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Biomedical subjects

S C Pal

Publications and source records attributed to S C Pal.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Influence of admission weight on neonatal mortality amongst hospitalised neonates in Calcutta.

The study was conducted on 785 neonates aged up to 28 days to evaluate the influence of admission weight on mortality. It was observed that there were 200 (25.5%) cases of septicaemia, 134(17.1%) of diarrhoea, 120(15.3%) each of prematurity related conditions and neonatal jaundice, 117(14.9%) of respiratory diseases and 94 (11.9%) cases of convulsion. There were total 182(23.18%) deaths comprising 70(38.5%) from prematurity related conditions, 40(22%) from diarrhoea, 35(19.2%) from respiratory diseases, 26(14.3%) from septicaemia, 8(4.4%) from neonatal jaundice and 3(1.6%) deaths from convulsion. The incidence of deaths among neonates weighing less than 2500 g on admission was 59.2% in diarrhoeal diseases, 53.4% in respiratory diseases and 44.6% in other conditions compared to those of 10%, 8.2% and 7.1% respectively in neonates having admission weight more than 2500 g. The findings are statistically significant. The results of the study indicate that low admission weight should be considered as a predictor of mortality among neonates.

Body Weight↗
PubMed1992

Occurrence of multi-drug resistant Salmonella typhi in Calcutta.

Blood and faecal samples were collected from 122 hospitalised patients of Calcútta clinically suspected to have enteric fever, for isolation of S. typhi. It was isolated from 34.4, 4.9 and 4.1 per cent patients by blood culture, stool culture and by both respectively. The in vitro drug susceptibility testing showed that all the isolates were resistant to chloramphenicol, ampicillin and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole, but were uniformly susceptible to ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and furazolidone. In view of the appearance of multi-drug resistant S. typhi in Calcutta, great care should be exercised in the use of newer quinolone derivatives.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1992

Comparison of selective media for optimal recovery of Clostridium difficile from diarrhoeal stools.

Five selective media were compared for their efficacy in the recovery of C. difficile from stool specimens. Of 341 diarrhoeic stool samples, 38 (11%) yielded C. difficile. Eighty per cent of the isolates were detected on modified taurocholate cycloserine cefoxitin fructose agar (MTCCFA) and 73 per cent were detected on taurocholate cycloserine cefoxitin fructose agar (TCCFA). MTCCFA was also found superior to the other four media as it supported better growth of C. difficile colonies, by effectively suppressing the competing microflora. These results suggest that the recovery rate of C. difficile could be enhanced when routine media, incorporated with taurocholate and lower concentration of cycloserine and cefoxitin, is used for the isolation of C. difficile from diarrhoeic stool.

Clostridioides difficile↗
PubMed1992

Efficacy of norfloxacin for shigellosis: a double-blind randomised clinical trial.

In a double-blind, randomised, clinical trial on 122 adults with acute Shigella dysentery, 60 patients were treated with norfloxacin and 62 with nalidixic acid. Of these, 32 patients in the norfloxacin group and 28 patients in the nalidixic acid group had Shigella in their stool. Patients of the two treatment groups were clinically comparable on admission. No significant differences in clinical responses were observed in the two groups among the Shigella-positive cases, Shigella-negative cases and among the total cases. All isolates of Shigella were susceptible to norfloxacin, whereas 13.8% of the strains were resistant to nalidixic acid.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Detection of specific anti-Giardia antibodies in the serodiagnosis of symptomatic giardiasis.

The roles of circulating anti-Giardia IgM and IgG antibodies were assayed by the Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using axenic Giardia lamblia whole trophozoites as antigen for routine serodiagnosis of Giardia infection. Detection of anti-Giardia IgM antibody was found to be useful in the early detection of symptomatic giardiasis, whereas IgG detection was not, since the latter could not discriminate between present infection and previous exposure. A mean optical density (OD) +/- 2 standard deviation (SD) value of 0.088 at 1:100 serum dilution was found optimal for the detection of anti-Giardia IgM antibodies as it completely separated out the acute Giardia cases from the Giardia-free controls. The same sera did not reveal any marked differences when tested for anti-Giardia IgG antibodies. Detection of IgM antibodies correlated with high sensitivity and specificity (96%) in an evaluation of a large number of sera collected from Giardia cases and controls.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Shigellosis in children: a prospective hospital based study.

From 1985 to 1988, fecal samples of 950 hospitalized children suffering from diarrhea or dysentery were screened for Shigella species using standard methods. Shigella species were isolated as sole pathogen from 192 (20.2%) cases and S. flexneri type 2 was the predominant serotype. Shigella infection was prevalent throughout the year with high isolation rate during the summer and early monsoon months. Shigella strains isolated during the period were resistant to most of the commonly used drugs for the treatment of shigellosis. Nearly 16% of the Shigella strains were also resistant to nalidixic acid. Presence of blood and mucus in stools (dysentery) was the common clinical presentation of shigellosis cases. Malnutrition was associated with longer duration of illness. High cases fatality rate (16.7%) was observed among hospitalized children infected with Shigella.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1992

Electrophoretic mobility and immunoblot analysis of the outer membrane proteins of Aeromonas hydrophila, A. sobria and A. caviae.

The outer membrane profiles of three species of the genus Aeromonas were examined by means of SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting to identify species-specific polypeptides and antigens which could presumably be applied to differentiate Aeromonas spp. at the species or subspecies level. Profiles on an 11% discontinuous SDS-PAGE showed common band sharing at the 52 kD position. Species-specific bands for the three strains could also be detected. Immunoblots using heterologous LPS-adsorbed polyclonal antisera revealed demarcated common and uncommon antigens within the three species. Outer membrane preparations were immunoblotted against whole cell polyclonal antisera. The previously documented host pathogenicity of A. sobria correlated well with the immunoblots which showed antigenicity, especially due to the LPS, when compared with the other two species.

Aeromonas↗
PubMed1992

Serovar, biotype, phage type, toxigenicity & antibiotic susceptibility patterns of Vibrio cholerae isolated during two consecutive cholera seasons (1989-90) in Calcutta.

Characteristics of V. cholerae isolated from patients of acute secretory diarrhoea admitted to the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Calcutta during two consecutive cholera seasons (1989 and 1990), with special emphasis on biotyping and toxigenicity, were investigated. The isolation rates of V. cholerae during 1989 and 1990 were 78 and 85.1 per cent respectively, with Inaba serotype dominating in 1989 and Ogawa in 1990. All the V. cholerae 01 strains isolated in this study belonged to biotype Eltor with phage type 4 dominating (48.8%). Most of the strains of V. cholerae were resistant to 10 and 150 micrograms/ml of 0/129 vibriostatic agent. Similarly, majority of the V. cholerae strains were resistant to furazolidone (95.7%), cotrimoxazole (83%) and tetracycline (63.1%) and several resistance patterns were encountered. All the V. cholerae 01 strains examined produced cholera toxin (CT) in amounts ranging between greater than 70 pg/ml and greater than 2.5 ng/ml. In contrast, all but one of the non-01 strains isolated in this study did not produce CT. Further studies are required to elucidate the mechanism involved in the pathogenesis of non-01 V. cholerae mediated diarrhoea.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1992

Occurrence of multi-resistant Salmonella typhimurium infection in a pediatric hospital at Calcutta.

Salmonella typhimurium was isolated from 55 (15.9%) of the 347 hospitalized diarrheal children and 14 (11.1%) of the 126 non-diarrheal controls. All the 98 asymptomatic children attending hospital outpatients were negative. Six (3.7%) of the 162 samples of different categories examined from the hospital were positive for S. typhimurium. Finger washing of one female food handler, feces of two cats of the wards, surface of wash basin, lavatory seat and shelf yielded positive isolations. In vitro antibiotic sensitivity testing showed majority of the strains were resistant against commonly used antimicrobial agents while they were uniformly sensitive to norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin. The present study points to cross-infection by multi-resistant S. typhimurium strains in the hospital wards.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1991

Detection of heat-stable enterotoxin in a cholera toxin gene-positive strain of Vibrio cholerae O1.

DNA colony hybridization with a polynucleotide clonal DNA probe for heat-stable enterotoxin of Vibrio cholerae non-O1 (NAG-ST) was used to screen 197 isolates of V. cholerae O1. Under stringent hybridizing and washing conditions, one strain (GP156) reacted with the probe. The concentrated supernatant from V. cholerae O1 GP156, heated at 100 degrees C for 5 min, elicited fluid accumulation in the suckling mice and that could be completely neutralized by an anti-NAG-ST monoclonal antibody (mAb2F). The preparation from V. cholerae O1 GP156 also inhibited the binding of mAb2F to NAG-ST in a competitive ELISA. V. cholerae O1 GP156 was confirmed to possess a gene encoding cholera toxin (CT). These results indicate that a heat-stable enterotoxin is produced by certain strains of CT-producing V. cholerae O1.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Expression of virulence and antibiotic resistance in an Escherichia coli transconjugant carrying a large plasmid pCAT120 of Shigella dysenteriae type I and its spontaneous fragmentations.

The role of a 120-kb plasmid in relation to virulence and drug resistance factor in Shigella dysenteriae was studied. For characterization of plasmids, the mating system is a useful and efficient means of transferring both large and small plasmids to a new host. The conjugative transfer of a 120-kb (pCAT120) ampicillin-resistant plasmid of S. dysenteriae to E. coli K-12 was not successful. Introduction of an E. coli fertility factor plasmid F, did not help to mobilize the plasmid. Low transfer frequencies of antibiotic markers to E. coli were achieved by treatment of the donor S. dysenteriae with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. The transconjugants showed resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline and cadmium. A transconjugant carrying the 120-kb plasmid of S. dysenteriae produced keratoconjunctivitis in guinea pigs. Repeated subculture of Clmr transconjugant (pCAT120) on tryptic soya agar plates became Clms and showed four distinct DNA bands ranging from 3 to 10 kb in size on agarose gel electrophoresis. Utilization of organic acids, metal resistance (Cd), dye-binding properties (Crb+, Ebr+) and drug resistance (Amp, Tet) were identified on 10, 7, 4 and 3-kb plasmid DNA fragment of pCAT120 respectively. Crb+ 4-kb DNA fragment of pCAT120 was isolated, purified and transferred to an avirulent E. coli K12 by transformation. However, transformant (pET4) showed poor growth on solid media and its growth in liquid culture was only possible after supplementation of the unknown low-molar-mass thermolabile factor(s) secreted by the recipient strain.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins↗
PubMed1991

Descriptive epidemiology of intravenous heroin users--a new risk group for transmission of HIV in India.

India is considered to have a low incidence of HIV infection so far. Nevertheless, an epidemic of HIV infection has been reported recently among intra-venous drug users (IVDUs) in Manipur, a north-eastern state of India, bordering Myanmar (Burma). This report describes the epidemiology of intravenous drug abuse in the state of Manipur. Four hundred and fifty IVDUs were interviewed. Their age (median 24 years) and sex patterns (95% male) differ from those reported from western countries. It is estimated that there may be approximately 15,000 such addicts in a population of 1.8 million and 50% of them could be positive for HIV. Knowledge of AIDS and its transmission is significantly higher among the addicts than non-addict controls. Free availability of heroin was found to be the major factor responsible for the high rate of addiction. It is presumed that two other neighbouring States which are well-connected to Manipur and also have a common border with Myanmar (part of the 'Golden Triangle') may have a similar problem with HIV infection.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1991

Toxin production by atypical strains of Vibrio cholerae E1 Tor under different cultural conditions.

It was observed that at 37 degrees C under in vitro conditions, aerobic culture filtrates of a few strains of Vibrio cholerae biotype El Tor isolated from diarrhoeal cases produced a minute amount of toxin which failed to elicit a positive ileal loop reaction like toxigenic strains. Thus, these strains showed an atypical behaviour in their toxin producing ability. At 25 degrees C and 30 degrees C under aerobic cultural conditions enhanced toxin production was noticed in toxigenic strains, but these temperatures did not affect the toxigenicity of the atypical strains. The atypical Vibrio cholerae El Tor strains exhibited enhanced toxin production only at 37 degrees C under anaerobic conditions and the amount of toxin produced was akin to those of the toxigenic strains. In comparison to aerobic conditions, growth was observed to be comparatively lower under anaerobiosis both in the toxigenic and atpyical V. cholerae strains. Moreover, in contrast to the toxigenic strains, the toxin did not remain membrane-bound in these atypical strains at 37 degrees C and aerobic cultural conditions.

Aerobiosis↗
PubMed1991

Identification of heterogeneity in human isolates of Giardia lamblia by isoenzyme studies.

Electrophoretic mobility patterns of six enzymes, viz. alkaline phosphatase E.C. 3.1.3.1., acid phosphatase E.C. 3.1.3.2., malic enzyme E.C. 1.1.1.40., phosphoglucomutase E.C. 2.7.5.1., isocitrate dehydrogenase E.C. 1.1.1.42., glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase E.C. 1.1.1.49 of two axenically cultured human Giardia lamblia isolated from India (PD-1 and PD-2) and one strain from Portland, Oregon, USA (P-1) were compared using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Based on the difference in the mobility patterns of the enzymes phosphoglucomutase, isocitrate dehydrogenase and malic enzyme, the PD-1 and PD-2 isolates appeared to be quite different from P-1. In the present study, the isocitrate dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase enzymes were used for the first time for differentiation of Giardia isolates. In the case of PD-1, two alkaline phosphatase bands could be seen whereas only one band was observed in PD-2 and P-1. Thus, the three strains could be grouped into three different zymodemes. These findings reveal the significant heterogeneity in G. lamblia isolates both from widely separated areas and within a single region. Heterogeneity among G. lamblia strains may explain the variable clinical manifestations, host response and treatment efficacy characteristic of human giardiasis.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1991

A polyclonal-monoclonal antibody based sensitive sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for specific detection of cholera toxin.

A sensitive sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for specific detection of prototype cholera toxin (CT) elaborated by Vibrio cholerae serovar O1 has been developed. The use of a high affinity monoclonal antibody (MAb) for capturing of CT epitopes permitted a high efficiency. Using this ELISA, we sought in vitro production of CT from clinical strains of V. cholerae O1, Non-O1 and from LT-producing E. coli. All culture supernatants of V. cholerae O1 were positive for CT whereas V. cholerae non-O1 and LT producing E. coli were found negative for CT. This ELISA will be particularly useful in specifically designed studies where detection of CT and not of related labile toxins is mandatory.

Animals↗