health risks of flood in Hooghly district of West Bengal, this community based study was conducted through record analysis, interview of concerned authorities and household survey of morbidities before and after flood. Two blocks, with most of its population, were found to be the worst affected among all the disaster vulnerable blocks of the district. Incidence of diarrhoea, other enteric diseases and respiratory infections were significantly higher (P < 0.05) among the population in flood affected blocks, compared to the unaffected. The attack rate of diarrhoea in the flood affected population had increased significantly following flood (P < 0.05).

Diarrhea↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Declining trend in routine UIP coverage.

Routine UIP coverage status in the state of West Bengal and three selected Municipal Corporation areas (Calcutta, Howrah and Siliguri) were studied during 1997-98 and 1998-99. Also, UIP coverage status in the 'high risk' areas of the State (areas which reported Polio cases during 1998) was studied during 1998-99. UIP coverage in the state of West Bengal was only 54.3% in 1997-98, which further declined to 48.1% in 1998-99. In the three urban areas, UIP coverage ranged between 57.3%-70.9% in 1997-98, which further declined to 29.6%-47.1% in 1998-99. Antigenwise coverage revealed very poor performance with DPT3, OPV3, and Measles in 1997-98 and further decline in 1998-99. Dropout rate was also very high. In 1998-99 drop-out rate ranged between 30.1% to 54.2% in different studied areas. Some other studies suggested that PPI activities, which are very visible and targetted programme, may adversely affect routine UIP services. There is urgent need for further probing to identify the reasons for such poor state of affairs, keeping PPI angle in mind and to initiate remedial measure urgently.

Antigens, Viral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Coverage of Maternal Care Services in the state of West Bengal.

Evaluation of the Coverage of Maternal Care Services was conducted during the year 1999 in the entire State of West Bengal, Urban poor localities of randomly selected three Municipal Corporation areas and 'high-risk' urban wards or villages of West Bengal that had reported AFP cases in 1998. It was observed that mothers who had three or more antenatal check-ups varied between 54% to 82% in different study areas. Tetanus Toxoid coverage varied between 83.5% to 93.4% being lowest in high-risk areas. Only a very small section of mothers (12.7% to 23.7%) consumed 100 or more Iron and Folic acid tablets during pregnancy. 'Danger Signs' of pregnancy were informed to only 21.1% to 38.2% of the pregnant mothers. Proportion of home deliveries varied between 16.7% (Calcutta) to as high as 72.7% (high-risk areas). Deliveries conducted by untrained personnel were 60.8% in high risk areas, 38.1% in State clusters and between 14.2% to 29.4% in the three urban areas. Vast majority of mothers (78.8% to 88.4%) received no post-natal check-up.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Direct detection of diarrheagenic Aeromonas from faeces by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting aerolysin toxin gene.

Detection of diarrheagenic Aeromonas specific aerolysin toxin (Aer) gene by PCR based assay and isolation, identification of diarrhea causing Aeromonas from faeces by culture methods were carried out in the Division of Active Surveillance, National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED), Kolkata, India for a period of 12 months. Out of 602 faecal samples collected from patients with acute diarrhea admitted in Infectious Diseases (ID) Hospital, Kolkata, 68 (11.29%) samples were found to be possessing Aer gene by PCR technique. The conventional culture methods using selective media yielded only 64 (10.6%) Aeromonas strains from the same faecal samples. The different Aeromonas species possessing Aer gene identified by PCR based technique include A. hydrophila (55.8%), A. caviae (17.6%), A. veronii (10.2%), A. schubertii (4.4%), A. jandaei (2.9%) and A. trota (8.8%). The isolation and identification of Aeromonas by routine culture did not detect enterotoxigenic A. trota present in four diarrheal faecal samples. The failure of the growth of enterotoxigenic A. trota on selective media may be attributed to the ampicillin susceptibility of those strains. The quality control studies revealed that PCR method for the direct detection of Aer gene from the faeces has the sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 98%.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prevalence of the type of hepatitis virus in hospitalized jaundiced individuals.

The prevalence of different types of hepatitis virus was estimated in 185 hospitalized jaundiced patients. It was found that 41.08% were positive for HBs Ag by ELISA method. The jaundiced group was also tested for IgM antibody and for total antibodies (IgG and IgM) to HAV infection by ELISA method and 5.40% were found to be positive. All patients in the jaundiced group had serum bilirubin above normal values. It was, therefore, assumed that the rest 52.92% were suffering from Non A Non B virus infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Comparison of a phenolic and a 0.2% chlorhexidine mouthwash on the development of plaque and gingivitis.

Chlorhexidine and phenolic mouthrinses have attracted considerable interest as adjuncts to oral hygiene. The aim of this study was to compare two well known proprietary mouthrinse products for their effects on plaque regrowth, the development of gingivitis and the formation of toothstaining. The study was a single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, triple cross-over experimental, gingivitis design. A group of 15 volunteers with a very high standard of oral hygiene and gingival health used each rinse for 19 days in the absence of normal toothcleaning. Each period was separated by a 21 day washout. Plaque scores were significantly different between the rinses, being lowest with chlorhexidine and highest with saline. The plaque area increased 3-fold with the phenolic rinse and 6-fold with the saline rinse compared to the chlorhexidine rinse. Similarly, gingivitis increments were lowest with chlorhexidine and highest with saline but differences between rinses did not reach significance. Staining was significantly different between rinses, primarily due to minimal staining associated with the saline rinse. Staining occurred with both the chlorhexidine and phenolic mouthrinses. It is concluded that the 0.2% chlorhexidine rinse offers greater oral hygiene benefits than the phenolic rinse. The question of indications and durations of use of mouthwash products should be addressed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Is leprosy bacillus a chemo-autotrophic nocardioform organism?

Numerous attempts at in vitro cultivation of the leprosy bacillus have all proved to be unsuccessful. Recently, we have repeatedly isolated chemo-autotrophic nocardioform (CAN) organisms in pure culture from multibacillary cases of leprosy. We find that these resemble the leprosy bacillus in many respects and suggest that the leprosy bacillus may be closer to the genus Nocardia than to Mycobacterium, and that it may be a chemo-autotroph, requiring only simple sources of carbon and nitrogen for its growth. This is in contrast to most other human pathogens, which are heterotrophs requiring complex sources of carbon and nitrogen for their growth. This could offer a possible explanation for the repeated failure at in vitro cultivation of the leprosy bacillus.

Humans↗