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Biomedical subjects

M Kohli

Publications and source records attributed to M Kohli.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

An association of polymyalgia rheumatica with myelodysplastic syndromes.

Myelodysplastic syndromes are a group of clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders leading to peripheral cytopenias and a high probability of leukemic transformation. Immunological abnormalities, both humoral and cell mediated immunity, as well as vasculitis, a "lupus-like syndrome," neuropathy, and arthritis have been described in association with myelodysplastic syndromes. We describe 3 cases of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) developing within 4 months of detection of cytopenia. The possible association of myelodysplastic syndromes and PMR has not been previously recognized.

Aged↗

Sacroiliitis in systemic lupus erythematosus.

A 19-year-old white woman with severe systemic lupus erythematosus developed symptomatic sacroiliitis early in her disease. Over the next 14 years she showed radiological progression of sacroiliitis. She had neither HLA-DR3 nor B27 antigens. The rare coexistence of SLE and ankylosing spondylitis may not be determined solely by genetic factors; sacroiliitis may be just an infrequent manifestation of SLE.

Adult↗

Transport of amino-acids across renal brush border membrane vesicles in Mycobacterium leprae infected Swiss albino mice--effect of Convit vaccine.

Brush border membrane vesicles prepared from kidneys of Mycobacterium leprae infected (non-vaccinated) and vaccinated-infected Swiss albino mice were used to assess the effect of Convit's combined vaccine (BCG + M. leprae) on amino acid transport activity across the tubular basement membrane. The protective effect of Convit's vaccine was more pronounced with respect to the uptake of L-alanine than L-aspartate. Uptake of L-lysine showed no significant difference in the different groups. Footpad counts followed characteristic growth curves in the non-vaccinated infected group but showed a lag in the development of peak levels in the vaccinated group. Further Convit's vaccine appeared to have a protective effect on renal impairment in the mouse model of leprosy in the initial stages of infection only, as indicated by the transient reversal of amino acid uptake and a diminution in the footpad counts induced by M. leprae infection. No significant (P > 0.05) protective effect of the vaccine was found in the advanced disease state.

Amino Acids↗

Adenosine triphosphate content of Mycobacterium leprae by percoll buoyant density centrifugation.

Thirty nine untreated patients of bacilliferous leprosy with a mean bacteriological index of 4.8 and morphological index of 1.3% formed the study group. Adenosine triphosphate assay was carried out by (i) enzyme treatment method in 18 patients and (ii) percoll buoyant density gradient method in 21 patients. ATP content obtained by percoll buoyant density gradient method was significantly higher than that obtained by enzyme treatment method. Percoll buoyant density centrifugation for purification and isolation of bacilli from human leproma is simplier, quicker and can serve as an alternate method of enzyme treatment.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Respiratory burst metabolic status of macrophages in experimental leprosy.

Peritoneal macrophages from uninfected controls and Mycobacterium leprae infected Swiss albino mice were studied for their respiratory burst (RB) activity at different time intervals. The RB metabolic activity of macrophages declined significantly after 3 month infection using latex (p less than 0.001) and M. leprae (p less than 0.01) as stimuli. However, significant rise (p less than 0.001) in the oxidative metabolic activity was seen at 6 and 9 months postinfection period on stimulation with both the stimuli. The sharp rise in the oxidative metabolic status at peak period of infection in the experimental animals suggests that the macrophages are functionally normal though M. leprae is unable to trigger the respiratory burst sufficiently.

Animals↗

Does Convit vaccine (BCG + Mycobacterium leprae) afford protection against biochemical changes in renal brush border membrane in experimental leprosy?

Renal functional status in Mycobacterium leprae infected mice can be best studied by examining the enzymatic status of brush border membrane vesicles from proximal convoluted tubule. The role of vaccination in modulation of the renal status brought by the disease has been studied using this technique. The characteristic marker enzymes of renal brush border membrane--namely alkaline phosphatase, leucine aminopeptidase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase decreased significantly (p less than 0.01) in due course in M. leprae infection over a period of 9 months. The combined vaccine (BCG + M. leprae) may have a protective effect on renal abnormalities only in the initial stages of infection as indicated by a significant rise in enzymatic levels. However, no significant (p greater than 0.05) protective effect of vaccine was found in a more advanced disease state after 9 months in infected mice.

Animals↗

Epidermal calmodulin levels in psoriasis before & after therapy.

Epidermal calmodulin (CaM) levels were measured in the involved and uninvolved skin in 26 psoriasis patients before and after treatment either with dithranol topically or methotrexate orally. The mean epidermal calmodulin levels (+/- SD) in the involved and uninvolved psoriatic skin before treatment were 21.99 +/- 10.22 and 11.97 +/- 3.50 in the patients to be treated with short contact dithranol therapy (SCDT) while it was 19.46 +/- 8.13 and 11.27 +/- 7.23 in the patients to be treated with systemic methotrexate. Clearance of psoriatic lesions was associated with a significant fall (P less than 0.05) in epidermal calmodulin, activity irrespective of the treatment modality used. Also, there was a significant reduction (P less than 0.05) in the calmodulin levels in the epidermis of uninvolved skin following successful treatment.

Adolescent↗

Renal brushborder membrane vesicle. Study of marker enzymes and uptake of nutrients in Mycobacterium leprae infected mice.

The renal brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) were used to elucidate the early biochemical functional status during the course of experimental M. leprae infection in mice. The activities of the characteristic brush-border enzymes viz: alkaline phosphatase, leucine amino peptidase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase were found to be significantly decreased (p less than 0.001) at 3 and 6 months after infection. The transport of nutrients viz: D-glucose, L-alanine, L-lysine and L-aspartate across BBMV showed similar pattern. The activity of brush border enzymes and transport of nutrients across the membrane returned to normal at 9 months post-infection suggesting regeneration of the brush border membrane.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

Urinary excretion of renal brush-border enzymes in lepromatous leprosy--a preliminary investigation.

Activities of the brush-border enzymes, alkaline phosphatase, maltase, leucine aminopeptidase, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, were measured in urine samples of 25 lepromatous leprosy patients and an equal number of age-matched healthy controls. None of the patients were shown to be suffering from any other systematic disease. The enzymatic activities were shown to be significantly elevated in leprosy patients when compared to controls.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

Effect of heat-stable and heat-labile enterotoxins of Escherichia coli on intestinal brush border membrane enzymes of mice.

The activities of intestinal brush border membrane (BBM) enzymes alkaline phosphatase, maltase, lactase, sucrase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and leucine aminopeptidase were determined in intestinal homogenates and purified BBMs from control, heat-stable and heat-labile enterotoxin treated mice. The activities of all the enzymes except lactase were decreased significantly (p less than 0.01) in homogenates while increased significantly (p less than 0.001) in BBMs of experimental groups as compared to controls. Calmodulin activities were increased significantly (p less than 0.01) as compared to control in heat-stable enterotoxin treated mice but remained unaltered in heat-labile enterotoxin treated mice. DNA contents of intestinal homogenates were decreased in experimental groups demonstrating the decrease in cell number in these groups. The altered BBM enzyme activities could not be attributed to changes in calmodulin activities. The increase in enzyme activities in BBMs may reflect a compensatory phenomenon in the remaining cells.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

Lymphocytotoxins in leprosy.

Lymphocytotoxic antibodies (LCAs) were assayed in serum samples from 60 patients of leprosy spectrum before starting multi-drug therapy (MDT). Seventeen healthy volunteers without any history of viral infection provided control samples. Post treatment follow up samples were also included in the study. In all pretreatment sera of LL, BL and BT/TT patients the levels of LCAs were elevated, the figures were 39.05 +/- 23.87, 44.89 +/- 20.74 and 34.16 +/- 17.50 respectively. With treatment a significant fall in LcAs production was observed in all types of leprosy patients.

Adolescent↗

Translocation t (8;21) associated with marked granulocytic hyperplasia.

A 16-year-old boy with leukemia had a marked leucocytosis (165 x 10(9)/L) at presentation. The large number of neutrophils, myelocytes, and metamyelocytes and negative leucocyte alkaline phosphatase reaction raised the possibility of chronic myeloid leukemia. Cytogenetic analysis showed a deletion of chromosome 7, a t (8;21), a missing Y chromosome, and, in some cells, duplication of the der(21). The Philadelphia chromosome was not detected, nor was the breakpoint cluster region of chromosome 22 found to be rearranged. Myeloid leukemia with t (8;21) can therefore be associated with a greater degree of granulocytic hyperplasia than has so far been apparent, and cytogenetic analysis in this case has been crucial in distinguishing leukemia types.

Adolescent↗

Early retirement and work after retirement. Implications for the structure of the work society.

Early exit from the formal work force and the lengthening of life in retirement pose new questions, both on the level of social structure and on that of emerging life-styles. Based on two empirical studies - one of workers who choose the new pre-retirement scheme, and one of retirees who engage themselves in organized work-like activities - we examine some of the consequences of this process. The studies combine qualitative and quantitative research methods and pay special attention to the biographical dimension. Our results show that under the pressure of the labor market, new forms of "flexible" or "gradual" transition to retirement empirically turn out to be retirement at the earliest possible moment. For the workers, early retirement is ambivalent: it threatens their concept of a "full work life", which is based on the time-table of the socially institutionalized normal biography; but this is offset by their desire to leave stressful work situations at least where the schemes for early retirement are financially and morally acceptable.

Aged↗

Predictors of effectiveness among public health nutritionists.

This study investigated how public health nutrition directors and practitioners each rated the effectiveness of their professional performance. We examined the specific factors which were predictive of each set of effectiveness ratings. Eleven directors supplied the names and addresses of 226 practitioners, each of whom was mailed a questionnaire. The response rate to the mailing was 84 per cent. Director ratings of practitioners were not significantly related to the self-ratings. Results of multiple regression analysis revealed that the directors had based their evaluation on more "external" criteria, such as age, being a Registered Dietitian, and possessing an extroverted personality. In contrast, the nutritionists' self-ratings were based on more introspective qualities, including self-perceived innovativeness, and the number of competencies which they felt they were currently performing well. The roles of work environment, nature of supervision, and type of educational preparation need to be assessed in future research.

Adult↗