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Biomedical subjects

S Chhabra

Publications and source records attributed to S Chhabra.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Apolipoprotein C3 SstI polymorphism and triglyceride levels in Asian Indians.

BACKGROUND: A close association between Sst I polymorphism in the 3' untranslated region of the apolipoproteinC3 (APOC3) gene and levels of plasma triglycerides (TG) had been reported by different investigators. Hypertriglyceridemia(HTG) is a known risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD) in the context of Asian Indians. We conducted a study on the relationship between APOC3 SstI polymorphism (S1S1, S1S2 and S2S2 genotypes) and plasma TG levels in a group of 139 male healthy volunteers from Northern India. METHODS: DNA samples were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by SstI digestion. Digested PCR products were run on 3% agarose gel and visualized by ethidium bromide staining. RESULTS: Rare S2 allele was highly prevalent in our study population (0.313) as compared to the Caucasians (0.00-0.11). The genotypic distribution was in agreement with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. S2 allele was almost two times more prevalent in the HTG group (N = 34) as compared to NTG group (N = 105) (p = 0.001). Multiple logistic regression revealed S1S2 individuals had age-adjusted odds ratio of 2.43 (95%CI = 0.99-6.01, p = 0.054) and S2S2 had 9.9 (95%CI = 2.66-37.29, p = 0.0006) for developing HTG in comparison to S1S1 genotype. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows a significant association between rare S2 allele and HTG in Asian Indians.

Apolipoprotein C-III↗

Reduction in the occurrence of uterine rupture in Central India.

This study was carried out in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram in Central India. In the 12 years between 1989 and 2000 a total of 16 cases of ruptured uterus were managed, the incidence of rupture of the pregnant uterus being 0.62 per 1000 births. One-quarter of the cases occurred between 1983 and 1988. No teenager or elderly woman (over 40) or grandmultipara sustained a uterine rupture. Four women had a rupture of a previous scar. In five rupture had occurred in association with malpresentations, one was a case of hydrocephalus, two had a morbidly adherent placenta praevia and four had a normal presentation, with lack of progress in labour. Two of these 16 women had twins. One had come with a retained second twin with transverse lie and the other was a booked case with multiple problems, including a previous caesarean section, present twin pregnancy and placenta praevia accreta and she died. This was the only maternal death. Perinatal mortality was 77.77% compared to 5.88% maternal and 100% perinatal mortality in the cases reported previously between 83 and 88, from the same institution. Overall, there is some improvement in perinatal survival and one-quarter incidence of rupture of the pregnant uterus.

Adult↗

Retained placenta continues to be fatal but frequency can be reduced.

Retained placenta is potentially lift-threatening not only because of retention per se, but because of associated haemorrhage and infection as well as complications related to its removal. These risks are increased in women in poor social circumstances due to pre-existing malnutrition, anaemia and unsupervised home deliveries. The present study was undertaken to assess the situation in this rural area. A previous study at the same place suggested preventive strategies an and individualised approach. Incidence of retained placenta has been 0.23% of all births over 15 years. Of the deliveries at Kasturba Hospital, the incidence of retained placenta was 0.008% (two of 23,838 vaginal deliveries). Sixty-five women were admitted with retained placenta after home deliveries and three after delivery at other hospitals The age of most of the patients was between 20 and 29 years and most were para 2 or 3. In twenty-three (32.4%) cases, women had delivered preterm. Twelve (16.9%) women had previous uterine surgery and 10 (14.1%) had had a retained placenta in the past. Twenty-six (36.61%) women had come in a state of severe shock. Thirty-six (50.7%) women required general anaesthesia for manual removal. One woman with an adherent placenta had to undergo hysterectomy (1.40%). The maternal mortality was 5.6%. Perinatal loss was 7.04%. It is unfortunate that of the four deaths, two women had actually delivered at a near by district hospital and were referred moribund and died. A properly conducted delivery can reduce the incidence of retained placenta and if retention occurs, timely appropriate treatment can save life.

Adult↗

Gynaecological malignancies in a rural institute in India.

A rural institutional study was carried out with the object of recording the number and type of gynaecological malignancies in relation to socio-economic status, age, parity, contraceptive use and mode of presentation in current gynaecological practice. Between 1985 and 1999 gynaecological malignancies comprised 42.52% of all malignancies in women. Cancer of the cervix (33.3%) and breast (27.3%), constituted 60.6% of all cancers in women. Cervical cancer (80%) and ovarian cancer (15%) were the main gynaecological tumours. Endometrial cancer was found only in 2.0% of all female genital malignancies; 76.5% women were from villages. Seventy-two per cent of women with gynaecological malignancies were from a lower socio-economic class. Nearly half (44.6%) of the overall cases occurred between ages of 35 and 49 years. Most women, irrespective of the site of cancer, were multiparous. Sterilisation had been the main birth control method used. Other methods of contraception had hardly been used and hence had no relevance to the incidence of cancers. Over the years the number of gynaecological cancers is increasing, irrespective of social class, with more cases at younger age.

Adult↗

Novel approaches to female sexual dysfunction.

Female sexual dysfunction is age-related, progressive and highly prevalent, affecting 30 - 50% of American women. While there are emotional and relational elements to sexual function, it has become increasingly evident that female sexual dysfunction can occur secondary to medical problems and has an organic basis. A plethora of different female sexual dysfunctions exist and in order to obtain a greater understanding of the possible treatments for these problems, it is essential to have a strong knowledge base of female pelvic anatomy, the neurogenic mediators of female sexual response, the impact of hormones on female sexual function and the aetiologies of female sexual dysfunction. Currently, there are potential therapeutic options for the treatment of female sexual dysfunction and these options include both hormonal and pharmacological therapy. However, therapeutic agents may not prove to be enough and the ideal approach to female sexual dysfunction is thus a collaborative effort between therapists and physicians, which should include a complete medical and psychosocial evaluation, as well as inclusion of the partner or spouse in the evaluation and treatment process.

Clitoris↗

New variotin analogues from Aspergillus viridi-nutans.

Besides the antifungal agents variotin (1), wasabidienone B(0) (4), and phomaligin A (5), two new but inactive metabolites, viriditin (2) and O-methylviriditin (3), were isolated from extracts of the culture filtrate of liquid cultures of a strain of Aspergillus viridi-nutans. In addition, wasabidienone B(1) (6) was isolated and characterized by spectroscopy.

Antifungal Agents↗

Identification of human sperm antigen recognized by serum of an immunoinfertile woman: a candidate for immunocontraception.

PROBLEM: It has been well documented that antisperm antibodies can be causative factors of infertility. In this study we have identified an antigen on human sperm surface using serum of an immunoinfertile woman; it is thus a candidate for immunocontraception. METHOD: Thirty-three women of reproductive age who were infertile were screened for presence of antisperm antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence and agglutination assay. The serum of one such woman, SU-4, reacted with her husband's as well as normal donor sperm and recognized a band of apparent molecular weight of 71-kDa on Western blot. Anti-71-kDa antiserum was raised in rabbit by eluting 71-kDa protein and was characterized by agglutination test, immunofluorescence assay, transmission electron microscopy, flow cytometry, and sperm-egg interaction in mouse system. RESULTS: Interestingly, sera raised in rabbit against 71-kDa antigen, was identified by immunoinfertile serum of SU-4, revealed similar results of localization of human acrosome. Anti-71-kDa antibodies showed cross-reactivity with other species of sperm, demonstrated inhibition of sperm attachment to oocytes in an in vitro mouse system, and revealed surface binding of human live sperm by flow cytometry. Transmission electron microscopy documented the presence of 71-kDa antigen in the acrosomal compartment. CONCLUSION: This study has put in evidence an antigen of apparent molecular weight of 71-kDa in all donor sperm tested in this study. The presence of this antigen on the sperm of several species will enable us to determine the efficacy of this antigen in controlling fertility in vivo in both rodents and primates. This antigen may be a candidate for immunocontraception.

Adult↗

Some medico-socio-demographic factors and intra-uterine growth retardation.

In the present prospective pilot study an attempt has been made to find out the correlation between some maternopaternal factors (demographic, socio-economic and medical) that suggest a high risk for intra-uterine growth retardation. The mean height and booking weight of women in study group were significantly less than the height and weight of women in control group (p < 0.001 for both). The mean paternal height and weight were also significantly less in the study group as against controls (p < 0.05 for and p < 0.01 respectively). In the study group 54.54% of women consumed less than 1500 calories/day as compared to 32.72% in the controls (statistically significant difference, (p < 0.01). The mean haemoglobin was significantly lower in the study cases (8.1 g/dl) as compared to controls (9.6 g/dl) (p < 0.001). The mean platelet count in study cases (1.64 +/- 0.34 lac/cmm) was significantly lower than that in the controls (2.08 +/- 0.25 lac/cmm) (p < 0.001). The rate of instrumental vaginal delivery, emergency caesarean section for foetal distress, incidence of intrapartum foetal distress, and number of babies with low Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes were significantly more in the study group (p < .05 and p < 0.001 respectively for operative delivery and Apgar scores).

Adult↗

Dosimetry of O6-methylguanine in rat DNA after low-dose, chronic exposure to N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). Implications for the mechanism of NDMA hepatocarcinogenesis.

Groups of female Wistar Furth/NCr rats, aged 6 weeks or 7 months at the start of the experiment, were administered drinking water containing N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) for up to 28 days at concentrations in the range 0.2-2.64 p.p.m., resulting in daily intakes in the range 28-372 micrograms/kg/day at age 10 weeks. The levels of the premutagenic DNA adduct O6-methylguanine (O6-meG) in liver and blood leukocyte DNA were measured at different times during this exposure as well as on the days immediately following cessation of exposure. The adduct was found to accumulate rapidly in both tissues, reaching within 2-7 days steady states in the range 0.08-0.45 mumol/molG, similar in young and adult animals. Accumulation of O6-meG in blood leukocytes was approximately 30% lower than in the liver. Following cessation of NDMA treatment, adducts were lost rapidly from the DNA of both tissues, with an apparent t1/2 of approximately 19-23 h for the liver and 30-35 h for blood leukocytes. No change in liver O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) took place throughout this treatment. The steady-state adduct levels were approximately linearly related to NDMA dose-rate, except that a clear break (corresponding to a 2.6-fold lower slope) was observed at dose rates > 0.4 p.p.m. (approximately 56 micrograms/kg/day). This dose-response relationship is in contrast to the sharp increase in the liver tumour induction in rats chronically treated with similar concentrations of NDMA reported by Peto et al. (Cancer Res., 51, 6415-6451) and suggests that accumulation of O6-meG cannot by itself account for the hepatocarcinogenic efficacy of NDMA in the rat. Following i.g. administration of single doses of NDMA in a range approximately corresponding to the daily intake during the above mentioned chronic exposure study (25, 50 or 100 micrograms/kg), repair of O6-meG followed sharply biphasic kinetics in both liver and blood leukocytes. In the liver, an initial rapid phase (t1/2 approximately 1.5-1.7 h) was followed by much slower repair (t1/2 approximately 20.7-24.9 h) despite the absence of any change in AGT. Extrapolation of the two segments of the repair kinetics plots back to 0 time suggests that approximately 52-61% of the adducts originally formed in the liver and 33-35% of those formed in blood leukocytes belonged to the rapidly repaired category.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

Cervical status as a predictor of preterm labour.

A study was conducted on 140 pregnant women at and after 28 weeks of pregnancy for finding out the relationship of cervical length and position with onset of preterm labour. Incidence of preterm labour was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in women with central position of cervix (54.67%) than that with posterior position of cervix (10.77%). Onset of preterm delivery was closely related to cervical length of 2.5 cm or less irrespective of central (82.75%) or posterior (20%) position of cervix (p < 0.001).

Adult↗

Amphiphilic and hydrophilic domains of human sperm membrane antigens recognized by immunoinfertile sera.

Selected sera from married couples with immunological infertility were used to identify antigens on hydrophilic and amphiphilic domains of human sperm membrane. Out of eight sera, six recognized proteins from the hydrophilic as well as amphiphilic regions of the sperm membrane. Sera were either reactive to acrosome or to equator and tail of human sperms in indirect immunofluorescence assay.

Acrosome↗

Caesarean sections in developing and developed countries.

A clinical study of 1086 cases of caesareans done in the period 1987-1991 in a rural institute is presented with a review of the latest data from India and elsewhere. Of the women, 86.19% were between 20 and 30 years; 43.83% were primigravidas. The most common indications were obstructed labour and malpresentations. 17.76% of the emergency and 14.64% of registered obstetric admissions resulted in caesarean delivery. The status of caesarean births is very different in developed and developing countries though both face the problem of its very high incidence.

Adolescent↗