Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

K Saha

Publications and source records attributed to K Saha.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Serum soluble interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor levels in women with breast carcinoma and its correlation with IL-2 receptor expression on blood lymphocytes and lymphocytic infiltration within the tumour.

This study describes serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) in 13 healthy women, 10 women with breast dysplasia and 37 patients with breast carcinoma. A difference was found between sIL-2R levels in normal women and cancer patients. sIL-2R increased with the advance in stage of cancer but the extent of increase fell from stage III to stage IV as compared to the change from stage II to stage III. Of the 15 patients who were followed after surgery and/or therapy, 10 (67%) showed a fall in the serum sIL-2R levels. A negative correlation was found between sIL-2R levels and lymphocytic infiltration only within the malignant tissue. These findings probably indicate that sIL-2R exerts an immunomodulatory effect on blood lymphocytes by preventing their infiltration into the tumour tissue. To our knowledge, this is the first report of its kind in immunology of breast carcinoma.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

T, not B, lymphocytes are required for immunodeficiency and paralysis induced by ts1, a mutant of Moloney murine leukemia virus-TB.

BALB/c mice when injected as newborn with ts1, a temperature-sensitive mutant of Moloney murine leukemia virus-TB, developed a fatal hindlimb paralysis and immunodeficiency. This disease induction was prevented, to a great extent, by transient depletion of the peripheral T lymphocytes during the early course of infection by using anti-Thy 1.2 antibody. FVB/N mice, which are highly susceptible to ts1, but express Thy 1.1 instead of Thy 1.2 on their T lymphocytes, did not show any difference in the disease profile when treated similarly with anti-Thy 1.2 antibody. Transient depletion of the peripheral B lymphocytes in BALB/c mice in the early course of ts1 infection had no effect on the disease induction. In the T cell depleted BALB/c mice, virus replication was reduced, survival of the mice was increased and viral specific antibodies were produced, whereas, in the B cell depleted mice the disease process went on in a fashion similar to untreated mice infected with ts1. Thus, this study demonstrates that the disease syndrome induced by ts1 in BALB/c mice is dependent upon the presence of T lymphocytes during the early course of infection, and that presence of B lymphocytes have little or no effect on the disease outcome.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Effect of anti-leprosy drugs on superoxide anion production by rat peritoneal macrophage with special reference to light exposed clofazimine.

The present study describes the in vitro effect of anti-leprosy drugs on superoxide anion (O2-) production by rat resident peritoneal macrophages. Of the three drugs tested i.e. clofazimine, rifampicin and dapsone, the first was most effective in increasing O2- production in a dose dependent manner, while rifampicin had some stimulatory effect and dapsone exhibited minimal action. Furthermore, when clofazimine and dapsone were added together it was observed that the increase of O2- production by macrophages due to clofazimine was not significantly altered by the addition of dapsone. Moreover, it was found that killed Mycobacterium leprae could induce a lesser amount of O2- production in comparison to that of Staphylococcus aureus and the enhancement of O2- release due to clofazimine was stimulus dependent. This increase of O2- release after addition of clofazimine was inhibited by the addition of p-bromophenacyl bromide. Another interesting finding was that the enhancement of O2- production by clofazimine gradually decreased as clofazimine was exposed to light for days. On further investigation it was found that ultraviolet, NMR, infrared and mass spectra of the light unexposed and exposed drug were similar, but the diffusion current of the polarogram of light exposed drug was remarkably more than that observed in light unexposed drug, indicating, thereby, a possible increase in the electron accepting capacity of the light reacted molecule. As far as we know this is the first report describing the effect of light exposed clofazimine on the respiratory burst activity of macrophages.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

A comparative study of cells and anti-microbial proteins in colostrum of mothers delivering pre- and full-term babies.

The different anti-infective factors in the colostrum of 25 mothers delivering pre-term (33.04 +/- 2.18 weeks gestation) and 10 mothers full delivering term (39.1 +/- 0.87 weeks gestation) babies were measured. The mothers of both the groups were comparable with respect to age, parity, nutrition, and haemoglobulin levels. Although the mean volume of colostrum (12 hours) was significantly lower in pre-term (32.28 +/- 7.92 ml) than in full term (44 +/- 4.83 ml) colostrum (P less than 0.05), the concentrations of total protein, sIgA, lysozyme, and lactoferrin were significantly higher in preterm than in full-term colostrum. IgG and IgM levels were similar in both the groups of colostrum. In both the groups, s-IgA was the predominant immunoglobulin. Moreover, the absolute counts of total cells, macrophages, lymphocytes, and neutrophils were significantly higher in pre-term compared to full-term colostrum. Macrophage were the predominant cells. Degree of prematurity has been found to have profound influence on the volume, protein concentration, and cell and macrophage counts of colostrum. Thus, more pre-term the newborn was, the mother produced less amount of colostrum. Total protein concentration and absolute cell count were significantly higher in the colostrum samples of mothers delivering between 28 and 32 weeks as compared to those delivering between 33 and 36 weeks. It is concluded that the colostrum of mothers delivering pre-term, though less in amount, is rich in soluble anti-infective agents and cells. The higher concentration of protective factors compensates for the limited capacity of milk intake in the pre-term infant.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Raised stool and serum IgA levels in undernourished infants with chronic diarrhoea and associated parasitic infestations.

Sixty children with chronic diarrhoea, age ranging from 9 months to 3 years and 15 normal healthy children of same age group, all belonging to the low socio-economic families formed the basis of this study. Fifty-six out of these 60 children were undernourished and were marasmic. Stool examination showed enteropathogenic E. coli in 24 (40 per cent), Ascaria lumbricoides in 12 (20 per cent) and Giardia lamblia in 6 (10 per cent). Coeliac disease was detected in 2 (3 per cent) and combined IgA-IgG deficiencies were found in one case (2 per cent). No cause could be found in 15 (25 per cent) cases. Multiple aetiological factors were found in 7 (12 per cent) cases. Stool IgA levels were significantly elevated in the patients than in the controls and more so in the patients with giardiasis and also in patients with coeliac disease. Serum IgA levels were remarkably raised in the patients with diarrhoea due to enteropathogenic E. coli, indicating probable spilling of gut-associated IgA into the circulation. No IgA was detected in the stool of a dysgammaglobulimic patient, who had both serum IgA and IgG deficiencies.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1990

Use of human colostrum in the management of chronic infantile diarrhoea due to enteropathogenic E. coli infection with associated intestinal parasite infestations and undernutrition.

This study reports the management of infants with chronic diarrhoea by colostrum feeding. Eight children with chronic diarrhoea, ranging from 9 months to 3 years of age and all from low socio-economic families, formed the basis of this study. They were undernourished and marasmic. Stool examination showed enteropathogenic E. coli in all eight cases, Ascaris lambricoidis in four, and Giardia lamblia in one. Patients with chronic diarrhoea, in whom no cause was found were excluded from this study. All eight patients were administered 20 ml fresh human colostrum daily for 7 days. In addition, those patients, who had giardiasis, received metronidazole treatment, while cases with ascariasis were given antihelminthic therapy irrespective of the groups they belonged to. Our results indicated effective antidiarrhoea action of colostrum in some patients with chronic diarrhoea of infective origin.

Ascariasis↗
PubMed1990

Anti-infective factors in preterm human colostrum.

Feeding of the infection prone preterm neonate with concentrated immunologically active ingredients in the form of colostrum may have even more significant clinical implications than in the full term infants. The scarcity of knowledge on anti-infective factors in colostrum of mothers delivering prematurely prompted us to carry out this study. Colostrum was collected and analysed from 25 mothers delivering prematurely (Study group) and 10 delivering at term (Control group). Major anti-infective factors namely IgA, IgG, IgM, lactoferrin and lysozyme were quantitated and total cell, macrophage, lymphocyte and neutrophil counts were performed. The mean concentrations of IgA, lysozyme and lactoferrin of preterm colostrum were significantly higher than in full term colostrum (p less than 0.001). IgG and IgM were found to be similar in both groups. The absolute counts of total cells, macrophages, lymphocytes and neutrophils were found to be significantly higher in the preterm colostrum as compared to the full term colostrum (p less than 0.001). Though in both the groups IgA was the predominant immunoglobulin, the mean percentage of IgA in the study group was significantly higher as compared to the control group. Degree of prematurity did not have any influence on the anti-infective protein levels in colostrum. However total cells and macrophages were significantly higher in colostrum of mothers delivering severely preterm babies.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Sexually transmitted diseases in leprosy patients in north and northeastern India. A futile search for human immunodeficiency virus antibody.

Three-hundred-eighty-four leprosy patients were clinically examined for sexually transmitted diseases (STD) in north and northeastern India, revealing a high incidence (5.2%) of STD among them. Eighteen males, one female, and one eunuch were found to have chancroid ulcer, gonococcal urethritis, lymphogranuloma inguinale, and primary chancre. Of these patients, only 100, selected randomly, could be screened serologically for STD due to Treponema pallidum, herpes simplex (type 1 and 2), Entamoeba histolytica, hepatitis-associated virus, cytomegalovirus, Chlamydia trachomatis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); 100 control sera were included for comparison. In addition, sera from another 133 normal subjects and another 176 lepromatous patients were also screened for HIV antibody. Thus, a total of 233 normal sera and 276 leprosy sera were tested for HIV antibody. Although our leprosy patients have shown significantly high incidences of clinical STD and also high seropositivity against T. pallidum, herpes-simplex viruses types 1 and 2, hepatitis-associated virus, and cytomegalovirus, the search for antibody against HIV was negative. Our clinical and serological data suggest promiscuity in our patient population. The absence of HIV antibody in this high-risk population, however, seems to be an enigma.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

A study on nutrition, growth and development of a high-risk group of children of urban leprosy patients.

This paper describes a cross-sectional study of the physical development of a high-risk group of 182 socially deprived healthy children of leprosy patients ranging from preschool age to early teens. They were rescued at the age of 4 years from the distress of leprosy colonies where they were born, and brought up in Government Homes (Preventorium) under better environmental conditions. Of them 135 children could be followed clinically for 10 years for the development of childhood leprosy. Another 94 children of leprosy patients living with their parents were included for comparison. A group of 158 normal children of similar economic status and age group were included as controls. It was observed that, although better environment, food and training were provided in the Preventorium, so that the children could be brought into the national mainstream, nevertheless 5 children developed an indeterminate type of leprosy during the course of 10 years. This is the first report of growth and development of children of leprosy patients from the Indian sub-continent.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Peripheral blood T lymphocyte subpopulations in patients with tuberculosis and the effect of chemotherapy.

Peripheral blood T lymphocytes and their subsets were determined in 30 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (15 smear positive and 15 smear negative) and 11 healthy individuals. All patients were assessed clinically, radiologically, bacteriologically and by tuberculin testing, and their lymphocyte counts were repeated after completion of 3 months chemotherapy. The mean ratio of putative helper/suppressor T cell subsets (CD4/CD8) of healthy individuals was 1.8 (range 1.1-2.5). These ratios were independent of tuberculin reactivity and were unaffected by BCG vaccination. In both smear positive and smear negative patients there was a reduction in the total T cell and CD4 counts and an increase in the CD8 count, with a concomitant reduction in the CD4/CD8 ratio. Following successful chemotherapy, the mean CD4/CD8 ratios reverted from 0.82 to 1.57 in smear positive patients and 0.88 to 1.52 in smear negative patients, these being near normal values.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Specific antibodies in colostrum of north Indian mothers with special reference to their nutritional status.

The anti-S. typhi antibody is predominantly IgA class, and the anti-polio-antibody, antimeasles antibody, anti-E. Coli enterotoxin antibody and anti-S. typhi agglutinins were found adequate in the colostrum samples of well- and under-nourished mothers. No antibody against tetanus toxin was detectable in colostrum samples from mothers of both the groups, although they have been immunized against tetanus toxoid during pregnancy, suggesting thereby that the presence of specific antibody in the mother's breast secretions is associated with the enteromammary axis, leading to the homing of B-lymphocytes which have been specifically sensitized in the gut.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1989

Undernutrition in lepromatous leprosy. V. Severe nutritional deficit in lepromatous patients co-infected with pulmonary tuberculosis.

We have compared the nutritional status of patients with lepromatous leprosy coinfected with pulmonary tuberculosis (18 cases) with that of lepromatous leprosy (239 cases) and of pulmonary tuberculosis (21 cases) and with that of healthy controls. There was a severe weight loss and reduction of skinfold thickness in the patients with pulmonary tuberculosis as well as in lepromatous patients with associated pulmonary tuberculosis, but not in patients with lepromatous leprosy. Levels in sera of diet-dependent proteins, such as albumin, prealbumin and retinol binding protein, were significantly decreased in all three groups of patients; on the other hand, levels of the diet-independent proteins, such as the immunoglobulins, were raised in all the groups, particularly in the pulmonary tuberculosis patients as compared with healthy controls. Serum transferrin levels were decreased only in the tuberculosis patients with or without lepromatous leprosy, but not in patients with leprosy alone. While haemoglobin levels decreased in all patient groups, serum iron concentrations were reduced most in lepromatous patients concomitantly infected with pulmonary tuberculosis. Serum ferritin levels increased in the sera of pulmonary tuberculosis and lepromatous leprosy patients, but was severely reduced in lepromatous patients with associated pulmonary tuberculosis. Mean serum zinc and calcium levels were decreased in all three groups of patients, while the serum copper concentration was increased in all of them compared with healthy controls. Also, inorganic phosphorus was elevated in tuberculosis and lepromatous patients coinfected with pulmonary tuberculosis, but not in lepromatous patients. Serum calcitonin levels were increased in all patient groups indicating an inverse correlation between serum calcium and calcitonin levels. This is the first comparative report describing the status of macro- and micronutrients in two most important mycobacterial diseases of the third world countries.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Undernutrition and lepromatous leprosy. Serum vitamin A and E levels in leprosy spectrum.

Serum vitamins A and E were estimated by spectrophotocolorimetric methods in 67 leprosy patients comprising 9 BT, 10 BB, 15 BL, 27 LL, including 12 Histoid cases. These findings were evaluated in comparison to 55 normal subjects serving as controls. A significant reductions in the mean serum levels of Vitamins 'A' and 'E' were observed in the leprosy groups as compared to normal controls. These findings are of considerable importance and need to be taken note of in the light of delineating these alterations to the cause or effect of the disease. As far as we know, this is the first report describing serum levels of Vitamins 'A' and 'E' in the leprosy spectrum.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Solubilization of preformed immune complexes in sera of patients with type 1 and type 2 lepra reactions.

Serum complement activity in leprosy patients has been studied using solubilization of preformed immune complexes as an index. The solubilization capacity of sera from lepromatous patients with or without erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) as well as from type 1 reactional patients was found markedly reduced as compared to controls. Solubilization did not improve at all in the ENL patients after remission of the reaction phase. The addition of fresh normal sera failed to bring about any significant restoration of solubilizing capacity of the deficient sera. Mycobacterium leprae sonicate significantly reduced the solubilization capacity. Our results suggest that circulating mycobacterial breakdown products possibly interfered with the capacity of the ENL patients' sera to solubilize immune complexes.

Adolescent↗