Biomedical subjects

S Malathi

Publications and source records attributed to S Malathi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis A and hepatitis E virus in urban school children in Chennai.

With similar feco-oral mode of transmission of Hepatitis A and E viruses, and improving levels of personal hygiene among higher socioeconomic population, periodic surveillance on HAV/HEV exposure pattern may be of immense public health value. One such attempt was made in Tamilnadu, India by analysing the presence of antibodies to HAV and HEV in 185 healthy children of 6 months to 12 years of age. While anti HAV positivity was 96.9% by 12 years of age, anti HEV positivity fluctuated between 5.3-16.7%. The study suggests the necessity for developing a vaccine for HEV to prevent the frequent occurrence of HEV outbreaks in India, since natural HEV exposure does not bestow significant protection as observed in HAV.

Age Distribution↗

PubMed1998

Clinical and viral marker pattern of acute sporadic hepatitis in children in Madras, South India.

One hundred and twenty-seven children who presented with features of acute hepatitis during the period February 1995 to January 1996 were studied. Specific aetiologic agents were identified in 89 per cent. Of these, 67.7 per cent were due to a single virus, whereas 21.3 per cent were due to two or more hepatitis viruses. Hepatitis A virus (HAV) was the sole infecting agent in 38.6 per cent of cases, hepatitis B virus (HBV) in 13.4 per cent of cases, and hepatitis E virus (HEV) in 15.7 per cent of cases. Mixed infections were due to HAV and HBV co-infection (7.1 per cent), HAV and HEV (13.4 per cent), and the combination of HAV, HBV, and HEV (0.8 per cent). In 11 per cent, none of the markers (HAV to HEV) were identified. Acute sporadic hepatitis in children can occur due to a single hepatitis virus type or, at times, due to co-infection with a combination of two enterally transmitted viruses or enteral and parenterally transmitted viruses. Improving personal hygiene and active immunization are essential in the prevention of these viral illnesses. This study was done in a referral centre and hence we report a higher morbidity (13.4 per cent) and mortality (12.6 per cent) rate in all groups of infection. Hence, apart from the viruses, factors such as the age of the child, nutritional status, and treatment taken prior to hospitalization should be taken into consideration to predict the prognosis in a given child.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1998

Role of pinaverium bromide in south Indian patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

The effect of pinaverium bromide in controlling gastrointestinal symptoms in 61 patients with irritable bowel syndrome was studied, as an open trial. Individually, there was significant relief in abdominal discomfort/pain as well as in bowel symptoms in most of the patients. Abdominal pain was reduced in 49%, stool consistency improved in 74%, straining and urgency decreased in 71% and mucus decreased in 64%. Tolerance to the drug administered was good and side-effects reported were few.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Does Crohn's disease need differentiation from tuberculosis?

Crohn's disease (CD) and tuberculosis (TB) of the gastrointestinal tract pose major diagnostic problems for clinicians where these conditions coexist. Clinically and radiologically, the diseases are similar. In the West, TB is considered in the differential diagnosis of all suspected cases of CD, particularly among Asian migrants. Earlier age of presentation, perianal disease and enteric fistulae favour a diagnosis of CD. Aphthoid ulceration, pseudopolyps and filiform mucosa at endoscopy are suggestive of CD and a negative tuberculin test us useful. The final diagnosis depends largely on histopathology and the presence or absence of acid fast bacilli. Tuberculosis is more common in developing countries and intestinal TB frequently coexists with pulmonary tuberculosis. TB is known to affect all age groups and fistulous communication, although uncommon, does occur. In addition to radiology and endoscopy, laparotomy may be required to establish the diagnosis. In developing countries, CD is uncommon and remains largely a diagnosis of exclusion. A trial of anti-tuberculosis therapy may often be prescribed before definitely diagnosing CD. The development of molecular biology techniques had led to a revival of interest in mycobacteria as a possible aetiological agent in CD. DNA from Mycobacterium paratuberculosis and Mycobacterium kansaii have both been identified in CD cases but the significance of this finding has not been established. However, in the near future polymerase chain reaction will become increasingly useful in differentiating CD from intestinal TB because it allows the amplification and identification of very small quantities of mycobacterium DNA.

Crohn Disease↗

PubMed1992

Comparative study of the clinical profiles of alcoholic chronic pancreatitis and tropical chronic pancreatitis in Tamil Nadu, south India.

In a comparative study of tropical chronic pancreatitis (TCP) and alcoholic chronic pancreatitis (ACP) occurring in the same population, we analyzed the clinical profile of 50 patients of ACP seen over the past 3 years at our centers and compared this with the profile of our TCP patients. A majority (75%) of patients in both groups belonged to Tamil Nadu and 90% had never consumed cassava. Whereas TCP occurred in young subjects of both sexes, ACP patients were all males and presented at an older age. The frequency of pain, diabetes, and pancreatic calcification was similar in the two groups. Patients in both groups were lean, but signs of severe malnutrition were rare. Prediabetic patients had normal body mass index. There were striking differences in radiological appearance of pancreatic calculi in TCP and ACP. Malignancy of the pancreas was present in three patients with TCP. Benign bile duct stenosis was seen in three patients with ACP but not in TCP. Compared to ACP seen in the West, our ACP patients had a shorter duration of symptoms in spite of having advanced disease. TCP and ACP have distinct clinical profiles and it is possible that some environmental factors may hasten the progress of ACP in the tropics.

Abdominal Pain↗

PubMed1990

Fibrocalculous pancreatic diabetes and obesity.

Fibrocalculous pancreatic diabetes (FCPD) is a form of diabetes secondary to chronic pancreatitis that is found in tropical countries. Most patients with FCPD are lean and many are frankly undernourished. Four patients with FCPD who were obese are reported in this paper and this is the first report of obesity in FCPD patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Exocrine pancreatic function in tropical fibrocalculous pancreatic diabetes.

Exocrine pancreatic function was studied by fecal chymotrypsin test in three groups of diabetic patients seen in southern India. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, as shown by low fecal chymotrypsin levels, was seen in 87.5% of patients with fibrocalculous pancreatic diabetes (FCPD), in 23.5% of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients, and in 4.5% of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients. There was no correlation between fecal chymotrypsin levels and serum amylase, serum lipase, age, body mass index, duration of diabetes, fasting plasma glucose, or glycosylated hemoglobin levels. The fecal chymotrypsin test is a useful additional investigation for the diagnosis of FCPD found in tropical countries.

Adult↗

PubMed1988

Effects of immobilization of a limb on the maturation of a peripheral nerve in kittens.

Right or left hindlimbs of kittens were immobilized in a plaster cast, in the resting position. Three groups of animals belonged to the same age group, one to older, and another to younger. Kittens in the same age group were subjected to progressively increasing periods of immobilization, the older group to a shorter and the younger to the longest period. By virtue of this arrangement, it was found that the demonstrated changes in the peripheral nerve, which included a decrease in the myelinated nerve fibre population and a reduction in the mean nerve fibre diameter, have been proportionate among the animals in the same age group, more pronounced in younger, and less so in older ones, indicating that in younger animals longer periods of immobilization lead to a greater degree of harmful effects, although it was also evident that younger animals attempt to adapt to such adverse conditions.

Animals↗

PubMed1986

Influence of immobilisation of limbs in kittens on the morphology of the developing neuromuscular junctions.

Immobilisation of limbs in kittens, in which the neuromuscular apparatus is in active growing phase, affects the maturation of the end-plates, which appear smaller and pointed. Longer periods of immobilisation lead to a significant reduction in the surface area of the neuromuscular junctions which were seen to be "V" or "W" shaped.

Animals↗

PubMed1986

Health services and administration in Madras City: problems and professional perceptions.

The paper discusses in four parts material related to health services and administration in Madras City. A historical account on the health services establishment and administration is first presented. This is followed by the structural and organizational characteristics of the present health service system. A brief analysis of health services in Madras City and the problems they face in their day-to-day operations is then presented. And finally the discussion turns to professional perceptions on the administrative problems and their redress where we see different views of people handling at present the several departments in public hospitals of the city. The perceptions are such that they leave us enormously concerned with the state of affairs in public health services delivery system.

Delivery of Health Care↗

PubMed1985

Movements at the carpometacarpal and metacarpophalangeal joints of the hand and their effect on the dimensions of the articular ends of the metacarpal bones.

A detailed study was undertaken to quantify the range of various movements at the carpometacarpal and metacarpophalangeal joints of the hand in cadavers and compare the values so obtained with those in the living, measured with the help of skiagrams. Longitudinal sections of hand were also prepared to bring out the nature of articulations at the carpometacarpal joints. Based on the data available, metacarpal mobility formulae of 1 greater than 5 greater than 4 greater than 2 greater than 3 for the carpometacarpal, and 5 greater than 4 greater than 3 greater than 2 greater than 1 and 5 greater than 2 greater than 4 greater than 3 greater than 1 for metacarpophalangeal joints are being proposed with the hope that these formulae will find their application in the clinical practice to assess the extent of functional damage to these joints as well as to evaluate the rate of progress or deterioration, in course of time. As an extension of our earlier study (Batmanabane, 1982), osteometric analysis of the metacarpus was also carried out and it is confirmed that it is the mobility which determines the osteometric features of the articular ends of these miniature long bones.

Adult↗

PubMed1983

Alterations in the morphology of the neuromuscular junctions following experimental immobilization in cats.

Immobilization of the hindlimbs in cats, in the neutral position, by applying a plaster cast for 4 weeks, led to paler and larger neuromuscular junctions. Beyond 8 weeks, this procedure caused elaborately branched-out and paler junctions which were significantly larger in their diameters than those of the contralateral control limbs.

Animals↗

PubMed1983

Identification of human second, third, and fourth metatarsal bones.

The lateral side of the base of the second (SMT), third (TMT), and fourth (FMT) metatarsal bones displays constant and distinct grooves. The groove on SMT starts just above the middle of the lateral surface of the base and runs toward the shaft forming an angle of 85-111 degrees with the base. TMT has a groove starting at about the middle of the lateral surface forming an angle of 57-72 degrees with the base, while the groove on FMT runs upward more acutely, starting from the lower end of the surface, forming an angle of 37-54 degrees with the base. The presence of these grooves and the usefulness of their characteristics in distinguishing between these metatarsals, especially in forensic medicine, is discussed.

Humans↗

PubMed1983

Effects of varying periods of immobilization of a limb on the morphology of a peripheral nerve.

Immobilization of a hind limb of the cat in the resting position was found to result in morphological changes in the nerve supplying the medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle. A reduction in the diameter of the larger myelinated fibres (greater than 12 micrometers) concomitant with a reduction in the mean fibre diameter of the nerve were observed. This reduction in the mean fibre diameter of the nerve was found to be directly proportional to the period of immobilization. Prolonged immobilization beyond 8 weeks, resulted in the splitting of the myelin lamellae, formation of myelin rings and figures in some of the larger axons in addition to an abundant increase in collagen. These structural changes indicate a definite neural involvement in the disuse atrophy of the muscle as a result of immobilization extending for a period of 8 weeks and above.

Animals↗

PubMed1982