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Biomedical subjects

N Sood

Publications and source records attributed to N Sood.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Determinants of antidepressant treatment outcome.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the determinants of the outcome of an episode of major depression, including factors that affect receipt of guideline-consistent care and their subsequent effect on treatment outcomes, particularly relapse or recurrence. Results of previous studies are generalized to a population typical of depressed individuals in the United States, i.e., a cohort of antidepressant users with employer-provided health benefits. STUDY DESIGN: A quasi-experimental design was used to assess the determinants of the outcome of an episode of major depression. Healthcare utilization-based measures of treatment characteristics and outcomes were used. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The final analytical file for this study contained data on 2917 patients who had an antidepressant prescription associated with an indicator of a depressive disorder. We identified relapse or recurrence of depression by (1) a new episode of antidepressant therapy, (2) suicide attempt, (3) psychiatric hospitalization, (4) mental health-related emergency department visits, or (5) electroconvulsive therapy. Antidepressant use patterns were used to construct a measure for adherence to treatment guidelines. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard and logit regression models were used to predict relapse/recurrence and adherence with treatment guidelines, respectively, for each patient. RESULTS: Factors that affect relapse/recurrence include comorbidities, demographics, and adherence to treatment guidelines. Factors that affect adherence to treatment guidelines include choice of initial antidepressant drug, comorbidities, psychotherapy, and frequency of physician visits. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to treatment guidelines was associated with a significant reduction in the likelihood of relapse or recurrence of depression. Choice of initial antidepressant drug affects adherence to treatment guidelines.

Antidepressive Agents↗

Cronkhite Canada syndrome.

Cronkhite Canada syndrome is an acquired non-familial syndrome characterised by diffuse gastrointestinal polyposis with alopecia nail dystrophy and hyperpigmentation. There is chronic diarrhoea and protein losing enteropathy. The etiology of this syndrome remains obscure. The rarity of the case prompts this case report.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗

Sequential clinical, haematological, biochemical, immunopathological and histopathological alterations in buffalo calves (Bubalus bubalis) intravenously infected with Absidia corymbifera.

Absidiosis was produced experimentally in 18 buffalo calves by intravenous inoculation of spores of Absidia corymbifera. Infected animals exhibited dullness, depression, partial anorexia and an initial pyrexia and coughing during the first week and two animals died on each of 9, 13 and 16 days post infection (DPI). The haemoglobin concentration and total erythrocyte count showed no appreciable change from their basal values at any stage of the experiment. However, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and total leukocyte count increased significantly in the infected animals. The differential leukocyte count revealed a relative neutrophilia from 5 to 20 DPI. There was a significant increase in the serum total proteins, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, serum alkaline phosphatase, total immunoglobulins and circulating immune complexes in the infected animals as compared to the controls. In the sera of the infected animals, specific Absidia corymbifera IgM and IgG antibodies were detected from 3 DPI to 6 DPI respectively by Dot-EIA. Type I and type III skin hypersensitivity were detected from 10 DPI and type IV hypersensitivity from 15 DPI onwards. The gross and microscopic pathological lesions were seen mainly in the lungs, in all except one of the affected animals. This animal died 9 DPI and mycotic granulomas were also seen in its heart and kidneys. The microscopic lesions in the lung took the form of well-developed granulomas.

Absidia↗

The pathogenicity and pathogenesis of Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae (F38) in the caprine mammary gland.

The right mammary gland of 12 lactating goats was inoculated intracisternally with 1 ml of Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae (Mcc) containing 10(6) colony-forming units (CFU), while their left mammary halves received 1 ml of sterile PPLO broth only. Two goats served as uninfected controls. The clinical mastitis that developed in the infected mammary halves within 24 h was initially acute but became increasingly chronic by the end of the experiment at 24 days post inoculation (DPI). The disease was characterized by atrophy of the infected mammary halves, leading to marked agalactia and an increase in somatic cell counts, with a preponderance of neutrophils initially and lymphocytes later. The Mycoplasma was re-isolated from infected mammary secretions up to 16 DPI but not from blood. Histopathology revealed that the mastitis was acute and purulent initially, followed by infiltration of lymphonuclear cells and fibroplasia in the lymphomononuclear cells and fibroplasia in the interacinar tissue, and later by massive fibrosis. Immunohistology demonstrated the presence of Mycoplasma-like bodies localized mainly on the surface of acinar/duct epithelial cells. The studies showed that Mcc was highly pathogenic in the caprine mammary gland.

Animals↗

Role of fibronectin in diagnosis of malignant ascites.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of ascitic fluid fibronectin in the diagnosis of malignant ascites. Fibronectin is a glycoprotein which plays an important role in regulating the organisation of the cell cytoskeleton and cell morphology. Ascitic fluid samples from 35 patients, 20 with portal hypertension (Group-I) and 15 with malignant ascites (Group-II) were analysed for proteins, cell counts, fibronectin levels and malignant cell cytology. Mean ascitic fluid fibronectin level was found to be significantly higher in malignant ascites as compared to portal hypertension (p < 0.001). At a cut off value of 94.67 microg/ml, the sensitivity, specificity, positive accuracy, negative accuracy and overall diagnostic accuracy was found to be 100%, 95%, 93.8%, 100% and 97.1% respectively.

Adult↗

Clinico-pathological studies on the effect of different anti-neoplastic chemotherapy regimens on transmissible venereal tumours in dogs.

Thirty-two dogs affected with transmissible venereal tumour (TVT) were divided into three treatment groups. In group I vincristine sulphate at 0.025 mg/kg body weight, in group II vinblastine sulphate at 0.150 mg/kg body weight, and in group III vinblastine sulphate at 0.100 mg/kg body weight plus methotrexate at 0.35 mg/kg body weight were given intravenously at weekly intervals. Biopsies were performed on days 0, 3, 7 and 14. The tissues were preserved in 10% neutral buffered formalin and processed routinely for haematoxylin and eosin staining. Histopathologically, the untreated TVT was characterized by sheets or bundles of mostly rounded cells having a large, highly basophilic nucleus with a prominent, highly basophilic necleolus. Both vincristine and vinblastine primarily affected the nuclei of neoplastic cells, causing condensation, karyorrhexis and karyolysis within 3 days of chemotherapy. The regressing tumour mass showed marked infiltration by lymphocytes, lymphoblasts and macrophages by day 7. There was nearly complete regression of the tumour by day 14, as shown by the almost complete loss of neoplastic cells, with fibrous tissue substitution. However, in group III, the changes occurred more slowly and more injections were needed for complete regression. In both groups I and II, 11/12 of the animals responded completely to the chemotherapy within 3 weeks, while in group III, 6/8 of the dogs responded to the treatment by 21-28 days.

Animals↗

Primary tuberculosis of esophagus.

Primary tuberculosis of the esophagus is rare. We report a young lady with odynophagia who had esophageal tuberculosis without evidence of the disease elsewhere in the body.

Adult↗

Giant cavernous hemangiomas of liver mimicking metastasis.

Most hepatic hemangiomas are small and symptomless. These are now being increasingly diagnosed with the greater use of scanning procedures. Hemangiomas can occasionally grow to a large size and become manifest to the patient and the clinician. Giant hemangiomas can produce symptoms including awareness of abdominal mass, pain due to thrombosis, and very rarely, rupture. Though ultrasound is known to be quite suggestive of the diagnosis, large hemangiomas may be mistaken for liver metastases due to their enormous size and variegated picture on the scanning procedure. Dynamic CT scan and at times MRI may be required for confirmation of the diagnosis. Needle biopsy is contraindicated if the diagnosis is suspected.

Adult↗

Fine needle aspiration cytology of salivary gland lesions.

247 salivary gland lesions were subjected to fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology; 179 were designated as neoplastic lesions and 68 as non-neoplastic. Based on cytomorphologic features, the neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions were subcategorised. All but 36 of the neoplastic lesions were subjected to histopathologic study. The overall diagnostic accuracy of FNA cytology for neoplastic lesions was 91%. The sensitivity rate for detecting malignant tumours was 87.8% and the specificity 98.0%. There was 100% sensitivity for cytodiagnosis of benign tumours. The high sensitivity and specificity of cytodiagnosis makes FNA cytology a valuable diagnostic modality in the evaluation of salivary gland lesions.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Cytology of papillary adenoma of the nipple: a case diagnosed on fine-needle aspiration.

A 45-yr-old woman being treated for carcinoma of the uterine cervix was found to have a right nipple nodule. Fine-needle aspiration of the nodule showed a very cellular smear with clusters of ductal cells and many scattered naked nuclei. Papillary clusters with and without a vascular core also were present and enabled a cytological diagnosis of papillary adenoma. Excision of the lesion demonstrated the histopathologic features of a papillary adenoma of the nipple.

Biopsy, Needle↗

Experimental study of ureteral calculus disease: effects of calculus size, obstruction and hydration.

A chronic canine model was developed to study the immediate mechanical effects of ureteral calculi. Totally implanted nephrostomy tubes were used to measure renal pelvic pressure and optical sensors recorded ureteral activity. Surrogate calculi were inserted in a retrograde fashion via a trigonal vesicostomy. Complete obstruction was more common with larger calculi and these all passed spontaneously, by which time ureteral activity had ceased. Reduction in urine output delayed the rise in renal pressure and thus prolonged the time the calculus was retained in the ureter. If large calculi, which normally obstruct, had holes drilled in them to allow free urine flow they remained in the ureter for at least 2 hours and had to be extracted. Therefore, in the first few hours increased proximal hydrostatic pressure was the most important factor responsible for the spontaneous passage of obstructing calculi.

Animals↗

Mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome without exanthema: a case report.

A seven-year, eight-month-old Mexican-American boy was admitted to the hospital with a history of prolonged fever and cervical adenitis. The fever persisted for approximately two weeks and was associated with bilateral conjunctivitis, dryness and redness of the lips, and a deeply red tongue with marked hypertrophy of the papillae. Approximately two weeks following admission a peculiar desquamation of the perianal area was noted, followed by the desquamation of the hands and feet typically noted with mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome (MLNS).Numerous laboratory studies were performed and were not revealing. With the desquamation of the hands and feet a diagnosis of MLNS was believed confirmed. This case is unusual because there was no cutaneous eruption so characteristic of MLNS, and also because of the presence of the peculiar perianal desquamation which has not been previously reported.

Child↗

Experimental candidal mastitis in goats: clinical, haematological, biochemical and sequential pathological studies.

The present study, first of its kind, was conducted with the objectives to understand hitherto little known aspects of candidal mastitis, like its sequential pathology, pathogenesis and clinico-biochemical changes. For this purpose, unilateral intramammary inoculation of 10 goats with Candida albicans (1.2 x 10(7) yeast cells) resulted in the development of mastitis, with gross and microscopic lesions being restricted to the infected udder halves only and without dissemination of infection to the opposite uninfected udder halves as well as other organs of the body. The experiment was continued for 40 days and after infection, there was sharp fall in milk yield and Candida albicans was directly demonstrated in the milk and re-isolated from the milk and udder tissues up to 30th day after inoculation. An increase in total immunoglobulins in the milk and plasma along with increase in total plasma proteins were also observed. Haematology revealed leukocytosis and neutrophilia. Microscopically, there was acute purulent mastitis, which later became chronic, nonpurulent and interstitial with formation of granulomas. It was concluded that Candida albicans was highly pathogenic to the lactating goat mammary gland even without immunosuppression or antibiotic treatment, resulting in severe irreversible tissue damage and nearly complete agalactia.

Animals↗

Experimental zygomycosis in rabbits: clinicopathological studies.

Zygomycosis was produced experimentally in 20 New Zealand white rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) by intra-nasal administration of spores of Absidia corymbifera. Infected animals showed dullness, depression, coughing and mucopurulent nasal discharge, but no mortality. Haematology revealed no significant change in Hb and PCV, but leukocytosis due to neutrophilia in the initial stages of the experiment. There was a significant increase in serum total proteins, creatinine, AST, ALT, total Igs and CICs. A. corymbifera specific IgM and IgG antibodies were detected in the sera of the infected animals. Gross lesions consisted of pneumonic consolidations of the anteroventral lobes of the lungs. Microscopically, histology showed formation of pyogranulommas in the lungs. Fungal elements typical of A. corymbifera were demonstrated in the tissues upto 15 days after infection by special stains and confirmed by indirect immunoperoxidase. Re-isolation of the fungus from lungs was also achieved consistently upto 15 days only. It was concluded that intra-nasal instillation of A. corymbifera in rabbits produced significant clinico-pathological alterations with the lesions confined mainly to the lungs. In the present study, neither systemic dissemination of the disease occurred nor were kidneys site of predilection as reported earlier.

Absidia↗