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Biomedical subjects

M Rahman

Publications and source records attributed to M Rahman.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Transmissible mupirocin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus.

The spread of two strains of Staphylococcus aureus with high level resistance to mupirocin is described. The resistance proved to be easily transferred to other S. aureus strains by filter mating experiments and on the skin of mice. No plasmid band corresponding to the resistance could be demonstrated by agarose gel electrophoresis or by caesium chloride gradient centrifugation but cleavage of 'chromosomal' DNA from resistant recipients showed bright bands of DNA absent from sensitive controls.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1989

Acute lower respiratory infections: a major cause of death in children in Bangladesh.

The importance of acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) as a cause of death in children was estimated using systematically collected demographic data on the population of the Teknaf area of southern Bangladesh. Of 1349 children aged 1-59 months who died between 1 January 1982 and 31 December 1985, ALRI was diagnosed by verbal autopsy in 390 (29%) and was the leading cause of death. ALRI mortality rates were highest in the youngest age groups (136/1000 for those less than or equal to 5 months) and decreased in older children (16/1000 for those 3-4 years old). Half of all fatal ALRI cases occurred in children less than 6 months old. In older children, ALRI-associated deaths tended to occur during the months October to January, while deaths in infants tended to follow the seasonal birth pattern. Significant predisposing factors for fatal ALRI were malnutrition and measles, detected, respectively, in 18% and 8% of children who died from ALRI. This study emphasizes the importance of ALRI as a major cause of death in developing countries and suggests that interventions to reduce childhood mortality are needed and should be targeted to specific age groups at risk.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1989

Rapid identification of Vibrio cholerae serotype O1 from primary isolation plates by a coagglutination test.

A coagglutination test was developed for identifying suspected colonies of Vibrio cholerae serotype O1 directly from primary isolation plates. Visible agglutination occurs when V. cholerae O1 antibody attached to cell-wall protein A of Staphylococcus aureus reacts with its homologous antigen. From 314 faecal samples from clinically suspected cases of cholera, 210 colonies from thiosulphate citrate bile salts sucrose (TCBS) agar and 222 colonies from taurocholate tellurite gelatin (TTG) agar were tested as suspect V. cholerae. In each case 204 isolates were identified as V. cholerae O1 by conventional methods and also gave positive results for V. cholerae O1 in the coagglutination test; with one partial exception, no other colonies tested gave positive results. The coagglutination test is simple and inexpensive and provides a result 24 h earlier than conventional methods.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMed1989

Use of monoclonal antibodies to type Shigella flexneri in Bangladesh.

A panel of 10 mouse and rat monoclonal antibodies specific for different type- and group-specific O-antigenic determinants of Shigella flexneri lipopolysaccharide was used to serotype 240 isolates of S. flexneri from Bangladesh. Three immunoglobulin M antibodies were used in a direct slide agglutination test; seven immunoglobulin G antibodies were absorbed to Staphylococcus aureus and used in a coagglutination assay. All but 13 of the isolates could be serotyped by using the monclonal antibodies. The six most common serotypes were (in descending order) 2a, 2b, Y (E1037), 1a, 3a, and 1b and accounted for more than 80% of all isolates. Two of the nontypable strains were found to be of a new provisional serotype of S. flexneri (T. Wehler and N.I.A. Carlin, Eur. J. Biochem. 176:471-476, 1988). The 11 remaining strains were found to be rough and therefore nontypable. The serotyping scheme based on the panel of monoclonal antibodies is specific and holds the potential to be developed into a useful tool for epidemiological investigation. The study also demonstrates that the recently described E1037 antigen is commonly found among at least four serotypes (4a, 6, X, and Y) of S. flexneri.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMed1989

Staff carriage of epidemic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Twenty-six nurses were repeatedly screened for carriage of epidemic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (EMRSA) immediately before and after duty periods in which they solely attended six patients widely colonized with two EMRSA strains distinguishable by plasmid analysis. EMRSA carriage was detected in 13 nurses. Three EMRSA carriage patterns emerged: transient carriage in 12 nurses, when the EMRSA was isolated from noses or fingers of nurses after duty but was gone before their next day's duty; short-term nasal carriage, seen on occasion in 4 of these 12 nurses, when EMRSA carriage was detected on two consecutive screens; and persistent nasal carriage, seen in 1 nurse only, when the EMRSA was seen on more than two consecutive occasions. All but one of these incidents of carriage could be explained by close patient, rather than environmental, exposure and occurred despite an intensive control programme. Transient or short-term carriage in nurses probably resulted in transfer of the EMRSA between patients. Staff decontamination should be considered following a period of cohort nursing of EMRSA patients, especially if staff members are shortly to nurse unaffected patients. Our findings may explain some of the difficulties in controlling EMRSA.

Air Microbiology↗
PubMed1989

Prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) among prostitutes at Dhaka.

One hundred prostitutes were studied with an aim to acquire more insight on the role of sexual transmission of HBsAg and to detect carrier state among them. All subjects were interviewed and their serum samples were tested for HBsAg by reverse passive haemagglutination method (RPHA). Eleven (11%) of the prostitutes were found to be positive for HBsAg. Their mean age was 19.3 +/- 4.9 years. The mean duration in the profession was 2.5 +/- 1.6 years. Mean number of clients for each woman per 24 hours was 10.7 +/- 1.2. Most of the prostitutes (84%) were lacking knowledge about spread and contact of the disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) among parenteral drug abusers at Dhaka.

One hundred parenteral drug abusers were studied with an aim to detect HBsAg in their sera and to know carrier state among them. All subjects, were interviewed and their serum samples were tested for HBsAg by reverse passive haem-agglutination method (RPHA). Eight percent of the drug addicts were found to be positive for HBsAg. The mean age of addicts was 23.65 +/- 5.06 years. Ninety two percent were educated (above class VIII) and 59 percent were students. Forty three percent were influenced by friends to develop this habit and 34 percent became addicted out of frustration. Forty four percent addicts were using disposable syringes and needles and 32 percent were sharing their syringes and needles among themselves. Nineteen percent addicts had past history of jaundice. Fifty seven percent had extra-marital sexual life and 64 percent were lacking in knowledge of spread, or contraction of disease by their habits.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Assessment of a mobile training programme on nutrition for Bangladesh rural development board (BRDB) women's programme in Bangladesh.

About half of the total population of the country are women and without their active participation no development programme can be achieved. This study involved a total number of 690 trainees from 23 upazilas of different districts in Bangladesh. The results obtained from both pre and post tests were compared and analyzed to find out the impact of the mobile training programme on nutrition. The mean age of the trainees was 29.54. The mean number of children per trainee was 3.73 and the mean income was close to Taka 1048.26. Analysis of the results regarding knowledge of the training about nutrition at pre and post training stages reveal that at post training stage they were more aware of the importance of nutrition. The difference in knowledge level at pre and post training stages was statistically significant (P less than .001).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Risk factors for persistent diarrhoea.

With a systematically sampled population of children aged under 5 attending this centre for diarrhoeal disease research during 1983-5 a retrospective analysis of persistent diarrhoea (defined as greater than 14 days' duration) was performed to identify the possible risk factors for this syndrome. Of the 4155 children included in the analysis, 410 (10%) gave a history of persistent diarrhoea. A comparison with children with acute diarrhoea matched for age showed that 11 factors were correlated with persistent diarrhoea, and strongly associated factors were stools with blood or mucus, or both, lower respiratory tract infection, malnutrition, vitamin A deficiency, and antibiotic use before presentation. The peak age was 2 years, and there was no sex difference. Deaths occurred more often in the group with persistent diarrhoea. Although Shigella spp, Campylobacter jejuni, and Giardia lamblia were frequently identified, their rates of isolation were not significantly higher among patients with persistent diarrhoea. No seasonal variation was observed in the rates of persistent diarrhoea. Although the introduction of family food to the diet was associated with higher rates, this factor was difficult to separate from the age dependent risks.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1988

A study of the value of electrophoretic and other techniques for typing Acinetobacter calcoaceticus.

Forty-four isolates of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var anitratus collected during hospital outbreaks were studied using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), plasmid analysis, antibiograms and biochemical tests to determine their degree of similarity. Reproducibility tests were also carried out on the PAGE and biochemical techniques to determine their validity when used to compare bacteria of the same type isolated intermittently. PAGE data was analysed densitometrically and isolates compared using a similarity matrix. All methods were able to subdivide the isolates, but results did not always correlate well between methods. Reproducibility data indicated that careful attention to technique is required when organisms are examined by PAGE sequentially. Results suggest that no single biotyping technique is likely to be adequate and that electrophoretic, biochemical and antibiogram data may complement one another and other epidemiological data in the typing of these organisms.

Acinetobacter↗
PubMed1988

Effect of high salt intake on sodium, potassium-dependent adenosine triphosphatase activity in the erythrocytes of normotensive men.

1. We measured ouabain-insensitive adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), sodium, potassium-dependent adenosine triphosphatase (Na+,K+-ATPase) and intracellular Na+ and K+ in the erythrocytes of 19 healthy volunteers, before and after supplementation of their normal diet was 6.0-8.9 g of salt (102-137 mmol of NaCl) per day, for 5 days. 2. The subjects had a small but significant gain in weight. Mean plasma renin activity decreased from 1.57 to 0.73 pmol of angiotensin 1 h-1 ml-1 and plasma aldosterone from 0.46 to 0.24 nmol/l. 3. Total ATPase activity fell from 197.9 nmol of inorganic phosphate h-1 mg-1 during the control period to 173.5 during the high-salt period (P less than 0.0125). Na+, K+-ATPase activity fell from 162.2 to 141.4 nmol of inorganic phosphate h-1 mg-1 (P less than 0.05). Intracellular Na+ and intracellular K+ did not change. 4. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that salt-induced volume expansion causes the release of a factor inhibitory to the Na+ pump.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Plasmids in Staphylococcus hyicus.

Fifty-one strains of Staphylococcus hyicus and six of Staph. chromogenes were collected from porcine and bovine sources in England and Belgium. Antibiotic resistance and plasmid profiles were established. Plasmids associated with resistance to tetracycline, erythromycin and streptomycin were identified in many strains; these plasmids were about the same size as those mediating similar resistances in Staph. aureus of human origin. Many small cryptic plasmids were also seen.

Animals↗