Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to K Sharma.
Experience with peri-operative oxytetracycline coverage in prevention of wound infection following elective surgery is presented; of 150 cases included in control group 21 developed infection (14%), whereas only 4 of the study group (170 cases) had infection (2.5%). The importance of peri-operative antibiotic umbrella is emphasised and some of the shortcomings of recommended schedule is highlighted.
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma protein concentrations were determined in 60 ASA-I female patients, 30 non-pregnant women, who were to undergo lower abdominal or lower limb surgery (group I, controls) and 30 pregnant women at term, who were posted for lower segment caesarean section (group II). All patients received spinal analgesia. Time of onset of analgesia and level of analgesia achieved were compared in two groups. A significant fall (16.6%) was noted in the plasma proteins in pregnant (6.10 +/- 0.6 g/dl) women as compared to non-pregnant patients (7.30 +/- 0.44 g/dl; P less than 0.01). CSF proteins also showed a significant fall (43.2%) in pregnant (25.80 +/- 5.52 mg/dl), as compared to non-pregnant women (45.43 +/- 7.66 mg/dl; P less than 0.001). Dose of local anaesthetic drug required was significantly less (44%) in pregnant (3.21 +/- 0.29 mg/segment) as compared to non-pregnant women (5.73 +/- 0.74 mg/segment; P less than 0.01). Time of onset of block was significantly less in pregnant than in non-pregnant patients after the injection of drug (2.86 +/- 0.42 sec and 3.41 +/- 0.43 sec respectively; P less than 0.01). No correlation was found between plasma proteins and CSF proteins. CSF protein concentration also did not correlate with dose of local anaesthetic drug, or with time of onset of block. It is suggested that fall in CSF protein concentration may be another contributory factor in the reduced dose requirement of local anaesthetic drug for subarachnoid block during pregnancy.
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Bilateral human odontometric asymmetry generally shows very little genetic variance. In Indian twins, using the simplest methods, unusual levels of disproportionate monozygous similarity and/or dizygous dissimilarity for asymmetry, giving the appearance of significant genetic determinance, were found. Thus this dental asymmetry constituted an interesting test case for the application of more exact methods for the detection of zygosity bias; these invalidated the spuriously significant genetic variance ratios. Therefore the predominantly environmental influences on bilateral dental asymmetry are confirmed.
1. Hypertension is a complication of autologous bone marrow transplantation when therapy includes multiple alkylating agents. We have sought to identify the factors underlying this hypertension. We measured weight, serum creatinine, plasma renin activity, aldosterone and digoxin-like immunoreactive factor (DLIF), by digoxin radioimmunoassay, in 18 patients. Plasma catecholamines were also measured in five patients. 2. Of the 18 patients studied, 15 became hypertensive. The variable most consistently associated with these individuals' hypertension was DLIF activity which was increased in 14 of the 15 hypertensive patients (P = 0.055, Fisher exact test). Serum creatinine was increased at some point in seven of the 15 hypertensive patients, weight was increased in five and plasma renin activity and aldosterone were increased in one. Catecholamines were not increased in any of the five patients in which they were measured. 3. The association between changes in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and changes in DLIF for the group as a whole was assessed by analysing one data pair per patient, representing the maximal MAP. This correlation was significant (r = 0.75, P = 0.001). 4. Within individual patients, changes in MAP and changes in serum DLIF concentrations were significantly correlated (r greater than 0.50, P less than 0.05) in six of 15 hypertensive patients. 5. Digitalis-like factor (DLF) was measured by inhibition of (Na+,K+)-adenosine 5'-triphosphatase in five patients and DLF and DLIF were significantly correlated (r = 0.081, P = 0.0001). DLF and MAP were also significantly correlated (r = 0.59, P = 0.002). 6. This represents the first longitudinal study of the relationship between DLIF and blood pressure in hypertensive individuals, and the results suggest that DLIF may contribute to the increased blood pressure in some of these subjects.
Digitalis-like factor (DLF) appears to be widely distributed throughout the body, and has been specifically localized to the mammalian hypothalamus. In this study we monitored the DLF response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia in 11 normal males. Hypoglycemia was associated with a significant increase in serum DLF activity over basal values (40 +/- 5 pg digoxin Eq/ml, mean +/- SEM) at 60 min (83 +/- 8 pg digoxin Eq/ml) and 90 min (86 +/- 10 pg digoxin Eq/ml) following insulin administration (p less than 0.01). We measured the DLF response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia in other men after infusion of hypertonic saline (n = 8) or after oral water-loading (n = 8). Saline infusion (0.06 ml 5% saline/kg BW/min for 120 min prior to insulin infusion) or water loading (20 ml/kg BW over 60 min completed 30 min before insulin infusion) alone significantly increased serum DLF (saline: 21 +/- 5 to 60 +/- 18 pg digoxin Eq/ml, p less than 0.05; water: 18 +/- 11 to 49 +/- 15 digoxin Eq/ml, p less than 0.05). DLF activity was further significantly increased within each group 60 and 90 min after administration of insulin. In the group infused with hypertonic saline, insulin caused increases of serum DLF from 60 +/- 18 at time 0 to 170 +/- 17 pg digoxin Eq/ml at peak (p less than 0.01). Similarly, in the oral water-loaded group serum DLF increased from 49 +/- 15 at time 0 to 127 +/- 24 pg digoxin Eq/ml at peak (p less than 0.01) after they received insulin.2=
Effect of high fluoride ingestion on the tooth matrix glycosaminoglycans was studied in rabbits administered 10 mg NaF/kg body weight orally at 24-h intervals for a period of 9 months. Fluoride-treated tooth showed a significant reduction in glycosaminoglycan content as compared to the normal tooth. Sephadex G-75 chromatography and DEAE-cellulose ion exchange chromatography revealed the presence of small molecular weight glycosaminoglycan molecules and an increase in the charge density heterogeneity in the sulphated glycosaminoglycans of the fluoride-treated rabbit tooth as compared to the controls. These changes may be related to the dedifferentiated tooth matrix and an increase in the dermatan sulphate content in the fluoride-treated tooth matrix reported earlier.
Fluorosed human teeth have lower concentrations of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) disaccharides and an increased dermatan sulphate content. Teeth from subjects with a high fluoride intake have a higher ratio of 4-sulphated to 6-sulphated GAGs. Increased dermatan sulphate may be an important factor in the clinical manifestations of fluorosis.
The Nav-Chetna Drug De-addiction and Rehabilitation Center, Varanasi, India, was established in December 1985. It provides out-patient and residential rehabilitation services, medical treatment, counseling, educational and vocational guidance, yoga therapy and after care. Drug-dependent persons under rehabilitation treatment at the Center are encouraged and helped to promote personal development, to build up and strengthen their initiative and confidence and to bring about improvements in their maturation, attitude and behaviour to overcome drug addiction. This is accomplished through a therapeutic-oriented programme, which creates conditions that optimize the natural tendency of the individual to self-actualize and eventually stabilize. Yoga plays a crucial role in this programme at both pre- and post-clinical stages. It offers a new avenue for positive mental and physical health and helps to free individuals from drug dependency and its associated problems.
The effect of fluoride on the composition, molecular weight and charge density of the glycosaminoglycan isomers in the cancellous bone of the iliac crest region of the pelvic girdle was studied in rabbits treated with fluoride for 3, 9 and 16 months and the corresponding age-matched controls. With advancing age the chondroitin-6-sulphate concentration was found to increase in the fluoride-treated as well as the control animals. The concentration of dermatan sulphate was found to decrease with advancing age in the control groups. However, the fluoride-treated groups showed increasing concentrations of dermatan sulphate as the age and the duration of fluoride treatment advanced. The glycosaminoglycans in the fluoride-treated group showed the presence of low-molecular-weight molecules which were not found in the corresponding control group, and also showed an increased charge-density heterogeneity as compared to the corresponding control group. The data presented provide evidence to suggest that glycosaminoglycans of cancellous bone undergo age-related changes in their isomeric profile. The increase in dermatan sulphate and the presence of low-molecular-weight, highly charged molecules in the adult fluorosed bone may be related to the cartilagenous loci formation as reported earlier.
To study genetic contribution to complex body size traits, the intrafamilial correlation and regression analyses along with twin study method have been used. The data are based on a sample of 45 MZ and 101 DZ twin pairs, their 125 singleton siblings, 104 fathers and 103 mothers in 146 Punjabi families living in Chandigarh, India. Twin study gives no evidence of inequality of means and variances between zygosities. Within-pair genetic variance ratios, correlations, regressions of offspring on midparent and single parent are all significant at 0.1%, thus indicating strong genetic component. Heritability estimates are higher for longitudinal body traits than the breadth dimensions. The resemblance of the children with the parents of either sex is not equal. Higher maternal influence is indicated for a number of body traits. The results on familial correlations do not support the hypothesis of sex-linked inheritance for any of the traits considered in this investigation. These results have been compared with those from other such studies.
A sample of 122 twin pairs and 166 singletons from the urban Punjabi population of Chandigarh was studied. The observed frequency of double occipital hair whorls was higher in twins than in singletons (P less than 0.01). The possible association between twinning and double occipital hair whorls is discussed.
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Genetic variance analysis of 15 dental occlusal and arch variables is based on cross-cultural comparison of twin variances (U.S. Whites and Northwest Indian Punjabis). Both samples exhibit high genetic versus environmental partition of variance. However, monozygotes and dizygotes have unequal variance, which invalidates conventional genetic variance ratios. The pattern of environmental biases on the zygosities is quite different in the two groups. Revised estimates that acknowledge zygosity heterogeneity (hence unequal environmental influences) are generally much lower for occlusal traits, whereas arch size measurements are unaffected.
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Endogenous, circulating digoxin-like immunoreactive factors (DLIF) are known to cross react with many antisera used in digoxin assays, complicating the quantification of serum digoxin. We have explored ways to decrease or remove the interference from DLIF in such assays. Prolonging the assay incubation from 30 to 60 min decreased apparent digoxin concentrations (attributable to DLIF) by an average of 68% in the digoxin radioimmunoassays studied. The serum protein-binding of DLIF was also exploited to remove them from serum. Ultrafiltration, performed as part of a simple centrifugation step, removed approximately 90% of the DLIF. Analytical-recovery studies with true digoxin also demonstrated ultrafiltration to be an adequate method (greater than 95% of digoxin was recovered) for routine clinical use. Heat- or acid-precipitation of protein removed DLIF less effectively. Appropriate incubation times and ultrafiltration can dramatically minimize or eliminate DLIF interference in digoxin immunoassays.
The study reports odontometric variations within and between Punjabi and U.S. twins. The data are based on 23 MZ and 35 DZ Punjabi twin pairs and 32 MZ and 43 DZ U.S. pairs. None of the t' tests indicates differences between MZ and DZ mean dental dimensions in either sample. Mean tooth dimensions of Punjabi twins are in general greater than those of U.S. twins with significant differences for about 25% of the traits. Coefficient of variation is highest in lateral incisors and canines and lowest in first molars in both samples. The two samples differ more in their variances than in their means. The results indicate that buccolingual dimensions of mandibular traits are under relatively greater selection pressure.