Biomedical subjects

Ijaz Ahmad

Publications and source records attributed to Ijaz Ahmad.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2026

A comprehensive overview of monkeypox virus disease.

BACKGROUND: Monkeypox (mpox), caused by monkeypox virus (MPXV), re-emerged as a major global public health concern in 2022, resulting in widespread transmission beyond traditionally endemic regions. As of March 2026, 181,164 confirmed cases and 492 deaths had been reported across 144 countries globally. The unprecedented geographic spread of the outbreak highlighted important knowledge gaps in disease surveillance, prevention, and control. Given the ongoing global circulation of MPXV and the risk of future outbreaks, this review provides a comprehensive synthesis of current evidence on MPXV and mpox. METHODS: The literature, surveillance data, and public health reports available up to March 2026 were systematically reviewed and synthesized. The review comprehensively assesses viral biology, genetic diversity, epidemiology, transmission dynamics, clinical manifestations, pathogenesis, laboratory diagnosis, infection during pregnancy, host immune responses, immune evasion mechanisms, therapeutic interventions, and prevention strategies. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: Globally, the decline in public immunity following the cessation of routine smallpox vaccination, together with ongoing viral evolution, may have contributed to the resurgence of mpox. Advances in genomic surveillance, diagnostics, and public health preparedness have strengthened outbreak response; however, important gaps remain in understanding long-term immunity and optimal treatment strategies. This review summarizes current evidence on MPXV and mpox and highlights priorities for future research and public health interventions.

Antiviral therapy↗

PubMed2006

Response of steroid-treated former preterm infants to a single dose of meningococcal C conjugate vaccine.

Attenuated antibody responses have been reported in preterm infants who received neonatal dexamethasone treatment. The duration of immunosuppression may extend into later infancy. This study assessed the immune response of former preterm infants to a single meningococcal serogroup C conjugate (MCC) immunisation given after infancy. A cohort of 49 toddlers born at less than 33 weeks' gestation were given an initial dose of MCC vaccine at a median age of 13 months; 11 had received dexamethasone in the neonatal period. Sera obtained 4 weeks post immunisation were analysed for serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) and serogroup C-specific IgG antibody concentrations. Immune responses were compared with those of an historical cohort of 70 term toddlers given a single dose of the same vaccine at age 13 months. An SBA titre of > or =8 was taken to indicate a protective response. Following a single MCC dose, the SBA geometric mean titre (GMT) for former preterm infants was 249 (95% C.I. 111, 558), not significantly different from that of the historical term cohort whose SBA GMT was 141 (95% C.I. 89, 224) (p=0.06). A significantly lower proportion of former preterm infants achieved a protective SBA titre of > or =8 compared with term infants, 37/48 (77%) versus 64/70 (91%), (p=0.03). For steroid-treated and non steroid-treated subgroups, SBA GMTs were 1237 (95% C.I. 250, 6132) and 154 (62, 385), respectively, and numbers achieving an SBA titre of > or =8 were 10/11 (91%) and 27/37 (73%), (p=0.42). Most children born at <33 weeks' gestation mount a protective immune response to a single MCC vaccine dose given at age 13 months, but fewer former preterm infants attain a protective SBA titre of 8 compared with term infants. Previous neonatal dexamethasone treatment does not appear to attenuate immune response after infancy.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗

PubMed2006

Xanthine oxidase inhibiting flavonol glycoside from Amberboa ramosa.

A new flavonol glycoside (1) has been isolated from the ethyl acetate soluble fraction of Amberboa ramosa and assigned the structure 5,7,4'-trihydroxy-3,8-dimethoxylflavone 5-O-beta-D-gluco-pyranoside (1). In addition, 6,4'-dihydroxy-3,5,7-trimethoxyflavone (2), 5,7-dihydroxy-4'-methoxyflavone (3) and (23R)-5alpha-cycloart-24-ene-3beta,21,23-triol (4) have also been reported for the first time from this species. The structures were deduced on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR techniques. The compounds 1-3 displayed weak to moderate inhibition against the xanthine oxidase enzyme.

Asteraceae↗

PubMed2006

Plasma lipid profile in sarcoma patients.

Objective of the present study was to observe plasma lipid profile (triglycerides, cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol) in sarcoma patients. 120 subjects were included in the project. The subjects comprised of two groups ; first as Controls (60 in number) and the second as Patients of Sarcoma (also 60 in number). Fasting blood samples were collected for estimation. Sarcoma patients showed highly significant (P<0.01) decrease, when compared with the normal control subjects.

Cholesterol, HDL↗

PubMed2005

Isolation of onosmins A and B, lipoxygenase inhibitors from Onosma hispida.

Onosmins A (1) and B (2), lipoxygenase inhibitors, have been isolated from Onosma hispida. Their structures were established as 2-[(4-methylbenzyl)amino]benzoic acid (1) and methyl 2-[(4-methylbenzyl)amino]benzoate (2) through spectroscopic studies, including 2D-NMR. The known compounds apigenin (3), 6,4'-dimethoxy-3,5,7-trihydroxyflavone (4), 6,7-dimethoxy-3,5,4'-trihydroxyflavone (5) and apigenin 7-O-beta-D-glucoside (6) are also reported for the first time from this species. Compounds (1) and (2) inhibited lipoxygenase (LOX, EC 1.13.11.12) enzyme in a concentration-dependent fashion with IC50 values of 24.0 and 36.2 microM, respectively. Lineweaver-Burk as well as Dixon plots and their secondary replots indicated that the nature of inhibition was purely a non-competitive type, with K(i) values 22.0 microM and 31.1, respectively.

Benzoates↗

PubMed2004

Acid reflux management: ENT perspective.

Otolaryngological manifestations of acid reflux include a wide range of pharyngeal and laryngeal symptoms; and the constellation of symptoms has been called laryngopharyngeal reflux. This is a prospective study in a cohort of patients with various throat symptoms suggestive of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) who underwent flexible oesophago-gastroscopy, as a principal investigation. The aims were to look at the most reliable symptom(s) and sign(s), the diagnostic role of flexible oesophago-gastroscopy and the treatment response in these patients. The endoscopy score of 0 to 3 was based on endoscopic findings and the treatment response was measured from 0 to 100 per cent improvement of symptoms, as described by the patients. There were a total of 303 patients, 174 females and 129 males with ages ranging from 19 to 88 years. Seventy-five per cent had had symptoms for more than a year. Fifteen per cent were smokers. Globus, voice change, sore throat, dysphagia and cough were the predominant symptoms. Most patients, however, presented with a complex of various other secondary symptoms. The endoscopic findings were abnormal in 98 per cent of patients. Apart from the finding of non-specific hyperaemia, usually of the posterior larynx (13 per cent), lesions of the larynx and vocal folds were surprisingly uncommon. Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) were prescribed in 90 per cent of patients. A total of 233 (76.8 per cent) responded to treatment. The improvement of symptoms ranged from 25 per cent in 36 (23 per cent), 50 per cent in 60 (20 per cent), 75 per cent in 59 (19 per cent) and 100 per cent in 78 (26 per cent) patients. Accumulative analysis of variance showed a significant difference between treatment responders and non-responders (p <0.04). In a logistic regression model patients with globus, voice change and gastric prolapse were more likely to respond to treatment (p <0.04). It can be concluded that voice change, sore throat, globus and cough choking are the most reliable symptoms of laryngopharyngeal reflux. Voice change and globus symptoms can be of predictive value in terms of successful treatment response. Flexible oesophago-gastroscopy (FOG) is a simple, safe and reliable way of assessment in these cases and treatment with PPI can be effective in the majority of patients.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Cholinesterase inhibitory constituents from Onosma hispida.

Hispidone, a new flavanone, has been isolated from Onosma hispida and assigned the structure (2S)-5,2'-dihydroxy-7,4',5'-trimethoxyflavanone (1) by spectroscopic methods. In addition, (2S)-5,2'-dihydroxy-7,5'-dimethoxyflavanone (2), benzoic acid (3), and 4-hydroxy benzoic acid (4) are also reported for the first time from this species.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Nasal ciliary studies in children with chronic respiratory tract symptoms.

Ciliary abnormalities include a range of morphological dysfunctions resulting in dysmotility. These typically manifest with upper and lower respiratory symptoms later in the infancy and early childhood. The diagnosis is based on ciliary studies i.e. measurement of ciliary beat frequency (CBF). We present a series of 67 children who had nasal biopsy and ciliary studies done between 1993-2002. There were 44 boys and 23 girls of age between 1 to 17 years. In 49 (73%) cases indication of ciliary studies was chest symptoms. There were six diagnostic categories: asthma, recurrent chest infections, bronchiectasis, rhinosinusitis, dextrocardia and prematurity. Fourteen patients (20%) had dextrocardia and of these 9 had no measurable beating cilia. In the rest 5 CBF ranged 8-12.7 Hz. If the patients with dextrocardia are excluded, 5 of the 53 (10%) did not have any ciliary activity and in remaining CBF ranged 5.3-19.7 Hz. Our results showed a significant number of children with immotile cilia had associated dextrocardia. In the absence of situs inversus index of suspicion should be very high to detect these cases early. Otolaryngologists can play a key role in diagnosis because of an easy access for nasal biopsy, which is much simple than bronchial biopsies.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Carhart's notch: a finding in otitis media with effusion.

INTRODUCTION: Carhart's notch (CN) is a false depression of bone conduction (BC) thresholds at 2-4 kHz initially described in cases of stapes fixation. This study was designed to estimate the incidence and assess the clinical significance of CN in cases of otitis media with effusion (OME) in children. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Clinical records of 50 patients of OME that showed CN were analysed, retrospectively. First 24 were identified as seen in outpatients and 26 were found out of 100 consecutive cases of OME. The criteria of CN were a minimum 10 dB depression in BC at any frequency 500-4000 Hz. RESULTS: Fifty patients showed CN, with mean age of 8.8 years. All had myringotomies with or without insertion of grommets. The CN ranged from 10 to 20 dB in the majority and up to 30 dB in few cases. In 85 ears studied, the affected frequencies comprised of 2000 Hz in 80 (94%), 4000 Hz in 4 and 1000 Hz in one ear. Pre-operative tympanograms were of type B in 68 (80%), type C in 16 (18.8%) and type A in one ear. Middle ear fluid was thick glue in 57 (67%), serous in 5 (5.8%), and no fluid found in 23 (27%) cases. Oedematous, granular or polypoidal appearances of middle ear mucosa were noted in 57 (67%) of the ears. A normal mucosa was seen in 17 (20%), and no details were available in 11 (13%) ears. Post-operative audiograms showed improvements of BC thresholds in 72 (84.7%) of the ears. CONCLUSION: Our results show 26% incidence of CN in paediatric cases of OME, with evidence of thick fluid and abnormal middle ear mucosa in about two-thirds of cases. This suggests that CN may be of prognostic value for myringotomy outcomes. Statistically there is a significant correlation between presence of fluid on myringotomy and CN, and type of tympanogram and post-operative BC threshold improvement. There is no predictive value of CN in terms of character of the middle ear fluid. Studies with larger numbers may be required to determine this with more certainty. It can help clinically, however, in pre-operative assessment of these cases. It is our opinion that BC should be an essential part of routine audiometry in all cases of OME.

Audiometry, Pure-Tone↗