Nonlinear dc electrical response in a bilayer lipid membrane: Effect of bathing solutions.
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Journal Article↗
Biomedical subjects
S Das
Publications and source records attributed to S Das.
A 55-kilodalton antigen encoded by a gene on a Borrelia burgdorferi 49-kilobase plasmid is recognized by antibodies in sera from patients with Lyme disease.
We have identified a 55-kDa antigen encoded by a gene on a 49-kb plasmid of Borrelia burgdorferi. The screening of a B. burgdorferi DNA expression library (N40 strain) with rabbit anti-B. burgdorferi serum and then with serum from a patient with Lyme disease arthritis revealed a clone that synthesized an antigen that was reactive with both sera. DNA sequence analysis identified an operon with two genes, s1 and s2 (1,254 and 780 nucleotides), that expressed antigens with the predicted molecular masses of 55 and 29 kDa, respectively. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed that the s1-s2 operon was located on the 49-kb plasmid. Recombinant S1 was synthesized as a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein in Escherichia coli. Antibodies to recombinant S1 bound to a 55-kDa protein in lysates of B. burgdorferi, indicating that cultured spirochetes synthesized S1. Thirty-one of 100 Lyme disease patients had immunoglobulin G (IgG) and/or IgM antibodies to S1. IgG antibodies to S1 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblots in the sera of 21 (21%) of 100 patients with Lyme disease; 11 (27.5%) of the S1-positive samples were from patients (40) with early-stage Lyme disease, and 10 (16.7%) were from patients (60) with late-stage Lyme disease. Fifteen (38.5%) of 40 serum samples from patients with early-stage Lyme disease had IgM antibodies to S1. These data suggest that the S1 antigen encoded by a gene on the 49-kb plasmid is recognized serologically by a subset of patients with early- or late-stage Lyme disease.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Cough reflex threshold in diabetes mellitus with and without autonomic neuropathy.
The cough reflex, a vagus-mediated respiratory protective reflex, was investigated in diabetics and healthy controls by establishing a cough reflex threshold to increasing concentrations of citric acid aerosol. Diabetics with autonomic neuropathy (n = 20), whether overtly symptomatic (n = 5) or evident only on certain non-invasive cardiovascular autonomic function tests, were found to have significantly (p < 0.05 by chi 2 test) raised cough reflex threshold (range 1 to > 100%, median value 50%) in contrast to either the non-neuropathic diabetics (n = 20) or normal controls (n = 20; range 1-10%, median value 2%). This difference suggests vagal (parasympathetic) denervation of the respiratory tract, with possible serious consequences, hitherto little appreciated.
Administration, Inhalation↗
Acute retention of urine due to prostatic a abscess.
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Abscess↗
Primary mycotic abscess of the brain caused by Fonsecaea pedrosoi. Case report.
A case of cerebral abscess caused by Fonsecaea pedrosoi is reported in a nonimmunocompromised 15-year-old boy. In the absence of a primary cutaneous lesion, this fungus was considered to be a primary neuropathogen. The fungus was cultured and characterized from the abscess material obtained at surgery. Prompt therapy using amphotericin B and 5-flucytosine helped in the successful recovery of this patient.
Adolescent↗
Scorpion envenomation in children in southern India.
The clinical presentation of 32 children with scorpion envenomation was analysed. The most common presentation was cold, clammy extremities with normal blood pressure. Myocarditis was present in 16 children (50%) and encephalopathy in four (12.5%). Two children died. ECG was a sensitive indicator of myocarditis which was subclinical in four children. Left ventricular dysfunction was a transient phenomenon. Myocarditis and encephalopathy were the two lethal complications observed. Serum free fatty acid levels were elevated two to three-fold in all symptomatic patients. Blood glucose levels were only mildly elevated and serum amylase levels and electrolytes were normal in all the children. No specific antivenom was given. In the absence of specific antivenom, early and active supportive treatment reduces the morbidity and mortality due to scorpion envenomation.
Animals↗
Anopheline fauna of Ajodhya hills, district Purulia. West Bengal.
Anopheline fauna of cattlesheds (CS) in Ajodhya hills, District Purulia, consisted of 12 species during summer, monsoon and 10 species during winter. Of the six vector species encountered in CS, Anopheles culicifacies, An. annularis, An. subpictus, An. maculatus and An. fluviatilis were found in all the three seasons. An. philippinensis was encountered in monsoon only and constituted 0.61% of the total anopheline catch made during the season. An. culicifacies was the most predominant species during summer (MHD 30.38) and monsoon (MHD 11) but ranked third (MHD 9.64) to An. annularis (MHD 16.28) during winter; An. subpictus being second (MHD 10.28) in order of predominance. An. annularis was the second most prevalent vector species in summer (MHD 21.38) and monsoon (MHD 9.92). The population density of the remaining three vector species was extremely low in the two seasons. In human dwelling (HD), of the five anopheline species encountered (An. subpictus, An. annularis, An. culicifacies, An. vagus and An. splendidus), the former three were found in all the three seasons. MHD of An. annularis in HD in summer, monsoon and winter was 3.7, 1.1 and 1.9 respectively, while MHD of An. culicifacies in the corresponding seasons was 5.01, 2.09 and 1.31 respectively.
Animals↗
Effects of chemically-induced stress on blood viscosity of rabbits.
Disease-induced stress in a living system needs its characterization before quantification. We address this problem by studying the flow behaviour of blood of rabbits. The flow behaviour of rabbit blood, both normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic was observed by plotting viscosity levels against known shear stress. The curves obtained from normal animals showed a curvilinear relationship between eta and tau, whereas the curves obtained from the blood of the induced diabetic animals showed a 'thixotropic' nature i.e. viscosity varies inversely with shear stress. The results obtained were (a) increased viscosity associated with increasing doses, (b) the lower the shear stress, higher was the viscosity and (c) significant variation of viscosity levels between normal and induced-diabetic rabbits observed by increased stress. The possible interpretation of the results in the light of rheological properties of blood is discussed.
Animals↗
Laparoscopic colpo-suspension.
PURPOSE: The feasibility of using minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques adhering to the surgical principles of management of anatomical stress incontinence was evaluated in 10 women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Postoperative performances and early surgical results were compared with those of contemporaneous groups of women undergoing open colpo-suspension or vaginal needle suspension. RESULTS: Laparoscopic colpo-suspension proved to be technically feasible with less postoperative pain and shorter hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: All 3 groups of patients had similar relief from stress incontinence in the early postoperative followup.
Adult↗
Pathological lesions in HIV positive patients.
Pathomorphological features of 10 HIV positive individuals studied at autopsy and biopsy are described. Nine patients had evidence of neuro-AIDS and eight of them succumbed to various opportunistic infections. One surviving patient underwent a diagnostic lymph node biopsy which revealed tuberculous lymphadenopathy. Cryptococcal meningitis was the commonest CNS opportunistic infection, seen in five cases, with disseminated systemic cryptococcosis in two. The other opportunistic infections included toxoplasma encephalitis in two, with acanthamoeba infection in one patient. Pulmonary tuberculosis was noted in three patients while other bacterial infections such as meningococcal meningitis, pseudomonas septicaemia were observed in three and pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in one. One seropositive individual was clinically asymptomatic but succumbed to a road traffic accident. The brain in this case showed features of HIV associated early leucoencephalopathy. Bacterial infections caused by organisms other than Mycobacterium tuberculosis associated with AIDS are often underdiagnosed and should be considered, especially in developing countries. In cases of cryptococcal and tuberculous meningitis or multiple parasitic infections, the patients should be screened for associated HIV infection.
AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
Leiomyoma of the female urethra. A report of two cases.
Leiomyoma of the female urethra is rare; only 34 cases have been reported in the medical literature in English. We report two additional cases in which hormonal factors appeared to play an important role.
Adult↗
Similar splicing mutations of the Menkes/mottled copper-transporting ATPase gene in occipital horn syndrome and the blotchy mouse.
The connective-tissue disorder occipital horn syndrome (OHS) is hypothesized to be allelic to Menkes disease. The two diseases have different clinical presentations but have a similar abnormality of copper transport. Mice hemizygous for the blotchy allele of the X-linked mottled locus have similar connective-tissue defects as OHS and may represent a mouse model of this disease. We have analyzed the Menkes/mottled copper-transporting ATPase in these two potentially homologous disorders and have identified similar splicing mutations in both. Some expression of normal mRNA was detectable by reverse transcription-PCR in the mutant tissues. These findings contrast with the more debilitating mutations observed in Menkes disease and suggest that low amounts of an otherwise normal protein product could result in the relatively mild phenotype of OHS and of the blotchy mouse.
Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
Indoor resting anophelines of north Bengal.
A systematic survey was carried out between April 1993 and March 1994 to study the distribution and prevalence of anopheline mosquito species in two malaria-prone areas situated in the foothills of Darjeeling district. Ten different species of Anopheles viz. An. aconitus, An. annularis, An. barbirostris, An. culicifacies, An. fluviatilis, An. hyrcanus group, An. maculatus, An. subpictus, An. vagus and An. varuna were collected. Per man hour density of mosquitoes collected was 4.5 and the most prevalent species was An. vagus, comprising 63% of the total catch. An. fluviatilis, an efficient vector of malaria in the foothill regions of India, was reported for the first time from this area. However, the classical vector of this region viz. An. minimus was altogether absent during the course of the present survey. All the ten species were found in cowsheds while, human habitation harboured higher population density (56.5%) of the total catch.
Animals↗
Transferable drug resistance in Salmonella typhi strains isolated from an outbreak at Calcutta in the recent past.
Transferable drug resistance, phage type, biotype and minimum inhibitory concentration to different drugs were studied in 50 Salmonella typhi strains isolated during recent outbreak of enteric fever at Calcutta. The antibiotic sensitivity test showed that 44% strains were sensitive to multiple drugs including chloramphenicol. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of the drugs tested were well above the normal level. The transferable drug resistance test suggested that all the resistant strains were carrying transferable multidrug resistant gene containing ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, tetracycline resistance factor. From phage typing it was observed that 30% strains belonging to phage type 51, and among them 80% strains were carrying transferable drug resistant factor containing ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin and tetracycline.
Disease Outbreaks↗
Bone marrow morphology in multiple myeloma.
This study was undertaken at the Christian Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, encompassing all patients of multiple myeloma presenting between January 01, 1982 and December 31, 1991. In all, 89 patients were included. The may Grunwald Giemsa stained bone marrow aspiration slides of each patient was examined under oil- immersion and a morphological grading made as mature (12 patients), immature (53) and plasmablastic (24). The estimated median survival for the mature category was 55 months, for immature 23 months and for plasmablastic two months. The estimated median survival on combining the mature of immature groups was 52 months, and on comparing this with the plasmablastic group, the difference in survival was found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05).
Adult↗
Disseminated Burkitt's lymphoma presenting as multiple cranial nerve palsies.
A case of disseminated Burkitt's lymphoma with nervous system involvement in a HIV negative 35 year old lady is described. She primarily presented with multiple cranial nerve palsies. At autopsy, diffuse involvement of parenchymatous organs and lymphomatous meningitis with conspicuous sparing of gastrointestinal system was observed. In addition, there was an unusual feature of paraneoplastic demyelinating peripheral neuropathy. Incidentally, a large hydatid cyst was also seen in the left lobe in addition to the lymphomatous involvement of the liver.
Adult↗