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Biomedical subjects

L Krishnamurthy

Publications and source records attributed to L Krishnamurthy.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

Pathways database system: an integrated system for biological pathways.

MOTIVATION: During the next phase of the Human Genome Project, research will focus on functional studies of attributing functions to genes, their regulatory elements, and other DNA sequences. To facilitate the use of genomic information in such studies, a new modeling perspective is needed to examine and study genome sequences in the context of many kinds of biological information. Pathways are the logical format for modeling and presenting such information in a manner that is familiar to biological researchers. RESULTS: In this paper we present an integrated system, called Pathways Database System, with a set of software tools for modeling, storing, analyzing, visualizing, and querying biological pathways data at different levels of genetic, molecular, biochemical and organismal detail. The novel features of the system include: (a) genomic information integrated with other biological data and presented from a pathway, rather than from the DNA sequence, perspective; (b) design for biologists who are possibly unfamiliar with genomics, but whose research is essential for annotating gene and genome sequences with biological functions; (c) database design, implementation and graphical tools which enable users to visualize pathways data in multiple abstraction levels, and to pose predetermined queries; and (d) an implementation that allows for web(XML)-based dissemination of query outputs (i.e. pathways data) to researchers in the community, giving them control on the use of pathways data. AVAILABILITY: Available on request from the authors.

Database Management Systems↗

Efficacy of intrathecal methotrexate with and without cranial radiotherapy in preventing central nervous system relapses in acute lymphocytic leukemia.

Introduction of CNS chemoprophylaxis was a major milestone in the development of current therapy for acute lymphocytic leukemia. However, controversies are still existing for ideal form of CNS chemoprophylaxis. The present study was conducted to determine the efficacy of intrathecal methotrexate (IT-MTX) with and without cranial radiotherapy in preventing CNS relapses in Indian children. CNS chemoprophylaxis comprising of six injections of intrathecal methotrexate (12 mg/M2) was administered alone or along with cranial radiotherapy (2000 GY) in 76 children each after successful induction remission. Cranial radiotherapy (RT) with intrathecal methotrexate (IT-MTX) was observed to be more effective as CNS relapses were seen in 11.8% of children as compared to 16.8% of children receiving IT-MTX alone. IT-MTX along with cranial RT delayed the occurrence of CNS relapses and prolonged the event free survival periods.

Adolescent↗

Causes of mortality in children with acute lymphocytic leukemia.

Fifty five deaths between January, 1982 to September, 1989 in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were evaluated to determine the cause of mortality. Fifty cases died during remission. Infection alone was responsible for death in 26 of 55 (47.3%) cases while hemorrhage was seen in 7 (12.7%) children. Infection and hemorrhage together were responsible in another 13 cases. Gastrointestinal tract and pulmonary system were the major sites of bleeding. Infections either alone or in combination with other factors were responsible for death in 42 of 55 (76.5%) of children. Septicemia (n = 11), gastrointestinal (n = 15) and pulmonary infections (n = 10) and meningitis in 2 cases were the major sites of infections. Pseudomonas and Klebsiella in 6 cases each accounted for 54.5% of isolates.

Cause of Death↗

Subacute hepatic failure; is it a distinct entity?

We prospectively studied patients with subacute hepatic failure due to subacute hepatitis to find out 1) its relative prevalence compared to acute liver failure due to fulminant hepatitis and chronic liver failure due to chronic active hepatitis; 2) its clinical, biochemical, and morphological hepatitis; 3) the role of virus B in its etiology; and 4) its prognosis and whether there were any predictors of bad prognosis. Thirty-three patients with subacute hepatic failure were registered during a 3-year period. Persistent or progressively deepening jaundice of 8 weeks duration and development of moderate to sever ascites in patients starting otherwise typical features of acute viral hepatitis, defined the subacute hepatic failure group. The characteristic features included moderate to deep icterus, ascites, and peripheral edema; encephalopathy and gastrointestinal bleeding were infrequent. Liver function tests were abnormal but not diagnostic. Submassive and bridging necrosis of the liver were the main histological findings. Virus B etiology was recorded in 42% of the patients. Mortality was 66%. This condition is highly fatal and not infrequent in India.

Adolescent↗

Study of an epidemic of jaundice, presumably due to toxic hepatitis, in Northwest India.

An epidemic of jaundice probably due to toxic hepatitis occurred in three adjoining districts of Northwest India during the period November and December, 1974. The dogs of the villages were affected first, then the human beings. Detailed clinical features, appropriate laboratory tests, and liver biopsies were studied. A retrospective epidemiological survey was carried out. The disease had a subacute onset starting with high fever, followed by rapidly progressive jaundice. Ascites appeared simultaneously and soon became quite massive. Hepatomegaly was recorded when ascites decreased. Liver function tests suggested cholestatic jaundice. The mortality rate in the hospital was 10%. Clinical features in dogs were similar, but mortality was almost 100%. Liver histology was characterized by (1) edema and collagenization of the central veins, never with thrombosis, (2) cholangiolar proliferation, (3) moderate to severe ballooning of the hepatocytes, (4) perisinusoidal fibrosis, (5) cholestasis, and finally, (6) cirrhosis with reverse lobulation. Etiology of this epidemic of hepatitis could not be unequivocally established. Critical analysis of the data suggests that some food toxin may have been a factor in the outbreak of this unusual epidemic of toxic hepatitis.

Adolescent↗