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Biomedical subjects

J K Grover

Publications and source records attributed to J K Grover.

44 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
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Zinc levels in women and newborns.

Zinc is an important trace element having a definitive role in the metabolism, growth and development and reproduction. During pregnancy the requirements for zinc increase. This study was designed to evaluate the zinc status of normal women, normal pregnant women and their newborn babies. Forty normal adult females, 40 normal pregnant women and their newborn babies were randomly selected and their serum and hair zinc levels were analysed using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The mean serum and hair zinc levels in normal women were 69.47 +/- 1.4 micrograms/dl and 147.45 +/- 6.12 micrograms/g respectively. The mean serum and hair zinc levels in normal pregnant women were 69.0 +/- 3.22 micrograms/dl and 142.83 +/- 4.39 micrograms/g respectively while the mean serum (cord blood) and hair levels in normal new born babies were 72.77 +/- 5.14 micrograms/dl and 188.36 +/- 4.12 micrograms/g respectively. There was a significant (p < 0.001) decrease in hair zinc levels during pregnancy. There was a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in zinc levels in new born babies when the time interval between the previous delivery and the present delivery was less than 3.4 years. The results of the present study reinforce the need for zinc supplementation during pregnancy especially if the interval between pregnancies is short.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Use of simple hematological, biochemical and clinical parameters to monitor response of multiple myeloma patients on high dose thalidomide therapy.

BACKGROUND: Evidence of increased bone marrow vascularity in multiple myeloma (MM) has led to the use of anti-angiogenic drugs especially thalidomide in relapsed or refractory patients. Currently, parameters such as serum/ urine electrophoresis for M (monoclonal) proteins, bone marrow biopsy with touch preparation and b2 microglobulin are routinely used to assess response to therapy. These investigations are expensive, invasive and require high technical setup. AIM: To correlate simple and routine hematological and biochemical parameters with the key marker of disease i.e. M proteins. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This is an open label, uncontrolled, single-arm study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty nine refractory or relapsed multiple myeloma patients of both sexes (M=20, F=9) with age ranging between 35-72 years were initiated on 200 mg/day of thalidomide with fortnightly increments of 200 mg to a maximum tolerated dose not exceeding 800 mg/day. All hematological and biochemical parameters were monitored at monthly intervals for one year. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Correlation analysis was performed between hemoglobin (Hb), total leukocyte count (TLC), absolute neutrophil count (ANC), platelet count (PC), total proteins (TP), serum albumin and serum globulin on one hand and M protein levels on the other using Pearsons Correlation test by SPSS version 7.5. RESULT: Hb, TLC, ANC, PC and serum albumin levels showed a significant negative correlation with M proteins. A highly significant positive correlation existed between M proteins on one hand and TP and globulin levels on the other. Dryness of skin indicated positive response to therapy. These correlations were found to be significant at the end of one month of therapy in all the above-mentioned parameters except in TLC where it was significant after 2 months of thalidomide therapy. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that sustained efficacy of thalidomide therapy may be amenable to monitoring by these simple, inexpensive and easily available investigations after ascertaining an initial response by M protein and marrow plasmacytosis as these parameters closely follow M protein levels. However more studies are required to further substantiate these findings.

Adult↗
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Proton pump inhibitors.

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2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles↗
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Iatrogenic hepatotoxicity.

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Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury↗
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Thalidomide: a re-look.

Thalidomide was synthesized in 1954 in erstwhile West Germany and marketed as a sedative in over 46 countries until the early 1960s. Owing to serious teratogenic effects, the drug was withdrawn from the market in 1961. A chance observation suggested the utility of thalidomide in erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL). After many controlled and uncontrolled trials were published, the World Health Organization recommended its use in ENL. The Food and Drug Administration, USA approved it for use in ENL in July 1998. Only established and well-defined studies conducted to substantiate the efficacy of thalidomide have been included in this review. Thalidomide is considered the drug of choice for the treatment of ENL, but for other conditions, it is recommended only when resistance to the currently available form of therapy is encountered. Once the anti-inflammatory, immuno-modulatory, anti-TNF-alpha and anti-angiogenic properties of thalidomide were discovered, it was also tried in AIDS and related wasting, apthous ulcers, microsporidiosis and Kaposi's sarcoma. Thalidomide has no clinical place as an immunosuppressant in solid organ transplantation. However, it has a therapeutic role in graft-verus-host-disease. Among the dermatological conditions, thalidomide has been found to be effective in systemic lupus erythematosus, discoid lupus erythematosus, actinic prurigo and prurigo nodularis. Used correctly, it is a safe and effective medicine (except for its teratogenic potential and delayed neuropathy) in a variety of disease conditions.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Anthelmintics: a review.

Helminths infect 25% of the world's population. In the last 50 years specific, safe and effective anthelminitic drug therapy for various parasitic infestations have been developed. The population of the developing countries across the globe suffers not only as a direct result of these infections but due also to co-morbidity such as anemia, malnutrition and reduced immunity status. Earlier anthelmintic drugs suffered from serious drawbacks such as hepatotoxicity and required specific preparation of the patient before treatment such as 12-hour fasting and pre-post purging caused considerable inconvenience to the patient. However, successive discoveries were born out of rationale approach that contributed to the effective, more specific and more easily tolerated drugs i.e. benzimidazoles, piperazine derivatives, avermectins, pyrazinoquinoline, etc. The present approach is to identify the causative parasite on the basis of stool examination and as a result of this approach, different drugs are prescribed for different parasitic infections. Examples include thiabendazole for cutaneous larva migrans, mebendazole for ascariasis, trichiuriasis and hookworm, albendazole for inoperable cases of cystic hydatid disease, DEC for Toxocara induced visceral larva migrans and loiasis, ivermectin for onchocerciasis, praziquantel for schistosomiasis and niridazole for Dracunculus medinensis. The cure rates with these drugs is also high e.g. thiabendazole produces a cure-rate of 98% in cutaneous larva migrans while mebendazole gives cure rate of 76-95% in ascariasis, trichiuriasis and hookworm infestations. A cure rate of 96% is produced by praziquantel in schistosomiasis. Most of these drugs have broad-spectrum anthelmentic effect. The present review aims at evaluating the currently available anthelmintics with respect to their efficacy and adverse effects. Steps to prevent impending helminthic drug resistance are also discussed.

Anthelmintics↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Antipyretic activity of diacetyl para-amino phenol.

Diacetyl para-amino phenol (DAPAP) was generated by interaction between aspirin and paracetamol in a mechanical shaker. It revealed antipyretic activity in albino rats. The antipyretic action was found to be having the same onset of action and duration as that of aspirin. This compound lacked ulcerogenic and analgesic activity. DAPAP therefore may have safety as an antipyretic drug in patients with history of peptic ulcer.

Acetaminophen↗